Platinum Business Magazine - issue 57

THE LARGEST CIRCULATION REGIONAL BUSINESS PUBLICATION IN THE UK

ISSUE 57. MARCH 2019

INSOLVENCIES

on the rise ... but the M&A market is booming

GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS

The ямБnalists

&

Electrifying Jaguar

HEALTH WELLBEING

Facing up to mental health at work

The Super Growers shortlist

THE BIG STORY

David Cameron HOW

GOT IT SO HORRIBLY WRONG

Celebrating Business Excellence The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards - 21st March 2019

Join us in the Millennium Suite of the Copthorne Effingham Park for a pre-dinner reception hosted by BGF, before taking your seat for a sumptuous three course dinner with wine.

Our presenter for the evening will be comedian and actor, Marcus Brigstocke. Marcus has become a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 with an impressive list of TV & film credits including ‘Have I got News for You’, ‘Live at the Apollo’, Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ and ‘Love Actually’ among many others.

This Black Tie event will see the very best of the Gatwick Diamond Business community come together to celebrate the achievements of World-Class businesses in this World-Class region.

6.30pm Evening starts with Pre-Dinner Reception Sponsored by BGF 7.15pm Take your seats for Dinner 9.30pm Marcus Brigstocke 10.00pm Presentation of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 11.00pm After-Show Party 01.00am Carriages For more information and to download the booking form, visit:

WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

@gdbizawards

S P ORT

H E A LT H & WE L L B E I NG

CONTENTS 7 14 16 22 24 26 28 30 31 32 35 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 59 62 64 66 68 71 72 76 80 83 84 88 90 92 94 96 98 101 104 106 108 111 112 114 116 118 119 121 122 123 124 126 127 128 129 130

BUSINESS SURVEY

Local and national News Esme Loans NatWest THE BIG STORY: David Cameron Corporate insolvencies Rix & Kay Making tax digital Kreston Reeves Gatsby benchmarks Carpenter Box Is the M&A boom set to continue? DMH Stallard Robot-proof your employment skills RSE Absences add up Sherrards Changing technology ExTech Cloud New business declines NatWest Gatwick Diamond Business Awards Health & Wellbeing Stats The key pillars of wellbeing ViiSana Mental health in the workplace Coast2Capital Are you sitting comfortably? Posturite

Contents

The science behind performance TWPC Advice for losing weight Revolution Sleeping on the job Sussex Super Growth Awards Whitespace fills the gap

16

DAVID CAMERON

Plumpton racecourse A day in the life... Grand Brighton The Acumen Convention Business Acumen Hotel Metropole Phileas Fogg Women in leadership SINC Let’s market your business Neil Laughton Combining sport and science Brighton College Back to Business Brighton Business School Untapped resources Green Growth SEO myths 427 Marketing TRAVEL: Shake Hands in... Kuala Lumpur Travel News Bucket List – Santorini

50 SLEEPING AT WORK

Chestnut Tree House New Homes Awards Motoring: Fiat 595 Competitione Motoring: Jaguar I-Pace Chambers of Commerce listings Start-up surgery Merranti Consulting Anger Management Institute of Directors

84

SHAKE HANDS IN KUALA LUMPUR

Sport News The Platinum Challenge Penny Farthing record attempt Profile of Jofra Archer Curry with Bobby Zamora Hurstpierpoint College news Booking your golf holiday Golf Escapes Six Nations rugby Training Loz Revolution History of Cowdray Park Motor Sport: Billy Monger Active Sussex When Business Meets Sport Emma Cleary

98

MOTORING JAGUAR I-PACE

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 owned and published by The Platinum Publishing Group.

Beyond the Boundary Club When Business Meets Sport Paul Ollerton

3

Basepoint Business Centres

OFFICE SPACE & WORKSHOPS

FREE

DOG

IENDL C E N T RE

THE PERFECT DESTINATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS

FR

Y

Included in your rent giving you FREE access to over 3000 business lounges globally!

S

LOUNGE MEMBERSHIP

Call to find out more

Flexible Workspace

Virtual Offices

Meeting Rooms

We offer a wide range of quality, flexible and costeffective managed office space & workshops. Ideal for start-ups & SMEs with rolling or fixed terms.

We can provide you with a professional business address and a space to meet with clients without the overhead cost of an office.

Book one of our fully serviced meeting rooms for the day or just an hour. Equipped with the latest technology and refreshment options.

Find out more and contact your nearest Centre today Crawley

01293 817717

Chichester

01243 884322

Haywards Heath

01444 849250

Offices | Flexi-Space | Virtual Office | Meeting Rooms

Unique workspaces for your business

Newhaven

Shoreham

01273 615250

01273 467500

basepoint.co.uk

WELCOME

Welcome L

ooking out of the window, it would appear that

lucky finalists and our Health & Wellbeing feature brings

Spring has sprung and how welcome it is too.

you everything you need to know about staying fit and healthy in the workplace.

We have been busy bees as usual this month and Ian brings you a profile of David Cameron, the man who brought you

Another major announcement is the launch of our new

Brexit, Rose has been in full flow in Kuala Lumpur with a

national magazine, Dynamic - aimed at women in business,

view of their conference and meeting facilities, with a little

written by women in business. This is timed to celebrate

side trip to the beautiful island of Santorini.

International Women’s Day and, at Platinum Towers, we decided it was time businesswomen enjoyed a dedicated

Maarten has gone all new-age and is full of praise for the

publication. Appropriately, Sussex Innovation Centre launch

new electric offering from Jaguar alongside a little pocket

their Women in Leadership report on page 68 and on page

rocket from Abarth, and Laurence has been challenged –

76, we interview the new Head of Brighton Business School,

with hilarious results!

Professor Toni Hilton.

Our sister company, Platinum Events announce the launch

Enjoy this packed issue - and the daffodils.

of the 14th year of the Brighton & Hove Business Awards alongside the latest major event for the region, the Sussex New Homes Awards to be held on October 10th. The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards announce all their

The Platinum Team

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann – Director

Lesley Alcock

Sarah Edwards

Fiona Graves

Laurence Elphick

Kate Morton

maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07966 244046

Business Development Director

Business Development – Surrey

Events Director

Head of Sport

Copy Editor

Alan Wares

Poppie Sharman

Amanda Menahem

Steve Elford

Head of Design

Events Manager

Food & Drink Editor

Head of Web Development

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07989 970804

Rose Dykins Travel Editor

5

No fuss accountancy for tech entrepreneurs and rising stars

Numbers don't have to be boring StarBox provides a full, no fuss accountancy and business advice service for: Social influencers | New media entrepreneurs | App developers | Gamers You’ve worked hard to get where you are and we want to make your finances as simple as possible. From registering you as a company to sorting your tax return, we can help.

We also offer great financial and investment advice so whether it’s chatting through the best savings options, investing in a property or booking that skim-boarding trip to Mexico, we can help you enjoy your earnings…both now and in the future!

www.starboxaccountants.com StarBox is part of MHA Carpenter Box, an award-winning independent firm of Chartered Accountants, Auditors, Tax and Wealth Advisers based in the South East.

Sussex Hip Hippodrome

T

he much-anticipated first design of the planned development of the Hippodrome Brighton has been released by HIPP Investments and LCE Architects.

The historic theatre, which has stood empty and left to ruin since 2007, was acquired by HIPP Investments a year ago after plans to convert it into a cinema fell through.

Aized Sheikh, CEO of HIPP Investments, explains: “The Hippodrome is an iconic building with an incredible past and, if left unchecked, will be lost to future generations who will never be able to appreciate its history and splendour. We hope to create a theatre that will become a cultural mainstay for the city for decades to come, in an area that is in dire need of regeneration.

“Ultimately, our vision is for the Hippodrome to be run as a non-profit entity by professionals who understand where it will sit amongst Brighton’s theatres.”

The owners are in discussion

news BUSINESS SURVEY

Wit ought to be a glorious treat like caviar; never spread it about like marmalade.

BUSINESS WISDOM

Jaffer joins awards committee

with Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival regarding the renovation, refurbishment and future management of the theatre and have appointed ARUP, a multinational engineering and design company with extensive experience in the arts and culture sector, to conduct a viability study of the theatre and its future potential.

HIPP Investments will begin the restoration of the original theatre façade and dome as soon as planning has been granted. In the first phase, a steel structure will be built to prop up the existing dome and façade to provide support to the building.

In addition to restoring and refurbishing the theatre, the development plans also include a 74-room hotel with spa as well as 26 apartments.

Television is for appearing on - not for looking at.

BUSINESS WISDOM

B

HBPA (Burgess Hill Business Parks Association) has appointed Jaffer Lokhandvala to its board of directors as well as the organising committee of the BHBiz Awards.

This year sees the second BHBiz Awards, which will take place at Brighton Amex Community Stadium on May 10th.

BHBiz Awards is an award ceremony with a difference; it isn’t just about profits and order books – but the people behind them. Across twelve categories (four new ones for 2019), judges will recognise the achievements of employees from the top to the bottom of organisations for their contribution to the workplace and their community.

Jaffer is the founder and CEO of E-mpower.IT, which has been supplying managed IT services to local SMEs for 20 years

All aboard carbon cutting

B

righton & Hove Buses and Metrobus have cut carbon emissions by 30% in three years, and nearly 70% over the past ten years.

The company has been awarded the ISO 50001, an International Standards Organisation accreditation which sets the standard of excellence for energy management.

Brighton & Hove Buses’ Manag-

ing Director Martin Harris said: “This is recognition of our drive to keep Brighton & Hove Buses at the forefront of emission reduction in our community, and represents a big step forward for the transport industry as a whole.”

The company spent £7.76 million last year on 31 almost emissions-free Euro 6 standard buses and aims to operate a zero emissions fleet by 2030.

7

Is your business Going for Growth?

We explore the growth aspirations and strategies of 500+ privately owned UK companies in our Going for Growth survey.

Download a copy of the report at www.krestonreeves.com/goingforgrowth For all your business, tax and wealth needs Call: +44 (0)330 124 1399 Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com

Sussex

news

Not enough bunce for hardware stores

B

unce’s Home Hardware has closed all seven of its Sussex stores due to ‘cash flow difficulties’.

Bunce’s Home Hardware is a Sussex institution, which began trading in 1928, and has remained a family business for 90 years.

Ian Vickers, partner at FRP Advisory LLP, said: “Bunce’s Home Hardware has been in operation for almost a century, with a stellar reputation for providing quality goods. Unfor-

People are wrong when they say opera is not what it used to be.

It is what it used to be. That is what’s wrong with it.

BUSINESS WISDOM

Defying the dragons ussex-based entrepreneur Hazel Reynolds, CEO of Gamely Games, faced down the moguls of Dragons’ Den in an episode shown just before Christmas. Hazel was asking for a £50,000 investment in exchange for a 10% stake in the business in order to take the games company into international markets.

Finance expert Jenny Campbell was so impressed by the board games and Hazel’s vision to help people spend quality time together that she offered the full £50,000, but asked for two and a half times the 10% share of equity that had been offered.

Hazel refused, and as she left the room, Peter Jones’ declared: “She’s going to live to regret that.”

The episode was actually filmed back in June 2018, and since then Gamely Games has gone from strength to strength. The company has

“We are now focused on providing support to employees and stakeholders impacted by the closures and seeking to maximise returns for creditors.”

Any suppliers or distributors with any questions have been asked to contact cp.brighton@frpadvisory.com

Bunce’s has stores in Horsham, Storrington, Littlehampton, Steyning, Lewes and two stores in Worthing.

S

tunately, the company has run into cashflow difficulties resulting in it having to close all seven stores.

recruited two staff members and they have sold more than 70,000 games so far. They are now operating in the UK, Germany and USA. Maybe it is the dragons who will live to regret their missed opportunity. https://gamelygames.com/

Sail up to the bar

F

ollowing a £100k refit, The New Port Arms (formerly Pebbles on the Port) is a re-launching as a vibrant new venue in Shoreham Harbour.

Publican Sharon Barr, who owned the Zone Bar in Kemptown, promises to bring a dash of flair to the region’s dining, drinking and live venue scene.

Head Chef, Mat Whitehouse is passionate about local food and stunning flavours. Food miles will be measured in feet not miles, with bread from Flour Pot bakery and fresh coffee from Brighton’s Black Rock coffee company.

The sea laps at the edge of the fabulous deck, adorned with reclaimed wooded furniture, and the venue aims to be virtually plastic free. The balcony runs the bar’s entire width and overlooks the boats sailing into Shoreham Harbour.

The upstairs area has a stage for live events and functions with super sea views. And anyone with a boat, can tie up at the venue’s private jetty. www.thenewportarms.co.uk

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

BUSINESS WISDOM

9

Take your business to the beach

Brighton’s best meeting rooms with packages starting from £39pp + VAT

Inspire your colleagues at British Airways i360, the most stunning venue on the south coast. Combine your meeting with a flight, with breathtaking 360-degree views of the beautiful Sussex coastline.

Quote ‘PLATINUM’ when booking and receive a FREE bottle of Nyetimber sparkling wine Contact us at BritishAirwaysi360.com/event-enquiry

national Ice Breakers

U

nilever is stockpiling Magnum ice-cream in the UK to ensure supplies do not run low before Brexit. Alan Jope, Unilever’s chief executive, said the company had taken the decision to import extra supplies of

news

the ice-cream, which is produced in mainland Europe, in case the ports grind to a halt.

The consumer goods giant owns more than 400 brands, including Persil, Cif and Cornetto, and other products are likely to be affected by the emergency measures, depending on where they are made.

ver is the latest company to reveal it is stockpiling products before the Brexit deadline. All major retailers, including Tesco and Marks & Spencer, are stockpiling packet and tinned foods, whilst drugmakers were told by the UK government last summer to stockpile six weeks’ worth of extra medicines.

If you must have motivation, think of your pay cheque on Friday

Brands produced in the UK include Ben & Jerry’s icecream and Marmite but Magnums, for example, are made in factories in Italy and Germany. Unile-

Brits abroad

A

lmost a third of UK companies could move some operations abroad because of Brexit, a survey has suggested.

The Institute of Directors surveyed 1,200 business leaders and found that 16% already had

relocation plans while a further 13% were actively considering a move. The study suggested that while more large companies had already moved operations, small firms were almost twice as likely to be actively considering the prospect.

A fashion faux pas

M

Ps have condemned a major group of UK fashion retailers for failing to ensure high environmental standards or protect its workers.

The nation’s current business model for fashion is unsustainable and called for an end to exploitative practices, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) concluded. They pointed to JD Sports, Sports Direct, TK Maxx, Amazon UK, Boohoo and Missguided as the “least engaged” companies in their assessment.

None of them had signed up to an

industry-wide action plan to cut carbon emissions, water and waste footprints.

They had also failed to switch to organic or sustainable cotton in their clothing.

Of the six, only Boohoo and Sports Direct use recycled material in their products and only TK Maxx offers an in-store takeback scheme, the EAC inquiry found.

Next, Debenhams, Arcadia Group and Asda Stores are “moderately engaged”, while Asos, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Primark and Burberry are the “most engaged”, according to the report.

The MPs called for retailers to show more leadership in a switch away from unsustainable and exploitative practices.

I love criticism just so long as it’s unqualified praise BUSINESS WISDOM

BUSINESS WISDOM

Happy hotels

I

nvestment into South East hotels reached £1.36 billion in 2018, a 39% increase on full year 2017 volumes according to international real estate advisor Savills. The market was dominated by portfolio transactions, however domestic appetite for individual hotel assets remained a key character of the region.

The South East was the most active market outside of London noted Savills, accounting for 20% of the total investment into UK hotels, behind the capital’s 39% share. Key deals in the region included Aberdeen Standard’s £40 million sale of the 297 bedroom Travelodge at Heathrow Terminal 5 to Sidra Capital, and Principal Hotels £24 million sale of the De Vere Theobalds Estate, Waltham Cross to Aprirose.

Investment into South East hotels was made up of 39 individual assets and components of 15 portfolios. In total, 70% (£957 million) of investment volumes were accounted for by hotels included in portfolio transactions; individual deals accounted for £403 million of investment.

11

Clients are our business Dedicated to your success DMH Stallard is a full service, award-winning law firm that is passionate about winning and passionate about client care. It’s not by chance that we have one of the highest levels of repeat business in the industry.

For Business

For You

We make it our business to know your business, delivering results and adding value whether you’re an established market leader or an ambitious start-up.

Working for you and with you, our exceptional personal law service will help you plan, protect and achieve the very best outcomes for you and your family.

Award-winning pragmatic advice for businesses and individuals

LONDON

GAT WICK

GUILDFORD

HORSHAM

BRIGHTON

WWW.DMHSTALLARD.COM

national Air Miles

A

news BUSINESS SURVEY

£9.96m in 2018 alongside a 117% increase in bookings during the same period. This marks another impressive year for Alternative Airlines, after an 84% uplift in revenue from £2.90m in 2016 to £5.35m in 2017.

lternative Airlines, a Gatwick-based flight search website that offers a fast, easy and convenient way to book flights to remote destinations, has released its 2018 financial results showing an 86% increase in revenue to £9.96 million.

However, perhaps what is most interesting, is that — despite being based in the UK — the majority of

Alternative Airlines’ revenue increased from £5.35m in 2017 to

Alternative Airlines’ bookings were from international customers. 2018 saw Alternative Airlines receive bookings from customers from over 160 different countries. The top five countries for Alternative Airlines were the USA (39% of customers), the UK (18%), Canada (3%), Australia (2%) and Japan (2%).

It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit BUSINESS WISDOM

Welcome home

L

ast month global online fashion retailer ASOS became the latest fashion brand to launch its first homeware collection, ASOS Supply. Joining the likes of M&S, H&M and River Island who all have an interiors arm, the extensive collection will feature affordable homeware for every room in the house with prices starting at just £10. The collection is split into three themes: Eclectic Luxe, Cool Minimal, and Global Traveller, with all prints featured in the collection created exclusively by the brand’s in-house design team.

Return of the Mac

A

fter McDonald’s lost its Big Mac trademark in the EU last month, competitor Burger King took the opportunity to

poke fun at McDonald’s loss. Under the header Not Big Mac’s, their new poster listed meal options like “Burger Big Mac Wished It Was”, “Like a Big Mac,

But Actually Big” and “Big Mac-ish But Flame-Grilled of Course”.

The stunt comes after McDonald’s lost the rights to its Big Mac trademark as part of its own lawsuit against a smaller burger company, the Irish chain Supermac’s. EU regulators found that McDonald’s had not proven genuine use of the name in the five years leading up to the case, Reuters explained.

The higher the building the lower the morals BUSINESS WISDOM

13

Going for a

bigger slice of the pie Supporting businesses in the South East

By Richard Kerton, CEO and Co-Founder of Esme Loans

Richard Kerton

I

n 2017, the South East experienced the lowest unemployment rate in the UK with 3.2%, below the national average of 4.4% (Eurostat, 2018). On the other hand, towards the end of the year, the South East experienced a dip in labour which has only recently begun to bounce back.

Brighton-based catering company, Piglet’s Pantry, is part of the back-bone of businesses that has turned this trend around. Having secured a loan for £35,000 from Esme in 2018, Piglet’s Pantry was able to chase growth and open up new revenue streams.

Piglet’s Pantry started out when Joanne Hunter was asked by someone at Brighton’s AMEX stadium if she knew anyone who makes pies, as they were struggling to find a supplier.

Having trained as a patisserie chef, Joanne jumped at the chance and created some tasting recipes. She formally applied for the contract along with hundreds of other chefs across the

14

country, and after making it to the top three, was thrilled to find out that her pitch had won.

- and they continue to be the official pie vendor to circa 30,000 fans at Brighton and Hove Albion FC.

Since then, she’s taken her business from strength-to-strength. From hand-making 2,500 pies for match day, she now has her own premises, two pastry making machines and employs 25 members of staff.

Talking about her experience of using Esme, founder Joanna said: “My

“As we have grown our suppliers have grown as well, which has been fantastic to see. I love being able to make a difference to people. We have been able to employ people and given people and other local businesses opportunities they may not have had otherwise.”

For Piglet’s Pantry, Esme’s quick and simple process has helped the company to expand from a tiny pantry in Shoreham-on-Sea to a local success story with eight concessions and counting

Joanna Hunter, founder of Piglet’s Pantry

DIGITAL LENDING financial partner suggested Esme Loans, and the process couldn’t have been simpler. From that email recommending Esme, to having the money in my bank account available, ready to spend, it was about 48 hours which is quite incredible really. Our loan has enabled us to go out and start to grow our business. We needed new equipment and resources to get to the next stage and the loan meant I could order a blast chiller as well as hire a new production manager.”

So, who are Esme Loans?

Esme Loans is the digital lending platform where SMEs can quickly obtain unsecured loans between 10k-150k, which can be borrowed for up to five years.

We saw a gap in the market for a product that was quick, easy-to-use and hassle free. Esme gives customers a fast decision on their lending application which, if successful, can see customers receive funding within just one hour. Our fastest loan from application through to drawn down currently stands at 29 minutes, something unheard of in traditional business lending.

Having successfully taken Esme from start-up to scale up, the other founders and I fully understand the pain points of running a small business, and have drawn upon our own experiences of scaling to develop a product that addresses the needs of growing businesses. Whether a company is in need of capital to meet the demands of rapidly expanding business, or they simply need a short-term loan to effectively manage cash flow, Esme’s aim is to make the process as quick and easy as possible, allowing businesses to get on with what they do best.

As a one of the fastest growing districts of the UK, the South East’s prosperity has seen it come in just behind London as the second largest regional economy. With the number of businesses per person higher than any other within the UK, Esme is here to support the region’s business growth.

The Statistics EC Europa.eu The region [South East England] experienced the lowest unemployment rate within UK, equal to 3.2% in 2017, below the national average of 4.4% (Eurostat, 2018).

The South East is a large size region and the most populous within UK with a population of almost 9.05m that accounts for 13.7% of the national total.

The region is a fast growing and very prosperous area with the second largest regional economy in the UK (after London). The regional Gross Domestic Product amounted to €354b in 2016, which represents roughly 15% of UK GDP (Eurostat, 2018).

The South East has the second highest levels of investment in R&D in the UK, with a Gross Expenditure on Research and Development (GERD) as a share of GDP equal to 2.34% in 2015 (Eurostat, 2018), far above the national average of 1.67%. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/regional-innovation-monitor/base-profile/south-east-england

FSB There were

5.6 million small businesses at the start of 2018

Summary • Compared with the previous year, the private sector business population fell by 0.5% (-27,000 businesses) whilst conversely private sector employment increased by 2% (+304,000).

• This contrast is attributable to the number of smaller non-employing businesses falling by 1% (-50,000) but the number of larger employing businesses rising by 2% (+23,000).

• The decrease in the business population is the first fall in the series, which started in 2000. However, there were still 2.2 million (+63%) more businesses than in 2000.

SMEs and the Economy: • Small businesses accounted for 99.3% of all private sector businesses at the start of 2018 and 99.9% were small or medium-sized (SMEs).

•T otal employment in SMEs was 16.3 million; 60% of all private sector employment in the UK. • The combined annual turnover of SMEs was £2.0 trillion, 52% of all private sector turnover.

• The number of businesses per person (business density) is higher in southern England than elsewhere in the UK.

https://www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre/small-business-statistics

www.esmeloans.com

15

Scuttling off so he can put his trotters up HOW DAVID CAMERON GOT IT ALL SO HORRIBLY WRONG

By Ian Trevett

I

n a time when the country has rarely felt so divided and split, it took the unlikely figure of Danny Dyer (the Albert Square landlord not the Love Island victor) to say something about Brexit that almost EVERYONE agreed with.

“Where is the geezer?” he demanded on Good Evening Britain, along with a few choice insults. “How comes he can scuttle off? He called all this on. Where is he?

He’s in Europe, in Nice, with his trotters up, yeah, where is the geezer? I think he should be held to account for it.”

Who (except for the deliberately contrary host Piers Morgan) could disagree? Leavers and Remainers can agree it is a chaotic mess, and David Cameron, the man who kicked it all off, is nowhere to be seen.

The fact that Cameron is absent is probably a blessing in disguise, as he is possibly the only man in Britain capable of making an even bigger mess of Brexit. Brexit only happened because of an incredible series of cock-ups and errors on the part of Dave.

Mistake #1 Promising a referendum for party political reasons

David Cameron has always been a committed Europhile and a supporter of the UK’s membership of the Euro-

16

pean Union, so it would seem pointless calling a referendum introducing the possibility of giving up something he wholeheartedly believed in. But the Conservative Party was facing internal disaffection during the years of the coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. Party members were getting restless with the centrist, consensual politics - and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) led by Nigel Farage was attracting disenchanted Tory loyalists.

The Europe question had plagued the Conservative party for decades. In 1993, the Conservative PM John Major famously called a trio of his Eurosceptics ministers ‘bastards’ (widely thought to be Michael Howard, Peter Lilley and Michael Portillo).

The Conservative leaders who followed Major were all Eurosceptics: William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard). None came even close to defeating Tony Blair in a General Election (Duncan Smith wasn’t even given the opportunity and was dumped as his own party was convinced he had no chance).

The Conservatives desperately needed young blood and an injection of dynamism. So when the charismatic Cameron (Europhile) faced David Davis (Euro-

sceptic) in the 2005 leadership contest, Cameron easily won the support of the party. The party craved an energetic candidate to take on the all-powerful Tony Blair. Cameron declared he would “give this country a modern, compassionate Conservatism that is right for our times and right for our country.” The Europe question was on the back-burner - but it hadn’t gone away.

Labour’s long run in power came to an end in 2010, when Gordon Brown lost Labour’s Parliamentary majority, and Cameron negotiated a coalition with Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats.

It was inevitable that the Conservative right wing would rail against such a liaison, but the dissenting voices did not make an immediate impact. It might have to be a watered-down Conservative Government, but most Tories were just grateful that the 13 years in the wilderness were finally over.

The main opposition came from outside the party, where Farage’s skill at self-promotion and the ability to present himself a ‘man of the people’ was starting to make inroads. He described Cameron as “a socialist” whose priorities were “gay marriage, foreign aid, and wind farms”. Cameron countered with the assertion that UKIP was full of “fruitcakes, loonies, and closet racists.”

BUSINESS THE BIGSURVEY STORY

17

Michael Howard, Michael Portillo and Peter Lilley - the euro-sceptic ‘bastards’ in John Major’s cabinet?

As the coalition government settled in, the voices from the right became more strident. But did Cameron really need to appease them with a promise of a referendum? In the 2010 General Election, UKIP hadn’t won a single seat and received just 3.1% of the total votes. It was true that UKIP made big advances over the following years and won 27% of the popular vote (the highest of all parties) in the 2014 European Parliament election, but the turnout was paltry. As stunning a victory as it seemed, the turn-out of 35.6% suggested the voters were apathetic about the whole Euro election.

On the recent BBC2 fly-on-the-wall documentary Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil, The EU Council president Donald Tusk reveals that Cameron told him there would never be a referendum, as his coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, would never allow it. Did Cameron promise a referendum, assuming that such an occurrence would never

“The greatest blunder ever made by a British prime minister”.

Mistake #2 Alienating his Euro allies

Having won the election, Cameron had to fulfil two promises. He pledged to go to the EU to renegotiate a new deal and then he would put it to the vote. The first task was an abject failure.

He came back from Europe virtually empty-handed having wildly over-estimated the appetite in Europe to change the rules.

“When presented with a

choice between Remain

or Leave, it is easy to read

Cameron maybe looked at a historical episode to justify his optimism. Dr Andrew Glencross, Senior Lecturer in International Politics at the University of Stirling, wrote: “In 1975, Harold Wilson won the referendum on remaining in the European Economic Community (EEC) on the back of a successful, if largely cosmetic, renegotiation. Prior to what the then Labour government called “Britain’s New Deal in Europe” opinion polls indicated there was in fact a majority to leave the EEC. The winning message in 1975 emphasised the advantages Wilson had succeeded in obtaining.

this as Remain or Change”

Europe generated argument and fury within the Conservative party, but the wider population was generally uninterested.

Polls before the 2015 election showed that only 3% of those surveyed chose Europe as the most pressing issue.

No matter, two years before in January 2013, Cameron pledged to hold a referendum during the early part of the next parliament IF the Conservatives won the next general election in 2015.

But did he believe this would happen?

When Cameron made this pledge a Conservative victory was by no means a shoe-in. In fact, an outright majority seemed virtually out of reach. A YouGov poll for the Sun at the time showed voting intentions as CON 33%, LAB 42%, LDEM 10%, UKIP 7%.

18

actually happen? Pledging the referendum united the party, and it seems that may have been the sole motivation.

The best Cameron hoped for was another Tory-Lib coalition, with the probable result of a Clegg veto on the referendum. The polls confirmed such a conclusion. Labour stayed ahead in the polls until the day of the vote, when the poll-of-polls showed the parties neck-and-neck. The polls were wrong.

To everyone’s surprise Cameron won hands down gaining an overall majority of 12 seats. The referendum was on.

Donald Tusk’s verdict is telling: “The real victim of David Cameron’s success is David Cameron.”

Or in Michael Portillo’s words, it was:

“The auspicious feature of a renegotiation this time round is that polls showed a clear preference among voters to stay in a reformed EU. All Cameron seemingly had to do was talk tough with EU leaders and come out with a piece of paper to wave to a thankful

THE BIG STORY electorate. However, neither the reality nor the symbolism of the Prime Minister’s eventual deal did him any favours.”

Glencross reported that Cameron’s agreement “codified the UK’s special status as never before, which from an EU perspective was quite an achievement.” But, “ultimately, Cameron blundered by promising so much and delivering little when it came to the UK’s position within the EU. The renegotiation played into the Leave camp’s hand by confirming the weakness of the government’s position over immigration within the EU.”

