Platinum Business Magazine issue 42 by Platinum Media Group

The Largest Circulation Regional Business Publication in the UK.

ISSUE 42. 2017

Have we achieved

PLATINUM

GENDER EQUALITY

in Business? CAROLINE LUCAS MP

Writes exclusively for Platinum Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS Women Business Leaders Debate

PLATINUM

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN

Profiles of top entrepreneurs

PLATINUM EVENT MANAGEMENT Announcing the big 2018 launch

VISIT OUR NEWWEBSITE AT WWW.PLATINUMPUBLISHING.CO.UK

THE

GROUP

PLATINUM The Platinum Group is expanding...

THE PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP PLATINUM EVENT MANAGEMENT THE PLATINUM CLUB

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk

info@platinumpublishing.co.uk

NEW IN 2018 Celebrating the 30th year, the Sussex Business Awards are the pre-eminent business awards for the region and a true mark of success for those companies fortunate enough to win one of the coveted trophies. 2018 will see a new and exciting look to the awards, setting the scene for the next 30 years.

SURREY

The Surrey Business Awards have been missing from the county scene for a few years but we are delighted to announce that they are back, bigger and better in 2018. The awards will recognise the wealth of world-class businesses in the county and will celebrate all that is special about Surrey. Produced in Surrey for the businesses of Surrey.

Now in the 13th year, the Brighton & Hove Business Awards are the only awards in the City that recognise the diverse range of businesses that comprise this eclectic region. A true mark of merit for any company fortunate enough to win one of the coveted trophies.

Plus our brand new website. Updated daily, the new site launches on 1st December 2017.

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk

Welcome

THE BIG STORY CAROLINE LUCAS EXCLUSIVE: The co-leader of the Green Party speaks out on gender inequality in business

SPOTTING THE NEXT GOOGLE

CREATIVITY BY DESIGN

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN

BUSINESS TRAVEL - BUENOS ARIES

What to look for when investing in a young business

Focus on Nexus Design & Print, the designers of our new bespoke website

Does sexism in business still exist. We invited a panel of female (and one male) business leaders to debate the issue.

At a Glance 8 Local & National News 16 Natwest - Retirement planning 18 Caroline Lucas 20 Shadow Foundr - Investments 22 DMH Stallard - Great year for M&As 24 Carpenter Box - Criminal Finances Act 26 Kreston Reeves - Stay cyber safe 28 Si Conroy - The marketing myth 30 Mailing Expert - Direct marketing 32 Nexus - The MD Interview 34 Smart Monkey - Google Adwords 35 British Airways i360 36 Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 38 Sussex Growth Awards 40 Adur & Worthing Awards 42 Clean Kill - Pest control 44 Breakthrough Moments Women Business Leaders Debate

59 Inspirational Women - Profiles 64 Business Travel - Buenos Aries 68 Motoring - Volvo XC90 72 Table Talk - Pike and Pine 84 Table Talk - Wine 86 Table Talk - Brighton & Hove Food Festival 78 Chambers of Commerce 87 Charity News 88 Anger Management 90 Institute of Directors

We asked some of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entrepreneurs the secret of their success

Who knew Sir Vince Cable had such good taste?

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.

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

GROUP

The Argentine capital may well be ripe for international investment

2018 2018 1 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

1 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

DISTINCTIVE CREDIBLE PRESTIGIOUS Join us as we celebrate 10 years of business excellence The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards celebrate people who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, and have demonstrated a real commitment to the sub-region. Celebrating our 10 Year Anniversary, the awards have become one of the regions premier business occasions - celebrating the best of the best across the Gatwick Diamond region.

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

WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

@gdbizawards

Issue 42 - 2017

A word from the Editors This month, we celebrate Women in Business and take a good, hard look at where we are in 2017, as we are about to hit the 100 year anniversary since women gained the vote. We begin our new regular series, Breakthought Moments, on this very subject with an array of the leading female CEOs in our region, and Caroline Lucas MP writes exclusively for Platinum on the topic. Maarten has finally run out of time to review all the cars they keep sending and has, for the first time ever, drafted in an Associate Motoring Editor, Mark Tofts, to assist and take a spin in the latest Volvo. Well, to be truthful, they sent him a Bentley Flying Spur and the Volvo so perhaps Mark just drew the short straw! Rose has been swanning around Buenos Aires searching for exhibition and conference facilities for you and we celebrate the Worthing Business Awards. Whilst on the subject of Business Awards, it might not of escaped your notice that we have launched a new company, Platinum Event Management. We now own the Sussex Business Awards, the Surrey Business Awards and the Brighton & Hove Business Awards, along with another five awards and we will soon be telling you much more about this significant step forward for Platinum. We also celebrate the launch of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards - now in its 10th year, the 2018 event has a fantastic celebrity host in Brian Conley. Platinum is delighted to be the exclusive Media Sponsor for this prestigious event. We also launch the Sussex Super Growth Awards and NatWest discuss how to plan for a healthy retirement. And finally, we are proud as punch to launch our new all singing, all-dancing website, designed by Nexus Design. The Platinum titles now reach over 700,000 readers with over 450,000 reading on our digital platform. The new website will be another significant step forward for the Group, and for the first time we will be hosting a site which will be updated with unique content every single working day. So, we have been busy. Enjoy this issue and there is so much more news to come.

Maarten & Ian Platinum Business Magazine December 2017

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Director maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

07966 244046

Ian Trevett â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Director ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

07989 970804

Lesley Alcock

Fiona Graves

Amanda Menahem

Kate Morton

Business Development Director

Events Director

Food & Drink Editor

Copy Editor

Rose Dykins

Beth Nash

Travel Editor

Digital Manager

Sarah Walker-Bennett Amanda Harrington Event Photographer

Head of Design

News

LOCAL NEWS PLATINUM PUBLISHING LAUNCHES NEW SITE It’s been a frantic few months at Platinum Towers and we are very proud to announce exciting news of our expansion. We have acquired some of the most respected business awards in the South from Midnight Communications - and we are launching new ones in key markets. We will be producing the Sussex Business Awards, Surrey Business Awards and the BAHBAs (Brighton & Hove Business Awards), plus more to be confirmed. Next month, we will launch the new awards in these pages, but many sponsorship opportunities have already been snapped up. To avoid missing out, email maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com. You won’t need to wait to find out more about our other big development. Our new website www.platinumpublishing.co.uk is now live! For the first time we are offering a daily updated site, complete with features, podcasts, video and exclusive blogs from the region’s business leaders. It also looks absolutely fantastic, thanks to the experienced and innovative designers at Nexus Design & Print. The creative team at Nexus (James, Steve, Ben and Elizabeth) have created a stunning bespoke site for us. Have a look today. And to make sure everyone knows about the new site, the technical wizards at Smart Monkey will be performing their SEO magic to ensure Google directs all the right people our way. If you would like to be featured on the website, email ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com, after all, 750,000 people can’t be wrong. With the leading magazines, awards and website, The Platinum Publishing Group is THE place to be connected with businesses in the South East.

GEMINI - THREE TIMES A WINNER All of our magazines are printed by the excellent Gemini Print Group, so it was great to see the company pick up three awards at the Adur & Worthing Business Awards. Gemini was chosen as Overall Business of the Year and the

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Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.

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Large Company of the Year, while Ben Griggs was picked as Young Achiever of the Year. Steve Cropper, Group Managing Director, said, “These awards are a win for every person in our team – whether they have been in the company for more than 30 years or they are a new trainee just starting their Gemini career!” 2017 has been a major year in the development of The Gemini Print Group – with unprecedented levels of investment in new technology and a restructuring of the leadership team, the establishment of further eco standards. The Group also excelled at quality standards and offered unrivalled customer service standards. All the winners from the awards are on page 40.

News

AUTUMN BUDGET 2017 The reaction from Carpenter Box’s Chris Coopey Perhaps the biggest news to come from Philip Hammond’s second Budget this year was the sharp cut to UK growth forecasts. The Chancellor downgraded productivity, growth and business investment forecasts. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) now expects the economy to grow by only 1.5% this year, down from the estimate of 2% it made in March. Furthermore, growth will drop to 1.3% by 2020. With the Autumn Budget, the government has yet again missed an opportunity to send a clear signal to the manufacturing and engineering sector that they should be front and centre in the economic plan for a post Brexit UK. Whilst there are various measures that can be applauded, there was little to cheer about for UK Manufacturing & Engineering. On the skills front, there was a concession to secondary schools and FE colleges with £600 extra per pupil for each new pupil taking maths or further maths at A Level. There was also some extra resource promised around the recruitment of computer science teachers. Finally, there was a promise of an additional £2.3 billion of investment in Research & Development. However, as in the past, it appears that there is no real strategy to meet the skills challenge in engineering, and instead we are seeing policies that are disjointed and ad-hoc. Hammond has concentrated his fire on housing and construction (laudable as those projects are) but seems to be doing little to stimulate the rest of the business sector who are the wealth generators, and whose job it is to improve the productivity, growth and business investment that will get us beyond Brexit. Some other key points from the Autumn Budget: • Stamp Duty Land Tax has been abolished for first time buyers on homes costing up to £300,000, and on the first £300,000 of properties costing up to £500,000 • Tax-free personal allowance on income tax set to rise to £11,850 in April 2018, with the higher-rate tax threshold to increase to £46,350 • VAT registration threshold is to stay at £85,000 for the next two years • £3 billion is to be set aside over next two years to prepare UK for every possible Brexit outcome as UK leaves EU

A COSTLY YEAR FROM FRAUD

Akhlaq Ahmed

Data obtained by RSM under the freedom of information act has revealed that businesses in the South East reported nearly £42m in fraud losses last year. The statistics, obtained from ActionFraud, the UK’s national fraud and cyber-crime reporting centre, show that businesses across the region submitted more than 6,000 reports to the police about fraud in 2016-17. Nationally, the highest losses sustained by businesses resulted from incidents of cheque, plastic card and online bank fraud. This was followed by corporate employee fraud and mandate fraud. Mandate fraud is where fraudsters obtain details of direct debits, standing orders or account transfer details and amend them to transfer monies to other accounts. The highest number of reports concerned ‘retail fraud’ committed against shops and restaurants. Such crimes would include attempting to obtain a refund for stolen goods, switching labels on clothes to obtain a cheaper price or ordering food in a restaurant and leaving without paying. Akhlaq Ahmed, forensic partner at RSM said: “Frauds against businesses can range from the very simple to the very sophisticated.

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What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day.

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“Businesses across the region are collectively losing tens of millions of pounds through fraud every year, much of which can be prevented by simple controls. ‘‘Companies should be much more proactive in ensuring their defences, both online and offline, are fit for purpose. Those that don’t take action could find themselves very exposed.’

Join us for one of our popular, complimentary, Finance Focus events, key for all company directors, owners, financial controllers and others keen to keep abreast of business, tax, and commercial financial planning developments. These breakfast seminars (8:00am10:30am) will help you focus on the financial health, and continued growth and profitability of your business for 2018. Dates and locations: • Wednesday 29 November etc. venues St Paul’s, London • Tuesday 5 December South Lodge, Horsham • Wednesday 6 December Mercure Hotel, Maidstone For further information or to book your place at one of the seminars, please visit our website, or contact us on: Call: +44 (0)330 124 1399 Email: events@krestonreeves.com Visit: www.krestonreeves.com

Our speakers will also analyse the implications of the Chancellor’s Budget. The seminars will include demonstrations of the latest online accountancy developments.

News

LOCAL NEWS DOUBLE WIN FOR KRESTON REEVES

Tiffany Chiu

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Kreston Reeves picked up two awards at the Kreston International Awards 2017.

My job is fun! I should change this line once in a while. My brain has started to realize that I am lying to it every morning.

The Kreston International Awards 2017 was held at Kreston International’s 46th Annual Worldwide Conference in November in Cambodia.106 delegates from 60 member firms in 34 countries attended the conference.

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Kreston Reeves was been named ‘International Business Referrer’ of the year in acknowledgement of the firm making the most business referrals across the Kreston International network over the past year. This is the second consecutive year that the firm has been successful in this category. The firm was also awarded for ‘International Social Networking’ in recognition of Tiffany Chiu, Audit Controller and Asia desk representative, for her use of social media platforms in the UK and China which has delivered tangible results for the firm. Tiffany, Hong Kong born and fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, has played a significant role in building and strengthening the firm’s international relationships visiting Kreston member firms in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore in 2017 alone. She has a strong presence across a number of social media platforms including LinkedIn and Twitter, and regularly uses other mediums such as WhatsApp and its Chinese equivalent WeChat, to communicate with her connections.

A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS Bob Wilson OBE was the special guest speaker at a sporting lunch held in aid of Sussex children’s charity Rockinghorse. The legendary Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper, and former TV broadcaster, attended the Best of British event at the Hilton London Gatwick Hotel in November. Supported by headline sponsors Mayo Wynne Baxter Solicitors, the afternoon fundraiser welcomed over 240 guests from businesses in the Mid-Sussex Gatwick Diamond area, who were treated to a three-course lunch, followed by an entertaining talk from Bob Wilson himself. The event raised £16,500 for Rockinghorse, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary.

www.rockinghorse.org.uk.

Bob Wilson with Nick Poyner, Gemma King, Caraline Brown and Ian Trevett

SPEAKING OUT The Second annual gdb Speakers Conference will be held at South Lodge Hotel on Thursday January 11th 2018. The speakers include: • Luise Usiskin – Challenge Consultancy – “Unconscious Bias” • James Bellini – Futurologist – “The Next Big Issues facing your Business” • Tori James - Explorer – “Motivation” • Richard Mullender – “Persuade Like A Hostage Negotiator” The event starts at 8.30pm and concludes with a buffet lunch

To book your place at the gdb Speakers Conference, go to www. gatwickdiamondbusiness.com

News

NATIONAL NEWS GRUBS UP… LITERALLY! The boss of British Airways has unveiled a £4.5bn investment programme which includes boosting catering on long-haul flights, in an effort to revamp the airline in an increasingly competitive environment. Over the next five years, funding will be plugged into 72 new aircraft including four new types for the airline, including the Airbus A350, the Boeing 787-10 and the neo variant of the Airbus A320 and 321. The carrier is also planning to upgrade catering for economy customers on long-haul. BA’s move to trimming back free food offered on flights, so passengers had to buy on board, has faced criticism, and chief executive Alex Cruz acknowledged the airline did not deliver it initially as well as it could have. He said improvements have been made to ensure a better, faster service for customers. For longer flights, the airline will now make sure everyone has a full second meal, rather than just a snack. More than a hundred aircraft in the existing fleet will get new interiors, while BA also plans the roll-out of “at-seat power” for customers, and fast Wi-Fi in all cabins across short-haul and long-haul. Cruz made the announcement at the World Travel Market in London, saying: “We want to be the airline of choice for everyone. Every customer matters – short-haul or long-haul, economy or premium. So we must have an offer that is attractive to everyone.”

NOT A GOOD LOOK Struggling fashion chain New Look has swung to a half-year loss as it became the latest retailer to fall victim to tough conditions on the high street. New Look, owned by South African investment group Brait, booked an underlying operating loss of £10.4m in the six months to September, compared with a £59.3m profit in the same period last year. The retailer’s UK like-for-like sales crashed 8.4% in the period, while total revenue fell 4.5% to £686m. The results come as growth in non-food sales hit a record low in October ahead of the critical Christmas trading season, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Alistair McGeorge, who has been parachuted into the role of executive chairman for another stint at New Look, said: “The immediate focus in this period of transition will be to deliver stability and get the business back to basics by reconnecting with the New Look customer and recovering our broad appeal. “Whilst we’re not anticipating a reversal in fortunes overnight, I am confident we will implement the necessary changes to get the company back on track.” The group is also struggling under a £1.2bn debt mountain and is reportedly in talks with its lenders about restructuring.

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The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.

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IT’S ALL GONE TO POP Sales of Lucozade Energy drinks have fizzled out after its makers changed the drink’s recipe, a new report reveals. Lucozade has lost sales of more than £25million in the past year after the maker’s decision to reduce the amount of sugar, sparking complaints from consumers about the change in the traditional taste. Trade magazine The Grocer reported that a year after announcing plans for a major reformulation to duck under the government’s sugar levy, sales of Lucozade Energy drink brand have fallen by 8.4% year on year. The Grocer said that the figures come almost 12 months to the day after the company’s chief operating officer Peter Harding revealed the start of the overhaul, completed across LRS’s soft drinks portfolio in July 2017, which meant all its drinks with added sugar now contain less than 4.5g of total sugar (a teaspoon) per 100ml. Hailed by LRS as a “game-changing” breakthrough, it said at the time that advances in sweeteners had allowed it to get the same taste with far less sugar. But The Grocer reported that the reformulation has attracted criticism, particularly on social media, with consumers taking to Twitter to express their distaste at a “horrible” new recipe.

LET YOUR FEES GO, AGENTS Letting agents could soon be banned from charging tenants fees under new government plans. A draft bill, introduced to Parliament, sets out plans to get rid of upfront payments charged by agents. The government said the level of fees that estate agents are currently charging is “not clearly or consistently explained”, leaving tenants confused and unaware of the true cost of renting a property. Charges are often levied on renters for administrative costs on top of deposit and rent, amounting to hundreds of pounds. According to charity Citizens Advice, one in five households spend between £250 and £499 on letting agent fees and nearly one in ten are spending £1,000 or more. It also estimated that renters in private accommodation are spending over £13m on letting agent fees in total each month. The government said it is also seeking views on proposals to make it mandatory for letting agents to sign up to a money protection scheme in England, protecting rent payments, repair and maintenance payments.

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Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.

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News

NATIONAL NEWS ROAD TO RICHES Classic cars continue to power ahead as one of the top-ranking alternative investment assets, with growth of 192% over the past ten years, despite a rocky year for vintage vehicles. The asset class has performed consistently strongly against other alternative investment asset classes, such as fine art and wine, with a peak in 2015, according to data between 2006 and 2017. While current market conditions have seen some reversal in recent gains, driven by more cars coming onto the market which has depressed prices over the past 12 months, the classic car market has still grown 3% since last year, according to a report by global art insurance specialist AXA Art. It revealed that for the first eight months of 2017, 7,443 cars were sold at auction, an annual increase of 4% However, while more cars were sold, revenues declined, with auction turnover falling by 7% over the past 12 months.

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AXA found that classic cars in the $1m+ category accounted for 40% of the market value, despite being just 2% of the volume. However, there is a growing trend for buyers purchasing small-cap to mid-cap cars that they remember from their youth, resulting in strong demand for Porsches from the 1980s, for example.

THERE’S HOPE DOWN UNDER New Zealand is hoping to encourage thousands of British construction workers to emigrate as part of a drive to deliver the country’s biggest ever infrastructure and housing programme. According to the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation (BCITO), New Zealand is suffering from a skills shortage and is in need of 65,000 new workers over the next five years to meet growth and replace people who leave. The high level of demand for qualified builders and construction workers has led to New Zealand’s building sector uniting to target UK construction talent in an unprecedented recruitment push. It hopes the lure of warmer climes and uncertainty around Brexit could attract top British and Irish skilled workers. A recent downturn in construction activity in the UK is also helping to boost New Zealand’s image as an attractive employment environment for those who migrate. While construction firms in the UK have recovered slightly from a slump in September, sentiment in the sector is still low.

I got this job because of my motivational skills. Everyone says they have to work a lot harder when I’m around.

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News

DANCING IN THE ISLES Sainsbury’s have launched a new line of own-brand vinyl albums to take advantage of recent booming record sales. The supermarket chain already claims to be one of the largest vinyl sellers in the UK, selling one in every 20 records. Vinyl now regularly outsells its CD equivalent and sales, though still dwarfed by downloads, sales increased by 53% last year. They are up again by almost 40% so far this year. Twenty years after abandoning vinyl as a music medium, Sainsbury’s sees its own label as the logical next step after shifting 120,000 albums since it got back into the market in March 2016. The new albums released on its Own Label title, with retro graphic covers taken from the company’s own archives, are 20-track compilations called Coming into Los Angeles and Hi Fidelity. The first, labelled “A taste of the West Coast”, includes tracks from The Monkees, The Mamas and the Papas, Arlo Guthrie and Fleetwood Mac.

NO BLUBBING AT BURBERRY Burberry’s chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, is leaving the FTSE 100 fashion firm next year after 17 years. Mr Bailey was chief executive of Burberry from 2014 until July, when he moved to his current role as chief creative officer. Although his decision to leave “was not an easy one”, he said he was “excited to pursue new creative projects”. After joining in 2001 from Gucci, Mr Bailey worked with former chief executives Rose Marie Bravo and Angela Ahrendts to make Burberry’s camel, red and black check designs into must-haves items for fashionistas around the world.

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Show me a man who is a good loser and I’ll show you a man who is playing golf with his boss.

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On the day when Burberry announced Mr Bailey was stepping aside, shares jumped by 8%. His pay, as well as those of other Burberry directors, was a controversial issue with investors. The company is in the middle of a costsaving drive and wants to save at least £100m by 2019. Mr Bailey’s exit will allow chief executive Marco Gobbetti, who joined from upmarket label Celine last year, to revamp Burberry’s creative direction as well as its operations.

