Forum - Summer 23

leading the way in luxury interiors

Alice Rowen Hall pioneer of the low-cost air revolution

Tony Anderson head of the family and future of haulage

Caroline Moody

summer 23 welcome inside

at a time when the high street is struggling. Our centre stage interview is with Tony Anderson who reminds us that easyJet was once a small gutsy start up that took risks and challenged the long-established practices of the airline industry. Both of these incredible stories are a reminder to entrepreneurs everywhere that fortune favours the brave.

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Welcome to the latest edition of ‛Forum’ which brings you insights into the lives and experiences of North East entrepreneurs. The theme of our recent conference was entrepreneurial bravery. Entrepreneurs take risks, but they are not reckless. Entrepreneurs understand the weight of responsibility to create jobs and build cultures where their employees can thrive. This issue highlights entrepreneurs who have taken brave and clever steps to stand out from the crowd. Our cover story asks serial entrepreneur Alice Rowen Hall, Rowen Homes, about her decision to open a physical flagship retail store,

We took our own brave steps in May and launched ‛A Cast of Entrepreneurs’, our new podcast. You can see behind-the-scenes of the podcast on page 12.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s purpose is to bring together and inspire North East entrepreneurs. Our membership continues to grow and if you’d like to get involved or know someone who’d benefit from being part of our network please get in touch. Details of how to join are on page 34.

Elaine Stroud Chief Executive

Editorial Sally Cowling sally@entrepreneursforum.net

David Bootle david.bootle@allies-group.com

Contributors: Johnathan Ramsay

Advertising Debi Coldwell debi@allies-group.com

Design studio@allies-group.com

summer 23

plan ahead

29 June 9am - 12pm

WORKSHOP

Building a High Performance Culture

Vertu Motors Arena, Newcastle FREE for Entrepreneur Members, Partners and Guests

4 July 5.30pm – 7.30pm

MEMBER EVENT

A Journey Through Space and Time

NETPark, Sedgefield

FREE for Entrepreneur Members, Partners and Guests

To view all upcoming events, and to book, visit: entrepreneursforum.net/events/upcoming-events

12 July 11am - 5pm

FORUM BEGINNERS GOLF

EXPERIENCE

Close House, Hadrian's Wall Path, Heddonon-the-Wall

FREE for Entrepreneur Members

19 September 9am - 12pm

WORKSHOP

Journey Into the Heart of Branding

Durham Cricket, Chester-le-Street FREE for Entrepreneur Members, Partners and Guests

12 July 10am - 5pm

FORUM FOUR-BALL

Close House, Hadrian's Wall Path, Heddon-on-the-Wall FREE for Entrepreneur Members

27 September 1pm - 4pm

MENTORING DROP-IN SESSION

Flok Co-working Space, Middlesbrough, FREE for Entrepreneur Members

21 September 9am - 12pm

ON-SITE VISIT

Clearly Drinks

Clearly Drinks, Sunderland FREE for Entrepreneur Members

29 September 6pm - late North East Entrepreneurial Awards

Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead £990+VAT Table of 10 £99+VAT Individual Ticket

Our gala awards dinner is a fabulous evening of entertainment where leading figures within the North East business community come together to celebrate entrepreneurs who stand out from the crowd, lead dynamic, innovative businesses and are making a genuine change to our region. Awards include Emerging Talent, Scale-up Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur of the Year, Mentor of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.

4 October 9.30am - 12pm

ON-SITE VISIT

Ringtons

Ringtons, Newcastle FREE for Entrepreneur Members

6 October 12pm - 2pm

MEMBER LUNCH

The Impeccable Pig, Sedgefield For Entrepreneur Members. Costs payable on the day.

10 October 2pm - 4.30pm

ROUND TABLE

Defining Your Success Middlesbrough (TBC) FREE for Entrepreneur Member

23 November 8am - 5pm

CONFERENCE

Together We Can Take on the World Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead

24 October 6pm - 10pm

FOCUS DINNER

With Nagma Ebanks-Beni MBE, Prima Cheese

21, Newcastle

£75+VAT for Entrepreneur Members

7 November 6pm - 10pm

FOCUS DINNER

With John Dawson, Alliance Pharma

The Cellar Door, Durham £75+VAT for Entrepreneur Members

TBC

FOCUS DINNER

With Helen McArdle, Helen McArdle Care Malmaison, Newcastle £75+VAT for Entrepreneur Members

TBC

ON-SITE VISIT

Lanchester Wines

Lanchester Wines, Stanley FREE for Entrepreneur Members

Join us for a day packed with inspirational speakers and networking opportunities. Be the first to hear about the speaker line up by following us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Secure your place now by preregistering for our early bird tickets.

Member early bird offer (for all tickets purchased before 29th September)

£195+VAT Member plus guest

£99+VAT Individual

summer 23 business bulletin

Bringing you the latest developments, breaking news and exclusive updates from Entrepreneurs' Forum members.

GLC Projects Awarded Contract By North Yorkshire Council For Demolition And Site Improvement Works At Claro Road Depot

GLC Projects, a demolition company based in the North East, is thrilled to announce that they have been awarded a contract by North Yorkshire Council to provide demolition and civil engineering services for the Claro Road Depot improvement project.

The Claro Road Depot project, located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, presents an exciting opportunity for GLC Projects to showcase their expertise in the demolition industry. With their vast experience and proven track record in delivering safe

and efficient demolition projects, GLC Projects is well-equipped to take on this new challenge.

GLC Projects will be responsible for the safe and controlled demolition of six existing structures at the Claro Road Depot, including the removal of asbestos from a number of buildings. With sustainability in mind, as part of the project, GLC Projects will limit the amount of waste going to landfill; GLC Projects will maximise the use of recycled aggregates on the project, whilst all reclaimed timber will be processed for biomass.

Sales And Marketing Specialist durhamlane Celebrates Strong Financial Year With RecordBreaking Revenue Growth

UK-based global sales and marketing specialist durhamlane is celebrating an astounding financial year of business, which has seen it successfully navigate the challenging economic landscape with 31% revenue growth and turnover surpassing £6.3m for the first time.

The firm, which is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, created 11 new roles to support and scale its client base, including the formation of a senior leadership team.

durhamlane specialises in generating demand and qualified sales leads on behalf of large mid-market, challenger and enterprise companies with a complex B2B product or service offering, across the UK, Europe, and North America.

As well as securing a new host of clients, durhamlane has expanded its service offering by introducing strategic marketing workshops, CRM and Salesforce consultancy and customer

renewal and growth projects.

Coinciding with the growth in turnover to £6.3m, durhamlane has increased the size of its team with numerous senior hires including Abi Dodwell as senior marketing services manager, Phil Cording as enterprise account director, James Banner as learning and development manager, while Anthony Usher celebrated his 9-year tenure as the business’s first data and sales enablement manager.

Last month, the business completed the final audits for their ISO27001 certification, which once achieved will demonstrate to customers its excellent information security practices and regulatory compliance to support both onshore and offshore projects.

Jake Spence, managing director of durhamlane said: “It’s been an excellent 12 months. We are positioned perfectly to catapult ourselves into the new financial year continuing our upward trajectory.”

Celebrating 45 Years In Business For Local Earthmoving Equipment Manufacturer

The UK’s largest excavator bucket manufacturer - headquartered in Northumberland - is celebrating 45 years in business as it announces ambitious growth plans.

Miller UK, based in Cramlington, specialises in the design and manufacture of buckets, quick couplers and other attachments for earthmoving equipment. Starting its humble beginnings operating as a one-man mobile welding service, the business has grown exponentially to its current manufacturing headquarters on Bassington Lane spanning across 160,000 sq. feet over 18 acres.

Originally founded in 1978 by Chairman Keith Miller, who was only 21 years old, the business grew organically to launch its very own range of couplers and buckets in 1986. Known worldwide as a forerunner in safety, innovation and quality in couplers and buckets, Miller now employs over 200 staff. The firm supplies its earthmoving equipment in over 50 countries. Recently named as the North East’s Manufacturer of the Year (over

“Innovative” Sunderland HR Consultancy Celebrates 10 Years Amid Record Growth

Award-winning HR consultancy Oculus HR is celebrating 10 years of trading with significant growth figures. The business was established in 2013 by Louise Kennedy after identifying a gap in the North East market for a consultancy that offered “flexible, innovative” HR solutions.

Louise, who is a qualified CIPD professional of over 23 years said: “We are delighted to be celebrating 10 years. It’s a great testament to the team here at Oculus HR, who have facilitated some long-standing partnerships with organisations

across the North East."

The team, which has grown to five people, includes HR specialists and operations support. Oculus HR has built a client list which includes the Foundation of Light, Queensway Orthodontics, Tyne Coast College, Midas Cladding and Glendale Transport.

The consultancy, which offers outsourced HR and consultancy to SMEs across the region, covers all aspects of employment, including employment contracts, policies and procedures, performance reviews, disciplinary and grievance meetings.

£25m) at Insider Media’s Made in the UK awards, the last 12 months has seen Miller grow its presence in new markets across the world.

Keith Miller, Founder and Chairman at Miller UK said: “It is a fantastic achievement reaching 45 years in business. Working with the very best people, and with the right leaders in the business making strategic decisions and driving the company forward, we have exciting plans to

continue to grow our global operations and sales.”

In 2022 Miller achieved a gold standard in the Better Health at Work award in recognition for its continual commitment in promoting a healthier lifestyle across its workforce. Keith added: “As we continue to grow, it is important that we invest in the business, and - most importantly - our people to ensure we continue to be an attractive company to work at.”

Top Dealmaker Joins WilliamsAli Corporate Finance As Chairman

WilliamsAli, the North East’s specialist M&A boutique, has announced that award-winning dealmaker, Paul Kaiser, has taken up the position of Chairman.

Having established a trusted and respected position in the region’s corporate finance market over four years of growth, the move is a further signal of the independent advisory firm’s commitment to providing the very best in tailored advice to its ambitious clients. In the role of Chairman, Paul will share his skills and experience to support founders, Abu Ali and Phil Williams, in guiding and developing the WilliamsAli team and further strengthening its position in the marketplace.

Over his 40 years as an adviser, Paul has brought a sense of direction and leadership to all of his roles, which included a highly successful 27 years with Deloitte. He is amongst a very small group of advisers in the region to have built a reputation on a

national level based on his extensive deal CV and depth and breadth of experience. A trusted adviser to many clients, he has always strived to deliver the optimum result and has an ability to cut through the noise of a transaction, focus on the key issues, and bridge the gap between buyer and seller.

