theedge_issue13_digital

issue thirteen News

4

Wirral Business Awards

8

Wirral Business Partnership

10

Your Workspace

13

Business Funding

19

Business Support

24

Opinion - Esther McVey

29

The Open - Corporate Hospitality

30

Increase Your Client Spend

32

Opinion - Keith Jones

33

Gadgets & Gizmos

34

Opinion - Jan McDermott

35

Kirwans Property Column

37

Facebook Future?

38

Let’s Celebrate

39

Stick ‘n Step 50/50 Challenge

42

Lifestyle

43

Networking & Events

44

Wirral’s Newest Businesses

46

theedge 4-8

10-12

13-17

19-23

BUSINESS FUNDING

A Let’s Go! Publication Issue Thirteen Editor Barry Bragg Publisher Melissa Bragg Design & Production Alex Ramsay Account Manager Claire Langrell

YOUR WORKSPACE

24-29

Published by Let’s Go! Publishing Limited.

With kind thanks to our contributors.

To advertise in future issues email claire@theedgewirral.co.uk or telephone (0151) 203 2115. To contribute email editor@theedgewirral.co.uk. © Copyright Let’s Go! Publishing Limited 2013 No part of this publication may be reproduced, either in part or as a whole, including artwork, without prior written consent. All details are correct at time of publication. The editor of The Edge has consulted sources believed to be reliable in their efforts to provide information that is accurate and true at the time of publication. The views expressed in this publication are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of Let’s Go! Publishing Ltd.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

30-31

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 3

news

theedge

SPONSORED BY

Mere Brook House and Thornton Hall Hotel make Michelin Standard irral hotels, Mere Brook House and Thornton Hall Hotel & Spa have been listed in the Michelin Guide for 2014 which is the most highly regarded accolade in the hospitality industry for hotels and restaurants. In its second successive listing, Mere Brook House was complemented on its mix of ‘modern fabrics and traditional furnishings’ and its ‘colourful gardens’. Special mention was made of the hotel’s home produced honey from bee keeper and co owner Donald Tyson. Mere Brook House offers a relaxed atmosphere with no check in or check out times, where guests can help themselves to food and drink at their ‘home from home’.

On hearing the news, owner Lorna Tyson said: “We are thrilled to find out we have

made it into the Michelin Guide once again. It’s great to know that our dedication to our guests’ experience has been recognised by such a prestigious establishment, and it is a credit to our passionate team.”

the most exclusive fine dining restaurant in the area. The Michelin Guide entry proves that we are heading towards being recognised in this way."

Thornton Hall received recognition for the hotel accommodation and its award winning Lawns restaurant. The team of Chefs at The Lawns restaurant have worked and trained at some of Europe's top Michelin starred eateries. The hotel and restaurant already enjoy an excellent reputation across the region for fine dining and are aiming to enhance and develop that further.

Geoff Dale, General Manager of Thornton Hall Hotel, said: "We were delighted to achieve such a respected listing for both our hotel and for The Lawns. We have invested heavily in both to ensure we have

Kettle Design Nominated for award nterior design firm Kettle Design are celebrating the nomination of one of their designs for a prestigious regional award. A bathroom, created for one of their clients has been shortlisted for Best Room at the Northern Design Awards. The nomination is the second year running for the firm at the Awards, which celebrate the best in northern design and style. Entries are judged by some of the biggest names in the industry including Sir Terrance Conran, Linda Barker and Wayne Hemingway.

The nomination caps an exciting year for Kettle Design including the opening of their new showroom in Heswall and a series of prestigious projects. Suzanne Mercer, Creative Director at Kettle Design

4 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

said "We are delighted to be nominated for this award, and I think it shows that creative firms in Wirral can compete with the best designers in the country. We couldn't achieve this without the great support we receive from our local craftspeople and international suppliers, and it feels like a really exciting time to be based in Wirral".

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 5

NEWS

LinkedIn Intro service announced. inkedIn Intro integrates with the users Mail app to display the sender's job title and business name below the To/From section.

At its launch event the company said that the service is built on Rapportive and works with Gmail, Google Apps, AOL mail, Yahoo mail and iCloud accounts.

When an email is received, the service provides a button with the sender's job title and business name if they have a LinkedIn account. Tapping this button draws in further information from experience to connections - all displayed directly within the iOS Mail app. The move comes as the professionals' social network also revealed it is releasing a new LinkedIn app for iPad. A new interface aligned with the iOS 7 design is included in the app update, as well as a selection of new tablet-specific features, including a swipe-based gesture system where users can like, comment, share and add new members directly from the feed. LinkedIn Intro is available to English-speaking members worldwide.

FPI North West Limited stablished fluid power engineering company FPI Northwest have opened a new trade counter at Unit 11 Commerce Business Park in Birkenhead.

The counter is offering a wide range of hydraulic and pneumatic products including hydraulic hose assemblies and fittings. Experienced staff will also be on hand to offer free advice and guidance on all products.

Based in the North West of England FPI offer sales, service and maintenance of fluid power components and systems, utilizing time served and qualified engineering personnel. They are experienced in heavy industry, renewables, pharmaceuticals, glass, materials handling, marine, mining, transport, etc and are members of The Mersey Maritime Association.

6 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

£750,000 development in historic Hamilton Square n exciting new mixed use venue opened its doors for business last week with a lavish launch party to mark the occasion.

Wirral's historic Hamilton Square is home to 4748 which offers private and corporate entertainment, a business hub and boutique accommodation. Housed in two newly renovated Georgian Grade I Listed buildings, 4748 is a unique space offering guests an impressive backdrop in which to 'Celebrate, Work, Eat, Sleep and Play'. 4748 offers private and corporate hospitality, a venue for weddings and other celebrations, serviced offices, meeting rooms and boutique accommodation.

Plans are underway to add a "public space" in the form of The Cellar Bar and Café (with access to Walled Gardens and Stables) which will firmly establish the venue as a focal point for businesses,

charities, public sector organisations and the local community. The Walled Gardens and Stables will provide anoutdoor community space hosting a varied range of cultural activities and events ranging from art exhibitions to food festivals. The venture is the brainchild of local entrepreneur Dominic Schiller, who has secured investment of over £750,000 and brought in a team of business and hospitality professionals to deliver the project.Dominic said: "I passionately believe that dynamic, growing businesses need to be located in high quality facilities, surrounded by like-minded individuals.”

As well as housing Equipped 4 Limited, 4748 has already attracted a number of tenants who will support Dominic's vision, including technology financiers Radley Ventures and InfusionTech Systems Limited, a company with technology that could revolutionise 3D printing.

1.25m businesses to benefit from NIC cuts A tax cut worth up to two thousand pounds for every business and charity in the UK, the NICs Employment Allowance will see 1.25m firms benefit from a reduction in their employer National Insurance Contributions bill. Taking effect from April 2014, the annual allowance will mean 450,000 businesses having their employer NICs bill completely

wiped out, including 53,000 businesses in the North West. The allowance will be simple to claim and easy to administer. Businesses will just have to confirm their eligibility for the allowance through their regular payroll processes and up to £2,000 will be deducted from their employer NICs liability over the course of the year.

CELEBRATE • WORK • EAT • SLEEP • PLAY

Four Seven Four Eight A HUB FOR BUSINESS AND PLEASURE The Wrightsure Insurance Group is one of the country’s largest privately owned insurance brokers. Founded in 1975 and with four UK offices, Wrightsure is an Independent Broker providing a range of insurance products for business. In 2010 Wrightsure Services Ltd obtained Lloyds Broker status which allows us direct access into Lloyds benefiting our clients both in savings & speed of response.

The Wrightsure Way: We listen We analyse We provide Our philosophy is refreshingly simple - to provide the highest degree of service, value and result to every person or organisation that ever comes into contact with us.

We also specialise in Car, Home and Travel insurance so,

if you’d like more information on how Wrightsure can meet your insurance needs,

why not contact us today?

Now open for Private dining, Christmas celebrations, Business lunches and dinners.

Outstanding Corporate Hospitality, Meeting rooms and conferencing facilities.

Boutique accomodation, penthouse and en-suite bedrooms.

COMING SOON | Cellar Bar and Café Our experienced team looks forward to welcoming you!

48 HAMILTON SQUARE, BIRKENHEAD, CH41 5AR Email: enquiries@4748.co.uk 0151 601 9479

11-12 Hurricane Dr, Speke, Merseyside L24 8RL

www.4748.co.uk

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 7

wirral business awards

he best of Wirral’s businesses were recognised in September at the 2013 Wirral Business Awards.

The prestigious event was held at Birkenhead School and attended by 450 of the region’s leading business people to celebrate 14 award category winners. Organised by Wirral Business Partnership, the event highlighted the excellence, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit of Wirral companies and highlighted the diversity of talent that exists here.

Chief Executive of Wirral Business Partnership, Paula Basnett had praise for every entrant and award nominee in addition to the award winners when she announced “The diversity of the awards applications demonstrated the range of businesses in Wirral. We were very impressed with the positive outlook taken by the applicants in such an uncertain economic climate. The award winners demonstrated that they are driving our economy forward and we can look forward to a very bright future together in Wirral” The Edge magazine would like to add its congratulations to each of the award winners and we look forward to following your progress throughout the coming year.

The 2013 Wirral Business Award Winners were…

Newcomer of the Year B&M Secure Shredding

Business of the Year (1-10 employees) Ultromex Ltd

Business of the Year (11-49 employees) Smylie Ltd

Business of the Year (50+ employees) Cammell Laird

Business Person of the Year Dantec Ltd – John Laidlaw

Community Business of the Year Recipro

Exporter of the Year Sovex Systems Ltd

Innovation Award Cabfind Ltd

Low Carbon Award Fleetsolve

Maritime Award SeaKing Electrical

People Development Award Magenta Living

Sustainability Award Heap & Partners Ltd

Visitor Economy Business of the Year Floral Pavilion Theatre & Conference Centre

Wirral Think Big Award The Contact Company More information and pictures at www.wirralbusinessawards.com 8 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

Community business of the year

Community Business of the Year 2013 ecipro was named winner of the Community Business of the Year award 2013 at the recent Wirral Business Awards. The prestigious event held at the Floral Pavilion, celebrates all that is great about Wirral business and recognises excellence and achievement in every field. Recipro, who redistribute unwanted building materials fought off strong competition from other nominees Claire House and Wirral YMCA to clinch the award.

Marketing manager Rebecca Owens said “Everyone at Recipro is delighted to have received this award. It really is fantastic to be recognised for our achievements and our work within the community. As a business we are growing quickly, and we are preparing to open our third ReciproCity reuse centre in London, to complement our existing centres in Cardiff and Wirral. Our plans for the future are to grow our service even further and have centres located across the UK benefitting local communities everywhere.”

Recipro is an online exchange for construction surplus and re-usable materials. They are used to pass on leftover building supplies or to source good quality, low cost construction materials.

The construction industry in the UK uses approximately 420 million tonnes of materials and products per annum and generates 120 million tonnes of waste. It is estimated that 13% of construction products that arrive on a building site end up in a skip as waste product without ever being used, with a market value of approximately £1.5 billion each year. Using recipro diverts these materials away from the waste stream and puts them to beneficial use.

Recipro was launched in 2008 as a free to use service for the construction industry to pass on these surplus and re-usable materials. Benefits include: • Cost savings to builders as less material is sent to landfill • Cost savings to recipients as most items on recipro are passed on for free or at low cost • Environmental benefits – less waste sent to landfill or for recycling (the ideal waste hierarchy shows us that re-use is less energy and resource intensive than recycling)

Les Owens, Recipro MD, accepting the Award for Community Business of the Year Anyone can join Recipro, just register and add details of any surplus materials or browse the available listings online. For larger projects and companies, recipro is currently piloting a brand new service in North West England and South Wales.

For more information, please email projects@recipro-UK.com or call 0844 225 3000 and ask to speak to someone about the Recipro Managed Service.

Website: www.recipro-uk.com www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 9

BUSINESS LINKS

Developing international education links through partnership

irral Business Partnership, Birkenhead School, and Typhoo have been working closely together to develop an educational project which saw the Indian owned tea giant hosting students of schools from Wirral, Germany and Spain to encourage international team working for a new generation of European citizens.

Comenius is an international research project organised between Birkenhead School, La Fundación Escuela Teresiana (Spain), and Geschwister Scholl Schule (Germany) to develop school and industry partnerships to help students learn, improve teaching and learning environments, motivate pupils and teachers to study foreign languages, and improve intercultural awareness and competences.

At Typhoo, management and staff welcomed four economics students to its headquarters in Moreton to gather information and carry out research with a view to producing meaningful feedback on the waste management strategies that the company currently implements.

Typhoo was very happy to spend time with the students to enable a greater understanding of different office, production and business cultures.