Retirement Planning

TOP EARNERS PLAN AHEAD

he NatWest Premier Aspiration Index* has revealed that savers in the South East are comfortable with their retirement savings plan. 75 per cent of the region’s respondents said that they are ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ confident they’re saving enough for retirement, with 56 per cent saving at the same levels they did last year. However the survey also revealed that while the South East’s top-earners’ monthly savings of £442 for retirement is well above the UK average of £418, it is still below what’s needed for retirement. At less than five per cent of their monthly earnings, this is nowhere near the 12 - 20 per cent1 of income saved that’s recommended in order to have enough money to live on after work. This is despite 84 per cent of this group stating their main priority is to maintain or even improve upon (six per cent) their current standard of living during retirement. The Aspiration Index, launched to mark NatWest’s new Premier Banking offering, delves into the aspirations and worries of those earning 100k+ per annum (or a joint household income of 120k+ per annum). This group accounts for the top 2.5 per cent of the UK’s earners.2

Phil Northey, NatWest’s MD for Premier Banking the impact it might have on their personal finances.

This group is financially savvy. The survey found that half (50%) of those surveyed in the South East began regularly investing before the age of 30. On average, the UK’s topearners save more than they invest (£426 vs £377).

Phil Northey, Managing Director of Premier Banking at NatWest, said: “What’s clear from the research is that savers in the South East understand the importance of savings but maybe need some more guidance on how they can better prepare for retirement. With our refreshed Premier Banking offering we hope that more customers will take advantage of the support and guidance available to help alleviate some of the day to day pressure and to plan for the long-term.

But economic uncertainty and Brexit are causing some in the South East to hold off from making financial decisions. 21 per cent of respondents who invest said that they decided against investing due to uncertainty around the economic outlook and the associated risks. Meanwhile, Brexit was a concern for 17 per cent who said they were losing sleep over

“We can help and support on a range of financial decisions, including financial health checks to make sure clients are saving enough towards retirement, or by providing guidance on investment goals and aspirations dependent on an individual’s attitude to risk. We are here to help, no matter the problem or query.”

* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,140 adults aged 18+, with personal income of £100,000+ and/or household income of £120,000+ and/or investable assets of £100,000+. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th – 19th October 2017. The survey was carried out online. 1

Figure according to pension experts at Standard Life as reported on This is Money, Feb 2017

Figure according to the ONS Personal income by tax year - Income and deductions: 2014 to 2015

In Brief • The NatWest Premier Banking Aspiration Index reveals that 75 per cent of the region’s affluent are confident they’re saving enough for retirement • Average of £442 a month being set aside for retirement • 50 % of South East respondents began investing before the age of 30

Retirement Planning

TOP TIPS TO GET YOUR SAVINGS READY FOR RETIREMENT your banking relationship manager you can review your current strategy and how best to utilise your allowances. It is best to take action immediately, no matter your age, to make sure you are on track for the retirement lifestyle that suits you best. Use

an ISA allowance to top up contributions Another simple way of investing to help achieve your retirement lifestyle aspirations is by utilising your annual ISA allowance, thus growing your investment without incurring a tax bill. The interest you earn or any growth you make on an investment ISA isn’t liable for capital gains tax and any dividends paid on investments are also tax free.*

Start saving when you’re young and save sensibly

Make the most of the annual contribution allowance

Build a regular savings habit at an early age. 75% of respondents to the NatWest Aspiration Index began saving regularly by the time they turned 30. The power of compounding returns is immense for longer investments. To get you into the habit, set up a Direct Debit on pay day and if you get a pay rise, increase your regular savings – you’re unlikely to miss the cash.

It is important to regularly review your finances and make sure you are getting the most from your money. With the new pension freedoms and tax relief on your contributions, there has never been a better time to reassess your financial fitness around retirement planning. Pension rules and jargon can be bewildering, even for those who are financially sophisticated, so you should be regularly reassessing your priorities. By speaking to

Know

when to take risks

The further away you are from retiring, be prepared to take more risk with your investments. Take less risks the closer you get to retiring.

*It’s important to remember that the value of investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest. Understand the value of your assets You should understand your assets and have a plan to liquidate them. A significant portion of the UK population is sitting on huge amounts of housing equity. For some people, downsizing is an option while for others equity release schemes will work better. This may also help mitigate inheritance tax obligations for your beneficiaries.

Sign up for workplace pension schemes and regularly review contributions Automatic enrolment means that joining a workplace pension scheme becomes much easier rather than having to take steps to join. Under automatic enrolment most workers are signed up, making saving into pensions more attractive by making it compulsory for employers to pay into eligible workers’ pensions schemes and there is added tax advantages of doing so.

Cover Story

In 2018, it will be 100 years since women won the right to vote, and the theme of this issue of Platinum Business Magazine is the question of how far have we come in ridding business of inequality and discrimination. Caroline Lucas MP has never been afraid to stand up for equality in the workplace and in society in general. So it is fitting that Caroline Lucas has written an exclusive opinion piece on the subject for Platinum this month.

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY But there is still such a long way to go before we achieve gender equality By Caroline Lucas, Co-Leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion.

he last few weeks in politics have been extremely troubling. Day after day we’ve seen allegations of harassment and abuse from senior politicians and their staff - and there’s been a depressing backlash in some quarters by people who make it their mission to cast doubt on the, predominantly, women coming forward. Parliament should be a leader when it comes to equality in the workplace - but instead the toxic culture in my workplace has been exposed as deeply damaging and even dangerous for people working there.

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Three in four mothers endure negative or discriminatory treatment at work.

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As a member of Parliament’s working group on harassment I am pressing for swift changes to HR policy to support people who have experienced unacceptable behaviour or abuse, but I’m also looking to address wider changes such as the culture in the Chamber of Commons. Additionally I’m pushing for MPs (all of whom are employers in the present setup) to be given training on equalities and consent. We need to increase the number of women MPs too. Though it was good to see more in this Parliament than the last, it’s shocking that just 32% of MPs are women - and it’s clear that at this rate we’ll be waiting more than a lifetime for a 50:50 Parliament.

Cover Story Of course, inequality in the workplace isn’t just something faced by staff in Parliament, and it doesn’t just take the form of harassment either. In recent weeks a number of specific campaigns on inequality have been gaining ground, and highlighting serious issues around workplace inequality. Maternity and pregnancy discrimination forces 54,000 women out of work every year - and three in four mothers endure negative or discriminatory treatment at work. Current rules, however, mean that it’s very difficult for new mothers to seek legal redress for this discrimination - because they have to make any claim within three months (which is by its nature an extremely busy time). It’s no wonder that fewer than 1% of women who face this kind of discrimination bring an employment tribunal claim. This discrimination can affect all pregnant women and new mothers in work - from teachers, to social workers and employees at big firms - and it must be stopped. Thankfully there’s an enormous appetite for changing this legislation – and I’m confident that the work of campaigners will lead to a breakthrough soon. For self-employed women - and those who own their own microbusinesses - there are huge challenges too. Just this month it was revealed that self-employed mothers are being forced back to work the day after giving birth, because self-employed women do not get statutory maternity pay during the first six weeks. Instead, they have to live on £140.98 per week maternity allowance. With the number of self-employed people rising fast, we should be looking to update protections and benefits to ensure that all new mothers are given the support that’s needed.

It’s not just extra protection for mothers that we need - we must also be looking to giving all children the best start in life. That’s why the Green Party want free childcare for all children - a move which would hugely benefit working mothers too. I’ve also been pioneering Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) to give girls and boys a better understanding of gender and sexuality, prepare them for the world of work and to give children the skills and confidence they need. The Government has agreed to go ahead with compulsory PSHE and I’ll be monitoring progress carefully, with a focus on ensuring that lessons particularly aim to tackle gender stereotyping and help girls reach their potential. While large strides have been made in the past decade towards increasing female participation in the workplace, boardrooms

still remain highly male-dominated - which is why my Party supports quotas for women at the top of big companies. When Norway called on firms to have 40% representation of women on their boards, contrary to expectations of there being a shortage of suitable candidates, there was a wealth of high-quality female applicants.

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Businesses… are served well by equality because it means people being able to fulfil their potential without injustice and prejudice holding them back.

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That’s the kind of action I would like to see here - and I believe that action on representation in the boardroom could also spur on more women to be business owner and politicians too.

Businesses, our economy and our society are served well by equality because it means people being able to fulfil their potential without injustice and prejudice holding them back. In Sussex there are some businesses really pioneering best practices in this area - but more workplaces need to follow suit. We’ve come a long way when it comes to equality - but with so far to go it’s down to MPs and business leaders in particular to push ahead at full steam in ending the widespread injustice that’s still pervasive.

Investments

HOW CAN I SPOT THE NEXT GOOGLE? by Jason Kluver, Director at Shadow Foundr

ost people have their own story about “that missed” investment opportunity. “I could have backed this… or I should have got into that!” We’ve all heard slightly wistful, hard luck stories along these lines. However, actually taking the brave step and backing these early-stage companies with your hard-earned cash, is easier said than done. Anyone can regret with hindsight their missed opportunity to back Google, when the founders, Larry and Sergey, where toiling away in their garage. And to be fair, if it was me who missed out, I’d be too embarrassed to have the conversation in the first place. But how do we find the courage to get

involved in these risky opportunities? Because, if you can afford to take the risk (remember, early-stage equity investments are not for everyone), there can be some life-changing returns if you choose the right businesses.

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Is there a true need for the product or service and can it really be commercialised?

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Unlisted companies are currently one of the main driving forces behind the UK economy.

They are achieving unprecedented levels of survival and success. The opportunity for wily investors to achieve tax-efficient, risk related returns that aren’t subject to the short-term sentiment driving the main financial markets, is exceptional. Not every business will realise its potential and any capital invested is at risk, but the possibility of achieving superior returns from being an early participant in the ones that succeed is real. So, what should you be looking for as you try to pick the right business to invest in? There are a few key things that immediately spring to mind. Firstly, is the opportunity solving a genuine

Investments problem? In other words, is there a true need for the product or service and can it really be commercialised? This is a simple question to answer, because you just need to put yourself in the shoes of the potential customer. Ask yourself if you would pay for the product or service, then extrapolate your answer to see if it has mainstream, or even significant niche, appeal. Related to this is whether the company in question owns and can protect the Intellectual Property. Licence agreements can be torn up on a whim and disagreements abound in the world of distribution. You only want to be investing into a company that owns and has protected the IP, not a company that has a right to distribute it. Is it disruptive and scalable? A lot of people talk about disruption, but true disruption is not only something that changes the way we do things; it must be scalable as well. It must be something that appeals to many people or serves a unique niche in a market with very few competitors.

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Look for companies that have a steady recurring revenue stream, as well as the potential for a large upside.

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Disruption is all around us right now. We are effectively in a Technology Revolution, which will be documented in the history books of the future. From Crypto-Currencies to Artificial Intelligence and deep machine learning, disruption is happening every day in most sectors. Think ahead 30 years, to a time when it has been widely predicted our children’s vocations are going to be very different to our own. We’re being told by futurists that there will be no lawyers or doctors in the future, our kids won’t need to drive cars etc. What does all this mean? It means Opportunity! There is so much disruption happening right now and the opportunity to get involved is very real. Disruption aside, does the business offer recurring revenue streams? It’s easy to get carried away with disruption, but it’s also important to get back to basics, and recurring revenue is a sign of a solid business model. Subscription or SaaS (Software as a

Service) businesses are ideal as they provide a constant flow of regular revenue, which enables cashflows to be managed efficiently. Companies with lumpy revenue models often struggle with cashflows, as fortunes ebb and flow. Look for companies that have a steady recurring revenue stream, as well as the potential for a large upside. Recurring revenue is a company’s bread and butter and keeps the lights on. It provides businesses with the opportunity to stay in the game, to play for the big wins. Lastly and most importantly, is there a quality team involved? This is, in fact, the first thing you should look at. You could probably disregard one of the above “musts”, so long as the team is strong and has an excellent track-record. Have the people in the team been successful in this sector before? Have they successfully exited businesses previously? Most importantly, have they grown businesses and provided investors with timely returns?

a strong management team and operate in sectors where they have competitive advantage and the ability to disrupt, is not easy. But focusing on these factors will certainly help you identify them and, at the very least, save you a lot of time on extra due diligence, as you quickly rule out propositions that don’t have any of these attributes. So next time you’re peeking into a garage and you see a couple of super-enthusiastic and slightly crazy entrepreneurs working away, don’t just turn around and ignore them. Consider the above, ask them the right questions… and if their names are Larry and Sergey, think twice before you walk away!

For more information and to become a part of Shadow Foundr’s Private Investor Network and enjoy up to 50% Tax Relief go to www.shadowfoundr.com

Even if the team is inexperienced, the proposition should not be ruled out immediately. To make up for their lack of experience, does the team have one or two seasoned and successful advisors behind it? If it does, then the combination of youthful enthusiasm, technical know-how, and quality business experience could be an absolute winner. Picking prospects which are scalable, have

Legal

A GOOD YEAR FOR M&A

t’s been a very busy year for DMH Stallard. In September the Top 100 law firm merged with Rawlinson Butler. The merger brought the number of partners to over 70 and creates an overall team strength of nearly 350. Turnover for the combined mid-market firm is forecast to exceed £30m in 2017/18, two-thirds of which will be in Sussex and Surrey. Throughout the year levels of business activity have been exceptionally strong, not least in the corporate team. M&A deals completed had already hit 20 before the merger and the increase in the regional team size to 15 partners, led by Jonathan Grant (pictured), Partner and Head of Corporate, has ensured last quarter momentum has been maintained.

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I have been surprised at the strength of our regional M&A business, in terms of volume and quality, which counters suggestions that Brexit would put the sector into a tailspin.

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Jonathan said: “I have been surprised at the strength of our regional M&A business, in terms of volume and quality, which counters suggestions that Brexit would put the sector into a tailspin. The key to running this number of deals is experienced partners and a great team; Abigail Owen, Kate Norgett and Danos Athanasi have all been busy and we expect a strong start to the new year.”

THE 2017 DEAL ROSTER • “Pre Pack” Acquisition of national charity Lifeline Project for Brighton based Change, Grow, Live; securing 1,000 jobs. • Sale of specialist insurance brokers Morton Michel Holdings Ltd to PIB Group Ltd. • Sale of trade magazine publisher Unity Media plc to the Mark Allen Group. • Sale to Palatine Equity of Gatwick based training business Trade Skills4U. • Sale of content marketing specialists BuzzSumo to leading global social intelligence company, Brandwatch. • Sale of Chichester based independent book publisher Summersdale to Octopus Publishing Group. • Partial share sale of Posturite Limited to U.S. corporate group, Fellowes. • Joint venture between Colart International Holding Ltd and Lawrence King Publishing Ltd for Elephant (Art) magazine. • MBO of Kent travel and tour operator Albatross Group Holdings Ltd. • Acquisition of Luxembourg Property SPV from Europa Funds and Inland Homes plc. • Sale of The West Yorkshire Printing Company Ltd. • Acquisition of Sinclair Johnston & Partners by international design & project management group, Byrne Looby Partners (UK) Ltd. • Acquisiton by leading global financial printer, Black & Callow Ltd, of Master Mail Ltd. • Merger of Judd Associates Ltd’s web and design agency business with Michael Bell Brand Communications Ltd. • Sale of Pinsure Ltd and PI4U Ltd of their FCA regulated insurance businesses to Brunel Professional Risks Ltd. • Multiple Care Home Sector deals: Sale of Fields Care Home Ltd and Loxwood House, and the acquisition of a large Sussex based care home. • Advised major shareholder on the sale of Brighton based sports nutrition/supplements business Reflex Nutrition plc to Associated British Foods plc. • Joint Venture “Texas shoot-out” share acquisition of a company operating an English heritage site. • Succession Plan and shareholder structuring for professional recruitment firm, Trevose Partners. • Sale of Bacon and Company estate agents lettings and sales business to the Michael Jones operation. • Acquisition by AVS Fencing Supplies of a new branch at Hartwell Nurseries, Aylesbury.

Legal

Jonathan added: “We have seen a concentration of deals in publishing, professional services and marketing, including online/tech businesses. We can also see our geographical spread widening, which has been a focus over the last three years, with deals on the South Coast, Gatwick, Guildford and in Kent”.

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We have seen a concentration of deals in publishing, professional services and marketing, including online/tech businesses

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TOP TIER ACCOLADES FOR DMH STALLARD

hambers and Partners has bestowed a series of accolades on DMH Stallard. In its highly regarded annual guide for 2018, DMH Stallard’s position as the leading mid-market firm in the south east has been reflected with numerous senior partners being recognised.

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...our determination to continually ‘raise the bar’ remains undimmed.

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Richard Pollins (pictured, right), Managing Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “We’ve been fortunate to receive a number of awards and industry recognition in recent times and while I’m always delighted most for how this reflects on the exceptional work of my colleagues, our determination to continually ‘raise the bar’ remains undimmed.” Heidi Copland, Robert Worthing, Gwen Godfrey and Jonathan Grant all achieved an individual ‘Band 1’ ranking and another 26 individuals achieved Band rankings within their practice area. Practice areas with ‘Tier 1’ rankings include private client, family and matrimonial, banking and finance, planning, corporate, environment and intellectual property.

Finance

THE CRIMINAL FINANCE ACT - IS IT UNDER YOUR RADAR? This month, MHA Carpenter Box Practice Director Chris Coopey, outlines the potential impact of the new Criminal Finances Act on companies and partnerships, and provides a brief overview of new Payroll guidance from HMRC

he Criminal Finance Act took effect on 30th September 2017. It makes companies and partnerships (referred to in the legislation as ‘relevant bodies’) criminally liable if they fail to prevent the facilitation of tax evasion being carried out by an employee, anyone acting on their behalf, or someone acting as an agent; whether the tax evaded is owed in the UK or in a foreign country. If found guilty, the business could face unlimited fines and potentially further consequential sanctions within their industry or profession. Previously, attributing criminal liability to a relevant body required prosecutors to show that the senior members of the relevant body were involved in and aware of the illegal activity, typically those at the Board of Directors level. This had a number of consequences:

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If found guilty, the business could face unlimited fines and potentially further consequential sanctions within their industry or profession.

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• It was more difficult to hold a large multinational organisation to account. In large multinational organisations, decision making is often decentralised and decisions are often taken at a level lower than that of the Board of Directors, with the effect that the relevant body can be shielded from criminal liability. This also created an ‘unlevel’ playing field in comparison to smaller businesses where the Board of Directors will be more actively involved in the day-to-day activities of a business. • The common law method of criminal attribution may have acted as an incentive

for the most senior members of an organisation to turn a blind eye to the criminal acts of its representatives, to shield the relevant body from criminal liability. • The common law may also have acted as a disincentive to internal reporting of suspected illegal tax activity to the most senior members, who would be required to act upon such reporting since otherwise the corporate entity might be criminally liable. The cumulative effect was an environment that could do more to foster corporate monitoring and self-reporting of criminal activity related to facilitating tax evasion. This meant that bodies that refrained from implementing good corporate governance and strong reporting procedures were harder to prosecute, and in some cases lacked a strong incentive to invest in preventative procedures. It was those bodies that preserved their ignorance of criminality within their organisation that the earlier criminal law could most advantage. The new corporate offence therefore aims to overcome the difficulties in attributing criminal liability to relevant bodies for the criminal acts of employees, agents

or those that provide services for or on their behalf. This Act has the effect of creating an offence at corporate and partnership level which does not require the directors/partners to have had any knowledge of the offence in question. Broadly, the offence is the failure to prevent the crimes of those who act for or on behalf of the corporate body or partnership, instead of the need to attribute criminal acts to that body. For a firm to be criminally liable under the new Act, there are three elements to the offence: 1. There must be the execution of a criminal act of tax evasion. 2. The crime must have been facilitated or carried out by a person associated with a relevant body. 3. The relevant body failed to initiate adequate prevention procedures in relation to the act carried out by the associated person. A defence is available when it can be shown that ‘reasonable prevention procedures’ were

Finance

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This Act has the effect of creating an offence at corporate and partnership level which does not require the directors/partners to have had any knowledge of the offence in question.

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in place to prevent the associated person from committing or facilitating the crime; or that it would have been unreasonable or disproportionate to expect such procedures to be in place. The government advises that any reasonable prevention procedures should be based on six guiding principles: • Risk assessment – the relevant body should assess the nature and extent of its exposure to the risk of an associated person committing a criminal act; • Proportionality – the procedures should take into account the nature, scale and complexity of the relevant body’s activities;

PAYROLL – new guidance for employers

• Top level commitment – the management of the relevant body should be committed to preventing illegal acts and should foster a culture that tax evasion and its facilitation is never acceptable;

HMRC is advising that following the changes to the valuation of Benefits in Kind (BiK) where there is a cash option available, they will consult and then issue the necessary amendments to the PAYE Regulations. The guidance will also clarify the taxable amounts that need to be reported under Optional Remuneration and salary sacrifice arrangements.

• Due diligence – with appropriate procedures put in place for all people who perform services for the relevant body;

HMRC have issued the October 2017 Employer Bulletin which contains a number of articles relevant to employers on payroll related issues.

Where a BiK is taken rather than the alternative cash option, the taxable value of the benefit is the higher of the cash foregone or the taxable value under the normal BiK rules. Transitional provisions apply for arrangements entered into before 6 April 2017. The Bulletin also includes articles on: • Changes to Business Tax Accounts for employers – including new data on the Apprenticeship Levy and the introduction of monthly and annual statement pages.

• Communication – training staff and ensuring the message effectively gets across to all employees and agents;

• Data matters – ensuring Real Time Information (RTI) returns are submitted on or before the date the wages are paid, that the returns are accurate, cover all employees, including those that earn less than the National Insurance lower earnings limit.

• Monitoring and reviewing – ensuring that whatever procedures are put in place are regularly reviewed and updated and amended where necessary.

• Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) – clarification of when CIS deductions should be reported via the Employer Payment Summary (EPS).

This may not be relevant to every business, but it is certainly worth pausing for thought if you do have employees and assessing your risk in relation to the activities that they may undertake, especially if there is scope for them to be putting the business at risk by keeping some of their activities under the radar.