In any case, Merkel was in no mood to offer favours to Cameron.

Kirkup recalls, “This story starts in 2005, when David Cameron stood for the Tory leadership. As a moderate, he was keen to woo the Right, especially on Europe. So he promised to pull the Tory MEPs out of the European People’s Party grouping in the European Parliament. He made the promise despite knowing that Merkel was con-

was daunted. Throughout his time as PM, he consistently overestimated his ability to win and retain support from Merkel, only to discover that she was not as committed to his cause as he had hoped.”

Cameron believed Merkel would be his firm ally in a campaign to keep the UK in Europe, yet he alienated her and had no understanding of where her priorities lay. It was a diplomatic cock-up of the highest degree.

“Cameron alienated Angela Merkel and had no understanding of where her priorities lay”

Why did Cameron fail to secure a referendum-winning deal? According to many commentators he placed far too much reliance on German pragmatism, where the needs of the German car exporters would hold sway.

The Spectator’s James Kirkup, asserted that this was a big mistake:

“Angela Merkel is central to the superstitious beliefs of some Brexiteers about how Germany and the EU operates, a view that suggests German carmarkers run Germany’s European policy and that Merkel would, in the final analysis, do anything to strike a deal allowing them to sell cars to the UK freely.

cerned about the prospect of an institutional split between the Conservatives and her Christian Democrats. She even said so publicly.

“In 2009, the Tories duly left the EPP, severing an alliance which – though they did not value it – mattered quite a lot to the most influential leader in Europe. For some in Europe, that decision was proof that Cameron was a man to put party management ahead of statecraft. And leaders with such a reputation do not, as a whole, do well in European negotiations, especially with Merkel. Not that Cameron

Mistake #3 Leading the Remain campaign

Having set up an unnecessary referendum and failed to secure a new deal, he made his final fatal mistake – he over-estimated his own popularity.

In all elections there are votes that can be won – and ones that are virtually impossible to secure. Those that had held long-term political positions against Europe were never going to be swayed.

Cosmopolitan London was always going to look to Europe. The Scots would rather have more power in Brussels than London. Northern Ireland and Gibraltar feared closed borders.

What of the provinces; the smaller cities, the towns and the villages? Much

“‘Post Brexit a UK-German deal would include free access for their cars and industrial goods, in exchange for a deal on everything else,’ David Davis wrote a couple of months before becoming Britain’s main Brexit negotiator.

“In October 2016, Merkel clearly and publicly explained why this magical thinking cut no ice with her: preserving the EU project matters more to her and Germany than accommodating the parochial interests of either the UK government or the Conservative Party.

“For Merkel, a pick-and-choose approach to Europe was never an option.

Cake was never on her menu, either before or after our referendum.”

19

20

THE BIG STORY

of the Home Counties were evenly split, with counties such as Surrey just leaning to Remain with tiny margins.

Leave edged Sussex with just 50.23% of the vote.

It was in the north, the midlands, the south west and Wales where Leave had the big majorities. And the areas with the biggest margins had one thing in common, much of the population felt they were in areas that had been left behind. These were the areas with less employment opportunities, more people living in relative poverty and had suffered more from cuts to benefits and services.

by the Conservative-led coalition government starting 2010 was sizeable: aggregate real government spending on welfare and social protection decreased by around 16% per capita. At district-level, spending per person fell

The campaign was led by the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and Nick Clegg (the man who back-tracked on tuition fees). Why would a voter in Stoke or Sunderland fall behind three wealthy establishment figures from Westminster, who had done so little to invest in their home towns and taken so many of their vital services away?

“The leaders of the Remain campaign sabotaged their own campaign just by being there”

And who did people blame? David Cameron and George “We’re all in this together” Osborne – the architects of austerity. Thiemo Fetzer, Associate Professor in Economics at University of Warwick, believes that austerity was a major driver of leave votes, enough to win the referendum. He writes: “The austerity-induced withdrawal of the welfare state since 2010 is a key driver to understand how pressures to hold an EU referendum built up and why the Leave side won.

“The fiscal contraction brought about

by 23.4% in real terms between 2010 and 2015, with the sharpest cuts in the poorest areas… Support for UKIP started to grow in areas with significant exposure to specific benefit cuts.

“Support for UKIP only started picking up significantly in areas and among individuals directly affected by welfare reforms once these cuts came into effect.”

The human cost of welfare cuts cannot be under-estimated and when presented with a choice between Remain or Leave, it is easy to read this as Remain or Change. If you are struggling to make ends meet, why would you choose to stay the same?

In effect the leaders of the Remain campaign sabotaged their own campaign just by being there.

The irony, of course, is that by giving the Westminster elite a bloody nose, the people in the north have helped concentrate even more power in Westminster.

Had the campaign to Remain been led by someone who was respected in the Labour heartlands, the result would surely have been very different.

David Cameron says he has no regrets about calling the referendum. No-one believes him of course. We may find out what he really thinks when he releases his memoirs this autumn. Who buys it is another matter.

21

Corporate insolvencies at their highest level since 2014 The number of businesses entering insolvency is dramatically on the rise.

What does this mean for the UK economy and what action should be taken?

On January 29th the government’s Insolvency Service published its Q4 results for 2018. The statistic making all the headlines saw corporate insolvencies at the highest level since 2014. Richard Ludlow, Partner at Rix & Kay who leads the firm’s Restructuring and Insolvency Team, considers some of the reasons behind the new figures and what early warning signs businesses should look out for.

Richard Ludlow

What do the figures say?

The bottom line is that the number of businesses in the UK entering insolvency is on the rise, with the number of companies getting into financial difficulty steadily increasing for the fourth consecutive year. In 2015, around 15,000 UK businesses entered insolvency and that has now peaked with the Insolvency Service registering 17,439 companies in 2018.

Whilst the figures paint a picture of more woe for UK commerce, they are still significantly below the 24,000 recorded insolvencies registered in 2009, at the height of the recession.

However, today’s figures still account for one business in every 249 active companies in the UK going into liquidation.

22

Richard Ludlow observes: “You don’t need to be a leading economist to know that more companies failing cannot be a good thing and everyone is acutely aware of the uncertain times facing UK businesses right now, which can’t be helping either in promoting confidence. However, when you consider that current interest rates make borrowing money more attractive and the current boom in UK employment figures, you might expect businesses to fair a little better, despite all the political and economic uncertainty.

who want to try and turn their business around.”

Are companies simply feeling the squeeze?

It doesn’t appear to be a simple case of stormy economic waters. Whilst things aren’t exactly plain sailing, and no one it seems can predict the next instalment of the Brexit debacle, the current business challenges are nothing like what they were during the height of the recession. The problem of uncertainty caused by Brexit is, however, having a significant knockon effect for business owners up and down the country.

“It is important though to look at a couple of other factors. First of all, there have been a number of bulk insolvencies that have seen large “In 2015, around 15,000 UK businesses numbers of inentered insolvency and that has now ter- connected companies getpeaked with the Insolvency Service ting into difficulregistering 17,439 companies in 2018” ties. But perhaps more interesting is that business owners appear to be Richard comments: “One of the biggest becoming more reluctant, or are perthreats to a business’ financial health is haps leaving it too late, to try and save what is happening higher up the supply their business. chain. So many great UK businesses are, in a way, over dependent on supThis is evidenced by the significant plier and customer contracts with large decline in the number of companies multinationals. So when one of the big entering a Company Voluntary Arboys gets into trouble you will often rangement (CVA) or going into adsee shockwaves effecting swathes of ministration – the two main rescue smaller businesses that are reliant on a options available to business owners few key trading relationships.

LEGAL “We’ve seen this happen a number of times in 2018 and there have been plenty of high profile stories in the news. The collapse of Carillion will still be keeping many people awake at night because the stark reality of such an industry giant failing is probably still causing ripple effects today. In fact, the construction sector was the most prolific for insolvency in 2018 with almost 3,000 firm’s facing closure.”

Survival of the fittest?

For most UK businesses, long term fi nancial success is delivered through robust planning, strong leadership and of course a clear understanding of the markets they operate in. There will always be challenges that are hard to predict and for some, just plain and simple bad luck that result in financial difficulties, but there are early warning signs that can help avoid the worst case scenario.

Richard continues: “It’s absolutely critical that companies understand their supply chain and if cash flow issues become apparent within that chain then action is taken.

“If the worse does happen, then the key advice is to seek professional support as soon as possible, not only to try and save the company from potential insolvency but also to ensure that business owners comply with their duties as a director to the company and its creditors. It’s amazing how many people in this situation leave it too late when quite often, early action means the company can be saved and new opportunities can be born.”

Richard has a huge amount of experience in dealing with directors and companies that are struggling financially through no fault of the decisions which they have made but simply because of unfavourable market conditions. For more information email richardludlow@rixandkay.co.uk

23

Making tax digital:

Are you ready?

The deadline for the government’s Making Tax Digital initiative is approaching.

Emma Chesson, Head of Online Services at Kreston Reeves, guides us through the fundamental preparations businesses will need to take

F

rom April many VAT registered businesses with turnover exceeding the £85,000 threshold will be required to file VAT returns digitally. Under Making Tax Digital (MTD) businesses will be required to use software to keep accounting records and file VAT returns to meet the new requirements.

What is MTD trying to achieve?

For businesses that fall into MTD, the current HMRC portal which many use to currently file their VAT figures will no longer exist. Instead there needs to be a digital link straight from the accounting software to HMRC to file the VAT return.

Digitalisation of tax authorities is already happening in Spain, Portugal, Hungry and Poland with many other countries set to follow suit.

MTD is part of the government’s wider plan to embrace the benefits of the digital age. It comes as part of their push for greater transparency in the tax system through improvements in the efficiency of tax collection and detecting tax evasion.

Spain and Poland have seen particular success with the transition with near live reporting. This certainly gives an idea of where the UK are heading.

MTD for VAT is the starting point with other taxes likely to follow suit.

Key facts on MTD

• MTD is applicable from the first VAT period starting on or after April 1st 2019.

“Digitalisation of tax authorities is already happening in Spain, Portugal, Hungry and Poland with many other countries set to follow suit”

24

FINANCE • These businesses will remain in the MTD regime even if their turnover subsequently falls below the VAT threshold.

• If you are under the threshold you can opt in to MTD voluntarily, although once you are in you cannot come out of the regime unless you deregister for VAT. • For those under the threshold that do not opt in to MTD they can continue to file VAT returns through the HMRC portal.

• Manual record keeping is not compliant.

• If you are near the threshold you need to keep an eye on your turnover, if you trip the limit you will fall into the regime.

• The VAT return itself is not changing, the frequency of submission and payment dates will remain the same.

• Eligibility criteria for special VAT schemes will not change.

• The same concessions that are currently available will remain, although you must apply for any exemption from HMRC for example on grounds of religion, disability, age or remoteness of location.

For businesses keeping their records in spreadsheet format these will not, on their own, be compliant. If you plan to continue with using these you would need to use third party ‘bridging’ software which enables the flow of data to and from HMRC.

MTD deferral for some businesses

There is a six-month deferral for a small proportion of businesses, such as those who are in a VAT group, unincorporated charities and annual accounting scheme users.

How can you prepare for MTD?

If you are already using accounting software make sure you are on the latest version and that it is MTD compli-

“For businesses that fall into MTD, the current HMRC portal which many use to currently file their VAT figures will no longer exist” ant. There is a list of providers that are compliant which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/software-for-sending-income-tax-updates If you are not using any software speak with your accountant as soon as possible to look at your options.

The timing of MTD is far from perfect with businesses contending with the implications of Brexit. There has been much debate recently as to whether MTD should be delayed. To be clear though, although the government has stated that it will keep VAT procedures as close to the current position as possible if we leave the EU on March 29th this year without a deal, it has made no indication that MTD will be delayed… deal or no deal!

should get help now in reviewing this as there is not long to go!

Although accounting software is a means to become MTD compliant the benefits go much further and is a tool not to be ignored or underestimated.

We are encouraging our clients to see a move to accounting software as a benefit to their business. There is huge potential for automating transactions and providing real time information, meaning they can become smarter in how they spend their time.

Emma Chesson is Head of Online Services at Kreston Reeves.

She can be contacted at emma.chesson@krestonreeves.com T: 0330 124 1399 www.krestonreeves.com

The message for businesses now is that MTD is not going away. Unless you are certain that your internal systems are already MTD compliant, you

25

The Great Gatsby Chris Coopey, Partner and Head of Manufacturing at MHA Carpenter Box, looks at the engineering skills shortage, and whether the new Gatsby Benchmarks will help with career guidance

The Manufacturing team at accountancy association MHA release a quarterly series called The Engine; these provide a national outlook on the issues facing the manufacturing market.

A particular concern is how few female students enter the engineering profession, which means that both they and the engineering sector miss out.

Chris Coopey

I

f you’re expecting to read an exposition on F Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel, you may be disappointed.

The context here is around the Gatsby Benchmarks which may prove to be the turning point in careers guidance at our schools that many employers have long hoped for.

At the top of concerns for almost every engineering and manufacturing business is the difficulty they face in recruiting the skilled people they need to grow and prosper. Business owners and business managers have for decades been saying that they either can’t find people with the right skills, or they can’t even find the young people to train in those skills. The result? Great careers go begging and business growth (and even business survival) is called into question.

Part of that skills shortage can be attributed to the scarceness of good careers advice available in secondary schools.

To say the problem runs across the board would be unfair, but up until recently, provision has been patchy, with no central resource to drive consistency or raise standards. The lack of a connection between subject choice as a means to following a career needs much more work, particularly if we are to address the gender imbalance.

26

The Gatsby Benchmarks

In December 2017, the Department for Education released a new career guidance strategy which puts the Gatsby Career Benchmarks front and centre.

5. Encounters with employers and employees 6. Experiences of workplaces 7. Encounters with further and higher education school 8. Personal guidance

“Every is now required to begin using the Gatsby benchmarks”

The eight Gatsby benchmarks for good career guidance are: 1. A stable careers programme 2.

Learning from career and labour market information 3. Addressing the needs of each pupil 4. Linking curriculum learning to careers

Every school is now required to begin using the Gatsby benchmarks. In fact, since September 2018, schools have been required by law to publish details of their careers’ programmes, as well as having a named ‘careers leader’ to oversee the process.

By the end of 2020, schools will be required to offer each pupil at least seven ‘meaningful encounters’ with employers during their school career and must meet all eight benchmarks.

There are some great local initiatives

FINANCE going on – Stem Sussex being one of them (see www.stemsussex.co.uk for details of events and opportunities).

Another organisation offering taster courses of up to a week is the Smallpeice Trust (www.smallpeicetrust.org. uk) who run a ‘Dare to Imagine’ programme - well worth investigating for Year 8 to Year 12 students.

What employers should do

For industry, the priority has to be around connecting with schools, Sixth Forms and Further Education Colleges to influence the careers debate, help teachers and to understand the opportunities that exist for their students.

Some teachers have no experience outside of the classroom, so reaching out, offering visits or having the opportunity to put a stand up at a careers fair can go a long way. The schools will be striving to meet their Gatsby obligations, so hopefully the process of engagement will be a lot simpler than it has been up to now.

By engaging, we can help our schools to link their curriculums to careers before GCSE choices are made, which should help to improve the available talent feeding through to the work place with the kind of educational attainment the industry needs.

For more information on careers guidance and the Gatsby system visit www.careersandenterprise.co.uk

Great news on Capital Allowances I

n the Autumn 2018 Budget, the Chancellor announced a raft of measures affecting the computation of capital allowances for business. By and large, the policies were designed to stimulate business investment in the economy by providing an increased incentive for businesses to invest in capital assets.

Capital allowances provide tax relief across a wide range of capital expenditure. Despite the relief being very valuable, many businesses are missing out by failing to identify and maximise claims to which they are entitled.

Relief for the capital expenditure is given as a deduction against the business’ profits. The rate of the tax relief depends on the nature of the asset purchased, the type of business activity being carried on, and when the expenditure is incurred.

The rate of tax relief can be as much as 100%, effectively providing a full write-off of the cost against taxable profits in the year of purchase.

Annual Investment Allowance

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) is the most versatile and generous capital allowance, providing 100% tax relief in the year of purchase. It is available on qualifying expenditure incurred on both new plant and machinery, and fixtures within buildings, but specifically excludes cars. The AIA was set at £200,000, but increased to £1m from January 1st 2019. Where a chargeable accounting period straddles the increase in the AIA, the total amount available will be time apportioned, but with relief restricted depending on the timing of the additions. This is important for tax planning purposes.

The new Structures and Buildings Allowance (SBA)

Capital allowances have generally not been available for expenditure on most structures and buildings.

The SBA is a new allowance for expenditure on new non-residential structures and buildings where the contracts for the construction works are entered into on or after October 29th 2018.

The relief will be at 2% on a flat rate basis, essentially spreading the cost of construction over 50 years. It will be available from when the structure or building is brought into use for the first time for a qualifying activity.

Structures and buildings include offices, retail and wholesale premises, walls, bridges, tunnels, factories and warehouses. Capital expenditure on renovations or conversions of existing commercial structures or buildings will also qualify.

Seek professional advice

Capital allowances are a complex area of tax law where it is easy to miss out on available reliefs because professional advice was not sought at an early enough stage.

When investing in assets such as real estate, fixtures or plant and machinery we can add significant value by considering your tax position alongside driving your business forward.

Get in touch with Andrew Neuman on 01293 227670 to find out more.

For more information on our services, visit www.carpenterbox.com

27

2018 M&A market

Is it set to continue?

DMH Stallard’s regional corporate team had its busiest year so far in 2018; how does that activity and experience feed through to predictions for the year ahead? Jonathan Grant, Head of Corporate, takes a look

W

e might have had our concerns at the start of 2018, but regional mergers and acquisitions accelerated rapidly.

A potential end to entrepreneurs’ relief driving activity

Towards the end of the year I heard more talk of a fear that a future Labour Government would end entrepreneurs’ relief, a relief that provides a generous £10m lifetime CGT relief (down to 10%) on sales of trading businesses. That fear certainly encouraged more businesses to go to market, and is likely to have a continuing impact in 2019. The Brexit effect if anything seemed to increase deal volumes, with European

and overseas buyers identifying quality targets in the UK. We also saw an increase in MBO’s, in many cases as a succession or retirement plan. Some cases undoubtedly reflected the tax fears mentioned already, but others reflected the relative availability of asset and debt finance and the relative strength and confi dence of the businesses.

Strategic acquisition

With 14 acquisitions amongst the 30 published deals we completed in 2018, it’s clear that well managed regional businesses are continuing to grow through strategic acquisitions; organic growth remains a challenge

“The Brexit effect if anything seemed to increase deal volumes, with European and overseas buyers identifying quality targets in the UK”

28

for many, so acquisition is a good option for cash rich businesses or those with a strong balance sheet/banking relationship.

Diligence remains key and the pressure applied by buyers at the risk assessment stage of deals is increasing, which is why planning is critical in order to achieve the headline deal price and avoid an unnecessary drain on management and professional time; buyers may be willing to pay a good price, but they will not take on risk at

LEGAL

boom

the same time. Unless or until the market heats up further, in most cases a preferred buyer (with signed off heads of terms) is in a strong position.

We saw two deals at the end of the year set up by sellers as a competitive bid process supported with Vendor diligence reports. This process sets a timetable leading to best and final bids and applies pressure to buyers not only to bid more, but to complete quickly.

There is a risk for sellers (because up front spend increases), but if the competition is high it is a good strategy.

Introducing DMH Stallard’s regional corporate team Jonathan Grant

Jonathan Grant heads the firm’s Corporate team across Sussex, Surrey and London. He has a reputation for running successful M&A transactions including management buyouts, management buy-ins and sales. He has been shortlisted several times as Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the South East Insider Dealmaker Awards, winning in 2018 and 2015. He is well respected by both clients and colleagues alike who value his commercial and pragmatic approach.

T. 01293 558506 E: jonathan.grant@dmhstallard.com

Abigail Owen

Abigail Owen is a leading corporate lawyer in the region. She has a reputation as a deal-maker who forges strong commercial alliances to drive deals that add value to her clients. She has been shortlisted for Corporate Lawyer of the Year at the South East Insider Dealmaker Awards several times. Abigail led on the deal which won Deal of the Year (sub-ÂŁ10 million) in 2018.

T. 01293 558573 E: abigail.owen@dmhstallard.com

Looking forward, I expect the pace and volume to continue through 2019 assuming no major economic slow down!

Danos Athanasi

Danos Athanasi is an experienced corporate lawyer in Sussex, offering a cross-border transactional and investment practice, with significant expertise advising on corporate finance strategy as well as brokering a wide range of transactions across a broad range of industries. He is increasingly involved in offering strategic advice and in pulling together the resources required to make deals happen .T: 01293 558532 E: danos.athanasi@dmhstallard.com

Kate Norgett

Kate has worked in our Guildford office for three years and brings city experience (Clifford Chance and CMS). She specialises in M&A, private equity and joint venture transactions and corporate re-organisations.

She has an established reputation for developing long-term relationships, and particularly for working with owner-managed businesses.

T: 01483 467428 E: kate.norgett@dmhstallard.com

29

RECRUITMENT

Robot proof your employment skills Look anywhere and you will see that the age of AI (artificial intelligence) is upon us - in 10 years from now, actually in five years, a lot of the jobs now will become obsolete, yet the soft skills or social skills will be the ones that can’t be emulated in AI.

A

s a recruiter, I’ve been banging on about this for ages to anyone that will listen. If you are in education and in my company, I will talk to you about what our children need to be taught to survive the future. In fact not just our children but job seekers of any age!

In the world of work where a job isn’t for life anymore, where you may have more than four careers in a lifetime, and that some jobs may run concurrently as the future of work, you have to consider life-long learning, and by that I mean you need to be upskilling yourself all the time.

30

These are the skills I’m looking for: social skills - the ability to communicate with me and others at all levels - empathy, resilience (call it mental toughness if you like), and kindness which is ideally on top of qualifications. If you haven’t got qualifications at least have the social and soft skills and I’ll be able to help you get a job.

By Mandy Brook, RSE Group’s Managing Director right ‘can do’ attitude and most employers agree that these skills far outweigh qualifications.

We offer an employability test online that shows you your strengths and weaknesses in terms of problem solving, creativity, altruism, emotional intelligence, assertiveness, conscientiousness, continuous improvement, continuous professional development, team working and organisation.

It shows your abilities, your motivations and drivers, your skills in dealing with people, and your skills in dealing with problems - it’s a great measure to show an employer, especially if you lack qualifications or to add to your existing great qualifications.

“Look anywhere and you will see that the age of AI (artificial intelligence) is upon us”

Give me a candidate that can smile as they walk into the room, shake my hand firmly whilst looking at me (this does not mean staring me out, just keep eye contact and be able to hold a personable conversation), the ability to be a team player, to make people feel at ease in your presence, keenness to learn new skills, add all that with the

To find out more please email mandy@rsegroup.agency or call me on 01424 830000.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Absences add up Managing absenteeism in the workplace by Rachel Nicholas, Solicitor at Sherrards Employment Law Recurrent poor attendance can often be a symptom of a hidden, underlying problem. Examples include family issues, workplace bullying or stress. If you have concerns about an employee’s health or the duration of their sickness, it may also be appropriate to refer the employee to occupational health.

Rachel Nicholas

‘N

ational Sickie Day’ on February 4th has just passed and serves as a reminder to employers on how best to tackle employee absence management issues.

Absence in the workplace can be costly to an organisation; according to government backed research, ill health costs the UK around £60 billion per annum. Not only does it impact financially but it can also have a negative effect on organisational culture, leading to staff disengagement and low morale.

Shockingly, a recent study revealed that 27% of employees regularly ‘hide’ in the toilets at work to pass the time, collectively earning over £1.3 billion on average per year as they do so!

Of course, some absences are unavoidable due to illness or injury, however it is important to identify hidden causes at the outset which may not be readily apparent.

By identifying underlying issues early you are more likely to be able to work in partnership with your employee to tackle the problem and be better placed to decide the most appropriate actions to take. Demonstrating a caring, flexible but firm approach is likely to result in a more engaged, motivated and loyal workforce – so hopefully you won’t be one of those employers who are paying people to hide in the toilets!

Strategies and tips on improving attendance in the workplace: • Set out expectations with a well communicated, clear Attendance and Sickness Absence policy and implement it consistently. This should set out the appropriate procedures for employees to follow if they are late or absent.

• Train managers in handling difficult conversations, and provide them with a clear support structure so they know who to turn to and how to deal with absenteeism appropriately.

Managers should be approachable so that employees feel comfortable talking to them about concerns. It is

important not to make any judgements on whether the absence is ‘genuine’ or not until all the facts are known.

• Monitor trends and reasons for absence. Collecting data on the patterns of employee absence is essential to determining whether absenteeism is a problem in your workplace.

• Conduct return-to-work interviews. Research indicates that they are regarded as one of the most effective tools for managing short-term absenteeism.

• In appropriate cases, on medical grounds or to accommodate a better work life balance, consider offering flexible options such as working from home or flexitime. Allowing employees more control over their schedules can drastically reduce absenteeism.

• Consider implementing ‘Duvet Days’.

These allow staff to take a maximum number of days each year at short notice and can help combat absenteeism and improve morale.

• Ensure all employees know what support is available to them (for example employee assistance programmes or occupational health) and how to access it.

With the right measures and controls, absenteeism can be successfully managed.

Sherrards is running a popular half day in-house training course on how best to manage staff attendance, including advice on implementing effective management systems and handling difficult conversations. For more information, contact the team on 01273 834120 or visit www.sherrardslaw.com

31

Technology has seen the most fundamental paradigm shift in a decade, and it’s time we acknowledged the benefits By the time you’ve finished reading this article, there’s been change.

T

here has been a fundamental paradigm shift in technology, and few get it.

The technology industry is vastly different to any other industry, because it operates at lightning speed with continuous change, improvement and adaptation.

No longer are we in the age of buy and forget. We are in the age of real-time updates and consumption-based information technology.

The reason for this is partly due to the rise of agile project management, and it’s creating a void between how firms think about technology, and what technology actually is.

As with any other type of tech then, the paradigm shift is clear, and consumers of technology must change their assumptions if they wish to succeed.

begin to get frustrated that you’ve just made a reasonable CAPEX investment and now there’s something better out.

Again, the point has been missed.

Technology is not a one-off cost every few years, it’s a continuous improvement cycle. We’ve moved from CAPEX to OPEX. From lump-sums to subscription.

There’s a better way.

The frustration we hear from the market is that firms are put off from investing because in a few years’ time everything’s going to change anyway.

They’ve missed the point. It’s going to

That way is to invest in the process.

Get in sync with technology companies and accept that change is constant.

Change is every single day. And it may be hard to grasp, but that doesn’t make it any less true. This will happen regardless of how we feel.

The technology game is fluid and agile, and we must have systems, processes and suppliers which match.

Otherwise we’re putting round pegs into square holes – which is why IT doesn’t work as it should for many firms.

“Technology is not a one-off cost every few years, it’s a continuous improvement cycle”

Imagine the differences between the following services: building a house and Google’s search engine algorithms. When building a house, an architect draws up the plans to which a construction firm follows and within a year or so, the project is completed to the spec of the original document. You wouldn’t want to make many changes to the design if you can avoid it.

In contrast, Google changes its algorithms between 500 and 600 times a year. That means, every single day there is change. It is constant.

That’s not to say you can’t plan for a search engine optimisation strategy, but it’s very different to building a house.

32

change every day, and it’s supposed to.

Tech firms work using an agile project management philosophy, which dictates that projects must respond quickly to change and delivering software frequently and rapidly.

So, if your software providers are working on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis but your firm is working on a multi-year basis, then there is going to be a huge discrepancy.

You will be playing catch up consistently and will likely

It takes a coordinated collaboration from a network of individuals to understand the complexity of change within any given area of technology. For example, Extech Cloud are Microsoft evangelists, and even during our projects new features are deployed, some

BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY SURVEY CASE STUDY: Third-Party Logistics Organisation

E

xtech Cloud have been working with an international logistics firm for the previous ten years and have supported their transition from a young company to a highly successful 200-staff organisation. When they first approached Extech Cloud, the flexibility of the IT was limited and there was no design for expanding the IT infrastructure in order to support the rapidly growing business.

The strategic IT plan for the busi-

ness also rested on the shoulders of a single individual within the IT department. Since the appointment of Extech Cloud over a decade ago, the support has been provided to enable their IT department to focus on other high-value-adding tasks while helping the firm’s technology become a driver for growth and efficiency.

Recently, Extech Cloud recommended a hybrid Office 365 implementation to extend their infrastructure into the cloud to support a modern work-

place, and long-term goal to modernise the infrastructure to mitigate long-term investment in physical infrastructure. This approach led to the ability to support the rapid expansion of the business over multiple sites.

The Client Services and IT Director said “Extech Cloud are a passionate and professional partner, the support they have provided to us over the past decade has been invaluable and allowed us to focus all of our attention on providing great service to our clients”.

of which can be game changers. Without an appreciation for the paradigm shift, and understand a firm’s total ecosystem, companies are making errors in their approach to deploying tech. We must take a convergent view, not an isolated view. How is everything going to interact?

The alternative is a more fluid, agile system which is constantly adapting to the company and the environment. For example, rather than paying over the odds for servers or using local clouds, Microsoft Azure flexes to the capacity demands of your business and security threats – in real-time.

Not every few years. Real-time. As you’re reading this article. There’s a different way.

With Extech Cloud, you’re on a journey. If you’re interested in a better way, then let us know. www.extechcloud.com hello@extech.co.uk

33

UNVEILED EST 1864

www.grandbrighton.co.uk

TheGrandHotelBrighton

@GrandBrighton

@thegrandbrighton

d

t

bal

BUSINESS SURVEY

New business declines South East figures show first drop in two-and-a-half years adjusted index that measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – decreased to 50.6 in January, from 51.9 in December. The latest figure signalled only a fractional increase in combined manufacturing and services output, and the weakest rate of growth in the current 30-month sequence of expansion.