As a well-known and respected name in the region and beyond, Paul is an important wealth creator within the North East business community. He has been a key player in the North East market and a trusted advisor to many local businesses. Paul’s wide network of contacts and wealth of experience in advising businesses in local, national and international transactions have enabled him to add value at any point in the business life cycle, whether raising finance for a growing business or advising exiting shareholders, both private and institutional, on the disposal of their business.

summer 23

interview centre stage

At the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s Spring conference ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’, Tony’s engaging talk shared his experiences: developing one of the most distinctive brands in aviation and helping grow easyJet into a household name.

For all the excitement of the journey and the many highs, there were also lows, but it was the pace at which he and the easyJet team responded to setbacks which ensured they continually forged ahead. This was hugely important in the rise of easyJet in the late 90s, as it grew to become Europe’s second largest airline (by passenger numbers).

Tony remembers well his life-changing job interview with Stelios Haji-Ioannou (the easyJet founder) in 1995. Sir Stelios (in 2006 he received a knighthood for "services to entrepreneurship") had discussed two enemies: British Airways (BA) and travel agents. The instant attraction for Tony was the opportunity to disrupt the aviation industry with progressive, innovative thinking. Tony previously worked at BA and was well aware of how speedy decisions and disruptive innovation in aviation could challenge BA, which despite its size and resources was often cumbersome when it came to decision-making.

His experience of using the successful low-cost U.S. airline ‘Southwest’ on a secondment with BA in the States had shown him what could be done in the

UK … and Europe. Anticipating how this model could translate to other markets was crucial to Tony seeing future potential, particularly the popularity of the direct sales model which cut out the agent ‘middle-man’ and kept customers’ costs down. Frustrated with the inability to explore this innovation, Tony left BA to join Thomas Cook, another major travel brand, where again he honed knowledge of the travel industry. Tony explains how the easyJet concept came to the market at just the right time to successfully shake it up. He says: “Timing is everything. if easyJet had been any earlier, it would have been squashed by BA. If it'd been any later, it would have missed the window of opportunity that opened following the deregulation of European skies.”

Stelios had a vision of how aviation and travel was changing and Tony was fully bought in. He found his time at BA frustrating, believing it to be weighed down by an aversion to commercial risk. He explains: “BA had an established corporate culture that got in the way of doing a lot of innovative things. There was an element of me thinking if I was to join easyJet then I wanted to do it when I was still relatively young. You don't necessarily want to be taking huge risks in your fifties.”

Taking risks and being brave are integral to the easyJet story. Tony explains: “Bravery comes in different

forms. A lot of people do incredibly brave jobs, in some cases being responsible for people's lives and I am in awe of them. But yes - I guess in one sense my decision to give up a secure role with an established travel brand like Thomas Cook, to join this start-up was brave - and bold. It was definitely a risk, but a calculated one. There's bold but there's also reckless. I was prepared to make this decision knowing that there was a chance of failure, but determined not to be afraid of failure.”

Bold is exactly what Tony was when he became easyJet’s third employee. With low cost fares now part of daily life it is hard to recall the seismic impact on the industry back then. But on November 10, 1995, aviation was totally shaken up. Flying from Luton to Glasgow for the “cost of a pair of jeans” (£29 return compared with BA’s £120 one-way), sparked a revolution. But Tony recalls his conviction didn’t quite match that of the easyJet founder. He explains: “I remember sitting in Glasgow Airport the day of the first flight with Stelios, reading the Scottish papers full of stories about this plucky new airline that had launched, but was destined to go bankrupt and remember thinking ‘How am I going to pay the mortgage…?’”

Tony relied on his creative imagination to help build the distinctive brand that Sir Stelios envisioned from the start, quickly establishing himself as the founder’s right-hand man. He was instrumental in developing the ‘David versus Goliath’ struggle that set easyJet apart, exploiting its underdog position with guerilla marketing stunts. Tony explains that the early years of his marketing role were about taking creative risks which helped build awareness. Some extremely creative and often low-budget PR stunts helped raise the easyJet profile. One involved Sir Stelios and colleagues dressed in orange boiler suits on the BA low-cost brand Go’s inaugural flight. With the police called, the PR column inches were guaranteed. Once the brand began to gain recognition it went through an evolution, with emphasis shifting to building a more emotional relationship with customers. The company quickly grew, taking on more destinationsgrowing bases beyond Luton Airport, its initial home - and expanding into key European destinations. But growth was not without challenges. Tony explains: “A couple of months in, things got very tricky with BA dumping capacity on the market and slashing prices. Stelios said ‘I want you to spend a million pounds on

As the third employee of easyJet and its very first Sales and Marketing Director, Tony Anderson knows better than most the importance of being both brave and bold when it comes to building a successful business.

advertising’. I said, ‘I don’t know what we're gonna spend it on’. Eventually we produced a TV advert in a couple of weeks. It was absolutely awful in creative terms: it just said 29 pounds to Scotland with a phone number on a jet. But we put it out and it worked. I guess people forgave us the poor quality because the message was so strong.”

Stelios’ ultimate ambition was to establish a family of brands under the over-arching ‘easy’ prefix. Among the brands launched under the ‘easy’ umbrella, were easyCar, easyHotel and easyCruise, to name a few, all united by the distinctive typography and colouring and with varying degrees of success. As some failed to become established, resilience proved to be crucial, ensuring the team were not deterred from innovating new ideas.

EasyInternetCafe was among the ventures that didn't work out financially. Tony recalls: “If our internet cafe business had started a year earlier, there's a good chance it would have established itself. In terms

of the concept, we probably would have floated it and made a lot of money. But with the emergence of broadband it just couldn't get going. “Equally with easyValue - one of the first ever price comparison sites - it was really innovative, but we were too early. The price comparison market just wasn't there.”

Bold decision-making and dealing with adversity continued to prove vitally important to the success of the company. Tony explains one particularly memorable incident: “In early 1998, there were bomb threats at Luton Airport, causing the main terminal to be evacuated. So we decided to set up a temporary departure terminal in our offices.

“We departed about 5,000 passengers through our offices. We mocked up destination signs, and checked-in people's bags. This all took place pre 9/11 when security was more lax. We didn't have a plan that said, if the terminal is closed, we need to do the following…. Someone had the idea and we said ‘is there a good enough reason that we can't do this?’”

Capitalising on their ability to respond quickly, the company frequently stayed ahead of the pack.

Tony says: “The internet is a classic example because over a space of about five years, all the airlines moved their business model towards the internet. But it took many of them longer than us, so we were first to the opportunity. If you've got much more at stake, like BA for instance, then you have to be pretty convinced before you start upsetting your major distribution channel.” Tony’s experience with easyJet falls into three main phases, he explains. “The first phase was up to 2001, with easyJet floating in 2000. Following the downturn of the internet cafe I became involved with an internet bank, Egg, as retail marketing director. “I did a succession of what my wife would call ‘proper’ jobs. And then I went back to working for Stelios in 2010 for a while. And then my most recent phase started in 2017. If we put all that together, I have probably worked with him for about 12, 13 years out of the last 25 or so.”

Today, Tony is no longer directly involved with easyJet though remains an adviser to easyGroup and Sir Stelios. The latter is no longer hands-on either, but remains the largest individual shareholder. Would the business’ success have happened without access to the fortune Sir Stelios’s father had built from a successful shipping business?

Tony explains that the money, although helpful in terms of accelerating growth, wasn't necessarily the main reason for success; with mindset, determination, bravery and a little luck all playing their part. He explains: “It started with five million pounds Stelios got from his father. But that doesn't even buy you a sixth of an aeroplane.

“Everything we had, we needed to lease, starting with two planes. “I get asked how can a small or medium business identify with this huge success story that is easyJet, turning over billions? My answer is easyJet was a small company once.”

Innovation has been vital to advancements in aviation with further enhancements and greater efficiency in the customer’s experience exciting Tony about its future. He argues that Artificial Intelligence has the potential to play its part in improving the customer-facing side of air travel: “I think AI could be tested and trialled and implemented in the customer experience side quite quickly. If it can result in savings, efficiencies and an enhanced passenger journey, then the applications will come.”

There is no doubt the early days of easyJet were hugely demanding, working most days of the week for long hours - but the collaborative and fun culture created a very powerful and inclusive bond, ensuring everyone felt part of the team, as it quickly grew. That said, Tony believes passion for work needs to be balanced. He adds: “You have to get that balance right. Exactly where that balance lies differs from individual to individual... Anyway, my wife helps me keep my feet on the ground.”

Tony Anderson - perhaps the success of this master of the airways can in part be attributed to his ability to keep his feet firmly on the ground…

summer 23 cover story Alice Rowen Hall

Not every successful business is the result of a life-long ambition or dream realised, some are, to quote Bob Ross, “happy little accidents”. In the case of Alice Rowen Hall, her happy little accident side-hustle of selling clothes on eBay grew into a multimillion pound fashion giant - the hugely successful Pink Boutique. Alice exiting that business in 2020, but rejoined in early June this year as Director. In tandem, Alice is three years deep into scaling luxury homeware brand Rowen Homes. A journey that began with Alice sharing photos of her own home on Instagram, that has now resulted in her opening a flagship bricks and mortar store in the Metrocentre.

Calling Pink Boutique and Rowen Homes ‘accidents’ may seem a bit reductive, because Alice has put in countless hours of hard work to make them a success, but she certainly never planned for the journey these businesses took her on. From teaching assistant to hugely successful entrepreneur, it all began in 2012 with just £90 and a pack of dresses.

“I definitely didn’t intend to start a business,” Alice explained.

“I never expected Pink Boutique to become as big as it did. I started it just in an attempt to earn a bit of money on the side with my teaching job. I had just bought my first house at the time and I really couldn't afford

the bills. So, I thought I'll sell some stuff on eBay and hopefully that'll help support my income a bit. But before long it just took off!

“I bought the first pack of dresses for £90. I got my friend to model the dresses, put them online on eBay and

they sold. Then I thought, right, I'll buy two packs, then I bought four packs, then I bought eight packs and I just kept on doubling up and reinvesting!

“It moved from the living room to my mum's loft room and then to her garage. Finally, it had grown so big that we got a 60,000 sq ft unit. I could never have imagined it getting so huge.”

It was when she moved from a garage to a huge warehouse that Alice knew her online clothing store was no longer simply a side-hustle and it had the potential to become an incredibly successful business. But, the question remained, could she afford to take the leap and leave the security of her teaching assistant position behind?

“It was getting to a point where I physically couldn’t handle the amount of orders alongside work, but I wasn’t sure if it was financially viable for me to leave my job,” Alice said.

“So, I sat down with my mum, did the maths and worked out the amount of sales we’d need for me to make it my full-time job. I ended up hitting that target pretty quickly and taking the leap. It was quite a daunting experience leaving my job, especially being a homeowner, it was all very surreal at the time.