• Paying HMRC at the Post Office – via transcash. This option will be withdrawn from 15 December 2017.

• Student Loans – new income thresholds introduced from April 2018 for Plan Type 1 and 2 loans. • Apprenticeships benefit your business – includes links to help on finding apprenticeship training and recruiting an apprentice.

For help with payroll matters, please call MHA Carpenter Box on 01903 234094. Our BACs accredited Bureau is here to help.

Please contact MHA Carpenter Box for our information sheet if you require further details on this new legislation.

Finance

STAY CYBER SAFE Don’t fall for spear phishing fraud attacks, says Tom Wacher, Director of Forensic Accounting at Kreston Reeves.

raud against businesses is on the rise and is increasingly sophisticated. So worried is the government, that it included fraud in its annual crime survey for the first time this year, and its 2017 annual cyber security breaches survey found that a staggering seven in 10 businesses have been the target or victim of fraud. The government has now committed to investing £1.9bn to protect the nation from cyber-attacks and to help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online.

So who is currently at risk and what can be done to prevent it? Especially at risk are property and construction businesses because they have many different suppliers and significant machinery assets. They are often seen as an easy target and are, the government survey reports, the least likely to seek assistance when

facing cyber security threats. But any business of any size could be a target, so awareness and prevention is essential.

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businesses that are targeted; this year, Richard Branson was targeted by a $5m telephone fraud. Spear phishing attacks can be very

Spear phishing attacks can be very sophisticated and are where fraudsters impersonate members of an organisation.

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On average, businesses lose £20,000 a year to fraud, with some losing millions. Email and telephone fraud is by far and away the most common way to defraud businesses followed by viruses and malware. And it is not just small

sophisticated and are where fraudsters impersonate members of an organisation. Fraudsters can spend a significant amount of time researching their target before launching the attack. In this type of attack, typically, an email will arrive into the finance department that looks convincingly as if it has come from the senior management. In the example of the building and construction industry, it asks that a contractor needs paying asap or they will walk off site, or that the company is late paying for a piece of equipment and that payment is needed straightaway and provides new or revised payment details.

Finance

So convincing is the email that payment is made without question, and the money is lost, leaving the business with little or no chance of recovering it. It isn’t just this sector that is at risk, businesses in all sectors might be targeted. Other business sectors frequently targeted include those holding electronic personal data on customers. The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which will be implemented on 25 May 2018 should mean all businesses are now looking closely at this area of their business operation and preparing for the new rules. To be compliant with the new regulations may also offer greater protection against cyber-crime. In the meantime, it is the sophisticated simplicity of these attacks that makes them so successful, yet also makes them easy to avoid if the correct measures are in place. A review of a business’ internal processes and education of staff involved in managing the finances is key. We would recommend that all businesses adopt the following simple measures: Ensure emails are labelled ‘internal’ or ‘external’. This can easily be done by your email provider or IT company, and whilst not a complete failsafe, it will help flag emails that claim to originate inside a business but actually are external. Ensure that all significant requests for payment are checked and require a two-stage payment process ideally written into the company’s online banking facility rules. Simply check with the supplier that payment is indeed needed as claimed. All it takes is a simple phone call. Never make a payment because of a threat to remove a service or staff at short notice, decisions made in the heat of the moment are often regretted and speaking to the supplier

involved will help establish what is correct. And in the event that all the above fails, consider investment in fraud and cyber-crime insurance. It is also very common to receive emails claiming to come from your bank, software providers or other parties wanting you to change and update banking details. Do not under any circumstances follow the link provided in any such email – it is likely to take you to a mirror site allowing the fraudsters to capture the information needed to access sensitive or important financial information. The same applies if called. Simply offer to call them back on the number you would usually use, not the one they provide. If someone calls and claims to be from your bank, don’t be afraid to ask them to prove who they are and why they are calling, it will help to buy you extra time.

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It is not just small businesses that are targeted; this year, Richard Branson was targeted by a $5m telephone fraud.

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Staff that are responsible for, or have permissions to authorise payments, need to be regularly reminded and updated on a company’s policies and procedures relating to payments, and those policies and procedures should be regularly reviewed. In smaller businesses that may be relatively straightforward to implement, but in larger businesses more sophisticated policies that

deliberately slow down payment procedures might be needed. Spear phishing attempts, whilst on the rise, are not the only way businesses are defrauded. It still stands that the weakest point in any company policies and procedures are the people involved. And sadly, most successful fraud attempts still require the assistance (intended or otherwise) of trusted staff. Tom Wacher is Director of Forensic Accounting at accountants and business advisers Kreston Reeves. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a full practicing member of the Academy of Experts. He can be reached by email: tom.wacher@krestonreeves.com. Visit www.krestonreeves.com. For more information on this subject plus the Budget 2017 analysis and other business, tax and commercial financial planning issues, come along to our free seminar, Finance Focus 2017. The event takes place on Tuesday 5th December from 8.00am-10.30am at South Lodge Hotel in Horsham. It will help you focus on the financial health and continued growth and profitability of your business, enabling you to make confident decisions while looking ahead to the future. Book your place at http://www.krestonreeves.com/ news-and-events/07/09/2007/financefocus-2017-sussex

business. tax. wealth.

CEO Fight Club

CEO

THE MAGICAL MARKETING MYTH By Si Conroy, owner of Scarlet Monday

ave you ever been tempted to click one of ‘those’ adverts? You know the ones: the “one weird old tip” for getting a flat belly, the exhortation from a chunky moustachioed opera singer to “go compare” or the strange allure of a puppet meerkat asking you to “compare the meerkat”. The reality is that marketing holds a powerful sway on us, and for good reason. “Share the Load,” an ad for laundry brand Ariel, resulted in doubled sales by value and by volume, a study by ad research company WARC said. Get them right, and you can drive big business. Even those pesky opera singers and meerkats pack a punch, with 73% recall from test audiences and ad cost per visitor decreasing by 74% over a two year period for Comparethemarket (2008-2010, Campaign 3.3.11). But the cost? That irritating opera singer cost £28m of adspend in one year (Campaign 3.3.11). P&G’s (owner of Ariel) annual ad spend? £5.7 BILLION. (Campaign 9.8.17). Here’s the problem; you’ve worked on your strategy which has led you to build the perfect product or service. You know customers want it. You know how to deliver it. You’ve hired the people. Your sales team are ready to sell it. What’s missing?

Awareness that you even exist. You’ll read the articles in the business magazines about the best tools to use to market your business. Experts will cold call you and pitch you their weird new tips for getting leads knocking on your door. Your

business networking buddy will swear by the latest, greatest technique that has worked for them… until it doesn’t. Then you’ll read the next article about the next big thing, spend a load of money with another agency promising you the world and delivering a junior account manager who fails to deliver anything, and so the cycle continues.

CEO Fight Club

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not in any way anti-marketing, anti-agency or antianything that drives awareness of a brand, product, service or cause etc. What I am ‘anti‘ is any CEO or business owner’s naïve belief that any marketing channel can be a silver bullet that will magically deliver marketing-qualified leads to the door. And I am even more antivendors who suggest that their product or service alone will deliver these leads. What I’ve learned over the years of my trials and tribulations with marketing over a number of businesses now feels like a fairly stoic set of insights: 1. Marketing is really, really hard. Each of the component elements of your final, but ever evolving marketing strategy need to be selected and tested based on your product/services/competitor behaviours and market conditions. There is no single ‘killer solution’. 2. It’s ever-evolving, so it’s really hard. You can start to get leads that convert from a certain combination of marketing techniques. You think you have cutthrough, then your competitors copy you and suddenly you are no longer a signal in the noise, and you have to evolve your strategy again.

3. It takes time. Lots of time. Even when you have a working strategy, you will only start to get the best leads months, if not years, from now because of the seven points I make here. Yes, you can shake trees to get the people who may be ready to transact now, but there are lots of tree-shakers out there. 4. Be the signal in the noise. Applying counter-intuitive thinking can be key to maintaining the signal strength. ‘Traction’ by Weinberg & Mares is a very good book for mapping the (currently 19) marketing channels and adopting a testing methodology. Importantly though the book provides case studies of businesses very successfully using different channels to everyone else in their market. 5. There is a key insight: it’s all about developing relationships in advance of a transaction. Yes, you want the sale. But like a desperate suitor, the more a prospect is chased for the sale the more turned-off they become. However, if you get to know them first and have multiple points of gentle contact where they get to know you, when they’re ready to buy they are more likely to come to you. 6. Relationships are built based on providing value. As much as you feel excited about

the event you’re exhibiting at, or the widgetydoodah additional feature you’ve just introduced, unless it adds value to your target buyer, it’s wasted effort. You can argue that we’re tapping into the psychology of reciprocity here. If you give real value that solves real problems in advance of the sales transaction, they both have a relationship with you but arguably also feel in debt to you. 7. SPIN is key. Having raised $1m to study 30,000 sales calls in 20 countries over 12 years, British psychologist Neil Rackham developed the backbone of every good sale: SPIN. A set of questions to illicit customer problems and the implications of those problems, you need to pre-SPIN your targets and ensure that the value your marketing offers is focused on solving those problems and removing the implications of those problems. Arguably the whole of your product/service should be built around this insight. You have the key responsibility as leader to ‘get’ the above. You can’t outsource the reality of the situation as a ‘problem’ for someone else to deal with. Equally you can’t do it. The answer? Drop the pursuit of the magical marketing solution and buckle-down for the hard work required.

Si Conroy specialises in helping business owners remove their blockers to profitable business growth; be they strategy, marketing & sales, people, finance or systems/process.. Trained at PwC and owner of www.ScarletMonday.com and www.ConstantMentor.com, Si practices what he preaches across a number of businesses in which he has invested. si@scarletmonday.com @siconroy

Interview

EXPERTS IN DIRECT MARKETING The resurgence in direct mail marketing is showing no signs of slowing down. Ian Trevett spoke to David Vaughan, MD of Mailing Expert about the growth of the company, the future of direct mail and the implications of GDPR.

t’s all about the planning. If you have an idea, then a business advisor will insist you create a detailed business plan to map your future growth and development. But not always. Sometimes businesses almost start by accident - maybe after a redundancy or an opportunity that can’t be ignored. For David and Jenny, their respective businesses flourished as a result of enforced new starts and a partnership that was staring them in the face. Tucked away in an Uckfield business park, a two-storey office unit houses two very different, yet complimentary businesses. Upstairs Jenny runs a group of insurance brokers, while downstairs David has a direct mail company, Mailing Expert. Both are thriving, yet both would be first to admit that this wasn’t the plan! For Jenny, owning an insurance company was the furthest thing from her mind, as David

recalls. “Jenny was working as an insurance broker and 14 years ago she was made redundant. She said at the time she didn’t want to sell insurance, she didn’t want to employ people and she didn’t want premises. Now she has an insurance brokering firm, 18 staff and these premises.” What David hadn’t realised was that he would soon be sharing the premises with his own business. “I started six years ago in September 2011. My working life had been spent in many of the larger mailing houses and printers in London and across the south east. When I was made redundant I was weighing up what to do, and it occurred to me I already had a potential mailing client - my wife.” “I had already been doing her mail-outs. When she started out, we bought 100 names, printed the letters out on a home desktop printer and sent them out. We began by sending out 100 mailers a month and once

the mailing got too much we used the mailing house where I was working. So when I started out on my own, it made sense to carry this on. “Jenny had moved into a decent-sized unit in Uckfield, with her office upstairs and there was space downstairs that she wasn’t using. The idea initially was that I would create an inhouse mailing operation for Jenny’s business, but very quickly other insurance companies started to get in touch asking if we could do their mailing. Then we started working with local government and charities and the mailing side started to really take off. Now we send 100,000 proposals a year for Jenny’s business, and we have built up the customer base for the brokering company. “I am effectively a non-exec director of Jenny’s companies and she is the nonexec director of mine. I do have insurance qualifications but I don’t get involved in the day-to-day running of the business.

Interview “We chose the name Mailing Expert as it has a good connection with the insurance brand names. We have Mailing Expert, The Expert Insurance Group, PI Expert, Home Insurance Expert, and Kidnap and Ransom Expert.” Although their direct mail has come back in favour, it has been a tough environment for both mailing house and printers over the last few years, with many companies falling by the wayside. David was determined to make the business sustainable from day one: “The mistake companies make is that they quickly buy expensive equipment and take on lots of staff, and then get in trouble when business slows down. “We didn’t have the aspiration to grow too quickly. We are not interested in being a print/mailing house for the AA - and are happy with the SME market. We started with an old printer we already had and waited until the demand was there before upgrading. So when a job came along that needed colour digital, that is when we invested. “We haven’t got anything here that we rarely use - we ensure that the equipment we have has a genuine use. The profits we get are put straight back into the company. We’d rather invest in the company than jet off to Australia at the first opportunity. “Day one of the business was just me. Now we have four full time members of staff, but we have ten people we can quickly call in when we need to fulfil a big job. Sometimes we get staff in, other times we use homeworkers, which particularly suits mums with young families.” Mailing Expert is far more than just a mailing house, with expertise in general direct marketing including digital, and the team are always on hand to offer advice and consultancy. As strong as the company is on email marketing, David believes that it has its limitations: “Email marketing accounts for just under 5% of what we do. We do email campaigns but we usually advise that it works best alongside a physical marketing campaign. A typical campaign for an event or an exhibition, for instance, would see a physical mailing a couple of months before, followed by two or three email campaigns leading up to the event, just to remind people. Email marketing on its own isn’t always very effective.” The reservations about email marketing do not represent a Luddite approach to new technologies. In fact, physical direct mail has undergone a revolution over the last few years. “Emails are great marketing if you are expecting them (such as a newsletter or

offer that you have signed up for) but are usually deleted within a couple of seconds if unexpected, whereas a physical letter will sit on your desk or on top of your mantel piece for weeks. The mailing industry is now very clever,” says David. “The post you receive has been targeted using the data received by companies, which builds up a picture of your buying habits. “Royal Mail have done a lot of research on mail responses and they have found that the demographic which most likes receiving post is actually the Millennial generation, as post is a quite a novelty for them and it makes them feel important. “Our biggest clients are insurance brokers, charities and local government. For instance we might send out forms to update the electoral roll, recycling calendars or notices about changes in services. Recycling calendars can be quite involved as one street will have recycling on a Monday, the next may be Tuesday and so on. It is actually fairly easy for us as we batch print and mail sort it. It’s all about having the right systems in place. “We are working on pre-Christmas campaigns now which keeps us busy until late November. The charities clearly get a good return as they pay for the printing, post and sometimes the actual list, but they return each year so it must work for them.

targeted mail-outs for local estate agents.” So what does the future hold for the sector and the company? “The future is strong for the sector, and it will become even more targeted and more intelligent. It will be more specific to the individual. You see gimmicky ideas come and go, but most of these go out of fashion quickly. If you get too complicated, people lose interest. “For us, looking ahead for the next five years, I would be happy if we are double the size we are. We will need a new factory unit as we are out-growing the premises here. The key is to grow organically and not put ourselves in a situation where we are over-stretched. We are a direct mail company and that remains our bread and butter.”

www.mailingexpert.co.uk In the next issue of Platinum Business Magazine, we ask David about the impact of the new GDPR legislation. Working in direct marketing, there can be few people better placed to give an accurate assessment of how the new legislation will affect businesses.

“When we do send unaddressed items, we only send single flyers – never as a bundled collection of leaflets that will go straight into recycling. For instance we often do small

Interview

CREATIVITY BY DESIGN The Platinum Publishing Group has a stunning new website, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the wonderful designers at Nexus Design & Print. Ian Trevett met with MD Claudine Young to find out more about the business.

e are hugely proud of our new website and have been very impressed with the professionalism and customer service provided by our chosen web designers, Nexus Design & Print. Aside from the quality of their work, the overriding first impression is that it is a friendly and close-knit business where people are happy to work. This reflects the ethos of owner and MD Claudine Young, who took over the reins just over 18 months ago. “When I took over the business, I wanted to ensure it was much more family-friendly, and geared to a work-life balance. I’m aware that our staff need to have time with their families, so we are flexible on hours. However, it’s very important that we get together and we stay focused as a team. You need to be able to run ideas past each other and talk about projects.”

❝

The most difficult thing for many small businesses is that marketing is always at the bottom of the list

❞ Claudine has been with Nexus since its inception, almost 25 years ago, and seen many changes. In fact, the whole nature of the business has changed dramatically over the years. She describes Nexus today as follows: “We’re a creative marketing agency and we work with you on everything from designing your logo, designing your website, printing your stationery, supporting your marketing or helping with your digital marketing. We help you create a strategy to move forward and are here to offer advice.” The original Nexus was very different, as Claudine recalls: “The company was started by

Steve Wadman in February 1993 and I was one of the first members of staff that he recruited. I began in sales, although I have worked in all departments. “At the start our main business was selling computer stationery, such as paper, diskettes, and Magnetic tapes - any computer consumables. “We did a little bit of design such as letterheads and it wasn’t until we’d grown that business that we decided to open up a studio which I headed up. We also became print agents. “Our business model now is geared towards design but we still offer computer stationery sales. There is still a market for it, which is quite amazing. There are still users of dot matrix printers, as the ribbons are more costeffective way of printing than using toners. A ribbon will last you a lot longer and it’s a lot cheaper. For us it is good repeat business.” The leap from sales to running a design

studio was a steep learning curve. “Starting a studio was quite daunting,” says Claudine. “It was something I’d never done and I had to learn very quickly. I was never what you would call a designer, I was always more of an art worker. But soon there was enough business to employ a junior designer, James Morrison, who is still with us 12 years later and now heads up the studio. “I moved over to office manager, which then progressed to general manager. I ran the business for the MD in his semi-retirement and then took it over as owner when he retired in April 2016.” Claudine is the first to admit that the move from manager to owner was a big change, and entailed more pressure. I asked her what the main difference is between being a general manager and an owner. She quickly replies: “About nine hours sleep!” “You can certainly have a few sleepless nights. I think when I first took over I remember sitting down and thinking ‘I don’t

Interview know what I’m supposed to be doing’, even though I virtually ran the office. I made a lot of the decisions prior to taking over, but someone else would authorise the decision. When it’s you making those decisions and it’s you who’s responsible for what happens after you’ve made those decisions, it is quite different.” When asked what was her best decision as an owner, the ironic reply is taking on a Head of Marketing - ironic as there was no-one marketing the marketing company. “The most difficult thing for many small businesses is that marketing is always at the bottom of the list,” she says. “It’s the last thing they do when it should actually be the first thing because it’s this that gets you known.

❝

We like dealing withsmaller businesses because it’s nice to see them grow through the advice you’ve given them. We work with people, not for people.

❞

“We were just as slow. We were looking for a salesperson, but I realised that what we really needed was a Head of Marketing, so we took on Milly Stone this year. Marketing is something that people don’t always see as a selling tool when in fact it most certainly is. Everything comes back to how you’ve marketed your business and whether you’ve done it correctly.

it’. We want the client to be fully involved and always encourage this. “What sets us apart from others is that we have plenty of experience. We have younger designers but most of our designers are mature and they have a really good work ethic plus all the experience in their field. We have an old mindset but a very modern outlook. “We are always looking at new trends and technologies. The guys go to a lot of industry events, in order to network with others in their field. We do a lot of research as well. And we want to harness the creativity of the younger generations. It is important to understand millennials and what they look for in a job or career.”

So what does the future hold for Nexus? “We aim for steady growth,” stresses Claudine. “We don’t want to grow too quickly and become too big. We are a niche little creative agency that’s got a good personal touch and I don’t want to lose that. As much as we’ve got high expectations of what we can achieve, we want to achieve it while keeping our feet on the ground and sticking with our boutique approach. “Our staff stay with us. James has been here for 12 years. Steve Elford freelanced for us for about nine years prior to joining the company, so he’s been with us for ten years. Fiona Edmunds-Prosser has been here five years and Suzanne Ford for four years. There are eight

staff including me. “I think everybody is really involved in the future of the business. They want to make the business future-proof. That’s important as well. It’s my pension but also I want our people to be able to have a job in 10 or 20 years’ time. They’re young enough to see the business grow. Part of that business will be shared with them hopefully as they get further down the line. So it’s important that we don’t spread ourselves too thin. “We have a very loyal customer base. We want to build relationships. You may start with doing a brochure, and then from the brochure you get to do their magazine, and from the magazine they need to re-design their website. And you can grow a brand with them. We grow with the brand that they’re trying to create themselves.” The word nexus is defined as an important connection between the parts of a system or a group of things. This could be a good description of Claudine’s role at the company. Her interests outside work include a passion for holistic therapies and with the business she takes a similarly holistic approach. There’s no doubt that the business is in safe hands.