Steve Barratt, Typhoo 10 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

Steve Barratt, Head of Factory for Typhoo was delighted with the research carried out and the enthusiasm of the students, he said, “As a leading manufacturing company operating in a global marketplace, Typhoo was very happy to spend time with the students to enable a greater understanding of different office, production and business cultures. By working closely with our team we were able to offer our guests hands-on research experience, language and communication skills and knowledge of the international co-operation needed in the competitive world of business and industry."

skills and broadened social horizons.

Living in another country also helps students to learn more about themselves and for two weeks their independence also helps them develop their language and social skills, fostering greater self-reliance and promotes a deeper understanding of local cultures.

John Clark, Head of Birkenhead School added, “Now in its second year, we believe this project is unique within the UK, giving students from Birkenhead School and our partner schools in Germany and Spain opportunities to experience life in global companies, and undertake genuine scientific and economic research. It also, importantly, provides a major contribution to their personal, social and academic development, the Comenius Project is a fantastic addition to student CV’s and university applications.”

In January 2014 all of the students taking part in the project will meet again at Birkenhead School to feedback their findings in presentations to local business leaders, politicians, teachers, friends and family.

Paula Basnett, Chief Executive of Wirral Business Partnership was encouraged that two of its members had played such key roles in the project, “It is important that we can support opportunities for colleagues within our education and industry sectors on such an important project as the Comenius International Research Programme. The work the students have undertaken, and also the wonderful hospitality and time that the management and staff of Typhoo offered have made this memorable for the students.”

Photographs from the Comenius The Comenius project helps future International Research Project at Typhoo employers to look favourably on the skills can be seen at: gained, ranging from increased understanding and tolerance of other irralbusinesspartnership cultures, to improved language www.flickr.com/photos/w

WBP NEWS

Apollo Care

Corporate Travel International

At the start of their entrepreneurial journey with just a mobile phone in the back bedroom, a mother and daughter team could never have imagined the impact their domiciliary care business would have on other people's lives. Sue and Cheryl White's passion for ensuring the elderly get the best of care in their own homes has seen Apollo Care become one of the most respected and rapidly-growing companies in this sector in Wirral.

Now it has launched a franchise operation, in which Apollo Care has already sold four franchises, three in Wirral and one in Liverpool. Sue, whose background is in care home management, said: “Of these, only two new owners come from a care environment. What we will be looking for from our franchisees is people to continue our vision of providing the best quality care for the elderly. Of course, they need to make a success of their businesses but our reputation depends on much more than monetary gain. We already have some brilliant people embarking on the same entrepreneurial journey as ourselves – the difference is that we'll be there to hold their hands."

Corporate Travel International (CTI), a company created from the merger of Hotelscene and Birkenhead based TD Travel has been officially launched. One of CTI’s main areas of differentiation revolves around the quality of its people by employing the best and most experienced travel managers in the sector with an average service length of 19 years.

This provides CTI, one of the UK’s leading independent corporate travel and hotel booking agents, with an unrivalled level of expertise and allows the company to add tangible value to clients, in particular complex itineraries with CTI’s travel managers consistently negotiating and trading with suppliers on behalf of clients.

CTI Travel specialises in personalised business travel consultancy and booking services to over 500 companies, it helps customers save money on their travel expenditures by advising on optimum routes and ticket types to destinations around the world, using its relationships with hundreds of airlines, hotels and rail operators. www.cti.co.uk

www.apollocare.co.uk

Peerless Brewing

LT Print has invested £250,000 on a state-of-the-art digital suite at its Wallasey headquarters.

The business relocated its digital production in-house and made a significant investment to extend and renovate its main offices, allowing for the creation of the new suite. The capital investment has enabled the company to expand its markets continuing its position at the cutting edge of print solutions and creative design.

With more than 40 staff and a turnover of almost £3m, LT Print operates across a wide range of sectors, including education, health, commercial, hospitality and leisure with clients including, top London hotels Claridge’s and The Savoy, Coors Brewery, Bank of Scotland, Liverpool Football Club, Forum Housing Association and NHS Trusts.

Over the past four years tireless work by a small independent brewing business in Birkenhead has paid dividends. Peerless Brewing, run by Steve and Rose Briscoe, has added yet another award to a growing list of successes they have achieved for their original brews. Judges at the SIBA North West Region Beer Competition tasted more than 140 beers from Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire before naming their top tipples. Peerless Brewing Peerless Pale was hailed the champion standard bitter for the region with a gold award at the Society of Independent Brewers' North West Region beer competition – a leading beer industry contest.

Peerless Pale was launched earlier this year at the company’s brewery in Pool Street, and after its North West success, Peerless Pale will now be going on to be judged again at the SIBA National Beer Competition in Sheffield next March.

www.ltprintgroup.co.uk

www.peerlessbrewing.co.uk

LT Print Group

Wirral Business Partnership New Members (Sept-Oct 2013)

Stick ’n Step Peerless Brewing Thexton Properties Ltd Apollo Care Arch Initiatives Bebington Glass & Glazing

Finsa UK Sensory Toy Warehouse Sureswift WTS Systems Smylie Ltd

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 11

WBP MEMBERS SHOWCASE

Finsa UK – RAFAEL WILLISCH With an international background, Rafael Willisch, Managing Director of Finsa UK has made Wirral his home, leading a global business which has developed a successful operation in Wirral and is now taking this business model nationwide.

Tell us about your company?

Finsa is a European manufacturer of medium-density fibreboard with more than 3,000 employees and a turnover in excess of 700m Euros. Finsa UK Ltd has been established in Wirral for more than twenty years, where our warehouse handles over 4,000 truckloads of cargo and 35 vessels per year. We employ 21 staff together with local transport and contractor companies for delivering goods and the handling of our cargo in the port. Our products are used by companies such as Marriott Hotels, Premier Inn, Heathrow Airport, Tesco, Ministry of Defence, and HP Headquarters, and we proudly supply to top name British names such B&Q, Howdens Joinery, and Symphony Kitchens to name just a few from a customer base of over 400 companies. Despite the recession and the economic difficulties, we have increased turnover consistently over the last few years and have expanded in Wirral by the opening of Finsahome, which supplies kitchens and laminate flooring from our retail/trade unit at Ocean Park in

Birkenhead. Our plan is to expand this area of our business to other parts of the United Kingdom, but keep our headquarters and main distribution centre in Wirral.

Where do you want the business to be in two years?

We are at a time when we can grow our business considerably and we expect Finsa UK to increase its existing turnover by no less than 15% by 2014. On top of that we are establishing Finsahome nationwide by opening our second branch in Birmingham in January 2014 which will be followed by two further locations in Southern England during 2015.

What is your background?

My home town is Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a city which has its origin in the shrine of St James the Great - now the city's cathedral - as a destination of the ‘Way of St James’ - a leading Catholic pilgrimage route which originated in the 9th century. The city's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It was in the University of Santiago de Compostela where I completed a B.SEc in Economics followed by an MBA in Marketing, and then shortly after that I joined Finsa. During my time with the company I have had spells in Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona, Scariif (Ireland), London and Merseyside. As my wife is from Wirral I finally decided to change Barcelona - where I was based before coming to Merseyside for Wirral.

If you could suggest something to government which would help your business growth what would it be?

The Government should improve lending and facilitate access to mortgages. This could have an immediate effect on the housing market and construction as a consequence.

What do you do to relax away from the office?

I am not quite sure if you include time that you spend with a toddler counts as a relaxing away from the office but I have one at home.

What hobbies do you have?

I used to have some, but, as I highlighted before, my little girl is keeping me quite busy at present so there is no time for regular hobbies I am afraid.

What one piece of advice would you give an 18 years old Rafael Willisch starting out today?

The difference between a successful career and a mediocre one sometimes consists of leaving about four or five things a day unsaid.

Finsa UK is prime example of an overseas business setting up and developing its investment and growth plans in Wirral, one which has been successful leading it to further expansion nationwide - if you would like to find out more about Finsa UK and its operations please visit www.finsahome.co.uk

12 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

WORKSPACE

MAKE YOUR WORKSPACE WORK FOR YOU our productivity and that of your workforce is defined by more than just the equipment, programmes and processes you employ at work. The environment you work in plays an equally important role in your performance and output. Noise and temperature extremes are proven to affect your manual speed and accuracy for example. Taking control of the workspace with effective design is the easiest way to secure improved productivity for yourself and others.

Start by asking yourself some questions: Does this workplace look appealing? Is it comfortable and inspiring? Does the layout make efficient use of space? If the answer to any of those questions is ‘no’ then there is room for improvement. Here are a few tips on making your workspace work for you.

Screen Test

Research studies have repeatedly proven that dual monitors can increase productivity between 10-40% depending on the type of job you do. An iPad can be a low-cost solution, or if you’ve already got two monitors try turning one of them sideways – a lot of people enjoy having a portrait orientation for coding, designing, or proof reading legal documents.

Beware though that your additional equipment does not lead to multi tasking brain freeze (frazzing), so turn off your secondary monitor when it’s not needed.

The Seat of the Problem

A good chair may be the single best investment you can make with regard to your comfort at work. You need not spend a fortune though as most of the important features are available on standard chairs. Look for an adjustable seat height, adjustable armrests and lumbar support and use them to satisfy your comfort requirements. For a little variety why not also install a standing work station where you can stretch your legs. Models are also available complete with treadmill so you can walk and surf at the same time.

Special Requests

If you’ve got unusual considerations like a bad back or carpal tunnel, make it known. Discomfort will inhibit your productivity and job satisfaction.

Try small things first like putting a rug underneath your chair, use a footrest or a lumbar pillow, or an ergonomic keyboard. If you need something more, get a recommendation from your doctor and discuss it with your boss. If you need higher-end “tools of your trade” or made to measure comfort aids, consider making your own investment and that way you can take them with you if you move job gigs.

Let there be lighting

Good lighting is important for any workspace. It prevents eye strain & fatigue, and can even enhance your mood. There’s a good chance that you spend a significant amount of time in front of your computer or other workstation. If possible, make sure there’s at least one source of natural light. Make sure all windows have a means to diffuse direct sunlight when necessary. Individual desk lamps can give each worker control of their own light levels while full spectrum light bulbs can assist with preventing seasonal affective disorder (aka winter blues).

Not to mention they’re great for designers since they improve the perception of colour versus their standard clear/white bulb counterparts. Finally, consider your computer monitor. Simple adjustments to the angle and brightness could help you feel at ease with your work.

Clearing Clutter

You can de clutter without needing a skip and an incinerator. First, remove everything of your desk and sort it into categories. Then find a suitable storage receptacle for each category. Keep only the items you use on a daily basis in an organizer on your desk or in a handy top drawer.You may not realise it but there are so many storage solutions for organising your workspace that there is something to suit your specific needs. Containers for most of your paperwork and supplies are inexpensive compared to all the time you will save later in looking for a lost post-it in a pile in your office. Likewise the array of toolboxes, racks and shelving available is truly mind boggling so keep looking until you find what suits you best.

Personalise your space

Making yourself at home in your workspace is crucial. The right setup can inspire you in the morning, and ease your stress in the afternoon.

Don’t be afraid to change it seasonally or even request a desk swap with a colleague to give you a fresh perspective. You should also consider changing out your screensaver. www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 13

OFFICE SPACE

For Offices, Catered Events, Functions, Food and a whole lot more...

The Lauries Centre is one of Wirral’s most distinctive looking buildings, a town centre location where you are able to comfortably mix business, pleasure and community activities. It comprises 17 serviced offices of various sizes, together with other rooms available for a diverse range of uses including:

• Business Events • Conferences • Seminars • Team Meetings • Social Events, Celebrations and other functions • Office accommodation available from 108 sq ft upwards • Restaurant/on-site catering • and much more...

With on-site catering throughout the day provided by Americano’s, The Lauries Centre’s friendly support staff will also help you in organising your events or providing information about renting the available office space. Why not call in and see for yourself.

The Lauries Centre 142 Claughton Road, Birkenhead CH41 6EY t: 0151 650 5555 e: info@thelauriescentre.co.uk w: www.the lauriescentre.co.uk

LOCKSMITHS

Our Clients: Services offered:

Contact Mark Funston on 0151-678 0124 07923 555661, or email mark@nwlocks.co.uk

nwlocks.co.uk / northwestlocksmith.org.uk 14 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

INTERIORS

Creating Inspiring Interiors...

With over 25 years’ experience, we understand what it takes to create inspiring workspace.

Our extensive expertise is backed up by some impressive resources and qualified designers.

With our team on site, you can be sure things will be done on time, on budget and to your satisfaction with our full, no obligation design service, we can offer as much guidance as you need.

Our Services Office Planning Office Design Service Project Management Office Refurbishment Office Furniture Installation Recycling Furniture and Waste

Would you like to discuss your workspace needs and hear how we can help you to achive your objectives?

14 Stadium Court, Stadium Road, Bromborough, CH62 3RP

Contact us on: 0845 313 7456

www.deskcentre.co.uk

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 15

MAINTENANCE

EMERGENCY PROPERTY SERVICES

The Maintenance 999 24 hour call centre is here to assist and respond to repairs to your property, at home or the workplace.