“Obviously, I couldn’t do it on my own, so I asked my mum to get on board officially and we went in one

The fab thing about having a family business is that you would go to the ends of the earth for each other. And there's just that real sense of being united in the quest.

share each. She looked after a lot, the operational side of things, the finance side of things. I concentrated on the marketing, the buying and the online strategy.”

Pink Boutique only continued to grow from that point, with Alice’s husband Andrew coming on-board as a director not long after. Alice then began growing her team and her turnover over the next eight years, eventually deciding to exit the business in 2020.

Alice's involvement with Pink Boutique took it from a one-person operation in her living room to a £25m turnover business, with 70 staff, shipping out over 4,000 items of clothes per day at its peak. It had been a hands-on introduction to the world of business, but Alice took to it like a duck to water.

“I really learned absolutely everything that there was to learn about running an ecommerce business because we didn't outsource any of it,” Alice said. “We had a 60,000 sq ft warehouse in Newburn and had all of the departments in-house. We had a digital marketing team, an IT team, fulfilment and returns, a big buying team, customer service and finance. Everybody under one roof! It was a really good grounding in business.”

So, what was the secret when it came to the success of Pink Boutique? Well, creativity on social media played a big part.

“We had a good couple of years where we didn't pay for any marketing, it was all through organic social media,” Alice explained.

“I had a fascination with utilising the algorithms and finding ways around them to be able to effectively sell to our target audience. We had a third-party content strategy and a competition strategy as well. It was around the very early days where people really first started sharing third-party content, like celebrity stories and funny memes. We were one of the first to do it.

“From that we got a huge amount of engagement. We were going global with our reach, and we were in the top three Facebook pages in the UK for engagement. We often had the number one spot! That's really what made it blow up so quickly.”

It’s often said that restriction breeds creativity, so when the pandemic hit and Alice’s plans of a relaxing holiday were scrapped it's not surprising that she ended up on a new business journey! This time it was the popularity of Alice’s home renovation related Instagram posts that led her

to consider how she could disrupt the luxury homeware sector.

“At the time we actually launched three businesses to spread our risk,” Alice said.

“We set up a team and looked at an agency model, having various brands under one umbrella. But the other two brands were food; the margin wasn't strong enough and the operational overhead didn't make sense. So we quite quickly said, let's just close those ones down, refocus the whole team in the homeware side of things.

“But in terms of why we ended up setting up another business, I just found myself doing it again! I definitely didn't intend to set up an ecommerce homeware business, but we love interiors and it was fuelled by our passion. So, we're just selling something that we love again.”

Aside from social media skills and bags of passion, another key to Alice’s success has always been her family. But, running a family business comes with its own challenges as the line blurs between work and family time.

“I think family businesses are probably the toughest businesses to be in,” Alice said.

"The fab thing about having a family business is that you would go to the ends of the earth for each other. And there's just that real sense of being united in the quest. But you might also say things that you wouldn't with a non-family business partner, and this can affect your relationships outside of work.

"I'm really fortunate that Andrew and I work very well together, but we have set boundaries when it comes to our personal time. We try not to talk about work in the evening, which means we have to ensure we have a hearty weekly meeting to catch up on strategic and operational decisions."

The next step in Alice’s journey has taken her from the virtual world to a bricks and mortar store for the first time ever with Rowen Homes’ brand new Metrocentre unit. It turns out you can’t quite beat the experience of shopping in person.

“We’ve decided to open our very first flagship store in the Metrocentre, which is a place quite close to my heart because I had some of my very first jobs there in retail,” Alice explained.

“It's something that we mulled over for a long time. But with furniture, lots of people want to sit on sofas or just see it up-close. What we find, even in our in-house studio, it's not open to customers, but the sheer scale of the product really translates in person. We were getting people walking into the studio and falling in love with the rooms. So, we wanted that magic to be experienced in person.

“We thought we would start with the North East flagship, but the dream is to expand across the UK and even internationally as well with our stores. I really can’t wait to see how customers take to the store and see our passion actually come to life in person.”

The store is now open with footfall to its stunning Metrocentre base extremely high, reflecting huge interest in the Rowen Homes brand.

summer 23

With podcasts taking the world by storm, we decided to raise the curtain on our incredible community of North East entrepreneurs and allow their stories to inspire listeners, not just in our network but from far and wide too.

‘A Cast of Entrepreneurs’ is the brand new podcast from the Entrepreneurs’ Forum which brings together three business leaders in each episode to tell it as it is, giving you real insight into what it’s like to be an entrepreneur.

Hosted by Elaine Stroud and Sally Cowling, the

series is a rollercoaster ride from basketball to crafting, from excavation to Atlantic rowing, from selling darts in the playground to 70th birthday celebrations.

Throughout the episodes we’ll hear from a whole host of inspiring entrepreneurs from the Forum’s

resident entrepreneur of the year, Mike O’Brien from Opencast; Sara Davies MBE, crafting queen and TV dragon; Tim Wilks, owner of Lane 7, one of the Sunday Times fastest growing UK companies; and the youthful passion of startup entrepreneur Rosie Bath and her sustainable business Cera Cotton.

forum partner Lumo

The Changing World of Research and Development Tax Credit Claims (R&D).

claims process and potential values.

From 1st April 2023

The value of the SME scheme has reduced from 33% to 18.6% of eligible costs. However, the value of a the RDEC (Research & Development Expenditure Credit) scheme has increased from 10.5% to 16% of eligible costs. While that’s mainly for larger companies, it can also benefit small businesses.

Baseline of the project:

In the project, what are you looking to achieve and how does this differ from what is currently on the market?

Advance:

at the outset of the project. This may not be music to the ears of anyone toiling to find a solution, but for the purposes of demonstrating a valid R&D claim for tax purpose they show this is not an easy problem to solve.

The Lumo Way “It all starts with a conversation”

At Lumo we take a distinctive approach to R&D Tax, bringing a three-phased method to building your claim that starts at the preplanning phase of any project.

Pre-R&D – we work with our clients to build their R&D strategy for the year ahead, including cashflow forecasting, budgeting, and raising finance, detailing how this dovetails with up-to-date HMRC and BIS guidelines.

R&D has had a lot of negative press lately, which is unfortunate for those who are genuinely carrying out R&D for tax purposes to contribute to the UK economy; precisely what the government intended the relief to support. At Lumo we have been involved in the R&D industry for over 18 years. Our Vision is to make the UK the best place for business through our Mission to empower growth. We embrace the everchanging world of R&D for tax purposes and work closely with our clients, partners and wider networks.

What’s new in R&D?

As you will all be aware we have recently seen a shake up in the world of R&D Tax Credits, with many changes having a huge impact on the

Data Licences and cloud computing services are now an eligible cost when used on R&D for tax purposes. You must inform HMRC if you intend to claim R&D within six months of your year end if you have not submitted a claim within the last three years.

From 1st April 2024

There are new restrictions on overseas expenditure: all subcontractors must be UK based.

Identifying R&D for tax purposes

The term ‘Research and Development’ can often be misleading in relation to ‘Research and Development for tax purposes’. Many companies will be undertaking R&D daily in their quest to improve the way they do business, but does it qualify? To form the basis of an eligible claim your project(s) will need to cover the following areas:

We are looking to identify that ‘special something’ that has the potential to set the proposed product or process apart from industry norm. Critically, it does not need to succeed: it is an advance that is being attempted (with a realistic prospect of success).

Uncertainties:

It is par for the course in any project that there are uncertainties, but in R&D for tax purposes they must be technical or scientific uncertainties, not commercial ones. Failed prototypes are a great way of showing what challenges there were

During R&D – Assess project development activities through the year, monitoring them against the R&D project plan and developing appropriate records.

Post R&D – This is where we analyse all the information collected within the two previous stages then build and submit a comprehensive report and costing analysis to HMRC.

At Lumo we take huge pride in the work we do for our clients and the industry. We have some exciting internal projects on the horizon with some R&D specific collaboration work with the Entrepreneurs’ Forum planned over the next 12 months.

For more information contact graeme.watson@lumo.tax

At Lumo we understand how the thought of dealing with HMRC on any level is approached with trepidation, not least on an area like R&D that is shrouded in uncertainty.

spring conference

Our spring conference 'Fortune Favours the Brave' took place in May at Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield. Hosted by Alfie Joey, our audience of entrepreneurs enjoyed a day full of inspiration and stories of bravery from our five brilliant speakers.

Andy Mawson, Great North Air Ambulance Service

Lizzie Withington and Imran Anwar

James Nightingale and Sam Gibson

Wellness walk

Mike O'Brien

Richard Hogg, Graham Sleep, Neil Henry, Ian Kinnery

Charlotte Nichols, Melissa Coutts, Doug Dinwiddie, Nadia Johnson Dr Kanya King CBE, MOBO

Shelley Lawson and Alfie Joey

summer 23 behind the boardroom

Take a look behind our members’ boardrooms and discover what makes their businesses tick. In this issue we chat with Moody Logistics’ Managing Director Caroline Moody about what it's like working in a family boardroom, being the only woman in the room and the future of the haulage industry.

Moody Logistics and Storage has been a trusted name in the haulage industry for 76 years, growing from a household coal round in 1947 to a 30+ vehicle fleet delivering pallets of goods throughout the UK. Throughout the company’s history and evolutions it has managed to maintain a proud family-only board,

with current Managing Director Caroline Moody taking over the role from her father nine years ago.

“The board has always been made up of family and it still is to this day,” explained Caroline.

“We’ve got my father, Alan Moody, he’s our Chairman and 40% shareholder. My brother, Richard

Moody, is the Operations Director. My brother-in-law, Gavin Cape, is our Engineering Director and I make up the four as the Managing Director.” Finding a boardroom made up of exclusively family members is rare and no doubt a totally different dynamic to a boardroom of unrelated business people and non-execs. But,

it's all Caroline and her family have ever known.

“It’s hard to compare the Moody boardroom to other, non-family, businesses because it’s virtually the only experience we’ve ever had,” said Caroline.

“In a way, it’s been difficult for all of us because we’ve learned as we’ve

grown up in the business rather than going out and getting experience in different jobs, and working our way up the promotion ladders, like most people do.

“I have sat on some other boards, but my brothers haven’t. We’ve just all learned together, found our own ways through trial and error, adapting to what works for us as a business and individuals.”

With Caroline having spent a little time advising other businesses, she’s one of the only Moody board members that’s experienced any sort of boardroom environment that wasn’t a family one! So, what was the main difference between the Moody boardroom and traditional boardrooms?

“I suppose we’ve been able to make decisions quicker - much quicker at times,” explained Caroline. “That was something that stood us on good ground throughout the Covid pandemic. Of course, it was incredibly challenging for everyone but the haulage sector had to battle through it and address some big issues in the process.