Milly Stone NEXUS DESIGN & PRINT Studio 38, Adur Business Centre, Little High Street, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5EQ Phone: 01273 702525

“Taking on Milly was a great move as she is completely honest with me, which is what I need. I don’t need people to just fan my ego because what’s the point?” If they were slow on their own marketing, the opposite applies to the work they do for their clients. Nexus offer a free marketing health check and are about to launch a new product especially aimed at start-ups. “We are launching a Stepping Stone Package for brand new companies that are just starting up. We’ve put together a mini-marketing plan for them and we’ll put together a mini website and business stationery package to get them on the ladder. “We like dealing with smaller businesses because it’s nice to see them grow through the advice you’ve given them. We work with people, not for people. Somebody doesn’t come to us and say ‘I want a logo, get on with

Digital Marketing

THE BUSINESS CASE FOR GOOGLE ADWORDS Beth Nash, from digital marketing agency Smart Monkey, on the advantages of Google AdWords.

rom a completely blank face, to sheer terror at the thought of contributing to Google’s billion-pound empire, I can expect a selection of reactions when I mention Google AdWords. As a digital marketer who can remember the days before Google even offered advertising, I get more satisfaction seeing the results we achieve through natural SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). However, I am also very aware that it can take a long time to achieve top natural rankings. Even then, how do you know that the keywords you’ve spent months optimising your site for are going to convert into business? That’s where paid search comes into its own. Google AdWords, as we are focusing on for this article, are the ‘Ads’ Google displays at the top and bottom of its search results. When someone enters a search query, Google will select relevant adverts to display. Each time someone clicks on an advert, the advertiser pays Google. This is PPC or Pay Per Click. With Google handling more than three billion searches per day (Search Engine Land), here is my business case for using AdWords: • Agility With Google AdWords, you can quite literally turn internet traffic on and off. • Quick Results Working on natural ranking is like a marathon, it takes skill, experience and above-all, time, whereas Google AdWords is a sprint, generating immediate web traffic overnight. • Searcher Intent People searching on Google have a high searcher intent and are further down the buying funnel. With Google AdWords, the day when people habitually scrolled past the ads are coming to an end - the top three

paid spots now get around 41% of the clicks on the page. • Deeper Insight There are various tools that we can use to glean data, however, the Google AdWords dashboard provides us with far deeper insight - in particular, which keywords actually convert. This information helps us to form the longer-term natural search strategy as we can focus efforts on the keywords we know generate business. • Testing Maybe you don’t know if there is a market for your business online, you want to test a new service or product, or your site just doesn’t rank naturally yet. We often recommend using AdWords to provide data to inform business decisions before investing in a longer-term natural strategy. • Remarketing Remarketing uses the Google Display Network to show your advert to people who visited your site but didn’t convert, and is ideal if your offering is not an impulse buy. The more a potential customer is exposed to your brand – the higher the conversion rate.

• Continual Learning A good PPC Consultant will be continually learning and monitoring your AdWords account, checking budget allocation to different campaigns and relative performance, and moving budget to the campaigns that are producing the best results. Whether you love it or hate it, with 86% of consumers using the internet to find a local business (WebVisible Survey), using Google AdWords is a quick, agile and effective way to achieve your goals.

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

BIO: Beth is a Chartered Marketer and ‘Head Honcho & Chief of Client Happiness’ at digital marketing agency, Smart Monkey. Since 2006, Smart Monkey has been helping small and medium sized businesses in Sussex, Surrey and Kent generate revenue through effective and measurable digital marketing campaigns.

British Airways i360

START 2018 ON A HIGH Bring in the New Year in style on British Airways i360’s midnight flight.

tart 2018 on a high by seeing in the New Year in the British Airways i360 pod, 450ft above Brighton, singing Auld Lang Syne with a glass of Nyetimber sparkling wine.

At ground level, the British Airways i360 beach building will be decked in twinkling lights, and as you arrive at the start of the night, you will be welcomed with a celebratory drink by the British Airways i360 team. After mingling for a while, settle down at your table for an elegant five-course meal. The menu, created by our award-winning partners Heritage Portfolio, includes braised featherblade of beef, delicious vegetarian alternatives and a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate globe to finish. Before taking to the night skies, hit the dance floor and celebrate the best of 2017 as our DJ rocks the beach building with current and vintage tunes. At 11.45pm, you’ll be handed a glass of Nyetimber sparkling wine as you board the British Airways i360 pod for an exclusive midnight flight; a perfect way to bring in 2018. Enjoy a moment of reflection as the pod glides gently up to 450ft and the views of Brighton by night unfold around you. Whilst the excitement builds as you reach the top of the tower, the countdown to midnight will start. Back on land in the beach building, the New Year party will continue with DJ music, dancing and a late bar until 2am.

Tickets cost £125 per person and include a welcome drink, five-course dinner, a midnight pod flight with a glass of Nyetimber, and DJ entertainment until late. Mingle on our tables of 10, OR save 10% when booking a full table. For more information and to book, visit BritishAirwaysi360. com/NewYear or call 01273 448370 (surcharge applies).

Business Awards

GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS Entry Deadline Extended

he Deadline for entries to the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards has been extended to 4th December 2017.

We know that there are some outstanding businesses across the region and so this is your opportunity to gain recognition for the great work you do. With 13 categories to choose from, and no Entry Fee, you will be sure to find at least one category to enter. It’s simple to enter, just download and complete the entry form from the award’s website and return it to us by 4th December. The judges will then arrange assessment visits in January of 2018, giving you the chance to shine.

THESE ARE THE CATEGORIES THAT YOU COULD ENTER ◆◆ Business of the Year over £1m turnover – sponsored by NatWest

◆◆ Business of the Year up to £1m turnover – sponsored by The Platinum Publishing Group

◆◆ Business Person of the Year – sponsored by KPMG ◆◆ New Business of the Year – sponsored by Basepoint Business Centres Ltd

◆◆ Green Business of the Year – sponsored by Crawley Borough Council

◆◆ International Business of the Year – sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative

◆◆ Manufacturing Business of the Year - sponsored by

◆◆ The Award for Customer Delight – sponsored by Thakeham Group

◆◆ The Award for Supply Chain Excellence – sponsored by University of Brighton

◆◆ The Award for Developing People for Business – sponsored by Crawley College

◆◆ Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

◆◆ Employer of the Year – sponsored by Search Consultancy ◆◆ Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored by University of Sussex School of Business, Management and Economics

asb law

As this is the 10th Year of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards, we will be recognising the winners from the past decade and finding the Business of the Decade, sponsored by NatWest. If you have any questions on the award’s programme, on the categories you should be considering or on how to complete your entry form then please feel free to contact us without delay.

Last year’s winners

Business Awards

SAVE THE DATE

SOME OF LAST YEAR’S WINNERS

The 10th Annual Gatwick Diamond Business Awards will be presented on 15th March 2018 at the Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick, by comedy legend and Strictly star Brian Conley. Visit www.GatwickDiamondBusinessAwards.com for the categories and further details and follow us on Twitter @gdbizawards for top tips and to keep up-to-date.

HEADLINE SPONSORS B&CE The Peoples Pension – Extech – Gatwick Airport – NatWest

EVENT DELIVERY: Avensys Pro

♦ VENUE PARTNER: Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick

CREATIVE PARTNER: Storm 12 ♦ MEDIA PARTNER: The Platinum Publishing Group

www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com

Business Awards

SUSSEX SUPER GROWTH 2018 The awards that recognise the fastest-growing Sussex companies

The fastest-growing companies in last year’s Sussex Super Growth Awards were Rydon Homes Ltd (centre) with a 325% growth rate, followed by Envision Pharma Ltd (left) with 139% growth and Woolovers Ltd (right) with 125% growth.

half a million people. With the UK’s second largest international airport on its doorstep, a close proximity to the nation’s capital and well-established transport links, Sussex remains a great place for businesses to prosper.

t’s well understood that achieving sustained business growth isn’t easy. So it’s vitally important that we continue to celebrate the success of companies that are driving rising demand, increasing employment and generating wealth and prosperity. The Sussex Super Growth Awards 2018 return for a fourth year to do just that. The Sussex region is a significant and growing contributor to the national economy with sector strengths in construction, manufacturing, information and communications technology, aviation and professional services. Over 60,000 active businesses contribute to a regional economy worth over £30 billion, employing more than

Sussex Super Growth is a collaboration between asb law, Lloyds Bank and Kreston Reeves, with The Argus and Platinum Business Magazine as media partners. The Awards produce a unique index of the fastest-growing private businesses across the region and celebrates their success at a special breakfast event to be held at The Amex Stadium in March next year. Unlike traditional business awards, there is no cost involved in participation and companies do not need to apply to be included provided full accounts are filed at Companies House over a four-year accounting period. This information is assessed against rigorous qualifying criteria to identify the fastest-growing companies.

Should your company meet the Awards criteria below but has filed abbreviated accounts at Companies House without profit and loss data, you still have an opportunity to be assessed for inclusion in this year’s Awards. Please send full accounts for your latest available and three preceding financial years to neil.gardner@asb-law.com before 5pm on Friday 8th December 2017.

Sussex Super Growth Awards Criteria • Privately-owned business, trading and registered in Sussex. • Growth in turnover measured over a fouryear accounting period based on latest full accounts information filed at Companies House as at 30th June 2017. • Minimum turnover of £2m in base year and positive turnover growth in latest year. • Profitable growth in the period.

Business Awards Russell Bell, Senior Consultant, at asb law explained: “Despite the current uncertainties in our economy, there are many companies out there achieving remarkable Russell Bell, Senior sustained growth, Consultant, asb law creating jobs and helping build the national economy. Sussex Super Growth gives these businesses the recognition they deserve and the opportunity to join other businesses in celebrating their success.” Gavin Potter, Growth Relationship Director, at Lloyds Gatwick office, commented: ‘’With the Super Growth Awards now an established fixture on the Sussex Gavin Potter, Growth business calendar, Relationship Director, we look forward to Lloyds Commercial another successful Banking opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our most successful fast-growth companies.’’ Paul Roe, Partner at Kreston Reeves commented: “Kreston Reeves is proud to be sponsoring the Sussex Super Growth Awards again this year. It’s Paul Roe, Partner, always great to see Kreston Reeves Sussex businesses doing well and these awards are unique in their ability to pick up fantastic success stories. Congratulations to all the finalists, and a special mention to those repeat finalists who are achieving sustained business growth over consecutive years.”

The Sussex Super Growth 2018 Awards will be presented at the Amex Stadium in Brighton on Thursday, 8th March 2018 by the well known broadcaster and business consultant Simon Fanshawe OBE, where all finalists and the fastest-growing company will be announced.

SPONSOR PROFILES: asb law is an innovative, clientcentric, UK law and consultancy firm providing services constructed around its four key values of transparency, certainty, collaboration and innovation. We have been working with high-growth businesses for over 40 years, helping them to sustain their growth, maximise efficiency and reduce risk. Whether you are gearing for growth, thinking about preparing your business for sale, or simply need advice and guidance in your day-to-day activities, we can provide flexible and cost-effective legal expertise that fits your needs. We understand the growth journey and tailor our approach to ensure we deliver maximum value – as you define it. It’s a real testament to success to make the Surrey Super Growth finalist list and asb law is proud to recognise, support and congratulate these businesses.

To start a conversation, please contact Russell Bell on 01293 603637 or email russell.bell@asb-law.com www.asb-law.com Kreston Reeves is very proud to have been a founding sponsor of the Super Growth Awards since it launched in Sussex four years ago. We’re delighted to be supporting the Awards again for 2018. Congratulations are due to all the finalists this year, those making the shortlist for the first time, with a special commendation to those companies who have achieved consistent growth and therefore have been with us to celebrate this before. Indeed, Kreston Reeves ourselves have achieved very significant growth in the period of our awards, both through organic growth and a major merger with well-respected colleagues. We think this has worked well to extend our excellent range of client focused services to the county’s SME businesses. We are now able to do this from our six offices across Sussex, in Brighton, Chichester, Eastbourne, Gatwick, Horsham and Worthing. Kreston Reeves advise dynamic organisations, private individuals and families on their business, tax and wealth affairs to help them make confident decisions about the future. We continuously work alongside

high growth businesses and understand the challenges that they have to navigate in order to reach and sustain growth. So, whatever position you attained in this growth list, you should be rightly proud of your achievement. We have enjoyed meeting and being associated with so many great businesses over the last few years and we look forward to continuing our association well into the future. We look forward to seeing you at the Awards breakfast in March.

For more information about Kreston Reeves please contact Paul Roe on 0330 124 1399 www.krestonreeves.com Lloyds remain completely aligned to the Group purpose of ‘Helping Britain Prosper’. We are proud that what we do has a hugely positive impact on the UK economy and we are doing more than ever before to help businesses succeed and grow through digital innovation, the provision of working capital, assistance with exporting and providing a whole suite of value adding products, services and insights. At the heart of our offering are experienced, locally-based commercial managers who invest time in building close and supportive relationships with our business clients. Only through understanding a business, it’s future aspirations and the people running it, can we provide the right package of lending, deposit and ancillary services to help it succeed and grow. Our relationship teams are supported by a range of product specialists covering services including cash management, trade finance, transaction banking, asset finance, receivables finance, acquisition finance, foreign exchange, risk management, life and pensions, credit cards, and card payments. Lloyds Bank is proud to support the 2018 Sussex Super Growth Awards, which celebrate business success in Sussex. We are delighted that many are already our clients, and congratulate all the finalists.

To find out more about Lloyds Bank and what we can do to help your business, contact Gavin Potter on 07788 185894. Alternatively email gavin.potter@lloydsbanking.com www.lloydsbank.com

Business Awards

THE WINNERS Adur & Worthing Business Awards 2017

he winners of the 10th Adur & Worthing Business Awards were announced at The Pavilion Theatre, Worthing, in November. The sell-out event was attended by over 370 guests all representing local businesses. Over 750 entries and nominations were received, making this a record-breaking year. Now organised under the umbrella of the Adur & Worthing Business Partnership (AWBP) as a not-for-profit organisation, the awards are organised by a START-UP committee of successful local (Sponsored by: Adur & Worthing Council) business people from organisations WINNER: Freedom Works Ltd including ETI Ltd, JSPC Computer Services, Seagull Travel, Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce and Adur & Worthing Council.

SMALL BUSINESS, UP TO 9 EMPLOYEES (Sponsored by: Adur & Worthing Business Partnership) WINNER: Wall Bros Carpets & Flooring

James Stoner, Managing Director of JSPC, commented: “This is the first year that the event has been run for the businesses by businesses. The calibre of entries was of a particularly high standard which gave the judging panel a tremendously difficult task.” The winner of the coveted Overall Business of the Year award went to The Gemini Print Group. Judges commented that the organisation had shown the most enterprise, passion and drive in taking their business forward. The company has expanded significantly without compromising on their outstanding customer service, showing themselves a force to be reckoned with in the world of print. Peter Webb MBE, Managing Director of Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd commented: “The Adur & Worthing Business Awards and Gala dinner is an unmissable event for local businesses and I’m delighted that the evening was such a great success.”

MEDIUM BUSINESS, 10 TO 49 EMPLOYEES (Sponsored by: Allergy Therapeutics) JOINT WINNERS: 5 Rings Group & Spicer International Ltd

BUSINESS PERSONALITY

LARGE BUSINESS, 50+ EMPLOYEES

(Sponsored by: The Martlet Partnership)

(Sponsored by: Worthing Pier Southern Pavilion) WINNER: The Gemini Print Group

WINNER: Sharon Clarke

Photographs: Martin Bloomfield, Steve Forrest and Andy Matthews from Bloomfield Digital.

Business Awards

YOUNG ACHIEVER

CUSTOMER SERVICE

BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY

(Sponsored by: Lancing College (Sponsored by: Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce) Preparatory School at Worthing) WINNER: Prosperon Networks WINNER: Ben Griggs

(Sponsored by: Bowers & Wilkins) WINNER: Whitebox UK

INNOVATION

HOSPITALITY, TOURISM AND LEISURE

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

(Sponsored by: Kreston Reeves)

(Sponsored by: Southern Water)

(Sponsored by: Gardner Scardifield)

WINNER: The Protein Ball Co

WINNER: South Downs Leisure

WINNER: ECE Architecture

MANUFACTURING & ENGINEERING

RETAILER

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

(Sponsored by: Carpenter Box)

(Sponsored by: Worthing Town Centre Initiative)

(Sponsored by: MET - Greater Brighton Metropolitan College)

WINNER: Gardner & Scardifield Ltd

WINNER: Egalite Care Ltd

WINNER: Allergy Therapeutics

PLACE TO EAT AND/OR DRINK

GREEN BUSINESS

(Sponsored by: Bennett Griffin Solicitors & Notaries)

(Sponsored by: Sussex Transport)

WINNER: CrabShack

WINNER: Proto Restaurant Group

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT (Sponsored by: JSPC Computer Services) WINNER: Sue Dare MBE

OVERALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (Sponsored by: Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd) WINNER: Gemini Print Group

Interview

CLEANKILL TAKE CONTROL Winning Best Green Business at the 2017 Gatwick Diamond Awards, Cleankill Pest Control’s MD, Paul Bates, talks to Suzi Christie about pests, palaces and problem solving.

Cleankill win ‘Green Business of the Year’ at The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2017

What does your company do? As the name suggests, we provide pest control services. To the average person this might seem like a fairly straightforward business but it is far from it. What we do is constantly changing in many respects from legislative issues to do with the use of pesticides, to the vast range of accreditations needed to work in different sectors and different pests becoming resistant to treatments. We are also registered to remove waste and we’ll sometimes find ourselves, the directors

included, a foot deep in pigeon mess that needs clearing out before we install netting or wires to prevent the birds returning. The vast majority of our work is business to business, working with facilities managers who are in charge of a number of sites. Most businesses will have a pest prevention plan which means we are not just reacting when there is a pest problem. Our contracts include an agreed number of visits during the year, whether there are problems or not, so any infestations can be spotted and resolved early on.

How did your company start? Most of our senior staff started their careers with Rentokil. I left in 1997 and contacted two old friends who had both worked for me as service managers in Rentokil’s London South branch. They had set up a small company in Croydon two years previously, it was turning over about 20k a year and they wanted it to grow. I resigned from a well paid and rewarding job on a Friday, and started with a company that wasn’t making enough to pay one man, let alone three directors, on the Monday. A year later, another old friend

Interview

Managing Director of Cleankill Pest Control, Paul Bates joined us as a director. By the end of 1997 we had turned over 37k; January this year we turned over £2million, and we now have 32 staff and are still growing.

What are the current issues for your business and industry? Our service is all about giving customers peace of mind that we will keep their premises pest free, often helping customers in real emergency and distressing situations. Our biggest issue is to get the message out there that we can offer a better service than the big well-known brands, and to try to inform people to make the right choice and that the cheapest option is not necessarily the best one, or also that expensive does not always equal quality.

What are the most common pest problems you have to deal with? We define a pest as an organism that is detrimental to man or his environment. In some ways it follows the gardener’s definition of a weed – it is a plant growing in the wrong place. A fly on the window is not necessarily a problem – that same fly doing breast stroke in your soup probably is! The most common pests we deal with are rodents. Rats go into property usually by mistake. Mice on the other hand want to be there and will often have been there some time before you see them and the first signs

will be their droppings.

What is the ethos?

Pests know no boundaries and much of our work is in Mayfair and Belgravia. We see inside some of the most expensive properties in the country. I once carried out a survey at an Arab prince’s property in Princes Gate – 60 toilets, each with a gold plated waste pipe, and two industrial air conditioning units, one for the servants and one for the royal family.

The key to our approach is focusing on helping people and solving their problems rather than selling a service. We believe that if we focus on offering the best possible service and exceeding customer expectations, then the profits will follow.

Calls to deal with squirrels and parakeets are also increasing. The damage these creatures can cause is staggering. The growing parakeet population in South London is particularly problematic as these birds are expert at accessing buildings through places like vents and then destroying internal timbers and vents.

How do you tackle these pests? We recruit and retain staff who we know will love their work despite the challenges they face. These could include crawling around in dirty roof spaces or cellars, climbing up the sides of buildings in all weathers or dealing with aggressive rats and squirrels. We make sure our staff are superbly trained and equipped to deal with different situations. Every member of staff signs up to the ‘Cleankill Way’ which engenders how people are expected to work. The organisation’s values include: honesty and integrity; customer excellence; autonomy and innovation; open/ two-way communication; teamwork and willingness to learn and share knowledge.

We also focus on the long-term gain. For instance a certain contract, like a pestprevention contract involving an independent restaurant, may be smaller than others but if you look at the lifetime of the contract and you keep that customer, they are just as valuable as a large one-off job. They may also give you word of mouth recommendations that lead to more business. So whether we are treating a bedsit or a palace, we give each customer the same high level of service. Cleankill is the only pest control provider in the UK to achieve a Silver Investor in People accreditation. Cleankill is a proud member of the British Pest Control Association, as well as being approved to ISO9001 and ISO14001, and fully accredited to the Altius Vendor Assessment, PICS, Safecontractor, Exor, Constructionline and Achilles Health and Safety. Cleankill was ‘Best Green Business’ in the Gatwick Diamond Awards 2017 and Best Service Provider in the ARMA Ace Awards 2017.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

HAVE WE ACHIEVED GENDER EQUALITY IN BUSINESS?

n the first of a series of in-depth debates, we gathered together eight successful businesswomen (and one businessman) to discuss whether gender inequality in business has been eliminated. The debate was hosted by the Sandman Signature Gatwick Hotel and chaired by Maarten Hoffmann.

In 2018, we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of women having the right to vote. The UK of 1918 was a place where women were effectively second-class citizens. How far have we come in the last 100 years? Is there equality of opportunity? Why are there so few female business leaders? Do women face

sexism in the workplace? We started by asking our panel to rate out of ten how far we have come. A mark of zero out of ten would indicate nothing has changed. Ten out of ten would represent that we have achieved complete gender equality

Rosemary French OBE Executive Director, Gatwick Diamond Initiative Equality Rating: 2/10

Fiona Schaffer CEO, MD HUB Equality Rating: 7/10

Tamara Roberts CEO, Ridgeview Wine Estate Equality Rating: 5/10

Louise Punter CEO, Surrey Chambers of Commerce Equality Rating: 7/10

Louise Robinson Head of Breakthrough, Santander Equality Rating: 6/10

Katie Hughes Deputy Regional Director for Santander Business Equality Rating: 5/10

Selina Russell CEO, Cheeky Rascals Equality Rating: 7/10

Barbara Quartey CEO, Insights School & Skills Academy Equality Rating: 5/10

Jeremy Burbidge CEO, TicketMedia Equality Rating: 4/10

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

EXPERIENCES OF SEXISM IN THE WORKPLACE Maarten Hoffmann (MH): Has anyone directly suffered discrimination at work? Selina Russell (SR): When I was at ICI, my boss wrote me a letter asking me to go and live with him and be the mother of his children because his wife had just left him. That put me in a very awkward position. I said no, but I never said anything about the incident.

