Surrey Business Magazine - issue 16

SURREY

BUSINESS THE OFFICIAL SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 16 JULY 2019

CANALS & COMMERCE AMSTERDAM SEMMCO WINNING THE QUEEN’S AWARD FOR ENTERPRISE

FOCUS ON EPSOM EWELL

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SURREY BUSINESS 2 COUNTY’S THE PREMIER BUSINESS AWARDS

CATEGORIES COMPANY OF THE YEAR

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LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (OVER £5 MILLION)

sponsored by Mazars

SME BUSINESS OF THE YEAR (£500,000 TO £5 MILLION) INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR CSR EXCELLENCE AWARD CHAMBER MEMBER OF THE YEAR EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

sponsored by Partridge Muir & Warren sponsored by Heathrow Airport sponsored by The Ken Blanchard Companies sponsored by Surrey Chambers of Commerce sponsored by Surrey Business School

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AWARD

sponsored by projectfive

START-UP OF THE YEAR

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CHARITY OF THE YEAR

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BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

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TOURIST ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR

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BUSINESS INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

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BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR

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HOW TO ENTER • Visit www.surreybusinessawards.com and review the categories • Download an entry form and answer the questions as fully as possible • Entries should not be more than four pages of A4 and less than 11pt size font • Save the entry as a PDF and upload online • Businesses can enter up to three categories and deadline for submissions is August 30th 2019 • The entry fee is £50 plus vat per submission

FOR ENTRY ENQUIRIES OR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, EMAIL

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SURREY BUSINESS ENTRY DEADLINE AUGUST 30th 2019

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CONTENTS 7

THE CHIEF EXEC Louise Punter on the latest news within the Surrey Chambers of Commerce

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THE PRESIDENT President Steve Coburn contemplates the Chambers’ role within the business community

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NEWS The latest from the chambers and the Surrey business scene

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HAINES WATTS Managing Partner Daniel Morgan on why purpose is the key to successful growth

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DMH STALLARD GDPR: One year on...

32 33

VENNER SHIPLEY How to get your branding right

BROVANTURE The advantages of using Cloud technology

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CLEANKILL Why pest prevention should be taken seriously

35

SURREY POLICE Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro reflects on three years in the post and looks ahead to the future

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SEMMCO Interview with Stuart McOnie, MD of the Woking-based company which recently won the Queens Award

HERRINGTON CARMICHAEL Copyright matters for wedding photography

25 26

FARROW CREATIVE Has social media had its day?

KEN BLANCHARD Goal setting, mental toughness... and the manager’s role

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52-59

OCUS ON F EPSOM & EWELL Epsom isn’t just about going to the races. The borough has a thriving business scene...

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YOUNG ENTERPRISE The winners from the South East Young Enterprise regional finals

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NEW MEMBERS Welcome to the Chambers new members EXPORTING The campaign to increase exports in the Enterprise M3 region

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HART BROWN Ian Trevett interviews James Lamont - Head of Commercial & Corporate Services

REIGATE & BANSTEAD AWARDS The winners from the recent prestigious evening

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NATWEST The latest survey of business confidence

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40-47

HEALTH & WELLBEING The guide to improving mental, physical wellbeing in the workplace, including ViiSana’s ideas for energising your workforce, Breathe’s take on workplace culture, and HR Dept’s advice for beating the summertime blues

49

ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION How a legal firm became synonymous with a quirky and entertaining convention

COVER STORY Interview with Dr Malcolm Parry OBE, Managing Director and CEO of Surrey Research Park

64-69

TRAVEL Maarten travelled to Amsterdam to savour the City’s highlights and Rose updates all the travel news

70-73

MOTORING Maarten tells all about the car he drove to Amsterdam - the all-new Cupra and looks at the new Volvo

76-82

SURREY CHAMBERS Events at the Chambers of Commerce across Surrey, how to sponsor a Chambers event, Surrey Chamber Golf Society, and why you should join the Chambers

SURREY BUSINESS

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A WORD FROM THE CEO

Your Chamber – working for you

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ust when we thought some certainty may be coming our way everything is up in the air again. However we know that businesses continue to push forward, making themselves as resilient as possible, whatever happens!

Here at the Chamber we are connecting businesses, promoting them, supporting them and making sure their voices are heard around a number of issues by representing them.

Skills for the future

One of the concerns we constantly hear from our members is the difficulty in recruiting the skills they need. In a world where the actual skills needed are constantly changing we need to have a versatile, effective education system that can meet the needs of the workplace.

One of the latest initiatives to be introduced is the T level.

T levels are new technical study programmes that will sit alongside apprenticeships and A Levels within a reformed skills training system. They have been designed to create the skills revolution required to meet the needs of our economy and are being developed in partnership with Government, business and education.

knowledge and skills they need in a workplace environment. Understanding that this is quite an undertaking for businesses a package of support has recently been announced following extensive consultation with employers and further education providers and directly reflects their feedback to help make sure more employers can offer these vital placements in readiness for the T Level rollout in September 2020. By offering this practical part of the T Level a business also gets early sight of the future potential workforce.

Apprenticeships

In addition to T Levels there are many apprenticeship standards available through all levels up to degree level.

In order to keep members updated on what is happening with apprenticeships Surrey Chambers and the Association of Learning Providers in Surrey (ALPS) have set up a forum, which will meet on the September 19th.

It will be open to all businesses as well as all Colleges and Training Companies, providing a really effective way to get all the latest information on apprenticeships. Using a speed networking style businesses will have the chance to ask all their questions of experts.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, info@surrey-chambers.co.uk, @surreychambers

Louise Punter

A unique part of a T Level will be the completion of a high-quality industry placement – of at least 315 hours, or approximately 45 days – where students will build the

CEO Surrey Chamber of Commerce

THE TEAM Maarten Hoffmann – Director

maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07966 244046

Molly Enser Chamber Editor

Lesley Alcock Business Development Director

Fiona Graves Events Director

Danielle Mason Sales Executive

Laurence Elphick Head of Sport

Kate Morton Copy Editor

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk www.surrey-chambers.co.uk If you have a news story for publication, email molly.enser@surrey-chambers.co.uk Ian Trevett – Director

ian@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07989 970804

Alan Wares Head of Design

Lydia Bunyard Events Executive

Rose Dykins Travel Editor

Steve Elford Head of Web Development

For Surrey Business Awards enquiries email fiona@platinumpublishing.co.uk For editorial and advertising enquiries email danielle@platinumpublishing.co.uk

SURREY BUSINESS

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PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

THE PRESIDENT’S VIEW

IN SURREY? ARE WE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

© Paul Judd Food

by Steve Coburn

I

watched a wonderful TED Talk recently from a gentleman called Hamdi Ulukaya called ‘The Anti-CEO Playbook’.

Hamdi was telling his story. He bought an old yoghurt factory in a run-down area of America. The CEO of a large food company had made the decision to close the factory and, as Hamdi tells it, that decision was based on a spreadsheet.

The implications of that decision were that 55 people were losing their livelihoods. Hamdi saw potential in the factory, and the people, and bought the place. He re-hired many of the original workers, and set about painting the walls, renovating the factory and producing yoghurt again.

As this was a TED talk, the story had a happy ending. Hamdi managed to turn around the fortunes of the business, grow the factory, create thousands of jobs (both within the factory, and within the wider community in the town), and create the number one brand in the USA for Greek Yoghurt.

Hamdi then focusses on his idea for a ‘Anti-CEO Playbook’, where a CEO’s behaviour is flipped so that, instead

of working to maximise project for the investors and shareholders, a CEO puts the needs their employees and community first – and in doing so, the profits will probably be higher!

I urge you to find 17 minutes in your day to watch the full video – it’s worth it.

It got me thinking…

We don’t have the opportunity to emulate him, and turn around the fortunes of an entire community, do we? We’re actually in a very privileged position in our little corner of the world. Our community is not broken – we’re actually doing OK compared to many.

But, that shouldn’t stop us from trying to create our own stories. If we follow some of these ideas and put our staff and our communities first, we can have a very positive impact.

We could find that our company culture improves and coming to work everyday becomes more enjoyable.

The energy in our workforce can be transformed. An energised workforce will be motivated to look after our customers better – which could have a very positive effect on our bottom lines.

The impact on our local communities

could be really uplifting – from helping a local charity, organising a community event like a fun run or a car show, helping young people get interview practice or work-experience, or committing to employ local apprentices and graduates to give them a start in their career.

Our impact can still be measurable and significant. We may never get to tell our story on the main TED stage like Hamdi did. But, to the actual people on our doorsteps, they will benefit enormously from our approach. And, actually, isn’t that the moral of Hamdi’s story?

Maybe our new measurement shouldn’t be ‘Return on Investment’, but instead we should measure ‘Return on Kindness’?

If all businesses focussed on looking after the communities that are on our doorsteps, then imagine how much better off we’ll all be?

We made a start at projectfive… a bunch of us went and helped paint the walls of the church hall in our Town Centre. The rooms we helped decorate are used by charities and the work that the church does is hugely beneficial to the local community. It’s not really the makings of a TED Talk, is it? But, it did make a difference to someone.

SURREY BUSINESS

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LOCAL

news

Supercar line up

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or the first time ever McLaren reunited its supercar collection at its global headquarters in Woking to help celebrate the company’s employee, friends and family open day.

The special line-up of 23 cars, estimated to be worth around £50 million, included iconic models such as the P1TM GTR – the track version of the world’s first ever hybrid hypercar – and the new McLaren Speedtail of which

only 106 will ever be produced.

Around 3,000 of the company’s employees, their families and friends, supported by over 70 volunteers, joined members of the company’s executive team to see the exclusive display alongside activities that ranged from P1TM hypercar ‘races’, to a children’s competition to design the best car judged by McLaren design director Rob Melville.

University develops AI angel T he University of Surrey has begun using blockchain and artifi cial intelligence (AI) technologies to store digital government records of national archives.

The university has been working with the UK’s Open Data Institute and the National Archives to develop ARCHANGEL. ARCHANGEL is a decentralised computer vision and

Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.

blockchain-based system, designed to safeguard digital video archives.

BUSINESS WISDOM

British caterer sees growth soar

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urrey-based food services giant Compass Group has reported a strong first-half driven by excellent growth in North America, a strong performance in Europe, including defence contract wins in the UK, and good growth in the rest of the world. In the six months to March 31st 2019, revenue at Surrey-headquartered Compass grew by 6.6% to £12.5bn.

Compass’ North American business was said to have produced an excellent performance, with organic revenue growth of 7.9%, whilst in Europe, revenue grew by 5.5% which Compass said reflected momentum from new business wins as well as continuing good growth across the continent.

“Archives across the world are amassing vast volumes of digital content, and it is important that they can prove their provenance and integrity to the public in a secure and transparent way,” stated Prof John Collomosse, leader of the project at the University of Surrey.

Imaging giant moves its Surrey HQ

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anon UK and Ireland will be relocating its head office in Reigate to Uxbridge, potentially threatening 450 jobs. The headquarters will move after a decision was made by the multinational company to “address effi ciency improvements” and outsource finance, business operations and customer service.

The move to Stockley Park in Uxbridge

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will see the UK and Ireland HQ relocate to the same site as the multinational

company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa HQ. Yusuke Mizoguchi, managing director of Canon UK&I, said: “Given that the EMEA HQ has been based in the UK for many years, it makes strategic sense to seek out opportunities to create a more streamlined operation whilst increasing our overall competitiveness.”

Steam through the Surrey Hills A steam train with on-board dining is set to roll through Surrey every Tuesday evening this summer. The Sunset Steam Express will leave from London Waterloo at 7:20pm on Tuesdays and head south on a circular journey through Surrey.

After passing the outer suburbs of London, the train will stop for water at Chertsey, before continuing nonstop through Byfleet, Woking, Guildford, Shalford and Gomshall, before a steep climb through the Surrey hills.

The train will be pulled by the 1948, B1 Class locomotive ‘Mayflower’ in its

Runnymede top for shopaholics

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he retail sector is booming in Runnymede, with the number of businesses based in the area more than doubling in a single year. New figures from the Office for National Statistics have revealed that there were 415 companies in Runnymede operating within the retail industry in 2018, up from 205 in 2017. The

Touring with Nick S

urrey-based Brick Live International has entered into a five-year term agreement with TV giant, Nickelodeon UK to produce themed tours. As part of the deal Nickelodeon has granted Brick Live – part of Live Company Group – the rights to produce and create tours associated with its properties.

David Ciclitira, executive chairman of Live Company Group, said: “We are thrilled to have Nickelodeon, a leading player in the family entertainment sector, as our newest partner to deliver Nickelodeon branded BRICKLIVE touring shows in the UK and Ireland.”

industry now has an annual turnover of £851 million in Runnymede meaning the area takes in more from retail than anywhere else in Surrey.

Across the county, there were 3,655 retail businesses in 2018, up from 3,445 in 2017, with an annual turnover of £3.1 billion.

Small but perfectly formed

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ore than £45m has been lent to microbusinesses in the South East through the Start Up Loans scheme, according to new figures from the British Business Bank.

original British Rail apple green livery.

The weekly locomotive event is run

by Steam Dreams Rail Co., which was acquired last year by Surrey businessman David Buck, who is known to have put a 40-ton steam engine in his back garden.

Multi-million pound Woking

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government investment of almost £100m into Woking is set to unlock land in order to build up to 4,500 homes in the town.

In addition to opening up the land for housing, the money will also fund the widening of the Victoria Arch Bridge and pay for road improvements and connecting utilities. The Woking spending is part of an overall £142m investment in infrastructure, unveiled by housing minister Kit Malthouse under the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

“We need to keep upping our game and build more, better and faster, if we are to meet our ambition to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid2020s,” said Malthouse.

Data from the government-backed programme reveals that since 2012 it has issued more than 5,543 loans, averaging £8,286 each, to business owners in the South East.

Kelly Tolhurst, small business minister, said: “Reaching this important milestone reflects the success of UK government-backed start-up loans in supporting entrepreneurs across the South East, helping them form new businesses that grow local economies and are at the heart of our communities.”

Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes BUSINESS WISDOM

SURREY BUSINESS

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CHAMBER

news

Surrey Botanicals win prestigious Chelsea medal T

Ash Knotek

he Silent Pool Gin Garden won a prestigious silver-gilt medal at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Blending the expertise of David Neale of Neale Richards Garden Design and University of Surrey academics Professor Tony Myatt and Professor Richard Murphy, the Silent Pool Gin Garden took inspi-

ration from plant technologies and the greening of inner city spaces. A space that absorbs stress through scent, sound and sight, Surrey’s own Silent Pool Gin Garden also invited visitors to consider the making of gin, the inventive use of recycled materials and the power of plants to create energy.

Workplace health firm moves to Esher

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ML Occupational Health Ltd have recently moved into a new office in Esher, Surrey, opposite Sandown Park Racecourse. KML Occupational Health promote healthy lifestyles, workplaces and general wellbeing through workplace talks, promotions and support of national campaigns, and in 2018 delivered over 15,000 assessments and procedures, helping manage and reduce workplace absence.

They have a fixed Occupational Health Clinic at their new site in

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

BUSINESS WISDOM

Fun run amidst the Painshill follies

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he 12th annual Mundays Charity 5k run took place on Wednesday May 8th, raising funds for Princess Alice Hospice. Over 200 runners, joggers and walkers from businesses around Surrey pounded the paths taking in views of the lakes, woodlands and follies at the stunning new venue of Painshill in Cobham.

Val Toon, Managing Partner of Mundays commented: “We are thrilled that the run continues to be so popular and that the monies raised from this year’s event mean that we have now raised in excess of £60,000 through running this annual event for the Hospice since our first 5k in 2008.”

If you would like to get involved in next year’s event please email marketing@ mundays.co.uk

Esher and also offer services via a Mobile Medical Unit at their customer sites.

All hail to the halow250 riders

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ycling fundraising challenge the halow250 #SuperEight has raised over £90k for Guildford-based charity, the halow project. 130 cyclists completed the annual cycle challenge last month to raise record breaking funds for the charity.

Organised by George Willis and Mark Foxwell of GM Recruitment, riders pushed themselves to the limits by covering 250 miles in just 40 hours

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across three days - from London to Guildford via Northern France. The charity cycle ride was led by Damon Hill OBE and patron of the halow project and supported by a variety of corporate teams including headline sponsor Youngs Pubs who entered 30 cyclists for the event.

If you are interested in taking part in next year’s event, please visit www.halow250.org.uk

Surrey’s Rural Economy Conference 2019

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ranleigh School is hosting a conference highlighting key issues for the rural economy in Surrey, with a focus on business and the environment. At a time of significant change, the conference, which will be opened by Michael More-Molyneux, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, will include presentations on the new funding and investment for rural businesses, key business success factors, building sustainable rural businesses and inspiring examples of busi-

ness collaboration to support growth.

The keynote speaker is Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs Friday 12th July, 9am-3.30pm Cranleigh School, Cranleigh For more information and to book your ticket visit www.surreyhills.org/ events/surreys-rural-economy-conference-2019/

Regus opens second co-working space

G Partner promotions

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harles Russell Speechlys in Guildford has promoted three lawyers – Rebecca Burford, Andrew Keeley and William Rollin - to Partner. In addition, a further two lawyers, Rachel Hearn and Mark Rowden, Private Property, have been promoted to Senior Associate.