The South East posted a broadly similar rate of growth to the UK as a whole (50.3) in January, and also the neighbouring South West (50.4). It compared favourably with London, where a decline was registered (48.0), and no growth in the East of England (50.0).

Stuart Johnstone - MD, Corporate and Commercial Banking, London & South East

P

rivate sector output in the South East barely rose at the start of 2019, according to the January NatWest PMI® data. The rate of expansion was the slowest since activity started rising again following a brief shock after the EU referendum in mid-2016. Moreover, the volume of incoming new business declined for the first time over this period. As a result, the level of outstanding work fell for the fourth month running, and firms cut jobs. The 12-month outlook remained subdued, linked to Brexit uncertainty.

The headline NatWest South East Business Activity Index – a seasonally

Demand

The near-stalling of output at the start of the year reflected a drop in new business. Excluding the temporary shock to demand in July 2016 following the EU referendum, the rate of decline in the opening month of 2019 was the sharpest since November 2011. Weaker demand was attributed both to Brexit uncertainty and a slowing global economy.

Backlogs fell for the fourth successive month, and at the second-fastest rate since January 2012. With a lack of pressure on capacity, firms cut employment at one of the fastest rates since early-2010.

Prices

Average input prices increased at the slowest rate in eight months in January. That said, the rate of inflation remained strong in the context of historic survey data, and the South East registered an increase that was above the UK average.

With input prices continuing to rise at a historically marked rate, charges rose solidly in January. The rate of output price inflation was the joint-strongest in seven months and above the longrun average.

Outlook

Business expectations picked up slightly in January but remained subdued, as many firms reported that returning confidence and demand rested on the outcome of Brexit negotiations.

Capacity

Overall growth of output was supported by firms making further inroads into their outstanding business in January.

Methodology The NatWest South East PMI® is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to South East companies that participate in IHS Markit’s UK manufacturing and services PMI surveys.

New Business Index sa, >50 = growth since previous month

70 60 50 40 30 '97

'99

'01

'03

'05

'07

'09

'11

'13

'15

'17

'19

35

THE 2019 GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS So, who are the best businesses in the Gatwick Diamond Region?

You’ll need to wait until March 21st to find out but the finalists in each of the categories for the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2019 were announced on February 14th, at a celebration breakfast of the judges and sponsors, hosted by the awards venue partner Copthorne Hotel London Gatwick.

The Gatwick Diamond is home to a vast range of businesses, spanning all sectors of the economy, from household names to niche companies, and from multinationals to sole traders.

The Business Award winners are those businesses or people who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work and have demonstrated a real commitment to this world-class region.

The winners will be presented their awards by the well-known comedian, Marcus Brigstocke, at the eleventh Gatwick Diamond Business Awards Dinner, on March 21st at the Effingham Park Hotel. The Headline Sponsors are Gatwick Airport, NatWest, Thakeham Homes and Extech Cloud.

The evening will start with a pre-dinner reception sponsored by BGF (Business Growth Fund), and will be rounded off with the highly anticipated After-Show Party.

36

The finalists in each category are: Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored by University of Sussex Business School The winner of this award will be the entrant that can demonstrate how their management, staff, suppliers and clients embrace and engage in a Responsible Business strategy which benefits and enhances the wider community.

• British Airways i360 • Green Mop Ltd • LoveLocalJobs.com

International Business of the Year – sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative This award will go to the organisation that best demonstrates an international growth strategy that has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit and market share improvement.

• Acro Aircraft Seating • Aspen Pumps Group • CAE Training & Services UK Ltd

The Award for Customer Delight – sponsored by DMH Stallard The winner must demonstrate experience of consistently exceeding customer expectations in order to deliver world-

class customer service and delight.

• Creative Process Digital • Gemini Print Group • Zara’s Doggy Day Care

The Award for the Place to Meet – sponsored by CEC Direct Ltd The winner will have clearly demonstrated they understand the essence of a top meeting place for business and the needs of those who use it.

Above all the venue and the service should contribute to the success of customers’ meetings.

• Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club • Sodexo Prestige – Amex Stadium • Surrey Conference Centre – Hartsfield Manor

Employer of the Year – sponsored by Search Consultancy The winner of this award will be able to demonstrate that they ensure their employees are at the heart of their business, involving them in all aspects to improve performance.

• Bio-Productions Ltd • Cleankill Pest Control • Kingston Smith LLP

THE FINALISTS ARE ANNOUNCED The Award for Developing People for Business Success – sponsored by Crawley College The winner of this award will have shown that they have a firm commitment to developing their people. They will have systematic and effective processes for identifying their workforce development needs and link these to their business objectives.

• Cloud9 Insight • JACE Training • Metricell Ltd

The Award for Supply Chain Excellence – sponsored by University of Brighton The winner of this award will demonstrate the establishment and development of the very best relationships between supplier and client.

• Acro Aircraft Seating • Gemini Print Group • WS Planning & Architecture

The Award for Innovation & Technology – sponsored by asb Law LLP The winner of this award will need to demonstrate how technology and innovation has led to an improvement or efficiency in their business, whether in just a part of a larger and established company or as part of their overall growth strategy.

• Aspen Pumps Group • Metricell Ltd • PVL UK Ltd

Manufacturing Business of the Year – sponsored by Kreston Reeves The winner of this award will demonstrate how they confront many challenges, but continue to remain competitive, sustainable and future-focused.

• Bio-Productions Ltd • Gemini Print Group • Pentagon Plastics Group

Professional Services Firm of the Year – sponsored by Crawley Borough Council The winner of this award will have consistently delivered exceptional service to their clients, demonstrating innovation and outstanding expert knowledge in their field, whilst continuing to exhibit excellence in conforming to relevant rules and regulations.

• Buss Murton Law LLP • MCA Consulting Engineers • Menzies

Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council The winner of this award will have shown outstanding progress and commitment to their own personal development, and their progression on a recognised learning scheme.

• Cameron Heath – SOS Systems Ltd • Sinead Lawson – Assurity Consulting • Emily Wise – Cloud9 Insight

New Business of the Year – sponsored by Basepoint Business Centres The winner of this award will have demonstrated their determination, drive and passion to start and grow a successful business during tough financial times, demonstrating their vision to succeed and overcome hurdles.

• Ethos Farm Ltd • Optime Group Ltd • Strawberry.London

Business Person of the Year – sponsored by KPMG Celebrating Business The winner of this categoryExcellence will show Join us they as we recognise passion and talent of our business community that have atheclear vision/strategy for their organisation and are commitThe Gatwick Diamond Business Awards celebrate people and businesses who have shown innovation and inspiration ted toandgrowing their Gatwick Diamond in their work, have demonstrated a real commitment to the region. The Awards have become one of the most prestigious business occasions – celebrating the best of the best across the Gatwick Diamond. based business.

For more information and to download an entry form, visit:

•WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM Paul Bates – Cleankill Pest Control • Nick Broom – PVL UK Ltd • Gary Peters – LoveLocalJobs.com

Business of the Year (Up to £1m) – sponsored by SHW The winner of this category will demonstrate an exceptional track-record of achievement. We are looking for high performing and innovative small businesses that do the right thing for their clients, people and the Gatwick Diamond Community.

• MAS Group • ViiSana Ltd • WS Planning & Architecture

Business of the Year (Over £1m) – sponsored by NatWest The winner of this category will demonstrate an exceptional track-record of achievement. We are looking for high performing and innovative organisations that do the right thing for their clients, people and the Gatwick Diamond Community.

• Assurity Consulting • Caridon Property • PVL UK Ltd

Find out what is happening by visiting www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com or follow @gdbizawards on Twitter for real-time updates on the night.

37

@gdbizawards

CORPORATE

Health

&WELLBEING It has long been recognised that a healthy workforce has a dramatic effect on productivity, leads to less absent days, increased motivation, company loyalty and overall economic prosperity.

Throughout 2019, this magazine will partner with a selection of major companies in the sector to offer advice on how to deal with the growing crisis of avoidable employee absent days. We intend to lead the way on this subject to aid in the economic prosperity of our region.

38

HEALTH & WELLBEING

71%

of employees still consider mental health to be a taboo subject in the workplace – so much so that 45% of people will make up an alternative reason for work absence rather than report a mental health issue to their employer

More than a quarter of working millennials say financial stress affects their job performance, making them feel physically ill and depressed

Your mental health is more important than the test, the interview, the lunch date, the meeting and the family dinner HealthyPlace.com

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Henry Ford

Steve Jobs

Research surveying more than 5,000 employees and more than 1,000 employers has found that the vast majority of UK employees are troubled by money

94%

are suffering from money worries

77%

say that money impacts them at work and 40% of employees worry about their finances always and often

Close Brothers’ inaugural Financial Wellbeing Index

3m

UK employees work more than 48 hours a week, a rise of a quarter of a million since 2001 The Office of National Statistics

39

The key pillars of

By Paul Ollerton, Managing Director at ViiSana Ltd

This month’s article aims to simplify the options available and offers sensible suggestions as to what key pillars to include in your programme.

Old vs New

Paul Ollerton

Too much choice?

In today’s market, there is an amazing and diverse array of options now available to businesses across the spectrum of wellbeing. The downside is that it can be somewhat daunting for a business of any size to give the appropriate focus to the necessary areas in order to provide employees with a balanced and comprehensive wellbeing package.

The obvious starting point is to follow the more traditional advice given by the NHS. It’s based on well-proven research, covering the key areas of health including nutrition and activity. But, by definition, it can be accused of carrying the stigma of being uninspiring, hard to engage with and perhaps a little ‘safe’. Whilst I am in no way criticising the content of the guidelines given, my challenge is that with so many options available, companies are now able to offer more engaging, accessible pro-

grammes that have the potential to create a sustained difference.

If playing it safe is not enough, the key to success lays in building a programme that introduces new ideas alongside the more traditional in a compelling way that appeals to all.

“Active individuals are 25% + less likely to suffer a stroke”

So where do you start?

With so many ideas available, it’s important to choose the most appropriate solution for your business and culture. My honest advice is to start by asking your employees what they want – a simple survey will highlight areas they feel are important.

It’s also key to take a genuine interest in what’s out there – the health and

The recommended areas to include Whilst there is no text book answer of what elements to include, I would recommend focussing on the following areas if your programme is to be a success:

Nutrition

We literally are what we eat. Encouraging your employees to eat a healthy balanced diet makes a huge difference. Conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes see a massive reduction of more than 25% in those who eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Don’t forget, your employees eat one or two of their daily meals at work - time to ditch the chocolate bars in the vending machine?

40

Smoking cessation

Activity

The more we move, the bigger the benefit. Strategies to keep your people away from a sedentary lifestyle at work (and at home) are easy to implement and sustain. The benefits are hard to argue with – the risk of colon cancer is 30% lower in the most active people when compared to the least fit. Active individuals are 25%+ less likely to suffer a stroke, and type 2 diabetes is almost a third lower.

Whilst the number of smokers is reducing, 15% of the UK population continue to light up, and at least five million people die prematurely from tobacco use each year (30% of all cancer related deaths are directly linked to smoking).

Government estimations suggest this is still rising and could be as high as 10 million in the next 10 years. The workplace is an obvious place for smokers to get the information, support and encouragement to quit.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

wellness wellbeing section in this publication is a great place to start, showcasing some of the wide range of solutions available locally.

Try following the industry leaders – there are now many companies like Nomura International, Siemens Rail, and others who are publicly applauded for the progress they have made.

derstanding of what employee health and wellbeing means and establish a common set of standards that can be applied to all industries. It also offers a broad and in-depth assessment of the health and wellbeing programmes being offered by employers.

direction quickly add up to creating a long-term culture of wellness.

If you are interested in reading the reports, please get in touch – we hold digital copies of the reports and would be happy to share.

In the meantime, if you would like to discuss your company’s individual health concerns/challenges, or if you would just like to discuss ideas for implementing a programme at your business, please get in touch: Email: gethealthy@viisana.com Phone: 0333 772 0761 Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

“60% of UK employees have experienced mental health issues”

There are also some very useful studies now available, notably the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace. This series of studies, launched by Vitality in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, is now in its 4th year. The survey uses a broad set of questions covering lifestyle, clinical and mental health, work engagement and productivity, and aims to study the link between modifiable health risks and short-term productivity, to develop a common un-

Small steps

Once a programme outline is in place, its ultimate success will rely on how it is implemented and managed. Our advice at ViiSana is really simple – don’t force change. We firmly believe that the most important outcome is creating sustained positive changes to habits – because these small steps in the right

Next month, we will be focusing on how to go about implementing a successful wellness programme across your business. We will explore the place of technology in this journey, and the importance of communicating and embedding the initiatives you want to roll out.

Mental health

Creating a community

We often overlook how important the sense of community created at work is on our workforce. A recent Harvard Business Review estimated that loneliness can translate to a reduced lifespan equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and more than one-third of employees surveyed by TotalJobs said they don’t have any meaningful or strong working relationships. With many of us spending over half of our lives at work, smarter employers are facilitating initiatives to bring their people together.

Whilst it can be argued that mental health issues are the by-product of the environment we create (and therefore not a ‘pillar’ of wellbeing), it is essential that an active policy is in place that gives guidance on how to deal with issues when they happen. 60% of UK employees have experienced mental health issues, but three out of four wouldn’t tell anyone at work. As employers, we have a choice with the type of environment we create and encourage.

Financial wellbeing

Poor money management is certainly having an effect on us – and a significant knock-on effect to the productivity of the workplace. A recent report suggests that one in twenty workers (6%) has missed work in the last year due to money worries.

Providing a financial safety net, through insurance or just by making good quality financial advice available from a trusted expert is inexpensive to implement and has a very positive impact.

41

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE:

The elephant in the room In preparation for a year of change at Coast to Capital, Katie Nurcombe, Head of Communications & Corporate Affairs, is championing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace Coast to Capital is thinking differently and encouraging open discussion in the workplace as well as supporting team members to recognise the early warning signs of mental health issues Why should I care about mental health wellbeing in the workplace?

What does your role as mental health champion at Coast to Capital involve?

My two day Mental Health First Aid course now qualifies me to respond confidently to help someone that is experiencing a crisis in the workplace, but I am not a mental health expert by any means. This vital part of our overall health is broad, complex and very personal to the individual. Experts in the field have extensive training, qualifications and experience to provide the best possible support to people that are struggling. Expectations on my competence in this area are high but I am very happy to be a mental health champion for Coast to Capital and be on-hand to help if someone experiences a mental health crisis at work.

42

In recent years there has been stronger awareness of mental health issues at work but there has also been an increase in negative attitudes and stigma. A 2018 report by The Shaw Trust shows that half of the employers surveyed viewed employing people with mental health conditions as a ‘significant risk’ to their business. More employers are implementing formal mental health policies however a large proportion of these are in place to avoid legal action, rather than to protect and promote the wellbeing of their workforce. Businesses are starting to realise this is an important issue, however few people feel confident or comfortable discussing this openly. This needs to change.

Why do you think this is such a taboo topic to discuss?

Mental ill health is often not taken seriously and people that are suffering are

HEALTH & WELLBEING often told to “cheer up” or “get on with it”. In fact, these are serious physical conditions which many people suffer in silence with. In the modern workplace, there is a focus on productivity and pressure to perform in a dynamic, public facing manner. Many people are afraid that colleagues won’t take them seriously if they know of any mental ill health. In addition, many line managers don’t know how to raise potential issues in an appropriate way.

What warning signs should I look out for and how can I best support colleagues?

As a line manager, you spend the majority of your time interacting with your team and will know them better than anyone. Awareness of early signs of mental ill health and providing appropriate support can play a critical role in keeping your employees healthy.

Early warning signs can manifest themselves in a range of ways. Drastic changes in characteristics such as erratic behaviour, arguments with colleagues or unplanned absences are

Mental health in the workplace is often a taboo subject, however, 1 in 4 adults experience common mental ill health, such as anxiety or depression and 1 in 5 adults have considered taking their own life at some point.

Aside from the personal tragedies, this has a cost to UK employers of around £70 billion each year easier to spot but some subtle signs are more difficult to identify such as working too many hours, being louder than usual or being withdrawn.

If an employee is experiencing mental ill health, ideally they need to come to you to raise this. Regular informal chats may provide neutral opportunities to talk, however if you notice an ongoing issue you may need to find a way to approach it. You will need to think carefully about where and when a conversation takes place and it is important to be empathetic, positive and supportive. It is also important to re-

member that not everybody will want to discuss this in the workplace.

MHFA England have a line managers guide resource on their website mhfaengland.org which gives full details on recognising the early signs of mental ill health in employees and how to approach a conversation.

How can I start a conversation about mental health in the workplace?

We are working hard to create a positive and encouraging working environment which supports physical and mental wellbeing to help colleagues to be flexible, adaptable and robust in the face of change. Our weekly team meeting is an opportunity for our team to talk openly about wellbeing and identify any stress points to see which members of the team are feeling more pressured than others.

I strongly recommend that at least one member of your organisation is nominated as a Mental Health First Aider and goes on the MHFA England course, this will equip you with the skills to tackle mental health and wellbeing head on.

“Time for Change” offer resources and ideas for activities in the office. Coast to Capital recently ran a Time to Talk day where a senior colleague gave a talk on nutrition and team members were encourages to openly discuss mental health issues over a walk in the park. More information can be found at time-to-change.org.uk

43

When you sit on a work chair, the angle between your thighs and back should be around 95 to 120 degrees

Are you sitting comfortably?

Posturite’s Lead Consultant, chartered physiotherapist and ergonomist, Katharine Metters, offers advice on choosing an office chair that works for you

C

• Correspond with your work area, especially the height of the table or desk, and the layout of the equipment on it.

A good work chair should: • Support you when working or taking short breaks from work.

The longer you’re using a chair, the more important it is that you get this decision right, cutting corners on something you may use all day is not a wise decision.

hoosing a chair is a personal thing. We all like different styles and colours - and we all have different body shapes - but there are some basic principles that can guide you to a good choice.

• Allow you to move freely and allow you to work comfortably and efficiently.

• Accommodate and support your body shape and anyone else who will use it regularly.

44

Chair buying checklist When buying a chair, check the following factors: Seat height – Can you easily adjust the height so you are sitting with your

arms at a right-angle to your work surface? If your feet don’t rest flat on the floor, use a footrest.

When you’re working at a desk or table which can’t be adjusted in height, adjust your chair according to the height of your desk, adjusting the chair until your elbows are just above the top so your forearms are parallel to the floor and your wrists are in a neutral position.

Seat width and depth – Can you fit two to four fingers between the back of your knee and the chair seat? If the space is too tight you’ll impede the

HEALTH & WELLBEING Balance head

No support for curve of lumbar spine

Maintain contact between your back and the seat back

Excessive strain on lumbar discs

Keep lumbar spine supported

Don’t reach for mouse and keyboard

Relax arms at right angle to desk

Leave gap between backs of knees and seat

Position hips slightly above kness

Don’t perch on front of seat Seat pan too far forward

Keep feet flat on floor

Need footrest

blood supply to your legs and feet.

When sitting at the correct height you should have a slight downward slope on your thighs with your hips slightly higher than your knees.

It is not advisable to sit with your knees higher than your hips.

Seat material – Does the chair have enough padding to be comfortable?

Having a fabric that breathes is preferable to a harder surface. Some chairs

then it may take a few days to get used to the feel of it.

You can book a workstation assessment with one of our trained assessors to help you find better positions to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and ensure you’re getting the most out of your chair. If you’re buying chairs for multiple people, please contact our projects team by visiting posturite.co.uk/projects.

“Investing in a new chair is an important decision… this is the tool you’ll be using on a daily basis”

Back support – Does the backrest fit the contours of your spine? And do you feel well supported?

Consider a chair with an inbuilt inflatable lumbar cushion so you can find the perfect amount of support for you.

Back support in a chair is very important. The lumbar spine area (lower part of your back) should have a slight inward curve. Sitting for long periods without support for this curve tends to put pressure on the structures in the lower spine, causing short term discomfort and longer term pain.

Backrest tilt – Is there a function that allows you to tilt the backrest to suit your needs? Tilting the backrest allows you to adopt different postures e.g. upright, or semi-reclined. When you sit on a work chair, the angle between your thighs and back should be around 95 to 120 degrees. Keeping this angle or increasing it lets you breathe well and helps to maintain a good spinal position.

Armrests – If you have armrests, do they allow your arms to rest comfortably with your shoulders relaxed? It’s also important that they do not get in the way of your work and hinder your position.

with mesh do not provide adequate support. As the mesh ages it can lose its tension, and if you’re in an area with draughts you might find yourself feeling chilly in a chair with a mesh back.

Movement – Some chairs feature a movement mechanism allowing the chair to move with your body to stimulate blood flow and oxygen. Chairs that provide movement should work relative to your weight to provide suitable support so they should have either a way of adjusting the tension or have an auto weight adjustment. When these chairs are correctly adjusted whether you’re upright or leaning back, you should be able to maintain a good posture without having to exert excessive force or feel that you are being push forwards.

Investing in a new chair is an important decision. This is the tool you’ll be using on a daily basis. If it’s not comfortable, chances are it’s going to cause you problems that affect your health and productivity. It’s helpful if you can trial the chair and return if it’s not suitable. Be aware that if your new chair puts you in different position

About Posturite Posturite is the largest independent ergonomics company in the UK. Ergonomic products are designed to work with your body to help you carry out tasks as comfortably and safely as possible.

But providing ergonomic products is just the start of what the company does.

Over the last 27 years of business, they’ve branched out into DSE, health and safety, staff training, office refurbishment, assistive tech and more.

All the products and services Posturite offers are designed to improve the health of businesses by protecting the health, safety and wellbeing of the people who work for them.

Find out more at posturite.co.uk/oploft

45

HEALTH & WELLBEING

The science behind performance The Wellbeing and Performance Company explores ways that HR can incorporate neuroscience to boost performance through wellbeing

D

oes your HR analytic data flag up issues around: • Presenteeism • Poor productivity • Reduced attendance • Retention of staff • Rates of non-compliance/accidents It is proven that putting employee wellbeing at the heart of everything is the solution. Yet leadership is under pressure to deliver more with less whilst boosting performance to achieve targets, this driver in itself creates a battle between wellbeing and performance.

Less than 10% of employees feel comfortable talking about depression, or their inability to cope with unacceptable work pressures. No wonder performance is down (Bowcott, 2017).

According to the 2017 Thriving at Work report (Department of Works and Pensions, 2017), there is a strong link between mental health (wellbeing) and productivity. If people can’t connect and openly discuss their emotions, presenteeism will continue to rise.

Presenteeism, or going to work whilst ill, so not engaged in the task at hand, currently costs more than £4000 per employee annually according to research by Nottingham Business School (Whysall, Bowden and Hewitt, 2018). Many line managers and HR directors are simply not well-equipped enough to recognise new issues and stressors that have arisen due to changing work environments.

In this digital age, workplaces are radically changing. Communication between employees is no longer face to face but online, which is improving workplace efficiencies but creating

46

stress in our employees. Parts of our brains are still wired to prehistoric times, yet evolution has yet to catch up! We are feeling the emotions triggered by the uncertainty of change and mis-experiencing them as mortal danger. Stress responses are creating overwhelm, and the neurochemical affect is effecting all our abilities, cognitive and mechanical processes.

What can we do to help our teams?

Providing an understanding of the science behind wellbeing, and offering neuroscience-based coaching and training approaches, we now know, is at the heart of all positive people development as well as effective leadership and management. Neuroscience-based coaching skills are emerging as essential business skills for an organisation to compete in the market with a robust and adaptable workforce. You just need to understand the brain science and how to apply it specifically to your people strategy.

HR team members regularly encounter difficulties managing and responding to poor performance, as well as the challenge of one to one meetings. Neu-

roscience techniques can be deployed to turn around performance, attitude and outcomes for individuals and their line managers. Neuroscience makes real culture change not only possible, but it enables it to happen fast.

Enabling your employee value proposition with neuroscience-based wellbeing programs could be the solution.

Wellbeing and mental resilience applications and assessments such as those uniquely utilised by The Wellbeing and Performance Company have been developed to provide greater insight into organisational wellbeing using independently verified, efficacious and research based tools, to establish greater levels of mental resilience and wellbeing across your organisation.

If you’d like to know more, please contact Rain Hitchman one of our Directors and our Wellbeing Lead on tellusmore@twpc.co.uk or call us on 01424 236900.

Brighton HarSPA IS LOCATED WITHIN BRIGHTON HARBOUR HOTEL ON BRIGHTON’S POPULAR SEAFRONT, PROVIDING A RELAXING RETREAT IN THE HEART OF THIS LIVELY CITY. THE SPA BOASTS A HYDROTHERAPY POOL, AN INDOOR 11 METRE HEATED SWIMMING POOL, SCANDINAVIAN HOT TUBS, SAUNA, STEAM ROOM AND URBAN GYM We offer an extensive range of luxurious spa treatments along with everyday beauty needs, including facials, manicures, pedicures and massages.

Start 2019 in style with our ‘Make more time offer’. We might not be able to freeze time, but we can help you make more time to relax and revive.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE VISIT: www.harbourhotels.co.uk/hotels/brighton 64 Kings Rd, Brighton 01273 323221

BOOK A TREATMENT, MONDAY TO THURSDAY, AND WE’LL ADD AN EXTRA 15 MINUTES FOR FREE. THAT’S 15 MINUTES MORE OF ‘ME TIME’ Book a 25 minute treatment and get 40 minutes Book a 40 minute treatment and get 55 minutes Book a 55 minute treatment and get 70 minutes

Exclusive for Platinum Business Magazine readers – quote ‘Platinum Business’ and enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles on us

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Advice for losing weight Written by Rebecca Maslin, Senior personal trainer at Revolution Personal Training Studios

1

Start introducing more protein into your diet Protein is the building block of muscle.

The leaner you are with metabolically active tissue (muscle) the more efficient your body is at burning fat.

2

Step away from low fat products I’m a big fan of eating foods in their most natural form, and almost all lowfat products have been stripped of their goodness and replaced with sugar and/or sweeteners.

Because these foods aren’t very satisfying, you will end up consuming more later in the day to feel satiated and nourished.

3

Bulk out your foods with low calorie, nutritionally dense vegetables You can eat more and lose weight if you are being smart with your food choices and become aware of the nutritional value and content of certain foods.

4

Choose better carbohydrate sources Your body needs carbohydrates to function optimally, so removing them from your diet is a complete no-go and totally unsustainable.

Try eating carbohydrate foods that come from nature such as sweet potatoes, white potatoes, fruit, oats, vegetables, rice and grains.

5

You have to exercise portion control You can eat as much healthy food as you want, but if you’re eating too much, you still won’t lose weight.

6

Reduce your alcohol intake Alcohol is empty calories (void of nutrients so doesn’t benefit the body)

48

and also high in calories, having more calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein. It also lowers your inhibitions and you are less likely to make the right food choices whilst drinking.

And of course, alcohol is responsible for the dreaded hangover and the last thing we want with a hangover is a chicken salad! You don’t have to give it up completely, but you do have to monitor it.

7

Eat when (actually) hungry Listen to your body because it’s communicating with us all the time.

Whilst I always give my clients guidelines, ultimately, I advise them to do what feels right for them. However, if you are trying to lose weight, then at some point on your journey you are going to have to experience a little hunger.

8

Prioritise sleep A lack of sleep throws off your hunger signals and therefore someone in a sleep deficit will want to eat more, especially with cumulative nights with-

out sleep. A good night’s sleep will result in balanced hormones, managed hunger levels, reduced stress and better recovery from exercise.

9

…And of course, EXERCISE! I could sing about the benefits of physical activity until I’m blue in the face but moving your body will help you burn off excess energy and help you get into that calorie deficit that you need.

Whilst diet is responsible for losing weight, it’s exercise that’s responsible for shaping and toning the body.

If you want to feel and LOOK fit and healthy, then working out has to be part of your lifestyle.

With studios in Brighton & Hove, and now open in Withdean for more details, visit www.Revolution-PTS.com

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Sleeping on the job There’s a proven link between lack of sleep and negative emotion, but is catching 40 winks whilst at work a proven solution to improve mood, concentration and attention?

R

esearch via the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggests that lack of sleep can have a negative impact on emotion, and could be costing the UK £40bn a year.

Brother UK, manufacturer of home and office supplies and solutions have investigated eight weird and wonderful sleeping customs from around the world - could these be adapted to your business?

China – Bring your bedroom to work

In factories and offices across China, the lines between bedroom and workspace are becoming increasingly blurred. Due to longer working hours, many employers now advocate a short nap after lunchtime to increase concentration. Certain offices have even installed temporary or permanent sleeping and washing facilities in their office spaces to encourage employees to stay round the clock.

Japan - Inemuri

Taking a nap at work could well be perceived as a sign of laziness or a poor attitude, but not in Japan. The hectic lifestyle of Japan’s city dwellers has led to the widescale uptake of “inemuri”, or “sleeping whilst present”.

Thanks to inemuri, Japanese workers can nap on public transport, at their desk or even during meetings – and it’s commonly seen as a sign of hard work.

in 2016 limiting how late employees can work, and effectively reducing the time they have to squeeze in an afternoon nap.

Italy – Riposo

Where the Spanish have a siesta, the Italians have “riposo”. Commonly taking place after lunch, riposo can last

Celsius. Don’t worry – they haven’t been abandoned; sleeping outdoors in the daytime is actually believed to be very good for their health. Could local office workers take some inspiration to increase their productivity?