Louise Punter (LP): Back in 1980 I was the first female executive at a factory in Wrexham, North Wales, and they had this very oldfashioned policy where they’d stop for coffee every morning at 11am. For the first half a dozen meetings the conversation was more about what colour my tights were than what was happening in the commercial business.

I was working in a very male dominated environment and was one of only few women working at ICI. By speaking out I felt like I might have jeopardised my career.

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Rosemary French (RF): When I was 23, I was at John Menzies and doing really well. When I went in for my appraisal with the HR and Finance Director, he told me how well I was doing, so I asked for the same salary as my colleague Mike who was at exactly the same stage as me. He said, “Oh, you don’t need that, Rosemary. You’re going to have children and you’re going to be at home, so you don’t need the same salary. Mike is going to have to bring up his family.” I walked out a bit shocked and I got another job. All that training had been wasted. I didn’t dream of reporting the matter. I joined Boots where there was a much better culture of working.

Tamara Roberts (TR): When I was working for Price Waterhouse Coopers in banking insurance, there was a very bright girl working in another banking team. I heard that all of the guys she’d been working with had been given an extra bonus and pay rise but she hadn’t. I booked an appointment with the partner in charge and said “Why has she not got that when everyone else in the group has?” It didn’t make me particularly popular.

There was just the assumption: You’re the only female in the room, you will get the coffee.

In the end she did get the bonus because I had ruffled a few feathers. But this was in the late 1990s, and it shouldn’t have happened. I was outraged that something like that could be happening and openly spoken about in front of other people. And what annoyed me even more was that the guys who were working with her said nothing.

SR: At ICI the assumption at meetings was that I would make the tea and coffee, but I never made it once. There was just the assumption: You’re the only female in the room, you will get the coffee.

MH: In 2009 the Bank of England held a seminar for its female employees called Dress for Success where they were informed, amongst other things, to always wear make-up and high shoes. There was no such equivalent for men. Is this the ultimate in sexism?

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They just didn’t know how to cope because 1) they’d never had a woman around the table as an equal before, and 2) she said no!

RF: There’s nothing you can say to that except that no woman should work for that company. End of story.

Louise Robinson (LR): When I left university, I applied for their graduate programme at a large high street fashion chain. I fought my way to the third and final interview. At the very end they said, “You need to go into this room now” and they wanted to weigh and measure me because they wanted to have people who worked in their stores who could wear their clothes. At that point I walked out. My dad asked how it went and I told him what happened. He just patted me on the back and said “Good girl.” That was in 1985. I just didn’t want to be a clothes horse. I felt I’d worked hard for my degree and I wanted to get a job that reflected the way that I worked.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

WHY HAS SEXIST BEHAVIOUR BEEN SEEN AS ACCEPTABLE? Jeremy Burbidge (JB): It’s down to education. The people that I find are sexist have usually been in a male-dominated society and that’s where they’ve always been. It’s the Rugby club type of environment where it becomes acceptable, or rather it’s not acceptable, not to be part of the group. RF: Education, certainly at school level, has improved tremendously and boys and girls are coming out much more equal and ambitious. But what happens is, once they get into the work place the barriers appear. I think it’s an ingrained culture. As long as I’m still expected to cook the meals, do the hoovering and the ironing, wash the dishes or at least load the dishwasher it’s not going to change. TR: If you’re a child living in a household with very gender specific roles that’s where it starts. I’m very lucky because my household was never like that growing up, and it isn’t like that now. I go into schools and say: “Try and guess what I do for a living?” I’m still really concerned that when I walk into a secondary schools, they assume that I’m going to be in fashion, design or marketing. Or caring roles. Do I work with children, in a hospital, am I a nurse? I’m immediately pigeon-holed into something because of my gender. I couldn’t possibly be doing other things.

DO WE LEARN STEREOTYPICAL GENDER ROLES FROM OUR CHILDHOOD? MH: Neurobiologists now know that there is no discernible difference between the male and female brain at the point of birth. So do problems begin with the upbringing of children? Katie Hughes (KH): I think my generation has certainly seen a change in parents staying at home. I’ve got a lot of friends where the male has decided to stay at home. I think it’s changing in that sense. I don’t think it’s automatically that the Mum, the female, is going to stay at home anymore. They can have their career.

LP: It’s all about confidence. Our makeup is very different. We can be very successful because of our feminine characteristics, but when you’re young you don’t see that.

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We can be very successful because of our feminine characteristics, but when you’re young you don’t see that.

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SR: The brain might be identical at birth but by the time hormones have had their play, the brain is a very different thing. By the time you get to puberty and beyond there is a biological difference. Barbara Quartey (BQ): Whilst education is important, I think we’ve got to remember that the upcoming generation are looking at media and social media, and that has such a big influence. And unfortunately the messages that they’re looking at are very stereotypical. That’s the big issue.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

ARE GIRLS BETTER OFF BEING TAUGHT IN AN ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL? WHAT INFLUENCE DOES SCHOOLING HAVE? MH: There was research about 20 years ago that showed that boys are better educated with girls and girls are better educated without boys. The benefit of an all-girls school is that they don’t have the fear of putting their hand up and answering questions. They don’t care if they wear make-up to school… SR: I went to a girls’ convent school and all they were looking for me to do was get married and have kids. I wanted to have a degree in science and they just couldn’t accommodate that. I was the first intake into Lancing College as a girl; one of only 30 girls. We had a great time. On the first day you would have conversations about which university are you going to go to? I never even thought of Cambridge but they got me into Cambridge. The attitude was: “You can do it. Go for it! There’s nothing that you can’t do.” LR: I don’t think it matters whether it’s a boys’ school or a girls’ school. I also went to a convent girls’ school but I think it’s more around the quality of the teaching and around the culture within the institutions in terms of how people are building your confidence, whether you’re a boy or a girl. It doesn’t matter if it’s an all-girls’ school or not. It’s about how good the teaching is.

diligent, that’s my personality. I could work hard and play hard and I was involved in their businesses. It told me that I can do whatever I want.

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I was the first person in my family to go to university. That’s because I wanted to do it, not because anyone said “You should go and do that.”

I went to a girls’ convent school and all they were looking for me to do was get married and have kids.

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TR: At some point you’re going to have to stand up with a room full of men and say something. So the sooner you get used to that the quicker you have a voice. The biggest influence on me has always been home. School was okay as I’m quite

KH: Education isn’t everything. I never actually went to university. When I go to a lot of networking events sometimes the question might be asked which university you went to, and when I say that I didn’t, people are shocked. But I’ve been able to build my career through Santander over the last 15 years just on my talent and my work ethic which I learned through my upbringing by my parents. I know people who have got degrees and they’re not using them, and that wasn’t the way I chose to go.

SR: It’s about inspiration and mentoring. You’ve got to have that interaction with someone or something who inspires you. You can get it at school, you can get it at home, or it can be outside of both, as long as you get it somewhere. LR: Schools need to see entrepreneurship and self-employment as a viable career option. At the recent Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards, we had 20,000 entrants and three out of our four winners were young women entrepreneurs. There are definitely more females coming through. Women are really creative and to be an entrepreneur you have to have a fantastic idea for a business. It’s those skills that we need to build on. It’s one thing having your idea but then overnight you go from being an entrepreneur to being a businesswoman and everything that that brings. It’s all around the support that we can give to business owners to develop, whether they’re male or female.

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Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

ARE THERE ENOUGH FEMALE ROLE MODELS? IS MENTORING THE KEY? KH: At Santander for the last 15 years my role models have been predominantly the women in higher levels that I’ve worked for, because it’s actually given me the belief that if you work hard then there are opportunities and other doors that will open. The area of business that I’m in now is run by a female and this gives me that motivation. Hopefully I can inspire other females in the bank to want to achieve more. LR: We do a lot of mentorship schemes within the bank which are great. We recently launched an out-of-hours networking programme and I went over to do a pilot in Northern Ireland. We had 40 businesses including a group of young women who were looking at starting businesses. When it got to the networking bit at the end, the women congregated together. It brought home the power of what women do. They got together and helped each other. That is the power of mentoring and women do learn a lot that way. It is a confidence thing. They saw there were people in the same room who were doing the same thing and they talked to each other. But as they grow their journey and their businesses get bigger, then we need to share

the expertise, whether that’s male or female. RF: It is important that it’s female to female. Unfortunately I was of a generation where there were no females in senior positions, though had some fabulous male mentors and some awful male bosses.

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Unfortunately I was of a generation where there were no females in senior positions

❞ KH: Female to female can potentially relate to some of the challenges such as pay or being the only female at the table. When you’re talking to a male, they would have heard about it but they wouldn’t have actually experienced it themselves. A female could relate better to a female, but it wouldn’t have bothered me in my mentoring programme whether I was matched with a male or female.

FS: We do have female mentoring and we’ve got some women-only groups in the MDHUB. They actually happened by accident where the guys didn’t turn up one day for a meeting. We found that the dynamic was quite clearly was different and the women who were in this group said “Let’s keep it like this”. They were able to talk about childcare and personal issues that relate to business. But all of those women in the group attend mixed groups as well. TR: The discussion is more holistic than perhaps it would be in a mixed group. You can go a bit more into personal life stuff that is impacting your work. It would be wrong just to have women as mentors. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. I need someone to challenge me and say “Why are you doing that?” That’s what you really want when you’re talking to a mentor, regardless of their gender. MH: If you were mentoring someone, Jeremy, would it make any difference to you whether they were male or female? JB: Absolutely no difference at all. It doesn’t make a difference, you’re still a human being at the end of the day. LP: We do have a Business Women in Surrey set of events that we run and we always say that men are welcome to attend. We do them as there is demand from women. There are quite a lot of women who find it difficult walking up to men at networking events. KH: We’re piloting a Women in Business Leaders’ event in Branch, and one of my male business relationship managers volunteered to run it. On his guest list he’s got both males and females because it needs to be a mixed voice. It really inspired me. He’s got two daughters, and he wants to change their prospects going forward into the workplace and into the world.

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Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

ARE MEN AND WOMEN JUST DIFFERENT? MH: Many women perceive the access to finance as a barrier. Are banks treating them differently? RF: That’s not what they’re saying. The access to finance issue is about the risk-taking. Women are more cautious about taking debt and are better at managing money. LR: Also if you are trying to raise money as a woman in business, there are a lot of male dominated organisations and male investors but not as many women investors. LP: Whenever anybody says to me: “Can you bring along some female entrepreneurs or senior women”, it is actually a struggle. I could bring you 50 men but finding women is difficult, as there are not as many. I’ve just come from a networking event with 120 people in attendance and I would think there were no more than 20 women. And they were mostly small businesses.

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Whenever anybody says to me: “Can you bring along some female entrepreneurs or senior women”, it is actually a struggle.

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LR: When males and females apply for a role they look at the job description differently. My sons’ reaction is: “Yeah, I can do that.” My sister has got three daughters, and they will scrutinise every single objective: “Well, I’ve got an example of this but I haven’t an example of that. I’ve never done that. No, I can’t apply for this job.” We probably have to encourage young women to actually apply for jobs and help with interview skills. Women have very different skills, notably in terms of emotional intelligence and the softer skills. Perhaps the world is changing and so we are coming in to our own more.

RF: Women are better at sharing their expertise and their knowledge, they have fear of the person next to them. Many men won‘t share because they want to get to the top.

FS: Your choice of language is really interesting: You say shocking rather than exciting. Aren’t you really excited she was an engineer?

FS: I’m in the privileged position of getting to see men sharing information in peer groups - and it is not about getting to the top, it’s about how they manage their teams and and that’s very encouraging. Also younger entrepreneurs coming through are more likely to be involved in the school run, which used to be only an issue for female entrepreneurs.

TR: This idea that women would not be able to do physical work is really interesting. We bloody well can because it often comes down not just to the ability to do it but technique. Women can be physically strong. If there’s a 6’ giant of a man, he may be stronger, but if he’s lazy or unfit, I’m going to beat him every single time.

JB: The workplace was very male-dominated when work was physical. You had the guys going down a mine, and you didn’t have women there. That’s changed now. Most jobs can be done by any gender now. With so much automation, the playing field is levelling.

Women didn’t go down the mines as they weren’t allowed to. Sometimes we as women don’t realise how physically strong we are.

It’s still shocking when you find a female engineer. I found one in Scandinavia in charge of a mill who was a very petite lady, and I asked, “How hard did you have to work to get here?” And she said, “Very hard” because she has to be the best. And ultimately she was the best. Why haven’t we grown up? Why haven’t we changed this?

JB: When I first went to work, there were no restrictions on what you could lift up. So if you were physically strong, you could lift more. There was an imbalance because a man is physically stronger. Now the law has changed and there is a definition of what is the safe weight for anyone to lift, so we brought equality into it by changing the law.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

IS CHILDCARE THE BIGGEST ISSUE? SR: One of the big problems is the way that we work. For many years now it’s been 9-5, and that doesn’t really work with childcare. With technology, flexible working is a huge opportunity for women but to make that happen and work for us we’ve got to change the way that we work. If it’s easier to work

BQ: It’s also about being able to afford the childcare. For a lot of the women in my workplace it’s like they’re working for nothing because they’re spending so much on childcare just to get back into work. RF: Scandinavia has it right. Why do we have to pay for our childcare? Why do we not make it easier for businesses to start up in childcare? We create barriers, we don’t have enough nurseries and we don’t subsidise. If anything we’ve been taking money away over the past seven years.

evenings, early in the morning or weekends, there is no issue as long as the job is done. We are employing a new social media person, and I have no idea what hours she’s going to do and I quite honestly don’t care. She’s got three small kids at home; it’ll work beautifully for her. That’s the way we’ve got to be working and we don’t need to have endless meetings where you sit round and make tea for one another.

BQ: On our management team we’ve got a balance of men and women but what you find is that the women are working harder if they’ve also got families. Although I’m trying to encourage them to go off and pick up their children and come back, or do the work at home, people still say “Where are they?” There’s an expectation that they would be there. We have bought into it. We’re feeling guilty if we’re not able to be there, if you need to take the time off. I think that’s all got to change as well. It’s got to be friendly to women and women’s lives.

RF: And that hasn‘t changed from the 1980s when Charles Handy wrote The Empty Raincoat, where all the men would leave their jackets on the back of chairs to make people think they were still there but they’d gone home. LP: I’ve just recruited a new Resources Manager who told me: “I’ve got a 9-month old and a 3-year old.” She didn’t quite say: “I’d understand if you didn’t employ me,” but that was obviously what she was thinking. She’s already had several days off because there have been issues with the children but she’s delivered the job. She is excellent and she is doing what I need her to do. However, if I’m really honest I know a lot of people would have seen her as too much of a risk.

TR: It comes right back to free childcare. We’ve got quite a few maternities at the moment. I lost one member of staff who couldn’t afford to come back to work because of the childcare situation and ended up giving up her job. It really is a struggle in those early years. You don’t get anything free until the kids are three and even then it’s only a tiny amount. We’ve done what we possibly can, but what an SME can do is limited. We can’t just put the pay up for three months. It’s so difficult because women want to work.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

BQ: We need to change the whole view that it’s women only because a lot of our younger male staff are taking paternity leave. They’re asking if they can reduce their days, they’re sharing the childcare. But they find that they’re in a minority and that other people are looking at them as if they don’t want to work. We should actually be encouraging this.

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so you must commit. That gives the employers six months to then decide to do something else. LR: It’s care, full stop, it’s not just childcare. The other side of care is now impacting my life, as my father has Alzheimer’s. I’m constantly trying to juggle what I do at work with what I do at home. If we’re looking at changes in governance and laws, then this needs to be looked at.

For a lot of the women in my workplace it’s like they’re working for nothing because they’re spending so much on childcare

Number two is we ought to change the employment law because it is wrong that employers are left hanging at the end of the year. I would like to say that after six months a mum must commit one way or the other. Remember you have your free childcare now,

MH: Couldn‘t large corporations provide a day care centre or crèche for children. If we wait for government to deal with this we will all be here for a long time. FS: It is fine if we’re talking about the corporate sector, but the SME sector makes a massive contribution to our economy, but most won’t have the resources. A lot of people are very accommodating within the SME sector but until we get it into law it’s going to be troublesome. I worry about the loss of monetary value to our economy through this lack of childcare. It just doesn’t add up. It’s ridiculous.

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RF: We can solve this, and we can solve this with law. Number one is the childcare, which must be free or very heavily subsidised. We’re not getting enough childcare students to the colleges and the reason for that is that they have to get a C in their Maths and English. Maths isn’t necessarily the skill needed by someone in a nursery. Why did Michael Gove say they had to get a C in Maths? In East Surrey College the numbers have plummeted.

I’m conflicted about politics because I do feel that Labour appreciates the ethnic minorities, the disabled and women. We saw amazing things in the noughties, a big change.

RF: Between 2001 to 2010 Louise Punter and I were together working under a Labour government and there was a lot of focus on giving women business support. The reason I got my OBE was just because I would make a big fuss. We then had a change in government that threw business support out, full stop, never mind business support for women. It became all about the free market. What they don’t realise is that there isn’t the childcare there and where there is the childcare they can’t afford it. It’s so blinkered!

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I worry about the loss of monetary value to our economy through this lack of childcare. It just doesn’t add up.

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BQ: There’s a need for subsidies, giving funding to companies, because we tried to have childcare. But by the time we’d worked it all out we just couldn’t afford to do it because we’d need someone to do all the administration as well the caring. And then the local authority looked at the space that we were going to use and then that wasn’t adequate. So we just gave up, which was unfortunate.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

IS A MATERNITY BREAK DETRIMENTAL TO A CAREER? KH: I don’t have children and I would like to, but sometimes I think “Do I want children yet or do I want to concentrate on my career first?” Sometimes I think if I have children now, maybe my role may change and flexible working may not suit the role. A lot of young women leave companies and don’t get back in. It is something that certainly plays on my mind so I’m sure it is the same for other people. If you are going for promotions or that next step on the ladder, does a recruiter looking at you think: “You’re of child bearing age, so was I going to take you on but because you could be off having children, and we will have to put time and development into your cover, I may not. I am conscious that bias plays a role in recruitment. RF: Dame Fiona Kendrick of Nestlé has got four kids. The Vice President of Thales has got four kids. There are some amazing women out there but they’ve been in good companies that helped them go through the pregnancies. But we need to have our women having babies earlier, not wait until they’re 35. That’s our problem.

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A mother may decide that she doesn’t want to come back to work, so there is a risk to the employee and to the employer.

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TR: Lack of confidence is a barrier. When you leave to have your children, you are away from the workplace and you lose confidence in your ability to do the job. If you then have to ask for flexible working it adds an extra barrier in terms of confidence.

FS: The issue of confidence is fascinating. We’ve been involved with East Sussex District Council with some women returning to work in rural areas of East Sussex. It’s been fascinating watching women regain their confidence through the project. But at the very beginning of the scheme I sit there deeply saddened thinking “How has this happened?” They’ve had fantastic jobs and then they’ve just lost their confidence. RF: I was off work last year for a year for a caring reason for my husband; happily he’s still healthy. I struggled in the last three months. As soon as I said I’m coming back to work, I panicked. And in my first three months back in the role I really was overwhelmed. It was frightening and that was just for a year – and that was me, for goodness’ sake! I was still President of the local Chamber of Commerce and doing everything else but returning to my paid job was worrying. FS: The maternity issue is difficult for employers too. I’ve worked with women-only businesses which have been hugely conflicted in their thoughts when half their team have

gone on maternity leave. RF: We’re about to go into Brexit. If we have fewer foreigners coming in, how are we going to get employment? We have to get more women back into work otherwise our economy will collapse. We just won’t have the employees at any level. Is anybody thinking of that? I’m not seeing it in government. Nobody is thinking about it at all. LR: We’ve got a movement at the moment within Santander where we are looking at what we can do to help women returning to work, after a period of time out of employment. JB: A mother may decide that she doesn’t want to come back to work, so there is a risk to the employee and to the employer. Uncertainty is not a good thing for anybody’s business. I’ve got somebody going through it right at the moment. She had a child three weeks ago and says she wants to come back. I’ve kept the job open and haven’t recruited anybody else. That’s costing me money but what else do I do?

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

SHOULD WE CHANGE THE LAW TO INTRODUCE QUOTAS TO GUARANTEE MORE FEMALE BOARD MEMBERS? RF: We need to look at what Scandinavia in terms of governance and law. We do not provide enough nurseries and we do not provide free childcare education. Scandinavia has achieved it and they’ve done that through the law.

they are men, regardless of a woman being able to do the job as well, or better.

The reason I gave my two out of ten at the start of this debate is that only 19% of SMEs are women-led and only 22-23% of board members are women. And those board members who are women tend to be the same small group of women. I get loads of offers to be on not-for-profit boards, but what about the big corporate boards. BQ: We’re not breaking the barrier at the moment. You’ve still got to have criteria in place to make sure that it’s the right people with the right skills because otherwise it’s just a token gesture. There’s also a danger of just having the wrong people in which then makes a mockery of the whole policy. TR: But that’s what’s happening with men at the moment: They are taken on because

LP: Could it actually be that sometimes women just don’t really want to do those jobs.

as that. So we know what laws do. Laws are changing businesses’ attitudes towards environmental considerations. We can drive change through law.

