Homework Issue 8

Autumn/Winter 2019

Why London’s got the entrepreneurial edge Is your bank ripping you off ? Meet the challengers in business banking The Black Farmer’s million dollar story

growth

Capital Fuel your business in the heart of global finance

London Calling We live in unprecedented times.

Brexit dominates the political agenda, spilling over into the business world and creating uncertainty. In this issue of homeWORK, we take a step back from the noise and look at how London is future-proofing itself to remain one of the world’s top capital cities.

Turn to page 22 to find out why the capital is the world’s most digitally ready city, how fintechs are thriving and why London remains the global heart of finance.

Former Goldman Sachs banker Neil Kadagathur tells homeWORK why he is building his fintech, Creditspring, out of London; you can find out more about his business and what drives him in My Workspace on page 40.

From finance to food, our cover star Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones – better known as The Black Farmer – shares his rags-to-riches story and pearls of entrepreneurial wisdom on page 14. He left a 15year career in television to fulfi ll his dream of buying a farm and becoming a household name. For more of Wilfred’s insights, turn to the Workspace Book Corner on page 54 for details of his book,

contributions by

JEOPARDY: The Danger of Playing It Safe on the Path to Success. For years, the high street banks played it safe when it came to business banking. Now a wave of exciting new digital contenders are shaking up the business banking scene to slash costs and keep up with entrepreneurs’ changing needs.

Find out if these challengers are suitable for your business by turning to page 34; Rosie MurrayWest, former Deputy Editor of Telegraph Money, drills into the details.

Since homeWORK launched its first issue, wellbeing has climbed up the agenda – and with good reason. Health is wealth. Get inspired by our array of healthy, tasty lunch dishes cooked up by Livewire Kitchen and turn to page 62 for travel break ideas. Yogis (and newbies), perfect your Sun Salutation to energise the mind and body with our step-by-step guide on page 60 by Michael Adu, qualified yoga instructor and Founder of Stress-Less Fitness.

Enjoy the issue and please get in touch if you are a Workspace customer with a great story to share. We want to hear from you!

contribute

What do you want to read about in the next issue? Share your ideas and any exciting news by emailing me at homeworkeditor@workspace. co.uk

farah Farah Khalique, Editor @FarahKhalique

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Fleur Macdonald

Fleur is a freelance journalist who has contributed to The Economist’s 1843 magazine, the BBC and TRUE Africa. @fleur_macdonald

Arthur House

Arthur writes about arts and culture for The Spectator, The Economist’s 1843 magazine and international art publication, Apollo. He previously worked at The Telegraph and The Calvert Journal

Rosie Murray-West

Former Deputy Editor of Telegraph Money, Rosie contributes regularly to newspapers and magazines including The Telegraph, Sunday Times, Metro and Mail on Sunday

Camilla Allen

Camilla is a journalist and Editorial Assistant at TRUE212. Previously Acting Editorial Assistant at Vogue, she has contributed to elle.com, Healthy magazine, TRUE Africa and CiTTi. @CamillaAllen_

Sophie Goddard

Sophie has written for Glamour, Cosmopolitan and Grazia on everything from health and pop culture to travel and lifestyle

We would love to hear what you think of the magazine, so why not tweet us @WorkspaceGroup?

#8 autumn/winter 2019

homeWork, issue #8, autumn/winter 2019, Editor Farah Khalique; Editorial Assistant/ Writer Camilla Allen; Intern Charlie Conibear; Original Photography Dom Salmon; Graphic Designer Ben Thomas; Subeditor Vanessa Harriss; Publisher/ Advertising Dan Reeves, dan@true212.com. homeWORK is published by TRUE212; true212.com.

The magazine is printed by Alban House Print, 105 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3BU. At the time of print every effort was made to ensure the information contained in the magazine was correct.

Special thanks to Workspace customers: Michael Adu, Founder of Stress-Less Fitness; Waldyr Arias, MD of ethical laundry company at Ecozone; Mercedes Bankston, Director at The Founder Institute; Alex Cardona, Co-founder of Codat; Matthew Carlton, Shine Workplace Wellbeing’s Principal Consultant; Chelsea Chen, Co-Founder of Emotech; Freddy Clode, Head of Marketing and Creative Producer at Seven Decades; Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Founder of The Black Farmer; Davide Gostoli, Head Chef at Livewire; Emilie Hannezo, an Associate at InMotion Ventures; Johanna Ho, Founder of PHVLO; Sonia Hully, Founder and CEO of Nailberry; Fernando Irigoyen, Career and Executive Coach; Joe Jenkinson, Consultant at 2MC; Neil Kadagathur, Co-founder of loan facilitator Creditspring; Hanna Naima McCloskey, Founder and CEO of Fearless Futures; Jacqui Morcombe, Area Vice President for International Sales Enablement at nCino; Nick Owen, Founder of What Food; Michael Qian, CEO at YoBike; Sophie Stainton, Head of Corporate Wellbeing at GO Mammoth; Leanne Spencer, Founder of Bodyshot Performance; Jesse Wilson, Co-Founder of Jubel Beer.