“We had driver shortages and wages rising really quickly. But, because we were a family unit I feel we could make decisions quicker for the benefit of the business without any red tape. It made us so much more agile because decisions could be made in a couple of phone calls rather than huge email chains or weeks of meetings.

“Whereas, with other boards that I’ve sat on, the process of getting things done felt much more long-winded. But, on the other hand, you could argue that family businesses aren’t as ‘professional’ as they should be in some respects because we say what we mean and get straight to the point. “We’re all pulling in the same direction. Which is the advantage of

families in general. There’s no hidden agendas or internal politics. There’s pros and cons, but blunt honesty works for us.”

Moody has never recruited any non-exec directors onto its board, but that hasn’t stopped Caroline reaching out for mentoring and advice.

“We’ve never felt the need to go the non-exec route,” said Caroline.

“There’s been a few projects where I’ve reached out to consultants to chat things through and help me with an outsider's perspective on things. Sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes on things to progress.

“So, we've got a good group of go-to people that we speak to for advice and we’ve got a good group of accountants that really help us on the financial side of things. Other than that it’s all us!”

You’d imagine being the only female voice in a board and industry dominated by men can be quite the

challenge. But, for Caroline, taking charge and getting her voice heard comes easy.

“I’ve always been the bossy sister, so the MD role feels natural,” explained Caroline.

“It's just that I've got a different skillset to my brothers. I'm better at long-term planning and strategy and that’s why I do the job I do. Whereas both my brother and Gavin are much more in the moment, people involved in the day-to-day, operational side of the business.

“Even though they’re directors, they look at today, the next day. I focus on the bigger picture! The two views together work well.”

Speaking of the bigger picture, sustainability has been one of the

biggest challenges facing the future of the haulage and logistics industry. But, as far as Caroline is concerned, Moody Logistics’ family unit is ready to face whatever the future throws at them.

“I make sure to keep on top of what’s happening in regards to sustainability and the changes in the marketplace,” said Caroline.

“But I don’t let myself get too concerned. Right now, the UK infrastructure isn’t in place for hydrogen powered or fully electric fleets. But when that time comes we’re confident we’ll be able to adapt like we always have over the years.

“The way I see it, we went from horse and cart to trucks, so I'm not worried about the future!”

summer 23 out of office discovering Brazil

What inspired you to go backpacking in Brazil?

I’ve always wanted to visit Brazil but hadn’t got around to it. When my friend said he had accrued quite a bit of holiday and was allowed to take a three week straight holiday we both agreed Brazil was the place to go! There’s plenty of landmarks and places to visit. I heard the partying in Rio was good as well. We managed to catch the last day of the carnival.

Had you been backpacking previously or was this your first time?

I’ve been backpacking all over the world. It’s my favourite type of

holiday. I started backpacking in my early 20s when a few of my university mates and I travelled around Thailand, Laos and Malaysia. Staying in hostels is way more fun than staying in say five-star hotels! I remember travelling around Cuba and booking into the best hotel in Havana for the first two nights. No one spoke to us and there was no atmosphere at all. We then stayed in this little hostel in the centre and had an amazing night out with about five random people who were all different nationalities. People who stay in hostels seem to be much more open and friendly. I’ve met some of the most interesting and fun people

travelling around in hostels and would highly recommend it regardless of what age you are.

Did you pack any luxury items or home comforts?

No, not really. I think people have misconceptions of backpacking and staying in hostels. Some of the hostels I’ve stayed in are better than hotels these days. Although some of the hostels are most definitely not! I’d not travelled since before Covid, which I think was to Vietnam, so three-plus years ago. I definitely forgot some key travelling tips like taking a bigger rucksack and half filling it. You’re living out of it so I

made the faux pas of ramming it full of clothes I didn’t need and having to empty and pack it again in dorm rooms full of people which was a nightmare. Pack light! Most hostels do washing if you need it. I also forgot flip flops, luckily there was a Havaianas shop on every corner. Looking back at some of the things I took, I think I might have been drunk when I packed my bag!

What did the trip entail?

We flew into Rio and caught the last day of the carnival which was hectic. We spent four days in Rio seeing the sights. Christ the Redeemer was a huge disappointment for me. I had a vision of it just sitting on a mountain top a lot more 'naturally' than it did. Obviously it is heavily commercialised and it felt like it when I was travelling up in a lift to see it. It was also overcast which didn’t help.

The views from the Sugarloaf were great and walking up the Selaron steps was fun. I loved spending time on Ipanema beach near our hostel

It’s that part of the magazine where we sit down with an adventure-loving entrepreneur who took a break from their busy schedule to indulge their wanderlust. In this edition we caught up with George Jenkins - managing director of Modo Bloc - to find out about his epic adventure in Brazil.

and walking around Copacabana beach. Imagine having this type of lifestyle... Finishing work and being able to play beach volleyball or one of the other many beach sports I saw being played on an evening. Certainly better than going home in the dark cold rain and watching TV!

We then took an overnight bus, then boat, over to Ilha Grande, an island just off the coast, where we spent four days exploring and doing some hiking. Another overnight bus to the next stop which was Sao Paulo where we met up with some Brazilian friends we had made in Rio. They showed us around which was helpful as they knew the best neighbourhoods and which ones to avoid.

Another overnight bus then got us to Florianopolis, a more holiday beach destination. One of our good friends happened to be living there training Jiu-Jitsu so he toured us around. This is quite a great place to party, we met some good people in the hostel there and had a few late nights. The last destination was Iguazu Falls where I

majorly screwed up! I had the task of booking the next hostel, however I didn't appreciate that we were going next to the border of Argentina. So, not only did I book somewhere on the Argentinian side, so we had to cross the border, I also managed to book somewhere that had shut down! However, we managed to get accommodation in the end and experience the impressive falls - not to be missed if you are ever in this part of the world.

Having seen the falls from the Argentinian side, which was a memorable experience for us, we then finally got settled in a hostel on the Brazilian side for a few days. We then flew back to Rio for a few more days partying before getting the flight home. It all now seems like a distant memory!

Did you learn any skills from the trip that you can bring back to your business?

I suppose we’re always learning skills that we use without realising, it’s hard

for me to think of any one specific skill. Perhaps the socialising aspect is the most prevalent within business as I find relationships are key to success. I always get a perspective of relevance when touching down in cities like Rio and Sao Paulo. The sheer size of them is hard to comprehend and makes you realise how small the bubble you live in is. I had second thoughts about going due to a large work deadline which fell whilst I was away. I’m glad I chose not to let that cancel my trip. I’ve never said no to a holiday and that reinforced that I probably never will. There’s no point in working hard if you don’t find time to relax and enjoy yourself as well. I met an American girl on one of the overnight buses who had been travelling for three years straight

modobloc.co.uk

and she just worked from her laptop as a graphic designer. I don’t think I could travel for that amount of time in one go, but I do want to go away more often and perhaps still work whilst I’m away.

Where next on your bucket list?

I’d like to explore more of South America. I think Bolivia and Peru could be on the cards later on this year. It’s getting increasingly difficult to find friends to go with though as most of mine are now married with children these days. So if anybody wants to hop on one of my trips give me a shout…. I might eventually take the plunge and just go solo. As soon as you’re in the hostels having a few beers you meet a lot of like-minded people anyway so going solo wouldn’t be an issue.

“The world is too fragile to have businesses that are purely about profit. They just cannot exist.”

Mike Berners Lee, Professor Lancaster University Environment Centre

Making a Positive Difference to People’s Lives

Businesses are increasingly expected to consider purpose as well as profit, and the future of our planet and its people. These are collectively referred to as environmental, social and governance (ESG).

With so many aspects of ESG to consider, guidance from experienced professionals can help you to build a business that meets today’s expectations and is ready for the future. We can help you with:

ESG strategy creation Sustainability workshops

• Carbon accounting and green tax incentives

• B Corp consulting

• ESG measurement and reporting

• ESG focused pension options

• Financial Planning for directors with ESG considerations

Complete your free ESG assessment tool to see what areas you need to focus on to make ESG improvements:

I always get a perspective of relevance when touching down in cities like Rio and Sao Paulo. The sheer size of them is hard to comprehend and makes you realise how small the bubble you live in is.

summer 23 forum partner LDC

grow their businesses. In the last two years alone, our team has backed five management teams across different sectors, investing more than £110m of equity.

The North East is home to some of the UK’s most innovative businesses and entrepreneurs. The ambition of North East entrepreneurs is a huge part of the region’s success. They remain hungry to grow, ultimately generating employment and contributing to UK GDP.

As the leading private equity investor in the North East, we’ve been partnering with entrepreneurs in the region for more than 15 years.

“LDC is helping to support investment in our technology, growing our market presence and the diversification of our proposition. The investment has enabled us to grow at great scale and pace - one which we could never have imagined previously. Through this investment, we’ve been enabled to stay completely aligned to our corporate vision and values.”

Ben Ridgway, Co-Founder, iamproperty

During our time in the North East, we’ve helped some of the region's most ambitious entrepreneurs to

We partnered with Ben Ridgway and Jamie Cooke, co-founders of Newcastle-based proptech group iamproperty, back in 2019. To support our investment, industry veteran Mark Goddard, formerly of Zoopla Property Services and The Property Software Group, was appointed as Group Chairman, joining existing NonExecutive Director and fellow industry heavyweight Jon Cooke. The innovative company has since made two acquisitions and has recently recorded its biggest year of growth to date, reporting a 45% revenue increase to £55m and more than doubling its headcount to over 480. We’ve been supporting Chris Fraser, founder and CEO of Gatesheadheadquartered Aspire Technology Solutions since our investment in a £85m transaction back in March 2022. The business is now delivering plans to create more than 150 new jobs at its flagship headquarters on Newcastle Quayside, and launch a new base at Fusion Hive, a business and innovation centre at Stockton’s Northshore.

We have also recently partnered with Stockton-on-Tees-based Cleveland Group co-founder Johnathan Bulmer, to support the next stage of his business’ growth journey. This includes enabling Johnathan to move into a Non-Executive role through the promotion of Andrew Thompson to CEO. We are working closely with Andrew, Johnathan and the rest of the management team to support their growth plans.

Our own commitment to supporting entrepreneurs with a clear vision for the future of their business aligns perfectly with the purpose of the

“Working with a leading investor that’s right on our doorstep in the North East was really important to us. LDC has an extensive history of supporting businesses just like ours to grow. The investment marks a new chapter for Aspire which will enable us to move to the next level. It’s such an exciting time.”