Duncan Elson, Partner and Head of the Guildford office comments: “We are proud that five Guildford-based lawyers have been recognised as part of the firm’s annual promotions. Rebecca, Andrew, William, Rachel and Mark have all made outstanding contributions to the firm’s success in the South East over many years. They are all highly valued by their clients and colleagues alike for their specialist knowledge and are an asset to our firm.”

lobal workspace provider Regus recently opened the doors to its second centre in Guildford. Located in Guildford Business Park, and joining the likes of Philips and Colgate Palmolive, Regus’ latest co-working centre is set to make flexible working easier than ever. The building boasts an impressive double-height reception area as well as a range of well-equipped private offices, co-working spaces and modern meeting rooms.

Richard Morris, UK CEO of Regus, says: “Demand for flexible office space is growing rapidly – our research shows that 53% of professionals globally now work remotely for at least half their working week.”

To find out more call 0800 756 2501 or visit regus.co.uk

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

BUSINESS WISDOM

REDBOX take on takings challenge

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n Thursday 9th May REDBOX took over three Helen & Douglas House charity shops (Amersham, Chesham & Chalfont St Peter) to take part in a retail challenge. Their task was to raise as much money as possible over the average daily takings for that

particular store. Despite the torrential rain, the teams managed to increase the overall takings by £1645.87. A huge congratulations to the winning team, based in Chalfont St Peter, who increased the daily takings by 273%.

SURREY BUSINESS

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FINANCE

PURPOSE IS KEY TO SUCCESSFUL GROWTH

By Daniel Morgan, Managing Partner

Daniel Morgan

T

aking a long-term view of your business, what would you look back on in ten or twenty years’ time as your proudest achievement?

Will it be the bottom line or will it be an enduring legacy, thriving innovation or perhaps the development of a talented team of people?

Over the years, I have come to understand that the most successful owner managed businesses are those that are founded on a growth strategy which recognises the need to be profitable while staying focused on purpose.

In my experience these businesses share five key characteristics.

They are founded on a strong vision: having a clear purpose and deliberate, documented strategy for the future.

But crucially, the plan is given life and made to work by ensuring that there is a team on board who support the goals, the values and are motivated by the same outcomes as the founder and owner. This underpins a shared culture that is well communicated and supported.

They take a long-term view: these owners are committed to the long game. They have a clear plan and their investment decisions are focused on the activities that will help realise that plan. That’s not to say these businesses don’t keenly track performance in the ‘here and now’ and adjust their plans regularly – it’s rather that they resist allowing hurdles to detract from the end goal.

Having a clear sense of purpose and destiny that shapes both the dayto-day activity in your business and informs the big decisions gives your

I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OWNER MANAGED BUSINESSES ARE THOSE THAT ARE FOUNDED ON A GROWTH STRATEGY WHICH RECOGNISES THE NEED TO BE PROFITABLE WHILE STAYING FOCUSED ON PURPOSE

They understand their customers: these businesses engage with and listen to their customers and in turn build products and services founded on the needs of their customers. They don’t try to create and sell something that their business wants to sell.

They listen to all stakeholder needs: every touch point of the business is fine-tuned to listen and respond to customer needs; but that’s not all – the organisation pays attention to the needs of its people, suppliers, and wider-community. Being receptive to and creating dialogue with all stakeholders is in their DNA. They make a positive impact: for these businesses, what they do matters in context of the wider community and world in which they operate.

Whether this takes the form of creating opportunities for people, reducing environmental impact, engaging in local issues – they are determined to make a meaningful contribution.

business a differentiator, helps attract the best talent and great customers and ultimately underpins sustainable growth.

View our short video which features words from business owners on the advice they would give their younger selves. https://www.hwca.com/ videos/this-is-your-business

Haines Watts Surrey offices in Esher and Godalming.

Visit: www.hwca.com/accountantsesher

SURREY BUSINESS

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GDPR: one year on and counting…

GDPR is not all done and dusted, says John Yates, Partner and Head of Commercial at DMH Stallard

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nlike the Millennium bug, the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was not a one hit wonder: ongoing compliance is a key requirement. The majority of organisations paid heed to the introduction of GDPR in May 2018, but many seem to be struggling to keep on top of their ongoing compliance obligations.

We are seeing a number of recurring themes/issues including: Some organisations (mainly businesses) labouring under the illusion that GDPR does not apply to them They may be exempt from the requirement for a controller to pay a fee to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), or to have a Data Protection Officer (DPO) in place, but that doesn’t mean they’re exempt from the law; the ICO guidance makes it clear that organisations are still required to comply with their other obligations under GDPR. Lack of, or use of incorrect, documentation with regards to the processing or sharing of personal data Organisations often do not realise they

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should have written agreements in place with third party processors (eg. payroll service providers) that comply with GDPR’s requirements. Alternatively, some organisations that have recognised the need for an agreement may have too readily assumed the recipient of personal data is a processor rather than a controller, which requires a data sharing agreement rather than a data processing agreement.

These issues take us back to the importance of understanding the fundamentals of being a controller or a processor, and to recognise the parties’ respective roles, so that the correct documentation can be put in place to manage the flow of data between them.

Concerns around Brexit, and what businesses should do if there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit The only certainty at the time of writing is that if there is a true “no deal” Brexit, the UK will be deemed to be a “third country”, and transfers to and from the UK may require additional documentation – for example, use of the EU-approved Standard Contractual Clauses.

Many organisations are choosing to sit things out for now, but once matters are finally settled, they must be prepared to act quickly to address data transfers.

Inadequate privacy / fair processing notices Organisations may have uploaded a new privacy notice on their website but often they have neglected to consider: • if that notice is appropriate • if the website is the best place for it • what other fair processing notices or other consents are required.

For example, have the pension trustees provided beneficiaries with a privacy

LEGAL notice, or have employers provided employees and prospective employees with an appropriate updated privacy notice? Typically, organisations will require two or more privacy notices, depending on how they are structured and their business operations.

near that level, though it would appear many European data protection agencies (DPAs) are just warming up: fines across Europe for data protection breaches total some €56m for GDPR breaches since May 2018, from more than 200,000 reported cases.

Why so many issues given the high profile introduction and coverage?

There is no doubt GDPR-compliance is costly in terms of financial and human resources, and finding the right

To give a flavour of the direction of travel, having never previously issued a fine, the Polish Data Protection Office imposed a €220,000 fine on a company in March this year for failing to provide data subjects with information about the processing of their personal data.

In the UK, Facebook and Equifax share the top spot for the highest fines.

The £500,000 fines imposed sound like small beer under the new regime, but the offences were actually committed (and assessed) under the Data Protection 1998 - which capped fines at £500,000.

people is difficult given a dearth of data protection professionals.

And what of those headline grabbing fines – at worst, the greater of €20,000,000 or 4% of global turnover? To date, fines have been nowhere

The ICO may be seeking to help businesses comply with enforcement notices or other specific guidance prior to a fine being issued, but going forwards we can expect to see more significant fines being imposed.

Of course, DPAs also have other sanc-

IN THE UK, FACEBOOK AND EQUIFAX SHARE THE TOP SPOT FOR THE HIGHEST FINES

tions available to them which can have a profound impact, such as requiring an organisation to temporarily or indefinitely suspend processing of personal data. The Maltese DPA exercised this sanction when it required the country’s national land register to temporarily suspend processing of personal data while the DPA investigated a data breach. Imagine how such a sanction may impact on data-reliant businesses.

The EU may have been the first to increase regulation of the collection and processing of personal data, but it will certainly not be the last. In our data-driven, internet connected world, many countries and states are looking to bolster laws relating to data subject rights, data breaches and accountability requirements with plans to increase regulation.

Given the need for continued compliance, the issues seen to date and the prospect of further regulation, there are plenty of organisations that still need some encouragement along the road to compliance – and to recognise that it’s a journey that’s unlikely to end.

Partner and head of the commercial team in the South East, John Yates has extensive experience of advising on all areas of commercial law and business matters, taking a particular interest in IT, IP rights, data protection and freedom of information issues. Contact John at john.yates@ dmhstallard.com or call 03333 231580 dmhstallard.com

SURREY BUSINESS

17

Muted growth in new business

Private sector output growth weakens in May as new business falls

P

rivate sector output rose at a weaker pace across the South East in May as new business fell, according to the latest NatWest PMI® data. The rate of growth in total business activity was broadly in line with the muted average seen across the first five months of 2019. New business fell for the second time in five months, and firms cleared workloads at the fastest pace in nearly three years as a result. More positively, business expectations were the strongest in seven months, but still below the long-run trend.

The headline NatWest South East Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – remained above the no-change mark of 50.0 in May, at 51.0, signalling higher private sector output. That said, it fell from April’s 51.7 and

was well below its historic average of 54.9 (since 1997), suggesting that overall growth remained weak. This was a trend repeated across the UK as a whole (50.9).

KEY FINDINGS • New orders decline for second time in 2019 so far

Slower overall output growth reflected a slight contraction in services business activity and a weaker rise in manufacturing production. The latter was driven by backlog completion, however, as new orders at goods producers fell further. Total private sector new business declined for the first time since January, as new contracts at service providers also dipped slightly.

than service providers. The current eight-month sequence of decline is the longest observed in nearly six years.

With fewer intakes of new orders, private sector firms in the South East were able to complete existing workloads at a faster rate in May. Backlogs declined at the strongest pace since July 2016, with manufacturers again posting a steeper contraction

Despite signs of spare capacity, private sector companies continued to expand their workforces in May. Job creation was registered for the third month running following declines in January and February,

• Slowest rise in input prices for nearly three years • Output expectations strongest in seven months

SLOWER OVERALL OUTPUT GROWTH REFLECTED A SLIGHT CONTRACTION IN SERVICES BUSINESS ACTIVITY AND A WEAKER RISE IN MANUFACTURING PRODUCTION

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K

however, as new orders at goods producers fell further. Total private sector new business declined for the first time since January, as new contracts at service providers also dipped slightly.

Moreover, sentiment was the strongest since October 2018. Firms linked confidence to new products, marketing and expectations that political uncertainty will have been reduced by this time next year.

BUSINESS SURVEY

South East Business Activity Index sa, >50 = growth since previous month

70 60 50 40 30 '97

'99

'01

'03

INPUT PRICE INFLATION SLOWED FOR THE SEVENTH TIME IN EIGHT MONTHS IN MAY, TO THE LOWEST SINCE JUNE 2016

although the rate of growth remained modest.

Input price inflation slowed for the seventh time in eight months in May, to the lowest since June 2016. That said, the respective index remained above its long-run trend level since the series began in 1997, signalling strong overall cost pressures. Subsequently, companies increased their charges at a solid rate.

Expectations for business activity over the next 12 months remained positive in May. Moreover, sentiment was the strongest since October 2018.

Firms linked confidence to new products, marketing and expectations that political uncertainty will have been reduced by this time next year.

'05

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COMMENT

Stuart Johnstone, Managing Director, London & South East, Corporate & Commercial Banking “A renewed drop in new business caused a loss of momentum in the South East private sector in May, with total activity rising at a weaker pace. New work has been broadly flat over 2019 so far, meaning that companies have increasingly relied on clearing backlogs to sustain overall growth of their businesses. The drop in unfinished work in May was the fastest in nearly three years.

“As such, growth of output and employment look unlikely to be sustained in the coming months unless firms receive more new business. Latest data for London provide some encouragement on this front, with activity and new work rebounding in the capital in

May. June data will hopefully show some spill-over into the South East. Looking further ahead, firms were more confident regarding growth over the next 12 months.”

Stuart Johnstone

METHODOLOGY The NatWest South East PMI® is compiled

by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to South East companies that participate in IHS Markit’s UK manufacturing and services PMI surveys.

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WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND COPYRIGHT:

WHAT’S YOUR POSITION? Who owns wedding photography copyright in the UK – is it the photographer or the happy couple? Kate Ayres, Solicitor in Corporate & Commercial at Herrington Carmichael, explains the rights amongst your most important assets and they need protecting. So how can you protect your ownership and control of your wedding photography?

What’s the general rule?

T

hese days, wedding photographers usually grant a licence to print, allowing clients to print and share images personally and on social media.

The wedding season has begun in earnest and it’s vital that wedding photographers are reminded of how copyright law protects them and what rights their clients have. An experienced wedding photographer can earn significant sums of money, but creating great wedding pictures means a higher risk that a third party wants to steal your work.

Copyright is a fundamental issue for almost every business. Copyright law steps in to give automatic legal rights to the copyright owner in relation to the use and publication of their images, and provides remedies when a third party infringes those rights.

For a wedding photographer, your photographs and digital images are

If there has been no discussion about copyright issues and it is not covered in any written agreement, the default position is that you own the copyright to the images as soon as you take the photographs. This applies whether they are digital photos taken on a digital camera, images first generated on photographic film, and any digital images created from photographic film.

UK copyright on these images lasts for 70 years.

However, do note that if you are employed by a company to take wedding photographs it is important to understand that your employer will be the copyright owner unless you have a written agreement expressly stating you own the images. This article assumes you are working on a freelance or self-employed basis only.

As the photography creator, it is usual for wedding photographers to retain the copyright to the images taken, but they would then give permission to the couple to print wedding pictures to give to their loved ones, or to share and publish the images on social media, etc. This means you are in a stronger position to govern the use and distribution of the images.

How can I govern the client’s use of the wedding pictures?

You can make it clear to your clients at the outset the extent to which you

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will allow your images to be used. Typically, this is done by including licence terms in any contract. These will stipulate how and where the clients can use the images, and any restrictions you want to impose.

These days, wedding photographers usually grant a licence to print, allowing clients to print and share images personally and on social media. However, such a licence would not allow the images to be used for commercial gain, or for entry into competitions, exhibitions and the like.

After the wedding day, it will be up to you how you display your images to the clients, though it is often done via restricted access to an online gallery. Once you have supplied your clients with their chosen photographs, your clients must take care not to infringe your copyright or any licence you have granted.

LEGAL FOR A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER, YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS AND DIGITAL IMAGES ARE AMONGST YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS AND THEY NEED PROTECTING You should exercise caution if a client asks you to sell the copyright to them, or wants you to give them exclusive rights, because you will then be unable to use any of the images to advertise or promote your business. And if you do want to use any of the images to promote your own business, though you are legally entitled to do this, you

should always consider contacting your clients as matter of courtesy to check they are happy with you doing so.

What remedies are available?

Your photography business depends on protecting your rights in the images you take. This means if your copyright is infringed - whether by your client or a third party using your photographs found online - you should take immediate action to prevent a continuing infringe-

ment. Your first step should be to contact the infringer and ask them to take down the image/s.

If this is unsuccessful, you should take urgent legal advice on your next steps to protect your copyright. You may be able to claim damages and, if necessary, an injunction prohibiting the third party from further copyright infringement.

If you would like to contact one of the team visit www.herrington-carmichael.com or email info@herrington-carmichael.com

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BUSINESS AS USUAL…

(WHATEVER THAT ACTUALLY MEANS!) The mergers and acquisitions market in Surrey remains robust says James Lamont, Head of Commercial & Corporate Services at Hart Brown. Interview by Ian Trevett HOW IS THE M&A MARKET?

It is probably worth clarifying that the term M&A is used here to cover a multitude of commercial dealings, growth and sale of businesses in the SME market here in Surrey and, as such whilst Brexit means many businesses are adopting a wait and see policy, for many more it is business as usual and the cyclical nature of business life continues. Young companies are growing, struggling companies are being sold or folded, family businesses are passing to the next generation or to third party managers and or investors, successful companies are buying or being bought, and the big fish continue to hunt out the best deals.

The current market reminds me of a survey we commissioned about seven years ago to explore how Surrey businesses were feeling about the economic climate after the

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recession. One businessperson came out with a great quote as to how to cope successfully with the changing economic climate, which I think is still appropriate today: “Don’t shelter from the rain, learn to dance in it.” and I think most businesses are in some form or another following this mantra.

DO YOU SEE ANY TRENDS IN THE MARKET?

We have had a very busy last 18 months as clients wanted to complete their transactions in good time before Brexit but, that said, as mentioned earlier, I do not think Brexit has been a major block on deals.

We have noticed that there is an increasing reluctance for buyers to pay for anything with their own money (a business strategy we would endorse when acting for a buyer!) and funding obtained based on security provided

INTERVIEW by the acquired business and financed by the acquired business post sale is common place. The banks and private equity houses continue to offer funding, but they remain risk averse and lending is often on terms which although to be expected, remain out of acceptable reach of many potential borrowers.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW HART BROWN’S COMMERCIAL TEAM OPERATES?

We offer a partner-led service with excellent support from our experienced team. We are part of a sizeable corporate division which includes commercial property, commercial dispute resolution and employment so we can deal with most of what is thrown at us. If we can’t deal with it we know someone who we trust who can. This extends to an excellent referrer network of likeminded professional firms we work with on a regular basis and are delighted to refer to our clients.