19.indd

age_Feb20

1 s_P d ines m Bus atinur.ind 56 cove PBMt_Pl Hurs

1

Indonesia – Fear sleep

Stresses of work getting you down?

The ominously named ‘fear sleep’ might be the solution.

Locally referred to as “todoet poeles” – the practice of fear sleep enables people to nod off instantly to avoid feelings of excessive anxiety and stress.

Nodding off when your boss walks in might not be the best solution, but regular naps could well help avoid work-related worry.

“Research via the National Sleep Foundation suggests that lack of sleep can have a negative impact on emotion”

Spain – Siesta

Originating in Spain and parts of Latin America, the siesta is perhaps one of the most well-known daytime snoozing traditions across the globe. This practice might be under threat, however, with new business laws introduced

50

anywhere from 2-4 hours. Frustratingly for tourists, this means that many attractions are closed throughout the day. Unfortunately, the non-stop pace of modern industry means that fewer and fewer office workers are able to benefit from a midday snooze.

Norway – Napping outside

Take a stroll through Oslo, Helsinki or another Nordic town, and you might well see some infants taking a nap in temperatures as low as -5 degrees

USA - Silicon Valley sleepers

Though it’s not a national custom just yet, sleeping on the job is widely being embraced by some of the USA’s biggest employers. Technology and software companies are leading the napping revolution, with firms like Google going so far as to have purpose-built sleeping pods installed in their offices to help employees rest and refresh.

IN 2019

THE PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP GI N RE IORE ION ATAT ULUL CIRC T RC T CI ESES RGRG E LA E LA THTH

. .

E UK E UK THTH N IN IOIN ION ICAT ICAT BLBL PUPU SSSS SINE SINE BUBU ALAL GION ON

E MAGAZIN

IS SU E 56

. FE BR UA

RY 20 19

2019 FEBRUARY ISSUE 56

PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE

&

HEALTH ING E WELLB ViiSana

SUSSEX SUPER GROWTH AWARDS

g Changin d rl o W the

Introducing the new Health & Wellbeing section

ING MOTOR W REVIE

Audi Q8

CAGNE g

Crossine the Lin

COMING SOON: THE LUXURY ISSUE STORY THE BIG

Tackling e Employer Turnove

yson?

JamNeDsOND AIN ING BRIT ABA

9 19 10:0

23/01/20

9 19 15:1

08/01/20

SURREY BUSINESS MAGAZINE Launching a new Surrey office WE ARE GOING MONTHLY FROM MARCH 2019!

To get involved contact: Sussex - lesley@platinumpublishing.co.uk Surrey - sarah@platinumpublishing.co.uk Events - maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk

PLATINUM EVENT MANAGEMENT SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS

SURREY BUSINESS AWARDS

IN 2019:

BRIGHTON & HOVE BUSINESS AWARDS

LEWES DISTRICT BUSINESS AWARDS

BRIGHTON TOURISM AWARDS SUSSEX NEW HOMES AWARDS AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

The most dynamic companies in Sussex revealed Congratulations to this year’s finalists who represent the fastest-growing privately-owned companies in Sussex

Sussex Super Growth Awards Finalists 2019

S

listed in alphabetical order

ussex-based businesses are significant contributors to the national economy and the Sussex Super Growth Awards 2019 return for a fifth year to recognise their success.

•A World of Buzz Ltd (World of Books)

• I ndustrial Construction (Sussex) Ltd

• A.T.B. Sales Ltd

• Jarretts Motors Ltd

• Acora Ltd

• JT Holdings Ltd

• Adelphi (Tubes) Ltd

• Kew (Electrical Distributors) Ltd

• Aerco (Holdings) Ltd

• Landmark Space Ltd

Sponsored by asb law, Lloyds Bank and Kreston Reeves, with Platinum Publishing Group as media partner, the Sussex Super Growth Awards celebrate the fastest-growing privately-owned companies across the region.

• Ampito Group LLP

• M. G. Duff International Ltd

• Arden Grange Holdings Ltd

• Medical Express (U.K.) Ltd

• Birchwood Motor Group Ltd

• Neville & More Ltd

• Buxted Construction Ltd

• NT Holdings Ltd

• Chandlers Building Supplies Ltd

• Onwatchmultifire Ltd

• Compass Supply Solutions Ltd

• Paine Manwaring Ltd

This year’s finalists represent a diverse range of sectors, including construction, manufacturing, retail, motor trade, IT and aviation. It’s an exciting time for these companies who will shortly find out where their profitable business growth ranks within this prestigious peer group.

• Coppard Plant Hire Ltd

• Parafix Holdings Ltd

• Cordek Ltd

• Park Cameras Ltd

• Cox Management Services Ltd

• Pet Family Ltd

• Dinnages Garages Ltd

• Phase Electrical Distributors Ltd

• DNP Restaurants Ltd

• PSI - Pay Ltd

• Drusillas Zoo Park Ltd

• Quadrant Group Ltd

•E ast Sussex Press Ltd (Pureprint Group)

• Rotronic Instruments (UK) Ltd

• Ferrabyrne Ltd

• Saywell International Ltd

Inclusion in the Sussex Super Growth Awards is a real testament to success.

Whether that is down to innovation, market improvement, acquisition or diversification, these finalists should be proud to be part of such a fantastic gathering of businesses.

The Sussex Super Growth Awards 2019 will be presented at the Amex Stadium in Brighton on Thursday 14th March, hosted by highly-regarded local business leader, Jeremy Taylor.

52

•F irst Central Insurance Management Ltd • Focus 4 U Ltd (Focus Group) • Frontier-Pitts Ltd • Gardner & Scardifield Ltd • Great Water Properties Ltd • H Ripley & Co. Ltd • Harwoods Ltd • Hill Brothers (Chichester) Ltd • Historic Sussex Hotels Ltd

• Rydon Holdings Ltd • Speed Group (Holdings) Ltd • St. Leonards Motors Ltd •S ussex Turnery & Moulding Company Ltd (Stamco) • The Lodge Group Ltd • Tomsetts Distribution Ltd • Vindex Systems Ltd • Whiteline Manufacturing Ltd • Wisdom Properties Ltd • Worthing Homes Ltd

SUPER GROWTH AWARDS Construction and manufacturing sectors deliver strong growth

Russell Bell, Senior Consultant at asb law, said: “Sussex Super Growth is now in its fifth year and we continue to uncover some great businesses enjoying continued success across a range of sectors. It’s great to be able to celebrate that success with them and to congratulate them on the contributions they’re making to the regional economy.”

Gavin Potter, Business Development Director for Lloyds Commercial Banking, said: “We’ve been privileged to visit many of the Sussex Super Growth finalists in recent months, and have again been hugely impressed with the range of industries represented and their many inspiring success stories.”

When you segment this year’s finalists, 29% of them represent the construction industry or its associated supply chain and 14% represent the manufacturing sector.

According to a recent report from the Office of National Statistics, construction growth is being driven by private new housing and private new commercial work. This has resulted in national construction

output exceeding £14 billion for the first time since monthly records began in 2010.

Manufacturing is also a key sector for the UK and it’s great to see Sussex-based companies enjoying a sustained period of growth. According to the EEF, manufacturing represents 44% of the UK’s total exports, 70% of business R&D and directly employs 2.6m people.

Sussex Super Growth Awards – the criteria • Privately-owned business, trading and registered in Sussex.

Paul Roe, Partner at Kreston Reeves, said: “We are extremely proud of our sponsorship of the Sussex Super Growth Awards. This year we have enjoyed visiting some new finalists and been delighted to see the continued success of repeat finalists. We look forward to celebrating their success at the Awards ceremony in March”.

• Growth in turnover measured over a 4-year accounting period.

• Minimum turnover of £2m in base year.

In the next issue of Platinum Business Magazine, we will provide full coverage of the Sussex Super Growth Awards event, including a full list of the growth rankings of all the finalists.

• Profitable growth in the period For further information about Sussex Super Growth, please contact russell.bell@asblaw.com, paul.roe@krestonreeves.com or gavin.potter@lloydsbanking.com

Sussex Super Growth Awards Founding Sponsors

Media Partner

53

Whitespace fills the gap Whitespace celebrates its first birthday – and reveals some of its founders’ secret talents

H

ave you heard the one about what happened when a qualified make-up artist, an illustrator and a judo black belt got together?

The punchline won’t exactly be making it into the Brighton Comedy Festival but nevertheless it’s proved to be good news for Sussex business.

“It’s been a remarkable and successful first year, I think it’s gone better than any of us could have predicted – and it’s gone incredibly quickly,” said Steve, who is Director of Web Development (so his illustrating skills are put to good use even if Milly’s make-up tips and James’ judo moves are proving less useful).

“There’s a real demand out there for cutting-edge web design and that’s hugely encouraging”

The trio in question are Milly Stone, Steve Elford and James Morrison, the founding directors of Brighton-based creative agency Whitespace.

The three passionate and experienced creatives specialise in design, web and marketing, helping brands, businesses and individuals achieve their goals.

Already the business has built a big

54

reputation in Sussex, and further afield, designing websites and branding for a range of high-end clients across their four key sectors: education, publishing, professional services and recruitment.

Now, as of March 1st, the company marks its first full year in operation and is ready to celebrate its successes and look forward to the future.

So, although their ‘other’ skills are only a small part of the story, talents nurtured long before taking their first steps in the business world, Milly, Steve and James are very happy to tell their story.

“We knew each other well before we started the company, which gave us a head-start, I think. We worked together as heads of department in the same company before forming Whitespace.

“James and I also previously worked for years on web and app projects, while Milly and I collaborated on a range of successful design and marketing projects. Having that connection with each other really does help.

CREATIVE FOCUS “All of us share the same core values, creative approach and a love of good design. But we also have our own individual specialisms to add to the mix and that works well, too.”

for cutting-edge web design and that’s hugely encouraging.

The trio started by working remotely but say a team meeting in the Jolly Butchers pub in Brighton, in which they decided to rent their own office space in Foundry Street, has been crucial to their development.

“Winning a contract with OX Magazine, a luxury lifestyle magazine for Oxfordshire, was a real highlight. We were up against an Oxford-based agency and so it was a real boost and a real compliment to be chosen ahead of them.

Not only has it inspired creativity with everyone working under the same roof but also provided opportunities for collaboration, including with PR neighbours Midnight Communications, based in the same building.

“The brief was to create a responsive website that reflected the beautiful layout and design of the print publication.

We feel we achieved that and we’re immensely proud of it.”

“We really didn’t predict how tough working remotely from each other would be,” admitted Steve. “So finding office space to work together has been really important.

“What also surprised us – and this is an encouraging one -is how quickly the work came in and how much there was of it! There’s a real demand out there

“We’ve worked with some big clients and had really positive feedback.

Other first-year projects included a successful re-design, front end and back end, of Mayo Wynne Baxter’s website.

The large firm of solicitors is a big name in Sussex business and was delighted that Whitespace were able to simplify its website, improve mobile experience and maximise SEO. In the recruitment sector, Whitespace

worked with Future Resume and was there from the start - taking creative control of brand development through to site launch. This included designing a logo, brand and website for an indepth vocational tool which looks at where a candidate’s potential lies and what their talents are.

A contract with Brighton University/ Clean Growth was another highlight, providing logo, brand and website for a partnership with a mission to help businesses transform innovative ideas to tackle climate change into products and services.

“It’s been a whirlwind year,” admits Steve. “But we hope 2019 will be even more successful. We’re looking at taking on another developer and to launch version 2 of our CMS. The aim is to build on and improve our service as much as we can.

We always like to exceed expectations and we want year two to be even more special than year one.”

Contact: T. 01273 258000 Email: milly@whitespace.studio Web: www.whitespace.studio

Who are Whitespace?

Steve Elford

James Morrison

Director of Web Development Co-founder Steve built his first website in 1999 out of necessity and has not stopped since. He built the Traffic CMS from the ground up and is currently developing Whitespace’s own CRM and project management system.

He started life as an illustrator…

Creative Director Co-founder James has worked in the design industry for more than 20 years, with experience of a wide range of design, marketing and print projects. For the last 10 years he has been heavily involved in web design. And, yes, you’ve guessed it – he’s the black belt in judo.

Milly Stone

Managing Director - Co-founder With more than 14 years of business management experience, focusing primarily on business marketing, Milly has a wealth of knowledge in both b2b and b2c. Oh, and she’s the qualified make-up artist in case you were wondering..

55

HORSE RACING

Spring forward

RACING ROUND UP AT PLUMPTON

M

arch sees racing jump to the forefront of people’s minds with the Cheltenham Festival running between Tuesday 12th and Friday 15th March. There is also a fixture on Monday 11th March to make it a spectacular week of racing. Before racing on the 11th, Plumpton will have their own Cheltenham Preview where racing professionals and pundits have their say on the runners that week. As well as being informative, it is usually highly amusing for those in attendance with a few choice quips often thrown at one another!

• • • •

This will be an interesting year for Plumpton as a number of runners who have been very impressive in winning there will hold strong chances at the Festival, especially from the Bonus Series Races. If they can win a race over fences at Cheltenham after winning one of five qualifying races there, they qualify for a £60k bonus. Look out for Kalashnikov on Tuesday in the Arkle, OK Corral in the National Hunt Chase and Master Malarky in one of the handicaps.

And from one festival to another - Easter Sunday and Easter Monday (April 21st

and 22nd) host Plumpton’s biggest two days in 2019. Aside from some brilliant hospitality options, entertainment, live music and kids attending for free, the racing quality ramps up a notch too with over £100k of prize money available on each day.

On Easter Sunday, the racecourse hosts the £50k Sussex Champion Hurdle and Easter Monday has the Sussex Champion Chase (also worth £50k) as the feature race. Some great supporting races make this a feature meeting in all respects and is not one to be missed.

7 Great Races Fun Fair Food Concessions Restaurant & Hospitality options

FREE ENTERTAINMENT • Face Painting • Live Music • Strolling Magician • Horse Hoppers • Donkey Rides • Easter Egg Giveaway • Plus much more!

EASTER SUNDAY & MONDAY st nd

21 & 22

April 2019

TICKETS START AT JUST £13 Tel. 01273 890383 racing@plumptonracecourse.co.uk www.plumptonracecourse.co.uk

56

15 & 16 MAY EXCEL, LONDON

FREE TO ATTEND

KICKSTART YOUR

BUSINESS

EUROPE’S LARGEST

BUSINESS EVENT 400

EXHIBITORS

300

SEMINARS

20,000+ VISITORS

CONTACT JAMIE O’ONEILL FOR ENQUIRIES ON JAMIE.ONEILL@PRYSMGROUP.CO.UK OR CALL 01872 218 007 REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE TICKETS | GBBS.CO.UK

@THEBUSINESSSHOW #TBSUK

57

AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT Platinum is launching a brand new national magazine Dynamic is a highly informative magazine for women in business, written by women in business

namic D Y

THE MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS ISSUE ONE • APRIL 2019

ROME Shake hands in the eternal city

GIRL TORQUE The new Audi Q8

INTERVIEW Amber Rudd shares her journey

THE BIG DEBATE Glass ceiling or glass floor

HOW

Michelle Mone LEARNT TO SLOW DOWN

COMING IN APRIL 2019 Subscribe for your copy now by contacting info@platinumpublishing.co.uk GROUP

58

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

HOTELS

A day in the life of...

a Head Concierge

We find out what life round the clock is like for Jon Burcham, Concierge Manager at The Grand Brighton The day starts with

My alarm goes off at 6:30am and I’m straight into the kitchen for a fresh coffee and a breakfast of fruit and cereal or a poached egg - I’m on my feet all day so a good breakfast sets me up.

I’m in charge of

The Grand’s Concierge team and the ‘Warmest Welcome’ in Brighton. We look after the guests’ arrival experience, we take their luggage and deliver it to their rooms and carefully valet park their beautiful cars in our secure car park. We are here for our guests, providing them with local information and help with various requests.

An average day looks like

We start with a handover from the night team, followed by a review of the day’s business. Then onto the cleaning

duties – the distinctive smell of Brasso fills the air as we polish up the railings and the birdcage trolleys and sweep the crescent at the front of the hotel.

The early risers ask for their cars and bags to be collected and fitness fans will want to know where to go running.

We’ll store the guests’ items once they’ve checked out so that they can visit the sights and shop in the city.

Arriving guests will want to know where to dine out, and where to find the hidden gems that only the locals know about. We provide city maps, and a range of leaflets and brochures to help guide the traveller. We help with making dinner and lunch reservations, and being a Concierge it helps to have established relationships around the city so that we can get our guests in to some of the more sought after places.

My favourite part of the job is The people - I love observing people and interacting with all walks of life.

The Grand is always a hub of activity, and the lobby is the place to see it all.

As far as ‘office environments’ go, mine is pretty great.

My most memorable Grand moment

I remember when we had the legendary James Brown staying which also coincided with the singer and actor David Soul staying in the hotel. By chance they arrived in the lobby at the same time and I was able to make the introduction, “Mr Soul I’d like you to meet your Godfather.” They had a few moments of mutual appreciation and I took photos of them together.

If I wasn’t working at The Grand I would be

A helicopter-flying, landscape-gardening, musical theatre actor with a penchant for poetry and painting; or maybe a crossword compiler. I love words, being creative and singing - I help to run a musical theatre choir and I am a committee member of one of the oldest amateur dramatic societies in the south of England.

Jon runs The Grand History Tour for groups on request - exploring the rich and varied history of the hotel – all donations go to two local charities – Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and the Clock Tower Sanctuary. www.grandbrighton.co.uk

Jon (second from left) with the Concierge team at The Grand Brighton

59

BRIGHTON&HOVE

The Brighton & Hove Business Awards, which is now in its 14th year, is always the most anticipated business event of the year

T H U R S DAY J U LY 25th 2019 Hilton Brighton Metropole

Tickets ÂŁ90 each or ÂŁ850 for a table of ten To purchase tickets, visit www.bahba.co.uk

60

BUSINESS SURVEY

CATEGORIES BEST INDEPENDENT RETAILER BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR COMPANY OF THE YEAR SME BUSINESS OF THE YEAR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

“These awards are a

INNOVATION IN BUSINESS

fantastic opportunity to

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

celebrate all that’s great

START-UP OF THE YEAR

about doing business in

TOURIST DESTINATION OF THE YEAR

Brighton…”

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Paxton Access

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

Company of the Year 2018

NOT-FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS OF THE YEAR CSR EXCELLENCE OUTSTANDING BRIGHTONIAN

OPEN FOR ENTRIES

March 4th 2019

Each business is permitted to enter a maximum of three award categories.

To view the criteria and download entry forms visit www.bahba.co.uk.

“We’ve done so much in the last few years to really transform our approach to people, and our team has worked so hard on that. To be recognised amongst Brighton’s finest makes us all very proud...”

The Student Room Group Employer of the Year 2018

There are still a few sponsorship opportunities available.

For more information contact brighton@platinumpublishing.co.uk Organised by EVENTS

PLATINUM

61

Going all out Hundreds of tickets have already sold for the 10th Anniversary edition of the Acumen Business Convention - this one cannot be missed.

T

he countdown to the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2019 is well underway and hundreds of decision makers have already booked their place for this year’s 10th anniversary convention extravaganza. This year is expected to sell-out fast, so make sure you secure your ticket today by visiting www.acumenbusinessconvention.co.uk.

Speakers include special tenth anniversary guest speaker, Tony Bloom, owner and chairman of the Premier League football club, Brighton & Hove Albion FC; top Keynote Speaker Simon Woodroffe OBE, the Founder of YO! Sushi, who is an incredible serial entrepreneur and was an investor on Dragons’ Den; along with other spectacular guest speakers.

Taking place on May 8th at The Grand Brighton from 11.30am, the event starts off with a sit down lunch with wine followed by a spectacular speaker line up, a choice of Link and Learn sessions, fantastic Speakers’ Arenas and superabundant networking opportunities throughout the day. There will be another chance to experience these sessions at the Acumen Fringe, which will host three separate events, featuring the inspirational Speakers’ Arenas combined with Link and Learn talks on three exclusive dates, so you can be sure you won’t miss out.

Our amazing MC is Sanderson Jones, co-founder of the unique business Sunday Assembly and new mission Lifefulness At Work. Sanderson commented: “I can’t wait to get the Acumen Business Convention rocking and rolling so that the 10th birthday is truly one to remember. The aim is to produce and unleash positive vibes, promote new connections and make sure that all the speakers shine.”

62

The ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION’S special 10th anniversary edition is packed with highly sought after speak-

ers, new and unique features as well as entertainment and excitement; it really is going all out! www.acumenbusinessconvention.co.uk

Simon Woodroffe

BUSINESS CONVENTION The event is all possible thanks to our Convention Partners. They are a range of fantastic businesses and individuals who will be pleased to meet you on the day ACUMEN PEOPLE A law firm of a different kind for the private client sector, specialising in residential conveyancing and family law.

The Agora Clinic The Agora empower the freedom of reproductive choice and help create families with expert personalised treatment plans.

Brighton Cakes A leading cake design company based in the heart of Brighton and Hove producing an amazing range of celebration bespoke cakes and gingerbread houses.

Callaways A boutique estate agency in Hove with local knowledge and a passion for people and property.

Cooden Tax Consulting Cooden Tax Consulting help companies claim money through Research & Development, and Technology tax reliefs.

Face Media Group So much more than just another online print firm, they talk with business owners to see how they can help raise their game.

Platinum Business Magazine PPG’S portfolio includes Platinum Business Magazine, the UK’s largest circulation regional business title, Surrey Business Magazine; and the leading business awards in the South East.

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Revolution PTS Revolution PTS help people transform their bodies and achieve their health and fitness goals.

The Sussex Sign Company

Search Seven A Brighton-based digital marketing agency specialising in SEO and PPC, delivering digital marketing with meaning whilst having a meaningful impact on the community.

SRC Corporate Finance An award-winning entrepreneurially focused Corporate Finance boutique that specialises in providing independent, professional and confidential advice to business owners and management teams.

Sunday Assembly Lifefulness At Work is a new mission to create meaning and belonging for the workforce so that they can be their best selves at work, and turn a company into a community.

Membership of Sussex Chamber is a great way to tap into experience, skills and practical support, and find the people to drive your business forward.

An award-winning leading sign and graphics organisation based on the South Coast, offering a full service managed in-house.

Upbeat Performance A place where individuals and organisations drum and shake their habits and ideas without fear of failure to discover higher levels of trust, wisdom and creativity.

Watson Associates Sharing the same enthusiasm for the success of your business as your own, Watson Associates are a committed team of financial professionals.

Xoomtalk A Brighton-based communications provider, offering highly customisable solutions to customers of all sizes across the South East.

Hot Yoga South Bikram Yoga Brighton offers hot yoga taught in Bikram style - great for beginners and advanced practitioners alike.

The Missing Piece Business Coaching that works at the heart of your business, they work with you to ensure the vision of your company future is realised.

MyTeamSafe Worried about your lone worker’s safety? Do you know they are OK and where they are? Protect them today with the award-winning MyTeamSafe app.

63

We’re Brighton through and through Focus on the Hilton Brighton Metropole

O

verlooking our beautiful beach and barely a pebble’s throw from the vibrant city centre, Hilton Brighton Metropole couldn’t be better placed for you and your delegates to enjoy all that Brighton has to offer. With 340 guest rooms, restaurant, bar, gym, indoor pool and car park, we have everything for a meeting big or small all in one place.

What’s the big idea?

We don’t do formulaic, and we’re certainly not at home with ordinary. We’ve got Brighton’s spirit of quirky creativity

64

running right through us. And it shows in the events we plan and host at Hilton Brighton Metropole.

Our events team are chosen for their ability to bring an idea to life, to give it a twist, deliver the unexpected and create events that are a little less ordinary. They’ll bring a unique and inspiring perspective to your plans and then orchestrate an event that’s truly memorable. And just like this eclectic city by the sea, we never settle for bland, because it’s not us, and it’s certainly not Brighton.

Thanks to the vast interconnecting space of the Oxford, Cambridge and Durham suites, you’re able to think differently, perhaps a bit bolder than you would in hotels with a lot less flexibility.

For instance, we transformed the space into a fairground, and brought in full-size dodgems for guests to drive out their inhibitions and let their hair down.

We know how to use space and what interrupts, disarms and inspires. The flexibility of these spaces allow imaginations to run riot, creating truly one-off, bespoke events. Features like

CONFERENCING & EVENTS – PROMOTIONAL BUSINESSFEATURE SURVEY

dynamic seating for workshops, deck chairs, bar stools and colour-changing light boxes can transform an ordinary gathering into an event that’s memorable and mould-breaking. And there aren’t many who can resist buying a coffee from our coffee tuktuk, as it does the rounds at events, conventions and exhibitions.

Endless Possibilities

Don’t be fooled by the charm of our famous façade, because ingeniously housed inside Hilton Brighton Metropole is the South’s largest residential conference centre.

And by large, we mean 5,000 sq. metres of space with 33 function suites of varying sizes. Planners have their pick of small meeting rooms with sea views for up to 20 delegates, while our event space offers four flexible spaces which open out to accommodate up to 3,000 guests.

with our colourful ‘Beside the Seaside’ themed catering breaks we really push the boat out - fabulous food served from bathing tents with staff bedecked in straw boaters and stripey pinafores.

They get people talking (and eating), and are guaranteed to give your gathering an unmistakable seaside feel.

Our chefs are always up for a challenge (or an excuse) to show off their diverse range of culinary skills. Our ‘street

Big on small meetings

We have eight rooms available for small meetings, six with sea-views – there’s also the option of hiring a booth in the Metropole Bar for an hour or two. Our Meetings Simplified package is designed to make the booking process simple, quick and easy! Ideal for meetings up to 25 people, our flexible package offers features that streamline meeting planning. With it’s all inclusive food offering, giving you access to free-flowing food and drink throughout your meeting, at no extra cost it’s the perfect solution for small meetings of up to 25 people.

All our meeting rooms have the essentials for you to get down to business, including LCD projector, screen, flipchart and delegate stationery including notepads, and pens and free wifi.

“Ingeniously housed inside is the South’s largest residential conference centre”

Essential ingredients

food’ market captures the convenience of the ‘eat on your feet’ culture. It works for all kinds of events, with an authentic and inspiring range of finger food, tapas, wraps and foodie treats, and it makes a welcome and tasty change to eating ‘al desko’.

To book a site visit or discuss an event, please email enquiries.brightonmet@ hilton.com or call 01273 720710

We know that food and drink are vital ingredients to the overall success of any event. Which is why our team of talented chefs ensure that quality, choice and a generous helping of imagination are always on the menu. They’ll work with you to create delicious dining options that fit in perfectly with your theme.

Take a break from the usual with creative refreshments like an ice cream van, popcorn stand, sweet stall, a serve yourself bar (you’re a responsible grown-up), paella station or alpine huts.

Waving aside convention is what we do best at the Brighton Hilton Metropole;

65

Travel the world...

An ambitious new tourist attraction is wowing Brighton visitors and locals alike.

Phileas Fogg’s may well be the largest escape adventure experience in the world – certainly it cannot be matched in the UK. Ian Trevett spoke to Graham Owen, Creative Director at Phileas Fogg, to find out why this new Brighton tourist attraction is now a global centre of imagination.

I

“The set designers were the same people who created Pinewood Studios, Harry Potter, James Bond and Star Wars sets.

t is easy to miss Phileas Fogg’s.

Set in Hollingbury on the outskirts of Brighton, the exterior can be described as non-descript, only marked out by a simple and innocuous sign.

It is perhaps the attraction’s greatest illusion. Nothing prepares you for the mysterious and maze-like interior, packed solid with magic and drama.

“In some ways I quite like the low-key exterior,” says Graham Owen. “You find yourself standing outside wondering if you are in the right place, then you walk through the doors and you are transported 130 years back in the past.”

We are chatting in the atmospheric Victorian snooker room and Brighton seems a thousand miles away.

It is an extraordinary achievement to create such an innovative concept, and Graham, along with his business partners, has invested sizeable funds to realise the dream.

First, what exactly is The Facebook page follows:

Phileas Fogg’s? describes it as

“Based on the Novel by Jules Verne ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’, participants are immersed into a 1870s interactive adventure escorted by Phileas Fogg as he takes you on a journey around the world.” There are over 30 games or tasks set in 16 locations that need to be navigated to make it round the world on time. That’s about as much as I am going to give away - seeing is believing!

One thing I will reveal is that the sets are out of this world, and I asked Graham how they were created:

66

L-R: Graham Owen - Creative Director; Debbie Owen - Managing Director; Eddie Owen - Director

“When we had the plans for this place, we wanted something wacky,” he says.

“But we also wanted a name we could trademark, which was when we decided on Phileas Fogg. We wanted to do something that wouldn’t be copied, and I don’t think anyone will, as we made it so complicated!

“We have mixed influences from The Crystal Maze twist for the game element, London Dungeon for the drama and then we added a bit of theatre to roll it into one. We wanted it to be unique and quirky.

“Phileas Fogg was a perfect fit as we had the idea of having sets themed from around the world. We have invested a lot of time in making them as realistic as possible, so visitors are transported back in time to experience these exotic places. We have mostly remained true to the destinations that Fogg passed through on his world tour.

“For the games side we brought in Fear Effects, who are geniuses in the way they develop tasks that suit small or large groups, for people all ages from 7 upwards, as well as being fully wheelchair accessible. The games are challenging, but equally for adults or children. There are actors who add a unique sense of drama to each experience.

“The Boardroom, Snooker Room and Reform Bar are designed in an authentic Victorian style, with the utmost attention to the tiniest detail. Visitors usually stay around in the bar after completing the adventure, which is important, as too many tourist attractions lack a place to relax and bond afterwards.”

Although Graham loves the disconnect between the simple exterior and intense interior, Hollingbury, Brighton still seems an unusual choice. “It actually makes sense,” asserts Graham.