Thanks to additional contributors; Gary Bloom, Presenter at TalkSport, Chris Boultwood, Head of Client Connected Services at Workspace; Siobhan Canniffe, Head of People and Culture at Spacelab; Katy Carlisle, Founder of The Wheel Exists; Ramona Da Gama, Business Coach; Chris Dines, CEO of Informed Funding; Ian Dubber, Head of Planning and Development at Workspace; Maxim Gelmann, Founder of Stroodles; Karen Jamison, Energy and Sustainability Manager at Workspace; Laurence Kemball-Cook, CEO of Pavegen; Andrea Kolokasi, Head of Business Development at Workspace; Matt McCallion, Partnerships Director of Homie; Lorence Nye, Senior Policy Adviser from the Federation of Small Businesses; John Robson, Asset Management Director, Workspace; Sophie Rose, Committee Member at Doing The Right Th ing; Rachel Springall, Finance Expert and Press Officer at Moneyfacts; Samantha Veal, CEO of Blueprint; Ella Wiggins, CoFounder of Good Beans.

contents

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Show Me the Money Find the right funding for your business with our round-up of the latest pools of investor money

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The Black Farmer Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones talks about his rise from poverty, how he made millions from gluten-free sausages and why he invests in start-ups with no track record

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New Banks on the Block Is it time to switch from your high street bank to a challenger bank? homeWORK does the numbers to reveal the best business banking options

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40 My Workspace Neil Kadagathur at Creditspring tells us how he is building his fintech out of Grand Union Studios

42 Green Up Your Brand Learn how to avoid greenwashing and embed sustainability authentically into your brand

49 Wellbeing Explore wellbeing at work, tasty lunch options, yoga moves and where you can switch off on holiday

58 Pod Up Your Life Mercedes Bankston at the Founder Institute rounds up her top podcasts on work and wellbeing

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London Calling Discover how our city is cleverly future-proofing itself as we hurtle into the fourth industrial revolution

news

Business News

We need to let it breathe

London is cities ahead London has the second strongest business brand in the world, beaten only by New York. Despite continuing uncertainty over Brexit, Saffron Brand Consultants’ City Business Brand Barometer sees the capital shoot up from seventh place in 2018. It’s now ahead of Amsterdam and Singapore, as well as Los Angeles and Dubai.

London’s strong points are high GDP, ease of doing business and quality of living. It also has an impressive score as a ‘city in motion’, thanks to factors like the environment, mobility and transportation, urban planning, international outreach and technology. It should come as no surprise to

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Londoners that the capital also scores highly for its buzz – the way it’s perceived by both residents and people around the world.

While the authors point out that there are question marks hanging over London’s position as a global business leader, they don’t see its brand plummeting any time soon. “Its assets may suffer, but its buzz may not,” they say, “as the world’s attention turns to London’s economic future.”

Turn to page 22 to find out more about what makes London such a great city to live, work and play

Inner London boroughs have been praised for their ‘healthy streets’ but the outer reaches of the capital need to do more.

More than nine out of 10 journeys in the City of London are made on foot, on a bike or on public transport, but the figure is just 41% in Hillingdon.

The London Boroughs Healthy Streets Scorecard analyses the city’s air and noise pollution, road casualties and inactive lifestyles. It highlights boroughs including Tower Hamlets, Camden and Waltham Forest for cutting car use and road danger, while boosting air quality and walking and cycling rates. Kensington & Chelsea and Havering, though, are lagging behind.

Matt Winfield, Director at sustainable transport charity, Sustrans, says, “At a time when air pollution kills thousands of Londoners each year, congestion throttles our streets and the mayor has declared a climate emergency, healthy streets are not just nice to have, they are essential.”

ArcelorMittal Orbit sculpture, Olympic Park, Stratford

Culture Powerhouse East London is so trendy it’s getting its own cultural hub, with opportunities for businesses in the arts. Work has already begun at the Olympic Park in Stratford, which will include a new campus for UCL, BBC recording studios, a campus for UAL’s London College of Fashion, a dance theatre for Sadler’s Wells and two new V&A sites.

It is targeting businesses in the technology, manufacturing, retail, education and creative industries, delivering 2,500 jobs and generating £1.5 billion for the local economy. Plus, there is £10 million in funding from Westfield Stratford City up for grabs, for careers coaching, internships and apprenticeships, as well as support for entrepreneurs and new business start-ups.

Find space in East London to grow your business at Workspace’s new centre, Brickfields, in Hoxton. Head to workspace.co.uk/workspaces/brickfields

Good Work Plan: what you need to know The government is tackling unscrupulous employers and protecting vulnerable employees with new workers’ rights. Get up to speed.

What’s changed already?

Workers now have the right to a payslip. Penalties for employers who demonstrate malice, spite or gross oversight have quadrupled to £20,000.

What’s to come?

Find a pint near you There’s nothing more refreshing than a beer, but where can you find one without breaking the bank?

Luckily, retail tech firm Storekit has the answer, with a guide to every Tube station’s nearest budget pint.

The cheapest is at Wetherspoon’s Oyster Rooms pub above Fulham Broadway, where a pint of Greene King Ruddles Best lager costs just £1.89. Cheers!

UK fintechs rule The UK is officially the world’s top fintech hub with a booming AI scene, pulling in billions of investor money, according to start-up network Tech Nation. London leads the way, drawing in £9bn of tech investment between 2015 and 2018. Companies like Monzo, Starling Bank and Credit Kudos are raking in millions of investment. Monzo is now a “unicorn” thanks to its $1bn valuation, hardly surprising given that London is also the best place for fintechs to scale up fast. They grew by more than 56% between December 2018 and February 2019, faster than anywhere else in the world.

The UK’s artificial intelligence scene also ranks third in the world for raising investment, reaching a record high of $1.06bn in the first half of 2019, already more than the $1.08bn raised in 2018.

Show me the good We’re an idealistic lot in the UK, with a Glassdoor survey showing job applicants care more about a company’s mission and culture than pay. Three-quarters of people in the US, UK, France and Germany said they wouldn’t apply to a company unless its values aligned with their own. UK employees care about culture and values, quality of senior leadership and career opportunities, with millennials even more likely to prioritise culture above salary.

The reference period for calculating holiday pay will increase from 12 to 52 weeks. Agency workers will no longer be allowed to accept lower pay than other employees in return for getting paid between assignments.