We look to get things done within the time frames and cost estimates provided and very much look to provide a commercial approach to our legal service. Unless there is a requirement for it, we will avoid long complicated documents and as we have seen most types of transactions relevant to the UK SME market and worked in an extremely wide variety of sectors, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel, just work off what we know already works.

YOU HAVE GROWN RAPIDLY - WILL THIS CONTINUE?

You are either a big dog in London, a niche boutique company who can be based anywhere, or you are a full service national or regional law firm which is big enough to look after itself. We of course fall into the latter category and with a strong commercial team, with a hundred years under our belt, an excellent and ever expanding client base and a first class set of lawyers we are expecting to continue

That said our commercial offering is not really restricted by location and our clients and transactions extend from London to the south coast, so you could say we cover “London, Surrey, and the South”.

WHAT BUSINESS SECTORS WILL BE STRONG IN THE FUTURE?

Big question. I expect there will be further developments in preserving our water supplies and in energy (natural and renewable) and then there is the pace of growth in technological advancement and particularly in AI which will impact us all including in professional services such as legal firms. Lots to think about – but mainly by people far cleverer than me – I think we will stick to our day job and in making sure that the legal structures are in place to assist these businesses once those new ideas, systems and developments come to life.

DON’T SHELTER FROM THE RAIN, LEARN TO DANCE IN IT to flourish and grow. The ones who I think will struggle are the ones who present themselves as all-rounders but don’t have specialist knowledge or infrastructure and back-up.

AS A FIRM YOU HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON SURREY - WHY IS THIS A GOOD PLACE TO DO BUSINESS?

We are at the heart of a thriving business community here in Guildford which positions itself, rightly in my opinion, as a viable alternative to London firms. We are located close to two major airports, - the A3 / M3 / M4 corridors, we have an office in the thriving hub of Woking and we pride ourselves on being linked closely with Surrey Hills Enterprises and in supporting local businesses in the areas we cover.

To contact James or a member of his team, please email info@hartbrown. co.uk or call 01483 887766

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23

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MARKETING

BURSTING THE BUBBLE In April, cosmetics company LUSH startled customers and commentators alike by closing its UK social media accounts. A bold move – but could it be the right one for your business, too? By Sam Farrow, MD of Farrow Creative

F

or anyone who’s devoted time and effort to building up their social media presence, the idea of voluntarily abandoning 200,000+ followers on Twitter and almost 570,000 on Instagram, as well as over 420,000 Facebook likes, must seem crazy. But that’s exactly what LUSH did in April 2019.

The self-styled inventor of the bath bomb told its predominantly young, ethically-minded and environmentally-conscious customer base that it was ‘tired of fighting with algorithms’ and did not want to ‘pay to appear’ in newsfeeds.

“We don't want to limit ourselves to holding conversations in one place; we want social to be placed back in the hands of our communities - from our founders to our friends,” it declared in a statement (posted on Twitter – go figure).

The marketing world was stunned. The need to be visible on social media platforms has become an article of faith: to deliberately disconnect felt like a kind of heresy. But when a company turning over almost a billion pounds a year believes it can survive without social, it’s got to be worth asking ourselves a few searching questions, too.

If your customer base is mainly local, is a global online presence of any real value? Have you got something genuinely important, interesting and

informative to say to people, or are you just trying to fill space? Is someone who Likes you from Australia ever likely to become a customer? If only one of your 10,000 followers ever buys something from you, what do the other 9,999 add to your business? And if all 10,000 suddenly DID place orders or get in touch, could you actually cope?

These days, we’re routinely approached by companies worried about their social media presence (or, usually, their lack of one). Our message is always the same. Social media is a marketing channel, that’s all; and like all marketing activity, there has to be proper thinking, analysis, strategy and purpose behind it. If it’s not appropriate or cost-effective for your business to invest time and resources in it,

THE MARKETING WORLD WAS STUNNED. THE NEED TO BE VISIBLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS HAS BECOME AN ARTICLE OF FAITH: TO DELIBERATELY DISCONNECT FELT LIKE A KIND OF HERESY

there’s no law that says you have to.

For some businesses, it’s absolutely the right thing: for others, standing on a box on a street corner and yelling into a megaphone would probably be just as effective.

For LUSH, the calculation was that social media was hindering effective engagement with its customers, rather than helping. Instead, it’s pouring its energies and efforts into its (brilliantly designed) website, where branded photos and engaging, relevant copy that its customers actually want view and read provide the hook.

Whether it made the right choice, only time will tell; but it was certainly a bold and thought-provoking one. Which poses another: #WhatAboutYou?

www.farrowcreative.co.uk

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GOAL SETTING, MENTAL TOUGHNESS...

AND THE MANAGER’S ROLE Always keep the big picture AND the short term in mind, says business author and consultant Scott Blanchard

My clients referred to what they call “mental toughness”: the ability to keep performing when things change, go sour, or take longer than planned.

Early in the process, teams are primed with the mindset that things aren’t always going to go smoothly—and they are given ways to respond in the moment to achieve the best possible result. Goal setting is not meant to be static. If the team is stuck or heading in the wrong direction, the manager works with them to restate the goal and make adjustments.

When a team is focusing on something new or challenging, frequent check-ins with the manager are essential. As the team gains confidence and demonstrates competence, these meetings can be scheduled further apart.

Ken Blanchard (left) with son Scott

L

eaders who are the most effective at managing the performance of their people keep two things in mind:

The big picture — why we are doing it and what matters about it?

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2

The short term — what do we need to do now to move forward toward the larger goal?

An example of this process

I just finished some work with a fairly large organisation that has sixteen general managers. I asked if I could interview two of the GMs who were achieving the best results.

Even though I interviewed them independently, their approach to goal setting was remarkably similar.

Both of these GMs set big goals and have clear expectations with their peo-

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ple that the goals will be met. They also stress the importance and discipline of a weekly Monday meeting to discuss with their team what’s in front of them this week, what they can handle, and what they need to do to accomplish the larger goal. They succeed in the long run by focusing on the short run and connecting the two.Successful goal setting is about resilience.

Rarely do things go exactly as planned.

But too often when things go awry, instead of talking about what can be done to get things back on track, people come to a full stop.

In both our SLII® and our First-time Manager programs we teach that once goals are set, managers need to check in with team members on a regular basis to remind them what they are trying to accomplish and why it matters. Managers also need to take opportunities to have praising conversations when things are going well and redirection conversations when things deviate from the plan.

Over time, as people become more confident and trusted, the manager can delegate more and pull back on the frequency and intensity of these con-

SETTING GOALS IS A FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS AND HAVING CLEAR AGREEMENTS ABOUT PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS, WITH REGULAR CHECK-INS, IS THE PROCESS FOR GETTING THERE

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP versations. As people become self-reliant, the manager can turn over the responsibility for achieving the goals to the individual or the team.

Partnerships in action

When people think about their best manager, it was most likely someone who truly listened, was flexible, acknowledged their work and contributions, and made them feel like they made a difference.

It’s about working side by side with people—providing direction and support in a way that lets them grow into their autonomy. For example, when a salesperson is working for a sales manager, their goals are interdependent. As the salesperson demonstrates an increased capacity to achieve the goal, the manager can direct a little less and use more of a coaching style.

Instead of telling, the manager is asking and listening.

All good performance starts with clear goals. They set people up for success, growth, and development. The goal should be written in a way that illustrates what a good job looks like, documents the milestones to mark progress, and stretches the individual beyond their current performance.

Clearly written goals give people a chance to succeed, while vague goals can lead to trouble.

Setting goals is a foundation for success and having clear agreements about performance expectations, with regular check-ins, is the process for getting there. Obstacles that can undermine relationships and results are a lack of clarity and a lack of clear agreement.

tive regard for his or her contribution are building the confidence of the people they manage. It’s important to separate the subject matter from the person. Expressing confidence allows a manager to preserve a good relationship regardless of the type of conversation being held. Expressing confidence in the person builds self-assurance and enthusiasm.

When things really matter, effective managers make the effort to ensure the team is crystal clear on goals and procedures. This takes extra time at the beginning of a project, but it will pay dividends in the long term. Plus, it sets a process in place that the team can use on future projects.

Want to learn more? Contact uk@kenblanchard.com or visit www.kenblanchard.com/Resources

People want to perform for a manager they know has confidence in them.

Managers who acknowledge the person and maintain a respectful, posi-

Training the World’s Best Managers

That’s a win-win for everybody.

SURREY BUSINESS

27

Combining

&

SCIENCE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

WE HAVE HELPED TO CREATE 4,300 TECHNOLOGY JOBS IN GUILDFORD

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FOCUS ON SURREY RESEARCH PARK

Interview with Dr Malcolm Parry OBE, Managing Director and CEO of Surrey Research Park

For anyone who is unfamiliar with Surrey Research Park, how would you describe it?

In today’s world, scientific work and entrepreneurship are entirely different, despite being complementary. However, it is entrepreneurship which gives science its modern economic significance today, and not the other way around.

To respond to this idea, the Surrey Research Park has developed to be a 28.5-hectare part of the University of Surrey campus over the last 35 years, providing space to commercialise science, which includes technology, engineering and social sciences.

The accommodation and services available to the 170 companies on site are designed to match their varying states of development. The companies range from start-ups, that can rent a desk in a co-working environment with business education and business development support (lots of desks are taken by entrepreneurs starting companies to gain access to advice from business mentors and advisors), to single companies, that can benefit from our independent space multi-occupancy centre and 30 day contracts, to larger organisations that grow to reach numbers of up to 1,000 staff and have their own buildings on the Park.

The crucial features are that the Park shares the risks of development and helps companies gain access to the skills and services needed to get established and grow. Additionally, we don’t insist on long contracts tying start-up businesses down. Growing companies can take on new space easily without excessive costs or upheaval.

You left an academic post in 1981 to set up the Surrey Research Park. Did you ever imagine you would be still here in 2019? What is it about the Park that keeps you engaged and excited?

Any experiment starts with an idea that needs to be tested. The idea I had was to create small units that would offer space on short term contracts to science-based companies. The companies were taking advantage of personal computers that came out of the IT revolution in 1974, and we planned

THE IDEA I HAD WAS TO CREATE SMALL UNITS THAT WOULD OFFER SPACE ON SHORT TERM CONTRACTS TO SCIENCE-BASED COMPANIES to create an environment for start-ups that would free up entrepreneurs from needing access to huge capital investments to get up and running.

This proved to be a good idea and today the Surrey Research Park remains very much a place where companies can take space to innovate, evolve and grow. A number of our tenant companies started life as research ideas in labs at the University of Surrey and in the wider business community of Surrey. They then moved to the Park where they have grown up and in some cases, now employ over 1,000 people.

It is very rewarding to see that the ideas on which the Park was founded have grown to be so important over the last 30 years in founding and helping science-based businesses thrive and grow. The ideas have also sparked a science park revolution internationally as countries face the challenge of supporting their economic development.

Did you ever imagine it would become as influential and as big as it has?

We knew it had the potential, but it’s incredible to see that the Park has supported over 500 companies in its time

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29

and these businesses now generate over £1 billion of economic activity for the local economy each year. We have helped to create 4,300 technology jobs in Guildford.

What was the original remit - and has this changed over the years?

The five stated objectives of the Park have remained the same since the 80s: • To assist with economic development of the national, regional and local economy •T o raise the profile of the University of Surrey as a university that is supporting and driving innovation • To create knowledge transfer opportunities through the strengthening of the links between the University and industry • To help companies Stirling House maintain competitive advantage and grow to become international businesses • To create independent income for the University through the buildings it has established on the Park.

Of course the economic climate and technological advances have changed considerably over the years, but these five objectives remain our focus and have supported over 500 companies over the many years. Some of these companies have floated and some been acquired by companies such as Microsoft, Airbus, BAE systems, Danaher and Eurofins, while others have remained independent but have a huge impact on their industries.

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Are there any sectors where the Park and its tenants are world-leading?

The Park and the University of Surrey have a world-leading reputation for the development of space-related technologies, such as building satellites through its spin out SSTL, and by supporting the computer games companies that have made Guildford a centre for computer games creation.

Games development here at the Park now has an international reputation as a place where there is a thriving computer games cluster.

Nothing stays still for long: there is always a new group of companies working across technology specialisms that are recognised internationally for their pioneering products and services. This includes companies within heath tech, virtual and augmented reality, 5G and environmental technologies.

It must be hard to choose - but are there any success stories on the Park of which you are particularly proud?

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) was set up by Professor Sir Martin Sweeting who developed a small satellite while completing a PhD at the University of Surrey. After capturing the

attention of government and gaining demand for the satellites, Sir Martin spun out of the University onto the Park to form the business, which has been here since the early days of the Surrey Research Park. The company is an internationally recognised pioneering company and in 2009, international aerospace corporation Airbus bought the majority shareholding of the company.

Another big success story for us is that of computer games development guru, Peter Molyneux. Arriving on the Park in the early 1990s, Peter worked with his business partner Les Edgar to write computer games and established Bullfrog. After selling Bullfrog to Electronic Arts (EA – now based in the centre of Guildford), Peter returned to the Surrey Research Park to develop Lionhead Studios, which they subsequently sold to Microsoft after growing the studios.

Peter then established 22 Cans. It’s safe to say that we are hugely proud to have been able to support, in our own way, some of the most successful gaming entrepreneurs who have benefitted from the model we have here at the Park for company growth.

We continue to do this through the University’s Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing and the Park’s commercially operated games sector co-working space Rocketdesk.

You have seen countless businesses grow – what are your tips to create a growth mindset in a business?

FOCUS ON SURREY RESEARCH PARK

PARKS LIKE SURREY’S WILL GROW IN IMPORTANCE AS INSTRUMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BY HELPING TO CREATE CLUSTERS OF SCIENCE (IN ITS WIDEST SENSE) BASED COMPANIES No market means no company, so the critical part of building a company is to always watch out for what your product and service can do for the customers it intends to serve. Next, use business tools to sort out how you are going to serve the market, monetise the process, identify who you need to recruit to get you to market and maintain a presence to build a commercially sound business. It is critical not to be distracted by problems other than solving those that stop you getting to the money.

Is there now more collaboration between universities and businesses? Do we need to do more to encourage links between the private sector and universities?

The most profound change that will develop is that most modern governments are now expecting their R&D spend to increase. In the UK, this is promised to rise to 2.4% of GDP in the period to 2027, but there is also a profoundly important expectation of a parallel demand for an increase in social and economic impact from this invest-

ment. The consequence is the importance of science and technology parks such as the Surrey Research Park taking a role in creating the right business environment to support opportunity – entrepreneurs – to create this impact.

The appetite of ‘opportunity-entrepreneurs’ will be stimulated by the growth of innovation platforms and the demand for increased resource efficiency, expectations associated with the bio-economy such as synthetic biology and associated health services, digitisation of business, the dematerialisation of products and services, increased access to data and its analysis, sensors, reduced latency in computing, and opportunities coming from AI, new financial systems and health services.

These opportunities may be found in ideas that come out of increasing levels of urbanisation, web-based empowerment, new business models, measuring environmental concerns, mobility and telecoms because of geographic dispersion.

So parks like Surrey’s will grow in importance as instrument of economic development by helping to create clusters of science (in its widest sense) based companies.

What does the future hold for the Surrey Research Park?

It is likely that as large companies grow and become more risk averse, we will see start-ups taking the risk of developing businesses that operate in the high market and high development risk sector of business, and then be acquired. There are now huge sums of investment being pumped into economies by investors to buy up market driven start-ups and potentially real estate, such as successful science parks, and we may see that have an impact as parks and funds align. This is likely to be driven harder as impact is demanded from public research funds and research and development tax credits support start-ups.

Parks like ours are seeing the importance of the role beyond real estate gather momentum by being absorbed into the portfolio of university research and innovation teams that are the tech-transfer office of the 2020 to 2050 economy. surrey-research-park.com

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How to get your branding right

by Anton Hutter, Partner and Patent Attorney at Venner Shipley LLP does too. Thus, websites must be shut down and signage on bricks and mortar outlet and all marketing material must be replaced. While replacing these is a headache in itself, worse still is the permanent loss of the goodwill.

So how to protect yourself from such a nightmare?

• instruct a professional to carry out professional clearance searches to identify potential obstacles posed by earlier trade marks • ensure the obvious domain names are available.

I

f AI were applied to the data regarding businesses forced to rebrand because of an ill chosen trade mark, the algorithm would direct every nascent business to get professional trade mark advice.

Using search engines to establish that a brand is not already being used is a sensible first step, but such a search won’t reveal whether a third party already enjoys the monopoly conferred by a trade mark registration of an identical brand, but has not yet begun to use it.

Many young businesses have fallen foul of this trap. Having invested time and money in their brand, they are shocked to receive a trade mark infringement claim from the owner of trade mark registration of an identical or confusingly similar brand. Ignorance of the existence of a registered trade mark is no defence and rapid rebranding is usually the only way to avoid a successful trade mark infringement claim, with all its financial consequences The last thing a business needs is to be forced to rebrand, let alone in a rush. If use of a brand name infringes an earlier trade mark then the chances are that use of the business’s domain name

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If selling/licensing your product outside the UK is part of your long term plan, the same searches should also be carried out in these other markets right from the start. In addition to identifying third party rights, professional advice will identify any negative connotations which your mark may have in non-English speaking territories.