We can respond immediately to problems with plumbing & heating, electrics, drains, locks & keys and all other property related repairs.

Maintenance 999 really is your 1 stop shop for all property related repairs and maintenance.

We operate a 24 hour call out service providing emergency assistance to the Wirral and Liverpool.

Our team look forward to taking your call and providing you with the assurance that one of our experts will be with you within 2 hours to solve the emergency repair in your home or at your place of work!

Please call us on free-phone 0800 999 0 911 or mobile free-call 0344 999 1 911 for immediate assistance.

24 hr Call Centre

ONE STOP SHOP. One number, one call, EVERY SOLUTION. Plumbing

Roofing

Glazing

Electrics

Keys & Locks

Drainage

COMMERCIAL We can be the repair & maintenance team for your commercial premises.

We have experts in everything you may need from Plumbing, electrics, drainage, roofing, glazing, keys & locks, pest control, tree surgery.

We have used the services of Maintenan ce 999 on many occasions, their response has always been incredibly swift and service is 2nd to none, they can handle any problem too.

We work with people on their magical, spec ial days and having the back up of Maintenan ce 999 ensures each and every one runs smoo thly and without a hitch. I’d thoroughly recommend the services of Maintenance 999.

Maintenance contracts available: • Letting Agents, Estate Agents, Landlords • Hotels and Leisure establishments • Offices, Commercial Units & Retail Outlets • Factories & Warehouses

Peter Atherton – proprietor

DOMESTIC

Efficient, Trustworthy & Immediate Local Response

No matter how big or small, we can help to fix your emergency home repairs.

The noises you never want to hear in the night, is it the boiler breaking down? ....it could be the drains!

Engineers located throughout Wirral & Liverpool

0800 999 0 911 / 0344 999 1 911 24 hour emergency hotline

16 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

maintenance999.com

FIRE SAFETY

YOUR COMPLIANCE PARTNER

Fire Alarms Fire Extinguishers Fire Training Courses Free Risk Assessments Pat Testing Emergency Lighting Dry Riser Testing

Since 1992 Wirral Fire Protection have been supplying fire safety services and products to over ten thousand North West businesses.

Over this period we have established ourselves as one of the most proactive and versatile fire safety companies around. /Wirral-Fire-Protection

@wfpltd

WE’RE ACCREDITED

Residential Care Homes Health Care Premises Schools / Educational Premises Hotels & Guest Houses Flats - Block Management Offices, Shops & Commercial Premises Restaurants - Licensed Premises

Gallagher House Cashel Road Birkenhead Wirral CH41 1DY

Call 0151 639 7745 or visit www.wirralfire.co.uk

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 17

Wirral’s Business Travel Support service Wirral Council’s Business Travel Support team offers FREE support to businesses within East Wirral to encourage sustainable travel practices within their workplaces.

This can help to save money by reducing the cost of car parking, reducing sick leave, increasing productivity, increasing your recruitment pool and improving parking issues. The team will work on a one-to-one basis to tailor a package of targeted sustainable transport measures and provide advice and support in delivering them, at no cost to your business.

To find out more visit www.wirral.gov.uk/LSTF Or call 0151 606 2366 / 2568 or email colinirlam@wirral.gov.uk or davepeters@wirral.gov.uk

340JUL13JS

Fully funded by the Department for Transport

FUNDING

A Guide to...

Business Grants, Funding and Support for Growth ccess to finance is a perennial problem for businesses looking to expand. Finding a way through the minefield of available funding for business, including grants and funded support, bank lending and other sources of finance can be a major obstacle to growth. Grant support has reduced in recent years but a number of avenues remain and there are established schemes and organizations making finance available for many kinds of business investment, expansion or job creation projects.

If you are a high growth potential business, or are looking to spend to create future return on investment, then it is very likely funding can be secured. Likewise if your business is located in an assisted area or if you are intending to create new jobs or even safeguard existing jobs, financial assistance will be available. Help is at hand to identify and secure support & investment for start-ups and established businesses, particularly those who are looking to grow.

WIRRAL INVEST WIRRAL Works closely with a range of grant providers to ensure that sources of funding which can potentially assist a businesses location or expansion project are fully explored. This includes government grant schemes, local initiatives, and business support packages which can help training and recruitment. Initiatives such as The Think Big Investment Fund, The Business Investment Grant and The Wirral Apprentice scheme are all designed to support companies of allsizes in Wirral.

In partnership with the Local Enterprise Partnership, (see below) Wirral Council is now inviting businesses to apply for funds to support projects that generate economic growth and create jobs.

Eligible projects can be supported with Regional Growth Fund (RGF) grant towards some of the costs of the project.

To qualify for RGF support, businesses must commit to creating new jobs and/or safeguarding a number of existing employees.

The programme is available to companies looking to invest in Wirral.

Most business sectors and activities are eligible for support but there are some exemptions and you are advised to check with the Council prior to applying. They are particularly interested in applications from companies looking to invest in the offshore renewable energy sector or planning to diversify into that market.

The fund is designed to help companies grow and develop and improve their competiveness resulting in business growth, private sector investment and jobs created and safeguarded. The amount of RGF monies available are dependant on a number of factors such as: size of the business, amount of investment, number of jobs created or safeguarded.

Eligible businesses with project proposals can apply at any time while funding is available up until March 2015. If you would like to discuss your project with us or you have any queries please contact us on 0151 650 6915 or invest@wirral.gov.uk for more information and to obtain a synopsis form.

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT FUND As part of the Merseyside Transport Partnership, Wirral has been successful in bidding for funding from The Department of Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund to promote sustainable transport and stimulate economic growth in Wirral. The fund supports businesses and residents within East Wirral; and aims to improve transport, stimulate economic growth, and reduce carbon. Wirral Council has implemented the following schemes to help achieve aims of the fund. Business Travel Support & Travel Solutions WIRRAL’S ENTERPRISE ZONE currently enjoys 100% business rates discount worth up to £275,000 per business over a five year period and also offers Enhanced Capital Allowances for plant and machinery along with a simplified planning process for commercial projects.

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 19

FUNDING

LIVERPOOL CITY REGION LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP THE BUSINESS GROWTH GRANT...

...is a £10m investment programme funded by the Government through the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). It is administered by Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership in conjunction with the City Region’s Local Authorities. The Business Growth Grant has been designed for companies who are unable to bid directly into the Government RGF programme which has a grant application limit of £1 million.

Typically the Programme will look to award grants of between £50,000 and £1,000,000. The grant is designed to unlock private sector investment as it can contribute 15% - 20% of total project costs. The balance must come from other private sources such as company or bank finance and all projects must result in business growth and create or protect jobs.

The Programme has several stated objectives, although it’s overarching objective is to create jobs and secure private sector investment within the City Region, and preference will be given to those projects that make the greatest contribution to these objectives. Assistance levels are higher in special Assisted Areas. In non-assisted areas, support is available for SMEs but it is more difficult to provide aid for large companies.

Eligible Costs can include: Capital Expenditure including: plant, equipment, buildings, and adaptations, investment in new technologies, systems, software and help with training.

The LEP Programme Manager, Andy Devaney can be contacted for further information by email at businessgrowth@liverpoollep.org

20 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

SKILLS FOR GROWTH BANK This is an employer-led mutual set up to support the funding of skills and training and backed by the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. Set up using funds secured from Central Government it is designed to support employers to demand the skills they need for their workforce, enabling their own business to grow and prosper while also aiding local economic development.

While qualifying businesses from any economic sector are eligible to apply, funds will be targeted at those sectors of the economy identified by the Local Enterprise Partnership as being of high growth potential. Specifically these are: Knowledge Economy (including manufacturing, financial and professional services, digital and creative and life sciences) Low Carbon (including environmental consultancy, energy and waste management, renewable energy, recycling, water and wastewater treatment, plus low carbon meconomic goods and services activity in associated sectors e.g. construction) SuperPort (including maritime and maritime engineering, aviation, logistics and warehousing, ports and port operations and passenger transport) Visitor Economy (including accommodation, food and beverage and retail and leisure).

Follow THEM on twitter Invest wirral: @InvestInWirral LIVERPOOL CITY REGION: @LiverpoolLEP THE NORTH WEST FUND: @nwfund

FUNDING

THE NORTH WEST FUND Provides debt and equity finance from £50,000 to £2 million to small and medium sized businesses based in, or relocating to, the North West of England to start, develop and grow. The fund is split into 6 professionally managed sub funds covering: Venture Capital - Support for entrepreneurs to build high growth companies in the form of risk capital for new and early-stage start-up companies.

Funding between £50,000 and £2,000,000 Mezzanine - Finance in the form of investment capital to support the expansion plans of established companies who are already generating trading income and cash flow. Funding between £750,000 and £2,000,000 Loan Plus - Loan only funding specifically targeted at small and medium sized businesses who are finding difficulty obtaining finance from traditional sources. Funding available between £50,000 to £750,000.

Digital & Creative - Funding for businesses in the Digital and Creative industries to support start-up and early stage development, through to expansion plans for trading businesses.

Funding available between £50,000 and £1,500,000.

Energy & Environmental - Funding for companies in the Energy and Environmental Technology industries to support start-up and early stage development, through to expansion plans for trading businesses. Funding between £50,000 and £2,000,000 Biomedical - Funding for companies in the Biomedical sector to support start-up and early stage development, through to expansion plans for trading businesses.

Funding between £50,000 and £1,500,000 01925 418 232 for more info or email enquiries@thenorthwestfund.co.uk or visit www.thenorthwestfund.co.uk

22 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

GROWTH ACCELERATOR This is a unique service led by some of the country’s most successful specialists where a business can find the new connections, new routes to investment and new ideas and strategy needed to achieve its full potential. Growth Accelerator serves SMEs with less than 250 employees, under £40m turnover or £30m balance sheet, and not part of larger group. They must have the ambition, capacity and opportunity to create significant growth in turnover, profits or employment and be registered in England to qualify.

It offers bespoke support through the finance raising process with access to professional specialist finance coaches, assistance with funding options including debt and/or equity funding, Introduction to appropriate funders, access to Growth Accelerator's Investor Relations team and up to 3 full days Finance Specific Master Classes. Coaches will review and challenge your growth strategy, ensuring it is robust; assist in the generation of financial modelling of the growth plan and in defining the exact funding requirement to fulfil it.

They will then assist in defining the optimum package of finance and introduce the relevant providers of finance.

MSIF – MERSEYSIDE SPECIAL INVESTMENT FUND MSIF can provide funding up to £2million.

Their message is simple: If you need funding, come and talk to us. We will try to make the investment happen whether it is us providing the finance alone or bringing in banks or another investor(s) to make up the full requirement. MSIF has three funds which are currently investing and these can be combined to create a unique package tailored to the individual needs of each business.

MERSEYSIDE LOAN & EQUITY FUND Invests in established businesses with two years trading history or more.

Funding starts at £50k up to over

£2million. Investment can be used to fund anything from development capital to invest in new premises, marketing or staff or to fund management buy outs or acquisitions. Although MSIF can’t invest in property (as in development) there are no real restrictions on sectors. Funding is provided either through a loan or equity investment.

MERSEYSIDE SMALL LOANS FOR BUSINESS FUND Is a scheme providing finance to entrepreneurs and businesses that struggle to get finance elsewhere because of insufficient track record or poor credit ratings. The Fund provides small loans – between £3,000 and £50,000 to new and growing businesses. Most sectors can apply and an element of the fund is specifically to invest in businesses creating or using technology and innovations such as those in the creative and digital, biotechnology and energy and environmental sectors.

START UP LOANS PROGRAMME The Start Up Loans Programme is a scheme providing new means of funding and support aimed at helping business start ups. Loans start from £250 and can be used to set up a business across all sectors. In addition to finance, all successful applicants can access free mentoring and support services to help grow a successful business.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

You can’t do everything yourself,

so ask an expert ou might be aware of weak spots in your business, but are you being honest with yourself about them? When you start a business, you do almost everything: sales, marketing, product development, design, customer service, budgets, hiring, etc. To have a successful business, you need to be good in a few of these areas, but it’s rare to be great in all of them. To be a great business in the long term you need to be great in all areas. Otherwise, you’re competing with one hand tied behind your back. Most business owners become aware of their weak spots over time but the question is how to address them.

Some will ignore and deny weak spots or pretend those areas just aren’t that important. You don’t know much about marketing, so downplay its value and ignore it. Tell yourself it’s more important to focus on great products instead. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s your weak spots that are holding your business back.

You may recognise weaknesses and try to fix them yourself.

You did everything yourself when you started your business, so you can sort this problem as well. This “do it yourself” approach is good as you may learn more about your weaknesses and make some small improvements. You will gain an understanding of the concepts behind your problems which may enable you to evaluate and validate any experts you later approach for help.