Workers with 26 weeks of continuous service may also request a more stable working pattern.

Who will enforce workers’ rights?

The government is proposing a new body to enforce minimum wage and holiday payments, as well as regulations for umbrella companies.

It will also issue licences to supply temporary labour in the fresh food supply chain, and will enforce labour exploitation and modern slavery laws.

What else?

The government is also considering giving the new body powers over statutory sick pay, health and safety at work, employment tribunal awards and discrimination and harassment laws.

Want your say? The government wants to know what you think about these proposals. Individuals and organisations have until 6th October to respond here: tinyurl.com/singlelabour-market-body

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news

Workspace news The Kiln at Brickfields business centre in Hoxton

In the heart of Hoxton Brickfields business centre in Hoxton

Our new Brickfields business centre is now open for business, offering 98 stunning offices and studio spaces for growing, ambitious companies. Just a short walk from bustling Hoxton Square and Hoxton Overground station, the building has been transformed from a light-industrial estate half its size into a striking five-floor building.

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Formerly known as Cremer Street, the new 54,000-sq-ft building’s industrial design features a steel-frame interior and plenty of breakout space, along with two meeting rooms to encourage collaboration between Workspace customers. All studios benefit from high ceilings, air conditioning and a cascading flight of stairs to allow movement throughout the light-filled central atrium, easily accessed off surrounding galleries.

Ian Dubber, Head of Planning and Development at Workspace, says: “The building has been designed to reflect its East London neighbourhood and we have worked closely with local manufacturers and caterers. Our on-site café, The Kiln, is provided by Franze & Evans, a renowned East London eatery.”

Situated in the historical heartland of artists and craftsmen, it also houses a brand-

new co-working lounge, Club Workspace Brickfields. Here, fledgling tech start-ups can find their feet and take advantage of the location’s close proximity to the City, offering the opportunity to collaborate within a booming digital ecosystem.

Among the first to move into the newbuild are two creative agencies, Rockabye and MG Empower, and music management company, This Is Music. Centre Manager, Luisa Milazzo, looks forward to welcoming more exciting businesses to Brickfields.

Find out more about moving to a fantastic new office space at Brickfields: workspace.co.uk/workspaces/brickfields

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Digital ad screen in action at Metal Box Factory in Southwark

Portrait meeting room at The Frames in Shoreditch

Download the app!

Around 80% of people living in the UK use apps to manage at least part of their day.

Workspace is making it easier to book meeting rooms on the go with the launch of its own mobile app. It works by finding the user’s location and showing nearby meeting rooms. Since last month’s launch, the app has already been downloaded more than 100 times.

Phase Two, due in 2020, will see the app become an all-encompassing community intranet for customers. It will offer access to WorkspacePerks, events calendars, and a comprehensive list of other businesses based in their building, plus the ability to connect with them through a social platform.

Workspace and leading automated platform company Bitposter have partnered up to install six 65” digital advertising screens at Workspace centres across London.

Andrea Kolokasi, Head of Business Development, says, “While many of our competitors already have apps, waiting until now to launch ours has actually worked to provide a good customer journey. We have been able to review customer feedback on existing apps and deliver one better suited to customer needs.”

The screens now enable any business to advertise to Workspace’s community of over 3,000 small and medium-sized companies using the latest technology at affordable rates.

Choose and book from over 100 meeting rooms, while on the move

Matt McCallion, Partnerships Director at Homie, says, “Workspace’s entrepreneurial demographic is perfect for Homie’s unique, London-wide home-finding service. We’ve seen an increase in engagement as well as awareness as a result of these adverts.”

A helping hand for GOSH Workspace has voted Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to be its chosen charity.

In an effort to raise funds for the children’s hospital, staff are gearing up to compete in sports of all kinds: the Great North Run, the London to Brighton Cycle ride and the London Marathon.

“As a company, every year we like to take on one big challenge which raises most of our fundraising target,” says Sophie Rose, part of Workspace’s Doing The Right Thing committee.

“In the past we have done treks in the arctic, treks up mountains, and water rafting. This year we are hoping to do something along the Bear Grylls route.”

ON THE BIG SCREEN

From Workspace customers and their big-name clients to PR and marketing agencies, each of the screens benefits from a combined footfall of 400,000 people per month.

Want to advertise your company on a Workspace Digital Screen?

Get in touch with Bitposter at workspace@bitposter.co or find out more at workspace.co.uk/ media

DOING THE RIGHT THING In the war against single-use plastic, all cafés across the Workspace portfolio will now offer a discount for customers who bring in their own reusable coffee cups and lunch boxes.

Karen Jamison, Energy and Sustainability Manager at Workspace says, “We have been liasing with our caterers to implement a range of strategies including getting rid of all plastic straws and stirrers,” says Karen.

This is part of Workspace’s ambition to embed sustainability throughout its business.

Give to GOSH at donate.gosh.org/

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Investment News Show me the money Looking to grow your business? Rosie Murray-West, former Deputy Editor of Telegraph Money, rounds up the latest investment news and exciting new sources of funding

PE funds welcome record “dry powder” A record $2.44 trillion of private equity (PE) funding has been raised but not yet spent, giving PE firms unprecedented ammunition for blitzing deals. Data provider Preqin said that 13% of global acquisition activity this year was from private equity, and that investors should expect more of the same.

Post-Brexit sweetener for SMEs The UK’s state bank for fuelling SME growth is gearing up to fi ll in the EU development funding gaps after Brexit. The British Business Bank’s annual report stated that it had increased funding to start-ups and smaller businesses by a quarter to £6.6bn in the 2018–9 fi nancial year. The bank has an extra £200m of funding to offset any reductions in European funding to UK smaller businesses. CEO Keith Morgan is lobbying the government for extra capital.

