Platinum Business Magazine Issue 13 - Surrey Edition

The widest-read business publication in the South East

SURREY EDITION . ISSUE 13 . 2015

SURREY TO SUSSEX

PLATINUM CATERHAM CARS

CROYDON’S TIME HAS COME

TONY NEWMAN LEADER OF CROYDON COUNCIL

I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!

INTERVIEW WITH COUNCIL DEPUTY LEADER

PETER MARTIN

MERCEDES-BENZ AND DE VERE VENUES

PLATINUM JOIN US FOR A VERY SPECIAL COMPETITION Plus: Business Funding Guide International Trade Legal Issues Accountancy Wealth Management Business Travel Chamber News Business Style Editorial Opinion Networking Motoring

LEATHERHEAD BUSINESS AWARDS THE LAUNCH THE BIG STORY

GREG DYKE

ON THE BBC AND FIFA

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WELCOME

ISSUE 13. 2015

NATWEST

We are delighted to bring you the very first issue of the Surrey edition of the most read and distributed business publication in the South East.

Platinum has taken Sussex by storm with hundreds of

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thousands of avid business readers across the region and expert editorial written by leading figures from all sectors of the business world. Leading law firm DMH Stallard discuss the post-election real estate market, one of the top accountancy firms in the country, Kreston Reeves, discuss tax relief on research and development and the unique Skerritts Wealth Management delve into the subject of a possible Brexit from the EU and what that might mean for the country.

Peter Quilter on why confidence is returning to law firms in the South East.

CATERHAM TO CRAWLEY The iconic car company schlep down the M23.

Also in this issue we profile Greg Dyke in the Big Story, whose

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career has ranged from Chairman of the BBC to Chairman of the FA with a few stops in between. We chat with Peter Martin, the deputy leader of Surrey County Council about what the future holds for businesses in the county, we follow Caterham Cars as they make the journey down the M23 from Surrey to Sussex and Tony Newman, Leader of

INTERVIEW

Croydon Council, writes about the dramatic regeneration of

We chat with deputy leader of Surrey County Council, Peter Martin.

the borough.

We hear from Peter Quilter, head of the NatWest team in Guildford, about the legal benchmarking report and we present a regular feature about the benefits of membership

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of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce, courtesy of CEO Louise Punter.

As this is our launch issue, we also bring you a relaxing competition, courtesy of Horsley Park Hotel and Sandown Mercedes-Benz. We all work far too hard, so enter the competition and enjoy a relaxing five-star break at one of

BUSINESS AWARDS

the most beautiful hotels in the area and arrive in one of the

The launch of the

finest automobiles ever built.

Leatherhead and

And finally, we are delighted to announce that Platinum Business Magazine is the media sponsor for the Leatherhead

District Business

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Awards.

and District Business Awards and judge of the Business Person of the Year Award.

SECRET SURREY

So as you can see, we‘ve been busy. We hope you enjoy the magazine and that it will become your regular read every

Organic Scotch whisky

month.

from Bramley.

Maarten & Ian Platinum Business Magazine, Surrey

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THE TEAM

AT A GLANCE 6 14 16 21 22 30 33 36

News

38 40 43 44 46 49 50 54 57 59

Bennett Griffin

Natwest: Finance Croyden Regeneration Institute of Directors The Big Story: Greg Dyke Skerritts: Investments Social Media DMH Stallard: Commercial Property Kreston Reeves: R&D Taxation Made Gatwick: Growth Forum Carpenter Box Anger Management Hastings Direct Fastsigns: Interview Style Carpenter Box: Tourism Rupert Jones-Warner: Surviving Everest

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Maarten Hoffmann – Director maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07966 244046

Big Beach: Marketing Book Review: The Real Life MBA

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Portsmouth University: Education

65 70 74 78 80 83 84 88 91 92 94 96

Motoring: Caterham to Crawley

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Wise Words: Rosemary French OBE

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07989 970804

History: Brighton Metropole Lynne Edwards - Commercial Property lynne@portfoliopublications.co.uk Tel: 07931 537588

Gemini Print Young Start-up Talent Acumen Business Convention Chamber Events

Sally Wynn - Senior Designer

Peter Martin: Interview Leatherhead Business Awards Guildford’s Independents’ Day Surrey Chamber of Commerce WIN: Competition Secret Surrey: Nature knows Best

Julia Trevett – Accounts Manager 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.

Platinum Business Magazine is published and owned by Platinum Business Publications Limited.

Directors: Maarten Hoffmann and Ian Trevett

THE BIG STORY GREG DYKE

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The man who lowered standards at TV-AM and lost his job trying to raise standards at the BBC.

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LOCAL NEWS INEVITABLE SHRINKAGE Fourteen areas may be removed from the greenbelt in Woking under plans to build 5,000 new homes. Woking Borough Council said the plan will see the area’s greenbelt reduced by 2% and will involve parts of Mayford, Brookwood and Byfleet. The council will decide whether to approve the building list on Thursday, with most homes being built in town centres.

However, the extent of the greenbelt loss has angered residents. Ron Dawes, from the Mayford Village Society, said, “As far as we’re concerned, what is proposed is totally unacceptable to Mayford and Mayford’s residents. “It would reduce our greenbelt substantially... Mayford, over the years, has been an important green gap between Woking and Guildford and prevents the coalescence of the two towns. That’s going to be seriously reduced.”

However, Graham Cundy, in charge of planning at the council, said, “We’re looking at the majority of development being in the urban area and have taken into consideration all the possible urban sites. “Woking has 63% greenbelt, and after the review it will still have 61%. We’re talking about 2% being taken from greenbelt.” This highlights the struggle to come for the entire South East. There is little disagreement that the UK needs more home building, but the dilemma will always be where to build.

CEO OF THE YEAR Christian Nellemann, boss of SME broadband specialist XLN, has been named CEO of the Year for the South East by the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association. Founded

by Mr Nellemann in 2002 and based in London, XLN is an independent provider of fixed line, broadband, energy and bank card processing services to 130,000 small businesses across the UK. The company has grown rapidly and has expanded its product range with an ambitious acquisition strategy, supported by growth-focused mid-market private equity firm ECI Partners which invested in XLN in September 2010 and sold it in October 2014.

The award comes as part of the South East round of the BVCA Management Team Awards. These awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton UK LLP, are designed to recognise and celebrate the achievements of the UK’s leading businesses backed by private equity and venture capital.

All of the winners of the South East final are now automatically entered into the national contest.

A DOLPHIN IN REIGATE Richard Arris, Head of Brewin Dolphin in Reigate, celebrates following the Brewin Dolphin Interim Results announced last month showing profits before tax of £33m against an income of £148m. The discretionary funds under management total £26.2 billion.

“We have made good progress in streamlining and positioning ourselves for sustainable long-term growth and meeting our ambition of becoming the UK’s leading wealth manager. These results reflect our confidence as a team in Reigate, the continued quality of client service and potential for new business in Reigate as we see increasing demand for professional and trusted wealth management advice.”

The Board declared an interim dividend of 3.75p per share. The interim dividend is payable on 26th June, 2015 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 5th June, 2015, with an exdividend date of 4 June, 2015.

“Every time you feel yourself being pulled into other people’s drama, repeat these word: Not my circus, not my monkeys” 6

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“Remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else”

REDHILL DEPOSIT SURGE Tenancy deposits in Redhill over the last year were 64% more expensive than the average for England and Wales, statistics released by The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) have shown.

By law landlords must submit deposits from tenants to an authorised tenancy deposit protection scheme, and those submitted to the DPS for properties with Redhill postcodes between March 2014 and February 2015 averaged £1,346.73, which is £527.38 more than the national average (£819.35).

Redhill’s figure was on average only £375.23 less than tenancy deposits within the most expensive area, London (£1,721.96). Julian

SINC MORE than 100 start-up and small firms are expected to be helped by a new business support centre being set up in Croydon. Sussex Innovation – Croydon, will be based on two floors of No 1 Croydon in Addiscombe Road, It further cements links between Croydon and Sussex University, which also runs a similar business incubation network on its campus in Brighton. The university already works with Croydon College on providing higher education in the borough. The Croydon centre is the university’s first off-campus operation and the aim will be to eventually provide a base for around 30 small companies, potentially employing around 300 people.

Mike Herd, Executive Director of the Sussex Innovation Centre, said that through the extra support services provided at the centre and through the Brighton set-up, it was hoped the number of companies receiving some kind of backing would rise above 100. Sussex Innovation is planning to take advantage of the fact that research shows more businesses are looking to set up away from central London where costs are lower. Mr Herd believes Croydon is ideally located as a base for new and expanding firms. He said: “It has excellent transport links and will enable businesses to benefit from being part of the northsouth corridor between Croydon and Brighton.”

Sussex Innovation is confident that over the next three years, the first tenants will generate £6 million in turnover and raise £1 million in investment. Mr Herd said the new centre, as well as providing serviced office space for companies, would offer expert support on financing, sales and marketing.

The centre will be managed by Mark Bailey, founder of Sciensus, one of the resident companies at SINC at Falmer.

Foster, Managing Director of the DPS, said: “Tenancy deposits give landlords the security they need while their property is being rented out. Tenants are also provided with peace of mind when the DPS protects the money during their tenancy, as it provides free, impartial adjudication if there is a dispute at the end of the tenancy.

Both landlords and tenants need a deposit protection service that is fast, efficient, clear and communicative, and the DPS has been entrusted with over 3.2 million deposits since we launched in 2007.”

The DPS is the only scheme to offer a choice between schemes that are custodial – where it holds the money for the duration of tenancies – and insured – where landlords retain deposits but pay a fee to protect them.

Its custodial scheme is open to all letting agents, landlords and organisations, and there are no membership fees or qualifying criteria.

The DPS repays all deposits within two business days, on receipt of a jointly authenticated repayment instruction.

MISSION CONTROL, GUILDFORD A new hub designed to control satellites and collect their data has opened at a Surrey research park ahead of the launch of four new spacecraft. The spacecraft operation centre (SOC) opened

by Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) replaces the old mission control at the company’s Guildford campus. SSTL has built and launched 43 satellites since 1981 and is currently controlling and monitoring 14. Four more, to be run from the Guildford HQ, will be launched this summer.

The company, which designs, manufactures and operates satellites and ground systems, is currently assembling more than 20 spacecraft. It operates satellites of its own, and for organisations, including the Canadian government, BAE Systems and the UK Space Agency.

“The facilities are really are out of this world, and I have no doubt they will be the nerve centre for many successful missions,” said Surrey County Council deputy leader Peter Martin, who attended the official opening of the SOC on Thursday.

The new SOC communicates with the satellites via ground stations in Guildford and Bordon, Hampshire and another in the Arctic Circle, which will come into use in June.

Satellites usually make six passes over the Guildford ground station in 24 hours.

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LOCAL NEWS THE CLOUD IS BUILDING Guildford-based Britannic Technologies conducted research on the take up of putting telephony, contact centres and unified communications in the cloud by surveying CIOs, IT Managers and IT Executives from companies with 50- 5000+ employees.

The results produced some interesting stats, including the fact that 56% of companies didn’t have voice in the cloud and were missing out on the opportunities.

However, 44% did, and it was refreshing to see how companies are now realising the benefits of putting their voice infrastructure in the cloud. A staggering 64% said they had a partial voice solution in the cloud, followed by 36%, whose communications solution was wholly cloud-based.

Jonathan Sharp, Sales and Marketing Director, Britannic Technologies commented, “Senior Managers are now aware that technology helps businesses differentiate themselves in today’s competitive market place. It also enables employees to work in more collaborative ways and essentially service customers better.”

Britannic’s customer Trailfinders employed its voice infrastructure and contact centre in the cloud. Matthew Raymond comments: “Since moving our telephony to the cloud we have achieved a total of approximately £250k savings per annum on line rentals alone and increased the agility of the business; it now takes 10 minutes to set up a new travel centre. We also benefit from shared resources, increased resiliency and can offer personalised customer service through the contact centres.”

The great news is that as the technology and market have evolved, so too have the capabilities of key service providers such as Britannic in working with customers to address those fears and concerns through effective design, planning, structured processes, programme management, formal certifications and quality standards, underpinned with next generation managed services.

HORSE HILL, TEXAS The amount of oil at Horse Hill to the north of Gatwick airport could be about 70% more than previously estimated, an exploration company says.

UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) now estimates there are 271 million barrels of oil per square mile (mmbo) in the Weald. The total amount of oil in the field has not been revealed. A previous report estimated about 158 mmbo, after exploration at Horse Hill.

UKOG said it was planning to drill more exploration wells in the Weald and was assessing the potential of the reserves in the area. David Lenigas, chairman of UKOG, said: “This really is a change of the model for the potential of oil around the Weald basin, particularly in the Horse Hill area.”

He said UKOG was planning to drill more exploration wells and would need to conduct flow tests to work out how much of the oil was recoverable.

“Fracking is not our agenda, there is plenty of conventional oil in the Horse Hill well, to not even look past that,” Mr Lenigas said.

Oil has been produced onshore in the South of England for many years. There are currently about a dozen oil production sites across the Weald, an area spanning Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.

“The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate you away from those who are still undecided”

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“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please”

METRO ON THE MOVE TO CROYDON Metro Bank is reportedly planning to move its company headquarters to a new development in Croydon town centre.

The bank, founded five years ago, is in talks to take the vast majority of office space in the first phase of the town centre Ruskin Square development, according to Estates Gazette.

If the deal is agreed, Croydon would likely be the bank’s new headquarters.

Work started on the £500m Ruskin Square scheme last November, on land which had lain derelict for more than 40 years.

The nine-acre site will eventually include 625 homes, 1.25 million sq ft of offices and 100,000 sq ft of shops, cafes and restaurants.

The residential first phase of the development, made up of a plinth and 22-storey tower, will provide 161 homes close to East Croydon Station.

The apartments will comprise a mixture of private homes, shared ownership and rent.

It is likely that much of the scheme’s commercial second phase, the first part to include office space, would be taken by Metro Bank should the deal go ahead.

Metro Bank, which is reportedly looking to lease 150,000 sq. ft. of the scheme’s office space, was the first new high street bank to launch in Britain for 150 years when it opened its headquarters in Holborn in 2010.

The bank runs some 30 branches nationwide, with one in North End’s Central shopping centre.

TOP 20 MOST PROFITABLE FIRMS IN SURREY REVEALED New research from accountants and business advisers BDO LLP has revealed Surrey’s top 20 most profitable mid-market companies have continued their post-recession revival, reporting profit growth of 34% in the last year.

The top 20 firms featured in BDO’s Surrey Best in Business 2015 are ranked by compound annual operating profit (CAGR) growth over a three-year period. They employ 4,600 people and have combined profits of £99m compared to £73.6m the previous year.

The top performing company is Caterham-based North Atlantic Limited. Operating a fleet of freezer trawlers for the pelagic fishing industry, the firm has reported an annual growth rate of 102%.

Innovative technology firm Steljes in Bagshot ranks second in the list with almost 90% profit growth in the last three years, followed by Whelan & Grant, the reinforced concrete specialists based in Walton on Thames, with 49%.

The BDO analysis highlights the importance of medium-sized businesses to the local economy, with Surrey being home to 331 companies with a turnover between £10m-£300m. In total these firms employ more than 100,000 people and pay out £3bn in salaries each year from revenues of £19.2bn.

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NATIONAL NEWS FULL STEAM AHEAD Ricardo PLC in Shoreham-by-Sea has quickly become a local and global success story. The worldclass multi-industry consultancy for engineering, famous for designing fuel-efficient engines for McLaren and BMW, recently secured a £40m funding package in its acquisition of Lloyd’s Register Rail (LR Rail). The deal will accelerate the firm’s diversification into the rail consultancy and assurance industry in its centenary year. What with LR Rail already being a leading international specialist rail consultancy, Ricardo can harness their own already abundant power of engineering knowledge to enhance the previously proven track record of the existing rail firm. Ricardo employs over 2000 engineers, scientists and consultants around the world to deliver expertise to clients in three specialist areas: energy, transport and scarce resources & waste. Off the back of this deal, the firm will launch Ricardo Rail, a new stand-alone international rail consultancy and assurance business which will combine the two companies’ expertise and reach in sector. Nick Hughes of Lloyds Bank’s strategic finance team commented: “Ricardo is internationally renowned for helping its clients in both the private and public sector solve some of the world’s most complex environmental challenges.

With this new acquisition, Ricardo is now well placed to build its reputation as a leader in the rail consultancy space, too.” Dave Shemmans, CEO of Ricardo adds to this: “As the world continues to urbanise, the demand for technical consulting and assurance services in the rail sector has never been greater.

For such an ambitious project to work, meticulous planning and the tireless efforts of stakeholders goes a long way, but it’s ultimately finance that makes it all happen. With the support of our banking partners, we now have the capital to build a new global force in rail consultancy and assurance.”

FEM-GINEERING! An award-winning young engineer, Roma Agrawal, from London, was a finalist in the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and is calling on her fellow females to become engineers too! Roma Agrawal, a structural engineer for WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, said: “I realised very early on in my career that female engineers are in short supply – and that there was a real need to do something about it. Being a finalist in the YWEYA in 2012 has led to all kinds of opportunities to promote engineering to girls, from school and university visits to appearing on the BBC Politics programme and being chosen as a model for M&S.” If the lack of women in engineering continues, the UK will be in a significantly weakened position to find the 1.82 million people with engineering skills employers are projected to need from 2012 - 2022 (according to Engineering UK). “I would encourage other young female engineers to enter and join the campaign to help inspire a future generation of female engineers. My vision is to see women making up 30% of the engineering workforce over the next ten years.” Roma’s mission begins.

SHRED THE LICENCES It is now the end of the road for the paper licence. With a distinct lack of information available to motorists, any of the 46 million drivers on UK roads could unwittingly break the law. Anywhere up to 15,000 short-term loan vehicles are on Britain’s roads each day, a staggering 5 million each year. All roadusers will be affected by this ruling if we ever want to rent or test drive a vehicle because 1 in 5 car dealers haven’t got a new plan in place. Barry Cooper, Managing Director at Cooper Solutions, is concerned these dealers could potentially be ‘failing in their duty of care’ to drivers once the paper licence is scrapped. To meet the expected surge in enquiries from car dealers, the DVLA is implementing a number of additional checks, including a premium rate phone line and online system.

So, the DVLA scrap the licence, have no alternative system in place and then charge a premium rate to call for information. Business as usual!

“If you could kick the persons backside responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn’t sit down for a month” 10

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“Being powerful is like being a lady.

If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t”

4 HABITS OF A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER SIDE ORDER OF HOSPITALITY TheJobsMenu.com was born out of one simple idea: life is too short to do a job you don’t love. Aiming to add some personality to an increasingly stuffy and overly formal recruitment process in the catering and hospitality industries, it is a brand new business based in the North West, servicing companies nationwide. The business is backed by James Caan CBE, the entrepreneur and television personality from Dragons Den. Launched on June 3rd, the team at TheJobsMenu.com has created a much more client-friendly business, spearheaded by an intuitive and innovative web portal which utilises unique NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming)-based behavioural matching criteria. It gives high-profile brands a chance to have their jobs advertised directly to the industry’s best talent. Brands include the likes of The Restaurant Group - the parent company of Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito, as well as itsu, Be At One, The Dorchester Collection and Absolute Taste.

“We work directly with the brands and present their job openings in the most engaging way possible on our mobilefriendly website,” says Illona Alcock, Operations Director.

The website prides itself on matchmaking abilities, and likens itself to a dating website for finding your perfect job match. “To attract the very best talent, brands need to present themselves in the most positive, enticing way possible, which is why we’ve been so meticulous when designing our site. First and foremost, we want all of our clients to look great, and, secondly, but just as importantly, we want the best candidates to easily find them, whether they’re using an old desktop, a mobile phone or a tablet.”

1. Give thanks. Even when you’re calling the shots, waking up and going to work each morning can be a challenge. To start the day on a positive note, some small-business owners dedicate time to gratitude through journaling, spoken affirmations, reflection or even customer interactions.

2. Tend to your to-do list. The most successful ones review and refine it every morning, making sure it ties back to and drives their overall business plan.

We could make a long list of their best practices. Some stick to three tasks and “eat the frog” (or complete the most dreaded one) first. Others set time limits or organise by the day’s schedule.

3. Make some thoughtful me-time. It’s tempting to check email before getting out of bed, especially when your phone doubles as your alarm clock. But motivational speaker Sylvia Theisen advises against it. “Opening email first thing is reactive, not proactive,” she says. Instead, many business moguls, professional athletes and thought leaders start the day alone with their thoughts. Mindfulness exercises have been associated with improved physical and mental health, decreased stress and sharper focus.

4. Get Smarter. Simply that. The easiest way to keep up - or better yet, stay ahead - is to make education a daily priority. Research, read news, and keep current.

ALTERNATIVE FINANCE DEMAND Research reveals that 64% of small business owners expect demand for alternative finance such as property finance, crowdsourcing, invoice finance and asset finance, to increase over the next two years, while just 8% think it will decline. Small firms predict demand will increase by an average of 26% over the next two years. In 2014 the total amount raised through alternative forms of lending was an estimated £1.74 billion, double that of 2013. 42% of small businesses said they considered using alternative finance in the last five years. The most popular option, considered by 24% of respondents, was crowdsourcing finance, including peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding, followed by cashflow/invoice finance (18%), property finance such as bridging loans and commercial mortgages(8%) and asset finance (6%), which covers areas such as plant and machinery and business equipment. On a regional basis, 77% of small business owners in London predict a rise in demand for alternative finance, the largest portion in the UK. Business owners in Scotland and Wales were equal second with 69%. SMEs in the West Midlands were the least enthusiastic about alternative finance with 53% anticipating an increase. Finding trustworthy, professional money lenders has never been so vital to the growth of SMEs in the UK.

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NATIONAL NEWS US SATELLITE FIRM TO CREATE 50 JOBS A Californian satellite and data company is opening a centre in Glasgow to build the next generation of weather forecasting devices. Spire chose the city because it already has expertise in space technology at its universities and small businesses. The San Franciscobased firm has been attracted by a £1.5m Scottish government grant through the Scottish Development Agency. The company intends to employ 20 people initially, building up to more than 50. The new recruits will design and build small satellites, which will be able to collect five times as much data as weather forecasters have had before. By the end of 2017, that could rise to 100 times more data. Part of the plan is to plug an imminent gap in weather forecasting identified by the US authorities. An ageing generation of 20 weather satellites is due to be retired or may stop working before others are in place, with the gap forecast at between one and five years. Spire’s satellite and data handling know-how is designed to provide worldwide and round-the-clock information for its clients in global trade, shipping and air traffic control, as well as meteorology.

The announcement of Spire’s Glasgow office was made during First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s recent visit to the USA. Ms Sturgeon said it confirmed the recent strong flow of investment from American companies. Spire said it chose to locate in Scotland because it has a low cost base and an extensive range of universities with talented engineers. Peter Platzer, Spire’s Chief Executive, said: “We are not only looking for the top 1% of the world’s talent pool, but the 1% that demand constant challenge and improvement that has come to embody Spire’s culture.”

TWEET-TWO Twitter Chief Executive Dick Costolo has announced he is stepping down - with the site’s co-founder and previous Chief Executive, Jack Dorsey, replacing him. The social media network has struggled to boost its numbers of users and develop new advertising methods, despite a high-profile public offering on the stock exchange two years ago. “Shareholders have been really concerned about the lack of growth. User growth has slowed, especially when you compare it to a behemoth like Facebook,” Tom Cheshire, Sky technology correspondent said. “There has also been shareholder concern that the departing CEO didn’t have ‘the vision’ needed to take the tech giant forward. Shares in Twitter rose by more than 7% in after-hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange following the announcement. Mr Costolo, who has been with the company for six years, said: “I am tremendously proud of the Twitter team and all that the team has accomplished. There is no one better than Jack Dorsey to lead Twitter during this transition. He has a profound understanding of the product and Twitter’s mission in the world.”

CHANCELLOR TO SELL RBS… AT A LOSS! The Government is to sell its majority stake in RBS, which was rescued during the financial meltdown with £45.5bn of public money.

Chancellor George Osborne said sales of the taxpayers’ 79% stake in the bank will begin in the coming months, and may take “some years” because of the size of the holding. “It’s the right thing to do for British businesses and taxpayers,” he said at his annual Mansion House speech to business leaders in London. “Yes, we may get a lower price than Labour paid for it. But the longer we wait, the higher the price the whole economy will pay. And when you take the banks in total, we’re making sure taxpayers get back billions more than they were forced to put in.” Selling the Government’s stake in RBS would result in a total loss of between £13bn and £26bn, according to research by independent think-tank New Economics Foundation. Mr Osborne faces fierce criticism if the shares are sold at a discount. What with this and the government selling their 15% stake in Royal Mail, it seems like the Chancellor is shutting up shop!

“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us that do” 12

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“Prejudice is a great time saver.

You can form opinions without having to get the facts”

BAGS OF SUCCESS

NET NEUTRALITY,

WHAT IS IT? Net neutrality is the principle that all internet data traffic should be treated as equal and that content should not be prioritised based on its source. A global row is brewing over ‘net neutrality,’ and, depending on who wins – the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or the regulators – the internet could be very different in the future.

Imagine the data pipes we use to connect to the Internet (sometimes referred to as the “last mile”) as the lanes we use on our roads.

ISPs believe they have the right to create socalled ‘fast lanes’ or toll roads, where those content creators who pay to use them will receive a larger share of the bandwidth and a better service. At the receiving end on our screens, we are most likely to appreciate the need for this prioritisation when streaming data-heavy video or voice content, which requires greater bandwidth. Large-scale producers of this type of content are naturally in favour of ISP fast lanes and are willing to pay a high price to use them for their content.