Imagine that, after much deliberation, you finally settle on GIFT as a brand name for your product. The UK clearance searches come back clear and you protect the mark by a UK trade mark registration - sorted! You launch in the UK with great fanfare. Later you roll your product/service out on to the German market but German sales are inexplicably slow. A German contact diplomatically mentions that the problem might lie in your brand name - in German GIFT means poison.

Avoid these traps and take professional advice before investing in your brand and trade mark.

Remember also that a trade mark registration, if used and renewed, can last for ever and can even cover software and software services (including AI!).

Venner Shipley is a leading firm of European Intellectual Property Attorneys, representing a broad range of clients including major domestic and international corporations, SMEs, universities and individual inventors. We offer the full range of intellectual property services covering patents, trade marks, designs, copyright, domain names and all other aspects of intellectual property, in all areas of science, technol-

ogy and design from our office in the Surrey Research Park. Our services extend far beyond rights protection, to enforcement, licensing and advice on strategy, covering infringement, commercialisation and monetisation.

Contact Anton Hutter at The Surrey Research Park, 5 Stirling House, Stirling Road, Guildford GU2 7RF 01483 920500 ahutter@vennershipley.co.uk www.vennershipley.co.uk/contact/ guildford

FOCUS ON SURREY RESEARCH PARK

‘Cloudy’ days ahead

in the park

Moving business software applications to the Cloud is a ‘game changer’, saving money and improving business processes at the same time

Y

ou cannot pick up a business journal or read a business website without the word Cloud appearing somewhere ‘on the horizon’!

It is used to describe where the latest generation of business software solutions are located and then delivered to users via the internet. They are ‘in the cloud’. The Cloud revolution has been here for a while and many organisations have embarked on the journey of replacing their current ‘on-premises’ systems with solutions in the Cloud.

For those who make this journey the benefits and opportunities are considerable both in terms of resources and funds savings, but also in the facilities and functionality that modern business software delivers.

In the beginning, many organisations were reluctant to make the move.

Most citing potential issues with the security and safety of their important business information. When challenged, the reality is that the level of security provided by reputable Cloud vendors is often way beyond what organisations have for their in-house IT systems!

can bring to your organisation. These are listed at brovanture.com/services/ oracle-training/

Cloud business software benefits

• Capital cost elimination for both hardware and software • Reduced implementation and support costs • Simple continuous software upgrades with no business disruption • Access to the latest innovation in business software now and in the future • Scalable service, both up and down, to meet variable business needs • IT taken care of, so organisations can focus on their core business • Affordable for small and medium size businesses Case Study “Partnering with Brovanture to implement Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service has moved our forecasting and planning to a new level of capability and performance that we could not have envisioned or achieved before. This solution has

delivered significant business benefits to both Edrington-Beam Suntory UK and to our customers. We are already planning to roll out further solutions to other areas of our business using Oracle Planning and Budgeting Cloud Service.”

Moira Jacques, Business Planning Controller, Edrington-Beam Suntory UK Brovanture, established in 2005 and located in Surrey Research Park has been in the forefront of helping organisations to make the move to the Cloud for their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software solutions. Brovanture is the 1st Oracle Fully Certified Cloud Excellence Implementer for Enterprise Planning and Budgeting in the UK & IRL. For more information and to find out about our special terms for Surrey businesses please contact us: Brovanture www.brovanture.com enquiries@brovanture.com 01483 685450

You may have similar, and other, concerns about moving your business systems to the Cloud. At Brovanture we have experience of implementing Cloud solutions for all types and sizes of organisation, both commercial and public sector. Why not contact us and learn from our experience? No obligation, we are always happy to talk and even meet to help our business neighbours in Surrey. We also run frequent free webinars, which will give you a flavour of what the Cloud and Brovanture

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PEST CONTROL

Why pest prevention should be taken seriously P

ests are categorised as a plant or animal detrimental to humans or human concerns. Some species have special protection by law, or restrictions on the methods that can be used. So an up-to-date understanding of the law and the correct methods to use to control each pest is a fundamental part of being a professional pest controller. It is also a key reason for making sure you use a professional company with the right credentials.

Whatever type of business you own, the power of social media and rating sites means that news of a pest infestation in your property can spread in minutes - leaving your customers scurrying away and your establishment’s reputation in tatters.

That’s just one reason why it’s more important than ever before to limit the risk of pests in your premises. Not to mention the health and safety of your

staff and customers and possibility of being prosecuted.

The solution is to make sure you have a pest control contract with approximately eight inspections a year – depending on your premises. Choose a contractor belonging to the British Pest Control Association, with all staff qualified to the RSPH Level Two, Health and Safety accreditations, full employers and public liability insurance and any other accreditations such as Safe Contractor which are relevant to your business.

Proofing against mice and rats should be looked at as part of an overall integrated pest control system. Install fly-control units in kitchens, catering areas, bin rooms and delivery bays to catch the flies before they enter the building. Units available include standard ‘sparking’ units and glueboard units that can be moved around

affected areas, particularly in those premises that suffer from the Autumn cluster flies.

Wasps, ants and cockroaches should be dealt with as quickly as possible and pest birds require specialist treatment ranging from netting, to special gels or the use of hawks to deter them from the area.

Cleankill has the licences to deal with any type of pest animal or insect. The company provides a detailed digital report at the end of each inspection which is available within minutes of the service being carried out. This will help you when environmental health officers inspect your premises.

Cleankill has been solving pest problems for commercial and domestic customers since 2005. Using the most up-to-date pest-control techniques and technology, the company keeps its customers pest free and makes sure it is at the forefront of the industry when it comes to the use of pesticides and non-toxic pest control methodology.

As an Investor in People, all Cleankill’s staff are highly trained and offer an exceptionally fast and efficient level of service. For further information go to www.cleankill.co.uk or call 020 8668 5477.

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POLICING SURREY

SURREY POLICE

A busy weekend in June Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro reflects on three years in the post and looks ahead to the future also busy with the warm weather and the Champions League final between two English teams taking place on the Saturday evening.

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olicing big events is part and parcel of what forces up and down the country do on a regular basis from football matches and concerts through to VIP visits.

Here in Surrey we annually have the Epsom Derby festival which attracts tens of thousands of people over the two day meeting and have well-rehearsed plans in place for policing it.

However this year, the Derby coincided with a number of high profile events across both Surrey and Sussex which meant Surrey Police faced an unprecedented demand on their resources.

That included a particularly unique challenge with around 3,000 motorcyclists gathering in the county and neighbouring areas for the 2019 Hells Angels Euro Run over the space of a week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the organisation in the UK. In addition, the Kemptown Carnival took place in Brighton attracting in the region of 30,000 people to the city while business as usual policing was

and search powers were used to successfully confiscate offensive weapons and drugs.

I attended a number of operational briefings in the lead up and saw first-hand the huge amount of planning that has taken place over the last few months to ensure it was a safe and enjoyable time for visitors and residents alike.

Surrey and Sussex Police already work closely together and collaborate on a number of shared policing functions.

The combination of these events meant we had hundreds of thousands It was a real team effort with mutual of visitors to the two counties from aid provided from other forces and elsewhere in the UK and abroad atclose liaison with the National Crime tending the events in both counties which required detailed planning and co-ordina- ALTHOUGH I SOUGHT LEGAL ADVICE tion between the two forc- AROUND THE STAGING OF SUCH A es.

GATHERING, THERE WAS NO LEGAL BASIS

I am pleased to say the IN WHICH THE POLICE COULD PREVENT IT policing operation was a FROM TAKING PLACE IN THE COUNTY success across the board and all events passed off Agency and Border Force UK together peacefully with minimum disruption with law enforcement agencies from caused to our local residents.

Europe and beyond.

The Hells Angels Euro Run was unuThe impact on the men and women sual in the sense that we have never that police our county should not be had to police such an event before in underestimated and I would particuSurrey. Although I sought legal advice larly like to pay tribute to all those around the staging of such a gatherofficers and staff who had their rest ing, there was no legal basis in which days or annual leave cancelled. the police could prevent it from taking place in the county.

Whether they were directly involved in the policing of these events or Those attending gathered at hotels on were dealing with the usual everyday the Surrey/Sussex border during the business of keeping our county safe week which culminated with a private – their commitment and professionalparty at a venue in Surrey on the Friday ism remains a credit to the residents night before a ride out from Pease Potthey serve. tage to Brighton and back on Saturday afternoon.

We may have seen in the media that officers made a number of arrests in connection with the event and stop

Visit the Surrey PCC website at http://www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk

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A TRULY GLOBAL BUSINESS How Semmco won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise

Molly Enser caught up with Semmco’s Managing Director Stuart McOnie to talk about the recent win and how they will celebrate as a business

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INTERVIEW

Why did you enter the Queen’s Awards?

We entered the awards because of Surrey Chambers of Commerce! The chambers hosted an event at McLaren last year to raise awareness of the awards. We were inspired by the credibility the Queen’s Award offers companies like us, and the recognition it gives to companies for their contribution towards the UK economy. We were delighted to be successful in the International Trade category as this recognises our key business focus in growing our international sales.

What are you hoping to achieve from the win?

The award is recognition to all the staff for all their hard work. It also demonstrates to our customers that we are a credible and successful business and we think it will open new doors for us.

Was the entry process difficult?

The process is certainly robust and somewhat time consuming but a number of the team came together to work on the submission to ensure it was the credible and compelling entry that won us the award.

The process requires you to reflect on your successes, your vision and strategy and to celebrate your achievements.

We had a deliberate strategy to grow our overseas sales and our determination to stick to this plan means we’ve achieved our targets and now we have been recognised for our success.

Once we can fly the Queen’s Award flag outside our building, we will have a visible sign for our customers, suppliers and other visitors to see. We’ve made the announcement through the press and other social media channels and have had a great response

THE RECOGNITION AND FEEDBACK FROM

The application also re- CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS HAS BEEN quired us to demonstrate the active role we play in REWARDING IN ITSELF the local community and it from many of our customers and othgave us the opportunity to talk about ers in the industry. the way we look after our staff, the support we give to local charities and It really is good for our whole busiwhat kind of business we really are. ness. We are focussed on providing The application is not just about the the right environment for our staff and numbers and business success, it’s making Semmco a great place to work, about your culture and values too. it’s one of our big driving factors, and this demonstrates what a successful What do your employees think of the win? and ambitious company we are, which I think they are really chuffed with it, should help us attract and keep talentbut I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet beed people in our business. cause we are waiting for the Lord Lieutenant to come and present the award.

Are you planning on a big celebration?

When the Lord Lieutenant visits later I’m going to Buckingham Palace this this summer to make an official presmonth and I think that is when it will entation, we will definitely take the opstart to sink in for me.

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SEMMCO - BUSINESS PROFILE Since 1993, Semmco has led the way in providing innovative designs and intelligently engineered maintenance equipment for the aviation and rail industries, as well as respiratory safety equipment for teams working in high-risk environments.

Through close working relationships with its clients, Semmco has designed and developed an extensive range of high quality equipment that meets the needs of teams on the ground and conforms to worldwide safety standards. Products are built to last and enable maintenance, service and inspection work to be carried out safely across the range of aircraft and trains in operation today.

In April 2019, Semmco was awarded Britain’s most prestigious business honour: The Queen’s Award for Enterprise and has been recognised for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years. Semmco is one of 200 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Operating across Europe, the Middle East, Australasia and the Americas, Semmco is now a truly global business having opened its maintenance and assembly facility in Dubai in January 2017, and most recently its USA office and manufacturing facility in Arlington, Texas. Semmco has an impressive roster of customers, including British Airways, Qantas, Delta, Easy Jet, First Capital Connect, Alstrom and Rolls Royce.

Now in its 53rd year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next five years. Semmco will celebrate its award during a royal reception for the Queen’s Awards winners in the summer.

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portunity to celebrate with the whole company!

How has winning the Queen’s Award impacted business already, has there been an increase in products sold?

It’s much too soon for us to see a real impact in sales but the recognition and feedback from customers and clients has been rewarding in itself.

It’s an excuse to renew acquaintances and a point of discussion for conversations with new clients, so the long term benefits should be excellent.

But it’s not just about the export sales – it’s about how we operate as a business and is a huge stamp of approval. We are exhibiting at the Inter Airport Show in Munich in October and we will be proud to have the Queen’s Award logo on display on the stand. It will make us stand out from our competitors.

It’s going to make a real impact with our growing number of American customers, who we expect will be particularly impressed with our royal seal of approval!

What would you say to businesses who are looking to export?

The first thing I would suggest is taking a strategic approach to business.

We adopted a very strategic approach and identified the markets where we can optimise our products both in sales and in revenue. We identified the Middle East and North America as the best opportunities for our business for two reasons: the overall market opportunities for our types of products and the routes to market.

AT SEMMCO WE ARE CONSTANTLY INNOVATING NEW PRODUCTS TO MEET THE MARKET DEMANDS, WHICH PROVIDES US WITH AN EDGE STUART MCONIE MANAGING DIRECTOR SEMMCO

Our trade in the Middle East started ten years ago and it’s grown to the point where we have an office and a manufacturing partner in the Middle East and this set up is working really well.

At the same time we had enquires growing in North America which have matured and been very successful. So we made a strategic decision to focus on these two overseas markets, where we thought the major opportunities would lie.

What are the easiest countries to export to?

Every country has its obstacles.

America and the Middle East were potentially big markets for us as we were dealing with likeminded people and cultures; who know and understand the benefits of our products.

Some markets have their own challenges in the way they do business but we take a completely professional and ethical approach to this and have chosen these two markets as we know this approach has the potential to work.

British manufacturing as a whole is suffering from one of the worst slumps for more than two and half years, how has Semmco managed to keep their business strong and profitable?

We’ve been affected a certain amount by Brexit. We were conscious that because we are a British manufacturer in Surrey our overheads may be higher when compared to other parts of the country.

We have a loyal and skilled workforce

INTERVIEW

which we are committed to as well as to the community we work in. Some of our employees have been with us for five, ten maybe fifteen years and we feel a real loyalty to them, as they do to us.

focus and strategy and constantly evaluating what your costs are, constantly reviewing your target markets and where you hit your margins and that’s how we’ve grown to the business we are today.

pliers but we have found alternative UK suppliers where we can and have bought additional stock so that we are prepared should there be any problems in order to maintain our supply to our customers.

At Semmco we are constantly innovating new products to meet the market demands, which provides us with an edge. We offer flexibility around purchasing and leasing products with some of our customers.

Have you consciously made any major changes to the way you do things with Brexit looming?

We don’t have many European sup-

We have really benefitted from the support of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, particularly the workshops for local businesses where we can learn about what lies ahead and get excellent advice on the current situation and how to deal with it.

If you read all the trade magazines they say you have to go the emerging countries, such as Russia or India to grow your business, but there are issues with lead times to get into those markets, as we have found when we have sold to them. We feel it’s about sticking to your

For Semmco, it’s all about moving forward, looking for the next opportunity, continuing to innovate and design products that our customers need. Now that we are Queen’s Award winners, we are looking forward to even greater success for the business.

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CORPORATE

Health

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

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

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HEALTH & WELLBEING Mid-life crises are caused by people feeling pressured by advertisers and self-help gurus to live a better life after the age of 40, according to new research carried out by the University of Exeter Medical Xpress

Too much dietary fat in the brain may increase the risk of depression Medical News Today

Your ‘hidden sugar’ intake could be as much as

10-15 minutes If you pass out within a few minutes, it might mean you are sleep deprived sleepadvisor.org

People consume more alcohol, on a global level, compared with nearly 30 years ago – an increase of 70% The Lancet

Avocados can significantly suppress hunger in overweight and obese adults, a recent study suggests

The UK has seen an 18% increase in people diagnosed with diabetes over the last five years The British Heart Foundation (BHF), BBC Health

Z Z Z Falling asleep takes on average

46 teaspoons as day

Journal of the American Medical Association

Journal of Nutrients

Deaths from heart and circulatory diseases in the under 75s are on the rise for the first time in 50 years The British Heart Foundation (BHF), BBC Health

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Spring into action 12 IDEAS TO ENERGISE YOUR WORKFORCE

By Paul Ollerton, Managing Director at ViiSana Ltd

ACTIVITY The more we move, the better we are – fact.

Paul Ollerton

S

o far in our monthly Platinum wellbeing feature, we have covered subjects such as what areas to focus on, how to pull a plan together and how to manage the issue of mental health and wellbeing at work.

In this month’s issue, our aim is to show you how easy it is to begin a programme with 15 simple, low cost and easy to implement ideas.

Champions

First things first, look for people in the team who will help you drive consistency. Choose someone (or a number of people) who are passionate about ‘being well’ and would be interested in helping to spread the message at work and help others. Maybe you could reward them for doing so with an extra day or two of holiday?

12 easy ideas

In an earlier edition, we discussed the key areas of wellness and identified the following areas through the Key Pillars of Wellbeing (issue 57). Please note that the area of mental health is not included in this issue, as the topic was covered in detail last month.

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4

We really are what we eat – our workforce will perform better if they eat well.