“As we are just off a main road (A27), we are accessible for people from Brighton, London, Eastbourne and Chichester and all along the coast.

So far, 50% of our visitors have been from London. The location doesn’t make any difference; if you

BUSINESS INTERVIEW SURVEY

and stay in Brighton

are good enough, people will find you.

For instance people will travel to Drusillas or Tulleys Farm from miles around.”

The feedback is that Phileas Fogg is certainly more than good enough, with glowing reviews on tourism sites: “Trip Advisor has been amazing for us. Not just the great reviews, but it also helpful to get feedback which we can action straight away.

“We do know there are a few rogue reviews from competitor attractions, although not from Brighton. The city has been so welcoming to us; the Sea Life Centre, the BA i360 and the pier have all welcomed us. There are limited attractions in Brighton, especially indoors, and everyone is keen to improve the overall tourist offering in the area.

“On the corporate side, the companies who have tried us have been delighted.

It is very hard to organise a corporate event as people have different ideas of what makes a good event. Not everyone likes bowling or karaoke. Here, there genuinely is something for everyone.

When a business comes along they can use the boardroom, play a game of snooker, enjoy the experience and then finish at our Victorian Reform Bar. There is one big Brighton company who comes here every week with different teams.”

It has been quite a journey for Graham.

He started work in an estate agent at the age of 18, but within six months he had his own agency. Since then he has been a serial entrepreneur building up businesses from recruitment agencies to IKEA flat-pack assembly companies. Along with his wife Debbie Owen, the first venture in the leisure market was a trampoline park in Heathfield, East Sussex. “Debbie and I had a vision of creating something unique even then,” says Graham.

In order to secure the investment required for Phileas Fogg, the couple went into partnership with Eastbourne-based businessman Eddie Owen, who “shares our sense of humour and has a zest for creating a fun and entertaining experience. We couldn’t have done it without him.

“It is very much a team effort.

Debbie runs the attraction as Managing Director - my title is Creative Director. There’s a danger with me that I will always find things I want to change or improve.

“The greatest compliment is that everyone who comes here tells their friends and word of mouth is the best marketing.

“I want to be the guy that created something that is fun and makes people happy. That is what I want my legacy to be.”

To find out more or arrange a group visit, please call 01273 007799 or visit www.phileasfoggs.co.uk for more info. @PhileasFoggWOA

67

The Women in Leadership As we enter 2019, what are the next steps towards true equality for female leaders? Sussex Innovation Centre investigates.

2

018 saw several breakthrough moments in the fight for gender equality. Greater scrutiny than ever before was placed on the gender pay gap, and questions were raised about the ‘gendering’ of certain roles in society, from childhood through to adulthood, at home and at work. Perhaps most critically of all, the burgeoning #metoo movement began to break down the power inequalities that have undermined women’s efforts to reach equal representation in so many industries.

At this critical juncture, ‘people performance’ consultancy Momentum4 commissioned a research team from Sussex Innovation to gather insights from women in leadership roles at UK companies.

The resulting Women in Leadership Report identifies some of the complex mix of societal, organisational and individual factors that are behind the gender imbalance in leadership. The report suggests strategies for businesses to begin overcoming some of these challenges, breaking the topic into three sections:

68

report

The Current Situation

Established statistics suggest that women are under-represented in leadership teams from start-ups to the FTSE100. 71% of survey respondents felt that; “unconscious bias from management” was a major factor in the imbalance, with “lack of confidence” and “career disruption due to maternity leave” also ranking highly.

Psychological Barriers and Emotional Intelligence

Confidence - or lack of it - was also the biggest psychological factor that women cited as hindering their career progression. 75% of respondents felt that this had held them back at some stage of their careers. They also saw emotional intelligence skills as a vital component of strong leadership – particularly “learning how to influence others” (67%).

Women Supporting Women?

A linguistic analysis of the responses revealed a complex picture of female relationships in the workplace. While many participants mentioned the positive support networks that women are building, others described female

peers with adjectives like “undermining”, “jealous” and “aggressive”. This perhaps hints at intense competition over a limited number of leadership roles ‘for women’.

SUSSEX INNOVATION CENTRE Market Research and Insight at Sussex Innovation

T

he Women in Leadership Report is one of many white papers researched, written and designed by the Sussex Innovation team on behalf of its member companies.

Research is a pivotal aspect of business, helping companies to understand their marketplace, customers and competition, and underpinning strategy. It can also be a useful marketing and positioning tool, particularly for innovative start-ups who need to communicate a unique value proposition or specialist expertise.

Dr Chloe Peacock

to, supplemented with desk-based research and quantitative surveys – with an emphasis on securing responses from people with authority on the subject at hand.

Market Research and Insight Advisor, Dr Chloe Peacock, specialises in delivering the organisation’s qualitative research and consumer insight projects.

For the Women in Leadership Report, the team contacted hundreds of women in their network to find contributors. Ultimately more than 100 responded, with “Some of the richest insights about more than two-thirds in a senior position ranghow people think and behave come ing from manager to director.

“We’re passionate about addressing the disparity between men and women in the world of business”, says Lara Williams, co-founder of Momentum4. “So much of this problem stems from the psychological hang-ups that society instils in women, reinforced by structures in the workplace. Our coaching method develops emotional intelligence, which gives teams the tools to understand each other’s perspectives and motivations. It’s a crucial first step to doing things differently.”

The full report is available to download at www.momentum4.co.uk/thewomen-in-leadership-report-2019. www.sinc.co.uk

by simply offering a prompt, and letting them talk”

“I employ an ethnographic and cultural approach to research, translating my findings for a commercial audience,” she explains. “When you have a deeper understanding of your market and how your customer navigates through it, you can optimise your model with that in mind.

This is the sort of information that bigger brands always have available to them, but the costs involved would normally be prohibitive for the start-ups we work with. Luckily we are able to make these quality research resources available in a much more affordable way.”

In practice, this involves accessing industry trend reports from the range of market research platforms that Sussex Innovation subscribes

Chloe designs the research objectives for each project and oversees the work being conducted by a team of recent Sussex graduates, before collating it into a finished report.

“One of the most impactful things that we offer is expert insight interviews,” she adds. “Because we have the weight of the University of Sussex behind us, we’re able to reach out to people who are very well-regarded in their field and get their thoughts on a particular topic.

It helps that we’re a third party, and can stay objective in a way that’s hard for our clients to do while having these sorts of conversations.

Some of the richest insights about how people think and behave come by simply offering a prompt, and letting them talk.”

69

Download our brand new taxi app today

Southern Brighton Taxis Accepts cash, account and debit/credit card bookings

70

www.citycarsbrighton.co.uk

BUSINESS EXPO

Let’s market your business Q&A with Let’s Do Business Brighton exhibition organisers Sean Dennis and Simon Groves

think how your business ties in with this. Could you launch an innovative new product or service on the day to capitalise on your appearance?

A strong stand design will act as a great conversation starter. Exhibiting isn’t just about staying at your stand – take advantage of all the exhibition has to offer – visit other stands, attend seminars and be proactive.

What should exhibitors do to maximise opportunities?

Sean Dennis: Any good exhibition will offer businesses a number of ways to generate brand awareness and connect with new leads.

If an expo has a specific theme - such as our 2019 Innovation Zone (sponsored by East Sussex College Group)

How can exhibitors market their stand?

Simon Groves: Start early. Follow the exhibition’s social media channels and email contacts prior to the event to invite them to attend - Let’s Do Business Brighton is free to visit.

Add your attendance to your email signature and be sure to let people know what stand you’ll be on. Make sure all of your promotional material is on

brand – from e-shot templates to your stand design.

What value does exhibiting at a B2B exhibition offer?

SD: Many people find they get out of an exhibition what they put in. A good exhibition should offer opportunities to network and should have a variety of business representatives from all levels, including decision makers.

SG: Registering as a visitor can also be valuable if you haven’t booked a stand – Let’s Do Business Brighton offers free seminars to boost learning. An expo offers networking with hundreds of business representatives all under one roof.

Let’s Do Business Brighton exhibition has revealed Quantuma as its first headline sponsor for 2019. To book your stand visit www.letsdobusiness. org/Platinum2019

71

COMBINING sport AND

Brighton College is currently building a new £55m Sports and Science Centre which will rival facilities at leading universities. Paul Westbrook, the Group COO and Deputy Headmaster explains to Ian Trevett why the development is so important.

F

or many leading educational establishments in urban areas, space is at a premium, and Brighton College’s Kemp Town location is no exception. Yet somehow the College has found a way to create a brand new Sports and Science Centre, now rising gracefully alongside the immaculate rugby pitch.

The school is understandably proud of the new facility, and Paul Westbro-

72 72

ok outlined why this is a vital project: “Over the last ten years, eight other new facilities we’ve developed have shown how the built environment can enhance educational outcomes and pupil wellbeing.

“New facilities also enable us to address old fashioned silo-mentality recognising that different disciplines work together in the real world. Sport and science are two disciplines that have been taught separately but that

EDUCATION overlap hugely: for example, the impact of nutrition on physical performance, understanding the chemical changes that take place in the body when it is exercising. Newer subjects like academic PE that enable pupils to apply scientific rigour to analyse a professional sportsperson’s or a pupil’s own sporting performance have become very popular.

“Analysis leads to improvements on the sports field. Analysis of contact sports such as rugby demonstrates that one of the key ways to avoid hurting yourself and others is to build core strength. The new facility will have a first class strength and conditioning suite, an aerobics area and equipment that can be used to assess how use of the suite affects performance.

“The new facility also helps address two other key considerations: retention of excellent sports and science teachers (many of Brighton’s are employing techniques learned when they themselves were professional sportspeople or who are applying sci-

“We have received excellent help and advice from Gary Chown and Claire Jackman at NatWest Bank, who have worked very hard for us.” entific knowledge learned from their work in research or industry to inspire the pupils here); and catering for the huge demand from pupils for science subjects and sporting activities.

“We’ve invested huge amounts of time, employed expert consultants, and visited many other institutions around the world to ensure these laboratories are the same as those in the best research-led universities.”

The new sports areas will add to Brighton College’s reputation for sporting excellence, reinforced during the 2016 Rugby World Cup. The college was chosen as the base for the Japanese squad, then coached by a certain Eddie Jones, who masterminded at the College the unlikely victory over South Africa at the Amex Community Stadium. The connection has continued and Jones now brings the England squad to the College to train three times a year.

Mr Westbrook is keen to emphasise that the sport offering is not just about rugby, swimming and cricket: “The centre will include a dance studio: dance is very popular at the College. We have an annual Strictly Come Dancing competition here for the pupils (and teachers)! It’s huge fun and has been hosted by celebrities, two of whom excelled on TV’s Strictly. Boys are equally serious about dance here – dancing develops core body strength, flexibility and agility probably as well as any other sport and what teenager does not want to impress on the dance floor?”

The building will be iconic, designed by world famous architects OMA, but it is nonetheless, just a building. Mr Westbrook concurs: “The whole focus of Brighton College is on the pupils and ensuring they are well equipped for life after the college. We want them to be healthy, inquisitive, confident, curious about the world and kind with a desire to make the world a better place. The building is one of our environments that we hope inspires learning, teamwork and confidence: confidence is so important – a reason why the Col-

73

EDUCATION

lege also teaches pupils how to speak in public – because preparing pupils mentally to deal with a changing world and whatever life throws at them requires confidence.

“And while buildings play a key role, so too do many other aspects: our pupils want to learn, and this means classroom discipline is excellent here – enabling children to focus (as do Brighton College’s mobile phone detox days).

“One of the most uplifting aspects of the school is the way the pupils collaborate, illustrated well in the College’s entrepreneurship challenge, where sixth formers produce a viable commercial product or service and can win £10,000 for its development following a dragon’s den with real world entrepreneurs being the judges.

“Ultimately,” says Mr Westbrook, “they’re just nice children, very courteous, confident without being arrogant.

The attitude of the children always tops the teachers’ annual welfare survey as to what they like most about working here.”

The cost of the project has raised a few eyebrows: it is a significant investment, but the school is ambitious without taking unplanned risks. “We run an efficient school,” says Mr Westbrook “and, as a charity, all the surplus

74

is channeled into education – enabling those from less well off backgrounds to study here or at the free school in London that Brighton College established – or into improving the fabric.

THE SPORTS AND SCIENCE CENTRE

The new facility will feature yy 1 8 laboratories, two prep rooms, offices and break out areas for pupils yy Lecture Theatre yy ICT Suite yy Indoor Running Track yy Rooftop Running Track yy Aerobics/Dance Studio yy Strength & Conditioning Suite yy Bio-lab Greenhouse yy PE Departmental Office yy Sports Hall with basketball courts, cricket nets, badminton courts etc yy Swimming Pool (25m) complete with Pool Viewing & Recreation Area yy Wet Changing & Game Changing Rooms yy Café and Juice Bar yy Underground parking for minibuses yy An electricity substation plus ambient heating from the two heat sinks yy (90m depth)

“We receive donations from some very generous parents, past pupils or educational philanthropists. We have set up three Brighton Colleges in the Middle East and one in Bangkok helping educate children in other locations but also generating some income for the UK which helps affordability of fees here while the campus develops.

“In respect of the investment in the Sports and Science facility, we had two options: wait until we had sufficient funds or start earlier with some support from external finance. We opted for the latter as having facilities sooner enables more children to benefit.

We have received excellent help from Gary Chown and Claire Jackman at NatWest, who worked hard for us and we are very grateful for their support.

They created a package which made it easy for us to proceed. And they have taken time to understand us: we have a strong relationship.”

With the project well underway, can the school now breathe a sigh of relief?

There’s no chance of that! As we were speaking, the headmaster, Richard Cairns, was on a term’s sabbatical, but spent much of it viewing some of the best performing arts centres. Mr Westbrook explains: “We’ve already got a world-class venue for musicians, but we are now looking to create a world-class drama environment.” Watch this space!

Let’s Do Business Promotion The Let’s Do Business Brighton 2019 exhibition offers an unrivaled platform for business promotion.

Featuring thought-provoking seminars and the chance to meet with numerous key business decision makers from Sussex and the South East, this is a business promotion opportunity that is simply too good to miss.

Thursday 13th June 2019 The Amex Stadium, Brighton

Quote Platinum2019 for an exclusive 5% discount on all stand bookings. To learn more and book a stand visit; www.letsdobusiness.org/Platinum2019 info@letsdobusiness.org 01323 411044

In association with

Back to business

Professor Toni Hilton took up her new role as Head of Brighton Business School last April. Here she talks to Maarten Hoffmann about the school’s mission and why it will put Brighton firmly on the map as a destination for business education

Maarten Hoffmann: Coming from Scotland, how are you finding life in Brighton?

Toni Hilton: I was Dean of the Glasgow School for Business and Society at Glasgow Caledonian University. Compared with the university and the business school there I think we’re much

more practice focused in Brighton.

What I have been impressed with is how much support there is, particularly among the alumni.

MH: There are plans to build a new Business School in Lewes Road. It must be hugely exciting to take on something literally from the first brick.

TH: Yes, it is and it will help us to face the challenging environment that all universities face. I’m here to support Debra Humphris, Vice Chancellor of the university, through those challenges. This is a vibrant university and a strong anchor for the local community.

Our LEP is Coast to Capital and there are only two universities in the whole LEP and they’re both based here. We have quite a good relationship with Sussex University but Brighton as a city has to get behind their universities otherwise more people will move out of the region to study.

MH: We’ve always seen Brighton as the one that’s very fleet of foot. It can react and move much quicker and is more accessible to business. Do you agree?

TH: The results of the last Research Excellence Framework exercise that the government runs in universities, ranked us fifth in the UK for the impact of our business research. This shows just how engaged we are with practice and how innovative our research is, and we want to continue that.

Professor Toni Hilton

76

We’re about to launch our Enterprise Ambassadors scheme to recognise the large army of practitioners who come in and give lectures or a masterclass, mentor our students, or support our students through placement or sponsor prizes. They will be offered the opportunity to become an Enterprise Ambassador. The scheme will add a formality that will enable us to acknowledge their valuable contribution and

UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON

Mithras House, part of the University of Brighton, and current home of Brighton Business School

hold events to discuss further collaboration to attract and retain talent within the local area.

MH: What’s at the top of your list of what you want to achieve?

TH: AACSB accreditation. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is the number one global accreditation scheme. It allows Business Schools to be distinctive and work on evidencing how they implement their vision and mission. It’s collaborative and supportive with lots of opportunities to develop staff in a wider global network. It encourages an external perspective and will create opportunities for our staff to get out and about and meet more academics and practitioners, extending their leadership capability whilst reflecting on their academic practice, particularly their leadership practices.

Achievement will reassure students, staff and our practitioner communities that we exhibit the leadership practices and the student outcomes associated with world-class business schools. In short, AACSB provides a global quality benchmark with a ro-

TH: I would position us as a medium-sized business school compared with other business schools. We’re not going to be as big as Manchester Metropolitan but we will have the capacity to grow. We will become more attractive to a greater range of students so will become a more diverse business school. One of the biggest benefits of having a new business school, a physical building, and the AACSB accreditation is that we will attract more international students.

“Our vision is to make a real difference to people, practice and society”

It allows us to be ourselves but within a robust quality framework that focuses on continual improvement. It also provides a global quality benchmark.

bust framework for continual improvement and an academic community for development and reflection.

MH: How many in the UK have this accreditation?

TH: Around 40. There are also many more business schools that are currently pursuing accreditation and so are in the same position as us so, if we weren’t in the process we would automatically be putting ourselves in a very different competitive position.

MH: When the building is all finished and manned, what will be the capacity?

MH: How invaluable are your work placements?

TH: The placements are incredibly valuable as many students end up being offered a job from the company they have been working for. We notice the difference in students when they come back in their fourth year. They come back a more mature person, far more rounded and ready to study. In fact, this happens to a degree no matter how long or short the placement or internship is.

So I would encourage readers to consider offering a work opportunity to our students as part of our partnership to attract and retain talent within our area.

77

UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON are very focused on preparing students for work through experiential practical experiences. This is another area in which we excel.

Our vision is to make a real difference to people, practice and society. It isn’t about being insular and if I’m honest, that’s where the school has been. One of my biggest challenges has been to come in and say; ‘Actually, we’re going to build on our strengths and become more outward and globally facing.’ In fact, our strengths in research impact and engagement with practice to support student employability demonstrates our ability to become a worldclass business school for Brighton.

AACSB accreditation is the vehicle we will use to evidence that. I think we’ve really underplayed our successes to date and we need to make more noise!

MH: Do you have many companies ready to take on a work placement?

TH: Yes, but we always love and welcome more companies to come and talk to us about placements and shortterm volunteering opportunities. Anyone who wants to become a corporate or an individual Enterprise Ambassador can come and talk to me. I’m amazed at how supportive the community is here which is great for our partnership. We have some very successful alumni who have stayed in Brighton, so when I was looking for people to come on the advisory board I was not short of support.

There is a lot of entrepreneurial spirit here and one of the things we’re looking at is bringing in a new non-taught degree. This is an approach where students are put into smaller working groups, working on real projects; one of them may have their own business that they’ve launched or that they’re going to launch. It’s practice-driven and will take place in a dedicated space in the new building.

MH: Sussex University has the Sussex Innovation Centre and NatWest have turned one of their buildings into an Acceleration Hub. Is this something that the university is considering?

TH: Through our careers service we

78

have Beepurple which gives free advice to entrepreneurial students. It’s not quite a hatchery but it will give them advice and support as well as networking through to joint venture capitalists.

“There is a lot of entrepreneurial spirit here” MH: Santander is involved with you on the apprentice scheme - how does this work?

TH: Santander has been linked with Brighton for ten years now. Going forward they are looking to make some changes to their scheme but they have been a tremendous support for universities and students through sponsorship and bursaries. They are also very keen to move towards internationalisation and the mobility of students.

We’ve also started to look at the UN global sustainable development goals – 17 sustainable development goals which were agreed for the millennium which include eliminating poverty and ensuring that everyone gets access to good education — and incorporating those explicitly into our curriculum.

That, again, is another; ‘Let’s widen our perspectives. We’re looking outwards and is consistent with our mission to advance responsible enterprise.’

MH: What is your message to our business readership?

TH: I would like them to consider becoming Enterprise Ambassadors and to realise that this is their business school. We want to work in partnership to attract and keep talent in this area.

As an Enterprise Ambassador they can come in and help us build and deliver the curriculum, especially if there’s something that they think we could improve - we need to hear that!

MH: What are the challenges you have found since you arrived in Brighton?

TH: There are always challenges, for example getting interest for the AACSB agenda and encouraging staff to think of themselves as world-class. We deliver an excellent student experience, and I have to say my colleagues here

www.brighton.ac.uk/bbs/index.aspx

The University The SME’s untapped resource The University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform on how businesses can work with universities.

F

rom the development of game-changing renewable transportation, to new software that boosts data protection and privacy, businesses lead the way when it comes to innovation.

An untapped resource

A university might not be the first place you think of contacting if you’re developing, testing or launching a new product. But aside from teaching students, research and development (R&D) col-

sities UK, industry collaboration with higher education institutions successfully increased business productivity by between 11% and 16% in 2015/2016.

In the South East, the University of Brighton’s Green Growth Knowing your mar- “According to Universities UK, industry Platform team has foket, what customcollaboration with higher education cused on helping businesses access univerers want and where the inefficiencies institutions successfully increased sity support. Since it launched in 2014, it has are means that as business productivity by between built up a network of over a business, you’re 1,000 environmentally perfectly placed to 11% and 16% in 2015/2016” focused businesses. It know exactly what helps its community of businesses acproblems need solving. But knowing laborations with business are an imcess the university and other business the solution is only half of it. If you portant part of what universities do. support services. want to make it happen, you also need the resources and expertise to develop Business collaborations with univerIn taking on an active role in the growth and launch your innovation – which is sities make a substantial impact on of the local economy, universities are no mean feat for anybody. the UK economy. According to Univer-

80

GREEN GROWTH PLATFORM Collaborative Research Projects These projects involve a university academic and a business working together, and lead to new knowledge and understanding of a topic that’s relevant to the business. They typically last six months plus.

Consultancy projects These are bespoke consultancy projects delivered by university academics, for example third party testing of a new product or piece of equipment.

The timescale depends on what the business needs.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships KTPs, as they are known, involve a business working closely with a university on an innovation project lasting up to three years. The business employs a high-calibre graduate associate who works on the project in the business, but is supervised by an academic at the university. KTPs are hugely successful and result on average in an increase in business profits of £600k per annum in the three years following the project.

demonstrating their worth beyond teaching the next generation of professionals. They are helping businesses solve real world problems and helping generate economic growth.

How it works

As a business owner, you might not know how to go about working with a university. Where do you start? Who do you contact in the first instance?

Universities have teams that focus on working with businesses, and departments such as the Green Growth Platform act as a single point of entry into the organisation and a business friendly interface.

Accessing university equipment From VR environmental simulations to purpose-built houses for testing retrofit technologies, many universities hire out equipment and facilities for businesses to test and refine new products and services.

on and the Green Growth Platform will be joining forces with two like-minded UK universities – Liverpool John Moores University and University of Portsmouth, to form Clean Growth UK. Clean Growth UK is a national partnership of three universities all committed to working with businesses on clean and green business innovation. In the South East, businesses will be able to continue working with the Green Growth Platform at the University of Brighton, but also be able to access expertise and facilities at any of the other partner universities.

It certainly is a good time to think about your business and what innovation could help you operate in a cleaner way. And if you do have a burning idea in your mind, contact your local university to help make it happen.

You can find out more about the University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform at www.greengrowthplatform.co.uk. From March 2019, it will be part of the national Clean Growth UK network: www.clean-growth.uk.

A new network to serve the South East

In spring 2019, The University of Bright-

Typically universities have expertise in a wide range of areas. The University of Brighton, for example, works with businesses on projects that include engineering, electronics, the built environment, chemistry and digital.

The type of partnership depends on what the business wants. Here are some of the most common:

81

Thursday 18 April 2019 th

the

Price includ curry es a welc and o drink!me

5 2 ÂŁ

on s r e rp

pe

QUIZ

t

s Doorn ope pm 0 3 .

6

8

r e t eas

AX M peream

rockinghorse

Sponsored by

At the i360 on Brighton seafront For tickets call Stella Buckingham or on email:

01273 330044

stella@rockinghorse.org.uk

SEO

3 myths about SEO to ignore Ade Holder of 427 Marketing sets the record straight tice, SEO is not something that is ever ‘done’.

SEO is a long-term process of continual changes to content and the website to make sure it is super relevant and that Google ranks it well.

Myth #2 - Having multiple websites is good for SEO

Ade Holder

S

earch Engine Optimisation (SEO) is one of those things that sends business owners into a panic because they haven’t addressed it at all, or it makes them feel smug because they have it covered or makes them feel smug because they have unknowingly fallen for a common SEO myth and think it’s all OK. In my experience, it’s unfortunately more common to be the first or last reaction.

Judging by the rapid expansion, and overwhelming pipeline every SEO agency I know has, most business owners do not have this all sorted. There are a lot of very successful and intelligent business people that are walking around with some serious SEO myths in their heads and these are leading to them missing out on leads or even damaging the long-term value of their business.

Wrong! In the bad old days people created lots of small websites for each local area they did business in, so they ranked well for those searches. The snag with that is you then need to do monthly SEO work on multiple sites which is going to be very time consuming and expensive.

Google cares most about the ‘authority’ of a website and how relevant it is.

The key to authority is to have one big site where all the links from other websites arrive, all your lovely blog content is, and all your effort and time go.

If your page about your service has 100 words and your competitor’s page has 1000, with testimonials, case studies, video, images and more then it’s only fair they go above you in the search results.

Domain authority is the weight given to your site based on a lot of factors but links from other powerful sites are a big part of it. If your website has a link from the BBC and a local University because you are an expert on something, then it’s only right you rank higher than your competitor who only has a load of cheap links they paid someone on People Per Hour to build from gambling sites. If you understand these two key principles then you are 80% towards removing the mystery around this subject.

The take home here is never assume what you know is correct. Ask around, get some recommendations and speak to an expert - don’t rely on assumptions and myths.

Myth #3 - SEO is a dark art

A lot of SEO companies and agencies would like you to think it is a dark art so you don’t question their work and don’t try and do it yourself but it really isn’t. The core principles you need to understand are relevancy and authority. Is your website and content more relevant than your competitors? If so then you should rank above them.

Contact Ade at ade.holder@427marketing.co.uk

Here are just three common myths that every business owner should ignore!

Myth #1 - My web designer has done my SEO

This is a really common claim and it is totally incorrect. Many web design companies will say, as part of their pitch, that they make SEO friendly websites, and they do all your SEO when they build it. That is not how SEO works and is basically a bit of a lie. Whilst they may do a few basic bits of best prac-

83

Shake Hands in

84

Kuala

BUSINESS SURVEY TRAVEL

Lumpur 85

Global companies are clamouring to set up a base in the business-friendly Malaysian capital, and the city’s infrastructure is growing apace. Rose Dykins reports

B

y night, Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers transform the air around them with their ghostly light. Clutching street food and cool cups of mango lassi from night markets, revellers gaze up at these two luminescent rockets that have touched down in the heart of the city. From 1998 to 2004, these remarkable edifices were the tallest buildings in the world.

They continue to be the icon of the Malaysian capital – but they will soon be rivalled for supremacy.

When it is completed in 2024, the 635-metre-high PNB 118 will be the tallest building in Malaysia. Situated away from the Petronas Twin Towers, close to KL’s colonial district, the mega-structure is being developed by global construction company Turner International to house its regional headquarters – Turner is the same force behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (still the tallest building in the world at 828 metres high). With a design modelled on a diamond, this 188-storey tower will have 83 floors of office space, 16 levels of luxury hotels and an observation deck offering unparalleled views of the Malaysian metropolis.

The scale and ambition of PNB 111 reflects KL’s status as a desirable business hub. In 2017, foreign direct investment in Malaysia for global establishments was valued at RM 14 billion (more than £260,000,000) as global companies backed infrastructure projects to set up their regional bases here. And there are plenty of reasons why, including excellent flight connectivity, strong business infrastructure, a favourable exchange rate, relatively high level of English proficiency and less red tape than some of its regional competitors.

an attractive investment prospect for some time thanks to Dubai-like drive to develop new infrastructure and its business-friendly ecosystem.

“KL has been an attractive

investment prospect for some

Malaysia Airlines is also making moves to attract corporate travellers. In December, the national airline rebranded its first class cabins as a premium business class product, named “Business Suite”. Exactly the same product as before, only at a lower price point, the airline said this decision was based on high demand from business travellers. These suites are available on the airline’s A350 and A380 aircraft – including its service from London Heathrow.

time thanks to Dubai-like drive to

develop new infrastructure and its business-friendly ecosystem” In the World Bank Doing Business 2019 Report, which measures the ease of doing business in 190 nations, Kuala Lumpur leapt from 24th to 15th position in one year. This was thanks to the relaxing of regulations in key areas such as obtaining construction permits and cross-border trading. KL has been

Petaling Street – one of KL’s major street food and market destinations

86

Downtown Kuala Lumpur by night

TRAVEL

TOP PL ACES

for a meeting or event

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

Offering more than 20,000 sqm of sophisticated event space, this city-centre conference venue is overlooked by the Petronas Twin Towers. Notable spaces include the 3,000-seat plenary hall and the groundfloor exhibition halls totalling 9,710 sqm. klccconventioncentre.com Kilim Geoforest Park in Langkawi, Malaysia

In terms of hotel stock, Kuala Lumpur is about to gain upmarket properties opening in the heart of the capital.