In the US, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently introduced new regulations in support of net neutrality, which have effectively reclassified ISPs as public utililities and require that all content on the internet be treated equally. ISPs are obviously concerned that this could restrict their revenue-making opportunities and some content producers are also worried that they may not be able to secure any priority in the future. An industry fight-back has begun.

Mrs Deane was a full-time 41-year-old mum back in 2008, when she found out that her then eight-year-old daughter was being bullied at school. She and her husband were immediately determined to move Emily and brother Max, then six, to another nearby state school as soon as possible, but found that there were no spaces. So, they decided they had no choice but to send their son and daughter to a private school instead. In order to pay the fees, Mrs Deane decided to set up her own business, which she would run from the family home on the outskirts of Cambridge, in East Anglia. An accountant by trade, she sat down and thought about what she could do. The winning idea was to set up a business making satchels - old-fashioned, leather school bags. Mrs Deane was reading the Harry Potter books to her children at the time and wanted to buy a satchel that was Wizard and Witch “cool”. But she said she soon found out that such satchels were actually very difficult to buy; she couldn’t find anyone who made or sold them. Realising that she could fill this gap, in 2008 Mrs Deane launched the Cambridge Satchel Company from her kitchen table, with just £600 of savings. Today the company makes all bags in the UK and sells satchels and other products in more than 100 countries. In addition to global sales via its website, the firm’s products are sold at third party stores around the world, including Harrods and John Lewis in the UK, and Bloomingdale’s in the US. Its satchels are owned by celebrities such as US singer Taylor Swift and UK presenter Fearne Cotton and the company has an annual turnover of more than £13m.

MURDOCH STEPPING DOWN The 84-year-old CEO of Twenty-First Century Fox and News International will hand the title to his son James. Murdoch is tipped to continue in his role as the Executive Chairman of the company, while his son Lachlan will become Executive Co-Chairman.

The Fox restructuring is rumoured to involve the stepping down of its Chief Operating Officer, Chase Carey, who has been in his role since 2009. CNBC notes that this will leave the company without a senior manager outside the family. Murdoch founded News Corporation in 1979 as a holding company and used the name to buy up 20th Century Fox and launch the Fox television channel in the ‘eighties.

Murdoch has been described as ‘the last media mogul’ by the Economist. He counts the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and Sky Television among his brands. Murdoch is not expected to sit back from the running of Fox, despite today’s announcement. No one doubts that the elder Murdoch will still have the final say on whatever goes on at Fox.

13

{ FINANCE }

THERE’S SUN ON THE HORIZON FOR SOUTH EAST SOLICITORS

By Peter Quilter ACIB MCIBS Chartered Banker Director, Corporate and Commercial, West Surrey Peter.Quilter@natwest.com

N

ow that the UK economy is headed in the right direction, confidence is returning to law firms in the South East. According to the recent NatWest legal sector benchmarking reports, firms in the South East witnessed a 3% increase in revenue in 2014.

NatWest’s “2015 Financial Benchmarking Report – Law Firms” looks at the performance of law firms operating in the SME space. It is the largest free report of its kind, with more than 330 firms taking part in the research.

Among the highlights in the report are that

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the improvements in the economy are starting to spread beyond the M25, with firms in the South East, in particular, benefitting. Overall billing was up by 5% in the region, well ahead of inflation. The areas that have grown most include conveyancing, with the significant bounce back of the residential property market in our region, and commercial work, which includes intellectual property, supply agreements distribution, agency and marketing agreements.

Furthermore, NatWest has seen an increase in the number of corporate transactions it’s

funding in the region. These deals, including company purchases, feature lawyers as key advisers. This growth in corporate and commercial work speaks of a stronger business environment and is an indication of clients becoming more confident and active.

On the ground, senior partners of firms are reporting more confidence, with investment in new staff being made to cope with the influx of work. This is leading to some shortages in the market for certain specialties, but profitability, as a whole, is growing.

{ FINANCE }

“On the ground, senior partners of firms are reporting more confidence, with investment in new staff being made to cope with the influx of work” Whilst profits are up, the hours worked by each fee earner has remained static, meaning productivity has remained unchanged. The lack of an increase in productivity in recent years is reflected in the rest of the business community too.

When George Osborne says that he wants the economy to find an “extra gear”, this isn’t in reference to the speed of growth in the UK economy, but rather the quality of the work and economic output, combined with a need to upgrade the country’s infrastructure and skills base.

Productivity is crucial to help make Britain a world beater. Prior to the recession, our productivity growth had been outstripping the average of OECD countries, but it has since dropped below average and, as a result, the normal resumption in growth after a recession has not materialised. UK investment in new plant and machinery is less than our peers.

To improve productivity the more strategically-minded legal firms are taking a long-term view and investing in training and technology. Typically, better IT helps with the significant compliance burdens, leading to increases in efficiency.

Over the next two decades it is predicted that artificial intelligence will undertake more of the work. So, to survive and remain relevant in a rapidly changing digital economy investment must continue. The current, relatively low, borrowing costs are further helping to justify this expenditure.

The impact of growth has seen increasing amounts of cash being tied up in work in progress and debtors. This can prove problematic for any business, but solicitors are improving their position in terms of managing debtors and billing more frequently. With less chance of a nasty surprise, more frequent billing has got to be good for clients too.

There are still a number of troubling factors in the economy, but confidence has returned and, for the most part, solicitors in the region are innovating and investing to put themselves in a stronger position to attract the top talent and support their clients.

To download NatWest’s “2015 Financial Benchmarking Report – Law Firms”, visit www.nw-businesssense.com/financialbenchmarking-law.html

While law firms in the South East saw an increase in revenue and profits in 2014, it has not been plain sailing getting to this point. In fact, many solicitors would argue that during the past eight years they have been presented with more challenges than in the previous 400. These include: •

• • • •

The implementation of the Legal Services Act, which led to the arrival of new competition, with non-solicitors setting up legal businesses. Examples include the Co-operative’s Legal Services business and the ill-fated Stobart Barristers, an offshoot from the famous haulage company. While these two may represent the ‘bleeding’ edge of new players in the legal market, there are a number of newcomers who have benefited from massive overseas investment.

The Government’s significant changes to Legal Aid have led to dramatic cuts in income for many firms specialising in family and criminal law.

There have been significant increases in regulation and the associated costs relating to compliance.

Large increases in Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Historically, many legal firms’ profits for the year were equivalent to the interest earned from client deposits. However, with the lowest sustained base rate ever, this is no longer the case.

These changes, coupled with the longest recession since World War II, have meant that many solicitors have had to develop or invest in new skills, including those of a marketeer, a compliance officer and a financial controller. The most successful are those who used these changes to develop innovative new ways to serve their clients and invest in the future.

So, while the days of simply focusing on the law may be over, many South East firms are rising to the challenge.

15

{ CROYDON REGENERATION }

CROYDON’S TIME HAS COME

By Councillor Tony Newman, Leader of Croydon Council www.croydon.gov.uk

I

t has been said too many times over the past 20 years or so that Croydon is on the verge of great things.

There were mutterings of bringing to the town centre a world-class arena. Then the grand Park Place scheme, that would have seen the development of a new shopping centre and town square on the site of St George’s Walk, foundered on the unforgiving rocks of the worst economic downturn in decades.

It was that same downturn that saw the collapse of the dream of a retail and smallbusiness hub around a restored town-centre plaza, off Croydon’s historic Surrey Street Market. Restoration of a great space, full of potential, had just been completed when the

16

world’s markets went into a nosedive.

Things, though, are changing. Those past false dawns are about to be eclipsed by a new upsurge in growth and regeneration that, over the next five years, will make the town, and the wider borough, almost unrecognisable from the place we know today.

Elected on a platform of Ambitious for Croydon, I’m delighted that the borough as a whole is well into the delivery phase of an unprecedented period of regeneration that is set to transform our town as a place to live, work and visit.

Residents and businesses are set to benefit from a life-giving boost in economic prosperity that will see the creation of a “growth zone”

delivering a £5.25bn regeneration programme offering the potential for up to 23,500 new jobs and 9,500 new homes.

This is the fastest development programme in London and it’s clear above all else that Croydon is now established by the government and the GLA as the leading destination to deliver the much-needed expansion in homes and jobs for London.

Among the exciting plans that will see Croydon develop and grow over the coming decades are a dazzling new town-centre retail and leisure mall, a new hub that will put the borough at the centre of the country’s tech offering and a partnership with neighbouring boroughs that strives for greater devolution

{ CROYDON REGENERATION }

“We’re telling government, in no uncertain terms, to devolve to us the powers we seek to unlock the growth potential in our region” from central government for our patch of south London.

Central to our town’s plans is the £1bn redevelopment of the 1960s-built Whitgift Shopping Centre into a 1.5m sq ft state-ofthe-art retail and leisure destination that will provide 5,000 new jobs and 600 new homes, including affordable housing.

We’re also hopeful of a second runway being built at Gatwick, a development that could generate an extra 22,000 jobs for Croydon residents.

And technology is going to be playing an ever-greater role in the future of a borough set to become a centre of excellence, thanks to an innovative new tech business incubator and start-up space that will make Croydon the best place in London to start and run a tech business.

This exciting project – the first of its kind in the UK – has secured more than £2m of backing

from the council and the Greater London Authority to develop a new industry-leading 21,000 sq ft tech space in a town-centre office block. And it confirms Croydon’s position as

“This is the fastest development programme in London” London’s most significant new tech cluster, providing a world-class facility right at the centre of our regeneration programme.

The borough, London’s fastest growing tech

cluster, is already home to 1,500 technology, media and telecommunications businesses, with more than 275 tech businesses located around the East Croydon and Old Town areas alone. This includes a roll call of industry leaders, such as Dotmailer, Pro G and Goal Group.

Another aspect of tech that the council will promote in support of small business growth is the improvement of the digital infrastructure of the borough by increasing superfast broadband provision. That will help new and existing businesses to continue to develop, as well as bringing empty offices back into use.

As part of our cultural ambition, we’ve just secured the services of world-renowned architects Rick Mather and Mott McDonald to oversee the design redevelopment of College Green, at the heart of which will be Fairfield Halls, a complex that offers a concert hall,

17

theatre, exhibition/conference hall and a number of public spaces.

The revival of the cultural quarter is also set to offer an innovative and inspiring area with a lively and sustainable mix of homes, offices, shops and restaurants, as well as creating a high-quality public space. It will form part of a route to and from East Croydon station, quickly connecting visitors with The Queen’s Gardens, the Clocktower complex, Surrey Street and Exchange Square, and is set to revitalise the night time economy.

Away from the borough’s retail and business centre, the council is working hard to revitalise the district centres, which, for most residents, are the local port of call for shopping, entertainment and day-to-day needs.

Multimillion-pound investment is earmarked for South Norwood and Thornton Heath while other areas are being actively encouraged to apply for funding.

From a wider local government perspective, Croydon is engaged in a partnership with four other south London boroughs striving to take more powers from central government and, in the process, gain greater control over our own futures.

The South London Partnership places Croydon alongside Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton as the growth gateway to the southeast, with great infrastructure links, direct access to central London, Surrey and other emerging urban clusters down to the south coast.

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We have such a huge potential for growth that includes creating thousands of new jobs and homes and we are ready to make this opportunity a reality.

“Among the exciting plans that will see Croydon develop and grow over the coming decades are a dazzling new town-centre retail and leisure mall, a new hub that will put the borough at the centre of the country’s tech offering”

We’re asking the government to help us achieve this potential by covering four key themes for growth: • Devolved decision-making powers – including devolved funding streams and budget holding at a local level, 100% retention of business rates; • Matching skills to demand to support the local economy and create new jobs and businesses through devolved funding and commissioning at a local level; • Realising infrastructure ambitions – including a stronger role in transport planning, local control of bus routes and stronger orbital connections; • Greater freedom to deliver homes – including a stronger voice in planning housing, easier and more direct routes to funding, removal of restrictions on borrowing.

We believe that south London represents one of the biggest opportunities, not only in the capital, but the entire country. We have a strong track record of working together, and have shown that we have a common focus on delivery.

We’re telling government, in no uncertain terms, to devolve to us the powers we seek to unlock the growth potential in our region, ensuring that London maintains its status as a global city in the years and decades to come.

This time, the future does indeed look rosy for Croydon.

{ BUSINESS SCENE }

RUNWAY TO WESTMINSTER Total Politics and Gatwick Airport hosted a reception on the terrace at the Palace of Westminster as the Government edges closer to a final decision on airport expansion in South East England.

While some of those in attendance had already made up their minds on where a new runway should be built, many MPs indicated that they were yet to finalise their thinking on whether it should be at Gatwick or Heathrow. The first speaker was the newly-elected Conservative MP for Croydon South Chris Philp, who said, “We do see the potential for significant benefits should Gatwick be expanded with a second runway.”

Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate declared, “There’s no question that we can privately finance it, and we’re not looking for a penny from the taxpayer.”

He concluded by saying, “If the country is serious about not having a report simply gathering dust, but actually wants to have a runway delivered, I think there is only one deliverable solution. It’s Gatwick obviously, and if we get on and deliver it we’ll get the economic benefits for the next generation with a fraction of the environmental impact.”

PoliticsHome editor Kevin Schofield described the political landscape and pointed out: “The Lib Dems were the only major party to go into the election saying they opposed any form of airport expansion - and a fat lot of good that did them!”

Photos by Tom Hampson, www.visualeye.biz, ©visualeyecreative

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Sussex-based Skerritts have won the industry-recognised Citywire New Model Adviser award for the South East for the 5th successive year. The awards were presented by comedian and TV presenter Clive Anderson.

{ INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS }

HOW FLEXIBLE ARE YOU ?

By Dean Orgill Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com

I

f you are a regular reader of this column, may I first of all offer my thanks and then my commiserations. However, it may mean that you recall my thoughts a few months ago about the impact that digital devices and ever-present communications may have upon our creativity. I also felt that if used and controlled as tools such devices may be a boon to our working lives.

Some recent research from Twine* that I came across gave some interesting feedback on how this can impact upon everyone’s working lives.

Not so long ago the phrase “working from home” was greeted with a knowing smile and an assumption that perhaps a major sporting event might be the prime focus of someone’s attention.

Both the times and legislation have moved on from that, however, and that knowing assumption needs something of a rethink.

Whilst not solely related to working from home, it is worth bearing in mind the legal position regarding flexible working. “Under provisions set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996 and regulations made under it, all employees have a statutory right to ask their employer for a change to their contractual terms and conditions of employment ….”, states the

ACAS guide, which can be found at www.acas. org.uk. A person needs to have been employed by their employer for a continuous period of 26 weeks, but once they have been they are entitled to make one such request in each 12-month period. The guide contains much helpful material, both on entitlements and on how an employer should deal with such requests.

Twine quote the figure of 72% of businesses surveyed globally, indicating that they thought increased productivity could be traced directly to their use of flexible and remote working.

To consider just one aspect of flexible working, home, or rather, remote working, various studies have been cited showing it leads to higher levels of job satisfaction. This in turn is more likely to lead to greater productivity, and many companies believe it helps to reduce staff turnover rates.

It is easy to imagine that the mutual trust between employer and employee when the arrangement works well is likely to lead to greater satisfaction and to loyalty that can work both ways.

Touching on another previous column, the Twine report states that amongst Millenials only 69% are anticipating that regular attendance at

the office is going to be necessary for their job.

As with most things, a balance is probably going to produce the best results overall. Some flexibility can produce greater productivity.

Avoiding or at least reducing commuting time that can be more profitably used (in all senses) will enhance productivity, but communal meetings and personal interactions will always have their place, I would suggest.

Flexibility is certainly something to bear in mind. You may have to face it if a request is made, so why not approach it positively and proactively? * www.twineintranet.com/blog/does-flexibleworking-work/

JUST A THOUGHT You spent many hours honing your business plan. When did you last check your progress against it?

21

GREG DYKE

A LIFE WELL LIVED

By Maarten Hoffmann

G

reg Dyke certainly gets around. In the 1960’s he started life in the media and early on decided to shake things up a bit and brought tabloid television to the masses. In 1983, he was drafted into the ailing TV-AM show to revitalise the ratings and this he certainly did by adding bingo, horoscopes and celebrity gossip, which generally began the dumbing down of the nation’s television output.

His lifelong love of football led him to become Chairman of Brentford F.C and then finally into his present role of Chairman of The Football Association, and his endless TV and press appearance recently, connected with the FIFA corruption scandal.

{ THE BIG STORY }

Greg Dyke’s life began in Hayes, Middlesex in 1947, the youngest of three sons born into a lower middle class family. His father was an insurance salesman and Dyke attended Hayes Grammer School, leaving with one grade ‘E’ at A-level mathematics before going on to become a lowly manager at Marks and Spencer. He felt a strong urge to join the media and left M&S to become a trainee reporter for the Hillingdon Mirror, where his talents were quickly recognised as he rose to become the chief reporter within eight months. Having had a taste of the media, he realised that to be taken seriously he would need a degree and attended the University of York as a mature student, graduating in 1974 with a BA in politics. During his time at York, he became active in student politics and was part of a collective that produced the psychedelic underground magazine called Nouse. He also met and married his first wife at York and his university contemporaries were future journalists Peter Hitchens and Linda Grant. Dyke was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the university in 1999 and has been Chancellor since 2004.

Having become disillusioned with the press, his first foray into television began when he joined London Weekend Television under bosses John Birt and Peter Jay and ruffled a few feathers by insisting that to gain a good audience share, programmes needed a populist edge, and this led to him being given control of The Six O’Clock Show, fronted by Michael Aspel, with co-hosts Janet Street Porter and Danny Baker. After a spell at TV-AM he joined the consortium that successfully bid for the Channel 5 licence in 1995 and become the first Chairman of the new channel.

In 2000, he took over the helm of the BBC from John Birt. At the beginning of his tenure, he famously promised to “cut the crap” at the Corporation. The “crap” he referred to was the complex internal market Birt had introduced at the BBC which, it is claimed, turned employees away from making programmes and into managers. Dyke reversed this trend; he reduced administration costs from 24% of total income to 15%. Unusually for a recent DirectorGeneral, he had a good rapport with his employees and was popular with the majority of BBC staff, his management style being seen as more open and risk-taking than Birt’s.

“So there we have the neat package of government ensuring its own backside is safe by destroying a man who was genuinely trying to raise the editorial standards of the state broadcaster” Apart from restoring staff morale, Greg Dyke laid claim to two major achievements during his office. In 2002, he introduced the Freeview terrestrial digital transmission platform with six additional BBC channels, and persuaded Sky TV to join the consortium.

Previously this was an ITV subscription service that had closed with major losses, but by mid-2007 it could be seen by more than half the population. After leaving the BBC, he said that he always realised that the introduction of Freeview helped to prevent a subscription funding model for the BBC gaining traction, because it is impossible for broadcasters to switch off the signal to individual Freeview boxes.

Dyke controversially described the Corporation in early 2001 as “hideously white”, based on statistics that showed the organisation’s management structure was 98% white. Dyke said that “The figures we have at the moment suggest that quite a lot of people from different ethnic backgrounds that we do attract to the BBC leave.

Maybe they don’t feel at home, maybe they don’t feel welcome.” Dyke set a target that by 2003, 10% of the BBC’s UK workforce and 4% of management would be from ethnic minority backgrounds. In September 2004, Dyke received an award for his remarks from Glasgow-based organisation Empower Scotland, which fights against workplace racism.

Dyke attracted criticism when he ‘forgot’ to sell an equity stake in Granada Television, which presented a conflict of interest in his new position. He also caused controversy when

23

{ THE BIG STORY } he lost the rights to Premier League football to ITV, then accused the league of fixing the auction.

Others were worried that the openness and high risk strategies of his management style could backfire on the corporation. An ITV executive was quoted as saying, “By being too radical and playing fast and loose with the public service remit, the BBC is inviting external regulation – and it deserves it.”

Inevitably, it was not long before Dyke’s interest in politics would surface and his departure from the BBC top job, along with Andrew Gilligan and Gavyn Davies, was caused by the publication of the Hutton Report.

Hutton described Dyke’s approach to checking news stories as “defective”; when Alastair Campbell complained about the story, Dyke immediately defended it without investigating whether there was any merit to the complaint.

In an email sent to all BBC staff just prior to his resignation, Dyke wrote: “I accept that the BBC made errors of judgement and I’ve sadly come to the conclusion that it will be hard to draw a line under this whole affair while I am still here.

We need closure. We need closure to protect the future of the BBC, not for you or me but for the benefit of everyone out there. It might sound pompous, but I believe the BBC really matters.”

It was subsequently established that Dyke had offered his resignation to the BBC’s Board of Governors in the hope that they would reject it. However, he was only able to secure the support of about one-third of the Governors.

Some BBC staff felt that in the Hutton Report too much blame had been placed on their organisation in the wake of the David Kelly affair, and that the government was interfering in the BBC. Tim Gospill, spokesman for the National Union of Journalists, said, “Being independent doesn’t just mean not having the government telling you what to do. It means you can criticise the government as well. I’m not at all sure the government understands that.”

Groups of staff staged walk-outs from Broadcasting House and other BBC offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff and Londonderry, in protest at Dyke’s resignation. In addition, on 31st January, 2004, BBC staff paid for a full-page advert in the Daily Telegraph to express their dismay over Dyke’s departure. The statement in the advertisement read: ‘Greg Dyke stood for brave, independent and rigorous BBC journalism that was fearless in its search for the truth. We are resolute that the BBC should not step back from its determination to investigate the facts in pursuit of the truth. Through his passion

and integrity Greg inspired us to make programmes of the highest quality and creativity.

We are dismayed by Greg’s departure, but we are determined to maintain his achievements and his vision for an independent organisation that serves the public above all else.’

Dyke’s departure came 20 hours after BBC Chairman Gavyn Davies resigned following the Hutton Report and after the governors had spent all day in crisis talks in London.

An emotional Mr Dyke told BBC staff at their central London headquarters: “I don’t want to go. But if in the end you screw up, you have to go.” The BBC had made certain mistakes, he said, adding: “I do not necessarily accept the findings of Lord Hutton.”

The pair quit after parts of Andrew Gilligan’s BBC report of claims that Downing Street had “sexed up” a dossier on Iraq’s illegal weapons were branded “unfounded” by Lord Hutton.

Lord Ryder said: “The BBC must now move forward in the wake of Lord Hutton’s report, which highlighted serious defects in the Corporation’s processes and procedures. On behalf of the BBC I have no hesitation in apologising unreservedly for our errors and to the individuals whose reputations were affected by them.”

Then Prime Minister Tony Blair quickly welcomed the statement, saying it meant both the BBC and the government could move on.

He said: “This for me has always been a very simple matter of an accusation that was a very serious one that was made. It has now been withdrawn; that is all I ever wanted.”

The apology was also welcomed by exNumber 10 media chief Alastair Campbell, who told BBC News 24: “It was right that Gavyn Davies has resigned; it’s right that Greg Dyke resigned.”

Lord Hutton’s report cleared the government of “sexing up” its Iraq weapons dossier with unreliable intelligence and Hutton stated that

{ THE BIG STORY }

he believed Dr Kelly had killed himself after being named as the suspected source of the BBC’s controversial weapons dossier story.

So there we have the neat package of government ensuring its own backside is safe by destroying a man who was genuinely trying

“For those of us who have been warning about the tactics used by the Murdoch operation for many years – Mr Murdoch once described me as ‘an enemy’ – the events of the past week have been sweet” to raise the editorial standards of the state broadcaster but had the temerity to question what they were doing. With some questioning how much they knew about Kelly’s death, Alistair Campbell and his Labour attack dogs went to

work and the fact that Dyke also got involved in the ‘sexed up’ dossier, just added grist to the mill. Blair and Campbell managed to wipe out two unpleasant stories in one fell swoop.

On 28th November, 2003 Greg Dyke was formally appointed by the University of York as its new Chancellor, replacing Dame Janet Baker, who had served in the post since November 1991. There was some controversy regarding his appointment in the midst of the Iraq Dossier scandal. He officially took the post in August 2004.

In this role, he is the honorary and ceremonial head of the University, as well as heading the University Development Board. He has also made a personal grant to the new Department of Theatre, Film and Television, to found the Greg Dyke Chair in Film and Television. On 6th February, 2004 Dyke announced that he had signed a sixfigure book contract with HarperCollins. The book “Inside Story”, subsequently published in September 2004, goes into detail about Dyke’s opinion on the relationship between the BBC and the British government, and on the Dr. David Kelly affair and Hutton Inquiry. In July 2004 Dyke was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Sunderland, Middlesex University and in 2006 from The University of Bedfordshire. He was appointed Chair of the British Film Institute on 15th February, 2008, succeeding Anthony Minghella and on 10th March, 2010, it was reported that he had been approached by Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev to edit The Independent and The Independent on Sunday newspapers. In the wake of the News

of The World hacking affair, Dyke frequently appeared in the media to comment on events.

In April 2011 he said, “I don’t think the News of the World is a great contribution to British journalism. They have obviously been playing fast and loose for a long time and are now getting their just deserts.”

Dyke appeared on BBC2’s Newsnight programme on 8th July, 2011 alongside comedian Steve Coogan, where he confronted former News of the World deputy features editor Paul McMullen over his attitude to the events of the phone hacking scandal. Dyke told McMullen “Your tabloid’s nothing to do with a free press, or a decent democracy”. Distancing himself from McMullen, he said, “I’ve spent most of my life being a journalist, and I’m nothing to do with him, and neither are most other journalists. You could see there are occasionally, very occasionally, public interest cases but most of the time it wouldn’t make it less morally reprehensible. These tabloid journalists just tapped anyone they could think of”.

