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suffolk AUTUMN 2012 | www.iod-suffolk.co.uk
Education and skills
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The A6 Saloon. Performance meets practicality. The Audi A6 Saloon offers an altogether enhanced driving experience. As well as the spacious practicality expected of a saloon, this model has an ultra lightweight construction and a range of remarkably economical engines, both of which improve the overall efficiency of the car. And the model’s versatility doesn’t end there. We’ve included Audi’s innovative MMI Satellite Navigation as standard as well as Milano leather upholstery, Audi drive select, cruise control and Bluetooth interface. So, the A6 Saloon is as luxurious as it is practical.
If you’d like to book a test drive, please speak to a member of our team.
Bury St Edmunds Audi
Ipswich Audi
Skyliner Way Moreton Hall Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP32 7YB 0844 776 0618 www.burystedmunds.audi.co.uk
2 Bath Street Ipswich Suffolk IP2 8SG 0844 776 0483 www.ipswich.audi.co.uk
Part of the Marriott Motor Group Franchise Group
Part of the Marriott Motor Group Franchise Group
Official fuel consumption figures for the A6 Saloon in mpg (l/100km): Urban: 26.2 (10.8) – 48.7 (5.8) Extra Urban: 42.8 (6.6) – 64.2 (4.4) Combined: 34.4 (8.2) – 57.6 (4.9). CO2 emissions: 190 – 129g/km.
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CONTENTS
Welcome. It’s ‘back to work’ after our summer break. There’s much good news for our region (in marked contrast to everywhere else) with the best prospects for growth in a generation. But we also face a challenge – the acute shortage of skills to exploit those opportunities for growth. In this special Education and Skills edition we investigate the ways in which Suffolk is rising to the challenge.
Our cover shows Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams and Chair of New Anglia LEP with Antony Howell, Business Development Director at Active Technologies and chair of NAAME (New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering) photographed outside Hethel Engineering Centre.
And it’s the start of the new academic year. Whether they are continuing in full-time education or taking up apprenticeships or starting in the world of work, we offer our best wishes to Suffolk’s young people. Have a successful autumn! Email us at IoD-feedback@tilstonphillips.com or write to us at the address below. Jane Chittenden – Editor
CBP0004792805124132
Published by: Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 141 Norwich Road, Ipswich IP1 2PP enquiries@tilstonphillips.com www.tilstonphillips.com
4
Designed by: Alan Brannan Design www.alanbrannandesign.co.uk Printed by: Healeys Print Group www.healeys-printers.co.uk Cover photography and images on pages 19, 21, 22, 26 and 29 used by kind permission of Gary John Norman. www.garyjohnnorman.com
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Contents
1
From the Chair
3
Autumn Events
4
Across the region
9
Protecting the Director
12
Skills for the new industrial revolution
17
New Anglia and the skills challenge
19
U-Explore Waveney
23
Images on page 23 used by kind permission of U-Explore Ltd.
Company news
24
Images on page 27 used by kind permission of Chris Shutt.
New Cut Media
26
The next generation of entrepreneurs
27
Business profile – Gary John Norman
29
Investment
30
Commercial property
32
IoD Annual Conference
33
Business books
35
Member profile – Kem Masinbo-Amobi
36
All rights reserved. Reproduction, in part or in whole, without the prior consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. The content of this magazine is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time of publication. All times, prices and details of events were correct at time of going to press. The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers, proprietors, the Institute of Directors or others associated with this production.
30
© Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 2012
IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 1
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Our team will give your business a great chance of recovery...
“Mark, you and your team have done a great job... in light of some trying circumstances” Lawyer Cambridge
“...working with you and your team at the time of the CVA made a very tough time bearable” Company Accountant Felixstowe
Ensors expert Business Recovery team are committed to helping business survive and, where possible, trade out their difficulties. Contact either Mark Upton on 01223 420721, mark.upton@ensors.co.uk or David Scrivener on 01473 22008, david.scrivener@ensors.co.uk
Ensors Chartered Accountants Making you more than just a number
CAMBRIDGE HUNTINGDON SAXMUNDHAM BURY ST. EDMUNDS IPSWICH
www.ensors.co.uk
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WELCOME
New members to Suffolk branch Michael Billington Score Europe Ltd Kieron Blackburn Ipswich Building Society Andrew Chaplin Finance System Consulting Ltd David Day Zeus Technology Ltd Stephen Owen Excell Roma International plc Tim Fenton T Fenton Ltd John Harrison Coaching 4 Success Ltd David Hooper D N H Hooper Ltd Amanda Long Corporate Culture Ltd Ruth Irene Lucas Master Chemical Europe Ltd Amanda April Mortimer Richard Dennis W Mossman Certeco Roland Reinders Compass Infrastructure UK Ltd Mark Thompson Thompson Financial Consulting Ltd
IoD Suffolk membership benefits • • • • • •
IoD Travel Services IoD Car Rental IoD Director’s Liability Insurance IoD Professional Indemnity Insurance IoD Home and Contents Insurance IoD Health Plans For a complete list of the current affinity member benefits, please see www.iod.com/speciallynegotiated To find out more about joining IoD Suffolk branch please contact: Caroline Kearney Suffolk Branch Administrator 07917 699 498 caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk Institute of Directors Suffolk Branch 25 Wilding Drive, Grange Farm Kesgrave, Ipswich IP5 2AE www.iod-suffolk.co.uk Follow @SuffolkIoD
From the Chair By the time you read this article the Olympics and Paralympics will have come and gone. This may be tempting fate, but I am confident that the London Games will be seen as exceptionally well organised and an enjoyable event with a real legacy – encouraging more active lifestyles for increasing numbers. In the run-up to the Games the nation has been engulfed in a series of catastrophes in the banking industry. The LIBOR affair, which I am sure will rumble on, shone a spotlight again on corporate behaviour. This may prove to be a watershed as public revulsion clearly shows that there is a desire to see more responsible business behaviour. Profit is important but so is behaving in a way that doesn’t harm the communities in which you operate. I was delighted to be named HRH The Prince of Wales' Ambassador for Responsible Business in the East of England and will be doing my utmost to promote those ideals. The Government has encouraged the Bank of England to provide further economic stimulus in the shape of its new Funding for Lending
programme. Although well-intentioned, I have very real doubts that this will increase the total volume of lending. It may just reduce the cost of already-committed volumes. Elsewhere in this magazine you will read a report on IoD Suffolk’s Annual Conference. I was delighted with how the day went. With an array of top-class speakers, I felt the decision to go for a more prestigious event was fully justified. Finally, I hope that by the time you do read this we have been basking in a few weeks of dry, sunny weather. (Well I am always an optimist!) Paul Winter August 2012 IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 3
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AUTUMN EVENTS
IoD Suffolk Annual Dinner
in association with
Inspiring and entertaining 18 OCTOBER 2012 7.00pm – 11.00pm Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa, Keepers Lane, Leavenheath CO6 4PZ The Annual Dinner is a highlight in the IoD Suffolk calendar and is a great opportunity to entertain guests, make new contacts and hear from a truly inspirational speaker. This year’s exclusive and entertaining blacktie evening will be held in association with Marshalls Jaguar in the splendid setting of the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa. The evening commences at 7pm with a champagne reception and continues with a fabulous three-course dinner and coffee. Following the after-dinner talk by special guest Derek Redmond there will be live jazz to round off what promises to be a very special evening. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet like-minded business professionals in a fantastic setting and we anticipate the event will be extremely popular so early booking is recommended. Tickets cost £60 + VAT for members and their guests or £90 + VAT for non-members. Tables of 10 are £600 + VAT for those of you who would like to book a whole table to share with colleagues, clients or friends. Why not make a night of it? Members and their guests can take advantage of the special rate for accommodation at the hotel of £79+VAT per room including breakfast and complimentary use of the spa, pool and state-of-the-art gymnasium. Or, why not follow a great evening with a round on one of the club’s two championship golf courses. To book a room contact the hotel on 01206 265835 and quote reference IOD-12.
Annual Dinner kindly sponsored by:
4 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
Living the Legacy As the sun sets on the Games and the greatest show on earth moves out of town we reflect on the legacy, the amazing human stories of achievement and in some cases, what might have been. As one chapter ends another begins and it’s the time to set our sights on the next challenge. Guest Speaker – Derek Redmond As one of Britain's greatest ever 400m Olympic athletes, Derek is able to bring a unique perspective to what it takes to set goals, overcome obstacles and succeed. In one of the most compelling Olympic moments of all time, at the pinnacle of his career, Derek suffered a serious hamstring injury half-way through his 400m qualifying heat in Barcelona. Everyone believed Derek was destined for a medal but in that instant the dream ended. “Everything I had worked for was finished. I hated everybody. I hated the world. I hated hamstrings. I hated it all. I felt so bitter that I was injured again. I told myself I had to finish. I kept hopping round. Then, with 100 metres to go, I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was my old man.” Many would assume that was the end, but as Derek had demonstrated, he was made of stronger stuff. Although that one dream may never be realised there were infinitely more goals to set his sights on.