New Funds on the Block GLIF +£100m

London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched the £100m Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) in May for SMEs, offering loan and equity finance. fundinglondon.co.uk/funding/our-funds

UKRI +£190m

The government is teaming up with tech giants to invest £190m in digital security projects to beef up the UK’s insecure digital computing infrastructure. tinyurl.com/digital-security-by-design

ISAI Cap Venture +€90m

French consultant Cap Gemini’s first techbased VC fund will invest €1–5m in 15–20 B2B companies, mostly European, over 10 years. isai.fr

IQ Capital $300m

This Cambridge-based VC firm has $300m of funds for AI and machinelearning start-ups. It invests £300,000– £5m for new deals, and up to £30m for follow-on investments. iqcapital.vc

Talis Capital $100m

VC firms lack diversity Women and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the UK venture capital (VC) space. Diversity VC surveyed 171 firms, finding a small increase in women employed – up from 27% to 30% – but overall, barely a quarter of the VC workforce is non-white.

Just how big is VC’s diversity problem? Funding experts explored this at a Workspace Business Insight Dinner; read more at tinyurl.com/VC-diversity-problem

This London-based VC has $100m for late seed to Series C funding. It favours early-stage growth companies with longterm global potential. Examples include Darktrace and iwoca. taliscapital.com

Quantum Projects +£27m

Apply for up to £27m from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to collaborate on developing quantum products and services. Hurry, you have until 30th October 2019. gov.uk/government/organisations/ innovate-uk

Informed Funding

Who?

What?

Informed Funding independently connects businesses with finance.

Read more at informedfunding.com

Informed Funding is a free resource for Workspace customers to help small businesses identify options for raising finance.

A wide range of finance providers have a presence within Informed Funding, many with dedicated micro-sites that outline their offering and services.

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homeworkmagazine

Big Winners

Here are our top picks of Workspace customers that have won over investors. Find out more about these companies and the type of investment they secured Exabeam (The Print Rooms) $75m

Cybersecurity start-up Exabeam, which has its UK arm at The Print Rooms in Southwark, raised $75m in Series E funding in May. The California-based company’s funding was co-led by Sapphire Ventures and Lightspeed; other existing investors also piled in, including Cisco’s investment arm.

Limitless Technology (Cargo Works) £5m Mahabis shoes

Mahabis (The Leather Market) The luxury footwear company was rescued from administration for an undisclosed sum by YYX Capital in January 2019. Run

by James Cox, Founder of Simba Sleep, YYX has also invested in charcoal skincare brand Carbon Theory, which is moving into Brickfields in East London.

Nextdoor (Metal Box Factory) $123m

The Californian-headquartered business that focuses on local social networks raised $123m in Series F funding from four VC firms in May. Nextdoor recently moved into Metal Box Factory in Southwark and is now valued at more than $2bn.

The AI and crowd-sourced customer service solutions raised £5m in Series A funding, which was led by AlbionVC. All the existing investors were on board; names included Downing Ventures and Unilever Ventures.

Festicket (The Centro Buildings) approx £7.8m

Festivals are big business. Camden-based booking agent Festicket crowdfunded £4m in February 2019. It also picked up $4.6m in Series D funding from venture capitalist Edge Investments. The creative industries investor boasts Harvey Goldsmith – the veteran music industry promoter – as a director.

Festivals are big business in the UK

Minut Home (Vox Studios) $10m

Alex Cardona, Co-founder of Codat at Ink Rooms

Codat (Ink Rooms) £5m

The banking tech specialist won a grant in June from the Capability and Innovation Fund. Codat, which has expanded from Exmouth House to Ink Rooms in Clerkenwell, was one of five winners.

Limejump (Kennington Park) Energy-tech company Limejump was acquired by Shell Energy in February 2019. Terms of the deal aren’t public, but Limejump’s CEO said the business would stay autonomous. It previously raised £4.4m from six VC investors.

School Space (Brickfields) £800,000

Swedish home-security start-up Minut Home, which has just expanded its premises, raised $8m in Series A funding in July. KPN Ventures took the lead, along with energy company Centrica. Existing backers SOSV, Nordic Makers and Karma Ventures also put up $2m. CEO Nils Mattisson wants to make home security cheaper with Minut’s cameraless device.

A facilities-hire group that helps educational establishments rent out rooms, School Space raised £800,000 from impact investment bank ClearlySo in January 2019. It was founded by the head boy and girl of a failing school in Oxfordshire that needed to make money. School Space is moving into Brickfields in Hoxton.

Why?

Who do they help?

What next?

Workspace customers get one free financial and funding-strategy consultation and then free and exclusive access to all finance seminars and workshops.

Small businesses that are facing issues such as replacing existing bank facilities, emergency cash needs, rising trade debts or a lack of credit from suppliers.

Come to workshops on 10th October at Cargo Works and 13th November at Metal Box Factory. An evening seminar will also be held in mid-October.

workspace.co.uk

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OUR EVENTS

ISLINGTON

Don’t miss Workspace’s top upcoming business events hitting London. You can find more information at workspace.co.uk/ community/events CAMDEN

KING’S CROSS LADBROKE GROVE

WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE 3rd October, ScreenWorks, PADDINGTON 1pm to 1.30pm

Come to Islington for a mini-seminar on how to kickstart your workplace wellbeing.

WEST END

NOTTING HILL

WATERLOO

INFORMED FUNDING HAMMERSMITH

VICTORIA

EARLS Growth, COURT De-Risking 10th October, Cargo Works, 2pm to 4:30pm

Increase scale, unlock growth potential and drive profitability and enterprise value.

KENNINGTON

BATTERSEA

#WBIDINNER 30th January, Kennington Park WANDSWORTH

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Join us for an evening of discussion and meet your neighbours at Workspace’s Business Insight dinner.