He was also of the opinion that stronger independent regulation of the press was needed, claiming that broadcast media had always been more strictly regulated. On 11th July, 2011, Dyke wrote in the Financial Times that “from the moment it was revealed that the News of the World had hacked into Milly Dowler’s phone, Rupert Murdoch’s bid to buy the 60.9 per cent of British Sky Broadcasting that News Corp does not already own was all but over.” He admitted, “for those of us who have been warning about the tactics used by the Murdoch operation for many years – Mr Murdoch once described me as ‘an enemy’ – the events of the past week have been sweet.”

Such outspoken words all but secured his permanent departure from the media as there were few people he had not upset. As is often the case, it is not the words that are so much

25

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{ THE BIG STORY }

the problem as the method of delivery. Never one to wrap those words in cotton wool, as all long-serving politicians and BBC managers do by default, Dyke spoke as he found and, sadly, that will never do in the British establishment.

Casting around for a new berth, Dyke did what so many do. He considered what he loves and decided to apply his not inconsiderable talent to his love of football, but the past always has a habit of revisiting, and Dyke was once again involved in a TV row when the subject of football rights popped up. Dyke served on the board at Manchester United as a Non-executive Director, and was the sole board member to oppose a takeover bid from BSkyB, which was subsequently rejected by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

Dyke replaced David Bernstein as chairman of The Football Association in July 2013 after relinquishing his role as Brentford Chairman and receiving approval from the FA council.

Now the head of UK football, Dyke reacted to the recent FIFA corruption scandal in his usual blunt fashion, and after hearing that FIFA chairman Sepp Blatter had resigned for ‘honourable reasons’, he said: “I don’t believe a word of this. If he believes that, why not step down last week when we asked him to? He was cock-a-hoop when he won the election and terribly arrogant. Clearly, there is a smoking gun. This is nothing to do with Mr Blatter being honourable; he hasn’t been honourable for years” Dyke has always been one of FIFA’s most vocal critics and, to his credit, has been banging on about corruption in the game for many years.

Many regard Dyke as Blatter’s mortal enemy: “People keep coming up to me and saying, ‘Well done, you got rid of him!’” he hoots, roaring with laughter. “To which I say, ‘I think the FBI had more to do with it than me.’” But the impression

of a gladiatorial clash between two titans is unmistakable – as is the surprising degree of similarity between football’s deadly foes.

Although still stunned by the FIFA president’s resignation, Dyke thinks he can explain it, starting with the allegations of a bribe to erstwhile FIFA official Jack Warner. “I think it was a combination of three things. The $10m payment must have been authorised by him. Nobody else could authorise $10m. Not $10m. Also, I don’t know this for certain, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jérôme Valcke (FIFA’s Secretary General, who faces strong evidence that he knew of the alleged

“The fact that Dyke also got involved in the ‘sexed up’ Iraqi dossier, just added grist to the mill as Blair and Campbell managed to wipe out two unpleasant stories in one fell swoop” bribe) did say to Blatter, ‘I’m not taking the rap for this, you agreed.’ That’s one. Two, I think the FBI is getting close. And three, I suspect the big sponsors said, ‘You can’t do this, it’s got to change.’”

Decca Aitkenhead of the Guardian newspaper, asked if Dyke expects Blatter to be arrested,

and he fell uncharacteristically silent, so he put the question a different way. If he had to put £50 on it, which way would he bet? “Yeah.”

Either way, says Dyke, Blatter hasn’t a hope of remaining in post until his successor is appointed this winter. “No!” he snorts scornfully, perhaps thinking of the speed of his own departure from the BBC. “He’ll be gone. He won’t last. He can’t last more than a couple of months. The one thing you discover if you run an organisation is that the moment you say you’re going, you’ve gone.

He’s dead. It’s over. If you resign, you resign.”

The two men first met shortly after Dyke was appointed to the FA in 2013. “He was very personable, very likable. In his way. He’s got charisma, there’s no doubt. But I never trusted him, no. He reminded me of Nixon, what I call Nixonian politics. In other words, ‘You’re either on our side or you’re the enemy, and anyone who criticises is the enemy. Everything I do is by definition right.’ Blatter’s argument at the end, when he said this is a politically motivated conspiracy – I mean, what world does he live in?

These are a bunch of crooks. Or it appears,” he corrects himself, “they are a bunch of crooks.”

When the pair attended a meeting in February, Dyke had been teetotal since New Year’s Day. “And then I got sat next to Blatter at this bloody thing, and I thought, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t sit here without a drink.’ So it put me back on the bottle!”

Relations had by then more or less broken down, perhaps predictably. “Blatter hates the English. He hates the FA. And he hates the British media. Blames them for everything.” An FA Chairman who made his name and fortune at London Weekend Television, “my spiritual home”, before becoming Director General of the BBC, would have been bad enough. What must have made matters worse is the absence of any

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{ THE BIG STORY } discernible indication that Dyke has forsaken his former profession. “Once you’ve been a journalist, to some extent you’re always a journalist,” he agrees. “Last week on Wednesday, which bits of my brain jumped up? It was the journalistic bits.”

The animosity was mutual. Dyke has “always assumed FIFA is corrupt. It’s always been corrupt.” Blatter cast himself as a global football missionary, and won praise even from his critics for exporting the game into developing countries.

But when asked if Blatter’s chief interest in Africa and Asia was weak governance susceptible to bribery and corruption, Dyke says without hesitation, “Yes. That’s my view. Someone very senior in FIFA – I won’t name who – said to me: ‘Football will always be corrupt. Basically because it’s run by men. If you walk into a room and there’s a million pounds on the table and a naked woman in the corner, most men will take the million pounds and then fuck the woman.’

Now, I happen to believe that’s not what life is like, and I think it’s a very depressing view of the world. But that was someone quite senior in FIFA, and his account of what life is like. It’s quite sad, isn’t it? It’s a pretty sordid world, FIFA.” Blatter, he was told, boasted to a pretty female journalist: “‘What’s interesting about my job is, whichever country I go to, I’m more important than the president.’ Now, if that’s true, then it tells you a lot about him. Massive ego. I think he believed he was not answerable to anybody.”

Dyke’s analysis of his nemesis’ attitudes sounds broadly reliable. The more he talks, however, the more it sounds like an uncannily accurate description of Dyke as well. With the obvious exception of starkly different attitudes to corruption, the two men’s leadership styles do not appear to be dissimilar.

When asked if his public attacks on Blatter and

FIFA might have been rashly intemperate, his tone is nonchalantly defiant. “See, I work on the basis that we have nothing to lose, the English FA. We don’t need FIFA’s money. We don’t want to bid for another event, not while Blatter’s there. We can say what we like. Also, I’m 68. This is the end of my career.” Will the FA be his last big public job?

“Yeah. Yeah. You know, I was 68 last week. The only advantage of being old – well, of being old and having made money – is you don’t give a f***.”

“This is nothing to do with Mr Blatter being honourable; he hasn’t been honourable for years. I wouldn’t want to be Qatar. They’ll sleep even less well tonight” There are large parts of the world where the FA is perceived as an arrogant, neo-colonial elite and there Dyke’s comments might enjoy less approval, and do little to dispel that reputation. “No, I think it’s good for the FA’s reputation. We stood up. The FA hasn’t always stood up. The history is not that good. We stood up to be counted. We stood up to him.”

If Blatter was oblivious to Fifa’s international

reputation, Dyke appears similarly unaware of any animosity towards the FA. “Well, I think it’s true that it’s perceived like that politically in some quarters, but not by the football-watching public. ’Cos they all love the Premier League. No, I think this is a bit of a myth. That somehow it’s colonialism. It’s not colonialism at all. But there is no doubt that there is a set of values which you find in Western Europe, and in America and Australia, that don’t apply everywhere.” Such as? “Well, my experience in Africa is that when people go into politics in Africa, it’s incumbent upon you as part of that to look after your family.

That’s just cultural, it’s a cultural difference.”

But he has no intention of heeding Qatar’s public warning this week to stop querying its right to host in 2022. “I thought it was funny,” he laughs.

“I’m an adult and I’ve been around too long. I once had Blair after me, I’ve been there before. Of course, you can’t convict people on journalism, so we will have to wait for the Swiss investigation to do its job. But if you read the Sunday Times and the recent book, it’s all in there. If you read all of that, it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t corrupt.” His phone rings, and when he hangs up he is beaming. “We’ve just discovered that the FBI investigation does include scrutiny of the two World Cup awards. That’s good. I wouldn’t want to be Qatar. They’ll sleep even less well tonight.”

Most of us hope to feel our lives have been well lived, but seldom will you meet anyone more convinced of it, and his contentment makes him hugely likable. If Dyke has any regret, it was his departure from the BBC. “I hadn’t finished. There was more to be done there. I wouldn’t have done more than a couple of years anyway, but I would have liked to have finished off all the stuff we were doing. But then,” he starts to laugh, “that’s what Blatter said!”

{ INVESTMENTS }

WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK

By Andy Merricks Head of Investments of Skerritts Wealth Management www.skerritts.co.uk

T

he surprise that followed the General Election result got us thinking about how people behave. There are two main aspects that have an influence on our job as investment advisers. Firstly, there is the reticence to speak one’s mind for fear of not fitting in with the crowd or the noisier elements of society. Then there is the interpretation of what is being said. We are not for one second claiming to have come up with anything new here, as behavioural finance and “groupthink” studies are plentiful and form the basis of many a degree in Europe and the United States, but something topical such as the election result gives one an opportunity to go back and check whether we are susceptible to its dangers in the short term.

Was the result so surprising? Not for the

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individual who reportedly bet £30,000 on a Conservative majority at 7-1, but maybe he was just following his instincts based upon what he was actually hearing. Maybe it was purely down to where we are based (although Hove was the one Labour oasis amongst a sea of blue and green in the South Eastern corner) and to whom we spoke, but no one was forecasting a Labour majority overall, whereas one or two quietly suggested a Conservative win. The vast majority followed the generally held view that it would be a hung parliament, even, one suspects, those very Tory voters when asked to publically declare their preference and who hid behind the consensus view until they got into the polling booth. So how does this affect us from an investment perspective?

CHINA’S RECENT PERFORMANCE A good example was heard on Bloomberg TV recently when they were discussing China’s recent soaring stock market. Their guest was clearly quite excited that the shares had fallen in the immediate short term as, to paraphrase his words, this was good news for most managers of emerging market funds who had been wrongfooted by the sudden surge in Chinese stocks and who were consequently under-performing their benchmark and would thus have to buy the Chinese market, even if they did not think that the returns were sustainable. In other words, it is more important to be aligned to the crowd, even if the crowd is wrong and you don’t actually agree with them. You can hide behind the majority’s actions.

{ INVESTMENTS }

“There may well be fluctuations in Sterling along the way, but we are prepared to say here and now that a Brexit looks highly unlikely at this juncture” INTEREST RATE RISES Another example of groupthink is to be found regularly in the forecasting of when interest rates are to rise. When the 2008 crash arrived and interest rates were slashed to virtually zero, it was a new phenomenon for most of us and we didn’t quite know how to react. Surely it would only be a temporary measure. Roger Bootle, the economist, was viewed with some scepticism when he suggested that rates would stay low for 5 years. Most of the presentations that we attended forecast two years at most.

Then, gradually, the realisation dawned that this was a longer term phenomenon, but still it stretched credulity that rates could stay this low for so long, and each year saw the consensus views suggesting that rates would probably rise “in the Autumn” or “in the first quarter next year”. Most people were happy to repeat what others were saying rather than risk appearing out of line by focusing upon the real reasons why rates would not possibly rise as soon as anticipated; employment figures were not rising quickly, wages were rising even more slowly and inflation seemed but a speck on the horizon. Why would rates rise in this environment? For those who held the low rates for longer line, rewards were forthcoming from making relevant investment decisions.

The whole world appears to think that US interest rates are going to rise in September this year… but then the whole world seemed to think that they would have risen by the end of 2014 as well, until the strengthening dollar intervened.

Having weakened a little in the Spring, the dollar has strengthened a little of late, the data from the US has been slightly underwhelming, inflation does not appear to be catching fire and wages aren’t exactly going through the roof, so is a rate rise in September such a certainty? We’re not so sure. There is a sense that rates may rise simply because they, well, just maybe they should.

Since 2008 rate rises in Sweden and Australia were swiftly followed by reversals, so this may be a policy error should it occur.

GROUPTHINK ON LIQUIDITY Markets may be looking for an excuse to sell off and a rate rise is as good an excuse as any.

The last three cyclical bull markets have had

a correction of close to 20% to interrupt their progress, although a short, sharp sell-off is probably preferable to a more prolonged bear market scenario. According to BCA Research, corrections mostly happen after the 2nd or 3rd rate hike, which is particularly relevant to the assessment of risk today. On the flip side, there is no precedent for the Fed raising rates 6 years into a recovery, so it is entirely possible that valuations have been stretched beyond the norm in the interim period. Both Janet Yellen and Mario Draghi (Fed and ECB heads respectively) have expressed concerns over the financial stability implications of excessive risk taking, but this is the very environment that their respective easing policies have encouraged, which has been an unavoidable by-product of the emergency measures that were required at the time.

“central banks are pumping liquidity into the market... which can only drive prices higher” And herein lies the latest groupthink risk, the commonly held opinion is that “central banks are pumping liquidity into the market... which can only drive prices higher.” In fact, as BCA suggest, this may be completely wrong and liquidity may be being destroyed by central bank action as everyone begins to think and behave the same way, leading to mass purchasing and holding of the same assets. But markets are formed by two parties disagreeing over the price of something, which is particularly so for investors with different time horizons.

If the short term investor and the long term investor (i.e. pension funds) agree on the price of an asset, then there is no liquidity in that asset as no one will pay up for it or release it, thus creating illiquidity. If the long term investors

“eventually snap out of the groupthink trance, and revert to look at value on a long time horizon, the penny drops. And the crowded trade risks a sudden and violent correction.” [BCA Research May 14th].

Using a measure known as CAPE (cyclically adjusted price to earnings) the future returns over 5 and 10 years can be forecast, and the CAPE on US equities does not make for good reading today. It is currently showing as 28, which historically suggests a negative 1.4% real return over 5 years and just a 0.9% positive return over 10. The last time it hit 28 was in the mid-1990s. However, it continued to the lofty heights of 48 before snapping in 2000, so it does not mean that a correction is imminent, particularly as we are in a unique scenario today.

It’s fair to say that warning signs are flashing for short term investors though.

A FINAL THOUGHT ON THE EURO REFERENDUM: This is only a final thought in terms of this particular article. There will be reams of comment to come in the next year or so, but in the meantime the General Election result may have given us a steer towards whether the promised referendum on continued membership of the European Union will lead to a Brexit or not.

At this stage we would predict that the chances are overwhelmingly in favour of the status quo being maintained, much as we saw with the Scottish Referendum a few months ago, unless there is a major economic crisis between now and the referendum date centred in Europe.

Like many in the animal kingdom, our response to perceived danger is to do nothing in the hope that the danger will pass. There may well be fluctuations in sterling along the way, but we are prepared to say here and now that a Brexit looks highly unlikely at this juncture.

The information contained within this feature is for guidance only and is not a recommendation of any investment or a financial promotion.

Skerritt Consultants, Skerritt House, 23 Coleridge Street, Hove, BN3 5AB. Tel: 01273 204 999.

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{ SOCIAL MEDIA }

IT’S YOUR BUSINESS TO BE SOCIAL

By Lucy Wilkes lucyprintroom@aol.com www.totalsocialsecretary.com

H

ashtags, posts, retweets, likes, favourites, #FF, Vloggers, RT, Periscope, dm`s... a whole language has evolved around social media, along with a crazed determination to share every second online.

A cursory glance would make the uninitiated presume that all there is to offer are foodie photos on Pinterest, festival kids on Instagram and TV tweets via Twitter… So, is there a place for the business community online?

Very much so... LinkedIn is stabilising as the essential business platform, positioned solely for professional use with a reported 53% of B2B leads gained via this source. A basic account will give the user the capability to search out contacts, send personalised invitations to “connect”, join similar business groups, comment on posts and publish articles, cementing the individual as a key influencer in their field. All these opportunities are without cost at entry level.

For high street retailers, Twitter is a must.

With footfall declining year on year, for B2C this platform is essential. Following potential customers is straightforward and the conversion rate is 80% as Twitter etiquette dictates that if someone follows your account you land on their page and follow them back. Free sites such as Tweepdash assist with the account management to keep the follower/following ratio in line.

Tweeting photos accompanied by captivating 140-character (maximum) descriptions including links to website - whether its jewellery, pet accessories, kitchen appliances - will encourage potential customers to buy. Working with a store recently, by using the @ and tagging in global brands such as @piperheidsieck meant the store began attracting enquiries nationally.

“As more businesses are employing specialist marketers, the realisation is that social media is a powerful tool” Facebook continues to be the market leader, mainly due to it being the “first” social media site and to its global coverage, but it is failing the business user with its tricky algorithms, which only allow high value posts to be shared to the online community, and by pushing for paid

advertising at every step. Therefore, I see less and less potential for the business user .

Live streaming - or filming and downloading in real time - has taken a giant step forward with Twitter’s Periscope option. This will have a massive impact on the housing market as viewers will be able to share real content. It will be interesting to see how estate agents are going to deal with this!

As more businesses are employing specialist marketers, the realisation is that social media is a powerful tool. But time is of course an issue.... Recent polls indicate the UK business community work an average of 40 hours per week - at least. To manage social media output, Hootsuite, initially horrifically off-putting with its constantly changing streams, is great to schedule in posts; you can dedicate an hour a week to writing content, then check back to see who has interacted with your posts.

Another vital point is the detailed analytics: drilling down to individual content, you will be able to see what is resonating with your audience and better justify how much of your marketing budget you can allocate to social media. Whether you use an external agency, hire a consultant to coach internally, or employ a social media consultant, if you are not on board, chances are your competition are, and they are talking to your potential customers.

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Last year two Platinum members, Natalie Page, MD of Page Marketing and Dan Montagnani, MD of Groundsure were introduced by Platinum CEO Maarten Hoffmann with a view to them working together. Well, they certainly did work together but not quite in the way imagined. They have just returned from their wedding in a beautiful Italian church and we all wish Mr & Mrs Montagnani all the best for the future.

1.

THE PLATINUM BUSINESS CLUB, THE GRAND HOTEL, BRIGHTON

2.

PC

THE P L AT I N U M CLUB

The Platinum Club met in Brighton last month and, as one rarely expects the Spanish Inquisition, they did not expect Everest explorer, ex-SAS Officer and Leadership Coach Neil Laughton to arrive in a top hat on a Penny Farthing! Having recently organised a Penny Farthing polo match at Cowdray Park, Neil is looking for corporate sponsors to expand this sport and take it global.

The Platinum members can always be relied upon to be well-connected, leaders in their field and jolly good sports. For membership details of Platinum Brighton and Platinum Gatwick, contact info@theplatinumclubbrighton.co.uk

1. Neil Laughton arrives in style 2. The bandstand in Chocolate

by Evelyn Day of Chocadyllic 3. Hannah Staunton (Gatwick Airport), Neil Laughton (Laughton & Co), Gemma King (Vivid Marketing) 4.Richard & Heidi Skerritt (Skerritts Wealth Management) 5. Pieter Grobbelaar (Concordia Health), Gemma King (Vivid Marketing), Neil Laughton (Laughton & Co), Nick Jenner (Square One Financial) 6. Richard Pollins (DMH Stallard), Tony Rice (Audi), Roy Whitehouse (WIS Risk Investigations) 7. Siobhan Lomasney (DMH Stallard), James Colvin (DMH Stallard), Alistair Rustemeyer (McMillan Williams), Stephanie Farr (Harvey John Recruitment), Hannah Staunton (Gatwick Airport)

5.

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{ COMMERCIAL PROPERTY }

PROPERTY POST ELECTION – WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON?

by Tina George, Partner and Head of Real Estate, DMH Stallard T: 01293 60 5193 | E: tina.george@dmhstallard.com

S

o what of it? The election, that is, and specifically what effect the Conservative majority will have

on property in the South East.

Property will be always be a hot topic in the South and it would seem that demand is likely to out strip supply for the foreseeable future. The relaxation of the Permitted Development rules allowing commercial properties to be converted to residential use without the need to apply for formal change of use has been criticised by many as contributing to the loss of valuable office and commercial space in the region and exacerbating supply issues. There was a good deal to be said about the shortage of supply of land in the region at the Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum held on 4th June. The acute shortage of available commercial sites is high on the agenda for a number of regional manufacturing businesses and in the medium term the indicators are that this could hamper their ability to grow and, ultimately, recruit and retain our talented young people in the region. So returning to our question, what of it and what changes in policy can we expect from the Government post-election.

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HOUSING & PLANNING The Government’s planning proposals mostly encourage house building, which boosts economic growth in line with the long-term economic plan and provides much needed housing especially in the South. The Tories now promise a Right to Build, a scheme which puts a positive obligation on local planning authorities to support custom and selfbuilders in identifying appropriate plots in their local area on which to develop their own homes.

This could provide real opportunities for those minded to build their own properties and is likely to be of particular interest to the high numbers of entrepreneurs along the South Coast, although admittedly that will not appeal to the majority.

Hand-in-hand with this are proposed registers of brownfield land, which the Government intends all local authorities keep and maintain in respect of the land in their boundary, and a statutory framework to support the delivery of 200,000 homes on brownfield sites. The aim is to have local development orders (“LDOs”) granting planning permission for housing on 90% of brownfield sites over the next 5 years. A LDO permits certain development without the need for a separate planning application – an incentive to develop on brownfield land which is usually more

expensive due to the cost of clearing and possible environmental clean-up. There is a clear intent that no land should go to waste, and no stone should be left unturned in the search for viable land for development.

These measures are important for those in the South East, where housing and development in this desirable area can be difficult to realise especially around the protected Green Belt. St William Homes, which was set up by National Grid and Berkley Homes joining forces with a view to building 14,000 homes over the next 15 years on now obsolete National Grid sites in London and the South East, specifically chose this area because of its viability and acute need for housing.

In addition to the push for brownfield development, local authorities are being asked to let go of surplus land in order to make space for 150,000 homes on redundant public sector land by 2020. Surrey County Council are working with Spelthorne Borough Council and the Ministry of Justice to free up enough land for 300 new homes whilst Horsham District Council is proposing a substantial strategic mixed use development on land north of Horsham to provide around 2,500 homes and associated infrastructure for the period to 2031. Horsham

{ COMMERCIAL PROPERTY }

“David Cameron is warming towards a second runway at Gatwick airport”

District Council’s proposals also include a high quality business park and a range of community facilities and services. The site is being promoted

by Liberty Property Trust and DMH Stallard are the planning consultants. Liberty Property Trust is a masterplan developer. One of its flagship schemes is a new community at Kings Hill in Kent, which combines commercial, residential, educational, retail, community, sports and leisure uses within 800 acres of highly landscaped parkland.

The National House Building Council recently identified that between January and March this year, new registrations of houses in the South East grew by 47% when compared to the same period last year. Support for garden cities such as Bicester and Ebbsfleet is set to continue along with as yet unknown general changes to legislation and policy which intend to speed up and simplify the planning system.

THE ENVIRONMENT The Government is committed to creating a new ‘Blue Belt’ around the UK’s 14 Overseas Territories, protecting marine habitats around islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Back on the UK’s main island, the Government has plans to increase the existing network of Marine Conservation Zones to protect marine wildlife, habitats and geology. There are several existing in the South East including two running parallel to the East Sussex coastline from Brighton to the Beachy Head Cliffs near Eastbourne, protecting the South East’s chalk reefs and gullies which are home to sealife including oysters and seahorses.

The Government proposes to create roads and railways with a reduced environmental impact, and launch small green spaces in cities known as ‘pocket parks’.

In keeping with its plans to devolve more decisions and power to local authorities, the Government intends to remove large wind farms from Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects so that applications will not need the consent of the Secretary of State. Applications for such developments, like the 116-turbine

Rampion wind farm currently under construction eight miles off the Sussex coast, will now be dealt with locally. This will crucially allow locally led decisions on such applications, reflecting the Government’s steer towards localism.

Meanwhile, we are told that David Cameron is warming towards support for a second runway at Gatwick airport owing to the potential environmental impacts of expanding Heathrow.

Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports Commission, is set to release his final report on the best way to increase airport capacity in the South East over the coming months and we wait to see his recommendations.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY There are changes to the business rates system promised (and not before time I hear you say).

Business rates are charged by Local Authorities on most commercial properties, subject to permitted reliefs and exemptions and are calculated by multiplying the rateable value of the property (set by the Valuation Office Agency) by a business rate multiplier (set by central government). A revaluation exercise is carried out every few years to reflect changes in the property market. At the same time, the multipliers are reviewed so that the overall business rates bill nationwide only changes in line with inflation. Business rates are paid annually on 1.8 million properties in England alone and the next valuation is due in 2017. The Enterprise Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech, aims to improve the business rates system ahead of the 2017 revaluation exercise.

“The Government’s planning proposals mostly encourage house building, which boosts economic growth”

given by the government back in the 2014 Autumn Statement to overhaul the business rates system.

A consultation published by HM Treasury in March 2015 closed on 12 June 2015 and its findings are expected to be reported before the 2016 Budget.

The consultation invites comment in order to examine the structure of the current system and consider whether it remains fit for purpose and how businesses use property; what the UK can learn from other countries about local business taxes; and how the system can be modernised so it better reflects changes in the value of property.