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There’s no business like show business! 24 SEPTEMBER 2012 6.45pm – 10.30pm New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich IoD Members and their guests £30.00 (ex VAT) Non-members £40.00 (ex VAT)
HOW TO MANAGE THE UNDERPERFORMING EMPLOYEE AND AVOID AN UNFAIR DISMISSAL OR DISCRIMINATION CLAIM A Best Practice Master Class by Quantrills Employment Law Solicitors 3 OCTOBER 2012 8.30am – 12.30pm, followed by lunch Wherstead Park, Wherstead, Ipswich IP9 2BJ IoD Members and their guests £27.50 (ex VAT) Non-members £41.25 (ex VAT)
This Master Class concentrates on giving you the confidence, skills and knowledge to let you take the correct action at the right time and avoid the costly mistakes that could otherwise result in a tribunal claim.
Join IoD members and guests for a great night out at the New Wolsey Theatre. Sarah Holmes, Chief Executive, will be telling us what’s behind the scenes of the business at a pre-show talk and drinks reception and the event, exclusively for IoD Suffolk, includes a top-price ticket to see the sizzling actor-musician musical Mods and Rox, with interval drinks and theatre programme included. Paul Sirett’s stunning new take on Cyrano de Bergerac is a high-octane romantic production set in the Swinging Sixties and features a series of classic period songs including: Substitute, Keep on Runnin’, Itchycoo Park, She’s Not There, The Kids are Alright and many more…
Simon Quantrill of Quantrills Employment Law Solicitors will show you how to take full advantage of the up-and-coming new employment laws and procedures being introduced to help employers tackle underperforming employee issues more quickly and safely – and he will also highlight the dangers and traps for the unwary manager. You will learn ‘what’s in, what’s out and what’s coming up’ and Simon Quantrill will show how businesses can make best use of the multiple employment law changes that are in the process of being introduced. Tea, coffee and danishes will be served on arrival and the Master Class will be followed by lunch. Simon has over 20 years’ employment law experience. He specialises in solving the tricky and complex employment law problems clients encounter and is known for his attention to detail, depth of knowledge and common-sense solutions.
in association with
BOOK YOUR EVENTS
6 DECEMBER 2012
To book any of our events you have the following options:
Put the date in your diary now...
Contact our Suffolk IoD branch administrator Caroline Kearney Telephone 07971 699498 or email caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk Caroline will take credit card bookings or invoice your business.
Christmas Drinks Party
Book online at www.iod.com/suffolk/events or www.iod.com/connecting/events Then follow the links to Regions and branches/East of England.
with wine and canapés for members and their guests
Use our booking form – Each of our events has a marketing leaflet with a booking form you can return by post. If you have not received a leaflet and would like to receive one please contact Caroline Kearney.
IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 5
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AUTUMN EVENTS
Breakfast with Sir Henry Cecil 21 NOVEMBER 2012 7.30am – 9.30am The West Wing at Ickworth IoD members and their guests £27.50 (ex VAT) Non-members £41.25 (ex VAT) Sir Henry Cecil is a 10-time champion racehorse trainer, based in Newmarket. He is one of British racing’s most famous personalities as well as one of the industry’s most respected trainers. He has won 25 British Classics, including the Derby on four occasions and has a total of no fewer than 73 Royal Ascot victories to his name. Sir Henry Cecil’s fascinating talk will follow a delicious cooked English breakfast. Join us for this must-attend event, which promises to be popular. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
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Official fuel economy figures for the XF Saloon range in MPG (l/100km): Urban 16.4–46.2 (16.9–6.1). Extra Urban 36–65.0 (7.9–4.3). Combined 25.0–55.4 (11.3–5.1). CO2 Emissions 268–135 g/km. *Based on a 36 month Jaguar Personal Contract Hire agreement on the model shown, standard specification, a mileage of 10,000 miles per annum (30,000 miles in total), non-maintained. Initial payment in advance of 12 months rentals inclusive of VAT followed by 35 monthly rentals at rental shown inclusive of VAT. May be subject to further charges depending on the condition/mileage when vehicle returned. Finance subject to status. Guarantees/indemnities may be required. This promotion cannot be used together with other manufacturer’s promotions and is subject to availability at participating dealers only for new vehicles ordered between 1st July and 30th September 2012, or while stocks last. Certain categories of business user may be excluded. Jaguar Contract Hire is provided by Lex Autolease, trading as Jaguar Contract Hire, Heathside Park, Heathside Park Road, Stockport SK3 0RB.Written quotations are available on request. All details are correct at time of publication and are subject to change without notice.
6 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
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PROTECTING YOURSELF HAS EVOLVED
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The first patent for barbed wire was issued in the United States in 1867 to the inventor, Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio.
In 1867, safeguarding ideas and innovations was very different. We don’t go back quite that far, but we do have vast experience of the best way to protect your ingenuity. Get in touch to find out how our friendly expertise and legal knowledge of patents could help you ringfence your inventions. But don’t leave it too long.
01473 660 600 www.dummett.com
Creativity, stimulation, provocation, sharing...
Providing a forum for regular practice of creativity techniques and facilitation, the Ideas Centre also provides a range of provocative and energising seminars to motivate and excite your change agents. The change process inevitably drains the energy levels of even the most passionate individuals, so the Ideas Centre provides a resource to re-charge the batteries, to provide new ideas and to provide a source for innovation and transformation. This is not about continuous improvement – but more about discontinuous change, introducing step-function change into a business by challenging conventional thinking. Meetings are held on a monthly basis in a range of locations. Attendees are urged to be selfish – ensuring that sessions deliver benefit for their own organisations. Contact Dr David J Hall d.hall@ideascentregroup.com See www.ideascentre.co.uk for further information.
The Ideas Centre Ltd French’s Hill Pond Hall Road Hadleigh Suffolk IP7 5PQ
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8 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
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ACROSS THE REGION
Broadband – speed boost Faster broadband is now available to another 16,000 homes and businesses in Suffolk, BT have announced. Claydon, Eriswell, Nayland, Saxmundham, Kessingland, Great Wenham and Barrow are the latest communities to benefit from upgrades as part of the roll-out of BT’s next generation broadband service delivered over copper lines. The BT investment will make available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the fastest speed previously available from BT. The faster broadband is already available in other parts of the county, including Bury St Edmunds, Felixstowe, Foxhall, Glemsford, Haverhill, Ipswich, Kesgrave and Lowestoft By next spring around 85 per cent of homes and businesses in the region will be served by an exchange that has been upgraded to deliver the higher speeds. This investment in the copper network is in addition to BT’s £2.5billion roll-out of fibrebased broadband, which will bring even faster speeds to around two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.
App users get rail info update Train operator Greater Anglia’s smartphone app has been updated with additional features for customers. The company says the interface has been improved, making it easier to use. Customers can search for stations close to their current location and look up train times from that station or view the next departures. Greater Anglia’s Twitter feed is now embedded into the app, allowing customers to keep up to date with real-time information about services. For passengers heading to London there is extra information, including live updates about Tube services.
After customer feedback, Greater Anglia has released a version of the app for the Windows phone, in addition to the Android, BlackBerry and iPhone versions already available. Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia’s customer service director, said: “One of our key priorities is to improve the information we provide for our customers. The smartphone app has been helpful in making information as timely, accurate and easy to access as possible. Now we have enhanced the app, giving it a number of additional features.”
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Bringing you certainty through our expertise 01473 346046 www.poundgates.com Pound Gates St Vincent House, 1 Cutler Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1UQ Pound Gates & Co Ltd, trading as Pound Gates, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, and is an ISO and Investor in People accredited company.
ACROSS THE REGION
Jordon Freight on the move
Stansted heads into new era
Freight forwarder Jordon Freight is expanding from its central Felixstowe offices with new premises at a site closer to the Port of Felixstowe and the local HMC&E offices.
Ensors Chartered Accountants have pledged their support for Suffolk 100 – a new initiative from The Suffolk Foundation designed to support local charities and community groups that in turn help some of the county’s most vulnerable communities.
Director Jon Swallow said: “This is a great move for us as we are purchasing the 2,013sq ft unit in Schneider Close, which allows us to really drive forward our planned future expansion of the company. Road access for trailers directly to our premises, as well as being moments away from the port and customs, will all be hugely advantageous to our operations.”
To help support these grassroots causes, Ensors will donate £1,000 for the next three years. Half will be used immediately to support local needs. The rest will be invested in a sustainable endowment fund – the income to be used to make grants to Suffolk people for ever. The donation will benefit from a further £250 match-funding from the Cabinet Office under the Community First programme.
Fellow director, Roddy Forster, added: “This is a real milestone in the growth of Jordon Freight, but we are committed to ensuring the personal touch and relationships we build with clients remains at the foundation of how we do business.”