Promote cycle to work schemes and provide a safe area for cyclists to store their bikes. The scheme can be complicated with tax, so try www.cyclescheme.co.uk – they make it easy!

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NUTRITION

It’s easy to identify healthy dining options within a short distance from the office, and then use your staff notice boards to highlight who and where they are.

2

If there is no catering on site, there are good healthy snack box and vending machine specialists who can provide healthy alternatives to sugary / fatty drinks and snacks. One of our favourites is www.healthynibbles.co.uk

3

Fresh fruit boxes in the break rooms – this is a well-used but very effective way of encouraging employees to eat heathy snacks. BUT many companies fall foul of buying poor quality produce which then sits and goes rotten. Our tip is buy less, but more often and of higher quality with a longer shelf life.

Negotiate discounts with local gyms, or use an insurance provider like Vitality who provide massive discounts with selected gym chains.

Most importantly, encourage employees to take advantage; it might be worth thinking about flexible working hours to allow employees to attend in no-peak working hours.

6

Try a walking meeting. As crazy as it sounds, conducting a meeting while taking a walk can lead to greater focus, less distraction and quicker decision making. Steve Jobs was a massive fan and used walking meetings as part of his daily schedule.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

USING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE WELLBEING AT WORK

GENERAL WELLBEING Creating a healthy and inclusive environment has massive productivity benefits.

Technology can play a pivotal role in embedding the long term benefits of wellness at work.

of stress alongside apps that are designed to support mental health issues.

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11

Wearable technology.

According to a survey by GlobalData in 2018, more than 40% of adults own a wearable tech device such as a FitBit or Apple Watch. However, only a

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Use a health calendar to make sure you stay abreast of topical campaigns. The NHS provide an excellent and free service which highlights the dates and content of the main wellbeing campaigns through the year. Go to www.nhsemployers.org for more details.

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8

Form an inclusive lunchtime ‘activity club’. It might be as easy as arranging a weekly walk, to encourage a better sense of community amongst the teams at work. Just half an hour of normal paced walking will cover 3000 steps and typically burn up to 150 calories.

9

Standing desks. Did you know standing burns on average 0.7 calories per minute more than sitting? A typical worker would burn 30,000 calories over the course of a year, the equivalent of running ten marathons in a year! Check out fellow Platinum magazine contributors Posturite, they’re offering a 20% discount on certain ergonomic products – go to www.posturite.co.uk.

Flexible working. Technology solutions can signifi cantly reduce the stress caused by having to put long hours in at the office. Video calling, file sharing, and instant messaging can help employees to work smarter. The ViiSana team loves Zoom and PowWowNow for video calling, ZoHo for file sharing and instant messaging – with great results.

fraction of companies offer the use of wearable technology to encourage wellbeing. Their use can help to motivate increased activity, like moving away from desks, and can also help users to monitor the physical signs

Virtual GP services is one of the fastest growing technology driven wellness initiatives.

The services offer virtual GP consultations, most often via a mobile phone or webcam.

The speed of services means that most users are more likely to take active care of their health, as opposed to being put off by long waiting times. This can lead to a significant reduction in both absenteeism and presenteeism.

Contact us ViiSana specialises in creating wellbeing programmes through the implementation of company-wide Vitality Life and Health insurance. If you would like to discuss your company’s individual health concerns/ challenges, or if you would just like to discuss ideas for implementing a programme at your business, please get in touch: Email paul.ollerton@viisana.com Phone 0333 772 0761 Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

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4

different types of culture

At Breathe, we’re all about people. That’s why we’re uncovering what company culture is, who has it and how you can start cultivating yours

I

f you’re really looking to drive your business forward, start with culture. All companies have it, but many are unaware. Could you define yours?

CLAN CULTURE Otherwise known as family culture, clan culture is friendly, upbeat and made up of employees who have a lot in common with each other. The task of building and maintaining a strong company culture consistently stands as a top priority along with focusing on employee wellbeing.

Leaders of clan cultures are hugely respected and are often perceived as mentors or father figures. These leaders drive team building, employee involvement and empowerment.

Business goals and company values are commonly shared by employees across the organisation, resulting in one - streamlined - universal vision, which employees want to invest in.

However, adopting a clan culture can prove risky if you don’t trust your team.

There’s a fine line between communicating enough and over-collaboration.

Likewise, the adverse effect of individualism and a more ‘laissez-faire’ attitude can make it difficult for inexperienced managers to keep control.

To fully reap the benefits of a clan culture, set boundaries and make sure your employee contracts include the company’s grievance procedures in black and white.

Uploading this to an all-canaccess cloud-based software like our very own, means that employees know where they stand, wherever they are.

ADHOCRACY CULTURE Adhocracy culture revolves around innovation, success and flexibility.

This type of culture is often found within modern industries such as aerospace and technology. Assuming that all of their products have a limited shelf-life, adhocracy cultures constantly plan to

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stay ahead of the competition.

The office environment is typically creative, energetic and fast paced.

Leaders of adhocracy culture are true entrepreneurs; they consistently encourage risks and push employees to experiment with new ideas. Adapting quickly to changing conditions is the norm in an adhocracy culture. This ensures that companies stay up to date with the latest trends.

Working in an intense and fast-paced environment can take its toll. Employees may find the atmosphere in the office chaotic, disorganised and they could struggle to clearly understand their responsibilities. That’s not to mention the financial implications if risks and experiments fail.

MARKET CULTURE And then there’s market culture. Gaining popularity in the 1960s, market culture is ruthless, strongly results driven and performance orientated. Employees are encouraged to set difficult goals for themselves and work hard to achieve them, with leaders tough and demanding. Market share and profit are always at the forefront of the business focus.

While building a market culture brings benefits for business health - optimised return rates, overtaking competitors and high employee motivation and engagement – this is not without its downfalls. Which can be pretty big.

With employees pushed on a daily basis to maximise their performance and hit difficult targets, the competitiveness can lead to dishonesty and conflict in the office, which you as an

HEALTH & WELLBEING

employer will need to deal with. Team members are disconnected, popularity decreases and the business suffers financial loss.

Our employee objectives and deliverables feature helps manage employee growth and development by breaking targets down into achievable tasks.

HIERARCHY CULTURE Hierarchy culture – the traditional type of culture - revolves around structure, control and a tough top-down leadership style. This type of working environment focuses on organisation with well-polished policies and procedures. Keeping the business running smoothly is key.

There are strict rules, with leaders keeping a close eye on their employees. There are several layers of management between leadership and employees - many more than in other cultures - and leaders are highly respected by their teams.

The benefits speak for themselves;

there are little or no issues with authority and boundaries are clear. Responsibilities are allocated by job level and communication is seamless.

However, with a tough and back dated - by the book - culture there are drawbacks. With power sitting at the top level of the business, leaders can can become too absorbed in everyday decision making to invest any time in their people. Employee one-toones are infrequent (or at all) and appraisals are low on the priority scale.

YOUR COMPANY CULTURE MATTERS Our research found that poor workplace culture is costing the UK economy a staggering £23.6 billion a year, due to low productivity and poor employee retention.

The truth is, whichever culture you decide to adopt, neither top-down nor bottom-up leadership work well as absolutes. Remember that rules sometimes need to bend and that developing a consistent, clear managerial approach is the real route to success.

HOW TO CREATE A GREAT COMPANY CULTURE We’re learning about what it takes to create a great company culture for small business and why it pays to put your people first.

Join us for the first part of The People Project, where we’ll look into Health and Wellbeing best practices for the workplace.

So, if you’re committed to putting people first and developing from within, join The People Project with Breathe.

Subscribe now. (You won’t regret it.)

Try Breathe for FREE today at breathehr.com/surrey-chambers As a member of Surrey Chamber of Commerce you will receive an exclusive 20% discount

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to cope with the summertime blues

by HR Dept’s Martine Robins

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he summer holiday season is upon us! We know the value and benefit of taking holidays on an individual and family level however what will be the impact on your business? Do you know the ‘productivity hit’ you will take? How will you manage the ‘challenge’ of employees wanting the same time off?

What is a benefit can quickly become a nightmare when trying to deal with the myriad of holiday requests and actual time off AND ensuring that the business continues to remain productive! By having a process for managing and booking holidays, it is surprising the amount of time that will be saved for more value-added activities.

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Knowing what holiday dates are booked and by whom avoids productivity ‘gridlock’ and enables you to make informed decisions and plan for the absences to minimise disruption for your business.

Not sure where to start? Here are three things to consider: • Ensure that the holiday information is clearly stated in your employment contract information • Automate holiday booking to provide you with the information and visibility to make informed approval decisions in advance. There are lots of easy to use and inexpensive systems to support this • Have a holiday policy in your employee

handbook that outlines everything relating to how holidays operate in your business to avoid any ambiguity As we know holidays are taken all year round, not just summer, the key is to ensure that the planning and execution of it works well within your business.

Martine Robins is the Director of The HR Dept Woking and Guildford.

You can contact her on 01483 603001 or 07392 311318 or email martine. robins@hrdept.co.uk www.hrdept.co.uk/wokingandguildford

Health &WELLBEING

news

Get smart for kids health

R

esearchers are developing a smartphone app that might help parents detect fluid buildup in a child’s ear — one symptom of an ear infection.

The app is still experimental and would require clearance by the Food and Drug Administration before it could hit

the market. But early data, published in Science Translational Medicine, suggests that the smartphone can perform as well as an expensive test in a doctor’s office. The app would work by using the phone’s microphone and speaker to make its diagnosis.

Source: npr

Sudoko for better brain health

Breakfast like a king

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kipping breakfast might increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The connection, found in a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, of 6,550 adults aged 65-75, was particularly strong for strokes. Almost 60% of the participants had breakfast every day, a quarter on some days, and 16% rarely or never – all were free of heart disease at the start of the study.

Over an average 17 years of follow-up, there were 2,318 deaths, including 619

C from cardiovascular diseases. Those who skipped the meal had an 87% increased risk of death from any cardiovascular disease and a 19% increased risk of death overall.

Drug giants’ plans for medicine boost

J

ohnson & Johnson is expected to file marketing applications for at least 10 new drugs between 2019 to 2023, to strengthen its pharmaceuticals unit which has been a major growth driver.

The company said it would discuss four medicines that are new to J&J’s pipeline of drugs at its review as well as therapeutic areas such as gene therapy and RNA therapeutics.

Source: Reuters

ompleting a daily Sudoko could delay brain ageing by eight to 10 years, a study of nearly 20,000 people suggests. University of Exeter and King’s College London academics carried out research into more than 19,000 participants of an online survey. They were asked to report how often they engage in word and number puzzles, and to undertake a series of cognitive tests sensitive to measuring changes in brain function. The scientists found the more regularly participants engaged with the puzzles, the better they performed on tasks assessing attention, reasoning and memory.

Sunny side up tudies have shown that a sensible amount of sun reduces your risk of several cancers and other serious health conditions thanks to vitamin D, which is made by our bodies through the action of the sun’s UVB rays on our skin.

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sun. It is essential for absorbing calcium, keeping our bones healthy, and for protecting against serious chronic diseases later in life such as osteoporosis, Type II diabetes, multiple sclerosis and many common cancers.”

Professor Michael Holick, of Boston University School of Medicine says: “We get about 90-95% of our vitamin D from the

He advises that we should go out in the sun without sunblock for between five and 15 minutes a day to boost our vitamin D levels.

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BUSINESS CONVENTION

EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

The acumen business convention in May featured the trademark flashes of innovation. Surrey Business asked founder Penina Shepherd how a legal firm became synonymous with a quirky and entertaining convention Why did acumen business law start their own Business Convention? acumen business law is very proactive in the business community and is known for doing things differently.

It therefore wanted to put together a business event like no other for its business community that can only be attended in the City.

And that is why acumen business convention was conceived ten years ago in May 2009?

In the last decade, this prestigious event has hosted thousands of decision makers who get together to be inspired, entertained, educated and given a great opportunity to make meaningful connections. We have top local, national and international speakers giving exclusive insight to their business stories.

What does Acumen get out of organising such an event?

The Acumen ethos is that as a business you should be fully engaged in the business community, think how you can help it and truly care about it.

The automated result is that the community then cares about you, but this is the default outcome not the drive.

The acumen business convention is run as a not-for-profit event and it supports a different charity every year.

The entire Acumen team is involved in the running of the event and it is all done in-house.

So what Acumen ‘gets out of it’ is a great sense of pride by all its team members and gratitude from the local business community.

Penina Shepherd with Brighton & Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom

How did it become so successful?

The event is successful because it is put together by an innovative team who truly cares and with great love!

As it attracts top decision makers, every year countless deals and connections are being struck on the day.

It is also a really fun and entertaining event. Besides having top speakers, there is a scrumptious lunch, live entertainment, interactive legal sessions, breakout Speakers Arena sessions (Ted Talk style), games, great networking opportunities and many other surprises.

From African drumming to zebra dancers- people know every year to expect the unexpected.

Do you imagine reaching 20 years of the acumen business convention?

Can you imagine a world without it?!

Thinking back on the last ten conventions and how many inspiring speakers, business connections and wonderful experiences have happened, to reach double that would be quite something.

The Acumen team that gets together each year constantly comes up with new and exciting ideas to bring dynamic elements that keep the event fresh and unique.

As long as the business community continues to come and enjoy the celebration of inspiring and innovative business revelations then we are very happy to host it!

To find out how to get involved next year and for more information contact creative@acumenbusinesslaw.co.uk

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THE WINNERS Reigate & Banstead Business Awards

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he winners of the inaugural Reigate & Banstead Business Awards were revealed at a prestigious ceremony at Reigate Manor.

Journalist and presenter, Nicholas Owen, hosted the evening and Shan Ako, former X Factor live show contestant, wowed the audience with a performance.

The Award were organised by the Economic Prosperity Team at Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Coun-

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cillor Eddy Humphreys said: “Each and every one of the businesses in our Borough makes a valuable contribution to our local area and its economy. We were proud to be able to honour some of those businesses with an award last night. Congratulations to all of the winners. We’re looking forward to running the Awards again next year and hope even more Reigate & Banstead businesses will apply.”

Managing Partner, Paul Harvey of lead

sponsors Morrisons Solicitors said: “We’re proud to be a part of such an important initiative for Reigate & Banstead. As a business, we know how important and motivating it is for a company and its staff to be recognised with an award. Well done to all of this year’s winners.”

All proceeds from the Awards ceremony went to two fantastic local charities, Stripey Stork and George and the Giant Pledge.

BUSINESSAWARDS SURVEY BUSINESS Large Business of the Year (Turnover of £1m+) Sponsored by Kingston Smith LLP

Small Business of the Year (Turnover under £1m) Sponsored by East Surrey College

EARLSWOOD HOMES

Business Support Grant Recipient the Year Award Sponsored by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

PILGRIM BREWERY

Customer Service Award Sponsored by Morrisons Solicitors

SHUTTLE

Start-up of the Year Sponsored by The Belfry Shopping Centre

CONNICK TREE CARE

Social Value Business of the Year Sponsored by Gatwick Airport

CRUMBS BREWING Employer of the Year Award Sponsored by Surrey Chambers of Commerce

BELFRY SHOPPING CENTRE Employee of the Year Award Sponsored by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

KINGSTON SMITH LLP

ZAC TULLETT – SHIPPO

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Epsom: more than the The borough is a great place to live and work in, says Julia Owen, Economic Development Advisor at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

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teeped in history, surrounded by award-winning green spaces and home to one of the oldest horseracing events, the Derby, the Borough of Epsom and Ewell is one of the best places to live and work. And don’t just take our word for it, the borough regularly appears in polls for being one of the best places to live.

Bordered by outer London boroughs to the north and rolling hills designated as areas of outstanding natural beauty to the south, the borough is home to approximately 80,000 people.

The area comprises three main conurbations; the main town of Epsom, the village-like Ewell and the 1930’s development of Stoneleigh.

Just within the M25, Epsom has the feel of a historic market town, yet is less than 30 minutes from London, has excellent road links and sits between both Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Its proximity provides a unique position for business.

The area is home to international companies and locally grown businesses.

Atkins is the largest employer with a very long established business in Epsom and has around 2000 employees located in the area, Toyota’s UK Headquarters is close to Epsom Downs, Nuffield Health is headquartered in the town and Aon, Bunzl, and McDermott also have offices within the town centre. Local family business Wilsons has been selling cars in the borough for over 100 years.

As well as significant large employers, the business community includes many smaller creative and innovative businesses, which thrive in the town environment and benefit from the

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area’s prime location. These small businesses cover a wider range of employment types including creative and innovative games developers, graphic designers, architects, and recording studios.

The annual Epsom and Ewell Business Awards celebrates business excellence in the local community and is testament to the range of innovative, successful businesses operating in the area.

In 2018, to coincide with 100 years of women’s suffrage, a special Best Woman in Business Award, sponsored

by Surrey Chambers, was presented to Jessica Rea, who established her outstanding business as a milliner in Ewell eight years ago. The 2019 awards are due to launch on July 12th.

There’s a good range of commercial property available locally, from flexible working space available for small and micro businesses, including City

FOCUS ON EPSOM & EWELL

home of the Derby

BUILDING ON THE VIBRANCY AND CREATIVITY, THE BID IS WORKING ON A RANGE OF PROJECTS TO ENHANCE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

Skyline, Nammu Workplace and 19 West Street, to Grade A flagship buildings to accommodate new company Headquarters (Kirkgate and 20-24 East Street).