DMH Stallard’s Real Estate team will be watching this with interest and our blog will report further on this in due course.

MANSION TAX Economists were warning of a property meltdown when labour announced its plans to introduce a tax on high value residential property in its pre-election manifesto, and the fear was that this would stifle activity at the top end of the market. The claim was that the tax would raise £1.2 billion in revenue for the Chancellor in fairly short order if Mr. Miliband made it into Number 10. Whilst there was a discernible short term slow down in the South East residential market in the lead up to the election, this was said to be more as a result of general uncertainty than specifically the threat of the mansion tax, and was seen across the board and not just on those properties in the £2m plus price bracket. Now that all fears of the mansion tax have evaporated there is talk of another property boom. Time will tell, although we are told only this week that the number of cash buyers of property is at an all time high. Watch this space.

ABOUT DMH STALLARD DMH Stallard has one of the largest legal Property and Planning Group’s in the South East.

With 27 Partners and Consultants more than 50 other lawyers and professionals, the firm provide specialist advice across the entire spectrum of property law including Acquisition and Disposal; Portfolio Management; Regeneration and Development; Construction; Planning and Environmental; Real Estate Dispute Resolution; Real Estate Investment.

CONTACT ONE OF THE TEAM FOR MORE INFO:

The changes will include reform of the business rates appeals process, including extending the powers of the Valuation Tribunal to consider appeals by ratepayers. Additional provisions will allow for the Valuation Office Agency to share information with Local Authorities to improve the system overall. The Bill builds upon the commitment

Heidi Copland, Partner +44 (0)1293 663518, Heidi.copland@dmhstallard.com James Regan, Partner +44 (0)1293 605003, james.regan@dmhstallard.com

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{ BUSINESS PREMISES }

WASTE OF SPACE?

Gemma Lawrence, Associate and Chartered Legal Executive Telephone: 01903 706990 | gl@bennett-griffin.co.uk

B

usiness property occupiers will frequently wish to make changes to their space to adapt to the needs of their changing business.

To avoid unbudgeted costs and time delays owners should check at an early stage in considering their plans for works whether they need consents from third parties.

Consents and statutory obligations an owner should consider that may be required for their planned work to business premises are summarised here.

LEASED PROPERTY If the business occupier is not the owner of the bricks and mortar to the property and occupies their business premises by a lease or tenancy arrangement, the specific terms of the lease should be checked to see if any immediate

38

landlord or superior title owner’s consent is required before works start. Most business leases will contain alteration clauses which prohibit a tenant from having carte blanche to make whatever alterations they wish. Types of common restrictions or covenants we see are: • Lease totally prohibits alterations, whether of a structural or non-structural nature, to be made; • Lease totally prohibits structural alterations but allows non-structural alterations – with Landlord’s prior written consent; • Lease allows non-structural alterations subject to gaining the Landlord’s prior approval of drawings; • Lease restricts the tenant’s ability to alter the service media (i.e. cables and pipes) serving the premises.

Often tenants will benefit from qualifications to the provisions in their lease so that the landlord cannot unreasonably withhold or delay consent.

Take advice at an early stage of your planning as to what works may be permitted by the lease and which may require the landlord’s consent or are entirely prohibited.

Even where a lease purports to prohibit alterations or a landlord has an absolute decision on whether to give consent, there are a couple of saving graces: 4 A limited right is given to tenants by section 19(2) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927 so that a landlord cannot unreasonably withhold consent to a tenant’s request to make certain improvements; 4 For some improvements, a tenant may make them even if the Lease completely prohibits the alterations by section 3 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1927;

{ BUSINESS PREMISES }

“Even where a lease purports to prohibit alterations or a landlord has an absolute decision on whether to give consent, there are a couple of saving graces”

4 In certain circumstances a tenant can claim compensation at the end of the Lease for making improvements pursuant to the above rights.

4 Sometimes an occupier is required by specific legislation to make upgrades to a property – for example, under the Equality Act 2010, The Health and Safety at Work etc, Act 1974 and Environmental Protect Act 1990. Where a tenant carries out works to meet these statutory obligations, they do not need to obtain the landlord’s prior consent to do the works.

The lease should be reviewed to determine if you need landlord consent. Likewise what obligations you will have to the landlord to reinstate alterations at the end of the lease term and whether the lease terms exclude your alterations when valuing the property on future rent reviews. Having to pay the cost of reinstating the property to its original condition or finding out that, because the landlord’s approval was not obtained, the works have increased the rental value, and as a result the landlord can increase the rent you pay, are two costly outcomes to be avoided.

CONTRACTS FOR WORKS AND WARRANTIES Works to your business premises are costly; defects in works can be more so. We would recommend that quotes be obtained in writing and contracts for works should be reviewed carefully. Where the nature of the works is substantial, consider whether you need to ask contractors and designers for insurance backed warranties.

PLANNING CONSENTS, LISTED BUILDING CONSENTS AND CONSERVATION AREA CONSENTS Are your proposals substantial in nature, affecting the appearance of the exterior of the building, or do you plan to change your use of the property? If so, planning consent may be required from the Local Authority. Guidance should be sought early on, particularly if the property is in a conservation area or the building is listed.

BUILDING REGULATIONS Structural works require prior Building Regulation approval, but also bear in mind that works which alter a property’s services or fittings, such as drainage and electrics, also need to be carried out in accordance with up-to-date Building Regulations. Compliance with Building Regulations can often be met by a contractor who manages the whole process for you, from obtaining consent, if required, to certifying the works on completion. Check if your contractors will be managing this for you.

“Most business leases will contain alteration clauses which prohibit a tenant from having carte blanche to make whatever alterations they wish” ARE THEIR COVENANTS ON THE PROPERTY’S TITLE SEEKING TO RESTRICT WORKS TO THE PROPERTY? Covenants can exist on a property’s title which prevent works entirely, or require consent to be obtained from a third party before works to the exterior, even such as changes to decoration colouring, can be carried out.

It is also important to check whether consents are required from neighbouring owners to any planned works and seek advice on the risks of enforcement if not obtained.

IS THE PROPERTY MORTGAGED? If you have finance secured against your business property, check the terms of your loan facilities, the terms of which may require you to seek the lender’s approval to your works.

INSURANCE Consult your buildings insurer as to whether they need to be notified when works commence and complete to be confident cover cannot be avoided.

HEALTH AND SAFETY Finally, before proceeding with any works, do ensure that the health of you your employees and the contractors is protected.

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 you have a liability to manage your obligations and protect health and safety risks in respect of works you contract.

Health and safety files, asbestos surveys and management plans should be kept up-to-date and made available to contractors, whose contracts should require them to comply and update these during the course of the works.

If you intend to alter or refurbish your business premises, please give us a call at an early stage of your plans so we can offer you practical advice on the legal consents you may require and how we can help obtain these. But don’t panic if you have already begun - we can still help.

Contact Gemma Lawrence Associate and Chartered Legal Executive on 01903 706990 or another member of Bennett Griffin’s Property Team on 01903 706900.

39

RESEARCH TAX BREAKS AND DEVELOP YOUR POTENTIAL Many businesses are still unaware of the generous tax reliefs available for research and development.

They are missing a trick, says Khin Warber, Chartered Tax Advisor at Kreston Reeves

F

igures released by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs show that only 16,000 firms made a claim in the year 2012/13, the latest for which statistics are available, from the 150,000 that could have done so. A poll last December suggested that less than one quarter of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) had even heard of the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit regime, despite it being available now for more than 14 years.

For reasons that may be to do with complexity, or plain lack of publicity, a very significant tax

40

break, which could benefit many more firms than seem aware of its existence, is waiting to be claimed.

This is a lost opportunity to recover a major cost. For many businesses, expansion involves trying to find a technological advance, which is exactly what the relief is designed to encourage.

The R&D tax credit is specifically intended as an incentive for firms to create new technology, whether they are making a profit or loss at the time. It is also one that the Government keeps improving.

It works by increasing the value of money spent on development by a percentage. In so doing it reduces the amount of declarable profit and, therefore, the corporation tax owed.

The tax relief on qualifying expenditure is currently 230% for an SME, which means for every £100 that a company turning over less than £80m million a year spends on R&D it can deduct an additional £130.

The relief for large companies is not as generous, but still valuable: an additional £30 on top of every £100 spent on the qualifying R&D

{ TAX }

organisational processes and creating a new form of food packaging.

It is not eligible for routine analysis, copying or adaptation of an existing product, process, service or material.

Although few people seem to know about it, nobody should be surprised that the scheme exists. The Government has long made support for business innovation a core part of its strategy for stimulating economic growth; and backing that up with tax credits for qualifying expenditure is part of making developments happen.

There is no sign of that commitment flagging, either. Companies with fewer than 500 employees may benefit the most, but there is something for everyone. In the Autumn

the R&D regime are often unaware that if the advance sought by their project is not achieved, or fully realised, they can still claim for the work.

Smaller businesses incurring trading losses, or where the additional R&D deduction turns a taxable profit into a loss, can also ‘surrender’ part of that loss in return for a tax refund from HMRC. This is currently worth 14.5 per cent of the amount ‘surrendered’.

The only qualifying costs for a claim are those directly attributable to an R&D project and not subsidised through, for example, some form of state or EU aid.

Statement last year, Chancellor George Osborne raised the reliefs, continuing the trend of support.

•

Qualifying costs include: • Spending on software and items that are used directly in carrying out an R&D project

•

•

expenditure can be deducted when calculating taxable profits. However, the Government has raised the rate of the ‘above the line’ tax relief for large companies to 11 per cent of actual R&D expenditure.

A common, and false, belief is that relief is only there to support innovation from people in white coats with bubbling beakers of chemicals or something mechanical. The relief is actually intended for all kinds of businesses.

Catering and confectionery firms, manufacturers, engineers, software developers, and many others, can all benefit, even if few seem to know.

There are rules to define R&D for tax purposes. The key one is that a project must seek to achieve an advance through science or technology.

But the relief can support everything from developing electronics, to improving

“The tax relief on qualifying expenditure is currently 230% for an SME, which means for every £100 that a company turning over less than £80 million a year spends on R&D it can deduct an additional £130” He went even further in his last Budget before the general election this May, announcing the ‘voluntary advanced assurance’. This is an opportunity to get up-front approval from HMRC, valid for three years, that an R&D project will qualify for the tax credit.

The ’assurance’ represents an opportunity to plan finances, giving the certainty needed to know whether a particular project will be eligible before funds are committed.

Yet even businesses that do know about

Relevant payments to the subjects of clinical trials Staffing costs, both internally and externally, provided workers are directly or actively involved in the R&D project Payments to subcontractors for undertaking R&D activities on behalf of the company, restricted to 65% of the cost

The taxation rules regarding R&D activities are complex and evolving, which may partly explain why so many firms have failed to take advantage of them. We do understand them and help our clients to reclaim significant amounts of money.

Kreston Reeves has a team of tax specialists across its six offices based in Sussex, London and Kent, working on R&D tax credit claims.

We can advise on whether your business technology projects fall within the definition of R&D for tax purposes. We can also assist in claiming tax credits under the relevant scheme, which will depend on company size and other variables.

For further information or to discuss whether your R&D activities are eligible for the relief, please contact either myself or Shirley Smith on 01293 776152; via email: khin.warber@ krestonreeves.com or shirley.smith@ krestonreeves.com

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{ MADE IN GATWICK }

GATWICK FOR GROWTH

by Ross Sturley

T

he Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum, which took place at the Arora in Crawley in June, explored two key aspects of our regional economy.

The first – the Airport – was led off by a world tour of airport economies, taking in Guangzhou, Amsterdam, Zurich, Denver and more en route to Manchester, where speaker John Atkins had masterminded the development of ‘Manchester Airport City’, a significant development of employment space around the airport.

It is now home to around 40,000 jobs and makes a significant difference to the regional economy. This, and the other global examples, showed the value of airports to economies, and pointed to a number of key success factors we need in place around our own Gatwick Airport.

It does well already for infrastructure and connectivity and will improve, but more investment will be required in road and rail. We will also need available land for development – especially if the Airport wins the right to build a new runway – and policy support from local and regional politicians.

Nick Dunn, CFO of Gatwick Airport, talked

about expansion, laying out the rather long timetable from the Airports Commission’s report, expected any time now, on the opening of a new Gatwick runway, should all go swimmingly, in around 2026. That this can be so short is in Gatwick’s favour; a Heathrow option for a new runway would take longer.

Nick was open about the consequences of expansion for businesses in the north of Manor Royal and Lowfield Heath, areas which would become part of the enlarged airport.

He said that the airport was involved in close consultation and would be working to make the change as easy as possible.

Interestingly, a show of hands, not on whether the airport should expand or not, but whether delegates thought it would get the go-ahead to from the Davies Commission, was overwhelmingly positive – a sentiment backed by online bookmaker Betfair, who has Gatwick at 8:11 ahead of Heathrow at evens in a twohorse market.

We moved from the airport to our Advanced Manufacturing Sector, led off by Rosemary French of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, who explained how vital this rapidly growing

sector is to our future, and how it needs to be protected and strengthened.

We have a good cluster of such businesses, said Geoff Wightwick of Baker Tilly, pointing out that his Gatwick office has more manufacturing clients than his Manchester office. But it’s a sector that a lot of other regions – in the UK and across Europe – are eyeing jealously.

Speakers like Brett North of Elekta and Mike Wood of Chemigraphic pointed out the people challenge they face – finding and keeping appropriately qualified staff – and our educational institutions need to address this.

Investment is also required in infrastructure – roads and rail to allow easier movement of people and goods – and in housing, where building new homes for the people doing the new jobs to live in was critical to allow the growth to happen.

As conference chair Daryl Gayler of RBS noted in his summing up, manufacturing is seriously important to the Gatwick Diamond; issues like infrastructure and housing need to be addressed. Luckily, as Daryl also noted, we have the engagement and passion to make it happen.

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{ APPOINTMENTS }

SUMMERS TIME NEW PARTNER APPOINTED C

hartered accountants a n d tax advisers, Carpenter Box, has appointed Tony Summers as Audit Partner to help grow and develop its new Gatwick office.

Tony was appointed on 1st May and has over 20 years accounting and advisory experience dealing with a wide range of businesses, from small start-ups to large corporates, both listed and private. He has particular specialist experience in owner-managed businesses and those with venture capital backing in a number of sectors, including technology,

manufacturing, software, transport and logistics and recruitment consultants.

Tony commented: “I am delighted to be appointed Audit Partner in a firm with such an excellent reputation as Carpenter Box. The company was recently crowned ‘Professional Services Firm of the Year’ in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2015, so I do have a lot to live up to!

“The appointment is an exciting opportunity for me, as Carpenter Box has an ambitious strategy for growth in the Gatwick area and offers a very distinct value proposition for businesses in the region. The firm has an experienced, client focussed team providing high quality service and outstanding value for money.”

Carpenter Box has grown to become a real force in Sussex and the South. With a headcount

of over 120, including 12 partners, it is one of the largest business advisory firms in the region. It is also a founding member of MHA, a national association of leading independent accountants, giving Carpenter Box the ability to provide larger clients with accounting and audit solutions across the UK. The firm is also an independent member of Baker Tilly International, which provides client access to a global network of trusted advisors for businesses looking to trade globally.

Outside of work, Tony is a keen Brentford FC supporter and attempts to keep fit playing tennis as and when time allows. He also enjoys relaxing with his wife and two children at their home in Crawley Down. www.carpenterbox.com

Our services include: • Accountancy & bookkeeping • Audit services • Tax returns • Tax planning

Passionate about business.

• Payroll services • Financial and investment services* • Wealth management We love to make your profits larger and tax payments smaller!

Go to www.carpenterbox.com to see what our clients say or get in touch on 01903 234094

*Carpenter Box Wealth Management LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

www.carpenterbox.com 44

{ BUSINESS SCENE }

1.

2.

3.

1. Stuart Noakes, Peter Reading, Polly Horne, Terry Porter, Chris Coopey, Robert Dowling, Tony Summers & John Billings 2. Peter Reading, Robert Dowling & Tony Summers 3. Lee-Ann Connor & Chris Coopey 4. Samaranayake Travis, Stuart Noakes & Jeff Southern 5. Glenn Fisher, Alan Edwards & Sam Uwins

4.

5.

TAKE OFF FOR CARPENTER BOX AT GATWICK Carpenter Box, one of the region’s largest independent business advisory firms, has formally opened a new Gatwick office, welcoming almost 100 people to a ‘take-off’ reception.

Robert Dowling, the Carpenter Box Partner heading the Gatwick team, said, “We have made significant progress in the Gatwick area, developing high-quality business relationships and meeting the needs of a growing number of clients. We started with a hub, but growth has been such that we’re now delighted to establish a firm foothold in a key economic area for Sussex and the UK as a whole.”

Recognition of the impact being made in the region by the firm came with success in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards, with Carpenter Box winning the accolade for Professional Services Firm of the Year.

6. Tony Summers, Keith Pordum & Lee-Ann Connor 7. Charlie Eve & Rob Alner 8. Nik Askaroff, Simon Fox & Jonathan Grant 9. Sam Uwins, Aurelia Butler-Ball, Sarah Birkbeck & Chris Coopey 10. Adam Godley, Robert Dowling & Justin Ellis

8.

6.

7.

9.

10.

45

{ ANGER MANAGEMENT }

ANGER MANAGEMENT Utterly failed by Maarten Hoffmann

BRING BACK NATIONAL SERVICE

T

his country suffers the problems of longterm unemployment, hooliganism, fraud, theft and moral ambiguity and a generation of boys left, in many instances, with no father figure, unfocussed and meandering through life with no real prospects and little help at hand.

Many instances of long-term unemployment are intentional, with vast swathes of families having no one in the family holding down a job.

This is not long-term unemployment; this is intentional unemployment and bone idleness.

Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, there was not only National Service but also approved schools, or borstals, that took in many young, unfocussed and under-educated boys and put a bit of metal into them.

In most cases for the better.

When I was 15, due to unfortunate family circumstances, I went off the rails, and when my single mother with four children had had enough of pulling her hair out, I was shipped off to a so-called ‘approved’ school that was actually located on a four-masted sailing ship called the TS Arethusa. Moored on the River Medway and built in 1911. It was an old galleon run by Shaftesbury Homes, an organisation that took wayward boys and trained them for a life in the merchant navy. We literally slept in hammocks and scrubbed the decks, in all weather, at 5am.

Suffice to say that it terrified the living daylights out of me and I never put a foot wrong in life

46

again. I am sure this will not be the experience of all boys, but I so missed my unappreciated comfortable life and freedoms, that I vowed never to end up in a place like that again.

“Restore National Service, restore training schools for the most wayward and produce a society that we all want to live in, feel safe in and of which we can be proud” The point here is that young men need direction, discipline, focus and sometimes a short, sharp shock, and they are certainly not getting that out on the streets of 2015. Nor, sadly, in many of our state schools, where the health and safety rules, political correctness, lack of male teachers and constant political meddling meet the perfect storm of single parent families,

a smorgasbord of alluring benefits and the notion that 15 minutes of football fame will set them up for life.

Prince Harry has recently called for the return of national service, stating that he hates to think what he would be getting up to if he had not gone into the military. He said, “I dread to think where I would have been without the Army. You can make bad choices in life, some severe, but it’s how you recover from those and which path you end up taking that matter. The Army has done amazing things for me. Bring back National Service”.

And this from a man who is a Prince and has every conceivable opportunity open to him. What about that 15-year-old living in relative poverty on a housing estate with no father figure in his life, surrounded by drugs and gangs with the educational level of a gnat? It is sad to say, but he has virtually zero chance of a good life and of becoming a useful member of society unless he gets help.

But what if this boy were taken into the military for two years or sent to a strict training school? Would this not knock him into shape, provide him with a sense of purpose and selfworth? Would this not provide him with the male role model so desperately required? If it didn’t work for 50% of them, that would still be 50% that were ‘re-tuned’ and would become valuable members of society. This boy/man is also three

{ ANGER MANAGEMENT }

times more likely to turn back to the coming generation to educate the next bunch. They are also more likely to be involved, conscientious fathers and therefore affect the next generation in a much more positive manner.

The actor Hugh Grant is an advocate, stating: ‘National Service goes with our personality. It suits us. My father and grandfather both served and it shaped them into the men they became.

Giving them tough training, discipline and a sense of achievement would help them to focus in civilian life’.

The shocking divorce rate often results in children left with a mother, who in many circumstance will be going out to work and has possibly had a poor education herself, thus leaving the children to fend for themselves. In these same circumstances, many mothers, seeing their relationships constantly fail, will go on to have more than four children.

A report just published by the Sutton Trust think-tank revealed that being from a poor, fatherless family more than doubles a youngster’s chance of missing out on top GCSE grades. This has been described by experts as a scandal, and it is going to get worse.

The so-called Generation Y, born between 1980 and 2000, will be forced to pick up the tab for decades of government over-spending.

Analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) accuses baby boomers of making unfunded

promises on pensions and benefits and then leaving their children to pick up the bill. Coupled with unaffordable housing, mass immigration, university debts, poor pensions and a rapidly retreating state pension age, Generation Y now faces a quality of life well below that of their parents.

The situation for the boys of this country will only get worse and we will all suffer the consequences – as will our daughters. Restore National Service, restore training schools for the most wayward and produce a society that we all want to live in, feel safe in and of which we can be proud.

47

Do you want to be part of a winning team?

Hastings Direct is an agile and fast moving insurance company which continues to challenge industry convention and remains one of the fastest growing insurance providers in the UK, with over 1.7 million customers. As an ambitious, industry innovator, we are seeking talented individuals to join our multi-award winning team at our head office based in Bexhill-on-Sea. In a culture which recognises achievement and actively promotes career progression, we can offer you the tools to excel and continue to grow with us in the future.

We have a variety of exciting opportunities across an array of business functions including: Technical engineering manager Accountable for managing the IT Infrastructure team across multiple disciplines including databases, servers, storage and networks.

Claims planning business partner To lead a team responsible for forecasting contact volumes and designing appropriate shift patterns and schedules for colleagues across multiple functions.

Senior systems engineer Overseeing the implementation and support of the Hastings infrastructure services across the systems, storage and virtualisation environments, whether these are on-premise, cloud or hybrid configurations.

Senior finance business partner Acting as an integral link between the Finance Department and the wider business, this role is responsible for planning, analysing and reporting on the financial and operational aspects of the company.

Senior network engineer Assisting in the development strategy for the corporate network, creating and articulating network infrastructure solutions, and addressing the core network architecture and design requirements for Hastings Direct.

Contact centre leaders for sales and customer service Leading the Contact Centre in delivering excellent customer service to Hastings Direct customers.

Head of compliance To be accountable for Compliance throughout the company and ensure that regulatory obligations are adhered to in conjunction with the requirements of the business Customer representatives Starting salary of £15,500 with exciting and achievable career development and the opportunity to earn up to £18,500 as you progress.

We’re on the lookout for great people, so experience is not required as we will invest lots of time up front in our fantastic training environment. All we need from you is the flexibility to work when our customers need us and to enjoy working as part of a team. If that sounds like you and you have basic computer and communication skills, as well as the drive to really go places, we want to hear from you.

Mon-Fri 8am to 9pm.

Sat 9am to 5:30pm and Sun 10am to 5pm.

Part time opportunities are also available working evenings and weekends

If you would like to know more about us or any of the above vacancies please visit our careers site at:

www.hastings-careers.com or send us an email to: recruitmentteam@hastingsdirect.com

IT’S GRADUATE BUSINESS

– building your organisation’s talent

By Amanda Menahem, HR Director and Katie McLellan, Leadership and Talent Business Partner www.hastingsdirect.com

H

aving a fulfilling job is what we all want, isn’t it? Because then it doesn’t feel like work. And for me, being able to help develop and grow our future leaders is just one of the many highlights of working for a progressive and developing organisation.

For me, there’s no question why Hastings Direct runs a Graduate programme; our ambitious plans demand a pipeline of future professionals and leaders – and we aren’t going to magic them up! From previous issues you’ll be aware of the work we are doing with local universities to bridge the gap between education and employment. This ‘pool’ provides a key ingredient to help grow a successful, progressive business. Agile minds coupled with energy and passion to try new things means that they are well suited to any company that wants to be able to adapt and grow.

But recruiting graduates and college leavers can also be fraught with issues; their expectations can differ from the realities of work. The key is to be clear about ‘what’s in it for them?’ as well what’s in it for the business.

Katie McLellan runs our programmes at Hastings Direct, and I have asked her to share her top three tips in helping to make these programmes a success: 1. THINK ABOUT THE END-GAME What type of professional do you want at the end of the programme? Match the challenges within the programme to the desired end-game early on. So, if you want resilient professionals who can endure through tough challenges, throw them in

at the deep end! If you want professionals who can rise above ambiguity and create their own plans, give them loose remits and outcomes to achieve, but without prescriptions. If you want professionals who can solve complex problems, give them complex problems to solve early on. Many companies make the mistake of underestimating the abilities of graduates.

Better to overestimate what they can do rather than underestimate. One caveat: you must make sure these experiences are highlighted for them so that they can make the link and understand why they are doing what they are doing. If you need pragmatic leaders who understand all aspects of the business, they’ll need to ‘stack the shelves’ for a while; that’s fine as long as you explain why.

lost graduates because we weren’t moving quickly enough to keep up with their learning.

We don’t make that mistake now!

2. HAVE A PLAN AND COMMUNICATE IT CLEARLY Human beings like certainty and to be able to predict the future where possible. If it suits your business to do so, have a plan of learning opportunities and experiences mapped out for at least a year. Be clear about the purpose of each experience (linked to the point above) and ensure the plan is flexible. Graduates perform better if they have an end-to-end goal to achieve and freedom about how they achieve it. They like to make a difference, so make sure its a genuine business need, and that you communicate how what they are doing will impact the business.