BAA is going ahead with the sale of Stansted Airport. Having carefully considered the Court of Appeal’s recent ruling, it has decided not to appeal to the Supreme Court. BAA said: “We still believe that the Competition Commission ruling fails to recognise that Stansted and Heathrow serve different markets.” Stansted is London’s third and the UK’s fourth busiest airport. About 17.5million passengers and 133,500 flights pass through it every year and it has been named as ‘the world’s best airport for low-cost airlines’ for two consecutive years at the Skytrax World Airport Awards. The poll of 12 million passengers covered 388 airports worldwide.
In addition to the move, the company says it has strengthened its management team with the promotion of Donna Begg to office manager. Donna previously worked as export road freight manager. Her new role will encompass organising and co-ordinating all office operations and procedures, managing staff and working alongside the senior management team.
Ensors to aid those in need
Danny Clifford, managing partner at Ensors, said: “We are very pleased to be working with The Suffolk Foundation to improve the lives of the vulnerable in our society. It is all too easy to forget, as we go about our busy lives, that there are many people a lot worse off than us – sometimes living just round the corner.” The Suffolk Foundation’s development director Judi Newman added: “We are seeking 100 community leaders to join forces to support the unsung heroes of Suffolk’s charitable sector and we are delighted that Ensors are leading the way.”
Sixteen airlines operate from Stansted, serving more than 150 destinations in 32 countries and it handled many of the VIP and head-of-state flights for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The airport is also a major cargo centre, handling more than 205,000 tonnes a year. The number of people working there is 10,200, including 1,400 BAA employees. The sale will leave BAA with four airports – Heathrow Southampton Aberdeen and Glasgow. IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 11
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PROTECTING THE DIRECTOR
The insolvency statistics in England and Wales for the second quarter of 2012 were released on 3 August. They show a slight decrease in the number of companies going into compulsory or creditors’ voluntary liquidations in England and Wales.
ZOMBIE COMPANIES? Compulsory liquidations have been steadily dropping since the peak in 2009. So is this good news for companies and are we out of the worst effects of the recession?
Possibly not. What the statistics fail to show is that it appears that nearly one in ten businesses is struggling with cashflow and can afford to pay only the interest on its debts. Research from insolvency trade body, R3, suggests that there are about 146,000 ‘zombie’ businesses in the UK – these are businesses that probably should already have gone bust, but are still hanging on.
However, as we come out of recession, inflation is likely to rise and with it interest rates, which will push these zombie companies into insolvency. At that point we should, unfortunately, expect to see many such businesses fail. Traditionally, more companies fail coming out of recession than going into it – they run out of cash even when the order book is starting to fill up.
Signs of being a ‘zombie’ company include negotiating longer payment terms with suppliers and failing to pay debts when due. What will push many zombie companies over the edge will be their inability to afford to pay their debts at all if interest rates rise.
Should your business be facing financial problems, contact Birkett Long LLP. As experts in insolvency law, we can often find practical solutions that may not have been obvious to you as a company director. For example, we may be able to restructure the company so that your business, and the jobs that depend on it, can survive the recession. We are always pleased to discuss matters on a confidential and informal basis.
Thankfully, it seems that the Bank of England believes that interest rates may remain low for a little while yet.
Contact David Cammack at Birkett Long LLP 01206 217311 david.cammack@birkettlong.co.uk
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ACROSS THE REGION
Prince honours chairman Paul The Prince of Wales has named IoD Suffolk branch chairman Paul Winter as his Prince’s Ambassador for Responsible Business in the East of England. The Prince’s Regional Ambassador Award is one of Business in the Community’s awards for excellence and recognises the powerful contribution made by individual business leaders to improve the communities in which they live and work through responsible business. Paul is chief executive of Ipswich Building Society.
Ambassadors are chosen not just for their own contribution, but for demonstrating leadership that has transformed their own business and inspired other organisations to take action. The announcement was made at the East of England Awards for Excellence gala dinner at Hengrave Hall, Bury St Edmunds.
The ambassador in each UK region works closely with BITC and its members to champion responsible business best practice across the area.
IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 13
COST EFFECTIVE CREATIVE DESIGN WHATEVER YOUR SIZE OR TYPE OF BUSINESS
A leading national firm with a local Suffolk presence Baker Tilly based in Bury St Edmunds offers the benefits of a national, Top 10, accounting firm with a local Suffolk presence.
Baker Tilly Bury St Edmunds is one of Suffolk’s leading professional services firms and possibly Suffolk’s largest firm of Chartered Accountants. We benefit from a national and international network to add to the depth and quality of the advice provided to our clients.
Baker Tilly, Abbotsgate House, Hollow Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7FA
If you want the best of both worlds, a local service with a national and international reputation, please contact Stephen Duffety on 01284 763311 or email stephen.duffety@bakertilly.co.uk
www.bakertilly.co.uk
In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to market your business, so excellent service and value for money are crucial.
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14 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
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ACROSS THE REGION
College puts focus on entrepreneurship West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds is placing an increasing emphasis on the role of entrepreneurship in the delivery of training for business. A new 20-week course, the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma in Understanding Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (equivalent to an A-level), is being offered from September. This will develop the knowledge and skills needed to support business start-up. The course will be delivered by lecturers with business and academic experience. External agencies are working with the college, as are a number of regional entrepreneurs. Students will undertake internships both in the college and in regional organisations to develop entrepreneurship skills.
The college will also be offering a two-year course that requires students to develop and run their own business. An enterprise hub will provide information and resources, initially to students. A range of seminars and short courses will be targeted to support external customers and start-up business. A programme of entrepreneurship early evening seminars will run throughout the year to support start-ups (writing a business plan, marketing, finance, law, health and safety and client relationship skills as well as business-pitching skills). Anyone can book for these seminars. To find out more call 01284 716333 or email info@wsc.ac.uk
New waterfront hotel opens in Ipswich The Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Mary Blake, has officially opened Travelodge’s first hotel in Ipswich town centre.
The new 87-room property is on Ipswich marina, overlooking the waterfront. It represents a £5million investment for the area, and has created 20 jobs including that of receptionist, Jonathan Faint, 24, who applied for more than 1,000 positions after being made redundant in February. Mr Faint explained: “I found myself having to apply for some roles that probably didn’t suit me, but hospitality has always been my interest so I’m delighted to be in a role at Travelodge where I’ll be customer-facing and dealing with people.” The mayor said: "As more and more people look to stay in the UK, it is important that Ipswich is able to provide visitors with a choice of affordable and modern accommodation – which is what the new Travelodge will bring to our town. The new hotel is providing much-needed employment opportunities for the community and is a real shot in the arm for the town.”
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Call us on 0800 093 4462 16 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
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EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Skills for the new
industrial revolution Suffolk has the best opportunity in a generation to boost the region’s economy: energy (renewable and nuclear), advanced manufacturing, high technology. But it also has a desperate shortage of the right skills, while its young people face rising unemployment. In this special skills section Jane Chittenden finds out what can be done to address the critical issue of mismatch in skills and opportunity.
The new industrial revolution The world of manufacturing is being shaped by a new industrial revolution, according to the Financial Times – the most important change since the original industrial revolution that started in northern England around 1780. It’s all about harnessing advanced technologies in new ways. And Norfolk and Suffolk are uniquely placed to benefit. There’s a huge opportunity. Whether it’s power generation – nuclear power or renewable energy – a lot of it has to be done on the coastline. Nuclear needs water for cooling; wave power and offshore wind all has to take place on the coastline. So there’s a great opportunity for us to be a clean energy capital.
Acute lack of skills But we have far too few people with the right skills. SEMTA (Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies) calculates that in the East of England we already have a shortfall of around 40,000 engineers and skilled technicians. To be competitive, our region’s industry needs to recruit new talent and reskill its existing workforce. We need to act fast or we’ll lose out. If we don’t resolve the shortfall, others will step in.
The good news Iain Dunnett (Suffolk Chamber of Commerce) is co-ordinating the work of the Green Economy Manifesto for New Anglia LEP, which shows government and businesses how our region’s excellence in the ‘green economy’ can be implemented across the rest of the UK. He says there’s plenty of good news about funding to develop the skills we need. There’s the Coastal Communities funding (which will benefit the whole region’s supply chains, not just the coastal belt); the Growing Places fund; regional growth funds. “They’re starting to support things we’ve been talking about for some time – low carbon jobs, green economy jobs, energy jobs. The timing is very good, because we published the Green Economy Manifesto in June, which showed that these sectors have got huge potential in Norfolk and Suffolk.”
Raising awareness about the challenge Why aren’t young people going for these opportunities? Do they see the science-related subjects as too risky in terms of getting good grades? The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee certainly thinks so, in a recent report: “There is good evidence that students are opting for ‘easier’ A-levels over the sciences and mathematics, a problem which is compounded by the specialisation forced upon students by the A-level system.” Or are they simply not considering other options, such as apprenticeships? In Germany two-thirds of young people take up apprenticeships, which are highly regarded, but is there an image problem here in the UK?