But its likely, because you aren’t super interested in the subject or naturally struggle with it, once you make a few small changes you consider the problem sorted and slide back into an ignore and deny phase so never fully address it. One of the benefits of learning more about your weak spots is discovering experts that are great at something you’re bad at. Finding the right expert can turn your weak spot into a strength, with dramatic effects on your business. If you want a sustainable business you can’t ignore weak spots forever. Be humble and have the confidence to turn to an expert for help.

On the following pages we have a selection of companies who advise and assist with many of the obstacles you might be facing within your business. Some offer free initial advice or consultations so what have you got to lose?

24 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

INVEST WIRRAL Business Growth Grant Programme Wirral Council has secured funding from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) to support businesses with development plans access targeted grants. Working in partnership with the Local Enterprise Partnership, we are inviting businesses in Wirral to apply for funding in support of projects that will generate economic growth and create jobs. Eligible projects can receive grants towards some of the costs of the project. To qualify, businesses must commit to creating new jobs and/or safeguarding existing employees.

Who can apply?

The programme is available to companies looking to invest in Wirral.

Most business sectors and activities are eligible for support but there are some exemptions and you are advised to check with the Council prior to applying. We are particularly interested in applications from companies looking to invest in the offshore renewable energy sector or planning to diversify into that market.

What can be funded?

The fund is designed to help companies grow and develop and improve their competiveness resulting in business growth, private sector investment and jobs being created and safeguarded.

The amount of RGF money available is dependant on factors such as: • Size of the business • Amount of investment • Number of jobs created or safeguarde What costs can the Programme support?

• Capital investment in land and buildings (acquisition, improvement, adaptation or extension).

• Investment in plant, machinery and equipment • Investment in new technology • Research and development, where this will directly support business and job growth • Training aid for new skills required Ineligible Costs • Maintenance of existing machinery • Routine investment into the business • Projects already planned which would happen without RGF funding How to apply Eligible businesses with project proposals can apply at any time up until March 2015. We will assess your proposal for eligibility and contact you to let you know if you are able to progress your application.

If you would like to discuss your project with us or you have any queries please contact us on 0151 650 6915 / invest@wirral.gov.uk for more information and to obtain a synopsis form.

Add: Tel: Email: Web:

Egerton House, 2 Tower Road, Birkenhead CH41 1FN 0151 650 6915 invest@wirral.gov.uk investwirral.com

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Chris Fry Consulting Tell us about your background please Chris.

I’ve been working almost 30 years now. I qualified as an accountant straight from school and then as a Chartered Tax Adviser. I specialised in tax for the next 10 years, holding a number of senior roles, before being promoted to CFO at Swiss Life. I literally bought my way out of Swiss Life, acquiring their occupational health business as a management buyout and I ran that as an owner manager for several years before selling it on. I then joined Direct Line Group and held Finance Director roles there for a number of their non-core businesses.

What was the inspiration behind starting your consultancy business?

I have a lot of experience that I wanted to apply across a portfolio of different businesses.

All owner managed businesses could benefit from the insights of an experienced Finance Director but most are unable to justify employing one on a full time basis.

What does a Finance Director do?

Why would I need one?

A Finance Director is responsible for the financial performance of the business. The key to delivering an improved return is understanding the drivers of a business’s performance. The FD examines all aspects of a business's operations in the quest to improve the company's bottom line and cash position.

This involves a critical appraisal of the value proposition and customer identification and reviews of the core processes like marketing, sales, customer service and the finance process itself. Few roles in any business have the potential to add such value or to be so genuinely transformative for future success.

Is there an ideal client for Chris Fry Consulting? What kind of business are you best able to help?

Rather than 'ideal', I would say a 'typical' client is a business in transition, experiencing change, often imposed by changes in the external market environment. Transitional periods can occur at any time in a company's life and can be incredibly challenging for the management team. Because the owners have so much invested in the success of the business personally, an external perspective can be crucial in helping them make the right decisions.

What sets you apart from other services? What is your USP?

What are your plans for the future?

The fact I have actually run an SME as owner manager is a tremendous asset because I have ‘first hand’ experience of confronting the dilemmas that other owner managers are facing. I make that ‘real life’ distinction because the regular constraints that business owners face often don't simply require technical solutions; they also place business owners under emotional pressures which can lead to a feeling of crisis. Only someone who has actually been there with real 'skin in the game' can appreciate what that pressure is like. I have the battle scars which enable me to give advice from a position of experience.

Do you also offer assistance to businesses that are thriving?

Absolutely! It’s often thriving businesses that can be on the cusp of disaster! A business experiencing a period of rapid growth can suddenly find itself out of cash to fund that growth, especially if the growth is unplanned. All businesses benefit from proactively planning for the future. But successful businesses often just continue to do what they do, while struggling ones are focused on daily survival; both will benefit from an external perspective on their situation.

I’m focused on making my services accessible to more businesses. I'm developing a business coaching 'mastermind' group which I hope to launch early in the New Year and I will be starting a blog on my website soon. I want the website to be a 'go to' resource for all business owners, with stacks of free resources and I plan to launch a membership area for those wanting more involvement with me and more detailed advice without investing in the face to face time required otherwise.

On a personal note, how are you finding life as your own boss?

It's tremendously rewarding but challenging.

We have 4 children at home (from 5 years to 6 months) so it's pretty full on from 6am until bedtime. The flexibility to work around this some of the time is invaluable. But the work still needs to get done and I'm often up until after 1am. Fortunately I don't need much sleep! The other challenge when my workload is heavy is finding time for business development but that's a problem all self-employed people share. So I'm incredibly busy but have never been happier!

Can you give us an example of a success story you have had?

I've had a few! A recent client was struggling through a difficult patch. Losses were mounting and insolvency looked a real possibility. Over a 6 week period, working with management I secured a significant capital injection to stabilise the immediate crisis, eliminated sufficient costs to ensure the losses stopped accumulating and refocused sales efforts to identify additional revenue streams and deliver profit. In 6 weeks that business moved from years of loss making, to break even for 2013 and should deliver reasonable profits for 2014 onwards.

Chris Fry Consulting Ltd Chris Fry FCCA CTA 07740 800986 chris@chrisfryconsulting.co.uk www.chrisfryconsulting.co.uk

Chris Fry FCCA CTA Director, Chris Fry Consulting

Chris Fry Consulting www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 25

Business support Traci Williams Managing Director, Excel Ace Ltd

Rick Whitehead Managing Director, Impetus Training

Rick Whitehead’s forte is helping you to grow your business.

Traci started Excel Ace in 2008, specialising in bespoke Spreadsheet models. Her skill is in utilising her client’s basic computer skills and existing software and applying smart LEAN principals to everyday processes, to save valuable time and money.

Her skills evolved during years in analytical roles and whilst producing consolidated Reports for 84 busy Unilever factories, she honed the valuable principal of translating the stories behind the numbers. Having now successfully run her own business for almost six years she is perfectly placed to help her clients streamline their processes.

Traci tailors a solution for each individual business. “I sit down with my clients and understand how they work and what their objectives are and then harness the incredible functionality of Excel, to design their ideal custom built spreadsheet. I teach them how to make the most of the spreadsheet and teach the skills to continue on their own – often automating the manual elements of their tasks, enabling them to complete their work in a fraction of the time, and with much slicker results’.

Although her service is bespoke, she has also helped so many businesses streamline their accounts procedure with an off-the-shelf simple ‘Book-Keeping’ model which she sells via her website.

An unapologetic geek, Traci is mad on Excel! She enthuses ‘Excel is Ace!’ Even after 20 years of using it and almost 6 years specialising in it, “I’m always learning more about excel with every new design I create. There are so many really smart but little known functions which can bring huge clarity to a business.”

Any Excel Ace model is simple to use and yet incredibly powerful, utilising Traci’s analytical roots to tell the story behind the numbers.

Traci explains “People aren’t often aware of functions like a dashboard; this shows all the information from the spreadsheet, but in a series of charts and graphs. For example a bar chart of people who owe money and the longest outstanding account allows people to see straight away who they need to be chasing and it makes things easier to follow.”

Her clients range from one-man bands to International Businesses and she has designed information systems as diverse as Risk Assessments, Time Tracker, Sales Order Forms, Cost Analysis, Stock Control, Staff KPI’s and CRM Databases. The one constant in every job Traci completes is smarter, more efficient and lean working processes… … And always a new convert to the power of Excel!

Call Traci for a free consultation.

Use Excel Ace’s Lead tracker for FREE at ww

w.excelace.co.uk/a lt.htm

Tel: Email: Web:

07813 347 139

info@excelace.co.uk excelace.co.uk

26 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

Janus Creative Planning®

He developed Janus CREATIVE Planning - an easy-to-use guide which helps individuals and businesses plan new, creative strategies and tactics to help them meet their challenges and achieve their goals.

FREE TRIAL Rick will use one of your own real, current challenges to demonstrate the system to you in a free trial. Whether you want to sell more product, motivate and galvanize one employee or achieve an objective particular to your business, he will come to the workplace to sit down with you and produce an original strategy - no charge!

Janus brings success by thinking of new and DIFFERENT ways to solving age old issues. Easier said than done, of course, but Janus equips you with a practical, relevant reference that takes no time and costs nothing to use. When you use it, “if only” or “hoping for the best” type wistful thinking can be replaced by excitement and ACTION. To quote from the guide to Janus: Many positive thinking mantras give us superhuman role models – men and women who have walked to the North Pole backwards, or regularly row round the world single handed! But in real life...

When the going gets tough? ....normal people take a break!

Janus was conceived for “normal” people, with normal frailties and normal comfort zones - and, on the positive side, normal ambitions, egos and aspirations. When the going gets tough? ....Janus will help you GET CREATIVE! Most normal people, certainly those with businesses to run, also never have enough TIME, so another key benefit of Janus is that, once learned, it can be applied in just a few minutes - and in that few minutes you could generate new, practical, exciting ideas, that you can’t wait to implement.

Rick has also ensured that Janus takes very little time to learn - AND it is best learned by doing it! You can benefit from Janus while learning it for IMMEDIATE results. Hence his offer of a free trial.

While Janus Creative Planning is his flagship innovation, Rick can also help implement many of the solutions that drive businesses - leadership, teamwork, selling and negotiating techniques.

Many people in many types of business have benefited from Janus. To see how it might benefit you, please contact Rick Whitehead, founder and MD of Impetus Training and now based in West Kirby.

Add: Tel: Email: Web:

Impetus Training, 7 Brookfield Road, West Kirby, CH48 4EJ 0151 625 4800 rick@impetustraining.co.uk impetustraining.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Every business can benefit from an external consultancy focused on growing their business.

Hello Martin can you tell us a little about your background?

Over 25 years I’ve worked with 200+ companies in industries including Engineering, Manufacturing, IT, Software, Retail, Service and Management Consultancy and household names like Rolls Royce, Sony, Caterpillar, Wal-Mart, GSK, Accenture and IBM. I qualified as a Mechanical Engineer but have gained knowledge of training, Systems, Business, Sales and Management through a mix of formal education and experience. I have been involved in Business Development &Improvement roles where I have mentored companies, developed new businesses, defined new solutions, optimised processes, systemised operations and grown businesses.

What was the inspiration behind starting the consultancy business?

I have tended to perform pathfinder roles involving completely new positions or functions. At one company I developed a new Process Analysis Group offering clients a means to maximise their investments. At another I established the Services Business Development Team to identify realised value for clients. When the idea arose to start Ascend I took it as another new challenge.

Tell us about the services you offer to your clients?

The key focus is on Business Growth by optimisation and continual improvement. This breaks down into a number of disciplines, namely Business Improvement, Growth, Mentoring, Consulting, Coaching, Continual improvement and Systemisation of businesses.

Each has its own strategies & schemes which I make relevant to the client. I service any business that wants to sell more, increase margins, grow market share, cut costs or improve profits.

What are your unique selling points? What sets you apart from the competition?

Experience, candour, hard work, enthusiasm and a money back guarantee. The initial discussion I have with my clients typically identifies issues that need to be addressed, I don’t charge for that and will even buy the coffee (or tea)!

Give us a little insight into the practical delivery of your service. How does it work?

I always start with a face to face meeting with the client to understand what their issues actually are. If it’s a mentoring or coaching programme then it’s typically a set structure but the content and focus varies per client while consultancy engagements are bespoke for the client.

Give us an example of a recent achievement that represents what your business is about.

I recently met a new client and we engaged in conversation for 45 minutes, talking about the business, new markets, growth areas, their USP and how they could develop and leverage their advantage. After another 45 minutes we had a hard stop. The client turned to me and said “Thank you Martin, I got more from that session than several days with Company X” where Company X are a major player in the Business Coaching / Mentoring arena. Following our meeting, the client acted on my advice and is now enjoying key success in the business. That kind of feedback makes me very proud of what I do.

Do you only work with struggling businesses?