Make sure you’re on hand for support. I can’t emphasise enough the importance of not underestimating capability. We have only ever

Finally, for graduates, what they are often missing is YOUR experience and insights. Don’t be shy; be generous with your knowledge and your own journey of learning and mistakes. They will get a huge amount from this. We have our Directors come and talk to them regularly and this is always one of their favourite elements of the scheme.

At Hastings we have spent time refining our programme and learning from our own mistakes. We have learned that the investment in a graduate programme reaps results. We have filled critical positions as a result of the scheme and provided fantastic opportunities for early responsibility and career progression. Sussex has a rich supply of talented college leavers and graduates; make the most of it!

3. KEEP IN TOUCH AND BE A MENTOR Value their opinions and really listen to them.

When I think about our culture at Hastings, I feel proud of the environment we have created, where colleagues are valued and where open, honest discussions are encouraged. Ask them what they think about things, what they would do differently, how they would change things if they were in charge. That fresh pair of eyes from a different perspective to your own will provide valuable insights to your business. You may also benefit from up-to-the minute developments from their recent academic studies.

49

Murat Kalan, Raj Vithlani, Melanie Martinez, Max Hollick, Alan White and Jose Martinez.

SIGNS OF SUCCESS You can see the work of Fastsigns wherever you go - whether it is shop fronts, car wraps or exhibition stands. The company has become a familiar presence in the Gatwick Diamond and has just celebrated 20 years of trading in Crawley. Platinum Business Magazine met with owner Raj Vithlani.

I

t’s a year of milestones for Fastsigns. The Crawley/Gatwick franchise is celebrating 20 years of trading, and the parent company is celebrating its 30th anniversary. A small company known for its friendly and professional service, the Crawley business has established itself as an institution on the Manor Royal Business District.

You know you will be greeted with a familiar face as most of the staff have been with the company for the best part of two decades. Clearly, staff retention has never been a problem.

Behind the scenes they can call on the

50

knowledge and economies of scale of the biggest franchise operation in the signage industry.

Fastsigns was founded in Dallas in 1985 by Gary Salomon and Bob Schanbaum. The first franchise was sold in December 1986, with its first international franchise sold in 1991.

There are currently more than 575 Fastsigns locations worldwide in the United States, Canada, the U.K., Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Australia (where centres operate under the name Signwave).

The debate about the pros and cons of buying a

franchise or starting a new business could fill the pages of the whole magazine, but for Raj Vithlani, who purchased the franchise five years ago, the decision wasn’t very difficult.

“To find a business where you have people with 17 or 18 years of experience tells you they are doing something right,” says Raj. “It’s a small team, but it’s a team that has got a vast experience base. They are also unique as the longest-serving team in Fastsigns UK!” Marketing Manager, Melanie Martinez, who joined the Crawley company on day one, agrees;

{ INTERVIEW }

“Raj inherited more than just an experienced team, he has also benefited from the goodwill we have generated over the years.”

“We have some long-term customers, who dating back 20 years, have been loyal to us.

Customer service is our priority; it isn’t always easy to compete with prices, but we deliver quality in both service and product.”

As well as a dedicated local team, he also has the backing of a global company, which invests heavily in research and development. This gives the franchise owners a significant advantage over independent businesses.

“I think the way it’s all going now is digital,” says Raj, “you now find screen sizes are getting bigger and bigger and with technology, the intensity of signs ensures they are visible even in bright daylight.”

“We will eventually see screens that are remotely controlled. Whether it will take off in the UK is difficult to say because there is no uniformity in the planning regulations here, so

they might allow it in some areas and not others, but digital signage is where it’s going.”

Digital signage offers all kind of futuristic options - think of Tom Cruise in Minority Report, where signs detect your eyes from a distance.

“The technology is moving so fast, there’s something new happening all the time. It’s like having a pair of eyes built into the signage which actually recognises the gender, age and colour of a person and then actually flashes a sign relevant to that demographic. This technology is being trialled in the US and elsewhere, even a small kiosk sign that will only come on when you walk in front of it, which means it will not be wasting energy when there’s nobody there.”

“It’s not just movement sensors, these new digital signs can display information based on who is actually viewing.”

“Fastsigns are at the forefront in developing innovations, which means we will be ahead when these ideas are rolled out in the UK. “We also have the advantage of technical backup and a network of support. Even though we’re independent, you can always ring one of the UK branches, as well as calling or emailing the States for technical issues, so that all helps.”

The franchise was started by Richard Jameson in 1995, and Richard sold the business to Raj when he decided to retire.

For Raj, the purchase of the Crawley Fastsigns franchise represented a complete change of direction, having previously been an owner of bookshops.

“I was looking for something different from retail and closer to the print industry,” says Raj. “I preferred a re-sell as opposed to setting up a new enterprise, because, the way I looked at it, the cost involved was the same, and with a resell, hopefully, I should have the track record.

“From 1995, my wife and I traded as Horley Bookshops Ltd and had two shops, one in Horley and one in London, but retail was getting more and more difficult. I can’t see independent booksellers surviving at all, and a lot of national ones have closed down as well. People just buy electronic books now.

“The main difference I have found is the fact that in retail you set up shop and wait for customers to walk in. With Fastsigns you have to actively go out and find your customers or your customer base. You have to market yourself, which is the biggest difference. It’s fairly challenging because there’s always something new you’re dealing with. It’s not a case of buying

off the shelf products that you’re then selling, you’re often creating something bespoke.

“I have enjoyed the challenge, but it has been a learning curve. Our region is predominantly the RH postcode, pretty much the Gatwick Diamond.

There is a big advantage of actually having an established team when buying a re-sell business, because they will hold your hand along the way.

There are still scenarios where I think ‘how do I do this?’ and someone in the company will have experienced something similar before and be able to help me.

“It’s really big in the States and has now become global. There are around 500 stores in the US, quite a few in Australia and the UK. They’re even in Mexico, Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia now too! In the sign industry it’s the biggest franchise”

“We are very supportive of local businesses and communities. They are important to us and we like to think we would be important to potential clients instead of sourcing competitors.

We like to build relationships with our customers; getting to know them so that we can show them our qualities is key.”

Fastsigns makes custom banners, large format inkjet signs, vehicle graphics, decals, QR codes, mobile websites, architectural site signs, digital signs, point of purchase exhibits and displays. They also provide in-house custom design services and consultation, delivery, and installation. www.fastsigns.co.uk/854-Crawley-banners-signs

51

Henry Smith MP, Melanie Martinez, Mayor of Crawley Brenda Smith and Raj Vithlani

A SIGN OF LOYALTY M

elanie Martinez, Marketing Manager of Fastsigns, has been with the Crawley franchise since it opened its doors 20 years ago.

If staff retention is a sign of a company that treats its people well, then Fastsigns in Crawley must be a great place to work. The core of the team has been with the company since the early days of the franchise. “We have a brilliant team,” confirms Melanie. “We have known each other 17 years plus, which is great and I always feel like it shows longevity of our relationship with the business. Everyone is very committed, not just to it, but to each other. You don’t want to let each other down, because you’re part of such a strong team.

“I started in May 1995. They had a pilot store in New Malden where my husband Jose Martinez worked at the time. Jose was the first-ever UK employee of Fastsigns and began 22 years ago.

He told me they were opening up a Fastsigns in Crawley, and 20 years later I’m still here, so I must have enjoyed it! I initially started with Richard Jameson, who bought the first franchise.

“I started as a designer, and, as time progressed, I realised that I liked the customer contact, so ended up in my current role of Marketing Manager so that I could interact more with customers. Jose joined us in Crawley when I went on maternity, because I was going to drop to part-time and he took my full-time slot and became production manager. Alan started

52

17 years ago and is our designer. Murat joined us about the same time; he was doing work experience from Crawley College and never left us.”

“To find a business where you have people with 17 or 18 years of experience tells you they are doing something right. It’s a small team but it’s a team that has got a vast experience base”

“I think we were the fourth UK franchise, we started off in Crawley town centre, next to Marks and Spencer, which was really good for business in the early days with such a large foot fall. With such a lot of walk-ins, it got our name out there pretty quickly, when the lease was up 10 years ago we relocated to Manor Royal.

“We have always been community focussed and have been involved with many projects over the years, including Young Start Up Talent and children’s artwork projects, which we really enjoyed.

“We’ve been heavily involved in the Young Start-Up Talent Initiative that Lorraine Nugent and Matt Turner run. We were just going to do one region, and now we’re doing five. We provide start-up signage for the winners and that’s been brilliant publicity. It’s great to be involved and have the added bonus of getting our name in all the papers in all the different areas. We like to keep ourselves out there, not just networking but putting something back into the community too.”

Clearly, much has changed over two decades, particularly with digital innovations. “When I started it was all cut vinyl,” recalls Melanie. “If someone sent us a logo, we would literally scan it, cut all the different colours, piece it together and layer it up, which was very time-consuming.

Then, before you knew it, everything went digital and full colour.

“Our core business is signage, but we also supply promotional products as well as marketing material. That way we can offer someone the full package if they are starting up a business.

“Being a local business with a strong team, we just want our customers to know that we genuinely care about what we do. That’s why we stick together and work so hard, not just for the clients but for each other too.”

{ BUSINESS SCENE }

2.

1.

3.

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ANNIVERSARY SIGNS Fastsigns celebrated 20 years of trading in Crawley with a drinks reception at their headquarters in Manor Royal, with enticing appetisers prepared

by Shila Vithlani Leading the accolades for the company were the Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Brenda Smith and the MP for Crawley, Henry Smith. Rajesh Vithlani took the opportunity to thank the loyal staff, many of whom have been with the company for 17 or more years.

Fastsigns offers signage, graphics and visual communications solutions.

1. Shila, Raj and Anamika Vithlani 2. Richard Jameson who started the Crawley store in 1995 3. Barry Thayre (Varian), Sam French (Sams Kitchen), Sam Murray (Manor Royal Business District) 4. unveiling the plaque 5. Sam French (Sam’s Kitchen), Stephen Barnes (Toy Barnhaus), Steve Sawyer (Manor Royal Business District) 6. Karen Methven (Crawley and Gatwick Business Watch), Paul Tester (CGG Veritas) 7. Lee-Ann Connor (Gatwick Diamond Business), James Turner (Creative Pod) 8. Paul Roe (Kreston Reeves), Nick Blythe (Paella Fella) 9. Happy Go Sushi’s New Chef Lubo with founder Imrich Berta and Sam French (Sams Kitchen)

7.

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BE THE BEST DRESSED GUEST

E

xplaining why she started her wedding gown business, designer Vera Wang said ‘when I decided to get married at 40, I couldn’t find a dress with the modernity or sophistication I wanted.’ Her words got me thinking; dressing for weddings throws so many guests into a tailspin, and rarely (in my opinion) do they look modern or sophisticated either.

You may have guessed that I am not a fan of the traditional wedding look. Women tend to look frumpy or overdone, and men seem to wear badly-fitting morning dress or the same old boring office suits.

Dressing for a wedding can be really stressful. Many people leave it to the very last minute. They end up panic-buying on the high street and the result is an outfit they are unhappy with and uncomfortable wearing. Or (horrors of horrors) they arrive only to find someone else has turned up in the same outfit. It’s a sartorial minefield.

“keep it simple and refined, and you’ll be sure to be the best dressed guest this summer”

Let’s turn this around. In this article I’m going to give you some tips and ideas to help you be the best dressed guest this summer, without, of course, upstaging the bride and groom.

First, let’s look at the options for men.

DON’T DRESS FOR THE OFFICE Guys, I’m sure you don’t want to show up to a good friend’s big day looking like you’re going to

54

the office. He won’t appreciate it, and you won’t feel quite up-to-scratch. You will also want to stay cool as the mercury rises, and (hopefully) you feel comfortable enough to dance.

Dressing for a formal wedding is fairly straightforward. There are a number of places on the high street to hire or buy morning suits and formal highland dress. But do get organised and plan in advance to ensure your

size is available and any necessary alterations can be made.

For black tie weddings choose a dinner suit in black or midnight blue (the Duke of Windsor’s favourite) in wool. Single-breasted is the most popular option, although double-breasted is making a comeback. For a modern look, go for a slim leg trouser, and don’t worry about a cummerbund – these are rarely worn nowadays.

{ PLATINUM STYLE }

Samantha Wilding Tel: 07833 084864 Email: Samantha@styleandgrace.eu Website: www.styleandgrace.eu Twitter: @alwayschicUK

For weddings that call for lounge suits or more informal dress, there are a variety of ways to look stylish and up to date: • Think three: the three-piece suit (in classic or slim fit) is back and is a clean and sharp take on the lounge suit; • Add some colour: suits in bright blue, pale grey, stone or pale grey check are great alternatives to dark grey and navy. For more casual weddings, be bold and go for a navy jacket for example, with a pale blue shirt and bright-coloured chino. A pink, lavender or grey shirt is another way to add a pop of colour; • Beat the heat: keep things cool with lightweight wool, wool-mohair blends or cotton. Or choose linen, but beware the crumpled effect; • Show some ankle: slim-cropped trousers (no more than an inch above the ankle) worn with loafers and no socks is a contemporary informal look; • Lose the tie: this depends on the formality of the occasion. A beige or soft grey suit worn with a white shirt, pocket square and no tie looks fantastic while keeping you cool; • Add pattern and texture: inject these into the details – ties, pocket squares, socks – a great way to breathe new life into an office suit if you can’t stretch to a whole new outfit.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO WEAR A DRESS Ladies, you don’t have to wear a hat. It’s not obligatory. Or a dress, for that matter. There are a number of cooler alternatives out there: • Trousers: consider wide-leg trousers in vibrant colours (or a small print) with a silk top, heels and a clutch. Or go ‘matchy-matchy’ in a floral print top and trousers (very 2015); • Slim trouser suits: in powder pink, sand or ice blue are a great way to work pastel shades without looking too girlie. This look can also be worn as slim trousers with a matching duster coat; • Go ‘midi’: a midi-length skirt, dress or culottes worn with block heels is a cool modern option; • The jumpsuit: this is fast becoming a classic. A good look for women going to a black tie wedding who don’t want to wear the ubiquitous LBD. Another quick word on black tie weddings. Debretts states that a ‘smart dress’ is appropriate, and can be long or short (but not too short – no more than an inch above the knee). And it needn’t be black. But do not wear white, cream or ivory – the bride will not appreciate it.

Don’t wear a hat with a long dress as it will completely unbalance the look. Fascinators can work but keep them small – I think your best bet is adding sparkle and texture with a hair clip or slide. If your dress (or trousers or jumpsuit) is plain, you can wear more elaborate accessories. Likewise, if you choose a bold print, then keep your accessories clean and simple. And no platform shoes, please – they instantly make an outfit look cheap.

Modern weddings vary in type and venue, so make sure you understand and adhere to the dress code as stated on the invitation. If you’re in doubt, ask. Consider your outfit as a whole, while paying attention to the details; this will help you retain elements of your individual style and ensure that everything works together. Finally, keep it simple and refined, and you’ll be sure to be the best dressed guest this summer…

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ONLINE BOOKINGS SURGE IN TOURISM SECTOR Nathan Keeley reports on the latest Travel & Tourism Survey conducted by Carpenter Box, in conjunction with MHA*

Photo Credit Dominic Alves

W

ith its close proximity to London, good connections to several motorways and the presence of Gatwick Airport allowing swift connections to the region, the South continues to be very popular with tourists.

Its improving economy, along with events such as Glorious Goodwood and the Festival of Speed – to name just two- and the retail and beach attractions of Brighton, attract both domestic and overseas visitors, increasing levels of tourism in the summer months, which benefit all areas of the hospitality and leisure industry.

Our 2015 survey results indicate that there is no question that tourist expenditure is set to increase over the coming years; however, surprisingly, the results also indicate that 26% of operators in the hotel and bed and breakfast sector are still unable to take online bookings.

This is despite the fact that 50% of respondents to the annual survey report a yearon-year increase in online bookings and the fact that there has been a 16% increase in the ability to take online bookings direct.

This would indicate that there is a need for businesses within the Tourism & Leisure sector to better embrace the new technologies that are now available, which in turn would potentially lead to increased bookings, income and profits.

This growth in direct transactions is good to see, especially as online booking agents have been increasingly dominating the UK hotel and bed and breakfast sector, and this trend should lead to a greater online presence and more competitive offerings.

The survey results for 2015 for the South point strongly towards growing business confidence and are encouraging for the development of the hospitality industry. Indeed, 64% of respondents reported an increase in profits over the past 12 months, representing a rising trend in domestic trading conditions, with 59% saying that they expect to see an increase over the next 12 months. The coming holiday season will be viewed with a great deal of anticipation.

“Surprisingly, 26% of operators in the hotel and bed and breakfast sector are still unable to take online bookings�

contract staff who are working 21+ hours has halved since last year to 34%. However, these findings are still concerning and suggest that hospitality workers on zero-hours contracts are suffering through reduced paid hours.

The percentage of companies in the South who have green policies in place has dropped to 65%, down from 82% last year and over 41% remain unaware that tax reliefs are available for introduction of such policies.

This decrease in those with green policies suggests increased financial pressure, and yet, at the same time, there appears to be a distinct lack of awareness of the tax reliefs available, which suggests that more publicity is needed to encourage eco-friendly investment.

In terms of tax reliefs generally, our experience at Carpenter Box is that many hotels are simply not aware of what they could be claiming for and we are, therefore, happy to Box Wealth Management LLP is authorised undertake a *Carpenter free initial consultation and assessand regulated by the whether or not they can make a claim.

Our survey also indicated a wider lack of investment, which reflects the position in the economy as a whole, with continued difficulties in raising traditional bank finance, although there are some signs of this position easing.

Passionate about busines

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Nathan Keeley is Head of the Tourism & Leisure sector group at Carpenter Box. In line with other regions across the UK, one third (33%) of respondents to the survey in the South still employ workers on zero-hours contracts, only slightly lower than the 37% recorded last year. The amount of zero-hour

*MHA is the UK-wide association of chartered accountants and business advisors. www.carpenterbox.co.uk

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{ CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE }

BACK TO TELL THE TALE People do all kinds of amazing things to raise money for the children’s hospice charity, Chestnut Tree House, but Rupert Jones-Warner was more ambitious than most. His plan was to become the first Briton to climb Mount Everest twice on two routes. However, while he was on the mountain he witnessed the biggest earthquake to hit Nepal in 80 years. Rupert told PBM about the horrific experience.

“I

t was louder than anything I’d ever heard.

First, we were thinking about how lucky we were to be where we were. Then we wondered what was going on down the other side of the mountain. Had we been up a few days before and been hit, it probably would have been game over.

“I spend a lot of time on boats and I always describe the experience as standing in a small boat and these huge waves are coming. You’re just going up with them. It was quite slow but very pronounced. The after-effect of the avalanches was terrifying.

“It was terrifying. Everything was shaking.

“Twenty four hours before, we were actually up the mountain at 7,000m. We were just going to come down for a rest day. It was about midday and I was lying in my duvet. Then all of a sudden the ground shakes, and I got out my tent and looked around and the mountain was throwing down huge rocks.

“Slowly the information started coming through. We relied on the BBC for the

information. We had a team of about 10 of us plus the Sherpas. We felt terrible because it was clear the Sherpas’ families had got caught up in the worst of the earhquake.

“They were prepared to carry on climbing, because they needed the money from the clients and they are so dedicated to their job, but it was clear that they were distraught. A lot of the Sherpas couldn’t get in contact with their families, but would still say: “It is my duty to serve you.” I didn’t feel it was right to carry on, as I wanted to help in whatever way I could.

“I’m an army reservist and my captain from my regiment was running another expedition.

He was down in base camp and he was trying to get a team together to Katmandhu to try and help out. We weren’t able to get to Katmandhu because the roads had been destroyed. We tried to get into Katmandhu as we had doctors in our party, but physically weren’t able to get in, which was really frustrating.

“It’s weird because you’re on Everest and you’re okay, and you can just see the destruction,

thousands dead in the valley, and you can’t do anything.

“I would like to go back one day and try again.

The Sherpas are such wonderful people.

“My sponsors were very generous as I obviously came back without succeeding in what I set out to do, so Chestnut Tree House still raised valuable sponsorship money. In particular, I would like to thank Darwin Property Investment Management, Hoseasons, Garsden Pepper, Global Wealth and Snow & Rock for their support of the charity.

“Chestnut Tree House is close to my heart as my brother was very ill as a child and the family had to travel to and from Great Ormond Street.

It would have been fantastic for the family if there had been somewhere like Chestnut Tree House.”

To support Rupert’s next attempt at a double ascent of Everest, please go to www.everest2k16.com. www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

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wledge o n k s i n u e b s e r s o f e r t s n a e t h v o e s network, make new contacts and nal a professio

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{ MARKETING }

WHEN YOU’RE GIVEN EGGS… MAKE AN OMELETTE?

By Louise Walden Director of Big Beach Marketing

Y

ou may remember, I featured one of our clients, Himalayan Footsteps, in a previous article about going the extra mile; 4,554 miles to Kathmandu, to be precise.

Due to the recent earthquake there, the team have faced a few challenges, as you can imagine.

Going through this experience with Himalayan Footsteps has reminded me that as business owners we’re perhaps not as secure as we’d like to think, especially when disaster strikes.

What to do when the Sh*t hits the fan For Himalayan Footsteps, having customers and local team members in the earthquake zone was as bad as it gets. Luckily, nobody was hurt, all customers were evacuated and the local team relocated to where they could help without being injured. This was achieved by the high standards of contingency planning and procedures in place for such an extreme situation.

But how would you and your business cope with a catastrophe? Discounting life-threatening circumstances, what does your worst-case scenario look like and what do you have in place to deal with it?

We are all subject to external, uncontrollable and unplanned events. It could be 80% of your revenue comes from one customer and they

cease to trade one day. Your server actually has a melt-down and takes all your data with it. Or you’re owed a large payment that never comes.

Acknowledging these potential situations and their effects will help you plan for them. It may also help you make better business decisions that could potentially lessen their impact, and maybe even give you the incentive to take your business further or in a new direction.

“It reminded me that when you need guidance during a difficult phase, you should ask for help - because someone else has been there”

Making an omelette The threat of disaster could be an energising

Big Beach Marketing Tel: 01273 434552 Web: www.bigbeach.co.uk

experience for business planning. Could you diversify? Expand your products or services into new markets? Could new technology investment put you ahead of the curve? Perhaps you’ve been putting off dealing with less profitable areas.

‘Seizing the day’ instead of being cautious could be very positive.

People like to help Most people will help if they can. We saw this in the aftermath of the earthquake and the aftershock that happened two weeks later. In the business community, people are helping Himalayan Footsteps as one business to another. It reminded me that when you need guidance during a difficult phase, you should ask for help - because someone else has been there. They can either provide you with the benefit of their experience or specific expertise to see you through.

There’s always recovery The long-term view of tourism in Nepal is that it will recover – and Nepal needs tourism. This means that the Himalayan Footsteps team will be OK, too, and in the meantime there are other countries of the Himalayas to focus on. Right now we are helping the team refocus marketing activity onto India. I feel another trip coming on…

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Mergers and Acquisitions Commercial Property and Development Planning advice Commercial Landlord and Tennant Employment Law Intellectual Property Litigation Charities Debt Collection

{ BOOK REVIEW }

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH Truth matters in business, says Jack & Suzy Welch in their new book, The Real Life MBA. It engenders trust and alignment within a business, and is vital for building teams and networks... Review: Ian Trevett

W

hen Jack Welch brings out a new book, it’s always going to be a worthwhile investment. Currently, the Executive Chairman of an online MBA school (the Jack Welch Management Institute), his CV is more than impressive, including 20 years as Chairman and CEO of General Electric Company, which was named the world’s most valuable corporation and was consistently voted the most admired company in the world

by Fortune magazine. Fortune also named Jack as the Manager of the Century at the turn of the Millennium.

His wife Suzy, also has a business pedigree to be admired, including a stint as editor of the Harvard Business Review.

The Welchs have targeted their new at employees seeking to broaden their business skills, as well as students seeking to get a sense of what a graduate business program is all about.

“Getting an MBA today takes time, money

and a lot of flexibility that not everyone has,” says Suzy Welch. “If you have ever thought to yourself that you really want or need an MBA then this is a good book for you.”

The book covers a multitude of topics including recovering from a ‘whack’, building ‘Wow’ teams, how to go global and understanding finance, and they have downto-earth style which makes the subjects both accessible and a pleasure to read about.

Packed with anecdotes, they are able to draw on their own life experiences in business and stories drawn from meeting with so many businesspeople while promoting their books and courses.

So how to summarise in a one page review?

There are key themes which surface all the way through the book: truth, trust and alignment.

They highlight ‘alignment’ as the biggest problem afflicting corporate America today (yes, it does have an American emphasis), where leaders at the top of the hierarchy are often out of step with their employees at the bottom - and vice versa.

The answer is to build businesses where everyone buys into the company’s stories, and people across the organisation feel empowered. Crucially, the company owners need to be able to trust their employees with the truth.

Specifically, they assert that mangers/ owners should reveal: • “Truth in telling people where they stand and getting very specific in how they can improve.

• “Truth in talking about how the business is doing and what real challenges lie ahead.

• “Truth in bearing down on the assumptions underlying a business’s strategy, budgeting and other processes... Every meeting, every encounter should end with the reflection by all involved: “Did we get at the truth with our conversation?”