#WBIDINNER Sustainability and Business, 19th November, Brickfields A deep dive into how business leaders can address the impact of climate change.

SHOREDITCH

OLD STREET FARRINGDON

STRATFORD

BETHNAL GREEN

THE CITY

#WBIDINNER 26th March, The Record Hall

LONDON BRIDGE

CANARY WHARF

Enjoy an evening of debate and networking at Workspace’s Business Insight dinner in Hatton Garden.

INFORMED FUNDING Driving Your Business Growth for Tech, 13th November, Metal Box Factory, 2pm to 4.30pm Discover how to get your tech business from early stage to a valuable, even profitable, business.

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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO THE BLACK FARMER Meet the man who’s made millions from his gluten-free sausages, launched the TV careers of Gordon Ramsay and Antony Worrall Thompson, and is now helping early-stage food start-ups get stocked in Sainsbury’s. He is suspicious of private capital, goes with his gut over market research and invests in start-ups with no track record. This is Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

By Fleur Macdonald

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“It’s an emotional risk to leave everything behind and go into unknown territory” Johanna Ho, PHVLO

The Black Farmer prides himself on selling sausages, pork cuts, meatballs, bacon, chicken, cheese and eggs that are free range and free from gluten. Buy his products at Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons and Co-op

Johanna Ho, Founder at PHVLO in Club Workspace The Leather Market, London Bridge

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There are only so many times, as a journalist, that you arrive for an interview and more than two hours later are still on the couch, effectively being psychoanalysed.

“You are very professional. Too professional,” I am told. “Being an effective journalist, it’s all about vulnerability,” I am advised. I am then asked about my childhood. This was meant to be an ordinary business interview, if you could ever do an ordinary interview with the extraordinary Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones.

He works between the West Devon countryside and Parkhall Business Centre in Dulwich, but you might know EmmanuelJones better as The Black Farmer. A child of Jamaican immigrants who settled in innercity Birmingham, he’s now a gentleman farmer in Cornwall with 30 acres of cattlegrazing land to his name. Since buying the farm, he’s also had a reality TV show that introduced nine inner-city black teenagers to farming life; he’s run (and failed) to be a Conservative MP in Chippenham, Wiltshire; and is now running a food accelerator scheme, The Hatchery, which has already produced four businesses.

One of the latest Hatchery start-ups, Smörgåsbord, a range of Swedish meatballs launched in January, already has a £4 million turnover. Emmanuel-Jones certainly has experience in producing a successful food brand; his award-winning gluten-free range – sausages, pork cuts, meatballs as well as cheese, bacon, chicken and eggs – is stocked in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Ocado, among others, has a £7 million turnover and is worth about £15 million, he estimates.

In a recent interview in The Daily Mail, he revealed that he doesn’t invest in the stock market. “My rule is: do not invest in something you do not understand. I think that is a bit like gambling.” In any case, he owns 100% of his business and has always been wary of private equity. “You’re

on somebody else’s timetable; you’re on somebody else’s agenda.” If there’s anyone’s advice worth taking – in whichever situation you might find yourself – it could well be his.

Emmanuel-Jones welcomes me into his 10th floor riverside flat overlooking Wandsworth. Tall, with impeccable style, the man stands out, never mind his white afro, and his face marked by vitiligo. The lighter patches of skin on his upper lip, eyebrows and chin are remnants of his cancer treatment five years ago.

Fitting in has never held much interest for him. His parents were part of the Windrush generation and he grew up, the second child of nine, in a terraced house in Small Heath in Birmingham. As the oldest boy, he looked after the family allotment. “If you are brought up in an urban setting, you spend most of the time looking over your shoulder,” he says. The garden, however, gave him peace, space and freedom, without the constant pressure of having to react to his environment. “I liked that feeling so much that I decided from the age of 11, that one day I’d like to have my own farm.”

Fundamentally the immigrant mindset is an entrepreneurial one, he believes. “It’s an emotional risk to leave everything behind, your family, your friends, everything that you’re familiar with to go into unknown territory.” His urge to own a farm is just another step on the same journey as his parents, although they were dubious about his ambitions. “It is the job of us, the second and third generation, to break out of these enclaves and go and claim the rest of Britain.”

Crawling out of the shit heap – that’s his phrase, not mine – wasn’t easy. His attitude to both study and authority made school life and his short-lived army career difficult; even the officers could not lick him into shape. “I have a dishonourable discharge to my name because I was a pain

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Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones at The Light Bulb in Wandsworth

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Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones (second from right) and his recruits for The Hatchery

in the arse,” he reflects. After a stint in catering, Emmanuel-Jones decided to pursue another passion: documentaries. Two years of knocking on doors at the BBC in Pebble Mill in Birmingham led to a meeting with a producer, whom he calls his “guardian angel”. He gave Emmanuel-Jones a job as a production runner in what was essentially an Oxbridge enclave.

It was the start of a 15-year career in television, producing food programmes and launching the media careers of chefs like Gordon Ramsay, James Martin and Antony Worrall Thompson, but the idea of a farm, and the capital it would require, eventually pushed him to take another risk. He left the television industry with just about enough to pay his mortgage for three months. The move paid off; his food-marketing business soon had clients like Loyd Grossman sauces, Kettle Chips and Plymouth Gin. In his book, Jeopardy: The Danger of Playing It Safe on the Path to Success, he tells the story of his work on the Plymouth Gin’s 1999 guerrilla marketing campaign.

The brand unilaterally declared itself the sponsor of the solar eclipse. “Does the sun have image rights?” This wasn’t his most

“Research will tell you what people are thinking today but it will not tell you what they will think tomorrow”

ridiculousgot publicity stunt.