This year I have worked with everything from a large multinational with a turnover in excess of £500m that is very profitable and growing worldwide; to a start-up who producing natural soft drinks from their kitchen at home. I take each engagement on its own merits, what I like to see is the passion and belief of the client and their staff.

Have you ever had a situation where you’ve just had to hold your hands up and say ‘This client is beyond help’ ?

Ha Ha sometimes I think I should have done!

My approach is the same for all clients. In the

first couple of meetings I listen and try to understand their issues, identify problems and offer potential solutions. If the client feels that’s not what they need or if I think they are not executing those actions then it’s a hand shake ‘good luck’ and in the first month they get their money back guarantee.

If you had a message for Edge readers what would it be?

Think about your business and ask “Am I the best person to do this? Is this adding value to my business and my clients?” If you answer anything but YES to any of those questions consider getting a fresh perspective on your business. It’s not as expensive as you think and could improve your profits!

What plans do you have for the business? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I am developing specific programmes for start-up support that can leverage the support required to turn an idea into a working business and then support it for the first critical 18 months. I will also be introducing business seminars in 2014 and group mentoring programmes. I aim to expand the business by offering a bureau service for Business Development and Growth that companies can outsource to.

Martin Cooke Director, Ascend Business Consulting

Ascend Business Consulting Martin Cooke 08454 133 692 info@abconsulting.co.uk www.abconsulting.co.uk www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 27

Business Support

INSPIRE

• INNOVATE • IMPROVE “It’s our passionate belief that Lean WAYS OF WORKING can improve any business.”

Tell us a little about your backgrounds?

Adele LAW

Robert moffat

Adele - In my career, by stepping out of my comfort zone, I have had some really interesting jobs and worked with great people. Robert and I joined forces when I was asked to lead a Lean transformation for over 1000 staff in 35 offices in Wales.

We were trained by some of the top Lean academics in the UK, which dramatically changed the way I approached my work and my role as a leader.

Robert - My background was originally in IT, but I have also led Finance, Operations and Project teams. I have always had an interest in improving working methods and an appetite for change but Lean gave me a wider opportunity to work directly with teams to achieve positive outcomes for organisations, and the rewards of being able to coach and mentor others.

What was the motivation for starting OES? We knew we made a good team, and wanted to experience the challenges and freedom of running our own business. We both knew what it was like to be so busy that you didn’t ever step back from the work, where you work longer and longer hours because you are constantly fire-fighting. Lean had opened our eyes to the duplication, delays and defects that are everywhere and we wanted to share our passionate belief that Lean ways of working can improve any business.

28 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

What CAN OES OFFER MY BUSINESS? We help people find the time and space to make their business goals a reality by identifying and removing the wastes that are costing them money. Initially we will offer you a free (no obligation) diagnostic meeting at your premises so we can get to know you and your team and gain an insight into your business goals. We bring a fresh pair of eyes to the problems preventing you achieving those goals and construct a plan to help you identify and remove the obstacles to an efficient and successful business.

Will I see results straight away?

In most businesses we find there is the opportunity for “quick wins”. Often a simple change can create a huge improvement in productivity because people feel happier in their working environment. However, becoming a truly Lean enterprise should be seen as a long term project that delivers sustainable changes. Living and working Lean is a bit like taking up a new sport or learning to play an instrument. You may get the hang of the basics straight away but you will only get better if you practise every day.

Your methodS are based on ‘Lean’. Can you expand on that a little?

Lean is often described as a journey of continuous improvement. Everyone in the organisation is involved in finding the small timesaving changes that improve the way work flows through the processes, so that everyone is focused on the activities that will provide a better, quicker, easier

Organisational Efficiency Solutions Ltd. Robert Moffat & Adele Law R 07532 163584 / A 07908 235072 info@oesconsultancy.co.uk www.oesconsultancy.co.uk

service to customers. Change doesn’t have to be scary or expensive. We believe that most problems can be fixed with paper, pencil and an open mind.

Can ‘Lean’ Really be used IN any business? Do you have an ideal client profile?

Our ideal clients are forward thinking business owners up for a challenge. They may want to create capacity to take on new work without taking on additional resources.

They may have recognised that their existing methods of work no longer meet the demands of their growing business. They may need help because they are only just meeting deadlines, fulfilling orders or sending out invoices by throwing additional hours at the problem. Simply put, our ideal client is anyone who cares about their customers, can spot the opportunity to gain a competitive edge, and is open to change!

What plans do you have for the business over the next 5 years?

We want OES to be recognised experts at assisting SMEs and to grow our referrals so we can create employment opportunities for similar minded people. We are planning Lean taster sessions and continuous improvement networking groups in Wirral so look for details in the Edge or contact us directly.

TIPS ........................................................

1. Listen to what your customers are saying to you.

2. Don't make assumptions - Go and see what's happening.

3. Start with a simple change that you can easily reverse if it doesn't work

BUSINESS SUPPORT

Outlook Helping Small Businesses in Wirral

by Esther Mcvey, Minister of State for Employment

mall businesses are vital to Wirral’s economy, in fact Birkenhead is number two in the country for the area with the ‘highest concentration of fastest growing of businesses’ so really is important we support all businesses as best as we can. That is why Government have launched a new campaign; celebrating what small businesses do for our economy, for jobs and our communities and have taken action to help small businesses at every stage.

Working together by encouraging growth Within a dynamic, innovative and enterprising business community, Wirral Business Partnership’s membership forms part of a successful list of companies and organisations creating growth and prosperity for Wirral.

Even with great expertise in their own individual sectors, however, members are aware that at times support is needed to assist them in developing their potential to achieve their aspirations and business goals.

There is assistance from a wide range of business support organisations, and by developing working relationships, Wirral Business Partnership finds out what are its member’s needs and then brings in the right people to provide the support to help their businesses.

Support covers advice and guidance such as business planning, marketing, recruitment, HR, employees and management training (see image above of a social media workshop), finding business properties or simply researching funding resources.

Through one-to-one meetings, internet updates, social media channels, e-newsletters and other communication sources members are kept informed about relevant information and new initiatives. By promoting its members business successes, together with creating company case studies, Wirral Business Partnership raises its member’s business profiles and ensures they are fully supported, engaged and are aware of the support mechanisms available to maximise their business growth.

Add: Tel: Email: Web:

Egerton House, 2 Tower Road, Birkenhead CH41 1FN 0151 650 6940 info@wirralbusinesspartnership.co.uk wirralbusinesspartnership.co.uk

From the introduction start up Loans, to a reduction of £2000 from national insurance payments for every business from April next year. For more information on business support go to: www.gov.uk Significantly corporation tax has reduced year on year down from 28% to 20% by 2015 to help business and encourage more businesses to the UK and if you’re making a move into exporting support is now provided through opentoexport.com The government has introduced a £1 billion Youth Contract with wage incentives for firms to employ young people – and have expanded apprenticeship support, the result being last year there were 500,000 new apprentices.

This support is working, last week we saw that over 1 million more people are in employment since the General Election, and here in Wirral unemployment is falling and business start ups increasing.

We know there’s much more to do. We want to listen to the needs of small business to make sure we make Britain the best place to start and grow a business, supporting those who work hard and want to get on. www.gov.uk

theedge For the latest news, articles, features and profiles of local businesses visit www.theedgewirral.co.uk or follow us on twitter: @theedgewirral www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 29

Corporate Hospitality

Corporate Hospitalit y is Holding its Value

By Brett Tonkyn Director, The Open Championship Hospitality Programme n a climate where everyone – even the most buoyant of companies – are keeping a watchful eye on the bottom line, corporate hospitality remains a viable option for many organisations.

The nature of the beast has changed in recent years to mirror the economic landscape and companies are actively seeking more “bang for their buck”, to ensure that any spend of this nature brings measurable returns. Corporate hospitality events must now be more imaginative, engaging and also represent good value.

They must also recognise that clients are working to budget constraints but are not always willing to compromise on the offering.

We find that companies use corporate hospitality for a whole host of reasons – to cement relationships with existing clients or to build relationships with prospective customers or even to reward staff or build morale. Whatever the reason, there’s no doubting it’s effectiveness and when that hospitality takes place as an integral part of a world class event, the opportunities to make a return on investment are many.

Next year The Open comes to Royal Liverpool and apart from the general boost the event will give to the area’s economy – this year’s Open Championship at Muirfield was estimated to generate an economic 30 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

benefit of £70m to the East Lothian and Edinburgh regional economy - it is already attracting a wide range of company bookings. Even in a climate where corporate hospitality budgets have been pared to the bone, The Open continues to prove a highly attractive option for businesses. The Championship held at Royal Lytham in 2012 broke previous records and the 2013 Open at Muirfield set a new record again.

Bookings for The Open at Royal Liverpool were up 38% by the end of September and are expected to sell out in record time.

This trend shows beyond any doubt that even in challenging economic circumstances, golf is proving to be very apt to the business market. We have always maintained that The Open should be “open for all” and have retained a price level that’s competitive and attractive to businesses of all sizes and golf fans alike. While firms are still spending money, many have become very selective about what events to attend with clients and many companies are now opting for more informal hospitality. In response to this we have produced new

packages for next year, delivering great value and allowing companies of all sizes to entertain and experience award-winning hospitality at a global sporting event – The Open Championship.

Companies based in an area where an event like The Open takes place can also use it as great leverage with prospective clients to showcase the attributes of their region, so the value of a major sporting event like this continues long after the last round has been played. In the old days much business was conducted on the golf course and we like to think that just as much can now be done alongside it.

Opinion – We asked Edge readers for their opinions about the validity of Corporate Hospitality as a promotional tool and its position within their corporate strategy, given the current economic climate.

Thanks to all who replied. Below is a selection of the replies we received.

Corporate Hospitality The Open is world famous and one of the most prestigious events in the UK. Hoylake is on our doorstep so it would be remiss of us not to treat our most valuable clients and retail partners to a great day out.

It helps to form and build relationships and networking is so important. The offering is very comprehensive with a good choice of options in a fantastic position on course.

Alan Woods – Woods Squared As a business we have always looked to take our clients out or organise events (such as wine tastings and our annual BBQ & Quiz) for our clients to be able to attend. We do this as a way for us to thank them for their continued business and so that we can get to know them better as individuals too. hospitality is of such a high standard, the customers feel very valued. We only do one corporate day each year so we have to make sure it’s a good one. The luxury our guests experience at The Open makes them feel as if we’re really spoiling them and that reaps benefits for our business.”

Richard Spencer– There Today Couriers

Julian Davies OSS Security We have previously used The Open to entertain clients. I am in no doubt that taking customers to such an event brings huge benefits, along with strengthening the relationship with existing customers.

We think it’s important to offer corporate hospitality to our best customers as it’s a great way to say thanks for your custom. The Open is a great corporate day out because it’s unique. The food is superb and golf venues are a great place to be and because it’s a long day out, you get to connect with your clients for longer than you would at any other sporting event.

As the action isn’t quite as intense as say, football, you can relax at your table for longer and go to the course as and when it suits. And because the

I occasionally take clients out, but if I do it’s for the purpose of cementing the relationship I have with that client, perhaps with a view to looking for more business from them. From my perspective taking clients out demonstrates our appreciation of them and that we are friendly and approachable. When I have entertained, it has proved to be a rewarding experience and a satisfactory return on investment as much for the closer personal relationships you can build as it is from a purely business point of view.

Gary Woods Park Retail Park is the UKs leading multi redemption voucher & gift card provider based in Birkenhead, Wirral. We do The Open whenever it is held in the North West and take a box at Chester Races once or twice a year.

From our experience we believe that we have gained a lot from doing this as it hopefully shows that we don’t take their business for granted. We don’t do it to directly gain any return as we want anyone that we do take out to be able to relax and not feel like they are being sold to but if we can develop and strengthen our relationship with our clients then we will be able to provide the best possible service that can be tailored to their specific needs.

Elaine Owen – Designated Associates We take our clients out to enjoy time with them, to learn more about their business and to build a strong relationship which will better enable a successful working relationship. Over the years we’ve realised that entertaining clients is a good opportunity to understand the heart of their business and the value set of the management and leadership teams that we’ll be working with.

Considering achieving a return on the investment, I would say usually yes, but I don’t quantify it with pounds, shillings and pence. I look for long term working relationships and these are built on great service, excellent delivery and the willingness to go the extra mile, not how often you entertain or how much you spend. www.theopen.com/hospitality

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 31

hen looking for new custom many businesses forget to target their own existing customers.

Research indicates that the cost of gaining business through prospecting for new customers is somewhere between 3 and 10 times greater than increasing sales through current customers.

Existing customers are easier and cheaper to service because you know and understand their specific requirements. As customers who know and trust you they are likely to buy more often, and more expensive products or services. Also, if they are fans of yours they are more likely to refer others to you.

The benefits of intentionally focusing most of your selling and marketing efforts on your current customers are: lower costs for additional sales, greater customer loyalty, higher customer satisfaction and of course more profits. With that in mind, we have compiled some helpful tips for maximising sales to existing clientele.