RF: I’ve not got one female MP in the Gatwick Diamond and yet I’ve got six Council

TR: I’m looking at it slightly differently. If there’s a quota, perhaps younger women will

Chief Execs who are women. Why do I only have one female MP? Women get turned down every time because they are Tory strongholds and they don’t fit the white, suited, booted person model. There was an appalling scandal in Horsham where women were being turned down.

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SR: I’d rather see a quota in terms of recruitment and make it absolutely obligatory that you have 50:50 recruitment. If you’ve got 50:50 recruitment then culturally, slowly, that will feed in with all of us being equal and then hopefully you would get to that equality at more senior levels. RF: Change can be fast. I remember when they brought in the law regarding seatbelts. No-one wore seatbelts, but the day it became law we were all strapped in – it was as simple

believe they have a chance, whereas before they might have assumed that they were never going to look at a woman.

Work’s not about going into a battle. I don’t think people are being treated fairly when it goes further up that management scale.

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JB: It’s just as much about business and management structure. Many of you have talked about being discriminated on a management board because you were the only female there. An important question to ask is why would a woman want to get on that board if she knows she has to go into a battle? Work’s not about going into a battle. I don’t think people are being treated fairly when it goes further up that management scale. TR: You can say all the right things about a CEO of a business being there on merit, and it’s nothing to do with being male or female etc. But deep down when you’re employing somebody, is there that preference? Is there an inherent gender bias? BQ: With a quota system, it’s about having diversity within those senior roles. And so it is about race, women and it is about the skills. If you just have a quota then you could still discriminate and not have the strong women or the women with the right skills or the women from different nationalities.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

WHAT ROLE DO MEN PLAY IN THE DEBATE? FS: It would have been great to have more men on this panel today, as we’re not actually having these open conversations with men as much as we should be. I spoke to some male MDs in the MDHUB about the issue of gender. One CEO who employs about 90 staff responded: “Gender imbalance says more about the lack of leadership in understanding what the business could achieve with a healthy blend of skills, emotions, talents, experience, work ethic and so on and not to forget the tone of the organisation, which really does need both male and females. I’d never advocate recruiting a male or a female into a role just to address the gender imbalance because clearly that’s not fair on the individual, but a business needs both genders to thrive.” Another MD said: “Perhaps part of the problem is that men like me are just rather unaware of the issue in the sense that we are not consciously thinking where problems may lie and taking suitable action. Certainly I think there is some laziness rather than deliberate ill will on the part of some men, although there are indeed some chauvinistic, sexist men who are misusing their existing positions of power.”

Men aren’t just consciously thinking about it. Maybe that’s what’s happening in government. JB: I would love to swap my job for a female CEO because I think she would have a better ability to deal with all the problems that I deal with across the board. But there isn’t the availability of those females out there. I can’t find them. I’ve got Ten2Two staff looking really carefully, trying to attract people in, but they’ve already got this idea that they won’t get the job. That’s what I find. They’re already saying no.

ARE SOME ‘ROLE MODELS’ POORLY CHOSEN? MH: How on earth can the United Nations promote the busty fictional character Wonder Woman as the honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls for gender equality? RF: Maarten, why did you say busty? Does it matter if she is busty or not? It’s irrelevant.

MH: Wasn’t the way she was drawn – her breasts, the shape of her body and what she wore – particularly relevant to attract a man? I’m fascinated why the description of busty gets you going.

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Why do they have to choose a role model for women who is a fictional character?

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RF: Because she’s a Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman was a woman that led the world, made poor people richer, and the millions of things she did. It’s irrelevant that she was ‘busty’. In fact I looked pretty much like that 40 years ago. It’s not relevant! TR: It’s a shame it has to be a fictional character, but I don’t have any major reservations. To choose an ambassador of women we have to find somebody who doesn’t exist. Why?

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

DOES SIZE MATTER? RF: I’m 6’1’’. I can tell you I am pretty positive that I would not have made it to a director of a Plc company if I wasn’t 6’ tall. I’m absolutely positive about that. Presence mattered a lot and for that final interview I was in your face. When I walked into a room, especially when I was younger and slimmer and more gorgeous, I would be noticed. I met Jacqueline Gold of Ann Summers recently and I didn’t realise she’s about 4’8’’ – and she had heels. She talked about the fact that being small had been a problem for her.

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If l had been 4” taller l would be running a bigger company.

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JB: Height can be a problem for men as well.

LP: It is hard when you go into a room networking at 5’3’’ because often all you can see is lots of shoulders. I hate to admit it but if I’d been about 3’’ or 4’’ taller then I’d be running a bigger company. BQ: I’ve worn very uncomfortable shoes because of this. I remember being told that I look ever so small when I’m wearing flat shoes.” RF: And therefore small means inferior.

DOES HAVING A FEMALE PRIME MINISTER MAKE A DIFFERENCE? SR: She’s a diabetic and she dropped the sugar tax! RF: I’m a bit disappointed with Theresa May who is really not a team player and she’s not listening – these are talents that women have, far better than men, they say, and she’s not delivering on that. So that’s a disappointment to me.

One woman is not enough. She may be at the head but for me it’s the influence of the cabinet. It’s the Maggie Thatcher theory: One woman at the top of all men. She just loved men, it was about men. If anything it was the worst possible time for us. We had great hopes and it was the worst possible time for women getting on. The recent big increase in women MPs was caused largely by the SNP contingent. As you can tell I’m Scottish and the attitude towards women is quite a bit different in Scotland. It’s not great but in recent years I’ve noticed how different it has been – better different. Something like 40 women came from the SNP and right down to the age of 19 or 21 – that girl from Glasgow. What confidence to be able to do that! That was just terrific. So somebody was pushing them, some culture. Was it the schools? I don’t know what the culture was. I wasn’t like that for my generation in Scotland. MH: I would have thought that Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power would have changed a lot of things for women. Or did she make it through the glass ceiling and pull the ladder up after her? TR: I thought it would be a Wow moment for women, as it was at a time where you had to be a man to make it. It was very bizarre.

JB: Interesting fact that, as a female, she took us into war. RF: I don’t think so. I would go to war for my child, no question. I would shoot you. It depends how far you’re pushed. I don’t have any children but I would protect my country. I would probably go to war if I was asked to because we’re fiercely protective. And she was fiercely protective of her country. FS: Women are some of the most deadly people in the world.In British history, we have female warriors such as Boadicea. FS: I found her very inspiring. I was in my early 20s, we had a Prime Minister who was a woman and I thought it was fantastic. I was then hugely disappointed when we didn’t get another one. JB: I think she was an awful Prime Minister. What was the point in the miners’ strike apart from ruining people’s lives? That’s not defending your country, it’s not defending anything. MH: Do people around the table judge her as a woman or as a Prime Minister? ALL AGREE: As a Prime Minister, regardless of her sex. The Breakthrough Moments feature was edited by Ian Trevett.

More destinations than any other UK airport

Source: OAG schedules 2016

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

CARALINE BROWN MANAGING DIRECTOR, MIDNIGHT COMMUNICATIONS What does your business do and what is your role? Midnight Communications is currently enjoying its 22nd year. We are one of the leading PR and events companies in the south east of England, working with a range of clients both local and national, including Coffin Mew, Knill James, Arundel Castle, Crown Worldwide, the Sealife Centre and Red7. Readers will probably know us best for our regional awards including the Sussex Business Awards, the Brighton and Hove Business Awards and the Lewes District Business Awards.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I love the wheeling and dealing that comes with running a business and juggling a spreadsheet. I still get a real buzz from seeing an idea that I have had come to fruition. But, of course, it is the people that make a business and I think Midnight employs some of the best and nicest people in Brighton – which is why we are still here after 22 years!

What was your biggest break / best decision? Our biggest break was undoubtedly twenty two years ago when an ex-client asked me to handle the launch of a new national internet service provider. We became the very first PR company in the UK to specialise in the internet. We went on to double turnover each year for five years and then I sold up. I bought it back again three years later, as you may have noticed, but not before I had the opportunity to become CEO of the company which bought us!

How do you manage the work/life balance? What interests do you have outside work? The more I do this job, the more my work becomes my life and it can be hard to separate the two. Recently I have tried to do exactly that and give more attention to non-work

stuff. I started a creative writing class last year and I am now a good way into the first novel. I also enjoy football, the gym, the cinema and going to live gigs. I tend to get very excited when there is a Morrissey tour ahead.

What are your personal and business ambitions? On a business level I would like to pass on the Midnight legacy and watch a new team grow what I have started and take it to an even greater level. Personally I want to get that novel finished and published, become a famous actress, come up with an idea for a million dollar selling app, become an antiques dealer, travel the world, find a cure for world hunger and bring peace to the Middle East.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs? Life is all about taking chances and fortune favours the brave.

Caraline Brown Caraline@midnight.co.uk 07860 757757

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

EMMA CLEARY DIRECTOR, TEN2TWO SUSSEX Ten2Two – Part Time Professionals, Rich Talent, Affordable Cost Sussex. A friend and I were literally about to start business planning to set up a similar business. We came across Ten2Two and rather than reinventing the tried and tested model, we decided to buy the Sussex franchise. I was driven by the fact that I couldn’t find a flexible job and now 3½ years on there are many more flexible roles available. I hope that Ten2Two has been instrumental in some of this progress, though there is a great deal more to do.

How do you manage the work/life balance? What interests do you have outside work? Well I don’t seem to work ten to two! However I do work very flexibly to accommodate my husband, three children and two dogs. We made an active decision to move out of London where I had a successful career in publishing to find that work-life balance. However, after ten years at home raising a family, I was ready for a new challenge and had always wanted to run my own company. I have so many interests, most of which are sporting, culinary or gin related, but family time at the weekend is the most important to me

What does your business do and what is your role? Ten2Two is a specialist recruiter dedicated to finding flexible work for professionals. We are a niche business focussed solely on the talent that is not given a chance in the traditional recruitment market. My role is to promote flexibility to local businesses and to ensure that they understand what they are missing if they ignore the huge and relatively untapped pool of professional flexible workers who are simply looking for a better work-life balance. To a great extent it is a pioneering role, trying to shift mind-set and challenge the age old 9-5 mentality. I spend much of my time highlighting the experience and knowledge that over 2,500 Ten2Two candidates, who have had ‘big’ careers all over the world, can bring to a flexible or part-time role in a local company and make a huge difference to their profit.

What do you enjoy most about your work? I have always loved meeting interesting, clever people who are excited and determined to make their businesses a success. I thrive on this energy and have quite a lot of my own – particularly when talking about my business!

What was your biggest break? I think it was when I picked up the phone to John O’Sullivan the founder of Ten2Two and told him that I wanted to run Ten2Two in

What are your personal and business ambitions? Businesswise, I intend to continue to grow Ten2Two in Sussex, sourcing new business and spreading the word about how flexible working can transform companies. We have grown substantially year on year and are profitable, I will continue this growth and reach out to more businesses across Sussex, through a combination of marketing, social media and physical presence where possible. Personally, I would like to help position Ten2Two as the trailblazer that it is – one of the leading businesses in the flexible working arenas and establish some sort of best practice framework with local and national government. I see myself working with others in the flexible work space to lobby and raise awareness of the potential now, but also with the millennial generation and how they will demand this sort of working pattern.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs? Be brave, dare to be different, disrupt and work really, really hard.

www.ten2two.org Facebook Ten2Two Sussex Twitter @emmacleary2 www.linkedin.com/in/emma-cleary-762bab2a?trk=hpidentity-name 07810 541599

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

ABIGAIL OWEN PARTNER, DMH STALLARD What was your biggest break? Ha-Ha. I wish I had one. I am still waiting for it. Hard work followed by more hard work has got me to where I am today!

How do you manage the work/life balance? What interests do you have outside work? I don’t manage my work-life balance particularly well. There is definitely room for improvement. It can be a struggle, particularly as the kind of law I advise on often involves a very intensive process, and a one-off life changing transaction for the owner, which means it needs all of our attention and time to meet the critical dates. Outside of work, I like to keep active and enjoy playing golf, horse riding and swimming. I like to meet up with friends and trying different cuisines and restaurants.

What are your personal and business ambitions?

What does your business do and what is your role?

What do you enjoy most about your work?

DMH Stallard is a top 100 law firm operating in the South-East with offices in Crawley, Brighton, Horsham, Guildford and London. I am a senior partner in the corporate department, advising directors, shareholders, owner-managers and SME businesses in the South-East on all of their corporate law needs, which includes advising on share and business acquisitions and sales, mergers, private equity investments, shareholder and director matters and management buy-outs and buy-ins. I was named South East Corporate Finance Lawyer of the Year in both 2014 and 2015.

Every day is different. I have the pleasure of working with lots of inspiring people, often entrepreneurs and business owners and helping them with some of the most important business decisions they make in their lives. This can often be helping them navigate through the complexities of the legal process to realise value for them on their hard work over many years. My job gives me great exposure to a lot of different businesses in all kinds of industries, and different people from a variety of backgrounds.

To give a great service to our clients whilst maintaining some sort of lifestyle. I love my work and really want to continue to build our business locally.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs? Don’t give up. In making a decision, listen to your gut feeling. Get out there, talk to people and try to experience as much as you can - be persistent but above all focused. Try things, if it doesn’t work, analyse the reasons why and then address those points, tweak what your doing accordingly and try again.

Email: abigail.owen@dmhstallard.com Tel: 01293-605022 Website: www.dmhstallard.com

Inspirational Women

Effective Environmental Management

ANYA LEDWITH DIRECTOR, ESHCON LTD What does your business do and what is your role? It is my mission to make environmental management the business norm and I love what I do. I have owned and run Eshcon since 2006, working with a range of sectors, from micros to multinationals. Through ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, I identify impacts and costs - waste, energy, carbon, operations and find improvements, so that my clients become more efficient, reduce risk, save money and win new business. It is important to their customers, staff, board and other stakeholders. I put in ISO 14001, run individual projects or act as their part-time Environmental Manager.

What do you enjoy most about your work? It’s all about bringing positive change. I get a great deal of satisfaction working with clients, getting into the detail of their companies, engaging their staff, seeing their successes. There is so much variety; I have over 20 years’ experience but still no two days are the same. Being my own boss gives me the flexibility to cover my range of interests and get the best from life.

What was your biggest break? Rather than a single break, there’s been a series of opportunities that I’ve identified and gone for - new roles or service delivery, new collaborations and networks. Being invited to judge prestigious business awards elevated my profile on the national stage, leading to speaking engagements and becoming a recognised leader.

How do you manage the work/life balance? What interests do you have outside work? Planning is needed to balance business, family, social life and other interests. As Chairman of Gatwick Diamond Business, it’s about

leadership and development; with the Sussex Community Foundation, I support local charities; as a Student Mentor with the University of Sussex, I help young people progress (rewarding for both of us). I love listening to TED Talks and Audible books (great opportunity to learn, when I’m at the gym). For adventure and challenge, I rode a classic motorcycle across the Himalayas.

What are your personal and business ambitions? This revolves around my core mission. I continue to build strategic partnerships to extend my reach and bring positive change. Professionally, my aim is to become a Fellow of my institute IEMA. I am excited to be co-writing a book on transformational environmental strategy. On a personal level, I am training for the Gatwick Half Marathon. Setting goals is important so that you learn more about yourself and what you want to achieve.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs? Through the Women’s Advocate Programme to support entrepreneurs, we found that despite having the skills and experience, women still often need extra encouragement. Believe in yourself! Develop your ideas well but don’t hesitate too much; I set Eshcon up part-time initially to manage the risk. Having a trusted mentor allows you to discuss ideas and challenges in an open and unbiased manner. They say ‘people do business with people’ and,

indeed, I get most of my work from referrals, so get out and network. I’ve built my career to achieve my mission - setting goals, trying new things, making connections and just going for it. Remember, don’t just love what you do; love the outcomes of what you do.

info@eshcon.co.uk www.eshcon.co.uk

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

PAM LOCH MANAGING DIRECTOR, LOCH ASSOCIATES GROUP What does your business do and what is your role? The Loch Associates Group provides a unique combination of employment law, HR, wellbeing and dispute resolution services to meet all our client’s HR requirements. I founded the business in 2007 and remain the MD with the aim of helping businesses with the breadth of issues they face in employing staff and the challenges in retaining good staff. We recognise “People are our business”, with this ethos at their heart, the four businesses that make up the Group, Loch Employment Law, HR Advise Me, Loch Health and Loch Mediation, provide employment law, outsourced HR support, wellness checks and mental health training, as well as helping to fix conflicts at work. I not only run the business on a day-to-day basis, but I am also a practising Employment Lawyer with an active caseload.

What do you enjoy most about your work? Helping to find solutions to problems and innovating new services as a result. When a client has a problem or knows what they want to achieve, I enjoy finding solutions for them. Likewise, I also like to identify ways to avoid problems arising in the first place and creating solutions like our HR Medical Specialist service, which is designed to help employers manage absences more effectively and help employees back to work sooner. I’m a very results driven person, so actively making things happen and solving problems is a big motivation.

What was your biggest break? Employing some fantastic people who have helped us to develop the various businesses. Building a business is hard work and surrounding yourself with positive and talented colleagues is the only way to grow. I’ve been fortunate to work with a team that has been as dedicated to the business as I am.

How do you manage the work/life balance? What interests do you have outside work? Family and friends play a big part in helping me achieve work/life balance as does my Spanish Water dog, Ellie. Fitness also plays an important part and so I spend time walking Ellie or often she joins me when I go out running. I also work out in the gym a few times a week. I find that exercise gives me the break from work that I need to be able to return energised and refreshed for another day.

What are your personal and business ambitions?

the future from what we invest in together in the business now - and have some fun along the way too!

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs? Be positive and realistic. Enthusiasm is important too, as setting up and growing a business can not only be a financial but a physical drain in the early years. But as your business grows and you start seeing success, the rewards from running your own business should hopefully make all the effort worthwhile!

www.lochassociatesgroup.co.uk Email: pam.loch@lochlaw.co.uk Tel: 01273 457740

We only have one life so being happy and having fun is something I aim for personally. From a business perspective, I have achieved the ambition of working with a team of people I like, and I want to continue to expand and grow the business so we can all benefit in

Travel - Buenos Aires

Shake hands in...

BUENOS AIRES

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

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

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

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

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

Travel - Buenos Aires

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

The murals in Galerias Pacifico Shopping Centre

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

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

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The past decade has seen the Puerto Madero district transform into a residential area for high-earners, à la Canary Wharf

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

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

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

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

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

San Telmo

The lake and rose garden in Palermo, Buenos Aires

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

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

Puerto Madero

Travel - Buenos Aires

TOP PLACES FOR A MEETING/EVENT

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EL VIEJO ALMACÉN

The oldest tango house in Buenos Aires, this San Telmo institution prides itself on the authenticity of its belle époque vibe. Watching the nimble dancers move to the four-piece band amid the rosy-hued lighting is spellbinding, and the entire venue can be hired for a gastronomic tango experience. viejoalmacen.com.ar

TEATRO COLON

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Acoustically one of the best concert halls in the world, this beautiful neoclassical structure is worth visiting even just for a group tour, but witnessing a concert or a ballet in the opulent main theatre will leave a powerful impression. Tickets for corporate groups should be booked well in advance, and the season runs from April to December. teatrocolon.org.ar

PALACIO DUHAU-PARK HYATT

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Situated in Recoleta, this high-end hotel combines two buildings - a modern tower with a restored palace, with a lush garden between them, perfect for cocktail receptions. There are also several flexible meeting spaces, including a sleek boardroom in the palace part, where you’ll also find the intricate-walled Oak Bar and the afternoon tea lounge with a terrace. buenosaires. park.hyatt.com

WHERE TO STAY ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL

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A member of Leading Hotels of the World, this landmark luxury hotel, established in 1932, is set along the designer store-studded Alvear Avenue. Its décor is inspired by Louis XIV and Louis XVI, with chandeliers and gold leaf cornicing featured throughout its public spaces, and its 207 rooms and suites are spacious and elegant. alvearpalace.com

ALVEAR ICON HOTEL

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Opened earlier this year in an imposing Puerto Madero skyscraper, Alvear Icon offers 150 contemporary rooms and suites with muted colours and Hermes toiletries in the bathrooms. There is ample space for meetings and events, while the 32nd-floor Crystal bar with floor-toceiling windows offers breathtaking views over the Buenos Aires skyline. alvearicon.com

HOTEL MADERO

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Also in Puerto Madero, this chic upscale hotel has 197 smart, sumptuous rooms and suites. The topfloor Montmartre lounge has a terrace for gatherings, as does the trendy ground floor white bar (both can be hired exclusively for events). There’s also a spa with an indoor pool, massage booths and an outdoor spa bath. hotelmadero.com

Motoring

STYLISH SWEDE Volvo XC90 By Mark Tofts

have always been a secret Volvo fan since I was dropped home by a friend’s father in his newly delivered (and remapped) Volvo 850 T5 R in 1997 - I think I spent most of the journey grinning whilst pressed into the rear seat under the force of the acceleration. I was therefore excited to find out that another high powered Volvo was winging its way to me for my weekend in the Lake District - one that was pushing out more than 400bhp in the shape of an XC90 T8 Twin Engine. The first XC90 was launched in 2002 at the Detroit Motor Show and was the first SUV offered by Volvo. It went on to sell over 636,000 during the lifetime of the vehicle and was at one stage Sweden’s most valuable export product - the second generation which began production in 2015 has some big shoes to fill. Upon first sight the most obvious thing about the new XC90 is the size, it is so big that the 21 inch wheels fitted to the R-Design model delivered to my house didn’t look at all out of place. I really like the direction that

Volvo are taking the styling of their vehicles and the XC90 follows suit. The bodywork is striking, clean and modern and the only element I was first unsure about was the Bursting Blue paintwork of the demonstrator. Initially it seemed a bit lairy, however it soon grew on me and actually nicely breaks up the sea of the silver, grey and black cars seen on the road. The sharp Swedish styling is carried on inside the car, all seven seats were beautifully trimmed in perforated nappa leather (a £1,050 option), with a crystal glass gear knob and a diamond cut start button. The focus of the dashboard is a 9-inch tablet like touch screen display, developed with Alpine, and it is like having an iPad inserted into the middle of the dashboard. It really is an excellent system and is at the cutting edge of in-car technology offered by manufacturers. The seats in R-Design trim are comfortable and supportive with seemingly endless electrical adjustments and the panoramic sunroof provides a light and airy feel even

with dark leather optioned. With the rearmost two seats folded down, the boot is cavernous with enough space for five people to travel for weeks, but with them up I would have thought they would be useful for children rather than adults, definitely more school run than pub run. The XC90 comes with three engine options which can then be ordered with one of three trim guises. The model on test was fitted with the T8 Twin Engine with the R-Design option; as the name suggests, there are two engines present - a 2.0 litre petrol engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged producing 320hp and a secondary electric engine adding another 87hp, helping it to break the 400hp barrier. This takes the car from rest to 62mph in 5.6 seconds, quite a feat for a car with a total weight in excess of 3,000 kg.