For Mr Brain’s, “If someone has already a name, a brand of faggots (a little-known British delicacy ofI’m meatballs made with mixed and they’re established, not really mince and offal), Emmanuel-Jones launched interested in that. I’ma search interested for Mr Brain’s biggestin fans. He called it Britain’s Faggot Family. people who have nothing”

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The thinking behind the brand name The Black Farmer went along similar lines.

It was 2003 and Emmanuel-Jones had remortgaged his home and finally bought himself a farm in Devon. He had fulfilled his dream; now all he needed was an idea and a business. “I saw there was a big gulf between urban and rural Britain – it’s as if it’s two separate countries. I thought actually I could create a brand here that would try and connect the two while challenging the stereotype of what Britain is and what a black person can and can’t do. I decided I was going to do a sausage.”

He would name his range after what fellow farmers called him, even if the market research suggested it might offend people. The success of the brand backed up his initial conviction: “Research will tell you what people are thinking today but it will not tell you what they will think tomorrow.” At the time, gluten-free was not as mainstream as it is now, but for Emmanuel-Jones, not only did it provide a point of difference, but the challenge would

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“As AI and mass production become more ubiquitous, consumers will value the stories behind products” be to render this difference palatable to everyone else. It was prescient thinking. It’s estimated that in the UK 8.5 million people have gone gluten-free. Although only 1% of the population suffer from coeliac disease, many have adopted the lifestyle as they find it healthier and conducive to weight loss.

However, it’s not all about the product, however high quality it might be, says Emmanuel-Jones. “People do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” In between the range of flavoured cheeses, the antibiotic-free pork cuts, chicken wings, bacon and meatballs, he also has a range of high-quality bespoke scented candles, Pause, which he makes himself. This, he believes, represents the future. As AI and mass production become more ubiquitous, consumers will value the stories behind the products, the craftsmanship, and artisanal creations made to individual specifications.

“The skills that have been looked down on in the past are the essential skills that you need in the future,” he says.

Supermarkets that churn out standardised products, effectively limiting choice, are going to run into trouble, believes Emmanuel-Jones. The online world is making it increasingly easy for producers and consumers to bypass these distributors and the soulless and taxing experience they offer. Online shopping also offers potential for the shopper to choose products that are precisely tailored to their preferences. The challenge for small artisans who can cater to these tastes, he says, will be to make distribution financially viable. They’ll only be able to do that by working together and sharing resources.

It’s this kind of thinking that pushed Emmanuel-Jones to set up The Hatchery, his business accelerator that specialises in food and drink brands that are so early-stage that the idea hasn’t really hatched yet. “If someone has already got a name, and they’re established, I’m not really interested in that.

I’m interested in people who have nothing.”

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Emmanuel-Jones owns half of Smörgåsbord, and in return The Black Farmer sorts out branding, manufacturing, distribution and logistics and administration. The Black Farmer’s accountancy is done at its London base at Workspace; Parkhall Business Centre in Dulwich was chosen for its location, the flexibility of the tenancy and the excellent food in the café. “It’s extremely convenient and the building is light and airy,” he says.

“If I do need to have a meeting, it’s perfect for any client, whichever business they are visiting.”

Helping others has always been part of his brand. In 2006, he launched a rural scholarship for black teenagers from cities all over the UK: Young Black Farmers. It’s well worth catching on 4OD as an example of how gentle reality TV used to be. There is a sense, despite Emmanuel-Jones’ tough love, that the teenagers will come out happier than when they entered. He has no time for Dragons’ Den and programmes of a similar ilk where participants are “fodder for entertainment rather than for their benefit”.

Money is not his main motivator anyway. “Never chase money; chase success.

Because with success, money follows,” he says. Otherwise you risk prioritising the agenda of banks, which are often more interested by the security of their investment rather than its potential. “They need us entrepreneurs.” He then adds, looking pleased, “Do not fear the moneymen.” Like any marketing man, he loves a catchy slogan.

Five years ago, Emmanuel-Jones was treated for leukaemia and underwent a stem-cell transplant. He spent a year in hospital. “It was brutal,” he says. The business survived his illness; in fact it ran more smoothly, he laughs. Strategy and marketing took a back seat while his neighbour looked after his farm. That period of reflection has made him more aware of the strength of his vulnerabilities. In his book, he writes, “As so often with these

Wilfred Emm Bulb in Wand

moments of adversity, there was a blessing hidden somewhere; it has brought home to me more than ever the kindness of people who ask if I need help, hold doors open for me and otherwise go out of their way to help someone who is struggling a bit.” He is now open about his dyslexia, which he hid both at school and at the BBC. Cancer, and the mottled traces on his skin, are a reminder of the change of perspective his illness offered and the battle he won. “It actually makes you work out what is important... For me, it’s the impact you’ve had on people’s lives, it’s how have you managed to touch people’s lives and enabled them to go along the journey they have ahead of them.”

Next up, in addition to looking at export opportunities, he has plans to transform his farm with a restaurant, shop and a wellness centre – “my temple” – so the brand will depend less on supermarket sales. I think of the advert and imagine it will be as far as you can get from what we’re used to at Daylesford or Doddington Hall, but he’ll need outside investment to make it happen.

“That’s when it gets quite scary,” he admits.

That’s a big risk for a businessman who has always done everything on his own terms.

“I’ve got to get psychologically prepared to make that big leap.”

Can The Black Farmer win big with his next idea? Either way, you get the feeling he won’t play it safe and will be around for some time to come.

Do you want to partner up with Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones to grow your food and drink brand? Find out more about his incubator at theblackfarmer.com/ the-hatchery. Read more about his book, Jeopardy: The Danger of Playing It Safe on the Path to Success, in the Workspace Book Corner on page 54

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SHOP WORKSPACE As the seasons change, it’s time to start thinking of those nearest and dearest to you.