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council offer a range of services to business. As part of local engagement, it is a sponsor and promotes the local Epsom and Ewell Business Awards; holds a quarterly business breakfast in the borough and, with Surrey Chambers of

Commerce, has collaborated on business events and initiatives.

Both organisations are sponsoring the Grow your Business Show at Epsom Downs Racecourse on September 12th. Recently the Council launched its Borough Investment Fund, a grant scheme offering grants to owners or occupiers of commercial buildings within the borough to improve and enhance shop fronts, windows, doors and signage.

Of course it’s not all work and no play.

Epsom and Ewell has plenty of art and cultural events to offer residents, the local work force, families and young people. The Epsom Playhouse is a well-established local theatre venue in the town centre, offering a range of shows and events.

The borough is world renowned for the annual Derby Festival, which takes place in June on Epsom Downs Racecourse and is the key fixture on its rac-

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THURSDAY 12TH SEPT EPSOM DOWNS RACECOURSE

GROW YOUR

BUSINESS SHOW

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FOCUS ON EPSOM & EWELL

EPSOM TOWN CENTRE’S ROLE IS ALSO BEING REINFORCED WITH SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT WORKS AND ENHANCED PUBLIC REALM ing calendar attracting thousands of visitors. The Racecourse is also a key local venue hosting a busy programme of conferences, meetings and events.

In addition, the local racehorse training industry is massively important making a major contribution to the local economy and a key part of the Jockey Club’s Vision for Epsom.

As well as the Downs, the borough is well-served with award-winning parks and open spaces offering areas for quiet contemplation and play, as well as sporting activities.

Epsom town centre attracts its fair share of visitors. With a compact and busy shopping centre with a mix of high street names and independent

retailers, a growing number of casual dining restaurants and the cinema and theatre, as well as a twice weekly market, and monthly Farmers Market in the town centre means the borough offers something for everyone.

Epsom town centre’s role is also being reinforced with significant investment in highway improvement works and enhanced public realm, including a transformation of the market place.

There has also been private sector investment in the town recently with the development of Epsom Square, a town centre plaza and indoor hub offering a fantastic range of restaurants, entertainment, lifestyle and health services as well as Epsom library.

The town centre also benefits from the creation of the newly formed Business Improvement District (BID) which represents nearly 400 businesses working together to strengthen the town's appeal to create ever more reasons for people to visit, work and enjoy this historic market town.

Building on the vibrancy and creativity inherent in this university town, the BID is working on a range of projects to enhance business performance, improve trading conditions and increase both footfall and activity within the town centre.

The recent Derby Festival was a great example of the BID, the local council and the racecourse all working together to give residents and visitors a sense of 'Derby' ownership. Flags throughout the town, history walks, fashion shows and a free concert in the Market Place to launch the festival all combined to showcase what the town has to offer and it's proud connection to the greatest flat race in the world.

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FOCUS ON EPSOM & EWELL

How much of your property do you own?

David Lunn from TWM Solicitors outlines the importance of declarations of trust For example: • Fred and Jane (an unmarried couple) buy their home together for £300,000. Jane contributed £30,000 and the rest is borrowed on a mortgage which they will pay equally.

They are agreed that when the property is sold, Jane should receive her contribution back first.

David Lunn

D

eclarations of trust (formal written agreements regulating the arrangements between two or more (typically unmarried) co-owners of property) are often overlooked when people buy a property together.

If you co-own a property with someone, then you need to be clear about what you each own and are responsible for (although they can have a role as part of efficient tax and estate planning). Married couples buying together typically need worry less about doing this – other co-owners need to protect all parties concerned against the following typical scenarios: • One owner dies and although his Will makes clear what should happen to his share of the property, it isn’t clear what actually is his share.

• The co-owners fall out. They made unequal contributions to the purchase price and ongoing running costs and haven’t recorded what should happen next. Who owns what? Should the property be sold? How should the sale proceeds be divided?

• Parties co-own the property for so long that when it comes to sell, everyone has forgotten what was initially agreed.

It makes sense to be sure that all parties do have the same common understanding at the outset.

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The property is sold for £400,000.

Fred expects Jane to receive the first £30,000 and for the remainder to be divided equally. Jane thinks that she will receive the first £40,000 (representing her initial 10% contribution) and for the remainder to be divided equally.

Fred and Jane discover that they never had the same understanding of what should happen, and nothing was ever drawn up to help regularise the situation.

• Friends buy an investment property together. Again, it is wise to record who contributed what, and on what basis (e.g. as to the benefit / burden of appreciation / depreciation, responsibility for outgoings, etc.) and under what circumstances it should be sold, and how the sale proceeds should be divided.

• Fred and Jane buy their council house under the ‘right to buy’ scheme – their daughter, Sally, provides the purchase monies.

Sally thinks that the property should belong entirely to her when her parents die because she provided all the money.

Sally’s siblings think that Sally’s contribution did not add up to the entire value of the property – it was a mixture of her money and the parents’ tenancy. They think that Sally already owns that part of the property which she has purchased and Fred and Jane should leave ‘their part’ equally between all the children in their Wills.

What is ‘their part’?

While it is best to make declarations of trust at the time of the purchase, if you did not do so, it is still possible to do so later, so please do contact us if we might be able to assist. Paying for legal advice can be a good investment in the long run, avoiding not only costly legal battles but the inevitable collateral damages to relationships, often in an otherwise close-knit family context.

TWM Solicitors, 123 High Street, Epsom, Surrey KT19 8AU Website: twmsolicitors.com Telephone: 01372 729555 Email: david.lunn@twmsolicitors.com

MODERN, CONTEMPORARY OFFICE SPACE SITUATED IN THE HEART OF THE EPSOM Suites available from 5,038 17,245 sq ft

M A R K S K E LT O N mskelton@shw.co.uk

Available as a HQ building

Five minutes’ walk to Epsom Train Station

J O H N N Y B R AY johnny.bray@dtre.eu

20-24EastStreet.co.uk

Car parking facilities (1:309 sq ft)

DAV I D C U T H B E R T dcuthbert@hanovergreen.co.uk

SERVICED OFFICES

Keeping your Business Flexible in Uncertain Times!

Global House, Ashley Avenue, Epsom, KT18 5AD Newly Refurbished Private Parking Phones & Internet All inclusive 3 to 24 Month Licence

5 Mins from Station Fully Furnished Free WiFi Meeting Rooms Virtual Office Packages

Also Offices at 46-50 Coombe Rd, New Malden, KT3 4QF

Tel: 0800 505 4444

sales@cityskyline.co.uk

www.cityskyline.co.uk

FOCUS ON EPSOM & EWELL

SERVICED O

Have serviced offices finally come of age?

By James Hale MD and owner of City Skyline

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foolish to think this is a fad, but it is a fundamental change in the way people now use office space. For the first time landlords are now looking to deliver their own managed space, which frankly is an obvious move as they can cut out the margins taken by operators who are simply leasing space from them to sell on.

in the past ten years, desk rates have hardly kept up with inflation. This is an issue clearly and although I would agree that the choice of good quality serviced offices is limited in many town centres, without more consistent and better-quality demand from SME’s and the corporate sector this will continue to be the case.

This is all very exciting, but City Skyline has been operating in Surrey for ten years and these changes are only slowly filtering down into the regional towns.

It is frustrating that demand has also been slowing over the last year due to the Brexit fiasco and the economic climate, which means fewer start-ups and requirements generally which are needed to give operators the confidence they will need to invest in new centres.

Keeping your Busin in Uncertain T

Global House, Ashley Avenue

hings have changed so dramatically in the last five years and I would go as far as to say that we are now in the midst of a workplace revolution. Serviced offices have come of age.

There is both a supply and a demand issue. Serviced office operators like

There are several factors contributing to this, but advances in technology are able to deliver far more reliable and flexible solutions that are cloud based and can therefore be accessed from anywhere. Also the demand is now being driven by a younger and more versatile work force which means employers need to be able to offer flexibility that only serviced offices can provide.

HAS TO BE A CALCULATED RISK BASED ON THE Also Offices at 46-50 Coombe Rd, N UNDERLYING DEMAND

We should also acknowledge WeWork who have done a huge amount in this area to bring a new and exciting alternative proposition to the market. They now have 18 centres in London that are modern and funky, and they have tapped into a demand for co-working which is now an established way for both individuals and company employees to work which is both cost effective and flexible. WeWork centres can be up to 80,000 sq. ft, giving a variety of workplace solutions all under the same roof which is attractive to corporate occupiers.

Newly Refurbished Private Parking SERVICED OFFICE OPERATORS LIKE OURSELVES ARE Phones & Internet IN THE BUSINESS OF TAKING SOME RISKS WHICH WE All inclusive ACCEPT AS PART OF THE BUSINESS MODEL, BUT IT 3 to 24 Month Licence

ourselves are in the business of taking some risks which we accept as part of the business model, but it has to be a calculated risk based on the underlying demand.

Despite property and operating costs nearly doubling in town centres like Kingston, Guildford and Leatherhead

5 Fu Fr M Vi

sal

City Skyline have centres in Global House, Epsom and Coombe Road, New Malden. Call 0800 505 4444 or email sales@cityskyline.co.uk for further details.

This surge in demand has not gone unnoticed by landlords who would be

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ww

The Winners: South East Young Enterprise 2019 A company of students from Guernsey schools and colleges has been crowned Best Overall Company at the Young Enterprise South East Regional Final. The final was held at HG Wells Conference centre in Woking as part of the Young Enterprise Company Programme

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en student teams from Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and the Channel Islands competed for prizes across many categories. The winning team, “YEP”, from Guernsey, will go on to represent the South East of England at the UK Company of the Year final in London on June 18th and could potentially represent the UK in Lille at the European final.

Young Enterprise works with over 250,000 students every year and thousands of young people aged 15-19 from across the country have set up and run a real business or social enterprise over the academic year with Company Programme - Young Enterprise’s flagship enterprise education programme supported nationally by HSBC UK. Company Programme students have made all the decisions about their business, from deciding the company name and product, to creating a business plan, managing their finances and

selling their products.

The winning team, “YEP”, created and sold a children’s book on the environmental problem of plastic pollution.

Their evening flight back to Guernsey was cancelled but this did not dampen their spirits! Following a phone interview from Gatwick with BBC Radio Guernsey, the team said that they were “amazed and thrilled to have won and to be going to the national finals!”

The Young Enterprise Guernsey Area Board, who support the Company Programme on the island, said: “Huge congratulations. We are all very proud.”

The companies were judged, across a set of criteria, by Peter Quilter (NatWest), Tracy Weston (HSBC UK), Jo Osborn (South East Water), Tom Wilson (ExxonMobil) and Simon Lewis (Partridge, Muir and Warren).

THE COMPANIES The companies and schools competing in the South East Young Enterprise Company Programme Final were: TOK, Hurstpierpoint College Eco-friendly, hand etched, unique, portable, glass water bottles Harbour, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys Handmade pebble artwork in wood Deja Brew, Ryde Academy, Isle of Wight Freshly ground single origin Costa Rican Coffee Aspire, North East Surrey College of Technology, Epsom A self-watering plant pot to grow herbs, small plants and flowers Tees & Coffee, Peter Symonds College, Winchester Reusable coffee cups and tee shirts made from recycled materials Novus, Jersey schools and colleges Hand-picked quality treats and toys for dogs in Jersey Save Our Seas, Claremont Fan Court School, Esher ‘It’s a Wrap’- sandwich wrap Zoomail, Sir Roger Manwood’s School, Sandwich Greeting cards made from animal excrement Unum Jewellery, Eastbourne College, East Sussex Artisanal craft jewellery projecting key values YEP, Guernsey schools and colleges Sustainable soundboard and children’s book on the environmental problem of plastic pollution

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YOUNG ENTERPRISE

THE WINNERS Award: Best Video Advert Winning YE Company: Save Our Seas Supporting Company: Federos Award: Creativity Award Winning YE Company: TOK Supporting Company: Disney Award: Best Teamwork Winning YE Company: Harbour Supporting Company: Partridge, Muir & Warren Award: Best Customer Service Winning YE Company: Harbour Supporting Company: South East Water Award: Best Financial Management Winning YE Company: TOK Supporting Company: NatWest

Harry Daymond (YE Alumnus), Simon Lewis (Partridge, Muir and Warren), Jo Osborn (South East Water), Peter Quilter (NatWest), Tom Wilson (ExxonMobil) and Tracy Weston (HSBC UK)

THE JUDGES’ VERDICT Peter Quilter (NatWest) said: “I thought the judging panel was brilliant this year – it was great to work with everyone. As ever I enjoyed the YE Final, it is a privilege to be part of it.”

Simon Lewis (CEO, Partridge, Muir & Warren) said: “Working with Young Enterprise as a judge is such a positive experience! If these bright young people are indicative of our next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, we can look forward to the future with confidence.”

Award: Best Company Presentation Winning YE Company: Unum Jewellery Supporting Company: ExxonMobil

Jo Osborn (Head of Communications at South East Water) said: “It was a privilege to spend a day with such an inspirational group of young people and see the culmination of their hard work displayed so professionally. I was particularly impressed at the focus all the businesses had made on sustainability and the need to consider the environment and the communities they serve. The number of companies who were developing ideas to help save or protect our water resources was absolutely fantastic, everyone involved should be very proud of what they achieved.”

Award: Runner Up Company Winning YE Company: Unum Jewellery Supporting Company: Met Life

Tracy Weston (HSBC UK) said: “A massive thank you, what an amazing event.

I was overwhelmed by the students; they were all brilliant and have a lot to be proud of.”

Award: South East England YE Company of the Year 2019 Winning YE Company: YEP Supporting Company: HSBC UK

Bracey Parish (Young Enterprise South East) said: “I am massively proud of all the young people who have taken part in the Company Programme this year in our region. They have learned so much about business and, it is fair to say that, we learn from them about sustainability and upcycling; I look forward to supporting YEP at the National Final in London!”.

Award: Best Sustainability Winning YE Company: Zoomail Supporting Company: HSBC UK

ABOUT YOUNG ENTERPRISE

Young Enterprise is the UK’s leading enterprise and financial education charity that empowers young people to harness their personal and business skills.

Every year we work directly with over 250,000 young people, and train 3,200 teachers in both enterprise and financial education, with the help of more than 6,000 volunteers and 3,500 businesses.

We believe that the potential of the UK’s young people is unlimited, and an academic education on its own is not enough. Our mission is to empower young people to discover, develop and celebrate their skills and potential.

Through our hands-on employability, financial education programmes, resources and teacher training, we want

to eradicate youth unemployment, help young people realise their potential beyond education and empower a generation to learn, to work and to live.

Founded in 1962, we are part of global network JA-YE, operating in 120 countries. www.young-enterprise.org.uk

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NEW MEMBERS

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies ACCOUNTING

HOTELS & RESTAURANTS

TRANSPORT & STORAGE

Brinsop Court Estate

Contact: Hasan Al-Mahfuz Tel: 01483 323216 www.obencars.com

Onshore Consulting

Contact: Vanessa Lamming Tel: 01372 842136 www.onshore-consulting.co.uk

Obencars Ltd

Contact: Mike Lowe Tel: 01432 509925 www.brinsopcourt.com

INTERNATIONAL TRADE Deerbridge Finance

CB Trade Support

Contact: Stephen Thornton Tel: 01252 594040 www.deerbridgefinance.com

Contact: Carolyn Bentley Tel: 07713 085371 www.cbtradesupport.co.uk

CHARITY

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT

PSP Worldwide Logistics Contact: Michelle Redman Tel: 01784 466050 www.psplondon.com

SECURITY

Surrey Security Service Ltd Blue Cross

Contact: Rebecca Leather Tel: 03007 909903 www.bluecross.org.uk

Contact: Abdul Waheed Tel: 01483 830626 www.thesurreysecurity.co.uk

aat events ltd

Contact: Toby Jenkins Tel: 07818 047504 www.aat-events.com

TRAINING & EDUCATION Learning Curve

Contact: Gill Bonello Tel: 07803 135161 www.LCnetwork.co.uk

HEALTH & WELLBEING Objet Luxe

Essential Vitality

Contact: Paola Saunders Tel: 07768 131017 www.essentialvitality.co.uk

Ekagra-ji

Contact: Jimmy Clodine-Florent Tel: 07483 287841 www.ekagra-ji.com

KML Occupational Health Ltd Contact: Mark Blunden Tel: 02076 431028 www.kmloh.com

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Contact: Timothy Carter Tel: 02073 497117 www.objetluxe.com

MANUFACTURING / ENGINEERING

Wm Croxson & Son Ltd Contact: Tim Croxson Tel: 02083 372945 www.croxsons.com

MARKETING & PR

Bradbury Robinson Limited Contact: George Robinson Tel: 01252 968076 bradburyrobinson.co.uk

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hen you join Surrey Chambers of Commerce, your company details automatically get listed on this page alongside fellow new members. What a fantastic way to let the Surrey Business community know you are out there and ready to get those all-important connections.