So, would I recommend this book? Like many business/management books it covers ground that has been written about before. It is rare to find something completely new, but it is always so easy to forget about the bigger pictures when you are immersed in the day-to-day of running a business. It is always worthwhile reading the thoughts of someone who has been so successful.

The truth? An enjoyable if undemanding read, with some inspiring tales of business success. And much quicker than studying for an MBA. The Real Life MBA by Jack & Suzy Welch. RRP £20. Published by Thorsons, (HarperCollins)

{ EDUCATION }

BRANDS WITH STORIES LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER

M

ore businesses would have happy endings if they started with stories, according to new research. Managers need to be able to spin a great yarn as easily as they manage people and budgets, says Dr Sara Spear, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth.

She has found that leaders and senior managers tend to be better storytellers than middle managers, but very few are good enough at it. “It is worrying that the role and power of stories within organisations is underestimated by many

managers, particularly those at higher levels.

“Managers ignore the importance of storytelling at their peril. Good storytelling should probably be taught to all managers. It creates brands whose values resonate throughout an organisation. All businesses want employees who deliver a brand message, both in terms of how they think about their employer and how they behave. Stories have a powerful role to play in making this happen.”

Dr Spear presented her research at the 10th Global Brand conference at the University of Turku in Finland. She examined the role of storytelling in the internal communications of two major companies in the energy industry. In addition to conducting nearly 70 interviews with staff at all levels, she collated formal and informal stories from within the companies, including in staff newspapers and magazines and comments on blogs and forums.

“The results were clear that it’s important managers tell official stories and encourage

employees to share their own stories to reinforce corporate brand values, increase brand engagement and influence employees’ behaviour in delivering the brand,” she said.

Brands which she said show excellent understanding of the power of storytelling to enhance their reputation include HP, which tells stories about the company’s development, from its origins in a garage, and its on-going focus on innovations which will make a difference to customers.

“Encouraging storytelling in organisations can enable co-creation of the corporate brand with employees and generate positive attitudes and behaviour. This is critical, as employees play a key role in brand delivery and will therefore impact other stakeholders’ brand experience.”

Portsmouth Business School holds regular postgraduate information events where you can meet lecturers and discuss courses. Please visit www.showyoumeanbusiness.com for details.

You’re a professional – so prove it Project Manager

HR Practitioner

Whether you are responsible for projects, HR, marketing, risk management or have ambitions for a top-level executive role, Portsmouth Business School offers part-time and professionally recognised postgraduate programmes for busy working people.

A first degree may not be essential, as long as you have the right attitude and work experience which will have prepared you to succeed. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain, so come along to our next open evening – for details please visit www.showyoumeanbusiness.com.

Sales Manager

Head of Programme Transformation

We’ve got our credentials – have you got yours?

T: +44 (0)23 9284 2991 E: pbs-studentrecruitment@port.ac.uk W: www.port.ac.uk/pbscourses

64

{ MOTORING INTERVIEW }

SURREY TO SUSSEX D

avid Ridley is a man with Caterham Cars running through his veins where the rest of us just rely on blood. As the Chief Operating Officer, he has been with the company for over 14 years and is the best marketing tool they have.

Full of excitement and enthusiasm for the brand, it is not difficult to see why this niche vehicle builder has been in continuous production for 58 years, and it doesn’t have customers as much as life-long devotees.

Founded by Graham Nearn in 1957 as a dealer for the original Lotus 7 car, they purchased the rights to the model from Lotus when Colin Chapman announced his intention to discontinue production. The Caterham/Lotus 7 is widely regarded by car enthusiasts as one of the iconic sportscars of the 20th century, and to many it first came to national attention when Patrick McGoohan drove one in the quintessentially British TV show, The Prisoner.

I sat down with David at their brand new showroom in Crawley to find out what the future holds for the company.

CONTINUE

“It is a very mean machine, and on the track it will wheel spin in 4th at 100mph and there are not many cars that will do that for under £50,000”

CATERHAM CARS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A FEW CHANGES OF OWNERSHIP. WHO OWNS THE COMPANY TODAY? We are owned by Tony Fernandes, the Malaysian entrepreneur and founder of Air Asia, who purchased us in 2011, and we have been on a remarkable journey. Tony’s strategy was to regain the Lotus name and he approached David Hunt, brother of James Hunt, who owned the rights, and then started his Formula 1 team, Team Lotus. This was to be the first part of the marketing plan, and then he planned to purchase Lotus Cars and grow the business exponentially as he has done so successfully with Air Asia. The deal to purchase Lotus fell through and our MD at the time approached Tony and suggested that if he could not get hold

66

of Lotus, how about he purchase the other iconic British sportscar company, Caterham? Tony said absolutely, and, in a Victor Kiam moment, liked it so much be bought the company.

I WONDER HOW THE COMPANY HAS LASTED SO LONG WHEN SO MANY OTHERS HAVE FALLEN

BY THE WAYSIDE? I think it comes down to the passion for the brand. There are not many cars that can cost as little as £20,000 that will see off a Ferrari.

We also work hard with an assortment of strategies that keep the legend alive. One that I am particularly proud of is the Caterham Academy. The Academy is aimed at people who always wish they had given motor racing a go but now feel that day has passed. And of

course, motor racing can be a very expensive and confusing sport for those who are not on the inside. What we do is make it very, very easy.

Join the academy and we supply you with the car, the entry fees, the race licence, and all the technical pit lane support; basically, we put an arm around your shoulder and walk you through your first season. Racing is a drug, and once addicted, it can be tough to walk away, and there are many more levels you can progress through.

SO, I PRESUME THE ACADEMY IS FULL OF 20-YEAR-OLD POTENTIAL RACERS? Absolutely not, and that is the great thing that I really want to get across. The age range of Academy drivers is 30 to 55. These are people who can afford to indulge their unrequited

{ MOTORING INTERVIEW }

“Racing is a drug, and once addicted, it can be tough to walk away, and there are many more levels you can progress through” are actually starting Caterham championships and their own Academies, so the future is very bright.

on the track it will wheel spin in 4th at 100mph and there are not many cars that will do that for under £50,000.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR ROOTS IN MOTORSPORT, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CATERHAM F1 TEAM?

SO, THE BIG QUESTION: WHY THE MOVE FROM CATERHAM TO CRAWLEY?

There has been quite a bit of misinformation about that. The F1 team was a part of the wider strategy to develop the brand and lead us into a deal with Renault to produce a mainstream car as part of a family of new vehicles. That deal eventually faded away, and although we were spending less than any other F1 team, we were still burning through £70 million per season, and that is unsustainable for a niche manufacturer. We sold the Caterham F1 team to a chap whose intentions might not have been totally honourable and it was placed into administration.

DEBT LOADING?

passion for the sport but don’t have the time for all the backroom work. With the Academy, we take care of everything and the driver turns up to race. As an example, John Caudwell of Phone 4 You went through the academy, as did the founders of Innocent Drinks. It’s a case of finally realising that long-held dream of racing.

I GUESS THAT DOESN’T HURT AS A CLEVER MARKETING TOOL EITHER? It certainly doesn’t, and of course many of the Caterham races are televised, which greatly helps our exports, too, and keeps the brand in the forefront of people’s minds. Exports make up around 70% of our sales to the USA, France, Japan, Sweden, Norway and many more. In Malaysia, Taiwan, China and Columbia they

Yes, and that was not the deal we signed up for, but once sold we had little control over it.

The headlines hit that Caterham had gone into administration, which was very damaging. It was not the company but the F1 team, but as it had our name attached, we suffered the lurid headlines, but I can categorically state that Caterham is in rude health and still going strong.

I HAVE JUST ENJOYED A WEEK WITH THE 270S, WHICH, AND I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND ME SAYING IT, IS TOTALLY BONKERS BUT GREAT FUN. YOU HAVE A SUPERCHARGED 2-LITRE 620R, AND THOSE STATS ARE REALLY BONKERS: 310 BHP, TOP SPEED OF 155MPH AND 0-60MPH IN 2.79! THAT OUTSTRIPS MOST FERRARIS, ASTONS AND LAMBOS? It is a very impressive machine. But all of our models have a phenomenal power to weight ratio that makes them extremely rapid, and as you are so close to the ground, everything just seems faster. It is a very mean machine, and

Developers got their hands on our original building in Caterham and gave us 6 weeks to get out. I remember getting the email on December 23rd stating ‘You need to exit this building in 6 weeks’ time’. Merry Christmas. We’d been there since 1996 and were given 6 weeks, but I am extremely proud of our team and what we managed to do. We didn’t lose a single day’s production and were up and running in our temporary facility in Crawley within 6 weeks. We then had to make the move again to this showroom last August, which is now our permanent home.

SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE COMPANY? The future is very bright. We have new models coming; we have an order book that is full five months out. How many companies can say that?

We still build every car to order and we are a profitable business. We make and sell 500 cars a year and we are very happy with our journey to this point and our plans for the future.

SO, I GUESS THE NAME WILL NOW CHANGE TO THE CRAWLEY 270?

I think not.

Caterham Cars are based in Fleming Way in Crawley and they will happily offer you a test drive or, better still, why not join them on one of their many track days, when you can really find out what this machine will do?

Caterham Cars Fleming Way, Crawley, RH10 9NQ T: 01293 312301 W: www.caterhamcars.com

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{ MOTORING REVIEW }

Motoring Editor: Maarten Hoffmann

CATERHAM 270S

DELIGHTFULLY BONKERS

TECHNICAL STUFF: Model tested: 270S Engine: 1.6 Ford Sigma 135bhp Performance: 0-60mph 5.0 seconds Top Speed: 122mph Price from: £19,995 As tested: £24,635

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I

can list on two hands the cars I have never driven. Then, like buses, two come along at the same time. Tesla, which I will review next month, and a car I have only ever driven on a track at Palmer Sport – the Caterham.

Caterham have been producing slightly insane cars since 1957, and the name comes from their location in Caterham, Surrey. But no more. Following a developer getting his grubby hands on their iconic Surrey site, they have hauled themselves down the M23 to Crawley and now boast a great looking centre in Fleming Road, Crawley.

The first thing they have done is to simplify the range, replacing all the confusing names with simple tags: now we have the 270, 360, 420 and the satanic monster 620R. It is not often I say this, but I was quite pleased when I was given the 270S, as it poured non-stop with rain while it was in my possession, and the 620 in the rain is not something I am that keen to experience.

This is a car stripped to the basics. No mod cons, no bleeps and chimes every two minutes, no traction control, just an engine, two seats and four wheels, and it really took me back to the old days of driving by the seat of your pants, knowing you can lose it on any corner if not alert, and the iconic man and machine feeling. It’s really a go-kart for the road and more fun than you can shake a stick at.

Is it a road car? Not really, save for those sunny Sundays or insane track days. While I had it I went about my normal business of meetings, events and dining reviews, and, with the roof up, getting in and out of it is a young man’s game, or for those with a competent chiropractor.

When you first sink into the little tyke, you notice it is very compact, and not an inch has been wasted. I hit the button and fired her up and was assaulted by the roar emanating from the massive side exhaust, which, as my arse was an inch from the ground, sounded like Armageddon. No finesse required here. The Caterham requires driving, which is something today’s driver is not really used to. We sit back and let the technology take over and just point and squirt these days. Don’t try that with the Caterham or it will bite you.

It is not overly happy poodling along, stopping at meetings, unloading magazines and parking, but get it on a winding country road and you realise what this car is all about. It sings through the gears and constantly screams at you, ‘Let’s go faster, you pussy!’The steering is absurdly accurate and direct, the low ride height makes 60 feels like 160 and all those hedges that you are used to peering over at on-coming traffic disappear and you are on your own an inch or two off the deck. It begs you to stab it through the close ratio 6 gears and take corners faster and faster. In the dry, it won’t let go and the power-to-weight ratio is just glorious, but in the wet you will be seeing the back end beside

you more often than not, unless you drive like a vicar.

They have pulled every horse out of the 1.6 Ford Sigma engine, with 0-60 coming in 5 seconds and a top speed of 122mph, which feels like 300mph hour with the roof and side screens off. Or, for the slightly unhinged, have a look at the 620R with a 2.0 litre Ford Duratec plant that will propel you to 60 in 2.79 seconds, which, I hasten to point out, is faster than a Lambo Murcielago, McLaren 12C and a Ferrari 458!

It just makes you laugh with the joy of actually driving a car rather than just piloting it. It makes you smile when you walk up to it, smile when you slide aboard and chuckle when you fire it up. These are not motoring emotions we feel very often anymore, and I miss them.

Every Caterham is hand-built to order, or, if you are the hands-on type, save yourself a packet and order it in kit form. They deliver all the parts and, one can only guess, an instruction manual that makes the one from IKEA look like child’s play. There are endless variants and options and you could just keep ticking boxes and come out with a bill for £50,000, but let the professionals at Caterham learn what you

are looking for and then take their advice on what you need. You will end up with one of the funkiest, fastest and most furious cars on the road. Then stick it in the garage and get it out for sunny Sunday blasts and look up track days where you can really let it rip. Having driven the older 7 Superlight on track, this is its natural home. It will slide around corners and rip off the line like no other. Naturally, Caterham run their own track days, and that is certainly the place to start. If you don’t know whether you really want to buy one, go to one of their track days and drive their car. Now that’s a test drive from heaven.

Ever fancied being a racing driver? They have that covered, too, with their Academy that has run for 20 years and takes complete novices into full-on races. You pay the money and they supply the car and all the technical support in the pits. More details on that overleaf.

The Caterham is slightly bonkers, but in a very good way, and with a starting price of only £20,000 it is cheapest supercar on the planet, and it’s British through and through. It will most likely prove the best £20,000 you ever spent.

“It makes you smile when you walk up to it, smile when you slide aboard and chuckle when you fire it up”

TERRACOTTA AND SEAWATER TAPS

by Hannah Monkcom

B

righton Metropole was, and still very much is, a labour of love. This year, as it celebrates its 125th anniversary, we reflect on one of the most iconic buildings Brighton’s seafront has to offer. It was built 125 years ago, in 1890, by the renowned architect of The Natural History Museum and the University College London, Alfred Waterhouse. He took four years to complete his meticulously designed and vastly different seafront hotel. He selected his materials for their proven durability: hard red brick and terracotta dressings in red and earth tones were more economical and less susceptible to erosion in polluted Victorian cities than stone. In a similar style to the UCL and many other of his commissioned builds, he coloured the facade of the Metropole with Italian red terracotta, which stuck out like a sore terracotta thumb for some local critics, who believed it less beautiful than their accustomed Brighton style of whitewashed buildings. They questioned the beauty of its exterior, but no one would question the beauty of the décor inside.

The cost of this stylishly different build was £57,000, which, translated into today’s money would be around £3m. It boasted an impressive 800 rooms, and was one of the first buildings outside London of such immense proportions. Twelve lodging houses, a parade ground and an entire park were cleared in order to make way for Waterhouse’s Metropole.

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{ HISTORY } down to its very own printing room, where each menu card and piece of stationery supplied to the dining rooms, bars and suites was created, right up until 1982.

ARRIVING IN STYLE For the grand opening of the hotel there was a special train service which carried over 1500 guests to Brighton from London. The London Times reported on the opening as ‘the most prominent building on the Kings Road’. Patrons were welcomed by staff from it’s neighbour, The Grand, and schmoozed in style as the Metropole’s band played in the ballroom (now Clarence room), while the Coldstream guards played in the dining room. The Italian garden was lit up by hundreds of electric bulbs, romanticising the opening with elegant charm.

“Their most notable feature would have been in the en-suite bathrooms, which included innovative ‘tapped water wells’ or ‘taps’ as we know them today”

INTERIOR VICTORIAN SWAGGER Maple’s of London designed all of the original interior furniture. For the three dining rooms, capable of seating 500 people, the colours ranged from golden brown to ivory, with matching silk curtains and imposing vaulted ceilings, classically embellished in cream and glittering gold. It is easy to imagine the glorious picture of ladies and gentlemen entering these rooms holding onto their bonnets and top hats as they curve their necks backwards to view such splendour.

A part of the Hotel Ballroom (now Ambassador Suite) housed a large Italian Marble Angel who was said to have watched over the proceedings (and ornate wrought iron hotel logo) below. Both angel and logo are still in situ and remind guests of the Victorian era in which they were forged.

Great fireplaces were central to most rooms, including a large carved oak fireplace designed by none other than Queen Victoria’s nephew.

Smoking rooms had ‘easy chairs’ with dark, wooden armrests, and covered in fine Persian saddlebags and throw rugs. Below this recreation room was another, greater, relaxation room, the Turkish baths. The baths were filled with scent created by the hotel’s very own perfumier and were decorated by Albert Kingsley and the brothers Temple: a hotel that had it all, right

SWEET SUITES Bedrooms varied in luxury and price; modest “bedding rooms” would have been basic beds with no bathroom and thus the cheapest option.

For the wealthier patron the alternative was the lavishly decorated suites with furniture from Maple’s. Suites were dressed in regal colours of deep coloured woods, gold, dark reds, blues and greens and cream. The bedrooms would have hosted everything one might need for a holiday, minus a trouser press! Their most notable feature would have been in the ensuite bathrooms, which included innovative ‘tapped water wells’ or ‘taps’ as we know them today. Patrons could choose between hot or cold fresh water, and even had the option to choose seawater! Perhaps it was a smart way to encourage patrons to use a free source of water, or to allow guests to experience the sea without having to undress in public! In any case, the use of seawater would have saved the hotel money and would, of course, been easily accessible, bearing in mind the location.

NOTORIOUS MOMENTS Many significant characters have passed through the doors of the Metropole, including the ‘Gaiety girls’, Princess Louise (daughter of Queen Victoria), and Lillie Langtry. Oscar Wilde is rumoured to have stayed more than once, the hotel was well known as a location for seedy trysts. Winston Churchill dined in the hotel in the 1940s, after WWII; his signed menu is available to view in the Library Suite off the Hotel Lobby.

There was a train robbery in the early 1940s.

The crew stored the stolen money in a hotel bedroom, but they grew paranoid and tried to leave the hotel very calmly, aware that workers at the hotel were suspicious. However, as they were coming down the Grand Staircase, their holder split and all the £25,000 fell into the lobby; they were subsequently arrested!

LONDON TO BRIGHTON CAR RUN On 14th November, 1896 began the legendary Car Run. The cars began their run at the London Metropole Hotel on Edgware Road in Marylebone and ended at the front of the Brighton Metropole.

The event celebrated the increase in the speed limit to 14mph! Imagine the frustration of drivers today if stuck in such a snail race! To this day the event is still being held every year. What is even more remarkable is that some of the vehicles used in the first run are still being used today!

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“The thieves’ holder split and all the £25,000 fell into the lobby; they were subsequently arrested!”

WARTIME AT THE METROPOLE Due to the large military camp at Shoreham (the first licenced aerodrome), the Metropole became an aircrew-holding unit for the RAF and other allied nationalities in 1941. Several hundred military men were stationed at the hotel during both World Wars, and, in fact, three major airlines still station their air crews overnight at the Metropole today. The building saw some action in WWII when a roof-mounted machine gunner spotted a low-flying FW190. The surprised plane retaliated but missed the hotel. Another German plane later tried to bomb the hotel, but missed and dropped its payload in a nearby park.

MODERN TIMES The hotel was part of the Gordon hotel chain from its construction to up until 1959, when it was acquired by AVP industries. The hotel then underwent a major revamp as it entered its 60th year, which included the addition of bathrooms to all its rooms. The central spire and small turrets were removed and two new floors were added with a flatter roofline. The Italian gardens vanished and made way for the new Regency ballroom. Extensions were added, including an exhibition block that was built onto the side of the building, with a new tower block above for private apartments. On the 7th floor was a new dining venue called Starlit Club (Chartwell Room), which boasted an a la carte menu and ocean views. These additions meant the demolition of another row of houses and the graceful St Margaret’s church. Strangely, yet nostalgically, some of the church’s old building walls were used in the construction and support of the new buildings. People who remembered the original

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artwork were horrified to find that some of it had vanished or had been covered up, perhaps by the same type of people who had an issue with the red terracotta amongst the whitewashed theme.

The new exhibition complex housed state-ofthe-art exhibition halls, again the largest outside of London, where toy fairs, food exhibitions and kitchen appliance goods were exhibited to the public, and, interestingly, the first microwaves in England were on display in the late 1970’s in Hall 1 (Oxford Suite).

THE FIRST LICENSED CASINO IN BRITAIN Due to a change in gaming laws in the late ‘50s, The Clarence Room, on the right-hand side of the building, was the venue of the opening of the first licenced casino in Britain in 1962, and had its own entrance onto Cannon Place at the rear.

The casino’s large safe can still be seen and is situated in a supporting wall of the hotel and can thus not be removed! The safe was not on view until 1997, when, once opened, the contents were valued at £3m. Unfortunately, they were old casino chips and were completely worthless!

The casino moved in 1985 and became the International Casino in Preston Street, just a stone’s throw away, and is still there to this day.

The original Metropole logo can still be seen on the windows.

MODERN LOUNGES Modern times made their way into the life of the Metropole with the construction of a swimming pool and health club in the space occupied by the former Turkish baths. The Metropole group was acquired by Lonrho group for £25m in 1977. This led to further expansion, including the closing of

the Starlit Club (now the Chartwell function room) and the opening of the Cannon (Bar 106) Bar and the Metro (Lo Lounge) Night Club. In recent years the hotel has changed hands, now being owned by the Stakis group, part of the Hilton group.

Several more function rooms have been added to the hotel, making the Hilton Brighton Metropole the largest residential conference centre in the South East of England.

The Hotel façade was completely replaced in 2006 and took 18months to replace; each individual terracotta brick, all the intricate mouldings and fretwork were painstakingly cut, carved and replaced at a cost of £2.1m!

LAUNCHING IN NEW STYLE The Metropole unveiled earlier this year its major plan to spend £3.75m and has already begun renovating 185 of the 340 rooms (including four suites), offering Victorian elegance combined with modern convenience. Some communal spaces are transformed, too, capturing the Arts and Crafts Movement alongside feature artwork, paying homage to William Morris with historical styling.

Aside from the guest rooms, the hotel also boasted an impressive revamp of their spa, sweetly named ‘Schmoo by the Sea’, and an allnew ocean view restaurant. General Manager Sascha Koehler said, “The contemporary dining experience at The Salt Rooms is the perfect complement to its sister restaurant, The Coal Shed, and it will showcase the best of British food - with a particular focus on British fish and crustaceans cooked over a real charcoal oven”. www.hilton.com/brightonmet

PC

THE P L AT I N U M CLUB BRIGHTON | GATWICK

A high level but informal business networking forum for CEO’s and MD’s of companies within the Gatwick Diamond and London.

For membership information please contact info@theplatinumclubbrighton.co.uk

Call: 07966 244046 • e-mail: maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com • web: www.theplatinumclubbrighton.co.uk

74

{ PROMOTIONAL FEATURE }

PRIDE IN PRINT Gemini Print on the importance of supporting community and arts projects

S

ummer is here and one of Brighton’s biggest employers is making headlines for all the right reasons.

This company is an eco-business, a big supporter of apprenticeships and a very high-tech operation. It is also a major supporter of the arts and the creative sector in the region.

Introducing Sussex’s national player - Gemini Print. It has been established in the region for decades and it is no stranger to creating impact as any of these images can testify. But it’s not all PR spin, as Managing Director Steve Cropper is keen to point out. Gemini Print has put massive investment in all the latest printing, digital and finishing equipment – and it’s all under one local roof.

It is one of Brighton Fringe’s key partners, offering support through print to the festival and to all its participants. It launched the very successful Design for Print Awards at this year’s Fringe and is also a key supporting partner for Brighton Pride - one of the other major events in the region’s calendar.

“Gemini Print is a keen supporter of the arts and culture in the region. This comes on the back of our two-year partnership with Brighton Fringe, where we have been immersed in the world of theatre, comedy and entertainment,” said Steve Cropper.

“As the leading printers in the region, we like to support key events that bring culture, revenue and fun to the key city in Sussex. Now marking its 25th anniversary in August, Brighton Pride has become the UK’s biggest Pride festival and is a spectacular showcase of Brighton’s diverse community.”

“As the leading printers in the region, we like to support key events that bring culture, revenue and fun to the key city in Sussex” Gemini’s operation is impressive: the ability to print absolutely everything, finish it to any specification, store it, direct-mail it or deliver it to your door as you need it is one of the USPs of Gemini Print.

Steve Cropper said: “We are not reliant on any other subcontractor to complete a job. This puts us in control of the project and therefore circumvents errors or delays. It also reduces costs for customers.”

Over the past 18 months, it’s been go, go, go at Gemini Print. The company has expanded to London with the opening of an office in the capital, over £1 million has been invested in Gemini West (the Bristol operation), which has gone on to win some key tenders - most recently Bristol Zoo. Now Gemini Brighton, based in Hollingbury, and Gemini Print in Shoreham are starting to consolidate work processes even more closely to ensure greater efficiency and cost savings for customers.

Gemini Print is at heart a Sussex business, and while it works nationally it is obvious that it is very proud of its Sussex heritage. It is an operation that offers great employment opportunities locally – from apprenticeships to more senior roles and it is dynamic in its approach to production and customer service, always developing and changing to what’s needed to be a leading player in its field.

For more information visit: www.gemini-print.co.uk

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{ YOUNG START-UP TALENT }

SUSHI BUSINESS IS ON A ROLL

X E S SUS “Happy Go Sushi is a great, friendly service. The food is very tasty and we are definitely going to continue ordering”

B

udding Sushi star Imrich Berta has kicked off his delivery business with a bang.