Chris Fraser, Founder and CEO, Aspire Technology Solutions

We understand the importance of having a local presence and knowing the market on our doorstep. Our team all live and work in the region, and have strong relationships with the business and advisory community here. Last year, we strengthened the team further by welcoming Aaron Lawson-Clark and Emma Borrie as Investment Director and

Contact the team

Investment Manager respectively. Aaron brought with him additional experience in the technology sector, in which we have invested more than £650m nationally since 2012 –backing over 30 management teams, including those at iamproperty and Aspire.

We work as investment partners, helping entrepreneurs to grow their business. As part of Lloyds Banking Group, our approach to private equity is flexible and we continue to invest in our portfolio companies and new investments through the cycle, helping entrepreneurs to build value. Whether it’s targeting international expansion, delivering an effective buy-and-build strategy, or boosting ESG credentials, we are always on the lookout for new opportunities to back entrepreneurs focused on growth.

Get in touch if you’d like to find out more about how we can help.

Gareth Marshall, Partner, Head of North East gmarshall@ldc.co.uk

Naomi McDiarmid, Investment Manager nmcdiarmid@ldc.co.uk

Aaron Lawson-Clark, Investment Director alawson-clark@ldc.co.uk

Gareth Marshall, Partner and Head of LDC in the North East, explores the region’s growth potential and how private equity can help entrepreneurs to achieve their ambitions.

North East Entrepreneurs’ Forum, one of the many reasons we’ve partnered.

forum partner EMG Solicitors

Putting people and clients at the heart of EMG Solicitors

knowledge and service” cited at the heart of their work.

Jemma co-founded the firm in 2014, alongside Managing Director Emma Gaudern and now leads EMG’s Court of Protection Property & Affairs department (COP PA). A team that is fast growing and currently resides as the largest independent COP team in the North-East with 36 practitioners, including their health and welfare professionals.

The dedicated COP team at EMG specialise in helping people who, for various reasons, lack the capacity to manage their own financial affairs or make informed decisions about their health and welfare.

And with some of the best lawyers in the country, the efforts of the team are not going unrecognised. This year the business was proudly ranked in Tier 1 in the Legal 500 list for personal tax, trusts and probate. They were also recognised nationally in the Chambers & Partners directory for their Court of Protection Property & Affairs service offering and have been described as “one of the finest Court of Protection firms in the country”, with “client care, extensive

Jemma said: “It really has been an incredible journey so far. I sometimes have to pinch myself to think about how far we have come since Emma and I founded the company in 2014. Having worked in many male-led ‘traditional’ law firms, we were keen to start something new and do things differently, to create a workplace and culture that helps people be the best version of themselves and in turn deliver exceptional client service. I’ve always had so much respect for Emma from a professional and personal perspective, having been former colleagues, so it was an easy decision to make the leap.

“You know I still vividly remember that first day in February 2014 in my jeans and t shirt, armed with our power tools ready to put up the furniture. And the pot plant that was kindly gifted from my mum, who optimistically set us the challenge of keeping it alive as long as the business. Sadly, while EMG goes from strength to strength with the opening of our fifth office in Manchester and a growing team of 138 - I can’t quite say the same for the shrub in question. Sorry mum!”

Jemma who works ‘on’ and ‘in’ the EMG business both as a practising Court of Protection Property & Affairs lawyer but with a strategic leadership role, credits their growth to a simple principle of building strong relationships with clients, ensuring their best interests remain a top

priority and that they have the right professional help in place to make important decisions about their finances and care.

Jemma added: “We help our clients live the most enhanced life they can, and I can genuinely say, hand on heart, that I love doing what I do. Every day is so different and at times, whilst it can be challenging, it is incredibly rewarding.

I get to see and hear about my clients reaching rehabilitation milestones, living fulfilled lives, making autonomous choices and having their voices heard.”

Another area that can be credited to the business's success and high staff retention rates is their open, flexible and transparent approach, created through their values-based culture and recruitment process.

Jemma added: “One of the things that Emma and I were keen to establish was a place where employees felt trusted, supported and had the flexibility needed to manage both their personal and professional lives. As a mum of two with a busy career I know this all too well. The importance of feeling

For further information contact: www.emgsolicitors.com

supported and trusted to deliver what’s required, but also to know you can be there for your family or those personal needs.

I can honestly say that my colleagues are the best of everything. I see them celebrating each other’s successes as well as uplifting one another when needed. There is a real team spirit, although this perhaps leads to us enjoying too many baked goods in the office at times!”

As a people-led and people-focused business, EMG also takes pride in supporting their local communities, investing in their community fund, which directly contributes 5% of company profits every year. Providing charitable grants and support to those that live and work in their local areas.

So, what’s next?

As well as supporting and developing her team, Jemma will also focus on her strategic role. “We will continue to focus on our growth, but at the heart it will always be about making the right decisions for our clients and our people. Being strategic in our decisions, progressive, but always kind.”

Jemma Morland is Director and Co-Founder of EMG Solicitors. With offices in Durham, Gosforth, Darlington, Penrith and Manchester, the business provides a range of services including Court of Protection (COP), wills, trusts and probate, family, dispute resolution, residential conveyancing and commercial property.

summer 23 new members

Melissa Coutts Recruitrite

skills shortage I’ve seen in my career I was looking for ways to further challenge and develop myself and to take myself out of my comfort zone. I have always worked with a close group of clients and I wanted to be sure that I could offer them further insights and improve our service offerings by improving my own skills and knowledge.

What sparked your move from working in recruitment to starting your own recruitment business?

Tell us about yourself

I’m a happy single mum to two boys and I run Recruitrite, so love the challenge of juggling mum life and boss life!

Why did you decide to join the Forum?

After riding hurricane Covid and then working to support the huge spike in requirements from our clients following the pandemic and supporting them through the worst

Richard Bradley Dyer Engineering

I started out my recruitment career (which was actually my second career) with a major high street recruiter and after 10 years I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the internal politics and processes that seemed to put what my clients actually wanted way too far down the list of priorities for me. I left to work with a smaller, local agency but that wasn’t a great cultural fit for me so with the support of a very close friend and client I took the huge step of going it alone and here I am today!

Why did you decide to join the Forum?

For the past few years I’ve been focussed on the day-to-day running of the business but decided to join the Entrepreneurs’ Forum to connect with more people and like-minded business people. I also want to help others in the North East succeed in building great businesses and am already involved in the mentoring programme to support another member.

Tell us about yourself

I’m a Chartered Management Accountant by trade and am now running a large engineering business in County Durham. I love manufacturing and love the North East.

Luis McCarthy JMAC Group

Tell us about yourself

I am Group Managing Director of JMAC Group, which includes JMAC Scaffolding, JMAC Safety Systems, JMAC industrial Services. The group currently employs over 150 staff with a turnover in excess of £11m per annum.

I am 34 years old and am a family man at heart with three children, two boys aged 10 and 2 and a little princess who is just under 10 months.

I am also a Director and shareholder of Stealth Teesside, which has 150+ members all from the Teesside area. I supported and invested in the business in 2020 alongside my coach and long-time friend and business partner, Jamie Taylor. I wanted to see him with his own business and academy.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I’m fluent in Spanish after going out to Spain in 1990 and living and working there for four years.

I am a keen fitness enthusiast, martial artist and enjoy mountaineering and I cannot stress how important exercise and hobbies are for wellbeing and providing balance to anyone who works in high pressure environments.

Why did you decide to join the Forum?

Running a business can at times be a lonely place, networking with like-minded individuals who can share experiences and solutions to potential challenges is very valuable for any business owner.

What was your first job? Scaffolding labourer followed by Junior Soldier in the Army at 16 years old.

What are you most proud of? My amazing family, my JMAC family and to be fortunate enough to lead and develop the organisation and people within it to where we are at today and where we are going.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

My main hobby is Brazilian Jui-Jitsu. I have been training for eight years and hold a BJJ Purple Belt. I also like Muay Thai and other striking arts and have recently returned from a fitness retreat in Phuket, Thailand where we trained with the world’s best three times a day.

Phil Kite The Adventurers Drinks Company

Why did you decide to join the Forum?

I felt I needed to keep my mind open to new ideas and new ways of reaching my goals, and feed off the energy generated by others who are starting or leading their own businesses. Working on your own has many advantages, especially when it comes to quick decision making, but there are times when you can benefit from the support of others dealing with similar challenges. The Entrepreneurs’ Forum gives you that opportunity.

After a career in engineering and manufacturing, followed by your ocean rowing exploits, what have you enjoyed most about starting your latest business?

who’s joined recently

Ben Kinch

Greatspace Architects

Lorraine McGill

Willow & Maine

Sophia Gowland

The Petite Agency

Simon West

David Blair

Blair West

Bethany Ainsley

OptiMe

Myk Baxter

Myk Baxter Marketing

Steven Hart

Tell us about yourself

For over 30 years I enjoyed managing some of the North East’s more innovative heavy engineering businesses but felt it was time to do something completely different. That started with leading a team row of 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and has led to me launching my new business with its focus on adventure.

Allana Loftus Tights Tights Tights

I am enjoying using all I have learnt along the way, going solo and testing myself. Marketing has proved to be challenging in a crowded market but I love coming up with new ideas and campaigns and seeing if they fly. And if they don't I play Tubthumping by Chumbawamba and move onto the next idea. I also enjoy working with the adventurers that inspire the drinks I am developing. Some of their back stories are amazing and I hope they will inspire others to be more adventurous.

Tights Tights for five years now and two years ago I was offered an amazing opportunity to do a management buyout and I have not looked back.

Why did you decide to join the Forum?

I decided to join the Forum as I was keen to meet and network with inspiring individuals. I am looking forward to meeting more members and sharing our entrepreneurial experiences.

What are you most proud of?

Paul Ponton

Mark Trett

William Palmer

Central Employment & Training

Daniel Duffield

KOVE Properties

James Lees Blend

Jamie Hutchinson Canning24

Mark Blacklee

Curo

Sarah Price Go Well

Stephen Paul

Valued

Claire Walton

Leaders are Making a Difference

George Jenkins

Modo Bloc

Sian Whelan

Norton Loxley

Richard Brown

David McPherson

Eldon Jobe

Steve Cowie

Melius Cyber Consultancy

David Wilkinson

David Wilkinson Coaching

Joanna Feeley

TrendBible

Paul Scott

Jonathan Luke

NEL Fund Managers

Kelly Maxwell

Kelly's Heroes Private Tuition

Sarah Reid

Richard Reed Solicitors

John Beamson

The CEO Adventurer

Imran Anwar

Alt Labs Studios

mental health, social connection, personal skills or cognitive function. I think there is a strong argument to add movement into all aspects of our daily lives, including education and work.

Why did you decide to join the Forum?

We joined the Forum to expand our network and learn from other members.