If you are looking to join Surrey Chambers then please do get in touch with either: sarah.butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk molly.enser@surrey-chambers.co.uk noah.pesci@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735540.

We look forward to hearing from you!

EXPORTING

CHAMPIONING EXPORTERS Campaign to ramp up exports in Enterprise M3 region gathers pace, with ‘Export Champion’ at the helm

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he bid to bolster Enterprise M3’s exporting industry has begun in earnest, after the Government’s selection of Chief Executive Kathy Slack as a South East England Export Champion.

Kathy is one of 20 champions designated for the South East by the Department for International Trade (DIT).

Her specialist field will be business support, drawing on her seven years of experience heading up Enterprise M3 as well as her previous work at the South East England Development Agency.

combining through a number of facilitated workshops aimed at making the export journey easier and more reachable for businesses.

This month saw the first of these workshops. We were pleased to be joined by our partners and also staff from the DIT who were interested in the outstanding work already underway in our export industry.

Enterprise M3 Chief Executive, Kathy Slack, highlighted how the workshops

The Enterprise M3 region is globally-competitive, known for its knowledge, digital and design-based economy. The DIT’s South East England Export Champions also includes industry leaders from our area which covers West Surrey and most of Hampshire.

She explained: “There is an extremely strong culture of international trade amongst businesses in our area. The success of our first Export Workshop reflects the wealth of expertise amongst our partners and our commitment to delivering results for our businesses across the Enterprise M3 region. Maximising the region’s performance on exports is a priority in our emerging Local Industrial Strategy, and these workshops will help maintain and extend the stellar performance of our businesses in international markets.”

Small and medium sized businesses can benefit immensely from international trade, helping increase turnover, growth, innovation and create jobs.

They are: •A lison Lyons, Sesame Access Ltd – Advanced Engineering •B rian Watt, Sir Hans Sloane Chocolates Ltd – Food & Drink •T om Higgins, Gold-I Ltd – Software and B2B computer services •D avid Taylor, MR Solutions – Healthcare and medical equipment Enterprise M3 has long been a supporter of helping businesses to export, in partnership with the DIT, and the new community will accelerate this work. To further strengthen the partnerships across the Enterprise M3 region, key business support partners are

and the exporting base would be aligned with the LEP’s Local Industrial Strategy.

Kathy Slack

Gary Hayes, International Trade Manager for Surrey Chambers of Commerce which works closely with the LEP, added: “For businesses in Surrey and Hampshire that are trading internationally, or looking to begin their journey, it can be daunting and difficult to find the right support and information that will take their business to the next step. Through this collaboration, each bringing a wealth of expertise and support, our common objective is to provide a service that brings together each organisation’s strengths and that makes sure the right support is available to businesses and brings useful and relevant information to the forefront that is more accessible to businesses.”

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check-in Month-to-month changes shaping your travel, by Rose Dykins Singapore airport opens world’s tallest indoor waterfall

S

ingapore Changi Airport has opened Jewel Changi Airport – a 135,700 sqm, mixed-use complex that has been five years in the making.

Comprising an indoor garden with the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and more than 900 trees, a canopy bridge, a 130-room hotel

and more than 280 retail and dining options, Jewel Changi Airport is located on the site of a former car park at Terminal 1. The US$1.26 billion project – designed to reflect Singapore’s reputation as a “city in a garden” – was conceived by Moshe Safdi, the same architect behind Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands complex.

BA unveils new business class seat

B

ritish Airways has revealed the design for its longawaited new Club World business class seat.

Named Club Suite, the cabin will debut on BA’s first A350 aircraft, which arrives next month. Club Suite comes with a suite door to give travellers more privacy, 40% more storage, wifi, an 18.5-inch in-flight entertainment screen, USB and PC power ports, and a vanity unit with a mirror. All seats will also have direct aisle access.

Alex Cruz BA’s chairman and CEO, says: “We’ve worked hard to ensure

Etihad to use 80% less single-use plastic by 2022

I

n April, Etihad became the first airline to operate a long-haul flight without singleuse plastics. It also pledged to reduce the use of these items across its operations by 80% by 2022.

every aspect of the Club World experience from the lounges we’ve refreshed, to the new gourmet menus from Do&Co on flights from Heathrow, and the luxurious bedding we’ve introduced from The White Company exudes the very British style and quality customers expect from us.”

On World Earth Day, the Abu Dhabi-based airline replaced more than 95 different single-use plastic items on the flight from Abu Dhabi to Brisbane. For example, it opted for edible wafer coffee cups and blankets made from recycled plastic bottles. Tony Douglas, the group’s chief executive, said: “We discovered we could remove 27 million single-use plastic lids from our in-flight service a year and, as a leading airline, it’s our responsibility to act on this, to challenge industry standards and work with suppliers who provide lower impact alternatives.”

Gatwick gains ten new routes for summer 2019

G

atwick airport will serve ten new destinations this summer, and offer 17 million passenger seats – practically doubling that of its winter season.

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New connections include Norwegian’s recently launched long-haul direct services to Rio de Janeiro, Miami and San Francisco. The airport will also fly to new European destinations, including Gdansk in Poland with Wizz

Air and Zadar in Croatia with Easyjet.

Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations, Gatwick Airport said: “It shows that, even though it’s one of the busiest in Europe, airlines can still acquire slots and grow at our airport.”

TRAVEL NEWS

Vinci takes majority Gatwick Airport stake

L

ondon Gatwick has announced a new chapter in its ownership with VINCI Airports completing the purchase of a 50.01% stake in the airport.

Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) will continue to manage the remaining 49.99% interest in Gatwick. The new partnership promises continued investment to put passengers at the heart of Gatwick’s future plans. The purchase was revealed at a VIP reception at Marriot London County Hall in May. VINCI Airports, the world’s leading private airport operator, will bring its expertise to Gatwick including a strong focus on quality of service and programme management. Now part of a global network of 46 airports in 12 countries, Gatwick teams will have access to broader opportunities particularly in international career development and in-house training. As the world’s most efficient single runway airport, Gatwick will also share best practice with VINCI Airports as the company continues to pursue its operational improvement strategy.

The completion of the transaction is the ideal opportunity for Gatwick’s shareholders to express their shared vision for the future of the airport and to announce the evolution of Gatwick’s governance based on continuity. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, as part of the 49.99% interest managed by GIP, will retain a 9.99% stake in Gatwick.

Sir David Higgins, Stewart Wingate and Nick Dunn will remain respectively Chairman, CEO and CFO of the airport, and will be joined by Cédric Laurier, from VINCI Airports, as CTO (Chief Technical Officer).

The airport’s ambitious plans for the future remain, with a further £1.1 billion Capital Investment Programme (CIP) set to deliver a range of passenger improvements by 2023.

Nicolas Notebaert, Stewart Wingate and Michael McGhee

Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports:

“This partnership marks the beginning of a very exciting future for London Gatwick and VINCI Airports. Applying our joint skills will add significant value to both VINCI Airports and London Gatwick Airport and benefit all our stakeholders, notably airlines and passengers. Combining our expertise will further improve our operational excellence and sustain our shared vision of putting passengers’ satisfaction at the heart of everything we do.”

Sir David Higgins, Chairman, Gatwick:

“Today’s announcement marks an exciting new era for Gatwick, its airlines and passengers. We welcome VINCI Airports to Gatwick and are grateful for this strong vote of confidence in Gatwick and the UK.”

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick:

“Today is the start of a new chapter for Gatwick, with new owners and further investment enabling the airport to continue on its successful journey. The management team and I will remain focused on delivering exceptional service to our passengers and to developing longer-term plans to grow our airport.”

Michael McGhee, GIP Partner:

“The GIP-VINCI partnership is focused on continuing the transformation of the airport. VINCI’s global airport expertise, coupled with GIP’s intimate knowledge of Gatwick and the UK market, offer a unique and complementary world-class airport capability to carry on delivering exceptional performance.”

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Amsterdam Shake Hands in...

I love Amsterdam - a city of canals, boats and very chilled out people. The only time l am happy to declare myself half Dutch. By Maarten Hoffmann

W

ith Holland being the home country of my Father, l rarely miss an opportunity to pop over to one of the prettiest cities in Europe. After the war, Rotterdam was reduced to rubble but Amsterdam suffered only limited damage and therefore the beautiful canal side houses survived intact and it is one of those cities that just begs to be walked around.

there as it makes side trips so much easier. Once on the French side of the Channel Tunnel, it is but a 3/4 hour drive right into the heart of the city.

ropean base of Uber, Netflix and Tesla.

The city is ranked as the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the fifth location in the world in which to locate an international business.

Hotel

THE 298 ROOMS ARE ALL FRESH AND CONTEMPORARY IN STYLE WITH STYLISH BATHROOMS

We stayed at the Victoria Park Plaza, right opposite the main station and superbly located for everything one might wish to see. The 298 rooms are all fresh and contemporary in style with stylish bathrooms, air conditioning, free wifi, flat screen TV, coffee maker and a desk workspace. The hotel also offers a fitness centre, sauna, solarium and an indoor pool. In-room massage is available and my partner partook of this and stated that it was one of the best massages she had ever experienced.

I combined my trip with a motoring review of the new Cupra (more on that later) and although driving around the city is a nightmare, l do like to drive over

For corporate visits, the hotel boasts six meeting rooms, up to 130 delegates theatre style, and the layout and configuration is very well designed.

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Amsterdam is the capital city of Holland although it is not the seat of government as that is the Hague.

The city’s name originates from Amstelredamme that was originally a small fishing village in the late 12th century and became one the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age. As a commercial centre, Amsterdam is one of the top financial centres in Europe and is home to the HQ’s for the likes of Philips, ING and TomTom and the Eu-

BUSINESS SURVEY TRAVEL

The service is second to none and they cannot do enough for their guests.

The hotel restaurant is called Carstens, a brasserie with a strong focus on Dutch products. The Chef, Mark Kuijpers is a master of his craft and we had a splendid meal that l cannot fault in any way. We enjoyed a starter of Yellow Beetroot that was thinly sliced like carpaccio and Steak Tartare with sour pickles and chives. Both were superb and came with a bread basket of some of the finest sourdough bread l have ever tasted - and made by Maarten the baker.

Good man, good name!

that. My partner enjoyed Mullet with sauce made from traditional Dutch hotpot and was superb and beautifully cooked. This all came with Dutch Spinach pan-fried with garlic, and cauliflower with brown butter and goat quark. We then asked for the cocktail list and this comprised the bartender coming over to discuss what we would like - a novel bespoke cocktail service that l could really get used to.

boats that take you in every direction and this really is the way to see the city. There are boats to set locations and then the hop on, hop off, therefore allowing you to use it like a bus to get around the city.

The organisation of this system really could be better. No obvious signs of where to go, which boat goes where and, annoyingly, you only find out you

THE STEAK WAS GREAT AND THE STAMPPOT WAS STUPENDOUS

This was followed by Tournedos, tenderloin from the Simmentaler cow accompanied by Stamppot, a traditional dutch mashed potato dish with sour cream and tarragon. The steak was great and the Stamppot was stupendous - worth going back for just for

He knew his stuff too and possibly we shouldn’t have just kept ordering them my head told me the next day! A totally fabulous meal with fabulous service throughout. http://www.carstensbrasserie.nl/ http://www.parkplaza.com One further advantage of the hotel’s location is that it is directly opposite the loading site for all the canal tour

are in the wrong queue when you get to the ticket seller. Very annoying.

I would recommend all visitors buy the I Amsterdam City Card (IACC) as this gives you discounts all over the place and free entry to many attractions. The main office for this card, and all other tourist board related information, can be found behind the main station. http://www.iamsterdam.com

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WHAT TO DO...

RIJKSMUSEUM This stunning building in the centre of town exhibits works by the likes of Vermeer, Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. 8,000 objects in 80 galleries could keep you busy all day but don’t let it as there is far too much to see.

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est peaked was six pieces by an artiste in the basement, called Daniel Arsham. Such original work always gets my attention and the image below shows how it looks as if someone has placed the subject into the wall - you have to see it in person to understand.

Cool stuff.

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EVENING CANAL CRUISES There are numerous such cruises and you can boom the dinner cruise, allowing you to sit still whilst the scenery moves. You can get burger cruises, crepe cruises and much more.

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RED LIGHT TOUR Always a hoot with a smidgeon of distaste as women ply their trade from small red lit windows on either side of the canal. Lots of drunk men, and women, staggering around but it is surrounded by some very good restaurants.

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MOCO MUSEUM This small boutique museum is opposite the Rijksmuseum and offers ever changing displays of contemporary artists such as Banksy, Warhol and Lichtenstein. I was lucky enough to arrive whilst the Banksy show was on and it was great to see many of his original works but what got my inter-

HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE A must visit for all beer lovers. Gerard Adrianna Heineken established the brewery in 1867 on this very spot and you can tour the building, learn how to pier the perfect pint and drink the lot, if you are so inclined.

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VAN GOGH MUSEUM This venue attracts over a million visitors a year and exhibits 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 750 letters by the master.

TRAVEL

TOP PL ACES

for a meeting or event

RAI Amsterdam

With a total of 106,500 sq m of exhibition space and 12 multifunctional halls this is one of the largest in the country. Room capacity up to 1,750 delegates and a ballroom measuring 1,985 sq m, this venue will handle the largest exhibitions and conferences. www.rai.nl

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ANNE FRANK HOUSE This famous building has to be a must visit and as it was the set text for me when l was at school, it always brings a tear to my eyes visiting the house itself. Gird your loins and go – history forgotten is history repeated.

With 14 meeting rooms offering a capacity of 1,200 delegates and an abundance of rooms from smaller meetings. They also offer delegate Brainfood for those meeting breaks aimed at keeping the delegates alert. https://www.postillionhotels.com/nl-nl/postillionamsterdam

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COFFEE SHOPS Well what to say here. Good coffee seems an understatement as people don’t go here for the coffee but for the weed. I had to visit one of course to ensure l offered you, my dear readers, a fully comprehensive view of the city.

I visited Abraxas, one of the very best l am assured, a funky place that resembles a tree house over three floors and offers a vast range of coffee, tea and weed. I tried it all but unfortunately have absolutely no recollection of what happened next - or for the next 24 hours! www.abraxas.amsterdam

Postilion Hotel & Conference Centre

NH Collection Barbizon Palace

St Olof’s Chapel is connected to this hotel via an underground tunnel and is a beautiful venue.

The chapel was built in the 15th century and is the oldest such in the entire city. Superb for dinners and gala presentations, it will seat 260 people in a banquet setting and is unforgettable. https://www.nh-hotels.com/ social-events/olofs

Pathe Tuschinski Theatre

This stunning art deco cinema has been fully restored and is available for hire. Great for product launches and major speaker events. It is also ideal for photo shoots, video production and anything else that would benefit from one of the most beautiful cinemas in the world. http://www.tuschinski.nl

Het Sheepvaartmuseum

This is the national Maritime Museum with various highly original areas available for rental. For dinners up to 30 guests, there is the Admiralty Boardroom from where famous Dutch maritime heroes such as Van Heemskerk and De Ruyter planned their travels and battles. For large events, the Open Courtyard can seat up to 700 with its hundreds of lights illuminating the glass roof like a star canopy. https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl/

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CUPRA

By Maarten Hoffmann

W

hilst deciding which car to take to Amsterdam, l was rather spoilt for choice. You might think this car an odd choice when one considers everything else on offer but then you would be wrong.

Badged Cupra, this is a souped up version of the SEAT Ateca. On paper not looking good, but in the flesh, a fabulous call. This is an SUV on steroids. All of a sudden this is no longer a SEAT but a model in its own right with its very own badge. It gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 296bhp and 295lb ft. It does 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds and its top speed is 152mph. It also gets all-wheel drive, a DSG automatic gearbox, adaptive suspension, a bespoke exhaust and optional four-piston Brembo brakes.

You’ll also notice wider front intakes, glossy black grilles, quad exit pipes (real ones), a rear spoiler and Cupra wheels in copper or silver – 19’s are the biggest the Ateca can accommodate, leaving a lot of fresh air between tyre and body. Topped off with FWD, this is a lot of car for the money. OK, a lot of money for a SEAT but then this is no ordinary SEAT. We will leave the Cupra name out of this – after all, where is the connection to a chthonic fertility goddess of the ancient pre-Roman population of the Piceni... OK, let’s give up on the name but l have to say, l like this car.

It flies along the motorway and B roads with just a smidgeon of roll in the corners but boot it, and it hunkers down and lets rip. For the uneducated drivers, seeing a SEAT SUV take off like a scalded cat is stonking good fun - and the Dutch were ever so slightly bemused.

This comes with the same engine as will appear in the 2019 Golf R and that

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makes it the fastest crossover hatchback in its sector. Inside, it is all pretty much VW but that’s no bad thing and the seats are comfortable and supportive and you can switch the dial arrangement on the dash to suit your driving style.

Everything is pretty straight forward and the Cupra gets an extra turbo boost pressure gauge and a g-force gauge. The 8-inch centre screen also allows the driver to choose from comfort, sport and Cupra. This last setting is the one you want as even with the excellent DSG auto box, it lets you explore the depths of the power in a very satisfying way. It beats the pants off the new 5.0-litre Mustang Bullitt and that boasts a hulking great V8 block.