If this is the biggest opportunity for the local economy in many years – and it really is a new industrial revolution that will transform the region – why don’t more people know about it? It’s happening now, all around us, but people don’t seem to realise just how big it is. Iain agrees: “We have fantastic levels of expertise in our region – such as UEA and the port of Felixstowe – but we need to do more about the connectivity between them, to tell the story more clearly to businesses, schools and communities. And we must learn lessons from North Sea oil and gas forty years ago, when Aberdeen grasped the potential much better than we did. Let’s not do that again; let’s make sure this time that the response to renewables in Norfolk and Suffolk is big.” IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 17
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Andy Wood and Antony Howell at Hethel Engineering Centre
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EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Antony Howell, Business Development Director at Active Technologies, and Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams, met at Hethel Engineering Centre to talk about the skills challenge. Jane Chittenden joined them.
New Anglia and the skills challenge AH: Andy is the chair of New Anglia LEP and I’m the chair of NAAME (New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering) with a focus on skills. Andy and I work very closely together on trying to improve the careers guidance in schools, with an ultimate aim of supporting economic development. JC: I’m hearing that so many young people are going down career paths such as media, or hairdressing, because that’s what they know. But there are so few jobs in those sectors. The real opportunities are in advanced engineering – the low carbon economy. AW: That’s certainly where the opportunities lie – and where the skills shortages are most pronounced. As a business community we need to do more in communicating to young people what great careers they can have in manufacturing and in engineering. They need to know which skills they should learn and how they could stand them in good stead for many years.
So I’m not sure that the learning continues when they get in the workplace, unless they are on a specific programme that enables that development. I guess that the three of us, who have been round the block a few times, recognise that we learn something every day. Above all, what we’ve got to do is to bring out young people with enquiring minds, asking questions such as: how does that thing work? why does it work that way? How can it be improved? so that they continually learn throughout their careers. Getting them into the world of work, whether they’re coming from school, FE or HE, and saying to them: “Actually, this is about continual learning,” is vitally important, just as much as teaching them the specific skills.
AH: That’s why it’s so important for young people to be aware of the types of jobs they could be doing, and to be inspired. We are so well placed here in Norfolk and Suffolk, with cutting-edge industry and so much potential. And once they get the exposure to what’s possible, coming in to work experience with us, we find that they are encouraged to move away from what they know. That exposure is what’s lacking. It’s holding them back from making informed choices.
AH: It is. And it’s a struggle for schools. We had some young people here on work experience just recently, who are doing eleven (or ten and a half ) GCSEs. These students have too little time to enjoy a study section within that; it’s all so intense. But as employers, when we look at their school results, are we going to say: “Oh, yes, you’ve done really well in ten or eleven GCSEs”? Or are we going to say: “Oh, you’ve done pretty well in maths and English and so on; yes, that looks good. Now what experience have you had? What have you done in volunteering?” But schools are focused on these ten GCSEs; they can’t afford them the time to come out into the workplace, or employers to come into schools – there’s a real problem there.
AW: I think it is. You have some young people who choose to leave school and go into the world of work. Some choose to go into further education and some will choose to go into higher education. They complete that process, but I don’t think enough of them are being equipped with enquiring minds.
JC: I’m told that employers want four things: literacy, numeracy, attitude and values. The attitude and values can’t be formally taught in school; it doesn’t happen like that. So one of the things we need to look for is the role models, the inspirational people they can look up to.
We are blighted by a notion that divides academic and vocational into first and second class educations, while noncognitive abilities, the ingredients that make up employability, are an ‘extra’ instead of an integral part of learning. In Scotland, by contrast, the Curriculum for Excellence teaches skills for learning, life and work, trying to help young people to be self-aware, adaptable, resilient and determined – in or out of employment. These skills are gold. The Observer, 2 February 2012
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EDUCATION AND SKILLS
Raising the Bar Suffolk County Council’s Raising the Bar is a joined-up response to tackle local skills shortages in some sectors, as well as improving the employability of Suffolk’s young people. It is about raising attainment and aspiration across the whole age range from early years to further education in Suffolk. It is also about linking the jobs on offer in Suffolk with the skills needed by improving connections between employers and schools and colleges in Suffolk. It was launched at a conference attended by education, business and community leaders at Trinity Park on 14 June 2012. Further events are planned for later in 2012. www.suffolk.gov.uk/your-council/plans-and-policies/raising-the-bar-briefing
AW: Yes, that’s true; however some of the problems that we find ourselves with now are because of attitude and values – by having the wrong incentive plans in place by taking a short-term perspective. We need to reset the dial on all of this. That’s why Antony and I are working together, because a million 18 to 24 year-olds out of work is an absolute tragedy. And yet the opportunity is there – it’s there now and it’s coming down the tracks, and we need to sweep away all the cynicism around this Green agenda. There are going to be great opportunities in renewables, in greening the economy, in developing our engineering businesses, and we need to understand that. We can’t just say: “We don’t have the young people to do that at the moment”. If we don’t take action, young people in Norfolk and Suffolk will lose out and young people from Denmark or Holland will be shipped in to do the work or the work will be shipped out… AH: To India or Brazil, or wherever. AW: There’s an initiative in Suffolk called Raising the Bar, which is about raising young people’s aspirations. It’s chaired by Matthew Taylor, CEO of the RSA, and it’s being sponsored by Suffolk County Council, and supported by New Anglia LEP. This is where a number of business people are coming together to see what they can do about raising aspiration – again, critically important. I’d like also to return to this issue of careers advice that you’ve touched on. It’s about getting greater alignment between business and schools. While teachers are doing a sterling job – and a difficult job – they’ve not got the time to give careers advice and in many cases they’ve not got the experience to give careers advice. Business people want people coming out of schools with numeracy, literacy, the right attitude and values… all the things that we’ve talked about – but there’s a mismatch between the education system and business that we really need to close. And teachers and business people need to find a common vocabulary, so that we talk about young people and their advancement and opportunities in the same language.
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AH: A step towards that has been this move to talk about destinations, so that schools are measured on the destinations of their young people, rather than simply their exam results and whether they are going into sixth form or university. When you ask young people what they are thinking of doing, every one is talking about A-levels and sixth form and then university. For some young people that’s exactly what they should be doing. But it’s not for everybody. And that’s where that switch has happened. You can see it in the data, and now with the tuition fees increasing, that will turn people off. All of a sudden they’ve got nowhere to go in terms of that HE/FE route and they’ve got no information about what else to do, such as apprenticeships. So they end up becoming NEETs (not in education, employment or training); they’re stuck.
One of the challenges is the word ‘apprentice’. Still for too many people it implies someone who works with spanners and engines and that kind of thing. We need to sweep that away, because apprenticeships can be in anything. It’s about giving people a structured path once they’re in the world of work. Young people can make a huge contribution in the workplace, they bring a freshness and an energy. I think there’s a hugely compelling case for employing young people, particularly with the pace of technological change that we’re currently facing.
Better information in schools, early on, would help to resolve this. In Suffolk we’ve launched U-Explore as a pilot. It’s used nationally, but it doesn’t have a strong presence in Norfolk and Suffolk. U-Explore is a software package used in schools to help guide young people’s career choices by showing them real-life people at work, find out the types of jobs that would be a good fit with their ability and interest, find out what training is available locally.
JOHN HAYES Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, writes about his ‘German lesson in Berlin’ June 2012
AW: There’s also a societal issue here. We need to value people who have chosen a vocational career path. There’s been a lot of focus on moving into services rather than into manufacturing, disciplines that make things and sell them. And because of that, collectively we haven’t done a good enough job in communicating how rewarding and how fulfilling roles in engineering and manufacturing can be. That’s part of the issue. The other is the whole rush to get everybody to university and that has led people to take a certain path that may not over the long term be the best for them or the economy. Quite frankly we haven’t valued vocational skills anything like we should have done. If you look at the German economy, an engineer is a high status individual. Germany is viewed by many as a powerhouse economy and they really do value those vocational skills alongside academic skills.
In our country, too often vocational education is seen as second best – an easy alternative to ‘real’ learning. Some think practical skills are for other people’s children – not their own. Parents in Germany think differently, where two-thirds of young people take some form of apprenticeship by the time they are 25. And that’s how I want it to be in Britain. I think apprenticeships should be amongst the key gateways to university level study. After all, good apprenticeships with top employers such as BAE, BT and Rolls Royce are more oversubscribed than degree courses at Oxford or Cambridge. So we’re putting in resources and boosting the number of degree level higher apprenticeships to at least 20,000 by the end of this Parliament.