Look no further! Workspace members can take advantage of our new customer-exclusive benefits platform, WorkspacePerks. Head to workspace.co.uk/workspaceperks to get discounts on a range of products like these

Veuve Clicquot Brut NV Champagne £269.70 (six-bottle case) Veuve Clicquot yellow label Brut is a luxury full-bodied, rich champagne, but restrained in style. Fine Wine Direct offers a fantastic range of carefully selected red, white and sparkling wine, rosé, champagne and spirits delivered safely to your door.

Fine Wine Direct (Kennington Park) 10% discount for Workspace members

Paisie £160 This oversized faux-fur teddy-bear coat is an elegant combination of style and comfort. The soft, huggable fabric makes for a cosy, flattering fit, perfect for those cold winter evenings out on the town.

Paisie (The Chocolate Factory) 15% discount for Workspace members

Aduna Gift Set £13.49 Perhaps it’s a thoughtful present for a health-conscious loved one, or a treat for yourself, but whoever it’s for, the Aduna Gift Set brings with it lots of health and beauty benefits. The colourful tins also make attractive containers for safe food storage, bringing vibrancy into your kitchen.

Aduna (Kennington Park) 25% discount for Workspace members

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products Supercharge Serum £32 Get that natural glow with Supercharge Serum, a natural and potent facial oil packed with plant-derived goodness from 18 antioxidantrich ingredients. BYBI Beauty, the skincare brand from Clean Beauty Insiders, believes in clean and efficacious products, designed to optimise your skin’s health. BYBI is 100% natural, vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable - even the packaging is made from sugarcane.

BYBI Beauty (The Record Hall) 15% discount for Workspace members

Round Cut Solitaire Diamond Ring from £722 Are you ready to pop the question? Purely Diamonds’ classic jewellery designs combine elegance with modern detailing. This family-run business provides a wide variety of dazzling cut diamonds and stylish rings, selling jewellery direct at greatly reduced prices by cutting out the middleman.

Purely Diamonds (Clerkenwell Workshops) 5% discount for Workspace members

Blubel £79 Whether you’re trying to navigate your way around the city or weaving through country lanes, Blubel’s satnav bicycle bell guides you to your destination anywhere in the world via quiet, safe routes. Waterproof, shockproof and practically foolproof for every level of rider.

White London (Metal Box Factory)

Bloombox £35p/m “Breathe, Restore and Boost” with Bloombox. This plant-based subscription service provides a wide variety of flowers, cacti, ferns and many more to brighten up your indoor environment at work or at home.

Bloombox Club (The Leather Market) 15% discount for Workspace members

25% discount for Workspace members

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LONDON

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CALLING News headlines may be blotted by the B-word, but London is cleverly future-proofing itself to remain one of the world’s top capital cities as we hurtle into the fourth industrial revolution. What is it about London that attracts not only the businesses of today, but also those of tomorrow? Camilla Allen investigates

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london calling EVERYTHING we do – the way we live, work, play, learn, heal, trust, hang out and do business – all these things and more will radically change as the world spins on its axis from the third to the fourth industrial revolution. The adoption of technologies like the internet of things is taking us into a new era. Genome editing, machine intelligence, the blockchain – these are just some of the breakthroughs that are smashing the limits of what is humanly possible – and London is fuelling this revolution.

“London is still well placed to achieve leadership globally in the fourth industrial revolution if we continue to invest, innovate and grow responsibly and sustainably,” predicts businessman Jürgen Maier, the UK CEO of technology trailblazer Siemens.

Those three pillars – invest, innovate and create responsible, sustainable growth – are the capital’s winning formula to staying ahead of the pack.

Invest: the beating heart of finance

London has been the one of the world’s foremost economic powerhouses for centuries. This is why the city is now home to the biggest banks, top financiers and most sought-after investors. A time zone where at 9am in London, it’s 5pm in Singapore and Hong Kong, and 6pm in Tokyo; and at 5pm in London it is midday in New York and 9am in San Francisco, means you can check in with investors in Tokyo over breakfast and investors in the

City of London and banking district at sunset

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US over afternoon tea. London is the hub that sits neatly between Asia and America and, despite the noise surrounding Brexit, it retains this advantage with successful trading venue launches like the LondonShanghai Stock Connect. Established in June, it enables UK-listed companies to sell shares in China, allowing for money to flow between Britain and Asia and strengthening London’s financial credentials.

“London is a global financial centre like no other,” said the then UK Chancellor, Philip Hammond, responding to the news of the launch. “Stock Connect is a groundbreaking initiative, which will deepen our global connectivity as we look outwards to new opportunities in Asia.”

It’s strong financial and legal foundations that are drawing start-ups to the city, explains Neil Kadagathur, Co-founder of loan facilitator Creditspring.

Based at Workspace’s Grand Union Studios, Kadagathur has taken advantage of London-based VC and private equity founders looking to invest. From its first sum of funding in 2017, Creditspring has blossomed. It is now a successful subscription-based service providing two interest-free £250 loans on demand to its customers for £6 a month.

“London works well for what we’re doing. It has a friendly regulator, high population, established legal framework developed over hundreds of years, and lots of investors. It gives us the best advantage to create something out of nothing,” says Kadagathur. “Silicon Valley is very well established for tech business start-ups, but for fintech itself, London has the edge. For financial services it’s London, New York and then Hong Kong,” he says.