1- The 80:20 Rule.

20% of your customers will provide 80% of your profit so work out who they are and focus on servicing their needs first. You can also target your least profitable products, services or even clients and phase them out.

20

2- Focus on customer service.

We’re not talking good customer service but mind boggling customer service. Good won’t differentiate you from the competition. 80% of customer service is giving the customer what they want when they want it. 20% is the personal relationship building that sets you apart.

3- Solve your customers’ problems.

This is really an extension of your fantastic customer service. Put yourself inside your customers’ head and work out what their problems are and try and solve them. If you can’t work out what they are then ask. These problems should be completely unrelated to your current dealings with that customer and may involve recommendations, referrals, advice or other forms of practical assistance.

32 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

4- Testimonials.

Whilst your customers are thinking about what’s wrong with your business for your feedback, they will also be considering what’s right with it. They will be flattered if you ask to use their positive feedback as a testimonial.

5- Feedback. Asking your customers for feedback is a great sign of business maturity that will also make your customers feel important and appreciated. You will actually learn something too that you can use to improve your business further.

6- Referrals.

Why not ask your customers to recommend your company to their own contacts. This can have extremely positive results whether you offer incentives or not.

7- Upsell.

Your customers are obviously happy with your widget X but maybe you could target customers who may be even happier with your widget X deluxe.

STANDARD

80

DELUXE

8- Cross sell.

Don’t assume that your customers know your full range of products even if you have told them a dozen times. They’ve got more important things to worry about so tell them another dozen times and keep doing so via direct or indirect means.

9- Raise prices.

Contrary to popular opinion, customers will accept price rises provided that they understand why your product represented good value in the first place and why a price rise is necessary and reasonable now. Surprisingly customers are often under-informed about the products they buy and consequently don’t use them to their full potential.

10- Sell other products.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t wholesale other companies’ products to your own customers if you can be competitive on price. It obviously helps your economies of scale and reduce the number of individual deliveries your customers require.

opinion

Outlook IS KING

CASHFLOW CASH FLOW IS KING

by Keith Jones Managing Director of The Keith Jones Partnership

ash flow is king to all businesses, particularly in difficult economic times. In this issue we look at two recent changes in the law which assist businesses in recovering overdue debts.

Firstly, we have the Late Payment of Commercial Debts legislation.

Since 1998 all businesses can charge interest at 8% above base rate on any overdue invoices, provided that there is no contractual right to an alternative rate of interest. Since 2002, compensation is also payable on outstanding invoices at the rate of £40 for invoices under £1,000; £70 for invoices between £1000 - 10,000; and £100 on invoices over £10,000. In addition, earlier this year, provision was made by Parliament for your customer to be responsible for your reasonable legal costs in relation to debt recovery.

This means that your customer has a much higher liability than the debt itself if they fail to pay on time and we find that a letter setting out the potential liability, but offering an incentive of a partial, or even a total reduction of these additional charges if payment is made quickly, leads to swift payment for our clients.

The fact that the costs of writing and serving the correspondence can be recovered means that the letter may become effectively free of charge.

Secondly, the Government have recently increased the Small Claims limit from £5,000 to £10,000. This means that if you have a Claim for less than £10,000.00, it will be allocated to the Small Claims Court which is considerably less expensive than the general County Court. The downside is that your legal costs cannot normally be recovered from your opponent even if you are successful, but these legal costs are only a fraction of the charges associated with having to comply with a much stricter regime outside of the Small Claims Court. www.kjplaw.co.uk • info@kjplaw.co.uk • 0151 650 6830 www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 33

GADGETS

S O M IZ G & S T E G D A G Withings Pulse £89.99 PC World, Apple Store So much more than a pedometer, Pulse tracks total steps, total distance travelled, elevation, calories burned, even total sleep time and sleep quality. A leading edge activity tracker, the device also lets you check your heart rate (hence the name Pulse) and track changes over time, holding 10 days of data at any one time with swipe history browsing to see if you’ve achieved a PB. It’s compact and sleek and syncs seamlessly to your smartphone or tablet throughout the day and wirelessly transmits your data to your free secured Withings account and made available in the dedicated web and mobile apps. The app instantly turns your stats into easy to read graphs showing trends and showcasing your day-to-day progress giving you a better understanding of how your body works and how your habits impact your health.

Bayan Audio Soundbook £149.95 bayanaudio.com Soundbook is a small, powerful, portable wireless stereo speaker with great connectivity that's ready to play when you are. It pairs in seconds with Bluetooth to make a really clear speakerphone whether you're on the move, at home or in the office where it’s great for conference calls.

It works with Apple iOS, Android or Windows based devices and even operates as a standalone fm radio. The battery offers up to ten hours of playback, and like all the best devices the cover doubles as a handy stand.

Samsung Galaxy NX £1,299 Currys, jessops.com, John Lewis Samsung’s much anticipated latest experiment is the Galaxy NX, a compact system camera running on Android with 4G for easy shot-sharing. It’s the World’s first interchangeable-lens camera with built-in 4G and Wi-Fi connectivity. with a profesisonal grade 20.3-meg APS-C CMOS sensor and 1080p HD movie recording, it boats a 4.8-inch LCD touch-screen, 8.6fps continuous shooting, and a 1/6000th shutter speed. It’s totally loaded with fantasy features such as the remote viewfinder which allows you to see what the camera sees on the display of your smartphone and take a picture from a distance and even voice control - you can command the camera to zoom in, zoom out and take a shot without touching it.

Because you’re worth it!

Play.com

.uk mylit tlelunchbag.co

Edge WANTS!

GYMWORLD.CO.UK

34 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

OPINION

Outlook A good accountant can help you start, sustain and grow your business

with Jan McDermott & Co Chartered Accountants

he relationship between business and accountants is changing. Research shows that 82% of business owners want more from their accountant than the preparation of accounts and tax returns. They want more interaction and regular support and updates on the current financial position of their business. As the economy revives, owners want their accountant to be a trusted adviser and work alongside them in the business. Good accountants understand this and are geared up to deliver it. Our checklist will help you assess if you are getting the proactive support and guidance you need from your accountant.

Your accountant should…

Provide general support to help you with your business by…

1. Continually reviewing your business structure 2. Performing a diagnostic review to find options for strengthening your cashflow 3. Producing regular cashflow forecasts to ensure your plans can be funded 4. Benchmarking your business against others in your industry to identify where you can most easily improve 5. Knowing your potential exit plan Help you strengthen cashflow via more profitable sales & getting paid faster by…

6. Finding which key performance indicators have the best potential for your business 7. Reviewing the profit strategies that lie behind these profit drivers and helping you to prioritise and action them 8. Analysing your sales pipeline – & use sales improvement software and techniques to identify how to drive sales up 9. Evaluating alternative pricing strategies. Getting your pricing right is usually the fastest and easiest way to increase the profitability of sales 10. Assessing your debt collection policy and showing you how to get paid quicker Help improve your business & personal cashflow through better tax planning to...

11. Ensure you pay as little personal and corporation tax as legally possible 12. Pay no tax on profits from new products, services or divisions for up to 10 years 13. Use inheritance tax planning and care home fee planning to put extra cash in your bank during your lifetime 14. Claim your Tax Credit entitlement – it’s surprising how much you can claim with specialist help 15. Minimise your life-time taxes, by the time you are ready to dispose of your business If you don’t receive this level of attention from your accountant then perhaps it’s time to find an accountant as passionate about growing your business as you are. www.janmcdermott.co.uk www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 35

WELL bEING

No More Excuses!

TAKE A BREAK f you’re like most small-business owners you probably need a holiday but are too busy / indispensible / afraid, or any of the hundred other reasons why you can’t possibly take time off. The good news for entrepreneurs everywhere is it’s never been easier to stay in touch with your business remotely while still enjoying your R&R. The bad news though is all those ways to stay in touch are making it even harder to truly get the benefits of getting away in the first place. There are two types of holiday for entrepreneurs: The one where you stay in touch with your business and the one where you don’t. These tips can help you manage both.

Microsoft SkyDrive, Dropbox, Basecamp or something similar. This will enable you to share data and documents with the folks at the office wherever you are.

make sure you’ve got a reliable way to hold conference calls or even videoconference on vacation, JUST IN CASE!

I

You will still be ready to jump in should the need arise. If you already use the cloud for business, this will be fairly easy. If you don’t, you should sign up for some cloud services now. Choose a cloud storage, remote work and collaboration system that work for your needs, whether that’s Google Drive, 36 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

The pressures of 24/7 connectivity are spurring more entrepreneurs to choose unplugged vacations that truly get them “away from it all.” You may not be able to take two weeks away, completely incomunicado but try a long weekend to test the water first.

The keys to making “unplugged” vacations work? Make sure the person who’s in charge while you’re away knows how to get in touch with you in a genuine emergency, whether that’s calling the hotel to get a message through, or air sea rescue to interrupt your solo cross channel yachting trip.

If You Really Need to Stay in Touch Maybe you’ve got a big holiday planned only to have a business emergency occur, a sensitive new client sign on, or some other situation arise that requires your attention.

You can still take your trip but you’ll just need to take a few steps to make it work.

Appoint a delegate back at the office.

Whether it’s your second in command, your assistant or the head of the most relevant department to the emergency/project/new client, pick someone you can trust and get them up to speed. Introduce him or her to your important clients, vendors or other relevant people as the person dedicated to helping them while you’re away.

If You Don’t Need to Be in Touch

Also make sure you’ve got a reliable way to hold conference calls or even video conferences on holiday should the need arise. Skype or GoToMeeting are two popular platforms. Finally, be sure the hotels you’re staying at have reliable, fast Internet connections, fax services and business centres and if you’re heading out of the country, make sure your smart phone works wherever you’re going.

Before you leave, develop a plan for checking in with your business. Stay in touch with the dedicated person daily, sending him or her an email with your holiday itinery first thing in the morning is a great idea, with updates on how often you’ll be checking email that day and if or when you’ll be unreachable. Instruct them to alert you if anything urgent happens and make sure you clarify beforehand what counts as “urgent."

Also, don’t be afraid to let your clients and customers know what you’re doing.

You’d be surprised how many people, rather than getting annoyed with you, will get envious, wistful and supportive at the same time.

Finally, if you’re going to disconnect from business, try to unplug from technology in general. Don’t post constant status updates about your trip and avoid the temptation to check your phone for messages when you feel restless.

Study after study has shown we all need a break from our working environment.

As entrepreneurs it’s particularly difficult for us to let go, even for a few days. But you and your business will be far, far healthier if you can pull it off.

So WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

RT

E ASK THE EXP

KIRWANS

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PURCHASE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SALE

LISA EVANS rwans

erty Solicitor, Ki

Commercial Prop

LEASE GRANT / ASSIGNMENT

BUSINESS SALE AND ACQUISITION

Commercial Property is a journey.

Make Kirwans your destination. t: 0800 525 035 e: info@kirwans.co.uk w: www.kirwans.co.uk facebook.com/kirwansuk

operty in 2014. in commercial pr vise?

I want to invest fer? Can you ad of ties does Wirral ni rtu po op t ha W

twitter.com/@kirwanslaw

Kirwans is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (www.sra.org.uk) Prenton SRA Number 71723

irst of all, I would applaud you for your investment choice. Commercial property as a whole has an established history as a relatively low risk, high yield asset. There are particular benefits from choosing to purchase a commercial property in Wirral. While our Liverpool neighbours have been hitting the national headlines with Peel’s Liverpool Waters re-development, its sister project, Wirral Waters, has been making waves of its own.

The news that Peel has announced a manufacturing park at its Wirral site has increased the buzz around the project. But don’t rule out this landmark development as too expensive. Now is the time to negotiate a good deal – such as a longer term, less restrictive lease. Admittedly, its new build status means rental costs are likely to be higher, but on the plus side there are unlikely to be major dilapidations to deal with later down the line.

Another reason why Wirral is ripe for return on investment is its proximity to the International Festival for Business 2014, which will bring further opportunities, not just for Liverpool but for Wirral too. The impressive string of multi-million pound developments demonstrates to foreign investors the region’s potential for strong returns in a way that smaller, piecemeal developments cannot.

And there’s even better news. Commercial property this side of the water isn’t just about shiny new office complexes and shopping developments. The wide range of premises created over the years means that older retail units sit alongside brand new buildings, offering something for every budget both by private treaty and auction. Always ask a solicitor to look over the auction pack prior to auction, though. In addition, business rates also tend to be lower than Liverpool for similar properties.

One area that investors have had their eye on for some time is New Brighton which has endured mixed fortunes over the years.

From a booming holiday destination to the victim of package holidays and lack of investment, the area is a popular, emerging resort once again. New Brighton has enjoyed a change in fortunes with the success of the £60m Marine Point seafront project; a £12m redevelopment of the Floral Pavilion and the linking of Victoria Road with the promenade helping to boost the commercial appeal of the area.