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Suffolk’s take-up of apprenticeships Region
Local Authority
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
East of England Suffolk England Total
2,530
2,530
3,670
3,670
3,710
5,360
172,600
181,800
221,500
237,100
276,900
453,000
The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) can help individuals to find an Apprenticeship. There are around 8,000 jobs advertised on Apprenticeship vacancies at any time http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/Be-An-Apprentice/The-Basics.aspx
New government support for SMEs announced 29 August 2012
JAINE BOLTON, Chief Operating Officer, National Apprenticeship Service says: “Apprenticeships lead to good careers with real progression and are available to people of all ages. With over 250 skills and industries to choose from – representing 1,400 job roles and national awards, competitions and celebration events to reward apprentices success, there has never been a better time to do an Apprenticeship. Encouraging more people to take up quality Apprenticeships is absolutely vital in equipping young people with the skills that Britain needs to grow.”
The Government is adopting the recommendations of the Holt report. New measures include: • Enabling SMEs to get their apprentices the training they need, by providing better information on availability and investigating how to give them a greater say in developing the skills they need • Improving the performance of providers of training to SMEs by agreeing standards and the consequences of not meeting them • Improving the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers by making it simpler and more accessible to more employers Apprentice Jason with Antony Howell at Active Technologies, Hethel
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EDUCATION AND SKILLS
STEMNET Ambassadors
Business in the Community
STEMNET creates opportunities to inspire young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The national STEM Ambassador programme is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
Business in the Community (BITC) is a business-led charity focused on promoting responsible business practice.
Suffolk Energy Ambassador programme Suffolk County Council launched the Suffolk Energy Ambassador programme this summer, which looks to link every county secondary school to the energy sector.
BITC has a growing membership of over 850 companies and a further 10,700 companies engaged in our campaigns globally. Our member companies help to transform communities by tackling key social and environmental issues and in doing so, transform themselves. We do two things. We ask our members to work together to transform communities by tackling issues where business can make a real difference.
The Ambassador programmes are very flexible and allow ambassadors to choose how much time they invest in their role and focus on their specific STEM or energy interests. Not only will ambassadors be giving back to their community, but they will be encouraging new entrants into the industry – their future workforce.
We offer our members practical support to help them to integrate responsible business practices wherever they operate.
To find out more about becoming a STEM or energy ambassador, visit: www.stemnet.org.uk
“Our vision is for every business to act responsibly and so ensure a sustainable future for all.” www.bitc.org.uk
AH: I come to this skills debate from a passion of being an apprentice myself and working my way through the organisation. 25 years later, I was leading the whole global organisation. I’m a Suffolk boy who went on to have manufacturing plants in Mexico, America, sales offices in Europe and then created a manufacturing plant in China – all of this came from being an apprentice. JC: What can Suffolk businesses do to help? In practical ways, how should they be getting involved? AH: They should be looking at apprenticeships for the advantages that their business will gain. Work experience programmes are very valuable, which will enable them to identify individuals within the schools who could have just the potential that they want. They can keep in contact, maybe mentor a young person, perhaps bring that individual into the business later on. But all the time they are engaging with the school and helping the school develop the right kind of skills within the school environment. Any engagement they can have with the schools and the community will be a two-way benefit– it might be through a scheme like the STEM ambassadors or the Suffolk Energy Ambassador programme.
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AW: Business in the Community has a scheme called Business Class, where a business leader or a business will provide staff to go into schools. That might be working with the faculty, talking about opportunities outside the school to bring teaching staff up to speed, or it might be working with children and talking about the opportunities that exist. It might be acting as a role model for a group of people. Engaging in that way I think is critically important. This is a team effort, and we’re not going to do this unless we do it as a team. We can’t just leave it to teachers or college staff; we all need to get involved or we will miss another opportunity. JC: It’s becoming urgent, isn’t it? We can’t afford to miss out. AW: We need to take steps now. It can take about 12 years to bring a new nuclear power station to generating capability. And the East Anglian array, if it goes ahead, will be the biggest wind farm in the world; it will be being built for years and years. Most of the young people who are going to be working on those facilities maybe haven’t even started school yet. So we need to be putting what we know about the skills that are going to be required into our education system now. We have a window of opportunity. We’re not too late!
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U-Explore Waveney informing and inspiring young people about career choices
U-Explore is a web-based resource that informs and inspires 14-18 year old students about the world of work in their area. It uses applications such as video case studies, virtual tours and interactive skills logs to bring the working world to life in the classroom, helping students to make informed decisions about their future. It has been developed by U-Explore Ltd and is used in thousands of schools across the country.
The U-Explore Waveney site was launched on 23 February 2012. It is backed by Enterprise Lowestoft, Suffolk County Council, Waveney District Council and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership. 11 schools and colleges from across north-east Suffolk are involved. The schools are Ashley School, Lowestoft; Benjamin Britten High, Lowestoft; Denes High Lowestoft; Leiston High; Old Warren House (Pupil Referral Unit), Lowestoft; Pakefield High, Lowestoft; Sir John Leman, Beccles; and Stradbroke High. Bungay High School will be joining the initiative in the near future. The colleges are Lowestoft College and Lowestoft Sixth Form College. U-Explore Waveney will contain a wealth of information about the requirements for entering employment or moving onto further training locally. As the project develops the platform will be populated by local businesses, helping young people to plan the next steps for their future career. For example, there’s a 360° tour of Adnams in Southwold. It shows the brewery, pubs and wine shop outlets, which enables young people to understand the range of careers they could take up at the company – it’s not just about brewing beer. U-Explore’s founder, Andy Pickles, is working with Lowestoft College to enhance the system’s functionality with NearMe, which shows students the opportunities for work experience and training in their area. This is especially important in a rural area like Suffolk.
Hazel Johnson is chair of Enterprise Lowestoft, the lead organisation for Waveney U-Explore. She says: “Being well informed is the key – for young people, their teachers, parents and carers. That is why this resource is so important for them. It will help motivate young people and raise aspirations.” Antony Howell is director of Active Technologies Limited and chair of New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (NAAME). He is championing the initiative: “The dream is to have U-Explore in every school in Norfolk and Suffolk, working in partnership with other software. Then we as employers will know that our young people have got all the information that they could possibly need, at their fingertips within the school environment and at home, to enable them to make these informed choices. Eventually the plan would be that they have the knowledge from primary school all the way through to their working career; they’ll understand the options, the choices they need to make and what’s available on their doorstep. That’s the ideal situation. The sooner we do that, the sooner we’ll get more people coming through for apprenticeships and we solve the problem of the skills gap.” For more information visit www.enterpriselowestoft.co.uk
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COMPANY NEWS
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With 34 acres of pasture and woodland to explore and a swimming pool, leisure and beauty facilities, there is no reason not to stay a little longer at Seckford Hall. Corporate guest rates are available and can be discussed when booking your event. Guests can also take advantage of playing golf next door at Seckford Golf Centre.
The hotel’s expert team works closely with your organisation to develop the programme you are planning and all arrangements will be made specifically for your company. Working with a trusted network of entertainers, bands, DJs and suppliers of flowers, chocolate fountains and cakes, the hotel will help make your event a memorable one for all your customers or colleagues.
Christmas and New Year bookings are also now being taken.
Seckford Hall can help you organise: CONFERENCES TRADE SHOWS SEMINARS TRAINING DAYS FORMAL DINNERS SUMMER PARTIES SOCIAL NIGHTS JAZZ PARTIES CHRISTMAS PARTIES PRESENTATIONS AND AWARDS EVENTS CHEESE AND WINE EVENTS TEAM BUILDING EVENTS
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EDUCATION AND SKILLS
NEW CUT MEDIA digital media training for Blyth Valley youngsters Simon Raven, co-founder of Halesworth charity New Cut Arts, tells IOD Suffolk about the Media Centre at the Cut project, offering digital-age opportunities to rural young people.
New Cut Arts runs The Cut Arts Centre in Halesworth, an award-winning creative hub that promotes arts entertainment, education and enterprise in the north-east Suffolk region. Now they’re adding a new project: Media Centre at the Cut. The Cut is a magnificent 19th century red brick building, formerly a maltings. There’s a year-round programme of music, theatre, dance, comedy, cinema, workshops and art exhibitions; there’s also a cafeteria and licensed bar. To help subsidise its activities, the charity generates additional income from renting the top two floors of the building to creative businesses such as graphic designers, web developers, artists and musicians. There’s a natural synergy between the entertainment centre and this entrepreneurs’ zone. The charity first started operating 10 years ago with an arts entertainment programme. Next, it developed the entrepreneurial zone (opened in 2007) and now there’s Phase 3 the Media Centre at the Cut – which provides an educational focus. Simon explains: “When you step into the building, it’s as if you are back in the 19th century. A couple of years ago we started thinking about how we could add a 21st century element to our offer.
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It made perfect sense to create a media training centre – particularly with young people in mind – based on the digital technologies that bring together video, audio, website design and the like.” So they’ve cleared a space in the basement area, refurbished it and installed cuttingedge technology. Next they brought together a team of digital media experts from their network of arts contacts, whose skills include film making, film editing, script writing, sound recording, journalism, broadcasting and website design. “That’s a wide range,” Simon says “but increasingly in digital media all these things are coalescing within one skill set and one platform for delivery.” Importantly, the team has strong educational skills too. Simon’s own background is in education, as a practising teacher, an advisory teacher and then running Suffolk County Council’s work experience unit, so he knows about the interface between education and work. That’s the underlying purpose of the Media Centre: to provide young people with digital skills that will help them to become more employable and even to set up their own digital media businesses.