Motoring

Another startling figure is the quoted efficiency of 134.5 mpg for the hybrid twin engine setup. The only time I managed to get anywhere near this was whilst dismally driving in the 50 mph average speed section of the M42 in hybrid mode. In my time with the XC90 I filled it up three times and averaged 29 mpg, so just 100mpg off the official figure. Despite this, the figures can still stack up for the hybrid model; with low emissions of 49 g/km, it meets the criteria to receive 100% First Year Allowance (FYA) if purchased by a business, it is London Congestion Charge exempt and it has a BIK of 9% v. 31% for the diesel, meaning that for some company car drivers it can still look appealing even if it can’t match the official fuel figures. With a fully charged battery and Power mode engaged, the XC90 can bring out one’s inner hooligan as it deploys the 407 bhp

through all four wheels. It is a monster for single A-road overtaking, quickly dispatching single engined dawdlers. Power mode increases throttle response, lowers suspension and tightens steering. The difference in steering is noticeable, but I couldn’t help but feel the tighter steering felt similar to front wheel drive torque steer at times. With the optioned Active Four-C Chassis (£2,150) the handling belies a car of this size, it truly is staggering how well it drives and I have driven five-door saloons with more body roll than this three ton behemoth. The XC90 as tested was £72,460 which puts it into esteemed seven seater SUV company alongside the Discovery 5 HSE Luxury, Mercedes-Benz GLS 350 and the Audi SQ7. If these weren’t competition enough, the full size Range Rover Vogue is also in the same price category, a car which a friend who buys a new

one yearly describes as the perfect all round car; “I can take it to work on a building site during the week, to the rugby at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon then to The Dorchester for Sunday lunch”. After a week with the new XC90 it seems that the Vogue has now met its match.

TECH STUFF

Model tested: XC90 T8 Twin Engine R-Design Engine: 2.0 litre plus electric motor Power: 320 bhp plus 87 bhp electric Performance: 0-60 mph 5.3 seconds Top: 140 mph Economy: 134.5 combined Price from: £64,365 As tested: £72,460

Motoring

TOKYO MOTORSHOW This is the 45th Tokyo show and we are now being overrun with concept AI cars, funky hybrids and fully electric models. It’s funny that the minute designers see those words, they tend to go out and design something that looks totally ridiculous - or totally fab, depending on your point of view.

HONDA SPORTS EV CONCEPT

NISSAN IMx

Honda exhibited the world premiere of the Honda Sports EV Concept, a concept model which combines EV performance and artificial intelligence inside a compact body. Looks a tad like a Noddy car to me but l guess we have to get used to this in the future.

At the core of the IMx’s technological features is a future version of ProPILOT that offers fully autonomous operation. When ProPILOT drive mode is selected, the system stows the steering wheel inside the dashboard and reclines all seats, giving the driver more space and allowing the vehicle’s occupants to relax and enjoy their commute - or be terrified of instant death.

Motoring

MITUBISHI e-EVOLUTION

MAZDA VISION COUPE

Incorporating the latest technology from the manufacturer, the e-EVOLUTION CONCEPT signals the start of a new era for the brand. It blends Mitsubishi Motors’ signature 4WD electric drivetrain know-how with advanced Artificial Intelligence technology under a low-slung, highly-aerodynamic SUV Coupé shape.

Highlights of the Vision Coupe include a KODO - Soul of Motion exterior that embodies a minimalist Japanese aesthetic, achieving a simple “one-motion” form that conveys a sense of speed, apparently. The interior applies the concept of ma (literally “space”) from traditional Japanese architecture. This is a very good looking car and if it goes as good as it looks, it will be a treat.

AUDI Q8 SPORT

MERCEDES AMG PROJECT ONE

Audi revealed their new Q8, continuing their very successful Q

I am not sure if we will ever see this beauty in production but if we

series, and although it does look rather pretty it does resemble the BMW X6 which, to put it mildly, is not the best selling car in their range.

do, l will be a very happy man. Just look at it - l want to lick it.

ZAGATO VISION ISORIVOLTA

SUZUKI e-SURVIVOR

TOYOTA CONCEPT i

Table Talk

Review

Pike and Pine by Amanda Menahem

’m a big fan of Matt Gillan, the Sussex chef who achieved a Michelin star at The Pass restaurant in Horsham and who also won the BBC Great British Menu in 2015.

Easy on the eye, gentle, diligent and charming. What’s not to like? Pike and Pine is his first solo venture, a restaurant which in the evening is Pike and Pine and in the day is Red Roaster café and coffee roaster - a much loved Brighton institution on the edge of Kemptown. Its location represents a controversial ‘gentrification’ of this part of the city, and one which has not been altogether welcome as early Trip Advisor reviews would indicate. I am unapologetic in my appreciation of gentrification. I like nice things and nice places. Don’t get me wrong, I love the diversity of Brighton, the gritty alongside the elegant. But I don’t see anything wrong with making something that was a bit tatty, a bit more glamorous. And after all, there’s still plenty of tatty and gritty to go round. I really do like the new incarnation. It’s beautiful. A glamorous, chic and modern space; light, airy and expensive looking. White marble, gold, and green foliage are the order of the day. You can sit at the counter and watch the chefs (great for fans of Matt), or at one of the

tables lining the wall. There’s casual seating at the front near the door and some tables outside on the pavement in the summer.

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I really do like the new incarnation. It’s beautiful. A glamorous, chic and modern space; light, airy and expensive looking.

❞

On this particular evening, my dining companion, Maarten, and I were seated at one of the tables along the wall. The tables are pretty close together and you can hear neighbouring table’s conversation - I don’t mind this because I’m nosy and sociable (usually). The odd thing was that the ‘sofa’ lining the entire length of the wall, which although extremely comfortable and stylish, is strangely low. Lower than the accompanying chairs opposite and a little too low for the table, so I felt

Table Talk a bit like a child reaching up to dine. A minor quibble in the context of an otherwise beautiful and comfortable space. And let’s face it, I am a short arse. The service was polite and efficient. Our waitress was very friendly and cheerful. The menu is divided into snacks/nibbles, small plates (or starters), main courses and dessert. Me being me, I wanted to try lots of different things. I started with duck (£3.50), a Bao bun filled with flavoursome shredded duck. It was delicious, a modern Asian version of ‘dirty food’ and ideal to soak up booze. Talking of which I was impressed to see Shramsburg Californian sparkling wine (£10) amongst the usual suspects (such as Ridgeview Bloomsbury £7.90) and also two premium champagnes by the glass; Perrier Jouet and Ruinart, the latter of which is one of my favourites. Clearly I’m their target market. Weirdly I didn’t fancy any fizz (Maarten asked if I was ill) and instead opted for a Riesling.

❝

It was delicious, a modern Asian version of ‘dirty food’ and ideal to soak up booze.

❞

To start we ordered crab - claw meat, fregola, puffed paprika crisps, shellfish emulsion, lime (£8.50), and an artichoke dish - baby artichokes, Jerusalem artichoke puree and pickled shallots (£7.50). The crab dish was a tiny but intensely flavoured dish, the fregola bound with a bisque-like sauce. The paprika crisps were paprika flavoured puffed rice which I didn’t feel added anything and I would have rather had more crab meat instead, which I struggled to find in the dish, but overall the flavours were great. I was looking forward to the artichoke as this is one of my favourite autumn/winter vegetables (I long for the deep fried Jerusalem artichoke ‘chips’ that Plateau used to do). Here the plate was strewn with tiny artichoke crisps and the shallots were scattered

over the plate. In the centre were artichoke hearts on a bed of puree. The puree, a smear, I would have preferred more of it. As such, the tart pickled flavour of the artichoke heart overpowered, when I would have preferred the autumnal earthy flavour of the puree to have dominated more. The dish felt a bit unbalanced in this sense, but enjoyable nevertheless. My main course, halibut in a parmesan crust with carrot puree and caramelised carrots (£18) was a perfect dish in every sense. Balanced in both flavour and texture, the fish perfectly cooked, soft and yielding encased within a crisp and savoury crust of parmesan, the sweetness of the carrots working perfectly. Never one to decline dessert, I ordered a chocolate mousse with blackberry sorbet, pistachio and marzipan. The marzipan was actually the best thing on the plate, cubes of it caramelised and contrasting with the sharpness of the sorbet. If anything, the chocolate mousse seemed unnecessary! Much more interesting was Maarten’s lemon cheesecake parfait, which arrived as a sphere of parfait with meringue tubes, green tea cake and marshmallow. This was an impressive dish. There were a few service hiccups during the meal. Chefs approached the table with the wrong dishes and a long wait time and possible mix up with our starters, but I have real empathy with this as I know only too well the challenges of getting it right. A seemingly small issue can totally throw off service and I won’t criticise a restaurant when this happens. We are all trying our best in what is one of the most challenging industries. And while there may have been a few hiccups on the night, knowing Matt and his high standards, I am betting he’ll have these sorted in no time. Matt wasn’t in on the night I dined, but when I have visited previously he always takes the time to sit and chat with customers, a welcome element in creating a good customer experience. All in all my view is that Pike and Pine is a welcome addition to the Sussex food scene, adding glamour and finesse. Matt is an undoubted Sussex talent and he deserves to succeed with Pike and Pine.

Artichoke

Crab

Duck Snack

Halibut

Chocolate mousse

Lemon Cheesecake

Table Talk

Festive Drinking By Gerry Higgins at The VineKing

f you drink wine, then there is a huge probability that you will be drinking it on Christmas Day. From the risqué glass of fizz in the morning to the half bottle of port that serves as a nightcap many hours and glasses later, it is an essential part of the festivities. So rather than babbling on about the best wine to drink with turkey, I thought I would write about some of the dos and don’ts of Christmas drinking.

Don’t spend too much money on wine gifts Twice what they normally spend on a bottle of wine is a good rule. Buying overly expensive

bottles of wine puts everyone under pressure. “I spent a fortune on it but the chap in the shop told me it was a great wine, what do you think?”. This rarely leads to comfortable drinking. If you are not sure what the recipient drinks, then fizz is usually a safe bet and so much more appreciated by teachers than the mountains of chocolate they are usually given.

Try and go to your local wine merchant Wine is such an important part of Christmas that getting it right really does seem worth the effort. If you go to your local wine specialist they can help you find what you are looking

for, match the wine to your food, your palate and your budget. They often have wines on tasting and it all seems so much more fun than asking some spotty youth stacking shelves where the Chablis is.

Make sure you get some quaffers in While your wine rack might be bursting with your favourite wines to drink on the day, it is usually worth stocking in a few less expensive easy drinkers. They are handy for when you come back late, a little unsteady looking for a final glass. Waking up to find that you drank that amazing Burgundy you were saving and

Table Talk No need to follow the white meat white wine rule I know I said that I would not talk turkey, but it is hard to avoid when writing about Christmas drinking. Turkey is a dry meat and needs a fruity wine to match and that can be luscious Chardonnays or Rieslings, but it is equally happy with red wines. Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir or anything from Beaujolais are great matches. I can write about a mass of other things; get a pudding wine, use proper glasses or even some of the best ways to avoid a hangover on Boxing Day, but this feels like enough. The Christmas Day meal is meant to be fun and too many rules are never a good template for jolly. can’t remember a thing about it never makes a good start to the day

Buy a few good Champagne stoppers There’s something lovely about drinking Champagne in the morning. The bubbles, the crisp acidity and the slightly decadent feel are a great start to a special day. Though starting it with several glasses of Champagne can end up making it a very short day and I’m not a fan of half bottles. So, buy a decent Champagne stopper and you can pop it back in the fridge for later in the day.

a good wine. There are good producers and very bad ones out there and if any of these wines are selling too cheaply, then you should probably avoid them. A cheap Sancerre is usually full of acidity and no fruit. It is often a far better idea to get a good Sauvignon from the Loire (look out for Menetou Salon) than a cheap Sancerre.

Do take time to decant Pulling the cork and letting the wine breathe does very little for the wine apart from the wine at the top of the bottle. It really needs to be decanted. If you don’t have a decanter or room for one on the table, then jug the wine. Just pour the wine into a jug and leave it there for 30 minutes and then pour it back into the bottle.

Don’t blame it on the port I love port at Christmas as the sweet fruits of port are a great foil for the tangy blue cheeses that seem such a part the festive season. It does make me smile though when people tell me that port gives them a hangover. So, it was not the couple of gin and tonics, the half bottle of Champagne, the two large glasses of white, the bottle of red and that delicious sweet wine that has left you feeling a bit under the weather? No, it was the tiny glass of port.

Don’t skimp on the classics Just because it says Chablis, Sancerre, Chateauneuf on the label, or any of the other wine names that we recognise as being special, it does not mean that we are getting

Table Talk

The Gastronomic Greats Brighton and Hove’s food and drink champions are announced.

he Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Awards are the longest running awards in the city. Now in its 15th year, the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival is a year-round celebration of the city and county’s food and drink industries. On the 6th November, hospitality businesses from around the city gathered at Myhotel Brighton, where the winners were revealed. Nick Mosley, festival director said: “This has been another fantastic

year for the city’s food and drink scene with lots of new developments. The food awards are a celebration of the creativity and diversity in our food economy and a genuine highlight of the food year. A huge amount of work is done behind the scenes by my colleagues at the food festival, and our judging panel, to ensure the integrity of the awards. We believe the awards are a true representation of the best of the best across the entire hospitality and food industry of Brighton and Hove.”

THE WINNERS BEST AFTERNOON TEA The Salt Room Sponsored by Midnight Communications

Sponsored by Wobblegate fruit juices and Eden fruit cider

BEST BREAKFAST V and H Café Sponsored by Dental Health Spa

BEST PUB The Earth and Stars Sponsored by The Beer Collective

BEST BURGER Burger Brothers Judged by Allison Ferns, BBC Sussex BEST CAFÉ V and H Café Sponsored by 204060 Radio Cabs BEST CHEAP EATS La Choza Judged by Guy Lloyd, Juice Brighton 107.2 BEST COCKTAIL BAR The Plotting Parlour Sponsored by Blackdown Artisan Spirits BEST FAMILY DINING Curry Leaf Café Sponsored by 3 Blonde Bears BEST FOOD PUB The Earth and Stars Sponsored by Cardens Accountants BEST INTERNATIONAL CUISINE Curry Leaf Café Sponsored by Baobab Developments BEST NEWCOMER Befries Sponsored by Style Accountants BEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS The Salt Room Sponsored by Cobb Digital BEST PLACE TO SLEEP Artist Residence Sponsored by Hensby Law BEST PRODUCER IN THE CITY Boho Gelato

BEST RESTAURANT 64 Degrees Sponsored by Claire Walsh IFA BEST SUSTAINABLE FOOD BUSINESS hiSbe Judged by Tom Flint, Brighton & Hove Independent

ABOVE: Peter Field (Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex), Michael Bremner (64 Degrees) - Chef of the Year 2017, George Boarer (Etch) - Young Chef of the Year, Andrew Kay (Latest Media) and Allison Ferns (BBC Sussex). Photo: Julia Claxton

BEST TAKEAWAY The Chilli Pickle Sponsored by Brighton Catering Supplies BEST VENUE DESIGN Red Roaster / Pike & Pine Sponsored by Posture People FOOD HERO Isaac Bartlett-Copeland, Isaac At Sponsored by Mayo Wynne Baxter

CHEF OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Ridgeview Wine Estate. Judged by Mardi Roberts (Ridgeview Wine Estate), Ben Mckellar (Gingerman Group), Jeremy Ashpool (Jeremy’s Restaurant), Joe Lutrario (Restaurant magazine), Andrew Kay (Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival) Winner: Michael Bremner, 64 Degrees Highly Commended: Steven Edwards, Etch Highly Commended: Duncan Ray, The Little Fish Market YOUNG CHEF OF THE YEAR Sponsored by BrightonandHoveJobs.com. Judged by Billy Humphreys (BrightonandHoveJobs.com), Ben Mckellar (Gingerman Group), Jeremy Ashpool (Jeremy’s

Restaurant), Joe Lutrario (Restaurant magazine), Andrew Kay (Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival) Winner: George Boarer, Etch Highly Commended: Jackson Heron, 64 Degrees Highly Commended: George Ousley, Isaac At SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Hotel du Vin Chosen by the food festival directors Michael Bremner, Head Chef at 64 Degrees said: “We’re over the moon to be in the top three for best restaurant category, and so proud of the team for all their hard work. It’s great to receive recognition like this as it is the people we serve every day who have voted for us to get this far.”

Look out for some exciting events in 2018 including Brighton Wine Week running 6th15th April, Cocktail Week from 2nd-8th July, and further festival activity in September 2018. The 2018 food awards will be launched on Thursday 5th April. For more information visit: www.brightonfoodfestival.com

WARMING WINTER CANDLE MASSAGE

For just

£50 per person

40 minute treatment

As the winter nights draw in, escape to our spa for a personalised warming winter candle massage. This truly wonderful treatment uses the heady scent of Natural Spa Factory warming massage candles, where the candles are lit and the warming and nourishing oil is used within the treatment soothing tired muscles. This experience is pure heaven and not to be missed. Available from 1st November to 31st January 2018 TO BOOK OR FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 01273 224322

The Grand Brighton, 97-99 King’s Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FW

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EASTBOURNE

CLEANING UP

tephen Lloyd MP for Eastbourne and Willingdon opened the new County Clean offices in Sovereign Harbour with over 80 ACES members attending the launch event in October. At the networking launch, Chris Ewbank found out how Debbie and Mike Walker have grown the business since starting in 2007. Stephen Lloyd MP said: “It is tremendous to open County Clean’s new HQ at Pacific House. This is a local company growing from strength to strength every year and is now one of the most successful environmental companies across the whole of the South East. Their substantial investment demonstrates yet again their absolute commitment to Eastbourne.”

Their very first job was in Barclays Bank in Edenbridge where they cleared a storm flooded basement. Since then they have overcome all their setbacks to create the highly successful County Clean Group which now includes: • County Clean Environmental – Liquid Waste Management • County Clean Sweepers – cleaning the roads of the UK • County Clean Groundworks and Civil Engineering • County Clean Waste Recycling - Gatwick Mike is delighted to tell me about the people who have helped them along the way. “Rossetts Mercedes-Benz Trucks were brilliant. Malcolm Rosier was so supportive, we transferred our whole fleet to Mercedes trucks and vans. When no one else would help they

Debbie was keen to tell me about the help and support they have received since deciding to move to Sovereign Harbour. “Jim Christie of Seachange has been so helpful with our move to Pacific House. He’s easy to deal with and sorted out our new lease in no time. We were previously in portacabins behind Chilley Farm, Rickney but we out-grew Wealden and are delighted with our new home in Eastbourne. “We’d also like to thank the Identity Group and especially Project Manager, Rob Gietzen. They fitted out our offices to a high standard - on time and on budget. It was actually pretty stress free!” Mike explains: “We like to make sure our trucks are immaculate, and our new indoor storage facility helps keep them looking spotless, which is so important when you work in waste management.” From the beginning, Debbie and Mike have made an excellent partnership. Debbie handles the finance and HR while Mike handles the operational side. Their successful partnership extends to their private life too, as demonstrated on a recent holiday when Mike visited a casino and lost a packet. But there was no need to worry, Debbie stepped in and won it all back again! The Walkers are both complimentary about Eastbourne unLtd and are Premier Members of the Chamber. Debbie explains: “We always try to buy local and support the Eastbourne economy when we can. It’s also important to us that we buy sustainably and recycle everything. The Chamber has been really helpful and being members gives us the chance to give back to the local economy. I’d recommend any company, large or small, to join their local Chamber of Commerce.”

For more information about careers at County Clean Group visit www.countycleangroup.co.uk/about/ careers

CHAMBER NEWS

Debbie and Mike started with just £70K, one rather old truck, and with Mike driving and undertaking waste removal,Debbie managed the finance, administration and credit control. And the cliché is true “where there’s muck there’s brass!” - County Clean is now a multimillion-pound award-winning business with clients worldwide. In just ten years their partnership has achieved a turnover of £5 million, a smart 5,000 sq ft office, a state-of-the-art fleet of 30 trucks, and a staff number of over 40 people. They work for local authorities across the country and are the go-to experts world-wide for serious problems with drainage and liquid waste.

arranged £5 million finance and gave us great service to keep our trucks on the road.”

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CHICHESTER

CITY SLICKERS By Julie Harrison, CEO of CCCI (shared role)

aving returned to CCCI in July, where I originally worked from 2004 to 2015, I have found myself reflecting on the many changes during that time.