Tell us about yourself

I graduated with a degree in International Fashion Promotion, I have always loved everything to do with fashion. I have worked for Tights

I am most proud of buying a well-established business which continues to grow both in the UK and internationally but even more proud to have been able to employ my mum.

Tell us about yourself

I'm Sarah, I love being active. I passionately believe in the power of movement to improve lives, whether that be improved physical health,

If you weren’t running your current business, what would you be doing now?

I'd probably be attempting to be a professional athlete in something! Or pursuing an invention of some kind!

forum partner Business Durham

and the automotive sector in 2002. As the proliferation of ecommerce and Amazon rapidly gathered pace, The Storage Place recognised the need for such services and shifted its model to support this development and focuses solely on e-retail order fulfilment. The continued growth of ecommerce provided an excellent opportunity for the business to grow.

The Finance Durham fund was established by Durham County Council in 2017, with a focus on helping businesses to scale up, create jobs, and boost the local economy. Since its inception, over £12.5m has been invested and an additional £65m raised in private sector leverage in 28 companies, supporting the creation of 295 jobs and safeguarding 1,130 more. The fund is overseen by Business Durham, the business support service of the council, and managed by Maven Capital Partners. The aim is to provide debt and equity funding to companies of all sizes and from various sectors, and to reinvest returns on investments.

Sarah Slaven, Managing Director of Business Durham said: “The Finance Durham Fund was established with the aim of accelerating the growth of businesses in County Durham, creating jobs and driving economic prosperity. The success of the fund so far is a testament to the

entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of local businesses, and we are proud to have played a part in supporting their growth. We look forward to continuing to work with businesses in the region to unlock their potential.”

Last year the fund had its first successful exit from threat intelligence firm Intelligence Fusion via a sale to Sigma7. The company received investment to develop its intelligence data feed platform and grow the business from a handful of staff to over 30 employees.

Commenting on the acquisition, Michael McCabe, CEO of Intelligence Fusion, said: “When I founded Intelligence Fusion it was a new type of tech business in the North-East and Finance Durham gave us the financial backing, alongside our other investors, to realise my vision.

“The company was built primarily using local talent, however, we have recruited staff from around the world who have come to live and settle in Durham. An exciting part of this acquisition is Sigma7’s plans for investing in the expansion of Intelligence Fusion’s team, as well as expanding our operations into the United States and elsewhere.”

The Finance Durham Fund has provided finance to a wide variety of companies, from low-cost, low-weight solar film innovator Power Roll to door set manufacturer and distributor, Conduit Construction Network, and shower designer and manufacturer, Roman. Recent investments include a £200,000 investment into The Storage Place, which is part of a £400,000 package co-led by Maven. The funding will enable the business to expand in County Durham, opening a new facility to more than double its capacity and create up to 40 jobs. The Storage Place is a carbon-neutral certified company that operates warehouses across the UK and has over 500,000 sq ft of UK fulfilment space. The business was originally founded as a warehousing and distribution firm for heavy industry

Paul Griffiths, Managing Director of Storage Place, said: “We are delighted to have secured this investment from the Finance Durham Fund to expand our regional operations and create more jobs for the area. Both Michael and I are local to the region and excited to expand even further across the North East and support further job growth.”

In addition to providing investment funding, a key aim of Finance Durham is to increase local companies’ capabilities and skills to be able to raise and use finance to support their business growth. Maven has held one-to-one meetings with more than 350 businesses as part of the support it provides. Michael Vassallo, Investment Director at Maven Capital Partners, said: “We’re delighted to manage such an innovative fund that has the flexibility to provide tailored finance packages to suit the growth requirements of businesses. The Fund’s investments are fantastic examples of providing businesses with substantial funding packages to enable them to grow globally.”

To find out more about the funding and support available visit:

businessdurham.co.uk/how-we-can-help/supportprogrammes/finance-durham/

Funding helps businesses invest, scale up and create jobs in County Durham

A funding scheme designed to boost the growth of companies in County Durham continues to support growing businesses.

mentoring for growth

Entrepreneurs’ Forum Mentoring Programme*

Members of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum can access our mentoring programme, no matter what stage you are at in your journey. Our mentoring programme matches you with a suitable mentor from our extensive community of entrepreneurs. You decide what works best for you for your sessions. You might need an hour to get the answer to a specific question or you might decide to do regular check-ins, we leave it up to you.

Complete the form on our website and we’ll be in touch to match you with a suitable mentor.

If you have any queries about our mentoring programme, please contact Michael Dixon: michael@entrepreneursforum.net

More about the mentors

Di Gates of Stick Theory, a collaboration consultancy helping clients connect with humans, build responsible brands and thrive during periods of change.

Our recent mentoring round table saw three Entrepreneurs’ Forum members share their knowledge and offer guidance to a group of individuals who all see the benefits of learning and gathering knowledge from those who have trodden the path of entrepreneurship.

With over 60 years’ experience between them, our mentors, Di Gates from Stick Theory, Steven Parker from Causal Effect and Jason Turner from Data2Action provided members of the University’s Enterprise Place with tangible advice to take away and consider while growing their own businesses. From understanding the importance of cashflow to lessons in recruiting, each shared their own perspective on running your own business including the highs and lows, what inspires them and how they keep progressing themselves.

Gabriel Bernardo is studying Graphic Design at the university and has set up Studios Nebula to provide clients with brand design and photography services. She said: “The mentor sessions are a brilliant opportunity for me to hear from people who have already built successful businesses. This was my second mentoring round table and each time I have learnt something which will be invaluable for me as I expand Studios Nebula.”

Establishing a clothing brand in a crowded market is a challenge which Tinashe Kavhumbura from TXLVII Clothing is taking on with great drive and determination. She said: “Even though we’re all in different industries, I think there’s so much to learn from other entrepreneurs. I really appreciate the time that the mentors spent with us and also their honesty about running your own company.”

Di’s proud that she has “never had a proper job” and puts her inspiration down to an influential next-door neighbour when she was younger. One key piece of advice which she shared was to listen and understand your customer's problems.

Steven Parker of Causal Effect, providing digital marketing strategy and website development services

Steven’s top tip is to always have a plan B, a contingency which allows you to hope for the best but to prepare for the worst. He’s also clear about the power of your connections and the importance of putting the effort into building and working your network to get something out of it.

Jason Turner of Data2Action, helping businesses to solve data problems and risks.

Jason’s first foray into being an entrepreneur began at school selling yo-yos to the other kids. So it was probably in the playground where he first learnt the valuable lesson not to underestimate that people buy from people. He is a big believer in the benefits that mentoring can bring, including providing a supportive relationship to help individuals grow personally and professionally along with navigating the challenges and opportunities that come with pursuing entrepreneurial goals.

The Entrepreneurs’ Forum partnership with University of Sunderland opens up opportunities for students, alumni and staff to benefit from advice from our community of seasoned entrepreneurs to help them develop their business ideas.

Image credit: Gabriel Bernardo, Studios Nebula

*Our mentoring programme is only available to Entrepreneurs’ Forum members.

summer 23 addressing the issue

There is increasing pressure for businesses to demonstrate their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials and major UK companies (those that are publicly quoted or listed, whose annual turnover exceeds £500m, or who have more than 500 employees) are required to report externally on their ESG performance. A growing number of organisations which are not required to report publicly are nevertheless doing so as a matter of best practice.

The government is actively looking at a spectrum of business activity to ensure principles of ethical working practices are embraced by businesses. In the case of the threat to our planet from climate change, the government has put a specific timeframe in place to reach net zero by 2050. It is prompting all businesses to start their net zero journey, encouraging them into action through initiatives such as the UK Business Climate Hub.

Furthermore, from a recruitment and talent acquisition perspective, studies show that between 60-70% of the workforce now say they are minded to move to careers in organisations with a more sustainable and ethical approach. For example, the 2020 ‛Global Talent Trends Study’ by LinkedIn highlighted that 73% of

professionals worldwide would consider leaving their current job for one with a company with a strong commitment to environmental and social issues. At a time when securing staff is one of the most pressing challenges businesses face, these studies are good evidence of the business case for creating a more sustainable strategy.

Likewise, consumers are becoming more savvy to the organisations behind the products. Deloitte’s Consumer Tracker research found around a third of consumers have actively chosen brands in the last year with strong sustainable and ethical credentials.

From Triple Bottom Line reporting, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to ESG there are many frameworks that support a more rounded business approach. In this article we are focusing on two different approaches taken by Forum members: B Corp and Business in the Community.

Firstly, B Corp has grown its influence in recent years and certification has been achieved by around 1,300 UK companies. Notable members include The Body Shop, JoJo Maman Bébé, Ella’s Kitchen and Innocent Drinks. Within the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Robson Laidler, MicroScooters and UMi are all B Corp-accredited with

several other members currently going through assessment.

B Corp is a fundamental restructuring of how companies go about doing business across key pillars: Workers, Governance, Environment, Community and Customer. It is a status awarded to ethical and socially-minded businesses that demonstrates how they balance profit with people and the planet. It requires rigorous verification of high standards of social and environmental performance and is administered by the Americanheadquartered B Lab. We spoke to Forum member Nicki Clark OBE, chief executive of B Corp accredited UMi. UMi is North East based and operates throughout the UK. It provides businesses with a range of services and support to help their growth. The business is in the process of moving operations to its own environmentally-friendly offices in Durham. It is employee-owned.

Nicki says: “We didn't become employee owned until 2010 - three years after we started. It was a natural transition to the way we looked at our

business and wanted our people to participate in our business.”

When asked about the rationale for UMi deciding to become a B Corp, Nicki explained: “From very early on we believed we could make a difference through the services we were delivering, but also by the way in which we conducted ourselves. “B Corp for us played a part in the articulation and measurement of our ability to do this. We stumbled across B Corp through online research back in 2018. The process offered a really credible methodology for bringing together three objectives - Profit, People, Planet - and how we measured them within our business. “B Corp complemented our size, our ambitions and ideology. It won't necessarily be relevant or proportionate for every business.”

With three quite different areas of emphasis - profit, people and planet - balance is clearly important. Nicki believes profit helps to achieve their objectives for people and the planet. She said: “We can’t risk getting too soft and fluffy about this. It has to be right for your business from a

Many Entrepreneurs’ Forum members are exploring how they conduct their business operations with a greater emphasis on the impact they have on people and the planet. In this article we discuss the different approaches businesses are taking towards operating in a better, more ethical and socially responsible way.

Representatives from North East accredited B Corps including (left to right) Gemma Graham, Robson Laidler, Chris Lines, Berghaus, Martin Wardle, Robson Laidler, Nicki Clark, Umi, Georgia Garland, Sail Creative and Dan Adamson Robson Laidler.

commercial perspective as well. We’ve had to make sure that we don't put too much emphasis on the environment versus profits.