After becoming Gatwick Diamond’s 2015 Young Start-up Talent winner, Happy Go Sushi lunchboxes have been soaring in popularity among businesses across Crawley. Having noticed a gap in the market, the 22-year-old entrepreneur decided to utilise his passion and talent for sushi making by starting a delivery company to fill the void - and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. Over the past two months Imrich has seen an influx of customers, many of whom are becoming regular consumers.

As the demand is growing, Imrich has recently taken on a new trained Sushi chef who he says is a “brilliant addition to the business.”

The popular sushi is produced in a kitchen at Central Sussex College, with orders being delivered before 11am as the perfect lunchtime treat.

The lunchboxes of goodies have been a hit among businesses such as Japanese company Tokyo Electron Limited, who have already made three orders of thirteen trays in the past two weeks. Mayumi Stephens of TEL said, “Happy

78

Go Sushi is a great, friendly service. The food is very tasty and we are definitely going to continue ordering.”

Plans for the future of Happy Go Sushi include setting up a catering van so more people can experience the satisfaction of some well-prepared Japanese cuisine on their lunchtime break. Imrich is looking at taking on an apprentice to be a part of this venture and to pass on his impressive knowledge in the field.

On Friday the 15th Imrich attended a networking event at Basepoint Business Centre in Crawley with a taster stand for those who were eager to see what all the fuss was about, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. With more and more orders coming in, Happy Go Sushi is quickly growing in success and proving what young entrepreneurs are really capable of.

Imrich commented, “I am really pleased with the direction the business is going in and can’t believe how much has been achieved already.”

To order your own lunchbox, call (07749041295), text, or visit www.happygosushi.co.uk

YOUNG START-UP TALENT DATES FOR THE DIARY West Kent showcase 9th July - 6.30pm Trinity Theatre - Tunbridge Wells Brighton launch event 2015/16 10th July - 11.30am Brighton Racecourse Gatwick launch 2015/16 13th July - 11.30am Crawley Town Football Club Croydon showcase 20th July - 6.30pm Fairfield Halls East Kent showcase 9th September - 6.30pm Gulbenkian Theatre - Canterbury

{ YOUNG START-UP TALENT }

YOUNG STARTERS IN THE YARD

Y E R SUR “A lot of youngsters leave Croydon; it’s great to support those who want to set up business here and grow Croydon”

S

even determined Croydon young entrepreneurs aged 16 to 25 made it through to the semi-final stage of Young Start-up Talent; all are in with the chance of winning the prize fund worth £50K in products and services.

The search began in December 2014 when the YST team visited schools, colleges, universities and youth groups to provide inspiring and informative workshops to students who are looking to kick start their first businesses.

Simon Maddox from Owadally & King, a judge on the panel, exclaimed, “It’s fantastic to see so many youngsters with great ideas.

Age shouldn’t stand in the way; we are really looking forward to working and progressing their ideas to get them on the map to help them in their early years and grow Croydon from the bottom up. A lot of youngsters leave Croydon; it’s great to support those who want to set up business here and grow Croydon”.

The event, held at Matthew’s Yard in Croydon, was hosted by founding partners Lorraine Nugent and Matt Turner, who were

joined by members of the local business community to meet with the entrepreneurs on a one-to-on basis. The business professionals had the opportunity to speak individually to the aspiring young entrepreneurs in order to help, advise and support them through the process and into the wider world of business.

Jo Patterson at Gatwick Airport said “I’m looking for a good, well-thought-out idea and an entrepreneur with real belief in that and in themselves.”

Ultimately, the semi-final is set to put the entrepreneurs to the test, to see if they have the determination and dedication to take their idea to the start-up stage. With the help of sponsors such as RBS, Amicus Horizon, Gatwick Airport, Owadally & King, Fastsigns, Croydon Chamber of Commerce, Hands on IT, Build IT-Grow IT, The Croydon Advertiser, Media Word Waves, Creative Pod, Fairfield Halls and 3D Change, to name a few, the entrepreneurs will have the support to develop their businesses, even if they don’t make it through to the Final.

Tom Arkle from Amicus Horizon added, “I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens

with all the contestants; there’s lots of support available throughout the process, not just for the one who wins the £50k prize fund.”

The diverse collection of ideas within Croydon’s first year of Young Start-up Talent has been fantastic.

The 2015 process has seen ideas ranging from falconry, lettings agency, bespoke hockey sticks, organic creams, bubble tea café andvideo games to even a model railway company. Only a select few will go to the final to pitch their ideas to the judges, with the other semi-finalists being given feedback from the business community to help develop their ideas.

Mark Burgess at Natwest commented, “It’s been so inspirational to speak with these young people and to see their entrepreneurial flair and enthusiasm.”

Follow the 2015 process via our social media or website at www.youngstartuptalent.co.uk.

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{ BUSINESS CONVENTION }

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU’D SEEN IT ALL… A

frican drummers, acrobats, food, wine, balloons falling from the sky, prizes, an ice sculpture, an inspirational line-up of international speakers, legal workshops and over 200 CEOs to network with - it can only be the Acumen Business Convention 2015!

2015 marks the sixth anniversary of the Acumen Business Convention, an event which has become a mainstay of the local business calendar, and, as always, the Acumen team pulled out all the stops to ensure that this would be a year to remember.

Guests were welcomed in style and rhythm by African drumming, dancing and acrobatics. A three-course lunch was served at The Grand before the delegates dispersed to the first of two interactive legal workshops, hosted by experts from Acumen.

Penina Shepherd, Founder and MD of Acumen Business Convention, opened the event with a fascinating talk, inspiring the delegates to create their own luck following four simple steps. From there on, inspiration and success stories were the order of the day, interrupted only by a spectacular surprise shower of hidden balloons, and, just like Willy Wonka, there were five hidden “golden tickets” to find! The five winners were awarded prizes such as a year’s free membership at Active4less and a Green & Blacks chocolate hamper.

As in previous years the speakers at this year’s Convention were of the very highest calibre. Darren Shirlaw of Shirlaws Business Coaching left the audience mesmerised by his captivating perspective on the mathematics behind every business, however small or large. Jo Fairley, founder of Green & Black’s, shared with the audience the importance of telling a story through your brand and her belief that even a small business can change the world.

This year’s keynote speaker was the brainchild and creator one of the UK’s most spectacular attractions, the Eden Project, Sir Tim Smit KBE. Sir Tim captivated the audience from start to finish with his own inimitable style, revealing his unique approach to life, which led him on a journey from double platinum musician to successful entrepreneur and the creator of the world’s largest indoor rainforest attraction.

It was local businesses, however, who ended the day firmly in the spotlight with the presentation of the annual Business Acumen Award. Pankaj Vekria, Director of Lan 2 Lan Ltd, scooped the coveted prize after two rounds of intensive judging. Brandon Harris, representing the panel of expert judges, highlighted Pankaj’s enthusiastic attitude, innovative approach and responsiveness to his market before handing over to Sir Tim Smit to present the award.

Runners-up Ben and Matt Woodhart of Woodhart Carpentry and Dan Hartley of abandofbrothers were also congratulated on their outstanding business acumen and were formally announced as finalists.

The event finished with a drinks reception and delegates partied long into the evening, closing the 2015 Acumen Business Convention in style.

Penina Shepherd, Founder and MD of Acumen Business Convention said, “I am delighted and honoured to have run six prestigious conventions, and this one has topped them all! There was unprecedented attendance, fantastic speakers, a tasty lunch and the Business Acumen Award, too! The entire team has worked relentlessly to make it happen and the feedback has been exceptional.”

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Stag House, Upper Bedford Street, Brighton BN2 1GW

{ CHAMBER EVENTS }

DATES FOR THE DIARY For further information go to www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

Wednesday 01/07/2015 (17:00-21:00) Open 9-Hole Golf Evening at Reigate Heath Golf Club Reigate Heath Golf Club, The Club House, Flanchford Road, RH2 8QR Open to all business people. Tee off from 17.00 hrs, 9-hole Stableford competition, followed by supper and prizes. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team.

Tuesday 14/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Epsom Breakfast - “Winning Business with Effective Communications”, with Mark Rhodes, Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom Downs, Epsom KT18 5LQ Mark Rhodes is an entrepreneur, business mentor, published international speaker and trainer in success and shows both individuals and businesses around the world how to massively improve their results with little or no extra effort!

Thursday 02/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Spelthorne & Runnymede, Breakfast networking.

Mercure London Staines Upon Thames Hotel, Thames Street, TW18 4SJ

Tuesday 14/07/2015 (07:30-09:30) Bank of England breakfast NatWest Guildford, PO Box 1, 2nd Floor G3, 2 Cathedral Hill, GU1 3ZR One of the Bank of England’s two core purposes is monetary stability and stable prices.

Friday 03/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Mole Valley, Breakfast networking.

De Vere Venues - Hartsfield Manor, Sandy Lane, Betchworth, RH3 7AA Tuesday 07/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Surrey Heath, Breakfast networking.

Camberley Theatre, Knoll Road, Camberley GU15 3SY Wednesday 08/07/2015 (08:00-17:30) Open 18-hole Golf Competition for the Bill Ward Memorial Cup Worplesdon Golf Club, Heath House Road, Woking GU22 0RA Open 18-hole Stableford competition open to all business people. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team. 08.00 hrs Coffee and bacon roll, 18-hole Stableford competition followed by lunch and prize giving, finishing by 17.30 hrs.

Friday 10/07/2015 (08:00-10:00) Chamber Connections Woking - Mastering the Sales Conversation in 5 Simple Steps, Breakfast networking Holiday Inn Woking, Victoria Way, Woking GU21 8EW Plus a 60 minute talk on “Mastering the Sales Conversation in Five Simple Steps” Guest speaker Glen Williamson, Principal Consultant, GWC limited Friday 10/07/2015 (18:00-20:00) Badminton Networking Event Lightwater Leisure Centre, Lightwater Country Club, The Avenue, GU18 5RG Back by popular demand, we are pleased to run a fun business networking event, hosted by Surrey Chambers and projectfive. Local companies meet for a couple of hours to play badminton in a relaxed and friendly environment. You’ll get to play with at least five partners during the evening, against different opponents each time.

Then, it’s drinks and snacks in the bar to catch up with everyone else.

Wednesday 15/07/2015 (15:30-17:30) Business Women in Surrey at Pennyhill Park Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa, London Road, Bagshot GU19 5EU Afternoon tea and use of the Spa, limited to 25 people, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Wednesday 15/07/2015 (09:00-10:30) Business Breakfast at The Bulldog The Bulldog, 556 London Road, Ashford TW15 3AF A joint networking business breakfast being promoted by Spelthorne Business Forum, Hounslow and Surrey Chambers of Commerce, so an excellent opportunity to make some new contacts. Booking: This is a drop in event but you must book so we can order breakfast for you. The cost of the breakfast is £4.99 and is payable on the day.

Thursday 16/07/2015 (09:15-16:30) Motivating & Managing your Channel Partners - Course for Exporters Arcom IT, Export House, Cawsey Way, Woking GU21 6QX The independent channel partner, whether a distributor or agent, is entrepreneurial by nature and has long been an enigma for many companies who want to export.

Wednesday 22/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Guildford, Breakfast networking The Refectory, Guildford Cathedral, Stag Hill Guildford GU2 7UP Plus a short talk from Rebecca Bowden, SATRO

Wednesday 29/07/2015 (18:00-20:00) Members’ Networking Evening Loseley Park, Estate Offices, Loseley Park, Guildford GU3 1HS Thursday 30/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Waverley, Breakfast networking The Manor House, Huxley Close, Godalming GU7 2AS

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THE BEST JOB IN THE COUNTRY Launching a business magazine in Surrey seemed like quite a good idea, so we thought it might be worth meeting the Cabinet Lead for Economic Prosperity at Surrey County Council. After an hour in the company of Deputy Leader, Peter Martin, it became apparent that we were completely mistaken. It wasn’t quite a good idea - it is the best idea we have ever had! Our only mistake was not doing so sooner. So despite our journalistic intentions, the following pages are not so much an interview, but more a rousing lecture on why Surrey is such an excellent place to do business. And who would possibly argue?

“I

’ve probably got the best job in the country,” says Peter Martin, before we have a chance to ask him a question.

“I enjoy every minute of every day because it’s absolutely fascinating. Surrey is a £35 billion economy – it’s enormous. It’s bigger than any city in the country other than London. That’s pretty phenomenal.

“Over the last three years we’ve grown at 18%.

It’s not quite China levels of growth but we’re not

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far off. And when you look at GVA (Gross Value Added) per head, it is pretty phenomenal. That makes life pretty interesting. We have one of the highest employment rates, we have a high education level and we are the country’s leader in youth justice.

“We have the lowest level of our youth getting into the crime machine of any part of the country, as we are the country’s leaders on restorative justice. We believe in it because when you put a

youngster into prison or into a young offenders institution, almost universally they come out worse than when they started. If you keep them out, then you can transform their lives and that’s what we’re doing. Even hardened judges now, who used to be a bit sceptical, are on our side on that.

“We are always promoting business in Surrey; we try and get 50-60% of the business we do to be with Surrey businesses. When we do a big

{ INTERVIEW }

deal with a big company, we try to ensure their contractors come from Surrey.

“The County Council itself is enormous; we’ve got a £1.7 billion piece of business here, the equivalent of a FTSE 250 company. And I think people don’t realise the sheer scale of our County Council. We’re the fifth biggest local authority in the country.”

Unlike most public servants, Martin’s language is interspersed with reference to commerce, indicating a business background.

“I was 33 years with IBM. After graduating from the University of Durham. I was a VSO teaching in Khartoum, Sudan for 2 years, before returning to join IBM. I qualified as an accountant, and did three years in the States plus five years in Paris.

I was Head of Marketing in the UK for a while, and CFO of various units including the petroleum unit in Paris, and then spent the last four years in mergers and acquisition, going all over Europe, Middle East and Africa.”

So why the leap from private enterprise into local government?

“I’ve always been a politician. Politics flows through my blood. My father was a trade union leader in the Cowley car factories in Oxford, and the Secretary of the local Labour Party. He was a Methodist lay preacher and was teetotal.

“I joined a non-union company and the Conservative Party! He died when I was only 23, and he said to me before he died, “If you ever stand as a Tory, my ashes will fly in your face”.

So if you ever come out campaigning with me, we peer around the corners and make sure dad’s ashes aren’t flying off the street!

“My son is a politician, an Executive of Waverley Borough Council. He and I are in the same twomember ward. We just had the election a month ago, so it’s a question of whether I beat him or he beats me. I beat him, and then he demanded a re-count.

“I’ve been a County Councillor for ten years and I’ve been a member of the cabinet for eight years. I’ve been responsible for the environment portfolio, education and children’s services, and for the last four years, I’ve been Deputy with responsibility for the economy, for business, for economic prosperity. And that’s a really important brief to have.

“I’ve got a £500,000 budget and there are lots of things I can do with that but you realise that that is not a great sum of money within the great scheme of things. What I can do is almost be the mouthpiece of business. So I work with the EM3 and C2C Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Gatwick Diamond initiative, Surrey Chambers, the Federation of Small Businesses, the IOD, the CBI, the UKTI...

“Last month, Michael Boyd, Managing Director of UKTI, came to visit us. He looks after inward investment from foreign directors, so we took him to Frazer-Nash Research, and Surrey Satellite Technology (SST), where we opened the new satellite tracking operation. We did a tour of the premises and saw satellites being manufactured.

It’s a fantastic organisation, an offshoot of Surrey University; they’re now owned by Airbus, SSTL grosses over £100M a year and probably has a backorder of c £500M. SST is the world leader in ‘small’ satellites. The world comes to them: the Chinese, the Russians, the Moroccans…

“We had a business reception afterwards, and I can act as a mouthpiece from business to government. I’m almost like a telephone exchange, I go and find a connection here, plug it in there.

“We’ve got some fascinating niche sectors in Surrey, for instance 5G. Eighteen months ago, the University of Surrey won a £12m contract from government to promote 5G, and they are hosting the 5G Research Centre. As a result of that, the world’s mobile phone companies, such as Huawei, have come to Guildford, and they’ve now got a £70 million investment, and a big new three-storey building. This is the world leader in 5G research.

“A lot of people think that Surrey is just this sort of a dormitory for London – it’s just not. We’ve got 250 of the largest companies in the country located here”

“It isn’t an evolutionary thing from 1G to 4G and onto 5G. 5G tears up the paper for everything you’ve had before and starts again. It’s app driven, where speed is all. Now, you can think of

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all sorts of things you can do as a result of that.

“If you go to Royal Holloway, University of London, you find absolute leaders in cyber security, working with the government and GCHQ. They are undoubted world leaders in improved cyber security, a phenomenal place to go to.

“The University of Surrey is a fascinating place. They’re a £1.7 billion operation if you include the research park and the hospital.

They have just established a veterinary school and they’re building three big new buildings to house it all. That will all be opened in September this year when they take their second year undergraduates. It’s becoming huge. It’s very exciting because they also link to organisations like the Pirbright Institute. There are lots of research institutes around in Surrey focused on veterinary, so it’s very clever to have a veterinary school, the first new veterinary school in a long time. And they are going for a medical school as well. They want to specialise in looking at animalrelated diseases that transfer to humans. So we’ll have a brand new veterinary school and a brand new medical school and you’ve got links to research institutes located close by.

“I find that incredibly exciting. If, in my job I can stimulate interest, isn’t that fantastic? Now, you don’t think of Surrey as being automotive centre, and we don’t produce 100,000 cars a year

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in Surrey, that’s not our thing. But we’ve got the headquarters of Kia, we’ve got the headquarters of Toyota now in Epsom. Then there is McLaren, which is absolutely phenomenal. It is so clean you could eat your breakfast off the floor. In the paint shop, they’ve got clear glass windows by the spray guns and there’s not a speck of paint on the glass.

“I’m almost like a telephone exchange, I go and find a connection here, plug it in there” “A few months ago I was at Brooklands, for a business breakfast meeting and I was sitting next to people who are tool makers to the space and automotive industry. That’s quite interesting because you’ve got the whole perspective of reshoring going on. Suddenly China and the Far East are much less interesting as we want quick reactions and local expertise.

“Then we have gaming - the computer gaming industry has a big hub in Guildford. Did I know that four years ago? No, I didn’t – I do now.

Agritech is very interesting. Royal Holloway and Kew Gardens have a big link and Kew Gardens has compiled a comprehensive inventory of seeds from every plant going.

“There are links between agritech and veterinary research, and one of the things I can do is to spot that maybe there’s a link-up here.

“Food and drink in this area is quite amazing.

Denbies is the biggest or the second biggest vineyard in the country. I visited an organic vineyard near Albury, just on the outside of Guildford, and next to it is a distillery called Silent Pool. Would you expect to find a distillery in Surrey producing high quality gin? We’re putting a focus on the development of the rural economy.

Surrey is the most wooded county in England. So doesn’t it make sense to promote biomass and wood?

“Finally, oil and gas. This is big in two ways: You probably don’t know that BP has its biggest office in the world in Surrey, in Sunbury. It’s the headquarters of their world geological research, 9,000 employees – it’s vast. So everything that happens in terms of oil exploration in the world through BP comes out of that organisation. That’s pretty phenomenal.

{ INTERVIEW }

“My job is to stick up for Surrey. We need investment in infrastructure. Why do my residents have to get on the train in Guildford and have to stand all the way into London?’”

“And at the same time, of course, you’ve got this extraordinary business of the oil in the Weald, and again, where is that? It covers Surrey.

“So Surrey is open for business. It’s a vibrant, exciting place, edge of technology. We’re not a mass manufacturer but we have a GVA bigger than any in the country bar London, it’s growing phenomenally, it’s a great place.

“A lot of people think that Surrey is just this sort of a dormitory for London – it’s just not. We’ve got 250 of the largest companies in the country located here, whether it’s Siemens, Novartis, Proctor & Gamble, Provident, the headquarters of Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BP – the list is huge.

“SAB, for instance, took over Miller, a South African company taking over an American company. Where do they list? They list in London.

Where is the headquarters? In Woking - 1,100 people with jobs in Woking that didn’t exist six years ago. So it’s very much open for business. We have a huge success story. My job is to promote the success, to tell people what we’re doing, to work through all of the organisations that visit business, to promote it through UKTI, to promote it through the Local Enterprise Partnerships and do everything I can to say, “Hey, we’re open for business”. And by the way, I love doing it.

“I think the story from Surrey is that we’ve had success despite years of by governments in the

past. We’re the golden goose laying the golden eggs. One borough in Surrey pays more income tax than the whole of Glasgow. We pay £7.5 billion a year of income tax into the national Exchequer.

What do we get back? Not enough.

My job is to stick up for Surrey. We need investment in infrastructure. Why do my residents have to get on the train in Guildford and have to stand all the way into London?

Canon have national headquarters in Redhill and international headquarters in West London – you try and drive from one to the other, it can be slow going . The Senior Director of Mercedes-Benz is from Stuttgart, but he’s not so keen on coming down because they land at Heathrow, they have to get on the M25, coming down to the wonderful Brooklands Mercedes Benz, which is a fantastic place to be, need to be gone earlier than they’d like to miss the traffic. So in many ways we’re a victim of our own success.

“My big job in life is to do something with the infrastructure. That’s not a one-year, two-year, five-year plan, that’s a long-term plan. There are some things that we can do quickly, and broadband, for instance, is one of them. I signed a deal with BT four years ago for the provision of superfast broadband. We spent £20m of our taxpayer money, we got BT to put in £14m or thereabouts, and we got the government to put in £1.3m, so a total of £35m. We’re now near the end of that project, and we’re now the best-connected county in the country. 97% of the intervention area has superfast broadband connection; nearly all are getting speeds in excess of 15 Mb per second. We’re now on phase two, I’ve instituted a new Open Market Review which, again, looks at where we are and where are the white spots, the white areas if there is still more to do. We’re going to try and then see whether there are ways in which we can go further and make it even better. But that’s an example of being on the leading edge, and I think it’s really important to get a broadband connection. I hear that in other counties businesses are moaning and groaning about broadband. I can’t say it’s fixed, it’s not done, but there’s much less of an issue on broadband here than there is everywhere else. If I didn’t get on and do that, who else was going to do it?”

Will investment in infrastructure become even harder with the Government’s Northern Powerhouse emphasis?

“From a government’s point of view, we are a very London-centric country, and I’m not opposed in any way to growing the North. That would be foolish. All I’m saying is that the government shouldn’t lose sight of the powerhouse that we are and the investment that we need, in

particular in infrastructure. The birth rate of Surrey has gone up by 20% over the last 12 years. The investment in schools is phenomenal.

Last September we opened the equivalent of 10 new large primary schools. This year we’re going to open the equivalent of 13 new large primary schools, simply because of the birth rate increase. At the same time you’ve got the growth in demographics of the old. So we have a real crisis in terms of trying to deal with that and at the same time dealing with the need for infrastructure.”

The county is sandwiched between two major airports. What is your position on the extra runway debate?

“I’m simply one of those people who say that we need expansion. We need expansion of our airports and I’m not going to get into the ‘Is it Heathrow or Gatwick?’ We’ve got an agreement in Surrey, we put it through the Full Council twoand-a-half, three years ago. What we said is that we accept the need for expansion of airports.

What we want, particularly, is improvements in surface transport and the infrastructure to go with it. And that needs to come first, not afterwards. So that’s our mantra on that.

“My big job in life is to do something with the infrastructure. That’s not a one-year, two-year, five-year plan, that’s a long-term plan”

“Many of the people of Surrey depend either directly or indirectly on Heathrow and to a lesser extent on Gatwick for their jobs. Would 250 very large companies locate in Surrey if Gatwick and Heathrow were not there? I think not.”

“When I’m in sales mode, I can very simply say “We’re next to London, we’re next to the airports, it’s a great place to live, it’s the most wooded county in the country, we’ve got a great education system, we have the finest schools, it’s a great place to live. You wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. We have golf courses, we’re not far from the sea, airports close by, 83 railway stations, it’s fantastic.”

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LAUNCH AT EXXONMOBIL Members of the Leatherhead & District business community gathered to launch the annual Leatherhead & District Business Awards at a recent event at ExxonMobil’s offices in Leatherhead, Surrey.

With ten categories, the Awards will highlight and recognise Leatherhead’s entrepreneurial stars and corporate leaders – people and companies who go the extra mile to achieve extraordinary success and/or inspire others to achieve their potential.

Alongside Platinum Business Magazine, this year’s award sponsors include headline sponsor Exxonmobil, Unilever, Prowse & Co. Ltd, Leatherhead and District Chamber of Commerce, Surrey County Council, The Gatwick Diamond Initiative, Mole Valley District Council, Munday’s LLP, the Leatherhead Advertiser and Riverbridge House Business Centre, which is sponsoring this year’s Awards trophies.

Open to any individual or business located within Leatherhead, Ashtead, Bookham, Effingham, Mickleham or Fetcham, the Awards are FREE to enter and organisations and individuals may enter for more than one category.

There are ten Awards categories for 2015 as detailed below:

1.

BEST BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY,

2.

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR,

3.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY EXXONMOBIL

This award recognises businesses that can demonstrate responsible business practices across areas including: local community, environment, supply chains and the local economy. Judges are looking for evidence of a contribution to the overall well-being of the community, its environment, economy and quality of life.

4.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY THE LEATHERHEAD & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Business of the Year Award recognises a local business or organisation (large or small) that has demonstrated exceptional performance and impact on the local economy and local community. The judges are looking for outstanding performance in one or more aspects of its business activities, including, business managemet, product/service development,, customer care, marketing, community, HR or environmental initiatives.