When changes occur, it is very easy to talk down a city like Chichester and this is something we mustn’t do; otherwise those negative sentences can be self-fulfilling. Of course, I understand that it’s easy to get into that negative way of thinking when we have the ongoing A27 issue, which is a divisive subject and continues to be discussed at length and will no doubt come to a conclusion in due course. I hear mutterings about how we are losing so many of our independent shops and although there is obviously some truth in this, our modern way of living means that most city high streets have moved in the same direction as ours. Although we sometimes see empty shopfronts in our streets, these are overall filled quickly or are empty whilst negotiations take place for new tenants to appear. We mustn’t lose sight of the fact that we have a vibrant and stunning city with so many wonderful attractions, which many other towns and cities look on with envy. We are lucky enough to have a wonderful team at the Chichester Business Improvement District (BID), with whom we share an office. We see how hard they work and constantly look for new and inspiring ways to support our beautiful city. I know they have a fabulous events programme lined up for Christmas 2017, and I urge you to support as many events in the city as you can this Christmas - visit www.chichesterbid.co.uk. Next year we will be holding one of our events in conjunction with the BID on Monday 12th March at House of Fraser in West Street.

We at CCCI comprise of such a diversified, enthusiastic and professional group of members, you only have to attend one of our meetings to see some of the talent we have in Chichester. Our events programme for January – June 2018 is now complete and includes many exciting events including a cocktail masterclass, a pamper afternoon, a summer social, as well as our regular evening meetings held on the second Monday of the month, and our Business Breakfast events in conjunction with Chichester College, held on the second Wednesday of the month. Please look at our website for information. Our next bi-annual Chichester Business Magazine for 2018 is available this month and includes the full programme of events for January – June 2018. Please reserve your place for as many of our events as possible. For more information on membership, please contact me on julie.harrison@chichestercci.org.uk So let’s all start talking Chichester up! It doesn’t take much to look at the positive side of our lovely city.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

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11 December 2017 - Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

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13 December 2017 - The Chichester Business Breakfast in

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• Events and networking

10 January 2018 - The Chichester Business Breakfast in

• Policy and public affairs

conjunction with Chichester College

• Workshops and training

15 January 2018 - Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

• Business advice and services

25 January 2018 - General Data Protection Regulation

• New business opportunities

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For more details visit www.chichestercci.org.uk

www.chichestercci.org.uk/join

CHAMBER NEWS

We are also lucky enough to have a new and enthusiastic MP, Gillian Keegan, representing Chichester. We have managed to secure Gillian to talk at our MP’s lunch on Friday 13th April, where she will update us on her thoughts and vision for Chichester over a delicious

two course lunch from 12pm-3pm.

ACES

NEW IAN AT UCKFIELD CHAMBER

arlier this year, Uckfield Chamber were advertising for a replacement for Ian Blackaller who sadly, due to ill-health, had to step down from many years of service shaping the successful Chamber that we have become in Uckfield. Not an easy task therefore, facing the select group of our Executive committee, led by Jan Edwards of the Marketing Eye. It was a tough field and popular vacancy with more than a dozen candidates interviewed during August. But after much deliberation, our panel was pleased to offer our Secretary vacancy to Ian Noble, who has lived in Uckfield for 22 years. So, apart from sharing a first name with our retiring Secretary, what else can I tell you about the new guy? Ian describes the bulk of his working life as a ‘career banker’ having joined Lloyds Bank directly from school in the late 70s. He worked in London branches, climbing the ladder into management positions most notably in the prestigious Law

Courts branch in the Strand. In the early 90s, with a young family in tow, Ian moved to the bank’s Head Office in Bristol for a two-year stint away from his native South East, before arriving in Uckfield in 1995. From his Uckfield base, Ian commuted to various South East locations including Croydon, Hastings, Brighton, Gatwick and Kingston-upon-Thames, which was the longest commute of the lot. By the year 2000, Ian had been promoted to senior management in Commercial Banking, leading teams who were supporting the likes of our Chamber members – the days when business managers resided in branches like Uckfield and it became quite fashionable for bankers to get involved within the local business community. Chamber membership was on the rise and Ian found that he had a natural aptitude for networking and leading events. During his four years in Gatwick, Ian sat on the Exec of the Gatwick Diamond Business Group. In Kingston-upon-Thames, he was appointed to the town’s Business Improvement District (BID) Board and became a prominent feature in the Kingston Chamber, holding the President’s role during 2012. The catalyst for eventually leaving Lloyds

Bank after almost 37 years’ service, came in mid 2014 when Ian was privileged to serve as a business connector with the charity, Business in the Community. Based in Hastings, Ian connected many local businesses to both education and third sector, driving sustained improvement in employment, education and enterprise. For the last three years, Ian has grown his own marketing franchised business, thebestof Hastings, where he offers a range of networking opportunities to local businesses amongst many other aspects. And last year, Ian led on the successful Hastings BID initiative and is a founding director of the Hastings BID Co. – a programme that will bring added regeneration to Hastings town centre. So, I think it’s fair to say, Uckfield has secured a great deal of relevant experience that will facilitate the continued growth of Uckfield Chamber of Commerce, for the greater good of our town. Ian will continue with his Hastings business alongside his Uckfield role allowing two East Sussex towns to benefit from his experience!

For more information visit www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

TOM CAT GIN

aul and Kate Wratten started Tom Cat Spirits in November 2016. They launched with Tom Cat Dry Sussex Gin, which is made in the style of a classic London Dry Gin using local Sussex produce. Their gin is made combining six aromatic botanicals to create a smooth gin with juniper at its heart. They source pure mineral water from a well below Uckfield, which is added to the distillate to create a fine gin, as well as coriander from a farm in Bosham. It is a quintessential English gin which can be complimented with a premium tonic, ice, orange peel and a sprig of rosemary or simply just on the rocks.

Battle Chamber of Commerce www.battlechamber.org.uk

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce 01424 842892 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk

Crowborough Chamber of Commerce www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk

Paul and Kate are familiar faces at the local Farmers Markets including Shoreham, Lewes, Horsham, Farnham, Lewes Rocks, Forest Row and Chichester. Kate said: “It is always great to get feedback from the sample tasters that we offer on our stalls. We are delighted that our gin is now available in many outlets throughout Sussex including many wine merchants, pubs, hotels and farm shops. “We have been very fortunate to have had support in our business development from EDEAL. The assistance we have received from them has been brilliant and inspiring. We attended a business start-up workshop

Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of Commerce 01323 641144 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk

East Sussex County Council 01273 481570 www.eastsussex.gov.uk

Federation of Small Businesses 01424 754686 Reg Office: 01323 482018 www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex

funded by Wealden District Council earlier this year and have since met with an EDEAL business advisor whose advice has been invaluable to us.” Paul added: “We plan to expand our range of gin in the near future with our next gin being in its final stages before release.”

Hailsham Chamber of Commerce 01323 310531 www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Hastings Chamber of Commerce 01424 205500 www.hastingschamber.co.uk

Heathfield Chamber of Commerce 01435 865858 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk

ACES

TAILORED TO SUIT

new business, trading less than a year, with a growing list of customers and about to launch in Australia is proof that Harry Simonis’ choice to swap university for running his own business was the right decision. Harry started studying International Business Studies at Loughborough in 2015 after attaining three Grade A A-Levels. Six weeks later, he was desperately unhappy and in his words, had “made the wrong decision”. Harry said: “I knew this was the wrong route and I didn’t want to end up with £50k of debt and no job. I think university is fine if you know what you want to do, such as law or medicine, but I didn’t.” After reading “How to Make Millions Without a Degree” and with the support of his apprehensive parents, he had the

confidence to leave. Keen on fitness, Harry recalled finding it difficult to buy a shirt that fitted and so in those early days at university, this was the business he decided to establish - shirts for “guys who lift”. He worked in a shop to get retail experience, researching the clothing industry in much more detail. Harry also sought help from EDEAL and attended a business startup workshop funded by Wealden District Council where he found out about planning and running his own enterprise. Harry spent nine months getting the product right, he spent hundreds of pounds in the process, constantly being told the sizing spec was all wrong and the market was too small. But his designs were sent to Chinese manufacturers to initially make up

samples and the final product was available for sale in December 2016. He was offered a three-month internship with Brandon Carter at his NY fitness company. Harry said: “It was non-stop and incredibly valuable. I learnt a huge amount about how to do business - what to aim for and what to avoid.” And learn he did. The order book proves it. Harry plans to expand his range into other clothing, designed with the athletic shape in mind. www.tailoredatheleteclothing.

THE KIND WE LIKE

elen Prosper loves life and people and believes that kindness is our greatest strength and gift. She has worked in the health industry and with people of all ages, from babies to elderly pensioners for over 25 years. With a number of professional health qualifications, Helen has worked in hospitals (including Great Ormond Street), hospices, schools and training centres.

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

Helen hopes one day to leave her own legacy in the form of a ‘Positive Connections’ charity where everyone and anyone from babies and their carers, to toddlers, school children, teenagers and the elderly can learn to give or receive positive touch, play and relax together or simply talk/hold a hand with someone.

For more information visit www. prosperwithsynergy.co.uk

ussex

Issue 6. 2017

CHRISTMAS CRISIS?

We are very proud of our new magazines for ACES. The new magazine will be distributed all over East Sussex. Make sure you pick up your copy.

A return to Dickensian poverty? MALLORCA

A place for business too Develop the

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PLATINUM PUBLISHING

The Institute of Directors 0207 766 8866 www.iod.com

ACES

Lewes Chamber of Commerce 07919 382316 www.leweschamber.org.uk

For more information about advertising and editorial sponsorship, contact info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com or call 07966 244046 and we have discounted members rates. The December issue is out now and in general distribution right around the region

Locate East Sussex 0844 415 9255 www.locateeastsussex.org.uk

Newhaven Chamber of Commerce 0800 107 0709 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk

Peacehaven Chamber of Commerce 01273 586222 www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk

Seaford Chamber of Commerce 0800 881 5331 www.seafordchamber.co.uk

South East Local Enterprise Partnership 01245 431469 www.southeastlep.com

Uckfield Chamber of Commerce 01825 722607 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk

Wealden District Council 01323 443322 www.wealden.gov.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

Helen is committed to supporting others in a variety of ways. She has written a fully accredited course on ‘The Power and Importance of Touch’ which she teaches to professional carers. She also currently works

as a health coach in Ringmer and as a play specialist for Demelza children’s hospice. Helen is an advocate of network marketing and supports and helps people set up their own home-based businesses with both Synergy’s products and The Helo health monitor.

Networking

The Business Network NETWORK REVIEW

THE BUSINESS NETWORK BRIGHTON By Emma Pearce, Marketing Consultant – marketing planning, outsourced marketing and social media training www.pearcemarketing.co.uk Emma Pearce talks to the hosts of the new Brighton brand of the The Business Network - for senior decision makers.

ollowing the successful launch of The Business Network Brighton on the 11th October 2017, the group’s November event, attended by Founder Members as well as new visitors, proved equally well received. The Business Network has been operating its lunchtime networking format in the UK for over 24 years, and was described by one member, Phil Strachan, as “grown up networking”. As a member of the Manchester, London and Birmingham groups, Phil attended the launch event to support the hosts Mary McCrea and Kris Andrew; he liked it so much that he has now decided to also join the Brighton group. He explained that The Business Network works for him because it is ‘hosted’ and expertly facilitated, so that you have the opportunity to both meet new people at each event, as well as reconnect with members, helping you establish and build strong, long-term business relationships. It is effective, efficient and professionally organised. Phil added, “It’s all about building meaningful relationships that create a collaborative and supportive professional network. After 26 years in business, it’s THE business network in my opinion.” Hosts Mary McCrea and Kris Andrew have worked together in the past and both have successful businesses of their own. Having visited The Business Network London Central group earlier in the year, they quickly realised that they wanted to set up a group for Sussex and Surrey businesses. Twelve weeks later The Business Network Brighton became a reality. Mary said, “There are a number of benefits to membership, the most obvious being the connections you gain, not only from spending time with people locally, but also from the wider links that can be made by tapping into the other groups operating across the UK. Increasing your professional network is essential for gaining future business, however there is also a ‘personal development’ obtained through the ‘knowledge sharing’ opportunities that exist, allowing you to remain ‘current’ in today’s fast changing economy. Networking with senior decisionmakers also enables you to develop a

Kris Andrew & Mary McCrea

more collaborative way of working, combining skills and services that can then deliver even greater outcomes. “Naturally, the monthly events offer the opportunity to showcase your business through speaker slots, by providing seminars and by taking free stand spaces, however, the greatest value comes from simply establishing a valuable group of senior contacts who can be regarded as a support network.” Kris added, “We believe that the best business is done when people trust each other. We know that it takes time, but we want to encourage senior decision makers to truly understand and connect with others and create an environment that can help people and organisations survive and weather the current economic situation, and become resilient enough to deal with future challenges. One of our key roles as hosts of The Business Network Brighton is to understand our member’s key business drivers so we are then in a position to make informed and beneficial connections for them.”

For further information or to book for the next Business Network Brighton event, taking place on Wednesday 13th December at Jurys Inn Brighton Waterfront, go to www.business-network-brighton.co.uk

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Charity News

GET FESTIVE Chestnut Tree House’s Get Festive campaign takes place throughout December, with Get Festive Day on Friday 15th December. It’s all about getting into the spirit of Christmas, and the team at Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice want to encourage local businesses, community groups and organisations to enjoy some festive fun while raising vital funds. Get Festive is open to everyone, you can fundraise whenever you like during December and hold any festive-themed event or activity. Last Christmas, around 80 groups and organisations across Sussex and South East Hampshire took part in Get Festive, including Gravetye Manor, Goodwood Estate and various Lloyds Bank branches, holding Christmas jumper days at work, cake sales and dressing as Santa for a day. Why don’t you get involved in 2017? Registration is free and Chestnut Tree House will send you a Get Festive fundraising pack with loads of ideas to help you hold a unique Christmas fundraiser. There is even the opportunity to purchase Santa suits at £10 each.

For more information on Get Festive and how to get involved, visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/getfestive or call 01903 871838.

HOW WILL YOUR MONEY HELP? • Chestnut Tree House currently cares for 300 children and young people with life-shortening conditions across Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex and South East Hampshire. • It costs Chestnut Tree House over £3.5 million each year to provide all its specialist care services. • The charity receives less than 7% of its care costs from central government funding. • £35 enables a child to experience a magical hour in Chestnut Tree House’s multi-sensory room with a specially-trained member of staff. • £230 gives a life-limited child the chance to visit Chestnut Tree House for the day and enjoy a range of activities.

SNOWMAN SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS APPEAL My name is Victoria and I’d like to tell you about the incredible, passionate care Chestnut Tree House gave to my two daughters, Heidi and Eloise. And, I’d like to ask for your help in bringing a spectacular, magical Christmas to your local children’s hospice this year. Our little girls both died within a few weeks of birth. Heidi was only six weeks old when she died in 2010. Three years later, Eloise survived just a few weeks longer. We took both girls to our local children’s hospice, Chestnut Tree House, for their last days. There, we spent every moment cuddling our girls, bathing them, even taking them for walks in the beautiful gardens. We came to understand just how special Chestnut Tree House really is – an uplifting, happy place where we spent our days making precious memories that will last our lifetimes. This year, Raymond Briggs’ treasured character The Snowman™ is leading the fundraising campaign to find the £116,450 Chestnut will spend on care over Christmas for life-limited children like my girls. One hour’s nursing care for one child costs £35.70. A gift from you this Christmas could allow another child, another family, to experience Chestnut’s extraordinary, unique care. Please support Chestnut Tree House this Christmas. Your donation, like The Snowman did in Raymond Briggs’ famous story, will bring wonderful moments into a local child’s life this Christmas.

To donate visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/christmas1 Find out more about Chestnut Tree House at www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

Find out more about upcoming events and ways you can support Chestnut Tree House at www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

EDUCATION FOR ALL? by Maarten Hoffmann

think most people will know, or have an idea, of the true answer to that question; the moral answer and then the realistic one.

Every child deserves the right to equal and fair education. I have a source who has related numerous aspects of this issue and, as the father of four, l have a certain interest in the subject. It is shocking. Let us consider the 1.3 million children in the UK, each year, who have a characteristic that marks them out as not the ‘average’ child. This could be children who are gifted and talented, physically disabled or children with SEND (special educationsl needs or disabilities), among many more.

It is most notably this latter category that suffer the most in our rigid education system which, when stripped down, is purely a numbers and targets game.

availability of special schools, they end up at home without any formal education. It is bad enough that they are in the maelstrom of mainstream education in the first place.

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Not only are funds being cut across the board but pupils with special educational needs and their families are suffering the most. Mainstream schools are slowly pushing pupils out who have additional needs; where is our inclusive society? They are either pushed out, or forced to fit into the same ‘one size fits all’ education system of the last century. As a highly trained teacher of children with SEN, my source is terrified that we are rapidly stepping back in time and failing over a million children every year.

Some Local Education Authorities are therefore are slashing £3,000 per SEND pupil

❞

Why then are these children with SEND being increasingly marginalised and pushed out of mainstream schools? With such sparse

Anger Management I struggle to understand how we are planning for our future as a country by marginalising an entire section of our future adult population. Rightfully, teachers are heavily criticised for racism, sexism and inequality so how are schools getting away with discrimination by selecting only ‘ideal’ pupils who fit in best with their educational targets at the end of the year. It is just that – Ofsted purely judge schools on their academic achievements and progress. The powers that be don’t take individual differences into account so why should we expect schools to do so. This, alongside heavily slashed budgets, is creating a national crisis. Special schools are at breaking point and bursting at the seams whilst local authorities are desperate to find places for these ‘lost’ pupils. The mainstream will be flooded with students unable to cope.

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There are schools that are breaking the law – and not telling the parents of their actions as they are mandated to do. There is a scandal brewing here.

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The SEN Code of Practice states that it is the responsibility of all schools and all teachers to remove barriers to learning so that all pupils, regardless of special educational need, can achieve their potential. As another way of cutting staff costs, some schools are cutting their staff hours, which in

Everyone is a genius.

But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid - Albert Einstein

turn, cuts down the amount of learning time for the children. There are schools that are breaking the law – and not telling the parents of their actions as they are mandated to do. There is a scandal brewing here. SEND specialists are required to provide the LEA with a breakdown of how money is spent for each individual child and, historically, they have only been asked to justify the ‘top-up’ money which is money given to SEN pupils, above and beyond that of a mainstream pupil. Now they must also justify the money that is given to all children – the standard £3,000. This money is given to schools per pupil and the schools are then trusted to spend it in the best way possible to benefit all children. How is it fair that this money should then be counted towards the provision for SEN children, which should be above and beyond that of a nonSEN child? The LEA are therefore slashing

£3000 per SEN pupil. The direct knock on effect of this will be that schools can no longer afford specialists to deliver essential therapy to the pupils, additional teaching assistants, assistive technology...the list goes on. This is such a basic social care failing that we should be ashamed.

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Not only are funds being cut across the board but pupils with special educational needs and their families are suffering the most.

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Hospitals and our local charities, such as Rockinghorse and Chestnut Tree House, are then left to pick up the pieces - whilst their budgets are also being cut.

Alas, the UK has become a country that does not look outwards in these matters but inwards. It is not good enough to stand empirically proud that we are ahead of every curve. If we do not learn from those countries getting it right, what is the point of being one of the most advanced nations on the planet? As a country, we go around and around with successive governments trying to decide what is best for our children, tinkering every five years. Why don’t we let the professionals decide? Not the civil servants or politicians but the specialist teachers who spent years, at their cost, to be recognised as experts in their field, and then fix this decision into law so that the next party cannot screw it up. Politics is a five-year game; the education of our children in not.

Institute of Directors

LIVE TO WORK – WORK TO LIVE So, which do you do?

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

s your job or business the focus of your life? I doubt many of us would instinctively answer “yes” to this. We will genuinely feel that we ought to state that family and health should be our first answers to this one way or the other. I for one would not try to persuade anyone else that those are not the “correct” answers.

Flexible and agile working methods and enabling technologies give us much more capacity to alter our ways of working, so that we can do so around our families. But it can also mean the reverse. To take one fairly classic example, being able to pick up emails on holiday can sometimes be useful, but do we do so habitually when really we do not need to?

But if what we do demonstrates what we are, rather than what we think or say, how many of us can honestly say that we do not prioritise the job or business first? For many people that is understandable - after all, the job needs to be done, the customers need to be looked after and our commitments need to be met. Otherwise in fairly short order, there will be no job or business to provide that income that we will need to support ourselves and our families. Frequently sacrifices need to be made, and we all appreciate that, but do we become accustomed to prioritising the work so much that we do it even if we do not need to?

Most of the time the world of our work can probable survive pretty well without us, for a short time at least, but perhaps we need to think whether we in turn can survive without it.

Personally I love what I do, and have no intention of giving it up in the foreseeable future. Both my day job and the other roles I have keep me involved in a great many interesting projects. I know this makes me very fortunate. However, the fortune I have in other aspects of life is even greater and I hope that I never take it for granted. I appreciate my luck, but I am sure that I am

by no means unique. I have little doubt that a great many people reading this will consider themselves equally lucky as soon as they take a moment to reflect on their lot. Some though, I appreciate, may not feel that all is well for them at the moment, and I hope that this will change for them as soon as possible. Either way, it may still be worth taking a moment to reflect on what we have, how we prioritise things for ourselves and those around us, and whether we might improve things just a little with some small tweaks to our routines. As we know small “marginal gains” can sometimes add up to big wins.

JUST A THOUGHT Have you got your life:work balance right?

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