Outside, it looks quite pretty in the vein of the VW Tiguan but not quite as ergonomically smooth as the Audi Q3.

On a long journey, such as mine from Brighton to Amsterdam, it is helpful that the 55-litre full tank will carry me over 350 miles and at 70mph, the engine is turning around 2000rpm, therefore it keeps road noise at bay.

Pop this thing on a track and the chassis shows its failings but this is not how 99.99% of us will use it. On the road, it is refined, fast, well-mannered, quiet, comfortable and, ultimately, surprising. And l do like being surprised.

TECH STUFF Model tested: Cupra 2.0 TSI DSG Engine: 2.0-litre turbo Power: 296bhp Speed: 0-62 – 5.2 seconds Top: 153mph Economy: 35mpg combined Price from: £35,900

MOTORING

ON A LONG JOURNEY, SUCH AS MINE FROM BRIGHTON TO AMSTERDAM, IT IS HELPFUL THAT THE 55-LITRE FULL TANK WILL CARRY ME OVER 350 MILES

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VOLVO V60

By Maarten Hoffmann

V

olvo have really been knocking it out of the park recently with some great new models since the Chinese company Geely took ownership in 2010 from Ford. Pumping in billions of pounds has really paid off.

Geely also own Lotus, Proton and the London Electric Vehicle Company.

The V60 they have just delivered to me is one model in a long line of great new cars that are rivalling the German in terms of build quality, style and residual values.

With an increase in size over the previous model, this one is 4.8m long with a 10cm longer wheelbase, therefore slightly longer than the spacious Mercedes C-Class and the Audi A4 estates. More leg room, more luggage space and loaded with safety equip-

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ment that will keep you safe in all but the biggest shunt.

They all come with the 2.0-litre four pot engines with two diesels offering 150bhp and the T5 R-Design Pro petrol that l have under my bottom giving you a good push with 250bhp. The progression will not blow your mind but it is smooth and refined and certainly quick enough. The 8-speed gearbox is a tad hesitant and, when pulling away, you do feel that there is a little Swedish man in there rummaging around to locate the right gear for you. The com-

pany states a 0-60 of 6.4 seconds but others have tested this and rarely manage that but this will depend greatly on what tyres are fitted.

It cannot be called an exhilarating drive in terms of outright performance but it is refined, sure-footed and has an undeniable feeling of luxury and l didn’t miss the extra shove in any way.

As has come to be expected from Volvo, the V60 is kitted out with a veritable arsenal of active and passive safety features.

Standard features include lane keep as-

AS HAS COME TO BE EXPECTED FROM VOLVO, THE V60 IS KITTED OUT WITH A VERITABLE ARSENAL OF ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY FEATURES

MOTORING

sist, pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection (the small ones are screwed) and fully automatic emergency braking.

Inside, all is well. The Nappa leather seats are tremendous and a tad like a comfy armchair and all dials are at hand and easy to use. The digital dash can be varied and the satnav can be brought up there which really does help to have the map right in your eye-line.

The engine start is a tad odd as it is a twist knob by the gear selector. There is acres of space with five full seats and a 60/40 split in the back seat and a powered tailgate. You can also order powered rear seats if that’s your thing.

The only thing that drives me mad is the key. It is a large flat key fob and then they have buried the open buttons in the side of the fob which is incredi-

bly difficult to use without looking. In the dark, you are wandering round like an idiot looking for some light to spot the tiny little buttons. Why - there is an acre of space on the flat side and that is where everyone else has placed it and for good reason?

It is a good looking car, well proportioned and with a slight rise to the waistline as it runs to the rear that affords it a slightly aggressive stance.

The ‘Thors Hammer” headlights are cool and the L shape of the rear lights is something we are all used to if you have stared at the rear in traffic. I reckon you could see it brake from space!

The shout has long been ‘The Germans are coming’. Could the new shout be ‘The Swedes are coming’? Not quite the same ring but bravo to Volvo.

THE ONLY THING THAT DRIVES ME MAD IS THE KEY

TECH STUFF Model tested: V60 T5 R-Design Pro Engine: 2.0-litre Power: 250bhp Speed: 0-62 – 6.4 seconds Top: 145mph Economy: 38.7mpg combined Price from: £32,410 As tested: £46,870

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Mercedes me.

The Mercedes me Adapter links your vehicle very simply with your smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing you to experience the dialogue with your vehicle in a totally new way.

With the Mercedes me Adapter and app, you are able to benefit from the following services and more: • View vital data from your car wherever you are - from fuel level to parking time.

• Document your driving via a display of the route, distance and time taken.

• Raise the alarm for assistance should you need to.

• Set reminders and alerts for appointments and vehicle check.

• Automatic saving of parking position, including navigation to vehicle and parking duration.

• Benefit from new features as they are added to Mercedes me both now and in the future.

Mercedes me Adapter now free of charge* If you have an older Mercedes-Benz without connected functionality that was built after 2002, you can still enjoy the experience of connected features through the Mercedes me Adapter.

For more information and to check if your vehicle is eligible, call us on 01483 916292.

Mercedes-Benz of Guildford Moorfield Road, Guildford, GU1 1RU

01483 916292 www.sandown-group.co.uk

*Free of charge for compatible vehicles. Mercedes-Benz Cars UK Limited reserves the right to amend or remove this offer at any time.

Why should you use Sandown for After Sales?

From genuine Mercedes-Benz Parts to routine maintenance, seasonal checks to finding the perfect gift, we aim to be your first point of contact for everything.

No matter what your vehicle requires, our team of specialists at Mercedes-Benz of Guildford are here to help you enjoy every aspect of your motoring.

Benefits of using Sandown After Sales include*: - Fixed Price Servicing and Repairs.

- My Service benefits including Express Servicing, Drop & Go and much more.

- Roadside Assistance complimentary cover with MobiloLife.

- Online Parts Shop with a comprehensive range of clothing and accessories.

- Experienced bodywork technicians for all damage and minor repairs.

- Accident Aftercare providing complimentary accident assistance should you require it.

- Sandown Programme offering tiered MOT and parts discounts for cars over 3 years old.

To enjoy a delicious coffee whilst our team help take care of your vehicle, contact us today on 01483 916291.

Mercedes-Benz of Guildford Moorfield Road, Guildford, GU1 1RU *Terms and conditions apply.

01483 916292 www.sandown-group.co.uk

To find a full list of our 2019 events visit www.surrey-chambers.co.uk/event-listing

July 4th SALES: THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING Event Time: 08:00 - 11:00 Event Theme: Topical Price: Member Rate: £25.00 +VAT Non Member Rate: £30.00 +VAT Event Location:

Surya Hotels (Hogs Back Hotel) Hog’s Back Hotel & Spa Seale, Farnham Surrey GU10 1EU

July 10th REDHILL & REIGATE BUSINESS FORUM Event Time: 16:30 - 19:00 Event Theme: Networking PM Price: Member Rate: Free Non Member Rate: Free Event Location: Reigate & Banstead Borough Council Town Hall Castlefield Road Reigate RH2 0SH Workplace Wellbeing: how to attract, retain and reward your staff.

Employee engagement, recruitment, motivating a workforce, retention... These are all words and phrases that employers find themselves analysing more than ever before, and more often than not changes are being made to the general running of a business to ensure that the above are all positively checked off.

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Does your team have what it takes to sell effectively?

Are they working to their full potential? This masterclass will convert your sales team into experts. Whether your business is struggling to retain customers or change that leads into a client, George Robinson will be ushering you through each stage of a sale. The session will cover everything from cold calling, how to discount effectively, all the way to keeping your customers sweet.

George Robinson is a young entrepreneur who raised private investment to launch a business offering services including social media marketing, search engine marketing, website design, and branding. George will be demonstrating cold calls live on stage, talking you through the best ways to follow up with your customers, and showing you how you can use digital marketing techniques for retargeting. This event is aimed at organisations of any size, in any sector, so whether you’re a one man band or have a whole sales department, book on today!

It’s commonly recognised that so long as an employer looks after their employees, then the employees will make sure the customer is looked after, however it can sometimes be quite a minefield to ensure that you keep a widely positive and productive working environment, whilst delivering a happy and healthy workplace on a personal level at the same time.

We know that it can be quite a struggle to keep up, or to know where changes could be made. So why not join us at our next Redhill & Reigate Business Forum, where you’ll hear health, wellbeing and recruitment professionals talk through employee engagement, staff retention, mental health in the workplace, and benefit packages that could have drastic improvements if implemented.

SURREY CHAMBERS

EVENTS DIARY

2019

July 11th ESCAPE BREAKFAST Event Time: 07:30 - 09:30 Event Theme: Networking AM Price: Member Rate: Free Non Member Rate: Free

Event Location:

Hartsfield Manor Sandy Lane Betchworth RH3 7AA

Surrey Chambers of Commerce are delighted to bring you the East Surrey Coffee and Professional Engagement breakfast series, connecting businesses throughout Surrey, with a particular focus on the east of the region.

Hosted by the wonderfully charming Hartsfield Manor, we would be delighted if you could join us, be it at one (or all!) of the networking breakfasts.

Breakfasts will feature on alternate months throughout the year and are free to attend for all. For more details please contact emily.stanton@surrey-chambers.co.uk

July 18th MEMBERS’ NETWORKING EVENING Event Time: 18:00 - 20:00 Event Theme: Members Networking Evening Price: Member Rate: Free Non Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT

Event Location:

Mercure Burford Bridge Hotel At the Foot of Boxhill Dorking RH5 6BX

Here at Surrey Chambers, we think it’s highly important that you get to know the team, but also get to know the faces behind the organisations you see and hear about on a daily basis. Members of Surrey Chambers can enjoy this complimentary event on a monthly basis; the chance to meet fellow members and network with both new and established businesses from all over Surrey.

NEXT MONTH August 14th HAVE YOUR CAKE & EAT IT! AFTERNOON NETWORKING Event Time: 14:30 - 16:30 Event Theme: Networking PM Price: Member Rate: £10.00 +VAT Non Member Rate: £10.00 +VAT Event Location: Lythe Hill Hotel Ltd Petworth Road Haslemere GU27 3BQ

This month we are proud to welcome David Coward, owner of The Firepod - a portable outdoor pizza oven. David has kindly offered to provide pizza for the evening!

AGM Preceding the monthly networking evening at Burford Bridge Hotel, will be the Surrey Chambers of Commerce AGM which will commence at 5pm.

Members will receive a direct invitation to the AGM but we will all gather for a fun evening of networking after the formal business has taken place. Please contact emily.stanton@ surrey-chambers.co.uk for further information.

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Be Safe With Us

Did you know that Chamber members have unlimited access to a range of essential business support services.

ChamberHR

ChamberHealth & Safety

ChamberLegal

ChamberTax

These services give you unlimited access to no less than five business advice lines and a website which features over 750 free downloadable template documents.

Believe it or not all these services are included in your membership fee – you will have nothing extra to pay!

These services offer members real protection and peace of mind. To ensure that you can have access to these valuable services all you need to do is join.

Don’t delay… join today!

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsor a CHAMBER EVENT Surrey Chambers of Commerce holds over 150 events a year spread across the county. We host regular breakfast meetings, industry specific forums and corporate dinners perfect for entertaining clients. These events are designed to give you the chance to enhance your business network, find new customers and local suppliers, and meet other dynamic business people

S

ponsoring a Surrey Chambers event allows you to raise your profile and brand awareness within the county and showcase your expertise as a company. By sponsoring an event you can take advantage of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce subscription base and reach your target audience. It’s the perfect opportunity to make new connections and be seen to be leading and influencing.

What can I sponsor?

With over 150 events a year there can be a lot to choose from, Surrey Chambers hosts a wide variety of events, and all of these can be sponsored:

affecting businesses working in the construction and property industries.

•

Business Women in Surrey Events – a specific stream of events designed to highlight and celebrate the achievements of business women in Surrey.

• F lagship - Our flagship events include an annual summer BBQ, President’s drinks receptions and annual Christmas lunch.

• Chamber Power Breakfasts - Our Power Breakfasts are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to connect in a friendly and relaxed environment.

If you choose to sponsor a Surrey Chambers event you will receive complimentary tickets to the event, your stand or pop up banners and promotional literature at the event with branding on badges and a delegate list. You will also receive promotion before, during and after the event across all Surrey Chambers social media channels and press coverage in the Surrey Business Magazine.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Surrey Chambers of Commerce event, please contact: Emily.Stanton@surrey-chambers. co.uk or call 01483 735 540

• Hot Topics - We react to the latest news and trends affecting the business community and run a number of targeted events throughout the year. They provide a great opportunity to get in front of senior decision makers but often come up at short notice. They tackle topics such as Brexit, cyber security, pensions and much more.

•

Property & Construction Forums – A series of events around issues

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GOLF 2019 SOCIETY Surrey Chambers of Commerce Golf Society (SCGS) has been running for 23 years and offers the opportunity to play some of Surrey’s finest courses and to entertain guests in a relaxed and mildly (!) competitive environment. By Tara Wavre

O

pen to all business owners or senior executives, the society’s main strength is the quality of the venues attended, with Swinley Forest, St. George’s Hill, New Zealand and Hankley Common to name four of a stunning monthly selection.

It is lovely to be able to welcome so many old and new members with their guests to each of our monthly events, and our May fixture at Coombe Hill was no exception. The weather was once again gloriously sunny and the course was in fantastic condition.

Thank you to our sponsors, Vooba, and huge congratulations to our member’s winner Anthony Nartey, who won the day with 37 points. He is pictured with Tony from Vooba, our sponsor for the day, who presented him with the prizes.

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GOLF 2019 SPONSORS

DIARY: July 3rd

HEADLINE SPONSOR

ORDER OF MERIT SPONSOR

Worplesdon

August 22nd Hindhead

September 11th New Zealand

October 17th Camberley Heath

November 7th Swinley Forest

December 3rd Woking

“I was first attracted to the society some five years ago We have some lovely fixtures coming up for the summer months, and I look forward to seeing many of you on the course to enjoy a wonderful day’s golf and networking. At almost halfway through the year there are still cups to be competed for and an Order of Merit to be won. I am writing this just before our fixture at Foxhills, and coming up after that will be our annual visit to Worplesdon on the July 3rd, which is always a favourite of the society.

Society days are also a great chance to entertain clients or reward employees for all their hard work. We see a mix of all of these preferences at our society days, so come as an individual to meet new people or come as a group for a fantastic chance to bond, you are very welcome whatever you choose.

I look forward to seeing you at a society event soon!

by the opportunity to play some great golf courses. It came as a pleasant surprise to find that the atmosphere was friendly, with just the right degree of competitive edge and not with an oppressively businesslike environment. It is an excellent set-up to entertain customers or just to come along and share the day with like-minded souls” Roy Stansbury

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JOIN THE CHAMBER “Surrey Cham bers of Commerce is the county’s larg est independ ent, not-for-profi support organ t business is businesses to ation that helps connect loca lly, nationally a nd globally in order to gain custom suppliers an ers, d knowledge.”

CAN YOUR BUSINESS AFFORD

NOT TO BE A MEMBER OF SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE? Sitting at the heart of the business community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce connects you to opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable contacts. We can help you grow and develop, by promoting your business, introducing you to new customers, keeping you informed and representing you locally, regionally and nationally

W

ith a membership representing businesses of all sizes across every sector of the economy, the Chamber works hard to ensure that the continued prosperity of Surrey takes into account the needs of business, as well as providing a range of high quality services to help businesses to grow and meet new potential customers, including making introductions into over 40 countries.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce is an integral part of the Surrey business support network and alongside its partners offers specialist advice, knowledge and information on a wide range of issues facing local businesses.

We can: Help you to find new customers – raise your profile, increase your brand awareness and generate new business by using our website, publications and database to communicate with thousands of business people.

Connect you to other businesses – we run

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over 100 events a year that give you the chance to enhance your business network, find new customers and meet like-minded and other successful business people.

Expand your network overseas – we provide friendly, professional advice and assistance and can help you obtain necessary export documentation. Our relationship with 28 accredited overseas British Chambers means we can introduce you to our global network of experts to make your journey much easier.

British Chambers of Commerce who talk directly to government, influencing policy and strategic decisions.

Support your local community – we are passionate about contributing to the wider community and encourage you to work with us. We support a variety of local initiatives, providing you with the chance to give something back, whilst raising your company profile.

Develop you and your workforce’s knowledge and skills – we run a range of training events throughout the year and can introduce you to a variety of training providers.

Save you money – we can provide you with a variety of discounts designed to save your company money. As well as national deals you will benefit from exclusive discounts offered by other Chamber members. You too can offer a special member to member deal.

Represent you – we believe it is important that you and your business are fairly represented locally, regionally, nationally and where appropriate, internationally on issues affecting business. We work closely with Surrey County Council, the eleven local borough councils, district and two Local Enterprise Partnerships, and we feedback and provide input to the

WANT TO KNOW MORE? If you would like any further information about joining Surrey Chambers of Commerce please contact us: Call: 01483 735540, Email: Sarah.Butcher@surrey-chambers.co.uk Visit: www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

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