The Media Centre was formally launched in July 2012. It was important to make local connections so they produced a brochure with ‘starter’ ideas for the kinds of activities that could be offered. Those ideas range from hobby activities to courses that develop a vocational skill, particularly training and education for young people still at school or who have recently left, including support for those at risk of becoming NEETs. In some cases young people who have been introduced to these new skills will go on and develop them further within a higher education framework before returning to develop new micro-enterprises. Others might have their own ideas for more immediate entrepreneurial activities and decide to try these out rather than pursue an initial academic route. New Cut Arts has plans to provide incubator space and local contacts to enable young people to move into a supported environment where they can set up their own business or be employed by someone else. Support might include mentoring, apprenticeships and setting up a 'virtual' company. The journey has only just begun! For more information, visit www.newcut.org or email mediacentre@newcut.org
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The Enterprise Academy has been generating significant interest since the graduation of the first cohort of young entrepreneurs in July. Opening for business last year, the Academy is a pioneering partnership between the Eastern Enterprise Hub and Suffolk One, aimed at giving students following the programme the best of both the academic and the business worlds.
Creating the next generation of entrepreneurs Overall, the aim has been to create a generation of young people across the county with true entrepreneurial spirit and sound business acumen, combined with the drive, passion and confidence to succeed.
21% have secured employment as a direct result of the month-long work experience placement – so impressed were employers with the calibre of the Enterprise Academy students.
The programme combines study for the highly regarded level 3 BTEC in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, delivered by the team at Suffolk One, with intensive weekly business ‘enrichment’ days at the Eastern Enterprise Hub where the students are coached and mentored by local business leaders and entrepreneurs. Another key feature is a high quality, month-long work experience placement which all the students undertake mid-way through the course with local employers.
Locally, business leaders have been keen to engage with these entrepreneurial young people, through the EE Hub’s 5th Floor Business Club – an innovative platform for business leaders and entrepreneurs to share their high-level knowledge and real-life experiences to accelerate the learning and development of the students. What’s more, the Enterprise Academy is one of the few programmes nationally that requires young people to set up their own micro business. Business leaders and students work side by side to shape up the students’ business plans and to make them market-ready.
At the end of the first year, the results from the first cohort of Enterprise Academy student entrepreneurs are impressive with all students being ‘placed’ at the end of the programme. 43% of the students have gone on to set up a business, comparing favourably with a national figure for young people starting businesses of just 5%. 36% have used the Level 3 BTEC Qualification gained to secure places in Higher Education.
The Enterprise Academy is increasingly being recognised as a key driver behind raising the skills, aspirations and employability of our young people. The important role the Academy is now playing in enterprise education across the county was highlighted at the Big Enterprise Education Debate attended by Ben Gummer MP, academics and business leaders earlier in the year. The recent Suffolk County Council Raising the Bar conference focused on the themes of achievement, aspiration and employability, key drivers behind the Academy programme.
Not surprisingly, with young people demanding a learning experience to equip them for today’s commercial world and employers seeking new entrants with business acumen and a positive attitude, demand for the Academy’s enterprise learning model is growing rapidly. September will see a ten-fold increase in Enterprise Academy students with Suffolk One, including a specialist vocational cohort, as well as new partnerships being forged with schools across the county.
Support from IoD Suffolk From the start, IoD Suffolk members have been keen to support the student entrepreneurs following the Enterprise Academy programme. They have mentored students and provided high quality work experience placements as well as delivering a session for the students focused around the key skill of business networking. If IoD Suffolk members would like to get involved in supporting Suffolk’s young Enterprise Academy students, call the team at the Eastern Enterprise Hub on 01473 527100. www.eehub.co.uk IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 27
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Street Bury Bury St St Edmunds Edmunds IP33 1QB Greene Greene & Greene Greene e Solicitors Solicitors 80 Guildhall Street mail@greene-greene.com www.greene-greene.com www.greene -greene.com T 01284 762211 mail@greene-greene.com
Export for growth Recently Larking Gowen supported the production of ‘Export for Growth’, a guide written in partnership with UKTI and part of the Government’s campaign to increase the proportion of UK businesses that export. It discusses the opportunities to be seized – faster growth, bigger profits, greater return on investment. It also talks about the risks – venturing in to the wrong locations, failing to select suitable overseas partners, falling foul of local business regulations. These are just a few examples of each. One thing that is clear is that now is the time to ‘go global’. Mark Prisk, Business, Innovation and Skills Minister, notes that “if you become an exporter, the evidence shows that you are likely to improve your productivity by a third in your first year alone.” But where to begin? Before anything is committed to, the first thing required is an honest assessment of export potential. What are your current export capabilities, and the issues and practicalities peculiar to your particular offering? Then the market needs to be researched. How is your industry structured overseas? Who are the competition? How much demand is there? 28 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
Then you need an export plan. Are there any legal or compliance barriers? Do you have sufficient resources? Can you communicate effectively with your overseas partner? Have you properly evaluated all of the business risks? Transacting overseas presents an altogether different set of risks and opportunities. We work very closely with UKTI and can thoroughly recommend their ongoing support programmes, which complement our own service offering: as a member of MHA and Morison International, associations of progressive, independent professional service firms, we are able to provide access to experts and specialist advice on international issues through a close, local relationship.
Please let us know if you would like a copy of the guide by telephoning Luke Morris on 01473 833411.
Luke Morris – Partner, Larking Gowen
This article is designed for the information of readers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, information contained in this article may not be comprehensive and recipients should not act upon it without seeking professional advice. Larking Gowen is registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. ©Larking Gowen.
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BUSINESS PROFILE
Lowestoft-born photographer Gary John Norman has returned home to Suffolk after travelling the world in pursuit of his vision. He tells IOD Suffolk his story.
Gary John Norman: Full circle Gary had just left school, aged 16. He had always had a big vision about photography – not the traditional wedding photographer. “I knew that it was going to take me round the world. But I didn’t know the path.” A friend recommended college, rather than going straight into work, so he took a Foundation course in art and design at his local art school, Lowestoft College. From there he went on to an HND in photography, film and television at Bournemouth, and then a postgraduate year. “That was really good,” he says, “but I didn’t want to specialise in studio work. The funny thing was that I’d locked myself away in a studio for two years – but I was learning all about lighting, And that is so important to me. What I do now is to make a studio on location.” After Bournemouth, Gary was keen to set up his own business. He knew the magazines he wanted to work for, and quickly found plenty of commissions. “I had that ‘go for it’ attitude right from the start, but I lacked the business sense. I didn’t realise you had to chase people to get paid.” The best way to learn about the industry, he decided, was to work for other photographers. He spent three years in London, working for as many different types of advertising photographers as possible. Those were difficult times, but the experience paid off. “Life is about opportunities. In 1991, when the Gulf War was going on, I was working as a freelance assistant. Operation Raleigh (now Raleigh International) was looking for volunteer photographers to go out to Guyana to document an expedition where youngsters were helping to build bridges, schools, screening for cataracts operations… So I got this opportunity for three months: no pay, but free film, lots of it – which to me was like food!” With that body of work Gary went to see the Commonwealth Development Corporation, which was funding projects overseas. A week later he was on a plane for ten days to Tanzania, shooting tea plantations. From there his journey took him to Papua New Guinea for Cable and Wireless; covering
Gary John Norman working with young people in the Media Centre at the Cut
regattas in the Caribbean for glossy lifestyle magazines; filming on horseback in Botswana’s Okavango Delta; to Croatia for Conde Nast’s Travel and Leisure. Then he spent ten years in the United States, working in advertising: people, lifestyle, tourism; and mentoring American film students in Europe (Prague film school and Cannes). He started specialising in aerial luxury yacht photography, working with expert pilots from the Hollywood movie industry. “That took me back to my roots. From a helicopter, I was filming boats built by Brooke Marine in Lowestoft.” It was time to return. “I was missing home and Radio 4!” That was just two years ago. Gary wanted to upskill himself, as there had been so many technology changes in his industry, so he took an MA in Digital Arts at NUCA (Norwich University College of the Arts. After that, he wanted to give something back to education locally. Gary now divides his time between his photography practice
and helping the next generation of young people on their career path. He’s concerned about how many of the students he’s mentoring are taking photography courses. He tells them: “You’re not all going to be photographers – there’s not enough work. But there’s stylists, there’s producers, there’s make-up artists, location finders. There’s such a wide spectrum of people who are needed in the industry. You’ve got to think broader.” It’s important to integrate a range of skills, he says at the Media Centre in Halesworth he’s teaching students to plan, script, shoot and edit good quality digital content. And he wants to encourage young people to have a vision. “I was visiting Lowestoft Sixth Form College recently, which was built across the way from where I studied. I said to the students: ‘From that top floor I’ve gone round the world – and so can you.’ ” For more information visit www.garyjohnnorman.com IoD suffolk | autumn 2012 | 29