“If businesses don't genuinely believe there needs to be harmony across three things, people, planet and profit, they will get caught out. One bit of their business model will behave in a way at odds with the other bit and consumers will spot it. “Being a B Corp adds value to us in all sorts of ways. You become involved with businesses with like-minded values. So it becomes quite a supportive network. There is a commercial relationship with the B Corp movement too - it does open up contract opportunities.

“A word of caution though - if you’re just doing it for the certification, well it’s a really hard process! And the values it should bring to your business through its adoption just don’t last if it is a tick box exercise.

B Corp is a change to your business culture coming from a genuine place.” For Nicki, embedding a positive business culture across supplier relationships and recruitment is a critical part of UMi’s approach. Influencing other businesses in terms of encouraging them to do business better is something that inspires

Nicki. She said: “That sort of energy, of a kind of ‘movement’ of doing better business together is exciting. It allows us to have a conversation with prospective suppliers and ask them - have you thought about this type of business approach?”

Whilst B Corp is gaining a lot of media attention, as Nicki pointed out, it’s not necessarily the right fit for all businesses. We spoke to Forum member, Mark Thompson, managing partner at award-winning architectural practice Ryder Architecture, to understand their approach. Mark’s

and social value activity across their business felt a better fit than the B Corp route.

Mark explains the background to their approach. He says: “Back in the mid 90s, when Peter Buchan and I took the practice forward, we gave money to the local primary school in Killingworth for their book club. Back then, it was just seen as being a ‘good neighbour’.

“We knew Ryder was doing good, but we didn't really shout about it. At the end of each year we'd ask: how much money have we donated and how many hours of volunteering have our staff done? And how many work experiences have we actually offered…? We found that it was very difficult to gather data.

“Measuring progress was important and we knew we needed to find a process for this. We took the decision to align with Business in the Community and the work they do.

“Business in the Community gives us a dashboard which enables us, as a practice, to monitor our progress. For example, we can track people's work experience. We've always supported student bursaries and now we can measure the volume of bursaries we offer and grow this total. We've got Plan BEE - a higher apprenticeship programme involving academic and industry bodies - and we can track progress.”

responsibility of community-impact activities. Where we are collaborating with contractors, engineers and designers all on a similar course for a project, it works well when we embrace similar values.”

Whatever the route a business chooses to follow, it needs to make commercial sense. Mark adds: “We've got to make money first of course. But then the question is what you do with that money: how much you invest in your people, how much you invest in other good causes…”

Being successful commercially allows businesses to invest in more caring, community-driven initiatives. Ryder made the decision to put a figure on it. Mark explains: “It’s a good thing to have a target. We target 2% of turnover going to good causes.”

The impact of influencing others is not lost on Mark. He acknowledges that by setting a positive example of measuring and reporting progress on initiatives focused around areas such as apprenticeships or ‘giving back’ can inspire other partners and the wider supply chain. He adds: “Business with social values can change not just us but other people too. The most powerful thing you can do as a business owner is to help change the industry for the better, not just your own organisation.”

desire for Ryder to continue to be a better business has taken a different approach to B Corp. Instead, the practice has worked with Business in the Community to drive forward its ethical and community objectives. Business in the Community was established in 1982 as a not-for-profit and is the largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. With over 300 UK members, they focus on helping businesses have a healthier impact on their community and environment by providing practical toolkits and advice to develop organisational strategies. For Ryder, this different route to embedding a programme of ethical

Mark added: “This approach to better business has to be organic and real to your business culture. It's got to be embraced and driven from within. We did look at B Corp but it felt quite corporate and didn't really fit our identity. It felt too business-toconsumer rather than business-tobusiness oriented.”

Mark adds: “We focus on working with people with the same mindset and collaborating with like-minded businesses helps open up other opportunities and recommendations. “When we are lead consultants on a project and employing subconsultants we share the

For more information bcorporation.uk btic.org.uk

Both Nicki and Mark agree that it makes good commercial sense to have a strategy that supports the community in which they operate. Attracting and retaining employees is one of the biggest challenges employers face and there is growing evidence that employees want to work for companies that genuinely care about their impact on the wider world in which they operate.

Whilst both have taken different approaches, each has sought data to monitor and track progress being made. Both entrepreneurs encourage others to find a framework that works for their own business, fits its values and has a genuine authentic meaning for their culture.

For us, the process offered a really credible and complete methodology for bringing together three objectives - Profit, People, Planet - and how we measured them within our business.

Nicki Clark OBE

forum partner RBC Brewin Dolphin

Rehearse your future: How much is enough?

Running your own business can be an all encompassing endeavour.

You might occasionally think about a potential ‘exit’ but not know what this really looks like for you and your family.

What about your personal aspirations? Why are you doing what you’re doing? What end does it serve?

For all but the most extreme serial entrepreneur, there will likely be an end goal; a point at which you can get away from the coal face and do the things that truly motivate and excite you.

Running a business is an exhilarating and often exhausting undertaking. You influence not only your own destiny, but that of your staff too, as well as possibly the sector you operate within. It’s a heady cocktail, but we find that many business owners would like to get to a point where, if they’re working at all, they’re doing so out of choice rather than necessity.

But how do you know when you’ve reached that point? How do you know when you’ve made enough to live your dream life? More importantly, what are you not doing by staying involved in the business?

What are you missing out on while you’re still young enough to enjoy it?

If you’ve unwittingly already reached

the point where you can live your dream life, why are you ploughing on?

We understand that taking your foot off the gas may not come naturally; indeed, to get to where you are today, you’ll have taken risks and no doubt have suffered sleepless nights. Your self-reliance, determination and resilience are likely what have led to your success. Thinking about exiting your business is understandably a difficult topic.

Our job is to help you work out:

1. what your dream life looks like,

2. how much that dream life costs,

3. when you can live that dream life, and

4. whether that dream life is already within your grasp.

If not, the strategy needed to get you there.

When we know these things, we can help give you clarity on when you can

step away from the business. In conjunction with your other professional advisers, we can then help implement an exit strategy that maximises your chances of living life on your terms.

We’ve worked with thousands of business owners like you, who

have benefitted from the clarity we can bring to the conundrum of “how much is enough?” We do so without bamboozling you with jargon and, often, we end up showing you that your ‘magic number’ is smaller than you think it needs to be.

To get real clarity on when you can live your best life, email Tom Solly on

tom.solly@brewin.co.uk

The value of investments, and any income from them, can fall and you may get back less than you invested.

Lemon Contact Centre

Lemon Contact Centre celebrates 20 years in business.

seeking and securing Lemon’s first clients and customers. Starting from scratch led to some difficulties though, as Martin explains: “We were out there trying to pitch to win new work, but it was just the two of us in a converted garage. So we drafted in our friends and family to help, with the belief that if we acted and looked like a bigger company, we would inevitably become the company we wanted to be. I still remember the first day we had a ‘real’ employee – we thought we had made it!” Luckily, their perseverance paid off, and the duo secured their first client – a local lift engineering and installation firm. “They liked our ambition and gave us a chance. It was the break we needed and gave us an in-road into the lift industry, which has been a core part of the client base since that very first piece of business and we have gone on to work with some of the biggest global brands across a variety of sectors.”

took it in turns sleeping on the floor of the garage alongside our dog at the time, Jake. When you’re young and ambitious you’re able to do things like that, it was just normal to us at the time and we were ultradetermined to achieve our goals and make the business work.”

After that, Lemon’s workload began to steadily grow and with more clients came more staff. Fast forward 20 years and Lemon has around 100 clients across a wide range of sectors including the care sector and engineering and technical firms. With more than 80 staff in place 24-7-365, the range of services has expanded to include live chat, email contact and messaging apps. In fact, if it’s a means of communication between a business and their customers, Lemon can handle it. Ongoing robust training ensures that all staff are completely up to date with technology and keep ahead of the latest trends in communication.

As the company reflects on its achievements over the past two decades, it's impossible not to look back at the journey of its co-founders, Martin Anderson and Lesley Wratten – and the dedication and hard work that went into building the company from the ground up.

The couple founded Lemon Contact Centre in 2003 with a vision to provide personalised outsourced customer service to SME firms, predominantly in the engineering, technical and care sectors. Like so many iconic businesses, Lemon’s first office was situated in a garage and with just a pen, paper and mobile phone, the vision and determination to build a successful venture was cemented there.

And like the iconic businesses of the early noughties, a name was

important. Explaining the origin of the Lemon brand, Martin explained: “We were racking our brains trying to think what our business could be called, so we started talking about what kind of business we wanted to be. At the time, the hottest, most cutting-edge brands seemed to be named after fruits, like Apple, Orange and Blackberry – so that’s what we did. It’s been one of our best decisions and we’ve built a strong brand on the back of it. Everyone comments on how ‘on-brand’ our office is with its yellow furnishings and lemon trees, and we have a lot of fun fitting fruity puns into our marketing.”

Recognising a gap in the market for high-quality contact centre services that acted as an extension of organisations and provided effective customer service, the pair began

Offering a 24-hour service from day one was critical to the business succeeding, as it gave Lemon a unique selling point that others struggled to match. But with just Martin and Lesley manning the phones, doing all the administrative work and trying to grow a business, running a 24 hour operation was always going to be a real challenge. Martin said: “Offering a 24-hour contact centre service in the UK was a bit unusual back then, so we knew it would make us stand out from our competitors and give us a strong selling point for clients. So we brought in the sleeping bags and

Martin added: “Our solutions have grown over the last twenty years and are designed to save clients the time, money, and the hassle of deploying in-house support services, as well as giving them the confidence to expand their business knowing we are there to support them every step of the way. Our whole ethos is based around becoming a true extension of our clients’ business and not a contractor or supplier. It’s been a fantastic 20 years, I’m immensely proud of what the whole team have achieved and I’m looking forward to creating new opportunities for everyone involved as we continue our growth in the decades ahead.”

For more information contact lemoncontactcentre.co.uk 0800 612 7595

Lemon Contact Centre is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades of providing exceptional customer service to clients across the UK and Europe.

summer 23 a triumphant return St. Vincent

Nestled away in Newcastle’s bustling Quayside, St. Vincent is a Franco-Italian inspired bar and restaurant that’s quickly becoming a regular haunt for foodies across the region with its punchy flavour filled menu, extensive wine selection and theatre connection.

In fact, St. Vincent was already a foodie hotspot when it first opened in 2018, but after closing in 2020 due to the impact of the pandemic there were doubts it would ever open its doors again. Thankfully, it re-opened in February this year and under the culinary leadership of Chef Terry Laybourne has established itself as one of Newcastle’s most popular eateries.