SPONSORED BY PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE

This award celebrates an individual who is likely to have demonstrated high levels of commitment, initiative and dedication in key aspects of business performance, helping the company or the local business community achieve success and/or inspiring others to achieve their full potential. The judges are looking for a business person (in any position within a large or small company) who has shown outstanding achievement, dedication and enthusiasm in his/her role.

5.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PROWSE & CO. LTD

This award recognises professional services organisations that have demonstrable strength in the areas of service excellence, and business growth. The judges are looking for a local firm that that demonstrates strong customer care and delivers a positive impact for its clients.

SPONSORED BY THE GATWICK DIAMOND INITIATIVE

The award recognises businesses that can demonstrate success in achieving growth or expansion in international markets. The judges are looking for a business of any size that best demonstrates an international growth strategy that has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit and market share improvement. The judges will be looking, in particular, for effective and innovative international trading initiatives.

The Leatherhead and District Business Awards were established in 2009 by Prowse & Co. Ltd. The award-winning PR, events and marketing consultancy is based in Surrey and works with some of the world’s best known brands and locations to create content for digital, print and social media channels Locally, the team advises a number of public and private sector organisations and entrepreneurs.

Discover more at www.prowse.co.uk

6.

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL

This award recognises businesses or organisations that best demonstrate their commitment to investing in people. The judges are looking for employee strategies that attract, retain and develop talent and how this contributes to sustainable growth. They will also be looking for evidence of how employees are engaged in strategic goals and company values as well as investment in people.

7.

LEISURE AND TOURISM, SPONSORED BY SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL

This category is open to any organisation involved in the delivery of leisure, tourism, visitor attractions or hospitality. The judges are looking for an organisation that can demonstrate outstanding performance in a number of aspects relating to their operations, including evidence of growth, investment and delivery of innovations and improvements, adding value to the local area, creating employment opportunities and customer satisfaction.

8.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS,

9.

SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR,

SPONSORED BY MUNDAYS LLP

This award celebrates successful women who have excelled in their specific business, profession, organisation or line of work. The judges are looking for women who have made a real difference in business over the past 12 months.

The essence of these awards is to discover and reward exceptional women who stand out - through leadership, entrepreneurialism, mentoring skills, and/or their ideas.

SPONSORED BY UNILEVER

This award recognises organisations that can demonstrate a commitment to improving the sustainability of their business and have implemented a combination of economic, social and environmental improvements that enhance the overall sustainability of the business. Judges will be looking for examples of sustainability projects and commitments undertaken by the organisation plus evidence of their success.

10.

RETAILER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY THE LEATHERHEAD ADVERTISER

This award sets out to recognise and acknowledge the ongoing contribution that retailers make in growing and sustaining the local economy and also acknowledges the leading role that retail plays in setting the standard for customer service excellence. The judges are looking for a business that can demonstrate ‘first class’ customer service, strong business/ financial/ market performance, innovation and the ability to adapt and change.

The nomination process is simple: • Businesses self-nominate in a category of their choice using an online form which can be downloaded from the Awards website www.leatherheadawards.com • Alternatively, you may nominate an organisation or individual for any of the award categories.

• Judges will meet to decide category winners/ runners-up from nominations.

• Category winners may be visited by the judges and an overall winner will be selected.

A panel of senior executives will judge the awards.

Finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony at St. John’s School, Leatherhead on 30 November 2015 where each winner will be presented with a trophy and certificate at a gala dinner.

Entry forms for the 2015 Leatherhead & District Business Awards are available online www.leatherheadawards.com from the Help Shop in Leatherhead or the Awards Office on telephone 01372 363386. The entry deadline is Friday, 11 September, 2015.

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THE SPONSORS...

BEST BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY, SPONSORED BY EXXONMOBIL Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company and it, or its affiliated companies, operates facilities or markets products in most of the world’s countries. ExxonMobil has had a major presence in Leatherhead since 1990 and 800 employees and contractors are currently based in the town.

The company has a strong ethos to invest in the communities where it operates, and has supported the Leatherhead & District Business Awards as Headline Sponsor since their inception.

SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY UNILEVER Unilever, one of the world’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, has its UK headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey. With sustainability at its heart, Unilever has committed to being a more inclusive business and to helping to promote a new era of youth employability through its Sustainable Living Plan.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY GATWICK DIAMOND INITIATIVE The Gatwick Diamond Initiative is a business-led partnership run by people with proven commercial and economic development experience. With our focus on key strategic issues, we partner with business leaders, business membership organisations, colleges and universities, local authorities and government agencies to address the needs of the area to ensure it is a world-class place to live, work and do business.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY LEATHERHEAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Our Chamber is a vibrant, forward-thinking business networking organisation operating within the Leatherhead & District area, providing an opportunity for the local business community to become involved with like-minded individuals and organisations. Our aim is to help our members grow and sustain their businesses through local trade, networking and the sharing of best practice. We understand the Importance of business access to vital resources and our events programme provides a range of networking seminars, local information, representation and social events.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PROWSE & CO. LTD Established in 1988, Prowse is an award-winning PR and marketing consultancy based in Surrey, within easy reach of London. We work with some of the world’s best-known brands and locations to create content for digital, print and social media channels. As one of the leading consultancies in South East England, we also support local companies and partnership organisations.

WOMAN IN BUSINESS AWARD, SPONSORED BY MUNDAYS LLP Mundays is delighted to sponsor the Women in Business Award this year. As a firm with women in many of our most senior roles, we believe that a business that operates with a diverse and balanced mix of people at all levels will thrive, and we are very proud to be sponsoring this award. Based in Cobham, Mundays has over 50 lawyers providing specialist legal advice to both businesses and individuals. We provide local and national businesses with advice on general corporate and commercial matters as well as specialist services in banking and finance, real estate, employment and dispute resolution.

RETAILER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY LEATHERHEAD ADVERTISER The Leatherhead Advertiser is the local newspaper and online site for the Leatherhead and District area. As the only newspaper dedicated to Mole Valley, it offers coverage of local news, business, sports and entertainment, both in print and online, at its fast-growing website.

As a media partner for the Awards, publicity is secured across a number of weeks to promote the categories, sponsors and winners.

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE Platinum Business Magazine has recently taken Sussex by storm as a new, relevant, informative and independent business publication in the South East. It has rapidly become the most read, most respected and widely distributed magazine in Sussex. This issue marks the launch of the publication to every corner of Surrey featuring many local business figures as expert editorial contributors with news, articles and informative commentary on issues that matter to Surrey.

LEISURE AND TOURISM AWARD, SPONSORED BY SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL Surrey County Council is pleased to support the Leatherhead and District Business Awards. It is important that local business are recognised for their achievements and that success is celebrated. The Economic Prosperity of the county is one of the three strategic goals of Surrey County Council, with initiatives ExportSurrey and Invest in Surrey supporting this goal. Demonstrating that the county is ‘open for business’ is paramount to our future success and the Leatherhead and District Business Awards certainly show that it is! We wish all businesses the best of luck in the 2015 awards.

BEST EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL Mole Valley District Council means business! That’s the message we want to get out to all entrepreneurs and small to medium businesses that are thinking of starting up in Mole Valley. We pride ourselves on the personal support and information provided by our Sustainable Economy team. Our friendly staff at Pippbrook can advise on many aspects of starting up your own business such as planning permission for premises, business rates, licensing, funding and so on.

{ LOCAL BUSINESS }

INDEPENDENTS’ DAY The launch of a loyalty campaign to support Guildford’s independent businesses

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ational Independents’ Day on July 4th is fast becoming a recognised day in the retail calendar, supporting and celebrating the UK’s dynamic mix of independent businesses with the aim of encouraging more of us to shop locally. Experience Guildford, the town’s Business Improvement District, are ‘Super Sizing’ Independents’ Day this year, introducing a month-long loyalty campaign to showcase the eclectic mix of independent businesses in the town and reward visitors with cash prizes with a combined value of £1000 to spend in their favourite independent businesses.

From the July 4th to the July 31st, visitors who purchase a product or service from three independent stores or businesses in Guildford will be entered into a prize draw to win one of ten £100 vouchers. With over 120 of Guildford’s independent businesses signed up to the scheme, visitors won’t have to look far to find an independent store, bar, cafe, venue or leisure business that could put them on the road to being £100 better off.

By encouraging more of us to shop locally, Experience Guildford aim to make everyone feel better off, rewarding both shopper, business and the local community. Independent businesses do much to attract visitors and increase footfall to our towns, elevating their status to a destination rather than just a shopping centre and creating a valuable point of difference. They

provide a healthy injection to the local economy, with around 50p to 70p of every £1 spent in a local, independent business filtering back to the community.

So, from theatre tickets to takeaway cappuccinos, killer heels to a cut and blowdry, Experience Guildford want visitors to seek out, shop and shout about all the fabulous independent businesses that the town has to offer. Look out for the handy map they have created to pinpoint all the businesses involved in Guildford’s Independents’ Day loyalty promotion, which also includes a branded tear off loyalty card. Maps are available in businesses throughout the town and can also be picked up from Guildford’s Tourist Information Centre. Visitors need to simply collect three stamps from any combination of participating businesses on the loyalty card section of the map by July 31st, fill in their details and post the tear off section back to Experience Guildford

by August 7th to be entered into the prize draw to win a £100 voucher. Stamps will be awarded with each purchase made, and there is no limit to the number of times shoppers can enter the draw.

For more information on Guildford’s Independents’ Day loyalty month, the participating businesses and where to send in your completed loyalty card, visit www. experienceguildford.com or Facebook.com/

ExperienceGford. Plus, share your favourite Guildford independent businesses on Twitter at @ExperienceGford using the hashtag #IndieDay and discover some new hidden gems at the same time.

EXPERIENCE GUILDFORD Experience Guildford is the Business Improvement District representing retail and leisure businesses within Guildford town centre. Launched in October 2012, it consists of 589 levy payers who have come together to decide and manage any additional improvements they want to make to the town centre. Working with the town’s retail and leisure sector, Experience Guildford has created a cohesive business plan that aims to serve the town across four main project areas: • • • •

Marketing, Promotion & Events Safe, Clean & Welcoming Access & Car Parking Business Support

Along with the Best Bar None awards, Experience Guildford are working to make Guildford town centre the most successful it can be, and to help town centre businesses thrive.

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{ SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE }

WELCOME TO THE SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

by Louise Punter, Chief Executive of Surrey Chambers of Commerce

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urrey is one of the most successful and productive areas for business in the UK. With an economy worth over £35bn and a net return of taxes to the government of more than £6bn, it’s a county that embraces innovation and is a fantastic location to run a business.

Sitting at the heart of this business community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce, one of 52 accredited Chambers, has acted as a catalyst by connecting local businesses to opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable contacts for over 25 years. With a membership representing every sector of the economy and every size of company, the Chamber works hard to ensure that the continued growth of Surrey takes into account the needs of business.

We help businesses to grow and develop by promoting them, keeping them informed and

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representing them locally, regionally, nationally and even internationally. Surrey Chambers of Commerce is an integral part of the Surrey business support network and alongside its partners offers specialist advice on a huge range of fundamental issues facing local businesses. We have a number of local town chambers affiliated to Surrey Chambers, which enables us to provide an even stronger local business voice. The chambers we work with are Chertsey, Cranleigh, Dorking, Godalming, Horley, Leatherhead and Woking, and the Woking Asian Business Forum is also affiliated.

We are fully engaged with local MPs expressing the views of local business, so that politicians can make decisions with a clear appreciation of the consequences of their actions on the business communities that provide local employment and growth. We also

work very closely with any initiatives, which may affect the business environment, ensuring the business voice is heard.

In Surrey there were no MP changes in the recent election, although higher majorities were gained and a few Ministerial positions were changed. Michael Gove is Secretary of State for Justice, Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, Chris Grayling, Leader of the House of Commons and Anne Milton is Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer to HM household. We ought to be able to influence some thinking in parliament!

The Conservatives now have a clear mandate to take bold and important decisions, and must use it to help Surrey businesses invest and grow. In return, business stands ready to work with the new government to deliver prosperity,

{ SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE }

“Sitting at the heart of this business community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce, one of 52 accredited Chambers, has acted as a catalyst by connecting local businesses to opportunities”

jobs and sustained economic growth. This clear result provides stability and clarity, which is welcomed from the business community, but now the government must push to build on the economic progress we have started to see.

The New Secretary of State for Business, Sajid Javid, has already spoken out about reducing regulation on businesses, which will definitely have a positive impact on productivity. Surrey Chambers and other business representative organisations are working with the authorities on Better Business for All, which has been set up to improve the world of regulations for businesses. We will be gathering views over the next couple of months to see how things might be changed positively.

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is a dynamic and independent business network made up of 52 Accredited Chambers established in every nation and region of the UK. The BCC is an authentic voice for British business and a leading commentator on the UK economy, drawing on the powerful network of accredited Chambers like Surrey. They represent business interests in Westminster and Brussels and facilitate a global network of Overseas Chambers and Business Groups in key markets, allowing us locally to connect a business directly to a chamber overseas.

EXPORTSURREY British products are in high demand around the world and the global profile is at an all-time high.

Only 1 in 5 British SMEs are already exporting their goods and services, so the potential for growth is enormous. These companies who venture into new export markets tend to be rewarded both directly, through boosted turnover, and indirectly, through improved levels of efficiency, innovation and credibility.

Exporting enables companies to diversify their portfolios and to weather changes in the domestic economy. Exporting helps small companies grow and become more competitive in all their markets. Trading in new markets

leads to the potential increase of sales and profits as well as gaining market share. So what stops businesses exporting? Whether a business is new to importing/exporting or an experienced exporter looking to expand into new overseas markets, there are many regulations and trade barriers to consider. Using our expert contacts we can help businesses to unravel the complexities of selling internationally. The International Trade team at Surrey Chambers of Commerce provide friendly, professional advice and assistance to help businesses trade internationally.

“An economy worth over £35bn and a net return of taxes to the government of more than £6bn”

Surrey Chambers in partnership with Surrey Connects have a service called ExportSurrey, to actively promote the business benefits that trading overseas can bring. The service links local businesses with practical support to help them export for the first time or expand on existing activities into new countries.

ExportSurrey acts as a signpost service that can help a business to get the advice they need in today’s competitive global market. We work closely with Government organisations such as UK Trade and Investment, HM Revenue and Customs and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in addition to other chambers of commerce, embassies and banks. Our comprehensive country fact files are available free to our customers.

SURREY CHAMBERS BUSINESS ADVICE Surrey Chambers has launched a business advice service that provides initial general

advice followed up by introductions to local specialists-all designed to ensure the continued success of the local economy. Surrey Chambers of Commerce, working with trained advisors from Branduin, are delivering subsidised advice for any company. Depending on the size of the business, one-hour sessions or onsite visits will be available. We are also able to provide start-up advice in Camberley, thanks to support from Surrey Heath Borough Council and Basepoint Business Centre. The numbers of start-ups are still growing within the area and we all know that the better help they get at the start of their business the more likely they are to succeed. As membership of Surrey Chambers grows we are keen to help the entrepreneurs and employers of the future.

KEEPING WHITEHALL INFORMED Through the British Chambers of Commerce we are currently undertaking the Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q2 2015. The QES is the largest and longest-running business survey in the UK and is a powerful tool for representing the voice of business to Government. At the national level, it’s a leading indicator, often picking up big changes in the economy long before other surveys or official statistics: •

•

•

The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee uses the QES as one of its key benchmarks when setting interest rates; HM Treasury and the independent Office for Budget Responsibility use the QES to put together their forecasts for the UK’s economic performance; The European Commission uses the QES to assess the health of the UK economy when it makes policy recommendations for both Westminster and Brussels.

• The key thing to be aware of locally is that the results from our businesses are always more positive than the rest of the country, so we need to keep working on ways to keep our business community productive. www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

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WIN

{ COMPETITION }

TIME TO RELAX

UNWIND AT DE VERE VENUES HORSLEY PARK WITH A MERCEDES FOR THE WEEKEND

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s we all work far too hard, we thought a competition to win a relaxing night at the magnificent De Vere Venues Horsley Park near Leatherhead, tickets to RHS Wisley and a top-flight Mercedes-Benz for the weekend would be spot-on for this exciting first issue of the Surrey edition of the magazine.

Horsley Park is part of the De Vere Venues portfolio and is located in East Horsley. Set in 70 acres of stunning parkland, with leisure facilities including health club with gym, sauna and indoor swimming pool, this grand Victorian mansion was built in 1828 and boasts an ornate classical chapel, some wonderful four-poster beds, the dramatic Great Hall, along with 47 flexible training, events and meeting rooms. Having enjoyed a sensational dinner for two in the Steam, Bake and Grill restaurant, a relaxing night’s sleep and the breakfast of your choice, we have an agreement with Mother Nature for the sun to shine all weekend to make the most of the next part of our competition, which is a visit to the glorious RHS Wisley Gardens in Woking, to wander through the twisting wisterias, tropical greenhouse and dazzling rhododendrons. Wisley is one of the great gardens of the world.

We cannot possibly expect you to use your own car; therefore, courtesy of Sandown Mercedes-Benz of Guildford and Hindhead, we will also supply the stylish new Mercedes-Benz CLS for you to drive for the weekend. The new generation CLS Coupe and CLS Shooting Brake are a glorious combination of luxury, style and exhilaration, and as we cannot possibly ask you to drive a car we have not fully tested, our Motoring Editor will review the car in next month’s motoring section, and you will certainly not be disappointed.

TO ENTER: So as to tax you as little as possible, the winner has to answer one simple question:

What do the Mercedes-Benz letters CLS stand for?

We will accept the answer in English or German.

Entries to: info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

by August 10th , 2015 with the answer and your name, address, company name if applicable and e-mail address. Details will never be passed on to any third party.

Employees of this magazine or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the competition. Closing date for entry will be August 10th , 2015. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value. The winners name will be drawn at random on August 11th 2015. The promoter will contact the winner to arrange a mutually convenient time to accept the prize. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. Prize includes a one night break for two in a Signature Double Room complete with dinner and breakfast, based on two people sharing a double room. Prize must be booked and redeemed by 30 September 2015 on dates subject to availability.

Mercedes-Benz of Guildford Moorfield Road Slyfield Industrial Estate Guildford, Surrey GU1 1RU Sales 01483 315824 Service 01483 315826 www.deverevenues.co.uk

Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead Seven Thorns Lane Bramshott Chase Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6DF Sales 01428 768652 Service 01428 768654

www.sandown-group.co.uk

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{ SECRET SURREY }

SECRET SURREY NATURE KNOWS BEST In 2007 the company was honoured to receive the Royal Warrant from

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he name Bramley might best be known for cooking apples but there is another remarkable company in the village of Bramley: organic spirits, in the shape of Juniper Green organic gin, UK5 organic vodka and Highland Harvest organic Scotch whisky.

London & Scottish International is an independent company owned by the Parker family of Edinburgh and markets its own Scotch whisky with single malt blends. London dry gin is a growth category and the Parker family is a shareholder in Thames Distillers, London’s only remaining gin distiller and bottler. Since launch in 2000 the products have won 42 medals against the world’s leading conventional brands, a tribute to their outstanding quality and consumer acceptability.

HRH The Prince of Wales. UK5 organic vodka is the first vodka ever to carry a British Royal Warrant and Juniper Green organic gin is the first gin in 60 years to be granted that status.

We caught up with Managing Director Chris Parker and asked why they specifically make organic whisky: “Our experience with distilling other grains, such as rye and wheat, produced a very smooth spirit which our customers enjoy, and we have been delighted to find this also applies to barley – the key grain in Scotch whisky. First-time customers for Highland Harvest usually ask what makes it organic. Conventional farms growing barley use nitrate-based fertilisers which produce high harvest yields with much enlarged carbohydrate content. Nitrates unfortunately kill most of the natural life in soil and the crops grow taking nutrient from the chemical fertilisers. In fact, one ton of nitrate oxide produces the equivalent of 298 tons of carbon dioxide. A small conventional farm using 12 tons of nitrate-based fertiliser will cause the equivalent of 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. “‘Nature knows best’ is our thinking. Organic soil, alive with millions of bio-organisms, insects and earthworms, grows healthy plants nurtured naturally, giving grains with a normal protein and carbohydrate balance.”

“Organic grain produces less per hectare than conventional crops, and when distilled, provides less alcohol. The great benefit is the smooth, clean alcohol which, when matured, is much enjoyed by our customers.

The benefits to the consumer are that organic products are naturally very smooth; they give 100% natural flavour and they greatly help the environment.”

This is a very convincing argument and not one that we often associate with the production of spirits. It’s easy as a consumer to ignore the thoughts of quite how many pesticides go into producing our food and drink – whether it be spirits or carrots. We have to wonder quite how many chemicals we consume on a daily basis. If organic produce can be grown

Callisto Associates www.callistoassociates.com

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{ SECRET SURREY }

“Nature knows best is our thinking. Organic soil, alive with millions of bio-organisms, insects and earthworms, grows healthy plants nurtured naturally”

so easily, why do we use pesticides at all? Chris is not lost for an answer: “Each year one or more of the 300 pesticides and hundreds of herbicides is withdrawn from sale. As science advances, so does proof of the harm done to human health.

Organic farming permits fewer than 10 of such products and most of these are from natural, non-chemical formulations and only to be used under separate supervision.” “‘We are what we eat’, goes the old saying, and alert people avoid eating chemicals wherever possible. Organically grown food is the only food produced under strict regulations and this is widely appreciated by consumers. Organic barley is used in many food products as well as in Highland Harvest organic Scotch whisky.”

We all accept that cases of cancer are on the rise across the globe and research shows that one of the suspected causes for this is chemicals in the food chain. Chlorothalonil is one of the most widely used fungicides applied to grain, and according to the US Environmental

Protection Agency, is a possible cause of cancer.

Our air is contaminated with airborne particles every time any type of chemical spray is used.

If organic produce tastes better, is better for your body and better for the environment, one has to wonder why the entire world is not organic.

London & Scottish is a company that is doing something about it; I have spoken to a few of their customers and 100% of them state that they will never return to traditional Scotch or vodka once they have tried organic as the superior taste is noticeable and there is a certain satisfaction in knowing that they are doing their bit to help the planet.

Prince Charles is certainly well-known as an advocate of organic farming, and in 2007 he honoured the company with his warrant for the supply of organic spirits. That’s not a bad client to have landed.

Winner

London & Scottish International, The Tannery, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Surrey GU5 0AB T: 01483 894650 / F: 01483 894651 / E: office@londonandscottish.co.uk 97

{ WISE WORDS }

Words

Issue 13 Wise

By Rosemary French OBE, Executive Director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative The Gatwick Diamond – at the heart of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership www.coast2capital.org.uk The Gatwick Diamond Initiative, 55c Basepoint, Metcalf Way, Crawley RH11 7XX M: 07748 115411 | T: 01293 813950 | www.gatwickdiamond.co.uk

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me I’ll start in my childhood. My sister and I attended 6 different primary schools, in two different countries in seven years. As constant outsiders we were always teased. I remember in New Zealand having to run home from school every day to avoid the verbal bullying by the local Maori children, who could be really cruel to us ‘pommies’. But there was always a welcome at home, with Mum singing the above rhyme to us. It is a brave thing for a child to walk into a new class almost every year, but with our parents’ support we grew up to be confident and not to worry about name calling. It was very handy too when I grew to be six foot tall and the teenage school boys would call me ‘giraffe’, which was hardly pleasant. But then again, my height and my confidence have meant that I have succeeded in my career as a woman, which in itself was a challenge in the last century!

Everybody Makes Mistakes and Try and Try Again I reckon that the UK has a culture of gloating when people make mistakes, especially in business.

America has been built by entrepreneurs who have made mistakes in several ventures before finding the winner and going on to make their millions. But for some reason here we vilify failure. Does this come from school, I wonder?

It was for me. I remember being belted for failing to spell ‘immediately’ correctly at seven years of

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age! - I really hope this is no longer the case.

I had a catastrophic failure in business in 1994 when my company went into liquidation.

My mistake was continuing to manufacture in the UK because I believed that the better quality would attract the higher prices. But I got that so wrong. My competitors were already outsourcing in the Far East, and my principal market, the national retail chains, wanted those same low prices on British products.

I also totally misjudged the Trade Union. I had to release employees to provide the cash flow to enable me to source overseas, but the Trade Union stood in the way and stopped any redundancies. Time was running out, and down the company went, with 58 employees losing their jobs, and I lost my home and investment.

But I relocated and found another job and started to build my career again. Within two years I was sent to New York to launch a business there for my boss. My employer was an enlightened family business who said that there is no better experience than losing your business ensure success with the next one! And he was so right. Learning by mistakes gives valuable experience.

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves I am a Scot, and this saying is ingrained in us.

We were always taught to spend our pocket money carefully and to save, and this has definitely been the way I live my life. As a result,

I am approaching retirement with a comfortable private pension, which I have saved for since I was 28 despite all the ups and downs of the stock market, and a mortgage paid off in my mid-50’s. But our cars are second hand, and our home is not furnished with expensive furniture and the most up to date electronic gadgets.

People are shocked when I say we only have one TV! It is a problem when my husband watches football, but I have my iPad to watch Downton Abbey and Strictly in comfort.

Silence is golden Again, my parents’ wise words, but did I listen?

No! As anybody who knows me can confirm, my absolutely worst vice is being unable to keep quiet. I do not mean that I am a noisy person ,although I do have a rather strident Scottish accent! It is just that I continue to ask the question in meetings that everybody wants to ask but dare not! It is often the ‘elephant in the room’ or ‘emperor’s new clothes’ question.

Sometimes I get in trouble, but just as often it turns out that the meeting actually becomes worthwhile instead of a talking shop. Even so, I really must shut up!

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