Coming next year, the 207-room So Sofitel Kuala Lumpur and So Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Residences (590 luxury apartments) will be located in the Jalam Yap Kwan Seng business district in a new landmark building, within walking distance from the Petronas Twin Towers and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Another major gain in the same area will be the Crown Plaza Kuala Lumpur City Centre, set to debut in 2021, with a specific focus on business travellers, offering seven event spaces, 338 rooms and a sky bar.

Kuala Lumpur has plenty of incentive options for corporate travellers – including an evening sampling the deliciousness of its night markets or a historical walking tour taking in heritage buildings and learning about the successive influences that have made the Malaysian capital such a melting pot of culture, including immigrant communities from China and Southern India, indigenous ethnic groups from around the nation and British colonialism. Another option is to host a conference or event in the capital, and pair it with an incentive in the tropical island of Langkawi (a onehour flight from KL). Delegates can tour the island’s emerald rainforest, rubber plantations and villages surrounded by rice paddies – a million miles from the concrete jungle of the capital – before relaxing at one of its luxury resorts, with event space and palm-lined beaches.

Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

With excellent facilities – such as a top floor business centre, a 24-hour gym and a 38th-floor restaurant with 360 degree city views – this 411-room property is within walking distance of the Golden Triangle entertainment precinct. It has 13 event spaces, including chandelier-clad ballrooms. hyatt.com

Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur

A ten-minute walk from Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, this 540-room hotel has an outdoor saltwater pool, five restaurants and bars, 14 meeting rooms and a ballroom that can hold 1,300 people. doubletree3.hilton.com

EQ Kuala Lumpur

Set to open imminently in a striking cuboid building, this contemporary hotel promises 441 luxurious rooms, and the “most romantic” ballroom in KL. eqkualalumpur.com

Citizen M Kuala Lumpur

Known for its creative meeting spaces, Citizen M’s property in KL’s lively shopping district, Bukit Bintang, has three intimate, high-tech board rooms with designer furniture that can hold up to 40 people each. citizenm.com

87

check-in Month-to-month changes shaping your travel, by Rose Dykins

UK passport drops to sixth most powerful

T

he British passport has fallen to joint-sixth place in a ranking of the world’s most powerful passports.

The Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries in order of how many places passport holders can visit without a pre-arranged visa, has seen Britain place lower each year since it topped the rankings in 2015, alongside Germany.

The number of visa-free and visa-on-arrival countries UK passport holders can travel to fell from 186 to 185 in 2018, after Turkey introduced pre-arranged e-visas. Japan tops the 2019 index, with its passport permitting visa-free travel to 190 countries.

Emirates served 40% more vegan meals in January

E

mirates saw a huge rise in plantbased dining amongst passengers at the start of 2019.

encouraging veganism, and the carrier served 20,000 plant-based meals worldwide throughout the month.

The airline reported a 40% increase in requests for vegan meals during January, as passengers participated in Veganuary, the international movement

Emirates offers more than 170 vegan recipes and says that plant-based meals are its third most commonly requested meal in economy class.

Gatwick Airport to trial robot parking

G

atwick will commence test-runs of robot valet parking from April to August this year.

Created by Stanley Robotics, the robots – nicknamed “Stan” – have already been trialled at Lyon Airport. The tech company’s co-founder Stéphane Evanno, said: “It’s a machine that detects a vehicle, slides under it, lifts it gently by the wheels and moves it to a storage area.

“People need to drop off their car at the entrance of the car park and then they can basically leave and catch a flight.”

Hilton adds Netflix streaming via Hhonors app

G

uests can now access Netflix through the Hilton Hhonors app when staying in one of the group’s Connected Rooms.

By logging in to their Netflix account via the app, customers can stream

88

content onto the TVs in Connected Rooms. Hilton plans to expand the Connected Rooms concept to “tens of thousands of rooms in hundreds more hotels across the US in 2019”, as well as launching it in non-US locations for the first time.

Taking place in Zone B of Gatwick’s South Terminal long-stay car park, customers will park their cars in a cabin before the robots collect and move them into parking spots.

The idea is for more spaces to become available, as robotically-parked cars don’t require space for humans to exit the vehicles.

Gatwick Airport connects you directly to over 120 stations

BUSINESS SURVEY

You’d have to go a long way to beat that

We’re more than just an airport 89

�On the western side of the island, the warren of closelypacked balconies buzzes with activity as tourists settle down to enjoy the mesmerising show out at sea�

90

BUSINESS LUXURY SURVEY TRAVEL

Santorini BUCKET LIST:

The captivating Greek island sets the scene for the ultimate romantic getaway. Rose Dykins offers tips for experiencing it at its best

D

usk is a magical time of day on Santorini. It warrants a moment to pause and show the sunset the reverence it deserves.

On the western side of the island, the warren of closely-packed balconies buzzes with activity as tourists settle down to enjoy the mesmerising show out at sea. Centre stage is the volcanic crater of Nea Kameni, its black contoured surface casting a dramatic silhouette against the ethereal sky and serene stretch of sea. It’s a magnetic sight; powerfully beautiful and utterly absorbing – and the feeling that everyone around you is as transfixed as you only adds to its allure.

Situated in the heart of the Aegean archipelago, Santorini is part of the Cyclades islands (along with Mykonos and Naxos). What sets it apart is its curious volcanic environment, which gives

it one of the most distinctive sunset views in the world, as well as black sandy beaches and the soil conditions to produce some delicious earthy wines.

Its tiny capital, Fira, features cobbled streets lined with boutiques, jewellery stores and (overpriced) restaurants, and its popularity as a cruise stop means it can be overrun with tourists.

Similarly, Oia, at the island’s northern tip, where you’ll find examples of Santorini’s signature blue-domed churches, is considered the prime spot for watching the sun set, so it can get overcrowded.

To make the most of your Santorini experience, it’s worth finding alternative ways to experience the island.

For example, opt for a luxury sailboat cruise (santorini-sea-excursions.com) that drops you off at Nea Kameni to explore its craggy molten terrain and its hot springs, warmed and tinged golden by sulphur. Timed to perfection, cruises sail towards the sun as it starts to descend so pas-

sengers can enjoy the show from the comfort of the deck. Or, tear yourself away from the sun lounger to explore Santorini’s often-overlooked ancient historical sites. A guided electric mountain bike tour (santoriniadventures. gr) leads you to spots such as the cliffs near the village of Megalochori, a remote spot offering one of the best sunset views on the entire island.

Also, consider staying in Imerovigli, within walking distance of both Fira and Oia, and slightly calmer, with some wonderful boutique hotels that have a tucked away feel, offering no more than a dozen suites – many of them with outdoor hot tubs overlooking the volcano. For example, last year, Anastasis Apartments (anastasisapartments. com) was recently named Best Small Hotel in the World at the 2019 Travellers’ Choice Awards by Tripadvisor.

With just ten apartments and suites, and one villa, the clifftop property has a heated infinity pool and two sundecks, and breakfast is served on the privacy of your own sea-facing balcony.

91

CHARITY NEWS

Networking for a cause Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice hosted its first networking breakfast of the year at Hotel du Vin Brighton on Wednesday February 13th, encouraging local businesses to get together to network and learn more about the work of the charity

O

ver 50 people attended the event, with representatives from a wide range of businesses, including Close Brothers, Gemini Print, Leaders and Metro Bank, and guest speaker, Rachel Regan – Head of Sales for Gaydio radio station.

Chestnut Tree House Trustee, Tony Clark, welcomed guests to Hotel du Vin and Rachel Regan spoke about the ways she has worked with the charity, both in her current role at Gaydio and previously with Brighton radio station, Juice 107.2.

Tony Clark also gave a moving account of the care provided by Chestnut Tree House, both at the hospice and in families’ own homes, and explained how the charity relies heavily on community support so that they can continue to care for local children with life-shortening conditions.

Alison Taylor, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Chestnut Tree House said: “Spreading the word about the specialist care services Chestnut Tree House offers to local children and families is so important to us, both in terms of increasing awareness and fundraising, and it is always fantastic to see representatives from so many different businesses at our networking events.”

Chestnut Tree House hosts network-

ing breakfasts throughout the year.

The next events are taking place at the Rathfinny Wine Estate in Alfriston, East Sussex on May 14th, and Old Thorns Hotel in Liphook, Hampshire on June 7th. Visit www.chestnut-tree-house. org.uk/networking for details.

In addition to business networking breakfasts, Chestnut Tree House is also hosting a Meet the Care Team event on Thursday 6th June at Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club in Eastbourne.

There will be the chance to hear from members of the East Sussex-based care team about the care they give children and families in East Sussex. Members of the team – including nurses, care support workers and activity leaders – will be also be available to chat to guests and answer questions.

The Meet the Care Team event will take place from 5.30pm and places are limited. Contact the Corporate Fundraising Team to book your place.

Chestnut Tree House cares for around 300 children and young people with life-shortening conditions across

92

Sussex and South East Hampshire, all of whom are unlikely to reach adulthood. Here are just a few of the ways your business can get involved and make a difference.

• Take part in a fun fundraising event • Make Chestnut Tree House your Charity of the Year • Set up Payroll Giving for your employees • Join our Corporate Volunteering days

To find out more about Chestnut Tree House’s networking events and the different ways your business can support the charity, visit www.chestnuttree-house.org.uk, email corporate@ chestnut-tree-house.org.uk or call 01903 871846 / 01323 725095.

BUSINESS SURVEY

WEST SUSSEX TECH EXPO!

DATE Thursday 13th June 2019 TIME FOR EVENT 10:00am - 3:00pm EVENT DESTINATION Butlins Upper Bognor Road Bognor Regis PO21 1JJ

Over 60+ Exhibitors Great Opportunity to Network A who’s who of Business Leaders Centrally Located Loads of Free Parking Game Themed Exhibits Free Gift

REGISTER NOW www.netxp.co.uk

7.30am – 8.00am Managing Director, Vinco Marketing

M JI

CUNL I FF

TT HUNT A M

E

8.15am – 8.45am Managing Director, Face Media Group

9.00am – 9.30am Co-Founder, The Protein Ball Co.

Web: netxp.co.uk - Tel: 01273 833 222 NetXP printing by

GUEST SPEAKERS

VI

R IA HI LDI O T

H TC

C

*Be quick, the first 60 gain access to the Early Bird Speakers Breakfast.

SUS SE X

NEW HOME S AWARDS HHHHH

The brand-new Sussex New Homes Awards are designed to celebrate all that is great about our region’s property developers, interior designers, architects, estate agencies and all associated companies. This is the first time there have been regional awards of this ilk and it is time that Sussex celebrated this vital sector

Chair of Judges

There will be 15 prestigious awards up for grabs at the glittering black-tie event to be held at the Hilton Metropole in Brighton on October 10th 2019. All winners will receive the coveted trophy and a wealth of publicity via our media partners and the social media campaign will be intense.

There are still a few opportunities left for sponsorship of the Sussex New Homes Awards. If you are interested in sponsoring or would like to be added to the mailing list, email info@platinumpublishing.co.uk These awards are brought to you by Platinum Event Management, a division of the Platinum Publishing Group – the publishers of the largest-circulation business magazines in the country, reaching over 720,000 readers every month across the South East. Platinum also present the Sussex, Surrey, Lewes and Brighton Business awards.

EVENTS

PLATINUM

Paul Zara, BSC(HONS) DIP ARCH RIBA FRSA

Partner – Conran and Partners South East Chair - RIBA “I am very much looking forward to chairing these awards. Housing is such a key issue at the moment and a lot of people are working hard to design and deliver places for people not just to live, but to thrive. The awards are a chance to celebrate excellence and to recognise the talent that we have in Sussex…”

HILTON BRIGHTON METROPOLE • OCTOBER 10TH 2019

94

BUSINESS SURVEY

Categories 1

DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR (MORE THAN 20 HOMES)

2

DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR (LESS THAN 20 HOMES)

3

AFFORDABLE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

4

ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR

5

RETIREMENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR

6

ARCHITECT OF THE YEAR

7

REGENERATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR

8

LUXURY HOME OF THE YEAR

9

CONVERSION OF THE YEAR

10 ESTATE AGENCY OF THE YEAR

11 MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

12 INTERIOR DESIGN OF THE YEAR

13 LANDSCAPE DESIGN OF THE YEAR

14 SMART HOME OF THE YEAR

15 DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR

95

Abarth 595 Competitione

All good things come in small packages and this monster of a car will leave your head spinning, says Maarten Hoffmann, Motoring Editor.

R

egular readers will recall my review three years ago of the Fiat 500 and the award-winning image we took of it at the Pavilion in Brighton. I certainly recall the shock felt by many readers that l absolutely loved the car - the shock coming from the fact that it is not a tarmac ripping supercar.

Now we have the devil child that is spawned from the standard 500 married to the Abarth tuning house. That bastard child is the 595 Competitione and in my fantasy seven car garage, there is definitely a place for this monster box of metal.

It is basically a Fiat 500 on steroids and whoever came up with the idea deserves a firm pat on the back. It is a total hoot to drive and the look on that

96

Audi R8 driver’s face at traffic lights in Guildford, when this pint sized junior tore away from the lights and left him standing, will stay with me for years to come. I could almost hear him choking with shock.

The Abarth company was created in 1949 in Bologna, Italy, by Carlo Abarth who dedicated his life to creating word-class racing cars. In 1933, he developed a sidecar that beat the Orient Express on the 1300k journey from Vienna to Ostend and his cars won the Mille Miglia, Formula 2, ten world records, 133 international records and over 10,000 track victories over the years. Now Abarth is effectively a tuning house such as BMW’s M Series and Mercedes AMG. The difference here is that they bolt their magic onto small cars to make them my kind of mon-

sters. The Scorpion badge seen on all Abarth models is based on Carlo’s astrological sign of Scorpio.

As a city car, it is almost unbeatable. It will fit into almost any parking spot, the steering is light, the gearbox smooth and a breeze to fly through, and if you need to get going, there is almost nothing on the road in this class that will catch you. The superb Abarth seats have huge wraparound bolsters that keep you tight in place although if you are carrying a tad of extra ‘holiday weight’, you might find them a tight squeeze. Getting into the back two seats is a challenge but no more than any standard 500 and the boot is good enough.

This car is all about the driving and it does not disappoint - in all conditions.

MOTORING Whilst in my care, l attended a Cabinet briefing from MP Greg Clark, Minister for Industry and Energy with my dear friend Bruce Hayter of Rix & Kay, and it was the evening when all hell broke loose when over six inches of snow fell in an hour - and l was in the wilds of Uckfield!! Having departed Uckfield at 9pm on a journey to Brighton that normally takes 40 minutes, l found myself in hell with snow everywhere, abandoned cars littering the roads and accidents every ten minutes. Having made it along the totally deserted and somewhat surreal M27, l girded my loins to

that this is more fun. The Abarth gets a 1.4-litre engine with a turbo and a new front end to make way for all the cooling systems, 16-inch alloys, new springs and dampers, Koni shocks all round and large Bemba brakes. Inside, you get the great bucket seats, a large and very silly turbo boost gauge that sits on the dash and looks like an afterthought of a 16-year old twit with an account at Halfords, and there is a Sport button on the dash that adds a bit of weight to the steering. The rest is petty much standard Fiat 500 with a/c, Bluetooth, electric front windows

There are cheaper hot hatches; there are faster hot hatches; but ladies and gentlemen, l defy you to find one that does what this car does in the way it does it and, ultimately, it achieves what hot hatches were designed for - it puts a smile on your face.

I have had two review cars since they took the Abarth away and I’m currently driving a Honda Type R in full B Class rally spec but l often find my mind wandering back to the fun l had with the Abarth and that really does tell you everything.

“It is basically a Fiat 500 on steroids and whoever came up with the idea deserves a firm pat on the back” try to get over the downs on the Falmer Road. Having passed at least ten cars that failed to make it, l avoided the three car crash at the Downs Hotel and made it into Rottingdean, where there was total gridlock. Cars everywhere, buses stuck and abandoned cars blocking every road. This little thing, being light, low geared and on brand new tyres (and a world-class driver at the wheel, of course) enabled me to drive on the pavement though the snow to get past the first bus and then up the middle of the traffic in the deepest snow to get past the next three. When hundreds of people walked home or slept in their cars, this little darling got me home - OK, the 40 minute journey took 4.5 hours but l got home.

It does have competition in the form of the Mini Cooper S but l would venture

and a 5-inch touchscreen. Outside, you get the brilliant Record Monza exhaust that pops and crackles, and carbon fibre bits and pieces.

Getting 177bhp out of a 1.4-litre engine is an achievement although the Cooper S manages 189bhp but the character and peppiness of the Fiat outshines the Mini. It might take 7.6 seconds to get to 60, but l can assure you it feels ten times faster than that and the brilliant brakes will stop it on a sixpence.

The ride is firm and there is no way to hide that and little you can do about it. Many will find it uncomfortable but then go buy the standard 500 if that’s your issue as this car is about going fast and for that, you have to suffer some inconveniences in such a small car.

My fantasy seven car garage is very limiting as only choosing seven cars from the hundreds available is really tough but l can assure you that the Abarth 595 Competitione is in there.

I am going to need a bigger fantasy garage!

TECH STUFF Model tested: Abarth 595 Competitione Engine: 1.4-litre turbocharged Power: 177bhp Speed: 0-60 7.6 seconds Top: 139mph Economy: 43.5 mpg combined Price from: £19,890

97

Jaguar I-Pace Forward thinking and perfectly formed, Jaguar have charged ahead with their first all-electric vehicle. Is this one bold step into the future for the British car brand? By Maarten Hoffmann, Motoring Editor.

T

here is a certain nervousness around the next generation of cars. Will it be electric, will diesel cars be banned, should you buy petrol or, as l suspect, it might be none of these. Hence, the great British public has virtually halted the purchase of

as it requires no costly and dirty power stations to produce the stuff, requires no mass investment in a world-wide chain of charging stations, results in no mountain of batteries once they have lived their life and no range anxiety. Admittedly, it will not arrive until they can work out how to stop it exploding but the canny Japanese are on the case day and night and once perfected, it produces nothing but a dribble of water from the tailpipe, is in abundant supply as it is in the air all around us and you will be able to fill up at the normal petrol station. In the meantime, hybrids and full electric cars are shooting off the production line at a rate of knots.

new cars whilst they wait for someone to answer their questions and, in the process, are helping to bankrupt the car industry.

Tesla carries the electric flame but these cars are hindered by very high purchase prices. Nissan has the Leaf (reviewed recently) but it is a tad dull although a great town car and there are others but having just spent a week with the new Jaguar l-Pace, l have to say it is fantastic.

My personal feeling is that the hydrogen cell will soon be the fuel of choice

All this kWh lark you need to understand when looking at the power op-

“It is beautifully, superbly linear and just keeps going until you run out of road or courage.

And of course, zero emissions�

98

BUSINESS MOTORING SURVEY tions is a tad confusing and l don’t have space here to explain it, suffice to say this car has a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, perfect for what we all need, and was developed by JLR, and 90 minutes to charge to 80%. It produces 394bhp from two electric motors driving the rear and front axles and 60mph arrives in a rather startling 4.5 seconds. Jaguar state that you could get 500km on a single charge but in normal driving conditions, that is absolute rubbish. 200 miles is the best you will get which is not too shabby but still requires some serious planning to do a long journey, allowing time for charging, finding chargers that are not broken and ensuring you have a very light right foot when accelerating.

The upside is that it is a very pretty car, beautifully designed, well equipped and the acceleration is electrifying.

That’s the thing with electric cars with no moving engines parts, no pistons flying up and down, no fuel being squirted that has to be exploded by spark plugs to get propulsion, there is

zero lag on acceleration. It is beautifully, superbly linear and just keeps going until you run out of road or courage.

And of course, zero emissions.

This is a ground-up new car and is a brave step into this market for JLR whilst the major German manufacturers lag behind Tesla. But ignoring the power plant, this is still just a car that needs to do all the things that we are used to from new cars.

Firstly, its exterior design is beautiful - 20-inch blacked out wheels and fabulous proportions. The stubby nose brings the front wheels forward and the squared off backend sets the silhouette.

Jags iconic flush door handles clean the lines, and the vented bonnet and rear spoiler bookend the whole leaving a really nicely designed automobile.

The interior is great although not perhaps the space age look l was expecting but we do have three screens and a floaty console aka the Velar, and the Recaro seat position is superb with the

TECH STUFF Model tested: 400PS HSE Engine: EV400 90kWh Power: 394bhp Speed: 0-60 4.5 seconds Top: 124mph Economy: quotes 292 miles Price from: £74,445

right bolster and ride height but without the bulk that contributes to overall weight. Weight has always been the enemy of performance but in an electric car, it is also the enemy of range and that is the elephant in the room with all these cars, but onto that later. With the front wheels moving forward, the interior space is very good and the boot space matches that of even estate cars. In short, it’s a really nice, totally silent place to be. You can be rightfully smug in this. Then you can, smugly, keep pace with a 911 or Audi RS.

99

MOTORING

The elephant is no surprise as it is range and ease of charging. If you have the standard 7kw home charger then it will take ten hours to charge to 80%. If you can fit or find a 100kWh charger, then that drops dramatically to 40 minutes but the trouble is the charging network is currently not fit for purpose. Way too many 7kw chargers out there, then add in the broken ones and the horrific collection of different charging cards and apps, all to be understood in the rain scrutinising a small plastic sign.

You can go where you want with this car but you have to plan. Spend your day in town or poodling to and from the same workplace, then this is for you as it will go all week on a charge. The former plus a variety of journeys of under 60 miles, all good for days. But if, like me, you are all over the place with little knowledge of where you might be on any given day, and/or have family over 70 miles away that you see regularly, then plan plan and plan. Time has to be

ing, as whatever comes along, electricity will always be available. Price wise it is not cheap at £74,445. The long-awaited Tesla 3 is expected to come in at £35,000 and will hoover up the small car market, but there will still be a good sized market looking for that added luxury and who will pay for this car and, when they bring out the SVR version, l might die and go to heaven.

Hats off to Jaguar Land Rover for this brave step into the future.

As to you naysayers who will “If we don’t buy them, they will not A total nonsense and about never even consider electric, as much thought has been increase the charging network and we will wake up and smell the dieput into planning this network be back to square one – killing the polar sel fumes. Bet you said you wouldn’t ever have a smart as planning Brexit. Embarbears and our children” rassingly little indeed. Surely, phone or dump your vinyl or 8-track for CDs? If we don’t with the constant hammerallowed for the charging and if you find buy them, they will not increase the ing that we should buy electric and a good 50Kw or 100Kw charger and charging network and we will be back to discounts offered through government it is free, then you have 168 miles per grants to buyers, there should be five square one – killing the polar bears, and hour of charge which is a coffee, pee times the number of chargers, they our children. If you have my diary, then and a few emails on the car’s 4G WiFi. should all be 100kw and they should all buy a hybrid with a tiny petrol engine that But on a slower charger you are there charges the batteries but really, you will be free. They should be all be available way longer and, as in my case with a on a deal like our phones, on a no dehave to make the switch and the car inTesla recently, l got a 60 quid fine for dustry needs you. posit, pay monthly basis and we should overstaying in the motorway service be able to upgrade whenever we wish station!! with no balloons, deposits penalties or If you have the cash, this is an excellent fuss. Sort this out and you would see car from a ‘British’ car manufacturer In conclusion, this is a really good car the dumping of ye olde fossil cars and and if we don’t buy, they cannot develand you should not hesitate to buy it tothe largest take up of new cars in the op, if they cannot develop they will die morrow, above caveats notwithstandhistory of the Industrial Age. and we will all mourn the loss.

100

chambers BUSINESS SURVEY

This session will tackle business situations where you’re feeling stuck, have lost the purpose in what you’re doing or are feeling anxious about making decisions or moving forward.

Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce www.businessinbrighton.org.uk

Slow-mo networking Date: Tuesday 12th March Time: 9am–10:30am Venue: Brighton Harbour Hotel, 64 Kings Road, Brighton A new event with a structured approach to networking so that you can focus the conversation on your business.

Crowdfunding for charities and social enterprises Date: Wednesday 13th March Time: 9:30am-11:30am Venue: NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, 149 Preston Rd, Brighton This session, run by Crowdfunder, will outline rewards-based crowdfunding and the tips and tricks to create a successful campaign for your charity or social enterprise.

Chichester Chamber of Commerce & Industry www.chichestercci.org.uk

Glow in the dark adventure golf Date: Thursday 7th March Time: 6pm Venue: Chichester Golf Club, Hunston, Chichester Price: FREE Come along and enjoy playing 18-holes on this brand new adventure golf course. At the end of your round you can relax and enjoy drinks and nibbles in the on-site café with lots of opportunity to chat and network with other local businesses.

Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

Unpacking Brighton’s new economic strategy (members only)

Date: Monday 11th March Time: 6pm–8:15pm Venue: Chichester Park Hotel, Madgwick Lane, Westhampnett Road, Chichester Price: FREE

Date: Thursday 14th March Time: 6pm–7:30pm Venue: Lighthouse, 28 Kensington Street, Brighton

Join us at this wonderful hotel for our evening meeting.

There will be refreshments on arrival, a guest speaker and an update on the Chichester Chamber.

At this special Chamber event we’ll be joined by Nick Hibberd and Max Woodford from BHCC. We’ll hear about the context of the new strategy and its aims and outcomes.

The Chichester Business Breakfast

Chamber Breakfast Date: Friday 22nd March Time: 7:45am-9:30am Venue: Carluccio’s, 1 Jubilee Street, Brighton Our guest speaker this month is Martin Harris, MD at Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus. Hear about Martin’s journey through growing the business and bucking national trends.

Date: Wednesday 13th March Time: 7.30am-9am Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields, Chichester Price: Members: £13.50 | Non-members: £15.00 This monthly breakfast (includes a full English breakfast) provides a friendly, relaxed and informative environment for local businesses to network and improve your business profile locally, with a guest speaker. In conjuction with Chichester College.

“Drop in for Drinks Wednesday” Bite-sized Learning: Emotional decluttering Date: Tuesday 26th March Time: 9:30am–11:30am Venue: The 1st Central County Ground, Eaton Road, Hove

Date: Wednesday 20th March Time: From 5pm Venue: Chichester Harbour Hotel, North Street, Chichester A great opportunity to relax after work, buy yourself a drink and meet fellow members in an informal environment.

101

Develop Managers into Leaders Workshop and Lunch Date: Wednesday 27th March Time: 12pm-2.15pm Venue: Crouchers Orchards, Birdham Road, Chichester Price: Members: £25.00 | Non-members: £30.00 Join us at the glorious Crouchers Orchards for a one-hour workshop on “Developing Managers into Leaders” by One Xi Consulting, followed by a delicious two-course lunch.

All places for events must be booked via www.chichestercci.org.uk

Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce www.eastbourneunltd.co.uk

Late Breakfast Networking Date: Wednesday 13th March Time: 9am Venue: The Bloom Factory, 87 Seaside Road, Eastbourne Price: £11

Last Friday Lunch Date: Friday 29th March Time: 12pm Venue: Agora Mediterranean Restaurant, 48 Grove Road, Eastbourne Price: £22.50 for two courses and a complimentary glass of wine or soft drink.

Popular networking lunches are held regularly at various locations around Eastbourne. Join us for some informal networking over a delicious two-course lunch.

Edeal First Friday business networking Date: Friday 5th April Time: 12.30pm Venue: The Cavendish Hotel, 38 Grand Parade, Eastbourne Price: Free to attend The First Friday Network is a monthly free to attend business networking event. An informal gathering in a welcoming environment where people feel relaxed and are free to present a 60-second elevator pitch.

This unique venue provides an informal environment for attendees to make new business connections over a great breakfast.

Wyntercon Charity Gala & Fundraising Event Date: Saturday 16th March Venue: Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club, 3 Harbour Quay, Eastbourne Price: £38 + booking fee Join us and Wyntercon as they host their annual gala and fundraising evening. This gala dinner is an opportunity to learn more about us and the opportunities to get involved whilst enjoying a great evening with friends.

Chamber Breakfast Date: Tuesday 19th March Time: 7am Venue: Deliciously Gorgeous, 12 Cornfield Road, Eastbourne Price: £11 Members are invited to attend this popular networking event and promote their business services and products over breakfast. This is a great opportunity to meet with other local business people and showcase your business.

102

Sussex Chamber of Commerce www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Construction Forum Date: Tuesday 5th March Time: 7:45am–10:30am Venue: Crowne Plaza, Felbridge Price: Members: £25 I Non-Members: £35 (excludes VAT) The theme is the Environment and Sustainability in the Construction industry.

Business Networking Lunch Date: Thursday 14th March Time: 12pm-2.30pm Venue: Sandman Signature London Gatwick Hotel, Crawley Price: Members: £25 I Non-Members: £35 (excludes VAT) Making Tax Digital is a key part of the government’s plans to make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right. Listen to the experts to ensure you are making the fundamental changes required to your business.

chambers BUSINESS SURVEY

Better Business for All – Do You Know Your Legal Requirements and Liabilities?

Date: Tuesday 19th March Time: 8am-1pm Venue: Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, Arundel Price: Members: £18 I Non-Members: £25 (excludes VAT) The focus will be on the latest regulations in the food and beverage industry.

British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference 2019 Date: Thursday 28th March Venue: QE11 Centre, London The Annual Conference explores the subjects most relevant to UK business. The Conference provides insights into these key topics through panel discussions and keynote speakers.

Cyber Security – GDPR a year on Date: Tuesday 2nd April Time: 8am-10.30am Venue: Holiday Inn London Gatwick Airport, Crawley Price: Members: £25 I Non-Members: £35 (excludes VAT) The continuing and growing cyber security threat poses significant risk to businesses of all sizes across Sussex. The role of the forum is to share information and challenges, raise concerns and get advice from an independent trusted advisor.

Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce

www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Creating & sustaining effective content for your marketing strategy WiseUp2 Date: Friday 8th March Time: 9:30am-11:30am Venue: Centre For Leadership, GB MET, Broadwater Road, Worthing Price: Members: £35 +VAT | Non-members: £75 +VAT

Customer service – Moving from ordinary to extraordinary WiseUp2 Date: Tuesday 12th March Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm Venue: Centre For Leadership, GB MET, Broadwater Road, Worthing Price: Members: £35 +VAT | Non-members: £75 +VAT

This workshop will enable you to start to build a customer centric strategy to your business, ensuring that the customer is at the heart of everything you do.

Chamber Hub Date: Friday 15th March Time: 12:30pm-2:30pm Venue: Impulse Leisure, Lancing Price: Free Spend your lunchtime enjoying some informal networking with like-minded business people - Chamber Hub is a well-established, popular networking event which attracts a vast selection of local businesses.

Making Tax Digital WiseUp2 Date: Tuesday 19th March Time: 1:30pm-3:30pm Venue: Centre For Leadership, GB MET, Broadwater Road, Worthing Price: Members: £35 +VAT | Non-members: £75 +VAT You will leave the course being enlightened as to what MTD is, how it affects your business, and what tools are out there to comply with the new laws.

Planning breakfast with James Appleton Date: Friday 22nd March Time: 7:30am-9am Venue: Heene Community Centre, Worthing Price: Members: £14 +VAT | Non-members: £19 +VAT James Appleton, Head of planning and development for Adur & Worthing Councils will provide an update on the Adur and Worthing Local Plan and major regeneration sites across Adur and Worthing.

This session will show you how to effectively communicate content on your website and across social platforms. You will also cover content creation, writing tips and useful resources.

103

Start-Up SURGERY

Welcome to Start-up Surgery, offering advice and information, plus profiles of new businesses in the South East.

Edited and compiled by David Tewkesbury

5

Steps to making home working work

M

ost start-ups start at home; at the kitchen table, on the sofa, or the laptop leaning on the bed.

This is a great place to start but often it’s hugely disruptive. This month, I look at how to make the best of your home working environment, and then suggest some alternatives to consider as you make your journey from Start-up to Grow-up to Scaleup!

1

Make a space Use the kitchen table, the office desk if you have one or anything else.

But make sure it’s ready for you to work on. Clear as much space as you need and remove distractions such as post, magazines and other things.

cheaply. Make the time to adjust it and ensure you are not stooping to type, or you will be setting yourself up for neck strain.

3

Remove distractions We are multitasking all the time, looking at Facebook, watching TV, listening to music all at the same time. If you are working, you’re much better concentrating on the important stuff, work! So, remove all distractions.

Turn off notifications on your phone (or ignore them). Turn off the TV. If you like music, have a playlist playing rather than a radio station which will distract you with news, commentaries and adverts. You’re there to focus on work.

“Turn off the TV. If you like music, have a playlist playing rather than a radio station”

The successful homeworkers are those who treat it like ‘real work’.

Some I know dress as if they were going into the office, even when working at home. Others are just as happy taking calls and doing emails in their nightwear; it’s really what works for you. But what are the key things to get your home working work for you?

104

2

Get comfortable You may well be sitting for a long time (unless you have a fancy standing desk), so treat your back, body and shoulders well. An adjustable chair is best for long periods and a decent starter chair can be bought relatively

4

Set work times Have a proper start time and start at that time. Likewise allow for breaks

START-UPS

Working outside the home Working from home isn’t for everyone, and even if you like it, you may want time around people, and there’s loads of options for other places to work.

1

The library Often forgotten, most libraries now have spaces for you to plug in and work. You are unlikely to be chatting to people, but it gives you a quiet environment to crack on with critical work.

and a proper lunch. Your brain will need time to relax and you’ll welcome the break. So have some food and read or watch TV if you want, but only for your allotted 30, 45, or (if you are treating yourself) 60 minutes.

5

Plan your days First thing each day, look at the diary and prioritise the urgent actions first - these will always be client-based actions. Then work through the other actions. At the end of the day, check what you have left over and put time slots in tomorrow’s diary to finish it.

Also have a look at the rest of your week and ensure you are prepared for what’s happening.

Doing these five simple steps will help you make the most of your work at home regime, until you’re ready to

move out. Have a look at the sidebar article on options for working away from home.

Get involved. Send your business questions to davidtewkesbury@merranti.com. Or if you would like your start-up profiled, email David for details.

2

Coffee shops Many coffee shops have workspaces, and many others that don’t welcome laptop users. The key here is to be fair. I buy at least one drink an hour and try not to be there around their busy times between 11 and 2.

3

Co-working spaces These are really popping up all over the place. And for between £50-150 a month you can get between 40 and 80 hours a month, great connectivity, often free coffee and a thriving community to join, engage and work with. Many offer free trial days so take a look.

What other spaces do you like to use? Let me know on davidtewkesbury@merranti.com.

I’d love to include them.

105

READ IT AND KEEP Think print is dying? No, it’s just evolving, rapidly. Just look to book and vinyl sales for evidence. Can I say I told you so? By Maarten Hoffmann.

I

have been banging on for years about what goes around comes around. Fads come and fads go.

Not long ago the vinyl record was consigned to the scrap heap of history as CDs swept the board. Vinyl sales are now legendary and continue to grow.

We started a publishing company hard into the jaws of the digital age and were told, on more occasions than l can count, that we were mad and would die, as indeed most others have.

Two things proved them all wrong.

First, we remapped the funding method of magazines and second, our fervent belief that print was never going to die. Sleeping yes, dead no.

And so, as it was foretold, print is back – with a vengeance. Our lives revolve around computers, tablets, televisions and phones – in short, we are glued to artificially lit screens. Even on vacation many are glued to Kindle screens. BUT NO MORE... Kindle sales have fallen off a cliff, bookshops are starting to make money and expand if not on the high street then online, national papers have weathered the storm although the same cannot be said for regional papers, and here at Platinum Towers, we cannot keep up with the demand for printed copies.

When considering this, please do not forget that it is phenomenally more cost effective for us to have you read this online and indeed, hundreds of thousands of you are, as this costs us

106

£1 to print and £1.27 to mail out. Online, that cost vanishes but the point here is that the printed word has been with us since the Chinese worked it out in 220AD. Johannes Gutenberg perfected the printing press in the 15th century and off we went. It was never going to disappear but was indeed shaken to its core.

Launching a magazine for the under 25’s would be a bold move but as our demographic is 35 to death, we knew it would come round. Wetherspoons hinted at the turn when owner Tim Martin decided to cancel all social media and online activity and communicate with his staff and customers via a printed magazine followed last year, by that arbiter of all things digital, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg when he launched a PRINTED business magazine.

Foyles are making money for the first time in years and Waterstones are looking for new locations. Online book sales are up, newspaper readership is creeping ever upwards and we are awash with new requests to stock all Platinum titles. So much so that we have opened a new Surrey office to service our leading Surrey Business Magazine, and are launching two new PRINT titles. Of course, if you want to read it online our beautiful website will allow you to do that and we have a social media manager, a mess of SM accounts and will use online to drive the message home for our partners and drive our readership to print as that is

the medium for which magazines are designed. I see people reading papers and mags on a smart phone. How? The industry spends a fortune on images, layout and design all aimed to pull un into the page and please our souls. The you go and read it on a 5” screen that automatically converts it to plain text with the odd image thrown in. A travesty.

A magazine can be smelt and felt. You

Print, like vinyl, is back

ANGER MANAGEMENT

can dog ear the corner for later. You can show it or give it to a friend or colleague if there is something interesting (try giving them a URL for a site and see how few ever use it). You can leave it anywhere and it will be picked up and read for years by multiple people. Children can tear pages out and stick them on their walls (remember that). And, occasionally, you can be reminded of what you had for lunch by looking at the stains on the pages.

At long last, schools are banning phones in classrooms and tablets will have to go too as they fully function as a phone and we will be back to computers AIDING education and not BEING education. Digital whiteboards in classrooms are brilliant – then have the pupils work on paper with the written word and back up their research on a computer.

Here comes the plug. Platinum Business Magazine continues to grow in distribution and print run, the Surrey Business Magazine has been so successful that we are taking it monthly from the next issue and adding 30% to the print run; we are launch-

n a m i c D Y

THE MAGAZINE FOR WOMEN IN BUSINES S ISSU E ONE • APR IL 2019

ROME

Shake hands in the eternal city ing an exciting new title, Dynamic, designed specifically for Women in Business, nationwide; two more titles l cannot talk about yet and we are conAm ber Ru dd of titles. tract publishing a series

INTERVIEW

shares her

urneifythere is one, is do not lisThejo lesson, ten to naysayers if you are convinced of anything in this business world, as pas-

GIRL TORQUE

It goes without saying that here at Platinum Towers, we are all delighted but e ne w Au diChildren there is aTh higher point here.

Q8 need to learn to read the printed page, they need to manually learn to write on paper and they need to learn that computers, in all their forms, are just tools to aid learning itself.

Gland assnot celearning iling in or Computers and constant screens have gl

THE BIG DEBATE ass floor

HOcan “A magazine W be smelt and felt. You can dog ear the corner for later. You can show it it to a friend or colleague if there is LEorARgive NT TO SLOW DOWN something interesting

Michelle Mone

(try giving them a URL for a site and see how few ever use it)" sion, timing and top quality will always win the day and don’t write anything off. Of course, we can all name things that will never be back outside of a collectors showroom - the typewriter will never be resurrected but then that was a method of print and not print itself.

been proven to increase stress whereas reading printed matter has been proven to decease stress.

Brochures are back. A recent article in the New York Times reported the massive shift to a dual focus on print and digital, and Felix Carbullido, CEO of Williams-Sonoma brands said: “Years ago the catalogue was a selling tool, and now it has become an inspirational source”. There is even a new term ‘magalog’ blurring the line between magazine and catalogue.

Ok that was not quite the point but you get my drift.

So to decrease your stress levels and assist your children to learn correctly, read Platinum!

ANGER MANAGEMENT

107

INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

Softly, softly Do the people in your organisation have the soft skills needed to keep pace with change? Michele Augousti, Vice Chairman and Distribution and Logistics Ambassador at IoD Sussex, and Director of Reach Business Management Consultants Ltd, discusses.

T

hese days, a conversation that often crops up with my clients and associates is the challenge of effective communication within organisations. Despite more than a decade of rapid technological changes where everyone is connected 24/7, coupled with the inevitable digital communication overload; where are good old fashioned soft skills?

Whilst our zealousness to embrace all things digital seems to have taken place, our enthusiasm in the workplace for soft skills does not appear to have been adopted at the same pace.

perceived urgency to keep pace with the ‘latest and greatest’ technological developments for fear of being left behind, can lead to a tremendous strain throughout the workplace.

It is therefore critical, now more than ever, that an emphasis on soft skills should be taking place, as ultimately it is still people not technology that provide the driving force for change within an organisation.

Good soft skills are key for efficient change and transformation in any organisation and progress is likely to be hindered unless they are given priority.

The digital world has generated a myriad of opportunities and advantages for individuals, society and organisations; yet with that comes an overwhelming choice of applications and technologies, so much so that deciding the best platform to help businesses become more process efficient, improve customer relations or employee performance often leads to indecisiveness and procrastination.

Deciding how best to implement, manage and use technology within organisations is not straight forward and for many, embracing any change can be a real challenge. This coupled with the

108

My view is that organisations need employees that can convey clear, meaningful written and verbal communications and at the same time be empathetic with fellow colleagues.

For business leaders and anyone managing teams, these skills are going to be paramount to the long term success of any business.

Increasingly we live in a world where there is no let up, where timelines creep ever shorter and where it is the trend for business and people to be always available. My perception is that

there is an increasing demand from employers for vital, well-developed soft skills in the workforce and yet these skills are not readily available, particularly within the ‘digital generation’ workforce.

The general consensus is those people that have learned and are adept at utilising their soft skills in the workforce will be in most demand, particularly where best practise is succinct communication, whether in meetings, by text or by email.

Regardless of the size of an organisation, agility and employee buy-in are key for successful change and transformation and they require effective communication, as any experienced Change Manager will tell you. Technology will continue to influence, change and rule individuals, the workplace and society and, without a doubt, those organisations with employees that have sufficient soft skills experience will be best placed to embrace a prosperous future.

Final thought – how will you be ensuring that the people in your organisation have the soft skills needed to keep pace with change?

www.iod.com

PLATINUM

SPORT GOLF GETAWAYS • VIEW FROM THE BOUNDARY CLUB • BILLY MONGER • CURRY WITH BOBBY ZAMORA

The history of

COWDRAY PARK

JOFRA ARCHER: England’s next fast bowler?

Introducing...

THE PLATINUM CHALLENGE

news BUSINESS SURVEY

SPORT POLO

T

his year’s Playnation Arena Polo Test Match will take place at Hickstead on Saturday March 2nd and will see the Flannels England team play France for the first time. Both teams will be aiming to pick up the Bryan Morrison Trophy, where England has won all but one of the matches since the first Test Match was held at the All England Polo Club in 2008. Admission costs just £5, and parking is free. Tickets are available at the gate or can be purchased online in advance from www.hickstead.co.uk

BOAT RACE

O

ne of sport’s oldest rivalries tales place next month as the annual race between Oxford and Cambridge returns on April 7, with Cambridge leading the men’s overall head to head by two races and Cambridge women holding a 13race victory advantage over their rivals.

HORSERACING

T

wo highlights in the National racing calendar return with the fourday Cheltenham Festival culminating in Gold Cup Day from March 12-15th, with the annual Grand National at Aintree three weeks later, on April 6th.

While Cheltenham will be celebrating the very best of jump racing for one of the sport’s highest racing honours and

FORMULA ONE

L

ewis Hamilton has a place in the news this month as the reigning World Champion and Great Britain’s most decorated sports person returns to defend his title, with the F1 season starting in Mel-

bourne. 2019 will see Mercedes attempt to win a sixth consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ championship double and break the alltime record set by Ferrari in the Michael Schumacher era.

over £4.5 million of prize money, Aintree will hold the 172nd annual Grand National with the showpiece steeplechase being the pinnacle of a threeday festival. 2018 saw The Grand National’s prize money going to the top 10 finishers with £561,300 for the winner, £211,100 for the runner-up, and £105,500 for the third-placed horse.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

TENNIS

J

anuary saw Novak Djokovic win a record seventh Australian Open title and a third successive Grand Slam, sweeping aside Rafael Nadal in Melbourne, after what many described as a new level of tennis! Japan’s Naomi Osaka beat Petra Kvitova in the women’s final to win back-toback Grand Slams and become the new world number one. The next major tournament will be the French Open in May.

L

ast month saw the New England Patriots win their sixth Super Bowl title after a 13-3 victory over the LA Rams. The result equalled the Pittsburgh Steelers’ record of six Super Bowl titles and victory also gave Patriots quarterback Tom Brady a sixth Super Bowl ring, a record for an individual player. The New England Coach, Bill Belichick is now the most successful coach in Super Bowl history as well as being the oldest man to win it aged 66.

111

H THE PLATINUM PAUL (Dev Assist) ADDISON v

PART 1 - ‘The Penny Farthing Race’ Rewind two months and you may remember an article where I told you that I’ve decided to take on a sporting challenge each month against Paul Addison from Dev Assist

A

fter a combination of poor weather, illness and a variety of other pitiful excuses, we’ve only just got our behinds into gear. Over the next 12 months we will be engaging in unusual and ridiculous challenges determined to predominantly test us physically. Think Ant & Dec, just older, better looking, and not as well paid!

The first challenge was to be a Penny Farthing race at the Preston Park Velodrome. Neither of us had ridden these contraptions before and I’m normally a confident cyclist. However, this confidence rapidly turned to anxiety on sighting the size of these things.

Former SAS man, entrepreneur and explorer, Neil Laughton was our host and trainer, who began by explaining we needed to mount and dismount while the bike is moving, hold the handlebars straight and not turn sharply or we’d go a*** over t** and face plant the tarmac! I failed miserably right from the off, sustaining cuts to my legs and knees - my first fall involved jumping off and landing, testicle first straight on the wheel arch!!

The technique should be to build up some momentum with one foot (the toe) on one step at the back whilst pushing along with the other, so that once a sufficient speed is reached,

112

you elevate yourself onto the saddle before placing your feet on the moving pedals whilst at the same time maintaining your balance.

Rather annoyingly, Paul appeared to pick it up rather quickly. On seeing me struggle to mount the bike on my own, much to everyone’s amusement, Neil opted for Plan B, a pushed rolling start... I had a chance!

The race began with a warm up lap, a second building up pace and then we had one lap to see who was the quickest.

BUSINESS SURVEY SPORT | PLATINUM CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE H

LAURENCE (Platinum) ELPHICK Suffice it to say my co-ordination and balance aren’t what they used to be; I lost my footing on the first corner, losing me about 6 feet and despite my best efforts and a late surge on the back straight I wasn’t able to make up the difference. 1-0 then to Paul, the Penny Farthing King.

All in all, a great day, a lot of fun and I take my hat off to Neil and his team who are not only going to ride a Penny Farthing from Lands End to John O Groats, but they will also be attempting to break the world record for the most distance covered on a track in one hour.

While Paul was presented with an award, I was made to sit on a child’s Penny Farthing but by this time I was cream crackered and couldn’t manage that either. Even the Camera man, Mitch from Picture Book films managed it first time with only five minutes tuition!

The Platinum Challenge will also be helping to raise funds for Rockinghorse children’s charity, so keep a look out for the coming challenges and help us raise as much money as possible by donating through the JustGiving link

below. All donations are very much appreciated, thank you. https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/platinumchallenge10 Find out next month how Part 2 of the Platinum Challenge goes...

SCORE SCOREAFTER AFTERONE ONEEVENT: EVENT:PAUL PAUL1-0 1-0LAURENCE LAURENCE

113

SPORT | CYCLING

Riding high One of the very oldest World Records in the books, a rather eccentric British spectacle, and a seriously gruelling feat the Penny Farthing hour

I

n the late 19th century, Penny Farthing racing was a popular and very competitive sport with regular race events taking place in the UK and aboard. The Penny Farthing, also known as a high wheel, high wheeler and ordinary, was an early form of the bicycle and arose from a series of British and French innovations. With its large front wheel providing high speeds and comfort, the name was derived from the British penny and farthing coins - one much larger than the other and on side view, resembling a penny leading a farthing.

The prestigious one hour outdoor track World Record was set by WA Rowe, a young professional American racing cyclist on October 25th 1886 at Hamden Park, Springfield, Massachusetts - he rode a distance of 22 miles and 150 yards.

127 years on in the UK, endurance athlete and world-record breaking cyclist Mark Beaumont set a new one hour outdoor track British Record at Herne Hill Velodrome on June 15th 2018. He rode 21 miles and 918 yards and was supported by a squad of Penny Farthing Club riders.

Chosen charities

The Penny Farthing ‘hour’ World Record has remained unbroken for 133 years.

Can Mark Beaumont, the man who cycled ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, better this legendary record of 22 miles and 150 yards?

Be a part of the team and back this World Record campaign. The inaugural indoor ‘Penny hour’ record will be set in the UK during the summer, before the main event, the outdoor World Record attempt in the US during October.

Mark Beaumont crossing the line on June 15th 2018, breaking the British one hour record with 21 miles and 918 yards

Get involved

Calling all British partners and sponsors...

Help bring back from America, after 133 years, what should rightly be ours! The most eccentric of British sporting records, the Penny Farthing hour. Mark Beaumont has filmed BBC documentaries in over 100 countries, written best-selling books and is a highly acclaimed public speaker. This World Record campaign will be filmed and broadcast widely, as part of a range of sponsorship benefits.

You can enjoy an active part in this campaign starting from £5,000.

To find out more please contact: Neil Laughton T: +44 7973 289552 E: neil@pennyfarthingclub.com

The events will be raising funds for Mary’s Meals, who aim to provide chronically hungry children with one meal every school day. £13.90 feeds a child for one year at school, ensuring that they get the education they need to lift them out of poverty in later life.

114

BUSINESS SURVEY

JOFRA ARCHER: England’s future of fast bowling?

Ashley Giles England cricket’s MD said “He is an exciting cricketer… any guys who bowl 90mph-plus are going to create interest and get people out of their seats…”

J

Based on England’s performance in From January 1st in order to be eligible ofra Chioke Archer is rapidly the Caribbean this winter, one wonto play for England, players like Archer approaching his 24th birthday, ders which side Archer would have will need to: have British citizenship by which time he should have been cheering for? One thing’s for cerand either have been born in England/ a clearer idea of whether he is good tain, England could do a lot worse in Wales or have three years’ residence enough for England – yet? In January looking for the next exciting all-round (a total of 210 days/year April-March) this year, the England and Wales Crickprospect. et Board amended the eligibility rules allowing some overseas “He is one of the most gifted Archer, a fast bowler with a high cricketers to become eligible to play for England after living in players I’ve ever come across action capable of delivering speeds between 80 and 90mph the country for three years. in terms of natural ability” and a dangerous lower-middle order batsman, played for Under the previous ECB rules, West Indies under 19s in 2013, but and not have played as a local player in Archer would not have been eligible unafter suffering a serious stress fracprofessional international or domestic til the winter of 2022 after a seven-year ture he dropped out of the Barbados cricket in a full member country within residency. However, 23-year-old Archsystem. After being overlooked for the the past three years. These changes er, who was signed for £800,000 in U19 Cricket World Cup in 2014, Archer bring the ECB closer to International the Indian Premier League auction, moved to Sussex where he regained Cricket Council regulations. could now be included in England’s his confidence and strength whilst World Cup squad this summer. With playing for Sussex’s second XI and Archer missing England’s tour of the for Horsham in the Sussex Premier West Indies, there are only six England League. one-day internationals - one in Ireland and five against Pakistan - before the Archer claimed 4 for 49 on his firstWorld Cup begins in May. class bow against Pakistan in July 2016 before collecting a maiden five-wicket Born on April 1st, in Bridgetown, Barbahaul in a Royal London Cup defeat to dos with an English father, Archer has Somerset. He had been playing without had a whirlwind career so far, having a contract because of the long-term starred in a number of teams around the back injury, but Sussex acted quickly to world including the Rajasthan Royals in secure his services for the long term. the Indian Premier League, as well as table-topping Hobart Hurricanes in this He made a powerful impression when year’s Big Bash League Down Under. he broke into Sussex’s Championship He appeared to thrive under Sussex side in the latter half of 2016, making Coach Jason Gillespie’s first season on his debut in all three formats where he the south coast after being a key part took a total of 35 wickets as well as of Sussex’s first T20 Finals Day aphitting 72 batting at No 8 on his debut pearance last year since 2012. He will against Essex. undoubtedly be a fundamental factor again this season, but this will be subThe following year proved fruitful as ject to any participation with England in well, where he took 61 wickets and avmuch the same way as his friend and eraged more than 45 with the bat. bowling partner, Chris Jordan.

116

Platinum Cricket sponsored by Extech Cloud, Greenacre Court, Burgess Hill RH15 9DS 01444 443200 Email: hello@extech.co.uk www.extechcloud.com

Humanising IT

SPORT | PROFILE BUSINESS SURVEY Earlier this year, ahead of the World Cup, England’s ODI Captain, Eoin Morgan reportedly admitted that Archer is on their radar after a string of explosive performances and he stressed the importance of having back-up in the fast bowling department.

“Jofra’s quite close to qualifying. I’ve played against him a lot, he’s in demand around the world and I think that’s justified because of the talent that he is and his performances…he’s done some brilliant things…we are open minded to things and we’ll make a decision once he’s actually available.”

The ECB’s new rules and Archer’s retention by Hobart Hurricanes - the team with which he burst onto the world stage in last year’s BBL - means that he is unlikely to have completed his 210-day quota until mid-March.

With his stint with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL also coming up in the spring, he could be short of opportunities to bed into the England set-up before the provisional World Cup squad is submitted on April 23rd.

When asked about his prospects Archer said “England are the No.1 team in the world and even if I am in the squad and not the team, I think it would be a great experience to be around all those players.

“I just try not to think about it too much.

England are doing really well in the Tests and ODIs, they’re doing well in everything and I think it will be hard to

squeeze my way into the team.”

And though the ECB’s announcement was criticised by Cricket West Indies chief executive Johnny Grave, saying England had “poached” one of the country’s players, Archer suggested that those comments had been made three years too late. “…I left three years ago, so what he’s saying now he should have said probably three years ago,” Archer said. “There weren’t any opportunities with West Indies which is why I left… my dream is to play international cricket and with the possibility of it happening soon I think I made the right decision.”

While West Indies loss is seemingly England’s gain, only time will tell. But out of all the endorsements for Archer, the one from his Sussex team-mate and England fast bowler Chris Jordan is perhaps the most telling.

‘He is one of the most gifted players I’ve ever come across in terms of natural ability. There is nothing Jofra cannot do.

If you asked him to bowl left-arm spin, leg-breaks, or play any shot with the bat, he’d get it done. That kind of talent cannot be ignored.’

Jofra Archer’s averages – Hobart Hurricanes, Quetta Gladiators, Rajasthan Royals, Sussex - as at Feb 18th, 2019 Batting and fielding averages Mat Inns First-class 28 41 List A 14 11 T20s 81 43 Bowling averages First-class List A T20s

Mat 28 14 81

Inns 54 13 78

NO 9 3 21

Runs 1003 192 351

HS 81* 45 36

Ave 31.34 24.00 15.95

BF 1406 158 257

100 0 0 0

50 6 0 0

Ct 19 4 23

St 0 0 0

Balls 5953 731 1760

Runs 3071 645 2350

Wkts 131 21 105

BBI 7/67 5/42 4/18

BBM 11/137 5/42 4/18

Ave 23.44 30.71 22.38

Econ 3.09 5.29 8.01

5w 5 1 0

10w 1 0 0

Platinum Cricket sponsored by Extech Cloud, Greenacre Court, Burgess Hill RH15 9DS 01444 443200 Email: hello@extech.co.uk www.extechcloud.com

Humanising IT

117

SPORT | FOOTBALL

The Z-A of goalscoring WHO FANCIES A CURRY WITH BOBBY ZAMORA?

T

his year’s first Curry Club Lunch takes place at the Bali Brasserie on Thursday March 21st with guest speaker Brighton & Hove Albion’s legendary striker, Bobby Zamora.

Born on January 16th, 1981, the 38-year-old scored 90 goals in 162 games for the club during two successful spells, after netting six goals in six games when he first arrived on loan from Bristol Rovers in February 2000. Robert Lester Zamora joined permanently that same summer for a fee of £100,000, scoring for fun to help Brighton win Division Three followed by Division Two in consecutive seasons before he signed for Premier League Tottenham in 2003 for £1.5 million.

He struggled to make an impression at Spurs after the departure of Manager, Glenn Hoddle, but a successful four-year spell followed at West Ham United, the club he’d supported as a boy growing up in East London. He scored 40 times in 100 appearances and played with the likes of Argentina

118

World Cup stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. Zamora then went on to appear in a Europa League final with Fulham under then boss Roy Hodgson, which was followed by a memorable stint with Queens Park Rangers, when he secured promotion to the Premiership after his 90th minute winner against Derby County in 2014, a moment which was voted the best at Wembley that year. Nine years earlier he had done the same for West Ham United, but Zamora’s biggest regret was not winning the FA Cup after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Liverpool in 2006.

“I came on as a sub and I remember doing well. We were losing at the time, Stevie Gerrard scored, and I remember celebrating with him…I had a couple of close efforts too, their keeper made a great save from a long-range effort I had – I just wished he hadn’t saved it! Just being there and amongst all those guys though was brilliant!”

Zamora re-joined the Seagulls in the summer of 2015 where he struck seven times that season, only to see the Albion miss out on promotion on goal difference. He retired in December 2016 after a hip injury ruled him out of the run-in, but his 17-year career did include two caps for England under Fabio Capello.

Hear more anecdotes and stories about his career from the man himself during the Curry Club Lunch at the Bali Brasserie in Hove. Raising money for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and supported by Platinum Publishing, kick off is at 12pm and will be hosted by Sky Sports Pete Graves with tickets from £70.

The striker describes his debut for the Three Lions against Hungary in 2010 as probably his best moment.

Visit www.thecurryclubuk.com /event/curry-lunch-with-bobbyzamora/

Last year it was announced that Zamora had returned to Brighton to join former Manager and Club Legend, Alan Mullery as an Ambassador for the Seagulls.

news BUSINESS SURVEY

HURST

Hurstpierpoint College has had spectacular sporting success this winter

ALLEZ JAMIE

J

amie Briggs gave an effortless performance to win the Sussex U16 Boys Foil Fencing title on home ground.

MEDAL SUCCESS FOR HURST SKIERS

T

he Hurst Ski team brought home a host of medals from the Independent Schools Ski and Snowboard Championships at Les Deux Alpes, which attracted more than 400 racers.

The college hosted Sussex Fencing for their annual U12, U14 and U16 individual and team foil event. Once again, there was a fantastic turnout, with a huge variety of schools and clubs from across Sussex taking part.

In the U16 foil category, Jamie won all his matches, scoring 30 points and conceding just three. He fought for less than two minutes in the di-

rect elimination fights and convincingly won the final. He is now the Sussex U16 Boys’ Foil Fencing Champion – a title previously held by former Hurst student, Dan Bedford.

RUGBY SEVENS BOYS SECURE SUCCESS IN THE SNOW

H

urst College took two squads to the Sussex U16 Rugby Sevens Competition at Brighton RFC last Wednesday, with both groups performing well to meet in the semi-finals.

Both Hurst teams finished at the top of their respective groups, and the inevitable happened - the A team had to play the B team in the semi-finals, while Eastbourne played Brighton College in the other semi. The Hurst against Hurst game was closely contested and played in good spirits, with the A team just pinching what really should have been the final, which they went on to win comfortably against Eastbourne College.