LISA EVANS

Lisa is an experienced Commercial Property Solicitor who deals with all aspects of commercial property work for a large number of clients including private individuals and client companies. Lisa oversees large commercial property transactions across the UK including Liverpool, Manchester and London.

T: 0151 609 2769 E: levans@kirwans.co.uk W: www.kirwans.co.uk

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 37

Social Media

Facebook with Business and Teens mall-businesses and Facebook users, specifically teens are beginning to abandon the social network. Facebook was “the” place for savvy businesses to market themselves. All they needed was to create a profile, post consistently and the fans and “likes” would roll in. It offered a whole new way to engage with customers. Many businesses have benefited from Facebook exposure, others not so much and they’re choosing to leave altogether along with an army of teenagers who are shunning the world’s largest network in favour of a raft of emerging platforms.

Facebook’s new “boosting” feature may be part of the problem for businesses. Companies can now pay to promote their posts and get prominent placement in their Facebook fans’ news feed. But if a company doesn't want to pay, its posts can get buried and never reach its intended audience. In the past month alone Facebook lost 6m US visitors, a 4 per cent fall and 1.4m users checked in last month, a drop of 4.5 per cent, while users in Canada, Spain, France, Germany and Japan are also logging off in great numbers.

The feeling is that, in the US and UK, most people who want to sign up for Facebook have already done it and there is a growing ‘Facebook Fatigue’ factor where people want to try something new. Analysts have questioned if Mark Zuckerberg's website will suffer the same fate as MySpace after independent data revealed Facebook’s falling popularity in its best established markets. This is most apparent with the teen audience Teens are a huge market for traditional advertising and increasingly online promotions. The rise of social media and the internet has made teens more active consumers than ever before, and many businesses and agencies currently interact with teens via social media like Facebook, Twitter, and others.

A Pew study reported some interesting information for Facebook and how teens are using (and not using) the site.

38 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

As Facebook has broadened its reach and increased its commercialism teens say they’re less enthusiastic about the site.

Facebook may have started out with the appeal of younger users, but it is long past that. Now the site is truly more social and more representative of the population. With that, teens have to spend a lot more time managing the information that goes public on Facebook; dislike the increasing number of adults on the site; get annoyed when their Facebook friends share inane details and are tired of handling excessive drama. Facebook just isn’t cool anymore and Twitter and other networks may be starting to fill that coolness factor.

Upwards of 25% of teens online use Twitter which is up from about 12% last year. It is interesting that Twitter began primarily as an adult’s platform but is now attracting teens, and the opposite is true for Facebook. To endure its long term future Facebook needs to ensure that teens’ enthusiasm for its service doesn’t wane. Those teens will be adults before we know it, and the businesses and agencies that rely on Facebook to target them might have to think twice in the future if those same consumers are focused on other platforms.

For businesses whose primary markets are the younger crowds) there’s a small lesson that teens like to feel separate and special, and this is mirrored in their actions as they shy away from Facebook in favour of platforms like Pheed, Instagram, Snapchat, Kik and Vine. The overriding trend seems to be away from formal, detailed profiles and towards quick / instant messaging and imaging platforms which put them back in control. Anyone trying to reach younger teenaged consumers should consider a direct and exclusive message and clumping them up into a broad marketing or advertising campaign.

Just 9% of teens said they were concerned about how their information is being collected online so knowing how to target future consumers won’t be hard.

The data is there and will increasingly become better. But will businesses and agencies in the future be able to reach these teens? The race is on for businesses to connect with them today in order to have access to the adults of tomorrow.

Christmas OFFICE Parties

Be a good santa – if your firm operates a secret santa where you exchange gifts with a colleague, be nice not nasty.

This is a public exchange so don’t try to humiliate your present partner with anything inappropriate, vulgar or offensive.

It will upset them for the evening and won’t look good on you either, even if you think it’s just a joke.

Never Say ‘never again’ at Christmas Love it or hate it you can’t avoid the works Christmas party. Across the country the party season claims many victims and no one is immune. From office junior to senior managers alike, every workplace has a story to tell of bad judgement, excessive drinking, outlandish actions, loose morals or many other forms of shameful behaviour. While none of us go out with the intention of being ‘that guy’ (or gal) embarrassment and shame will recruit a large number of unwitting accomplices in the lead up to Christmas.

The only way to avoid the danger is to prepare and protect yourself against the curse of the Christmas do. We’ve compiled a list of do’s and don’ts to ensure you’ll be able to show your face in work the morning after, safe in the knowledge that you are not the name on everybody’s lips.

Eat well to stay in control –

resist the temptation to start drinking straight from work on an empty stomach. A couple of drinks to calm the nerves before the main event could be the recipe for disaster. Get something to eat before the drinking starts to slow down the absorption of alcohol into the blood and keep you on an even keel for the evening.

Don’t not attend – whatever you think about the party season don’t even consider skipping the works Christmas ‘do’.

This will mark you out as a killjoy by your colleagues and will not go unnoticed by your superiors who will be slighted by your ingratitude and see you as someone who is not a team player. This could have damaging effect on your working relationships and career prospects.

Appropriate dress code – even though it’s a party you are still ‘at work’ so avoid extremes. Smart casual should suffice for most events but take your lead from those around you. If you are going to the races or a swanky restaurant smart attire might be required. Avoid extremes like fancy dress, scruffy sportswear or anything overtly sexual or revealing.

Mind your language – when drink flows tongues loosen but try to avoid extreme topics of conversation. Politics, sex and religion can prove a fertile territory for argument and extreme beliefs so stick to sports, films and the weather and leave the heated debates to your workmates.

Forget your social network what seems like a second of witty banter could be on the internet for a lifetime so resist the temptation to give a live running commentary on your social networks.

There’ll be time aplenty to fill your followers in tomorrow when you’ve sobered up and your better judgement is restored.

Keep a lid on your drinking - this advice is so

obvious but it’s also the one that’s most ignored. Drinking with work colleagues is not the same as drinking with your mates.

Your mates might know and love your quirky character and outrageous behaviour when drunk but your colleagues will be unlikely to make the same allowance for it and your bosses even less.

Remember where you are, drink sensibly and enjoy yourself in moderation.

Resist temptation – another classic mistake made by so many revellers is copping off with a colleague or even worse your boss. The time, the place and the mood may seem perfect for an illicit tryst but in the cold light of day it won’t seem like such a great idea so ….DON’T DO IT! MANNERS MATTER – it’s a small point but ‘manners maketh the man’ so remember to thank the party organiser and your boss or whoever else has put their hand in their pocket to pay for the celebration. However quickly it’s over you can be sure someone has spent a lot of time making plans to ensure you have a good time so let them know you appreciate their efforts.

Prepare for work – having to work the day after your Xmas party is never ideal and should act as motivation to keep things under control if you do. If you are clever try and plan ahead and get your in tray cleared before the event. That way you can enjoy an easy return to work. Certainly don’t plan any high level meetings or presentations with important clients or top brass. www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 39

40 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHTS AT

Hulme Hall

4 course dinner & live entertainment.

3 choices for starter and main’ including Traditional Carved Roasted Turkey followed by choice of 2 desserts.

Call for details of the full menu and all the choices on offer.

7.30pm start, sit down for dinner at 8pm, then dancing till late.

£32 per head Saturday 30th November - Robbie Williams Friday 6th December - Elvis Saturday 7th December - Freddie Mercury Friday 13th December - Soul & Motown SOLD OUT! Saturday 14th December - Rod Stewart Friday 20th December - Freddie Mercury Saturday 21st December – Neil Diamond

Find us at:

Pensioner Christmas Cls ub lunches still availab le!

23 Bolton Road, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 5DH

www.hulmehall.com For more details call us on 0151 644 8797

Now taking bookings for your work / office

Christmas Parties.

Discounts Available Call us to book now for a superior Indian Dining Experience…

OPEN CHRISTMAS DAY 1PM - 9PM

£25

per head

18 Bromborough Village Road Bromborough TAKEAWAY & FREE HOME Wirral DELIVERY AVAIALBLE CH62 7ES Tel: 0151 334 0024 / 0151 343 0714

OPEN

7 days a week 5pm-12am

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 41

Stick ‘n’ Step’s ‘50/50 Challenge’ for businesses Can you turn £50 into £3,000 In just one year for charity?

Stick ‘n’ Step is inviting businesses to take up its ‘50/50 Challenge’ fundraising initiative. The Wirral-based charity is recruiting 50 companies, big and small, to help raise a collective target of £150,000 for the charity over the course of a year. The money raised will allow the charity to relocate to new, larger premises to improve and expand its service offering.

Stick ‘n’ Step is a children’s charity that works to develop the abilities of children with cerebral palsy. There are already 70 children from across the North West who regularly attend this specialist conductive education centre, but attendance is at an all-time high and expansion is necessary.

The 50/50 Challenge is simple – Stick ‘n’ Step will give businesses £50 to kick-start the fundraising and then it’s up to each company to get creative and see how much money can be raised.

Businesses can opt to invest the £50 into fundraising costs, such as buying baking goods to sell cakes or entering a race, and then keep reinvesting the £50 towards the next planned activity. Companies can chose how they fundraise and there’s no limit on how much money each business has to raise. This is an excellent opportunity for team building, as well as a test of creativity, endurance, and business acumen. That means anything goes – be it a one-off company event or multiple individuals gaining sponsorship for various activities throughout the year.

The challenge began with a launch event at Thornton Hall Hotel in Wirral in November and will conclude with a Gala Ball. The total raised will be announced at the Ball and awards such as ‘Most Daring’ and ‘Most Original’ will be presented. Companies do not need to have been signed-up from the start to join in. In fact, Stick ‘n’ Step is still looking for companies to get involved now, so get in touch and prove that you can make a business of fundraising!

Stick ‘n’ Step taught her how to eat properly, how to dress herself, how to do everything. It’s been life-changing for her.

Carrie, Robyn’s mum

Contact Kerry Roe-Ely, Community and Events fundraiser at Stick ‘n’ Step, on 0151 638 0888 or email kerry@sticknstep.org to join in with the 50/50 Challenge today.

42 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

LIFESTYLE DIRECTORY theedge

for living

Turn back the clock NEW TO WIRRAL - Face Treats are now offering line softening treatments and facial fillers.

Facetreats BEAUTY IS WITHIN THE SKIN

Face Treats is run by two practising registered nurses who bring their medical knowledge to the world of beauty to ensure you receive the best products with a professional application and clinical excellence.

With our extensive nursing knowledge and clinical training, we are dedicated to delivering high quality care to all clients who would benefit from non-surgical treatments to reduce and soften the appearance of facial lines.

Every person is unique, so we offer a FREE consultation and assessment to design your personal treatment and care plan.

Ideal Present Gift vouchers available

Call Kate and Carol for more information T 0776 640 0302 • 07867 512046 E facetreats@hotmail.co.uk www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 43

networking

Events& Networking November Thurs Nov 14th Priory Business Forum FREE networking and topical seminars over coffee and a bacon batch. Marine Engineering College, Birkenhead. www.the-prory.co.uk Tues 19th 5.45 - 9pm In the Den with the Dragons Live webcast at Liverpool Central Library of a panel of formidable Dragons from the very first series to the latest. This special event will give you the chance to learn from the no-nonsense experts about what makes a winning pitch and how to scale up your business. Put your questions to all speakers and network with other local businesses. Book at eventbrite.

Wed 20th 9am - 4pm (1of2) Demystifying the Tender Process & Writing Tenders Part one of two full day workshops followed by a one-to-one surgery to help you identify what public sector buyers want from a winning tender. Liverpool Hope University Business Gateway. Cost from £40. Caroline White 0151 291 2076 or whitec@hope.ac.uk Wed 20th 6pm - 8.30pm Women, Business & Democracy

by The Women’s Organisation Business Club & University of Liverpool Management School.

Interesting panel discussion & networking focussing on National Parliament Week theme ‘Women & Democracy’ from a business point of view in association with Global Entrepreneurship Week. Tickets just £10. For info 0151 706 8111 or info@thewo.org.uk. The Women's Organisation, 54 Saint James Street, Liverpool, L1 5HA Thurs 21st 10am - 4pm NatWest Enterprise Academy As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, this NatWest event will provide support for those who are looking to grow or expand their business. Workshops and courses throughout the day alongside a marketplace where exhibitors will be able to provide information and advice to delegates. St Georges Hall, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 1JJ. Info: heather.waters@natwest.com 44 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

Thurs 21st 8.30 - 10am (1of2) Using Intellectual Property to Grow Your Business. Liverpool LEP Business Breakfast at Liverpool Central Library. Network with like minded people and learn about the importance of intellectual property to your business. Entrepreneur Tom Dawson will talk about his own experience and the IPO will provide information about their ‘Healthcheck’ service. Register: lisa.baldwin@liverpoollep.org Fri 22nd 9 - 10am Women Leaders - It’s Time to Step Up and Stand Out. 60 Really Useful Minutes with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce delivered

by Cath Daley to develop your Persuasive and Powerful Presence. Book at events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk. Number One Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9HG Mon 25th 1 - 4pm Sharing Best Practice Tour: Bentley Motors Limited. Your tour of Bentley’s Crewe facility will inevitably end with a new appreciation of the passion for fine craftsmanship and the pride in engineering perfection that goes into every car. Includes buffet lunch Cost £35-£55 +VAT. Information & bookings 01925 715245 events@noee.co.uk Mon 25th 10am - 4pm Barclays Seminar - Get Ready for Business Gain you the tools you need to take your idea from the drawing board to the real world, expert advice and help in areas such as business plan, finance, cashflow, legalities, taxation & VAT, marketing and banking solutions. FREE. Blue Orchid, Old Greasby House, 4 Old Greasby Road, Upton, CH49 6LTBook at Barclays.co.uk Mon 25th 9.30am - 3.30pm Leadership & Management Training by Designated Associates designed to help all managers and

leaders develop the essential skills to influence and motivate staff to achieve exceptional performance and provide you with ideas to increase your leadership skills in the workplace.