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INVESTMENT
Wine Investment with Johnny Wheeler of Culver Street, a leading Fine Wine Investment Specialist based in East Anglia
The do’s and don’ts of wine investment
Investing in wine is at heart a very simple concept, in effect buying and cellaring a collection of valuable cases and then selling on once mature. There are a few rules to be considered, such as always storing under bond, but once these are followed the process should be straightforward. That said, the stories that have recently received media coverage, of losses being suffered through badly managed suppliers and in some cases downright fraud, suggest that a degree of care is needed. Given that you may never actually see your wine if it is bought ‘en primeur’, stored in a commercial warehouse and then sold on under a broking arrangement, it is a sensible precaution to buy from an established company with a good track record. An important question to ask is whether you have clear title to your stock whilst it is in store. This requires either your own account with the warehouse or a clear document trail linking your name with the cases you have bought, each of which has a unique warehouse ‘rotation’ number. Your supplier should set out any fees and charges at the outset, and what options are available for disposing of your stock when the time comes. The costs involved in acquiring, storing and selling your wines are
30 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
sometimes bundled into the purchase price in the form of an up-front fee. Like an inclusive servicing agreement with a new car this simplifies the burden of ownership; but at the same time it reduces the portability of the wine cellar by effectively locking in the buyer with the supplier. We would certainly counsel against accepting such fee arrangements where substantial purchases are involved. On the subject of storage, the requirement for professional care is unarguable. You may have fabulous cellar conditions at home but future buyers will need a level of assurance that you will find hard to provide. The cost of storage, around ten pounds per case each year, will usually include insurance and is the same whatever the value of the wine. This not excessive when the case is worth £1000 or more. But for cases at the £100 level the cellarage charge represents a drag of 10% annually, rendering such wines poor investment prospects. The motive for investing in wine can be to achieve diversification within a wider investment portfolio and it makes sense to diversify the cellar itself. The most recent vintage release from Bordeaux may be a highly attractive proposition with a compelling quality/price ratio (and buying
pre-shipment is likely to form part of an investment strategy) but stocking up from one vintage – and from one region – alone is hardly a balanced approach. Your provider should ideally offer suggestions in a number of categories so that the cellar takes on a meaningful structure in terms of regions and maturity. Whilst Bordeaux will be at the heart of the investment other wines are increasingly involved as tastes around the world broaden out. A good reference point is the index of the 100 most traded wines compiled by Liv-ex, the London-based stock exchange for wine. Today the index comprises 86% red Bordeaux, 5% Champagne 3% red Burgundy and 6% other wines, encompassing 16 vintages. For now New World wines are not included but this may change: some Australian and Californian icons are becoming decidedly collectable.
Next time: Which are the most investable wines and why? Culver Street is a boutique fine wine trader specialising in managing cellar portfolios for private clients. Culver Street has recently launched Vinsignia, a wine fund qualifying under the Enterprise Investment Scheme. www.culverstreet.co.uk
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Christmas & New Year
in
New York at Ufford Park Wo o d b r i d g e
Join the celebrations at Le Talbooth throughout September, October and November with these two fantastic dining offers...
THE 1952 LUNCH MENU Three course lunch with choices in our riverside restaurant only £19.52 per person*
the exclusive
60 YEAR DINNER MENU Four courses with matching wines only £60 per person* PLUS anyone dining at Le Talbooth for the 60 year menu can take advantage of a Maison Talbooth Special Stay for only £60 per person*
TO BOOK THESE SPECIAL OFFERS PLEASE CALL 01206 323150 *Terms and conditions apply. For further details visit www.milsomhotels.com
It is never too soon to start planning your company Christmas party and an early booking is definitely recommended to secure your preferred party date and avoid any disappointment.
This year Ufford Park’s themed Open Party Nights will take on the twinkling lights of the Manhattan sky line. Lots of sparkle will transform our Deben Suite this Christmas into the City that never sleeps.
Open Party nights From only £40pp
inc. a delicious 3 course dinner & disco
Call 0844 4771832 or visit www.uffordpark.co.uk Yarmouth Road, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1QW
Christmas at Hintlesham Hall
Festive Fayre Lunch Available from 26th November until 29th December (excluding Christmas Day & Boxing Day) £29.00 per person including a glass of bucks fizz & canapés Festive Fayre Dinner Available from 26th November until 29th December (excluding Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & Boxing Day) £36.50 per person including a glass of Kir Royale & canapés Our Popular Party Nights Fantastic value, Bucks fizz & canapés, 3 course meal, coffee and mince pies, then onto the dance floor or just relax in lounges, Prices from £42.50 per person. Hintlesham Hall Gift Vouchers For those ‘difficult to buy for’ gifts. Any Value – The ideal gift presented in a beautiful folder – Just phone and we do the rest.
01473 652334 christmas@hintleshamhall.com www.hintleshamhall.com
Seckford Hall Seckford Seckford Hall Hotel & Restaurant Woodbridge Woodbridge Suffolk Suf ufffolk folk IP13 6NU Tel: T el: +44(0)1394 385678 Web: Web: www.seckford.co.uk www.seckford.co.uk
Fax: +44(0)1394 380610 Email: reception@seckford.co.uk reception@seckford.co.uk
Seckford Hall Hotel & Restaurant Restaurant
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COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Penn Commercial celebrates its 5th birthday with expansion across East Anglia
WOOLPIT Design-and-build opportunities on a 2.2 acre site, plus industrial/warehousing sites.
Principal, Vanessa Penn, believes that despite continuing tough trading conditions, the time is absolutely right to take Penn Commercial’s award-winning pro-active services into new territory. Vanessa established the company five years ago. Just two years ago, it relocated from Ipswich town centre into prestigious offices at Fox’s Marina at Wherstead.
“But, of course, we are always happy to hear from both landlords and potential tenants in the area, and give them the benefit of our expertise.
It’s been a hectic period of continued growth in which Penn Commercial has averaged one deal a week and let 1.8 million sq ft since 2008. The company has become a household name in the Ipswich area and established strong relationships with local and nationally-based landlords, developers and receivers.
“We have a strong reputation too for property management, with a dedicated team who can help landlords, investors and property owners maximise the return on their commercial property. Frequent checks, maintenance, service chargeand rent collection and a full range of professional services are part of our proactive offering,” she added.
Spearheading the expansion westwards along the A14 is new recruit, Paul Keen. He said: “Penn Commercial has achieved a huge amount in its five years and is widely known and respected. We are now in a position to develop across East Anglia” Vanessa added: “We’ve had the Bury area in our sights for some time. West Suffolk is an area with a great deal of potential. We have several buyers lined up who have particular interest in sites along the A14, who need easy access to and from the Port of Felixstowe, Cambridge and the Midlands.
Penn Commercial has available a wide range of office, industrial, retail and other commercial premises across Suffolk and further afield.
BECCLES High spec modern HQ and warehousing, offering 250,000 sq ft at the Maple Distribution Centre.
HARWICH 8.2 acre site at Harwich for sale/to let for industrial/warehouse development.
Penn Commercial has been a consistently high performer in the Estates Gazette annual survey of commercial property sales and activity, holding its own against more established names with multiple offices.
DOVERCOURT Retail investment
PROFESSIONAL PRO-ACTIVE PERSONAL PARTNER PENN
Your experienced property partner in the East of England
commercial agency • property management • lease renewal • rent review • valuation • epc assessment
Tel: 01473 211933 www.penncommercial.co.uk
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IOD CONFERENCE
Over eighty members and guests enjoyed great speakers, learning sessions and networking time at the IoD Suffolk annual conference at Woodhall Manor in June.
Golden ticket day at IoD Suffolk annual conference ITV News business editor Laura Kuenssberg held a captivated audience during the morning, speaking for forty minutes before answering questions about her ‘golden ticket’ job which enables her to witness some of the most dramatic political and business events around the world. She asked why politicians didn’t seek more ideas from business leaders about turning around the economy, suggesting that sometimes Westminster could get too wrapped up addressing changes to the public sector and the eurozone's 'permanent' crisis. This risked a damaging gap opening between Government and business. “There can be a fixation with the public sector which can become an obstacle in dealing with business. Something like NHS reform can squeeze everything else out,” she said. In the afternoon Stephen Drew (‘Mr Drew’) Senior Vice-Principal, Passmores Academy in Harlow, who was brought into the limelight by the seven-part Channel 4 series ‘Educating
Essex’, spoke passionately about the leadership in his school where the 150 staff ‘pointed in the same direction’ to help 1,000 pupils from varying backgrounds. A relentless ‘no fail’ approach, a culture of ‘give respect to get respect’ and teaching young people to be independent and clear thinking were priorities, he said, as he urged business leaders to support local schools in whatever way they can. In the final keynote speech of the day Suffolk resident John McCarthy CBE told his incredible story of capture by Islamic Jihad terrorists in 1986 during civil war in the Lebanon. Over a five-year period he was held blind-folded and chained in cells little bigger than a single bed mattress and was moved 13 times to different hide-aways, each time experiencing false hope that he’d be released. When asked which of his survival lessons he’d like to share with business leaders he said: “Find time for creativity and try to keep a perspective, especially when things are difficult.”