The first day of slalom racing was called off due to the conditions – too much snow! On the second day of racing, the giant slalom proved very fruitful for the Hurst skiers. Harvey Vans Agnew and Lucy Bingle-Williams completed the double, with Harvey winning the senior boys and U18 boys titles and Lucy winning the senior girls and U18 girls gold medals. The senior boys took team silver and the senior girls took team bronze.

On the final day, the decision was made to re-run the slalom competition. Once again, Harvey and Lucy completed the gold medal double in both of their individual races, while Tom Spurin and Toby Vans Agnew took bronze medals in the U18 and U14 boys’ categories respectively. The senior boys took team gold and the senior girls took team bronze.

LUCY TAKES U21 GIANT SLALOM TITLE

L

ucy Bingle-Williams, Harriet Keenleyside and Jemima Kingdon-Jones represented Hurst College in the 60th British Schoolgirls’ Races held in Flaine, France.

Following a full day of training with the French Ski School (ESF) aimed at

developing their race technique on a marked course, the girls went on to compete in the special giant slalom and slalom races.

Snow fell heavily overnight making the conditions challenging for the giant slalom, but the girls did excep-

tionally well as Lucy finished first in the U21 category and second overall. Jemima and Harriet finished in strong positions individually within the unregistered racer categories, and together with Lucy, claimed seventh position out of 51 schools in the team competition.

119

120

BUSINESS SURVEY SPORT | GOLF

TOP TIPS for the best golf holiday Sussex-based Golf Escapes offer some vital advice on booking your getaway

1

Choosing your location:

2

Try something new:

To ensure your Golf Escape trip is what you’re looking for, there are some important points to think about.

Are you looking for relaxation, or lively nights out? For a quiet break away, then consider one of the many wonderful golf resorts, such as Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus, La Finca Golf Resort in the Costa Blanca and PGA Catalunya in the Costa Brava, all offering high end luxury and fantastic golf. If it’s the party side you’re after, there are plenty of places that can fulfil your expectations, such as Benalmadena and Fuengirola in the Costa del Sol, Vilamoura and Alvor in the Algarve, Benidorm in the Costa Blanca or Los Alcazares in Murcia.

3

Book early:

It’s a myth that the best deals are when booking last minute. Yes, there are last minute deals to be had, but the best ones are always when booking early. Most hotels offer early booking discounts and the earlier you book, the If you normally trav“It’s a myth that higher the saving. el to Alvor in the AlWe always advise garve, perhaps try the best deals groups to book their further east in Tavira, a stunning Por- are when booking trip 10 to 12 months in advance, because tuguese town with last minute” you get the best pricplenty of bars and es and the pick of restaurants, with the the tee times. With resorts becoming best golf course in Portugal, Monte Rei busier every year, the availability of tee only 15 minutes away? times and hotels is more limited than before, so book early!

For winter sun, think about courses such as Assoufid and Samanah in Morocco, Aphrodite Hills and Elea in Don’t forget the flights: Cyprus, or Carya and Montgomerie in When choosing your Golf Escape, Turkey, but if you prefer Marbella, try it’s very easy to get carried away with Prague or Girona. collating prices for all the golf resorts and packages, but if you can’t get there, For the best golf, visit the Silver Coast it can ruin all the plans you’ve made. north of Lisbon.

We’d always advise people to book the With many fantastic courses, hotels, and golf resorts around the world, it’s always worth trying somewhere different.

4

Platinum Golf

sponsored by Golf-Escapes.com info@golf-escapes.com 01342 811 777 Golf Escapes Ltd, St Andrew’s House, Cinder Hill, Horsted Keynes, West Sussex RH17 7BA

hotel and golf package first, but don’t forget to check the flights in advance.

Skyscanner is a fantastic tool for this.

You can search your preferred departure airport, and literally search the whole globe for the cheapest flights.

So if Alicante, Faro, or Malaga come up as the cheapest flights, then why not try golfing there? It’s a great way of starting your search, knowing that you already have the cheapest flights.

5

Budget:

If you’re planning a holiday on a budget, it is our job to find you the best possible trip for that price. If you don’t want to spend more than £400, we can source the best possible package for that. However, if you’re happy to spend more and would like a slightly higher end holiday, or you simply want the cheapest package out there for a quick getaway, we can provide both. All holidays are important to us and Golf Escapes are here to give you the best holiday for your specific budget.

LAST MINUTE DEALS ALL-INCLUSIVE PACKAGES

121

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNTS

SPORT | RUGBY

The Six Nations A triumph of Test rugby

Are the wheels of England’s ‘sweet chariot’ in motion?

A

few of you have commented how much you’ve been looking forward to the Six Nations, especially to gauge who’s got the momentum going into the World Cup.

On opening 6 Nations weekend, I was invited to watch Brighton v Watford at the Amex (thank you Rix & Kay) which ended goalless. During the interval after a drab first half, a few of us turned our thoughts to rugby and, England’s chances. A unanimous verdict was reached that the

full 80 minutes and their hosts didn’t know how to handle it.

This was followed up by a 44-8 victory over Les Bleus at Twickenham with six tries including a first half hattrick from Jonny May. The margin of victory was But questions need to be answered undoubtedly helped by first; are Ireland the best “Ireland were the Six Nations Champions and England’s willingness to team to challenge the kick into the space, behind All Blacks, who will win hadn’t lost in Dublin for six years! which France’s lack of dethe Grand Slam/Triple fence was clearly exposed.

Crown, can Wales or Scotland reproduce their What happened was acclaimed as Eddie But one incident stands out best form week in week Jones’s best win since he was appointed for me that shows confidence is not only high but out, will the French team Head Coach four years ago” growing – the moment ever get back to their glowhen the giant French forry years and will England Roses were likely to taste defeat… again. ward, Bastareaud known as the ‘Toulon finally deliver on their potential?

After all, Ireland were the Six Nations Tank’ was upended and driven backBy the middle of this month, we’ll have Champions and hadn’t lost in Dublin for wards after a stunning tackle by Courta much clearer idea who is has the best six years! To make matters worse, Eng- ney Lawes, which displayed the brute chance of upsetting the overwhelming land hadn’t scored a try in Ireland in eight force of a battering ram. favourites and number one side, New years and the hosts were on a run of 12 home wins in a row, with 18 victories Before this magazine goes to print, EngZealand. land will have travelled to the cauldron of from their past 19 matches!

Cardiff to face a Welsh side under WarIreland ran away with the Six Nations title in 2018 with last year’s World Rugby What happened was acclaimed across ren Gatland that some have described as Player of the Year, Johnny Sexton, and the media as Eddie Jones’s best win the best Welsh Test side ever. Prior to the managed to beat the All Blacks in the since he was appointed Head Coach France game Eddie Jones was quoted as autumn, so justifiably they began the four years ago. England battered their saying ‘We’ll be better than we were the tournament as favourites as the Irish counterparts with four tries in a previous week’. What we will find out is second-best ranked team in 32-20 victory – quite simply the visitors whether England are as good as were too powerful in every area for the they should be! the World.

122 122

BUSINESS TRAINING SURVEY SPORT | PERSONAL

WELCOME TO THE

revolution

As every Personal Trainer knows, there is a drill: they welcome the client, warm up, work out, stretch, schedule the next session, thank the client and say goodbye.

A

s the client, I’m supposed to leave the gym feeling empowered and excited to return. After all I’m spending an hour on a 1-2-1 with my trainer and he’s going to want me to return after having a good time training!

So, feeling good after my first session, I ventured down to Revolution Hove on the corner of Church Road and Sackville Road full of confidence that I was going to work harder!

was all too frequently the mention of biscuits and cakes – a case of what’s quick to eat and convenient around lunch time PLUS the odd mention of some wine being consumed with my dinner. I hadn’t (conveniently) noticed the instruction in bold letters at the bottom of each page that said NO ALCOHOL! Tyler rightly advised me that what I put into my body is like petrol being put into a car. The better the quality, the better the car will run, i.e. don’t put diesel into an unleaded.

The warm up “Tyler rightly advised me continued I was greeted by Tyler that what I put into my body with some dynamic stretchagain, got is like petrol being put into es and a series changed and im- a car. The better the quality, of TRX squats designed to mediately the better the car will run” build up my started to leg muscles. warm up on TRX stands for Total Body Resistance the assault bike, during which time Exercise and was followed by Swiss my nutrition diary was examined Ball wall squats designed to strengthand given a thorough going over. en my quads still further. I then moved to the weight machines with sets of latThis is where I’d kept a record of eral pull downs, seated rows and some what I’d been eating over the last bicep curls. After completing a set at few weeks and whilst I thought I’d a certain weight, Tyler would always had a healthy mix of vegetables increase the weight to keep my workfruit and pasta/meat/salad there out varied and fun; the key was to have a 1-minute break between each set of whatever exercise I was doing because this, I was informed, was to make sure I didn’t overdo it, particularly as I was exercising in ways I’ve never done before.

Tyler consistently encouraged and motivated me throughout the workout, letting me know when I needed to adjust my technique and making me do just one more to make sure I kept pushing myself.

Motivation is my biggest downfall, hence why I’ve never been a regular gym goer before. According to research people work 5-6 times harder with a trainer than they do by themselves. Also, if someone has a session booked in, they are ninety-nine per cent sure to go. The workouts at Revolution didn’t feel like a chore and I certainly felt much more energised at the end.

Each day after my session, my body has hurt, but It’s been rewarding knowing that I’d worked hard. No pain no gain as they say and I’m already looking forward to my next session!

For more details, visit www.Revolution-PTS.com

123

Clive Bennett – www.polopictures.co.uk

COWDRAY PARK

THE HOME OF BRITISH POLO

Written by Liz Higgins

T

he noted Victorian engineer and industrialist, Sir Weetman Dickinson Pearson, bought the Cowdray Estate in West Sussex in 1909 and was made Baron Cowdray in 1910. In 1917, he was honoured for his engineering works, including the Blackwall Tunnel and the first oil pipeline through Mexico, by being made Viscount Cowdray.

Sir Weetman’s eldest son, Harold Pearson, moved to Midhurst with his wife and their young family, where Harold, having taken up polo at Oxford and having a passion for the sport, persuaded his father to lay out a pitch at Cowdray House. Family and friends were encouraged to play and a club was formed, Harold’s team being named Capron House after his Midhurst home.

Lord Cowdray presented the club with the Cowdray Park Challenge Cup, a trophy still played for today and bearing team names from 1911.

Chukkas (practice matches) start-

124

ed every April, although early season competitions took place at Hurlingham or Roehampton in London, with the ponies travelling there by train. In 1914, the Challenge Cup saw an entry of 14 teams, but as the tournament got underway an announcement was made that war had been declared and all officers should return to their regiments - the majority of teams were made up of serving officers from the cavalry. Harold and his brother Clive Pearson joined up and survived the war but sadly their younger brother Geoffrey was killed in action.

In 1919, the 1st Viscount made over the Cowdray Estate to Harold who renamed his Capron House team Cowdray Park and introduced the bright orange shirts that remain the signature colour of Cowdray sides.

Tragically in 1933, Harold, 2nd Viscount Cowdray, died, aged just 51.

His only son, John, at 23, inherited the Estate and all its responsibilities. Not

only did John Cowdray, 3rd Viscount, find time for polo, he was even more passionate about it than his father.

The key period for competitive polo at Cowdray Park coincided with the festival of horseracing at nearby Goodwood and during the 1930s interest grew in the polo matches that followed the day’s horseracing.

In 1939, the 2nd World War brought an abrupt end to polo. Every piece of available land was ploughed up to grow food and Cowdray House was taken over by the Royal Army Service Corps.

Immediately after war’s end, John Cowdray single-mindedly set about reviving the sport he loved but, having tragically lost his left arm at Dunkirk, had his gun-makers fashion a prosthetic limb so he could hold a pony’s reins on the left and wield a mallet with his good right arm. He imported 50 polo ponies from Argentina, where the standard of polo had impressed him on a pre-war visit and by the summer of 1947 tournaments were played at Cowdray again.

In 1948, 14 teams entered the Cowdray Park Challenge Cup. Argentines Luis Lacy and Jack Nelson were impressed by the standard of play and invited an English team to play in Argentina. In 1949, John Cowdray took a team to play in the Argentine Open which they only narrowly lost and in 1951, he invited the Argentines to play in the Coronation Cup - the first time it had been played since 1939, thus putting polo firmly back on the English sporting calendar!

Clive Bennett – www.polopictures.co.uk

The Hon Lila Pearson with her Cowdray Vikings team winning the Texaco Cup in 2018

first time in 1958 beating Woolmers Park 10-3, won again in 1961 and 1962 and were finalists 11 times more, unfortunately losing on each occasion, the most memorable being in 1990 when after two extra chukkas opponents Hildon, snatched a 10-9 victory. Lord Cowdray was delighted when his second son Charles took to the polo field for the Cowdray Park team - Charles

The early 1950s saw spectators flocking to Cowdray Park to spot Princess Elizabeth watching her dashing young husband Prince Philip play – often for the Cowdray team. John Cowdray wanted to open up the sport to newcomers and after lending HM The Queen visits Cowdray Park in 1953 ponies to friends, other visitors keen to try the sport could hire reached a handicap of 3 and played ponies and play a chukka for a pound. in 16 Gold Cup tournaments, reaching Chukkas were played on weekdays the final three times including that epic and competitions at the weekends. As 1990 match. well as the pitches at Midhurst, Lord Cowdray converted Estate land at AmThe 1970s saw a fall in the number of bersham, which the Fleet Air Arm had amateur ‘gentleman players’ and a rise used during the war, into further polo in the number of players hired by ‘pagrounds. trons’. The days of the well-paid professional had arrived.

In 1955, Prince Philip formed his own polo club – Guards, in Windsor Great Most of the UK’s young players graduate Park – where the Coronation Cup was through the ranks of the Pony Club and given a new home and in 1956, this in 1977 John Cowdray offered the iconinspired John Cowdray to launch the ic Cowdray Park Lawns grounds for the Cowdray Park Gold Cup, now the most Finals of the Pony Club National Champicoveted trophy in polo and played for onships. The chance to play on the halthe British Open Polo Championship. lowed Lawns 2, where the Gold Cup Final Cowdray Park won the trophy for the

is played, remains the highlight of many Pony Clubbers’ polo careers.

John Cowdray had raised the profile of the sport and made Cowdray Park a mecca for polo enthusiasts. The entire polo community mourned his death in 1995. His oldest son Michael, 4th Viscount Cowdray, became President of the club, which is managed by a committee. The Hon. Charles Pearson’s wife Lila maintains the family connection by serving as the club’s Vice-President and her Cowdray Vikings team still sports the iconic orange colours. Their son George is a talented amateur player.

Courtesy of the Cowdray Archive

Cowdray Park wins the Gold Cup in 1962

Courtesy of the Cowdray Archive

SPORT | POLO BUSINESS SURVEY

Today the club offers polo at all handicap levels from 4 to 22 goals.

Social (non-playing) membership is popular and affordable. Over 450 matches were played during 2018 and there are fantastic opportunities for corporate entertaining especially during the four weeks of the prestigious Gold Cup sponsored by the Thai duty free goods company King Power.

Cowdray Park Polo Club’s stunning location and its reputation for the finest grounds in the UK reinforce its status as the Home of British Polo. Cowdray House, magnificently refurbished, became a luxury events venue in 2014 and offers outstanding possibilities for corporate hospitality both with and without polo options.

Visit www.cowdraypolo.co.uk.

125

SPORT | MOTOR SPORT

Billy the Whizz still has a dream It was the spring of 2017 and Billy Monger was dreaming of glory…

I

the cockpit closer to the driver so he could reach it with a specialist prosthetic he wears for driving.

t was April 16th, 2017 to be exact and 17-year-old Billy Monger was vying for position half way round the first lap in the sixth round of the Formula 4 Championship at Donington Park. Monger was third in the standings and was right behind two other cars travelling at 120mph, when he moved to slip out from behind them. Suddenly both cars veered left, revealing a stationary car on the track driven by Finnish driver, Patrik Pasma. Monger had no time to react and ploughed straight into the back of it. Pasma walked away from the crash but Monger lost both legs, the right leg below the knee and the left above the knee.

It took an hour and a half to get Monger out of the wreckage where he was evacuated by air ambulance and put in a coma by doctors at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Following the accident, a JustGiving campaign was set up with nearly 20,000 people, including Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, donating over £800,000 to help with his rehabilitation.

18 months after the crash, Monger was back at the wheel racing in a Formula 3 car, one stage up from F4 and adapted to allow him to compete in the British Championships. In his first season of F3, which ended last October, Monger had had four podium finishes and finished sixth overall.

After the crash, when Monger was still in a wheelchair but determined to continue his racing career, he was invited to come to the Carlin Team HQ and try out the simulator. Almost immediately, Monger started posting better times than the able-bodied drivers using it.

Carlin adapted a car for Monger with the clutch, gear-change and accelerator on the steering wheel and the brake pedal moved from the floor of

Born on May 5th, 1999 in Charlwood near Gatwick, Billy the Whizz, as he’s known, has been obsessed with racing for 12 years. His father introduced him to karting, where many pro drivers begin, when he was seven, and he instantly became hooked.

His childhood hero was Lewis Hamilton, but now he also looks up to Alex Zanardi, an Italian F1 driver who lost his legs in a crash in 2001 and returned as a touring car racer who has gone on to win four Paralympic cycling gold medals.

At last year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, he was deservedly awarded with the Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award, an award presented for achievement in the face of adversity.

Last month it was announced he will join Channel 4’s presenting team for its Formula 1 coverage this year but his ultimate dream is still to race in Formula One. What Billy the Whizz has achieved in less than two years is remarkable, few will doubt his dream becoming a reality.

126

BUSINESS SURVEY SPORT | ACTIVE SUSSEX

‘Fit Got Real’ for Active Sussex’s ‘This Girl Can’ Ambassador

By Ruth Dacey, PR & Communications Officer, Active Sussex

A

self-confessed ‘former binge-eating, beer-guzzling ex-smoker,’ Tess Agnew, 32, (aka FitBits) is a total exercise-convert, and now pursues her ‘quest for never-ending endorphins’ using Brighton and the South Downs as her adventure playground.

“To make movement a daily thing, it needs to slot into your life with ease – so easy in fact that you hardly notice it’s there and it just becomes part of your routine,” says Tess, the Active Sussex, ‘This Girl Can’ Ambassador.

‘This Girl Can’

It seeks to challenge the conventional idea of what exercise looks like, highlighting that all forms of exercise count, in order to break down barriers for women and girls in getting active, such as a lack of time, money and energy.

The award-winning, national campaign, that has inspired nearly three million women to get more active since its launch in 2015, is a sassy celebration of active women everywhere who are doing their thing, no matter how well they do it or how sweaty they get.

But ‘This Girl Can’s’ work isn’t done yet!

Sport England study

‘Fit Got Real’

• While women are still overall more likely to be inactive than men (26.4% versus 23.8%), this gap is much larger for South Asian women (36% versus 27.5% of men).

In October 2018, the third phase of the Sport England campaign was launched with the strapline – ‘Fit Got Real’, with a renewed focus on reaching women that failed to be inspired to take up exercise in the first three years of the campaign.

Research conducted by the government organisation found since the campaign’s launch in 2015, it hasn’t reached all women “to the same level”:

• 33.5% of women in lower paid, routine and manual professions are inactive (do less than 30 minutes of exercise a week), twice as many as for women in senior and managerial roles.

Active Sussex / ‘Fit Got Real’ video series

We have started a new video project with Tess, after her previous ‘Tess tries’ – a four-part series where she had a go at a mixture of unique and traditional sports.

She demonstrates quick, easy ways to fit movement into a busy life, such as movements around the home or in your local park.

“Sometimes when life takes over, work gets busy, or family commitments become priority, exercise is often the first thing to slip off the ever-increasing ToDo list,” said Tess.

“But this video series will show easy ways to fit a little more movement into your everyday, without the faff and fi nancial commitment of having to join a gym or fitness class.”

‘This Girl Can’: ‘Fit Got Real’ - movement around the home!

(Go to www.youtube.com/user/ActiveSussex to watch the full video) For the full blog and more information about Tess, vist: www.thefitbits.com

How to get involved in Sussex • Try out our ‘Fit Got Real’ videos • Become a ‘This Girl Can’ Supporter • Join in the social media conversation using the #FitGotReal hashtag • Promote your group, class, project or story with us

Check out our social media channels over the next few months for the rest of our ‘Fit Got Real’ video series with Tess!

127

SPORT | WHEN BUSINESS MEETS SPORT

WHY I

LOVE

TENNIS

Emma Cleary, Director of Flexibility Matters tells us she enjoys pummelling tennis balls…so long as she’s not playing her mother! with the onset of the teenage years and the opportunity to play mixed tennis and tournaments, the social aspect and the freedom that tennis gave me instilled my love of the game.

I played all through my teens, ended up training to be a PE teacher and played for the teacher training college in Bedford, where I spent four years getting my Bachelor of Education. It was the sheer joy of being able to clear one’s head (and hangover) and the frustrations of studying. The love of being part of a team still means that tennis is an integral part of my life, that is until injury struck five years ago.

M

y childhood revolved around a diet of tennis, school sports, and skiing.

My whole family were sport mad and my mother was a demon tennis player. She would still take points off me now and I think this is where the sport gene came from.

From an early age she would take my brother and I to the tennis club to try and coerce us into rallying with her.

Needless to say, we were fairly rubbish and she would get fed up with us not playing ‘proper’ tennis. However,

Whilst living in London, we played regular park tennis in Battersea and organised a variety of tournaments for mums with kids through the children’s school. It was a fantastic opportunity to play on some amazing courts adjoined to whopping houses around Sussex and Surrey. The joy of the game and pummelling a tennis ball for an hour cannot be underestimated. I am now instilling the huge social and mental wellbeing benefits in my children with the hope that my passion for the game will become theirs too.

Q&A MOST MEMORABLE MATCH I’VE EVER WATCHED? Recently I have become a huge advocate of the Eastbourne tennis circuit and have been lucky enough to watch some of the greats in the glorious sunshine at Devonshire Park. I saw Caroline Wozniacki play in the final last year and her sheer athleticism and power was amazing. However, the greats of Navratilova, Borg, Murray, Nadal and Federer will live with me forever and Wimbledon is very dear to me.

FAVOURITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME?

I can’t choose between Borg and McEnroe, one for icy precision and one for sheer entertainment!

As a double duo, I loved McNamara and McNamee for great entertainment and enjoyment. I love the older style tennis where it wasn’t all about power, the sporting precision of the current game is so power and technology driven and the athletes are so honed, maybe it takes a little of the entertainment value out of the spectator sport.

BACKHAND, FOREHAND, SERVE OR VOLLEY, WHAT’S MY STRENGTH? I think my forehand is my winning stroke, loads of topspin and a demon whip at the end.

Run round, inside out, cross court being my favourite angle!

Wow, I’m feeling inspired to play again! Tennis anyone?

128

BUSINESS SURVEY SPORT | CRICKET

Beyond the Boundary (Club) “A boundary is not that at which something stops, but that from which something begins”. Martin Heidegger

T

he cricket season is nearly upon us and I for one am glad! Why? Because it means three things…summer’s coming and the nights are going to be warmer and longer; the excitement of watching cricket is just around the corner, and this month, courtesy of Sussex Cricket, the Boundary Club is back!

Who can resist the lure of networking over a sumptuous three-course lunch, a glass of vino or two and listening to a great speaker each month?

Where else can you have lunch and network with up to 220 like-minded business people, who come from all over Sussex and beyond to enjoy the hospitality at The 1st Central County Ground in Hove? If you work in business or run a business in Sussex, this is one event you should have in your calendar every month?

Last season’s Boundary Club guest speakers included the Comedian, Rod Woodward, who was on the Royal Variety Performance at the Palladium before Christmas, together with Steve Daley the ex-Wolves and Manchester City footballer, who went for a then British record transfer fee of over £1.4 million between the two clubs back in September 1979.

The Boundary Club has been sold out for three of the last four years and the first event of 2019 takes place on Wednesday March 27th, with Sussex’s Head Coach Jason Gillespie and the Sussex professional squad as guests.

Retired footballer Steve Daley addressing the audience in 2018

Amongst the array of sparkling guests for this year, expect to be regaled by two fantastic comedians, Jim Tavare and Simon Evans, together with Welsh tenor and radio presenter, 'The GoCompare Man', Wynne Evans.

Also joining the speaker ‘line-up’ will be BBC News Presenter John Young, former Scottish footballer and double European Cup-winning captain John McGovern, who won the trophy with Nottingham Forest under the management of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor and, later in the year, double amputee & Invictus Games athlete, Murray Hambro.

All this AND quite often the backdrop of a cricket match all adds up to a perfect day out in the Sussex sunshine.

To become a Member, this year there are two simple options:

1

Boundary Club Membership includes invitations to all nine

events, the majority of which coincide with Sussex’s first-team fixtures.

Boundary Club PLUS Membership gives the added benefit of two SO Legal Executive Passes which allows admission to the SO Legal Limited Executive Suite for all Sussex’s home, group games in the 2019 season, including all seven of the Sharks’ Vitality Blast T20 group matches at the 1st Central County Ground.

2

The two SO Legal Executive Passes also provide complimentary live streaming of all non-televised Specsavers County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup and Vitality Blast T20 group matches at The 1st Central County Ground. In addition, the two passes also give you access to the preferential food and beverage price tariff on all match days at The 1st Central County Ground.

To join the Boundary Club, email theboundaryclub@sussexcricket.co.uk

129

SPORT | WHEN BUSINESS MEETS SPORT

WHY I

LOVE

FOOTBALL

Paul Ollerton, Managing Director of ViiSana still dreams of Brighton winning the Premier League But it’s not just watching the big games, it’s also going to watch my sons play on a Sunday morning. I love going to work and talking about Saturday’s scores with anyone from the chairman to the gardener and have great memories of watching my son glued to Soccer AM all morning, before getting ready to go to the game.

F

or me, football is just unique – it brings people together (or apart) in a way that nothing else does.

My happy memories of football began at a very early age – with the football scores being read out on the BBC at my Nan’s house every Saturday afternoon over 40 years ago.

Rather predictably as a local, I have been a life-long Albion fan, watching my first game from the South Stand for a pre-season friendly against Arsenal. We lost 7-2 (despite briefly leading 2-1 for about five minutes), but I was hooked and have missed very few games since.

I have often wondered why the game manages to have such a hold and all I can conclude is that there is no other sport that has the universal pulling power to bring generations together. I love the fact that I went to watch the Albion as a young boy with my Dad and my brother, and now I take my children (who go voluntarily!). I genuinely look forward to taking my grandchildren in years to come.

130

Whilst I appreciate that other sports could be described as more ‘wholesome’ (I am a big fan of children playing rugby, for the discipline and approach it instils), I cannot think of another sport that provides such a common language as football.

Over the years, particularly when travelling overseas with work, football becomes the natural icebreaker, I even remember a customs officer in Saudi Arabia quizzing me on which team I supported!

However, I do worry about the amount of money being pumped into the top levels of football, because I think the link with the grass roots level is becoming less and less.

In summary, I love football because it brings me together with my friends and family and provides a little window of time where all the normal pressures in life get forgotten.

Q&A MOST MEMORABLE GAME I’VE EVER WATCHED? I’ll never forget the last game Brighton played at the Goldstone Ground against Doncaster. Still makes me sad just thinking about it.

MY FAVOURITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME? Probably Bobby Zamora, because he is the only great player who I have really seen from the beginning to the end of his career – and he was the most exciting payer I have regularly watched, but also an amazing ambassador for the game.

BEST STADIUM I’VE EVER BEEN TO? The atmosphere at Anfield is the best I have ever witnessed, and the new main stand is incredible.

CHILDHOOD HERO AND WHY? It’s got to be Garry Nelson – as a 14-year old, I sat behind the goal in the season he scored over 30 goals, and I just wanted to be him!

SPORTING DREAM? To see Brighton win the Premier League (but I think that will just be a dream for

MATCHDAY H O S P ITALI TY PACK AGES

THE PERFECT MATCH DAY EXPERIENCE A T T HE AM ERI C AN EXPRESS CO M M U N I TY STAD I U M

Guarantee a seat for some of the biggest matches at the Amex this season Premium seating Three-course meal Inclusive drinks

FROM £90 +VAT PER PERSON* *EXCLUSIV E P R IC E IS FOR 1 9 0 1 C L U B MEMBERS ON L Y , N ON - ME MB E R P R IC E S STAR T FR OM £1 65 P E R PE R SON

Coming up at the Amex Albion v Huddersfield Town Saturday 2 March

Albion v Southampton Saturday 30 March

Albion v Newcastle United Saturday 27 April

Albion v Cardiff City Saturday 16 March

Albion v Bournemouth Saturday 13 April

Albion v Manchester City Sunday 13 May

BrightonAndHoveAlbion.com/hospitality For more information, please call the hospitality team on 01273 878 278 or email commercial@bhafc.co.uk

BEOVISION ECLIPSE & BEOLAB 50 Welcome home. To a place where technology doesn’t steal your attention but earns it for all the right reasons. Introducing our new powerful OLED 4K TV and high-end active loudspeaker, for the ultimate cinematic and musical experience.

BeoVision Eclipse is available from as little as

£189 per month.

Finance available upto 36 Months 0% Finance with £1691 deposit.

P R E S S PA U S E A N D P L AY BEOVISION ECLIPSE

b a n g- o lu f se n .co m

BEOLAB 50

LIKE NO ONE ELSE

BANG & OLUFSEN OF BRIGHTON & HOVE Tel: 01273 205448 - Email: brighton@bang-olufsen.co.uk

BANG & OLUFSEN OF GUILDFORD

Tel: 01483 457900 - Email: guildford@bang-olufsen.co.uk