Vale House, Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 1LZ contact : Donna on admin@designatedassociates.com or 0151-653-3338 Tues 26th 2 - 5.30pm Young Entrepreneurs taking Steps to Success. Half day of training sessions from JCI Liverpool (Junior Chamber) designed to help professionals and entrepreneurs succeed in business.

Presentations include: Why do leaders lead?, Learning Styles & Memory Techniques, Less is more, Risk: Surviving and Thriving, Social media use in business. Followed by diner at 5.30. Hill Dickinson, 1 St Paul's Square, Liverpool, L3 9SJ. Register at Eventbrite.

Wed 27th 2 - 4pm Leveraging your network and making LinkedIn work for you. With this workshop by Designated Associates you can learn how to use LinkedIn to benefit you and your business.

Vale House, Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 1LZ contact : Donna on admin@designatedassociates.com or 0151-653-3338 Thurs 28th 9am - 4pm (2of2) Writing Winning Tenders Liverpool Hope University Business Gateway. Part two of two full day workshops followed by a one-to-one surgery to help you identify what public sector buyers want from a winning tender. Cost from £40. Caroline White 0151 291 2076 or whitec@hope.ac.uk

networking

Thurs 28th 9am - 5pm Using Social Media to Drive Business and Promote You. Training to help you reap the benefits of Social Media including workbook, lunch and refreshments plus a load of ideas! At Wood Squared, Hamilton Square. 0844 811 8464. www.koogar.co.uk Fri 29th November’s Fruitcake Friday FREE Networking and topical seminar at Thursby House, Bromborough. Book your place on 0151 346 2000

December Tues 3rd 9.30am - 4pm Digital Marketing Bootcamp The Chartered Institute of Marketing’s exciting Digital Marketing Bootcamp will stimulate your brain and put your marketing abilities through a workout. The Old Fire Station, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT. Info and bookings cimevents@cim.co.uk 01628 427340 Thurs 5th 8.30 - 10am (2of2) Using Intellectual Property to Grow Your Business. Liverpool LEP Business Breakfast at Liverpool Central Library. Network with like minded people and learn all you need to know to protect your intellectual property rights, potential value and pitfalls.

Patent attorney Tom Hutchinson will give specific advice related to the eHealth sector Register: lisa.baldwin@liverpoollep.org Fri 6th 9 - 10am Alternative Finance, Cash Flow and Growth Funding. 60 Really Useful Minutes with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. Don’t wait until you need finance – come along and find out today about what may be available in the future. Book at events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9HG Mon 9th 10am - 4pm Barclays Seminar - Get Ready for Business.

Gain you the tools you need to take your idea from the drawing board to the real world, expert advice and help in areas such as business plan, finance, cashflow, legalities, taxation & VAT, marketing and banking solutions. FREE. Blue Orchid, Old Greasby House, 4 Old Greasby Road, Upton, CH49 6LT. Book at Barclays.co.uk Include your listing in our next issue - email details to events@theedgewirral.co.uk

Tues 10th 1 - 3pm Hanging out with Google Workshop Designated Associates google advisors deliver a workshop for beginner and intermediate-level Google marketers, designed to push your online presence onto the next level. Vale House, Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 1LZ. Contact : Donna on admin@designatedassociates.com or 0151-653-3338 Wed 11th 10am - 4pm Barclays Seminar - Get Ready for Business. Gain you the tools you need to take your idea from the drawing board to the real world, expert advice and help in areas such as business plan, finance, cashflow, legalities, taxation & VAT, marketing and banking solutions. FREE. Bluecoat Chambers, Liverpool L1 3BX. Book at Barclays.co.uk Wed 11th 7.30 - 9.30pm FREE business networking Networking for anyone running a business. The Chimneys Hooton www.wirralbusinessassociation.co.uk Thurs 12th Priory Business Forum FREE networking and topical seminars over coffee and a bacon batch. Marine Engineering College, Birkenhead. www.the-prory.co.uk Mon 16th Open Surgery with Women in Business Designated Associates offer FREE business support and mentoring. Open to all women at pre-start up, start up and all stage of business. FREE at Vale House. book on 0151 653 3338 or admin@designatedassociates.com Thurs 19th 10am - 1pm Google Analytics. Designated Associates’ practical course provides you with the knowledge you need to set up Google Analytics, understand Traffic and Content Reports to provides free, in-depth data on your web traffic, showing you where your visitors are coming from and how they are using your site. Vale House, Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 1LZ. Contact : Donna on admin@designatedassociates.com or 0151 653 3338

Follow us on twitter

January Tues 7th 5.30pm ProWirral New Business Networking at 4748, Hamilton Square. Encourage key business collaborations, and create new strategic partnerships. More info Twitter : @ProWirral Wed 8th 7.30 - 9.30pm FREE business networking Networking for anyone running a business.

The Chimneys Hooton. www.wirralbusinessassociation.co.uk Thurs 9th 8 - 10am Priory Business Forum FREE networking and topical seminars over coffee and a bacon batch. Marine Engineering College, Birkenhead. www.the-prory.co.uk Thurs 9th10am-2pm Social Networking Skills for Business Workshop. Learn about websites, including Facebook, Linked In and Twitter, and how to use these easily accessible and cost effective marketing instruments to increase your contacts, clients, sales and profits. Vale House, Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 1LZ. Contact : Donna on admin@designatedassociates.com or 0151 653 3338 Mon 13th 10am - 2pm Mentoring in the Workplace Designated Associates course to help you develop your mentoring style, giving you practical guidance on successful mentoring schemes and teaching you the pitfalls to avoid. Vale House, Vale Park, Magazine Lane, New Brighton, Wirral, CH45 1LZ contact : Donna on admin@designatedassociates.com or 0151-653-3338 Fri 24th 9 - 10am I’m a Manager Get Me Out of Here 60 Really Useful Minutes with Liverpool Chamber of Commerce delivered by Denise Chiltern Executive Business coach, Learn some simple effective techniques to help you get the most from your people. Book at events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk. Number One Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9HG @theedgewirral

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 45

new businesses

Welcome

Wirral’s newest businesses experience of almost 60 years in Military and the Private Sector Security Industry.

With operations and training carried out in Afghanistan, Iraq, Africa, South America, Europe and the UK, they have the experience and capability to offer a service, which is second to none. Primarius operational staff have all been trained by or worked along side Peter and Harry and are selected for the unrivalled professionalism and value they bring to clients.

Joanne set up Joanne Finnerty Recruitment Limited after spending 20 successful years in the recruitment industry. Her aim is to continue to provide an honest, personal and professional recruitment service to both clients and candidates alike with her own brand and personality.

Joanne’s highly accomplished career saw her progress into management, where she continued to maintain client relationships and work personally with candidates to ensure the right fit every time and it’s this hands-on approach which produces great results for Joanne’s clients. Joanne knows the most effective recruitment is achieved by building great relationships with both her clients and candidates and she can bring her skills to help build your dream team.

The Operators and Instructors out on contracts are the face of the company and they don’t compromise on quality.

Primarius Ltd can become your partner for security and training needs, for more information see page 15. www.primarius.me.uk

If you’re a company looking to recruit permanent office staff across Wirral, Liverpool or Chester call Joanne on 0151 601 5288 www.jfrecruit.co.uk A top PA has launched a franchise aimed at busy local business owners. Nikki Hartley says her Pink Spaghetti franchise – which covers Wirral, Ellesmere Port & Runcorn - offers a ‘pick up and put down’ personal assistant service.

Primarius Security and Training Consultants - Providing Security Consultancy and Training Services across the globe to exacting standards Primarius was started by two ex British Military Non Commissioned Officers, Peter Bray and Harry Glover with a combined 46 | www.theedgewirral.co.uk

With 10 years’ high level PA experience, she is available to hire by the hour, providing vital support to business owners who don’t want or need to commit to a full time assistant.

Working from her home office in West Kirby, Nikki helps small businesses to grow by taking over their time-consuming tasks.

These include research, organisation, accounts and social media.

She said: “Basically, I do everything a PA would. I’m always there at the end of the phone but my clients only pay for me when they need me. I believe I offer the most cost-effective solution to small businesses who are struggling to manage their workload. ” Pink Spaghetti also provides clients with help at home, from finding a cleaner, to selling unwanted items on EBay. Nikki is well-placed to provide help, having worked as a PA to senior managers, clinicians ands directors at Arrowe Park and Liverpool Women’s Hospitals.

Contact Nikki on 0844 504 4738 www.pink-spaghetti.co.uk

Get the Geek has been operating in the Wirral and Chester area for the last few months. They offer IT support to small businesses and individuals, providing a 'No Fix No Fee' service for repair, as well as ongoing support and managing your backup and antivirus for you, allowing you to relax safe in the knowledge that your computer is being looked after by an expert.

Business Owner, Dave Kitchen, spent 3 years working as a teacher and he puts these skills to good use providing bespoke training and running workshops to help people look after their own IT support, and become more aware as buyers of IT services.

0151 559 3198 www.getthegeek.co.uk

Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Business Improve accounting data.

Cash is the lifeblood of your business so start improving your business by understanding its cash flows. What products generate most of your profits and therefore your cash? Develop daily, monthly and yearly accounting forecasts. Ensure your data is timely and available in real time so you can respond to changes quickly.

Price products and services appropriately.

Pricing is not easy. Whole books are produced on pricing products. But there are some simple rules of thumb. Raise prices on your high quality items and lower prices on your low quality items. The idea is to focus on customer value not your cost of production. If your items are high quality then say it with your price. Don’t be afraid to raise your prices on those items that your customers really like and lower prices on the items they don’t like. If you are not sure which products your customers value, ask them and they will tell you.

Employ the “right” people.

Focus your employee hiring process on hiring great attitudes not personalities.

Great people are performers that demonstrate results. Look past skills on a CV and look for accomplishments.

Remember, good is the enemy of great so hire great people not people who are ‘good enough’.

Focus.

Develop Standards.

Products have requirements and so does your business. Define what “great” is for every job or process that is critical to your business. Start with a process map and create policies and procedures for each job and use them. Benchmark your competition and set a higher standard for yourself.

Implement controls.

Controls start with clearly defined objectives for every job or process that link back to your accounting system and the forecast. Take time to understand what can go wrong and work to prevent it from happening. Develop warning flags to indicate when things are going wrong.

Sack the “wrong” people.

If you have made a mistake don’t be afraid to sack someone that is not working out. If it’s not working out you will know it in the first 90 days, so end it immediately. Don’t wait for improvement in your finances or their attitude to change.

Letting poor staff go should be done sooner rather than later. Nobody likes to sack employees but your business health is more important.

A working management strategy requires focus. Focus on the one thing that will make you great. Budget your resources to grow your star opportunities and starve your problem performers. Remove any obstacles to achieving great performance and prepare your business to be a star performer.

Improve your sales process.

Sales is a contact sport so make sure you are getting out in front of your customers often. Build relationships with customers so they buy again, and again. If your revenues are not growing then you are not selling.

Understand your marketplace better.

The marketplace is not static so expect it to change. Understand what’s changing in your marketplace and either change with it or be changed by it. Pay attention to what your marketplace needs and give it to them before your competition does.

Build a strong brand.

Your brand leads the business. A failing brand leads to a failing business Marketing, vision and strategy are key elements of building a strong brand. Once your brand is built, maintain your brand and what it means by following the plan above. Don’t let your brand suffer or your business will suffer too.

www.theedgewirral.co.uk | 47

HE’LL BE BACK. WILL YOU?

THE OPEN HOSPITALITY. MADE TO ENTERTAIN. THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ROYAL LIVERPOOL 16 - 20 JULY 2014 TO BOOK TICKETS AND OFFICIAL ON-COURSE HOSPITALITY PACKAGES Contact our hospitality team now on: T: +44 (0)844 371 0883 or email: hospitality@TheOpen.com Ref: The Edge Please visit TheOpen.com/hospitality for further information.