Paul Winter, Chairman, IoD Suffolk and Chief Executive, Ipswich Building Society, said: “There was a buzz about the day and it was terrific that so many business leaders recognised the importance of taking time out to develop personally and to gain from the new ideas and opportunities to learn.” The conference, called ‘Believe, Develop, Achieve’, included a number of different syndicate sessions on ‘knowledge and skills’ and ‘mindset and attitude’ and was sponsored by Quantrills, Barker Gotelee, Williams-Wroe, the Ideas centre, Ensors and Eventuoso.
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LEISURE
Lessons from the Olympics After watching our athletes superb performances in the Olympic Games this summer it reminded me of the fact you need to put at least four years of work in before you have the chance of glory. Throughout this time the athlete will constantly be striving to do their best, taking guidance from their coach, fitness team, nutritionist and psychologist – amongst other professionals in their field, in order to be the strongest, leanest and quickest when the time comes to perform.
Stuart Robertson Head PGA Golf Professional The Doctorgolf Academy & Director of Golf Ufford Park Hotel, Golf & Spa 01394 382836 mail@doctorgolf.co.uk www.doctorgolf.co.uk
34 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2012
Throughout this journey there will be temptations to take short-cuts in the process – as others will undoubtedly offer you a chance for a fast track to success. This reminds me of a great phrase “There is no short-cut to anywhere worth going” How may this be relevant to you and your business? How do you assess your performance and your business?
Do you have a four-year plan? Do you seek out help from a raft of industry professionals to ensure your business is lean and profitable and with the correct recruitment and training? Are you looking to develop into new markets, take on new clients? Are you ensuring that your business reputation is faultless by building on tried and trusted principles instead of cutting corners and embarking upon questionable deals? For those of you that are building steadily for the future on a tried and tested path, I hope you are in a position to achieve your gold medal in 2016! On that point I am pleased that golf will be coming to the Olympics in Brazil in 2016, particularly as most sports supporters already are aware that the self-policing of the rules of golf by all players fits in with the Olympic ideals. I do hope however that it does not become a 72 hole strokeplay event – just like the four majors…
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BOOK REVIEWS Choosing Your Apprenticeship by Caroline Barker Trotman £12.99 Are you the parent of a teenager who wants to find out more about the apprenticeships? Do you need honest advice on whether an apprenticeship will help them get the career they really want? This is the ONLY impartial and independent guide to apprenticeships. It tells you which industries apprenticeships are available in, how the courses are taught and what career prospects they can lead to – and helps you decide whether it really is the right qualification for your child. The Book also includes details about how to apply for an apprenticeship, who apprenticeships are good for, and an outline of the apprenticeship system in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as England. Combining hands-on experience and work-related learning, an apprentice can be a great way of learning about a profession on the job, developing skills, gaining a useful qualification and earning money at the same time. Whether your child is thinking about leaving school at 16 to get a job straight away or just isn’t sure what they want to do yet, an apprenticeship caters for each route – and this guide gives you impartial advice about what their career prospects will really be if they choose to take an apprenticeship.
The Big Book of Business Games – Icebreakers, Creativity Exercises, and Meeting Energizers by John Newstrom and Edward Scannell McGraw Hill £14.99 Contains group games and activities for managers and team leaders. This title offers games that help make a point without lecturing, uncover people problems in a department, spark discussions, and teach lessons about various aspects of making organizations successful. The Big Book of Business Games contains dozens of group games and activities for managers and team leaders to use with staff, committees or any type of sleepy audience! These games – many of which take just a few minutes to complete - are perfect for making a point without lecturing, uncovering people problems in a department, sparking lively discussions, and teaching valuable lessons about every aspect of making organizations successful. From icebreakers, to meeting energizers to creativity exercises, there are games suitable to meet a wide range of needs including: managing change, team building, communication, listening and feedback, presentation boosters, and motivating the group.
Grow – How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World's 50 Greatest Companies by Jim Stengel Ebury Press £12.99 Based on almost ten years of research involving 50,000 companies, the author shows how the world's 50 best businesses – as diverse as Apple, Red Bull, Pampers and Petrobras – have a cause and effect relationship between financial performance and their ability to connect with fundamental human emotions, hopes, values and greater purposes. Great businesses naturally have many things in common: superbly designed products and services, knockout customer experiences, sustained excellence at execution, outstanding talent and teamwork, and great leadership. But there's also something else, an X factor that keeps renewing and strengthening great businesses through good times and bad. Based on almost ten years of empirical research involving 50,000 companies, Jim Stengel shows how the world's 50 best businesses – as diverse as Apple, Red Bull, Pampers and Petrobras - have a cause and effect relationship between financial performance and their ability to connect with fundamental human emotions, hopes, values and greater purposes. In this, the next big idea book, Stengel deftly blends timeless truths about human behaviour and values into an action framework, to show us how by embracing what he describes as 'brand ideals', the world's best businesses can achieve incredible growth and drastically improve their performance.
St Joseph’s College
BUSINESS BOOKS
Whole College Open Morning 13 October 2012 Informal Open Morning 16 November 2012 Whole College Open Morning 9 March 2013
A co-educational Independent Day School for 3-18 year olds with boarding facilities. Scholarships and bursaries up to 100% of fees available. A Christian School in the Lasallian Tradition. Belstead Road, Ipswich, England IP2 9DR Telephone: 01473 6980281 registrar@stjos.co.uk www.stjos.co.uk
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MEMBER PROFILE
Kem Masinbo-Amobi MANAGING DIRECTOR – KMA SOLICITORS
Kem Masinbo-Amobi qualified as a solicitor in November 2002 under the tutelage of a former President of the Law Society. This followed a stint in the City as a paralegal for a fortune 500 company. She has a BA (Hons) degree in Modern European Languages, a Diploma from the Pushkin Institute Moscow, an LLB (Hons) degree in Law and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law Guildford. A keen gardener, she has just successfully completed the RHS Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture.
How would you sum up your career to date?
Why did you join the IoD?
Challenging but with wonderful surprises and interesting interludes along the way. I have learned that golden opportunities often present themselves as challenging circumstances and in my case, sudden redundancy propelled me into setting up in practice as a specialist residential property solicitor. I established KMA Solicitors in October 2008. That opportunity I now count as my momentous break.
Working in sole practice can be very insular and I wanted an opportunity to network with the best business minds; entrepreneurs with a positive mental attitude which has been a much-needed antidote to the doom and gloom in the news in the last few years. Most entrepreneurs I know are refusing to take part in the recession.
How are you using your IoD membership? What is your business philosophy? Work really hard, give your best and more and centre this with integrity and honour. Also be passionate about what you do. My Dad is an architect and I have always been fascinated by buildings from a very early age. As a property solicitor, I see pictures of the most fabulous homes and I am still excited about that.
Do you have a business mentor? Yes. My Father, Abba, without whom none of this would be possible.
Five months in and I have attended a course in London which was very useful and the Suffolk IoD Annual Conference, which was excellent value and held in the most beautiful grounds. Other seminars are lined up for later in the year, so it has been absolutely brilliant so far.
Your favourite part of Suffolk? I love the hidden gems of Ipswich. Beautiful buildings with so much history and of course the Waterfront which has morphed in recent years and looks impressive. I love the vibrancy and the energy and with the University now sited on the Waterfront, it is evolving all the time.
Are you a member of the IoD? Join us and you’ll discover a unique mix of opportunities to learn and be inspired by interesting speakers; meet other directors, senior managers and professionals and enjoy a variety of social occasions with a big member discount.
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Many of our members take advantage of other IoD benefits including the superb meeting space and facilities in Pall Mall, London, which are FREE to use; FREE one-to-one expert advisory sessions and FREE business information queries answered within 24 hours.
As an IoD Suffolk member you are also entitled to free access to a dedicated workstation in the new e-touchdown on the 5th floor at Eastern Enterprise Hub in the James Hehir building on Ipswich waterfront. See www.eehub.co.uk For membership details email caroline@iod-suffolk.co.uk
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We supply an extensive range of ceramic, porcelain, glass and natural stone wall and floor tiles. Our showroom has a comprehensive display with the majority of products being exclusive in our region. To complement the quality of our tiles we have wonderful sanitaryware products on display along with very stylish designer radiators and towel rails. There are also many related products and accessories available including a range of shower enclosures, showers, taps and underfloor heating.
visit our showroom 36-38 Woodbridge Road (A1214) Rushmere St Andrew Ipswich IP5 1BH T: 01473 617050 E: info@foxwoodceramics.co.uk www.foxwoodceramics.co.uk
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