Brother of Entrepreneurs’ Forum

member Laurance Laybourne, Terry has been a leading name in the culinary scene for a number of years, having earned numerous accolades during the course of his career whilst overseeing some of the North East’s most-loved restaurants and hospitality venues.

Terry currently runs the 21-Hospitality Group, featuring 21, The Broad Chare, Café 21, Porterhouse Butcher & Grill, Saltwater Fish Company in Fenwick

and St. Vincent. With St. Vincent, Terry has created a concept that is rooted in his passion for experimentation and his commitment to using high-quality, seasonal ingredients.

The menu at St. Vincent is designed to reflect the changing seasons, with dishes that feature fresh, hearty, local ingredients and a European style.

One standout dish is the grilled monkfish flavoured with aromatic

herbs and served with Sicilian caponata. The monkfish is a perfect example of Terry's flavour-first approach to cooking, which focuses on bringing together flavours and textures in unexpectedly delicious ways. Another must-try dish are the char-grilled lamb chops, which are served with salsa primavera. Its British heartiness and European flavour working in perfect harmony. In addition to the food menu, St.

Vincent has become somewhat famous in the North East and beyond with an impressive wine list that features both classic and contemporary wines exclusively from Europe. The wine list is curated by St. Vincent's Manager and Head Sommelier, Matt Clarkson, who has carefully selected wines that pair perfectly with the restaurant's food menu. It’s hard to pick just a few favourites from the extensive 30 page list, but we’ve tried our best to narrow it down! Our highlights include Sottoriva Malibran Col Fondo Cloudy Prosecco (the house Aperitif) and Valle Reale Sant’ Eusanio Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2020, that complements the restaurant's heartier dishes.

Speaking of perfect pairings, St. Vincent sits right alongside Newcastle’s Live Theatre, making it the perfect pre-theatre drinks and food spot! Great food, amazing wine and a night at the theatre?

Yes please, St. Vincent is a dream come true.

The whole vibe of St. Vincent is another perfectly executed element that makes the dining experience so enjoyable.

forum favourites

From motivational reads, insightful documentaries and goal-grabbing podcasts, Forum picks out a selection of inspiring media…

read

The Green Grocer: One Man’s Manifesto for Corporate Activism

by Richard Walker

Managing Director of Iceland Foods, Richard Walker explores how running a sustainable business doesn’t mean that you can’t make a profit. From restricting single-use plastic to eradicating palm oil from products in his supermarkets, he explains how businesses can make progress on sustainable initiatives while being realistic about profit margins and obligations to customers and employees. This book offers real-life examples and incredible insights to inspire any business, regardless of size, to make a difference.

The interior is modern and sleek, but still bursting with personality and warmth. The exposed brick walls and low hanging lights create an atmosphere akin to your favourite cosy pub, with the stylish furniture reminding you that you’re set to enjoy some of the best food in the city. Our favourite part of the restaurant has to be the super comfortable booths that you can melt into and really take in the relaxing ambience.

Complementing this is another USP - the music providing a unique vibe to the atmosphere.

St. Vincent truly stands out for its commitment to innovation and quality; not that you’d expect anything less from a Terry Laybourne venue. Terry’s culinary expertise is on full display throughout St. Vincent’s seasonally changing menus, each dish showcasing his passion for pushing the envelope when it comes to flavour. Combined with the restaurant's impressive wine list and sleek yet warmly inviting decor, St. Vincent is a true gem in Newcastle's culinary scene and an absolute must visit for foodies, wine connoisseurs and those just looking for a fantastic night on the Quayside!

watch

The Elon Musk Show, BBC iPlayer

From South Africa to Silicon Valley watch the enigmatic, compelling and controversial inside story of the world’s richest man, as told by family, friends and enemies. This three-part series takes us through the early days of sleeping on his office floor to becoming a multi-millionaire at the age of 28. His journey continues with the impact of the financial crash, his dream to build an electric car company and how he gets his space rocket enterprise, SpaceX, off the ground. As Elon’s businesses reach unprecedented levels of success, his celebrity grows, but his behaviour comes under ever greater scrutiny. A fascinating watch uncovering the story of one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs.

Listen

A Cast of Entrepreneurs

Brought to you by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum

Join Elaine Stroud and Sally Cowling as they bring together entrepreneurs from across the region to uncover the highs and lows of running your own business.

The series is a rollercoaster ride from basketball to crafting, from excavation to Atlantic rowing, from selling darts in the playground to 70th birthday celebrations. It’s full of thought-provoking insight from our inspiring entrepreneurs such as resident entrepreneur of the year, Mike O’Brien from Opencast; Sara Davies MBE, crafting queen and TV dragon; Tim Wilks, owner of Lane 7, one of the Sunday Times fastest growing UK companies; and startup entrepreneur Rosie Bath, Cera Cotton. A great opportunity to hear candid stories from our amazing community.

summer 23 travel exploring Mauritius

From the white sands and turquoise waters to the breathtaking mountain views and tropical rainforests, a trip to Mauritius is just what our summer schedule needed. We get the lowdown on one of the island’s most luxurious resorts, Anantara Iko Mauritius Resort and Villas. Here’s what we found out...

It’s that time of year when we’re looking to press pause, switch off and take a break from our busy schedules. With that in mind, we took it upon ourselves to uncover some of the most luxurious destinations that allow for copious amounts of R&R and stumbled upon the breathtaking Anantara Iko Mauritius Resort and Villas - a little slice of paradise for those looking to escape the everyday.

Mauritius, an Indian Ocean island

nation, is simply stunning. If you haven’t already, then adding this jaw-dropping destination to your must-visit list, is essential. Holidays to this tropical paradise can be filled with sun-soaked days on the immaculate white beaches, watersports in the crystal clear waters, expeditions through the tropical rainforests, culture, history, hikes and so much more.

Nestled on Le Chaland Beach on the southeastern coast of Mauritius,

Anantara Iko Mauritius Resort and Villas is the perfect place to set up camp for your luxury getaway. Just 10 minutes from the airport, packed with opulence and equipped with ample opportunity for both relaxation and adventure - this idyllic resort is the perfect place to switch off and find out what bliss means to you.

Laying your head here comes with the promise of space, peace and tranquillity. Escape to a room, suite or villa with views of either Le Chaland Beach and the Indian Ocean, or a space immersed in lush greenery. The luxury five-star resort is also home to its two and four-bedroom Anantara Pool Villas, which are set

within tropical gardens and combine modernity with indigenous design in homage to the surroundings of the southeast coast of Mauritius. The new Anantara Pool Villas offer the luxury of flexibility, with in-villa check-in and private entrances. Situated in tropical and secluded surroundings, the Anantara Pool Villas are designed with a continuation of the resort’s laid back luxe colour scheme and textiles. Inspired by the white sands and accented with pops of tropical colour reflecting the shades of the Indian Ocean, amber sunsets, green sugar cane fields and rare corals. Authentic materials honour the warmth and detail of local Mauritian architecture and craftsmanship. Spaciously designed, each villa features a comfortable living space with a smart TV, a fully-equipped

stunning resort has it all; including guided forest walks, local cultural tours, snorkelling in the Blue Bay marine park, plus a selection of wellness therapies ranging from yoga, meditation, tai chi and stretching to de-stress and unwind in pure natural surroundings. These therapeutic experiences can be incorporated into new three, five and seven day programmes tailor-made for guests with spa treatments offered by Anantara Spa. The spa here is truly spectacular and offers a variety of treatments and wellness therapies to soothe the mind, body and soul.

Foodies will be satiated with daily wellness smoothies and a wide variety of healthy breakfast options on offer at the all-day dining Horizon, whilst vegans and fitness enthusiasts

Try these experiences…

Mauritius is a beautiful island nation located in the Indian Ocean, known for its stunning beaches, turquoise waters, and lush greenery. The island is a popular tourist destination and offers a wide range of activities for visitors to enjoy. Whether you are interested in exploring marine life, spending days on the beach, soaking up the local culture, or just enjoying a round of golf, there is something for everyone to see and do here.

Blue Bay Marine Park

Located just moments away from the Anantara Iko Resort, Blue Bay Marine Park is protected paradise that is home to a diverse array of marine life, including coral reefs, tropical fish, sea turtles, and dolphins. Visitors can go snorkelling, diving, or take a glass-bottom boat tour to explore the marine park.

Mahebourg

Steeped in history, this local village is home to the National History Museum, which showcases the island's history and culture. Visitors can also explore the local markets, sample local street food, and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the waterfront.

Chamarel Waterfall

A short drive from Anantara Iko Resort lies the breathtaking Chamarel Waterfall. Surrounded by lush greenery it’s one of the most picturesque spots in Mauritius. Visitors can take a hike to the waterfall and enjoy a refreshing swim in the natural pool.

kitchenette and an alfresco dining area for feasts prepared by your private chef. A tailor-made experience awaits with a personal butler on hand to cater to guests’ every need, from organising a private breakfast on a desert island or making restaurant reservations, to arranging cultural tours in the nearby historic town of Mahebourg together with in-room spa treatments. There’s plenty to see and do herewhether you like to relax by the pool or immerse yourself in activities - this

can dine at Bon Manzer offering innovative clean eating. For luxurious dining experiences, Sea.Fire.Salt offers signature seafood and grill with Indian ocean views and a feet in the sand option.

If it’s a trip to paradise you’re in search of, then this is the place for you.

Ile aux Aigrettes

Located on a small island off the coast of Mauritius, is Ile aux Aigrettes, a nature reserve and home to several endangered species. Visitors can take a guided tour of this paradise island to learn about the local flora and fauna.

Golfing

Mauritius is a popular golfing destination, and there are several worldclass golf courses located near Anantara Iko Resort. The Heritage Golf Club, located in Bel Ombre, is one of the world’s most sought-after golf destinations. Players can enjoy a round of golf while taking in the stunning views of the Indian Ocean.

summer 23 join us

Become a member of the Entrepreneurs' Forum and you'll be joining the largest network of entrepreneurs in the North East. We're here to inspire and energise and give you that boost to drive your business forward.

The benefits

How to join

If you’d like to discuss the different options in more detail or for any other membership enquiries, please contact Michael Dixon: michael@entrepreneursforum.net

I love the vibe of the Entrepreneurs' Forum community and events. The supportive and welcoming atmosphere is something special - I've met some truly incredible people and they've been extremely encouraging as I take Radial Path to the next level.”

Ruth Plater, Radial Path

A Brand and Performance Agency for B2B

Entrepreneurs' Forum has always been very good to me, from start-up to scaling my business. We’ve been members for a month and have benefitted already - everything from public speaking coaching to developing teams and attending the summer conference.”

Joanna Feeley, Trend Bible

A

Global Future Trends Agency

Proud to support Entrepreneurs’ Forum

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