Indeed, the city is a good base from which to springboard onto the global market, say entrepreneurs. Like Kadagathur, Michael Qian is building out his company within the capital. He has created the UK’s first large-scale smart bike-sharing initiative, YoBike, out of Workspace’s The Light Bulb in Wandsworth, even though it is yet to launch in London. He says, “London has the infrastructure in place for businesses with a lot of investors, UK government-sponsored grants, incentive schemes, and tax schemes for investors. This strong structure makes it very easy to start a mobility company here.”

Tech and talent in the city

Technology developments are also fuelling business growth. In a study by Siemens, London has been named the most “digitally ready” global city, rising above tech hubs Los Angeles, Johannesburg and Dubai. In the face of economic uncertainty, London is “leading the charge in digitisation”, says Maier, and helping to shape the smart cities of tomorrow by growing its technologies that will transform its economy.

“Silicon Valley is very well established for tech business start-ups, but for fintech itself, London has the edge” Neil Kadagathur, Co-founder of Creditspring

It’s a golden period for technology.

London’s 3,000–5,000 tech start-ups, valued at £34 billion collectively, have helped to expand the UK tech industry 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, claims Tech Nation. Today, there are more new technology firms than ever before plying their trade. Venture capital funding is at a record high: a staggering £2.6 billion was deployed in the UK in the first half of 2018, and more than twice as much venture capital was deployed as in Germany in the third quarter, according to KPMG. As cash flows within the capital, innovative ideas have grown wings to fly.

Enter Olly, the world’s first robot with a personality. Olly was brought to life by Emotech, a team of leading artificial intelligence (AI) researchers and neuroscientists plugging away at Workspace’s Wenlock Studios in Old Street, East London. The doughnut-shaped machine, rising up off its stand to swivel and greet its owner, is out to snatch the prize for most likeable home assistant from the likes of Amazon’s Echo and Google Home.

Olly doesn’t just do what you tell him to

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Chelsea Chen at Wenlock Studios in Old Street

“Olly doesn’t just do what you tell him to do, he gets to know you and can start up a conversation” Chelsea Chen, Co-founder of Emotech

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london calling do, he gets to know you and can start up a conversation. If you are sad, Olly can see it in your face and hear it in your voice – he can even cheer you up.

Since closing an impressive $10 million round of investment from two Chinese VC firms – Alliance Capital and Lightning Capital – in 2015, Emotech has been developing AI capable of constructing a personality right here in the UK. It is now the most awarded robotics product in CES (Consumer Electronic Show) history, with four 2017 CES innovation awards under its LED-lit belt. Co-founder Chelsea Chen puts her success down to finding the right talent. She funnelled the majority of

“London has the advantage of some of the world’s largest phone networks – EE, Vodafone, O2 Telefonica – ready to roll out 5G across the city,” says Chris Boultwood, Head of Technology at Workspace. “With faster speeds and reduced latency, the new technology will help business growth in all industries, particularly AI, the internet of things and autonomous vehicles.”

This investment is helping the UK progress on its path to becoming the world’s deep tech nation, with the success of artificial-intelligence companies like cybersecurity firm Darktrace, gaming soft ware developer Improbable and claims expert, Tractable.

his bedroom researching and building prototypes, which he cooked in his family oven. It was then time to test it out.

“A friend and I broke into a building site in South Bank and installed the product illegally in the grounds. We were mixing cement at 2am and digging holes,” says Kemball-Cook. “I posted it on the internet and Westfield spotted it and called me up to say they loved the installation. They asked to place an order and ended up investing £200,000.”

That was the start of something special.

Pavegen has installed its tiles in workplaces like Google, Coca-Cola, Adidas and the US federal government in Washington DC.

“A friend and I broke into a building site in Southbank and installed the product illegally in the grounds. We were mixing cement at 2am and digging holes. I posted it on the Internet and Westfield spotted it and called me up to say they loved the installation. They asked to place an order and ended up investing £200,000.”

Laurence Kemball-Cook, CEO of Pavegen

funding money into hiring AI expertise to strengthen the project, and it was London’s talent pool that proved attractive when starting out. “Here you can meet all the best AI and applied researchers, and very experienced developers and designers with creative ideas,” says Chen.

She didn’t have to venture far. Based in East London Tech City – also dubbed Silicon Roundabout, London’s answer to Silicon Valley – Emotech benefits from being surrounded by the best in its field. Thanks to the UK’s Tech Nation Visa scheme (one of the most generous in the world for exceptional individuals), some of the most innovative minds from across the world have flocked to the area to grow mere sparks of ideas into billion-pound businesses.

Yes, London has talent, but how is it future-proofing itself to maintain its reputation for scaling up businesses? The answer lies in investing in the technology of tomorrow that is so coveted by forwardthinking businesses. The city is rolling out 5G, and it’s lightning-fast.

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Innovate: disruptive geniuses, welcome to London

Yes, London has talent and capital but it is also has an open mind and free spirit to embrace disruptive new ideas. Acting upon an initial idea takes daring and boundless get-up-and-go from entrepreneurs. Luckily, open-minded investors in London are keen to support displays of gumption.

Take Laurence Kemball-Cook, Founder and CEO of Pavegen, a clean-tech company attempting to change the world with the human footstep. The idea came to KemballCook as he was walking through Victoria Station on his daily commute – the stomping ground for more than 35,000 people every hour. What if he could harness the kinetic energy of footsteps to create green energy to power cities?

His idea was initially met with scepticism. “Everybody said it wouldn’t work. They said it was crazy, but I really believed there was something there,” says Kemball-Cook. He spent five years in

Kemball-Cook says, “Now, we’re just closing a £5 million raise.” All thanks to risk takers and risk appreciators alike.

New opportunities for London’s risk takers are also revealing themselves on the world arena for city transport. It’s an exciting time for mobility start-ups across the board – from autonomous vehicles, nift y scooters and new mobility services to the internet of things, which is only set to gather momentum with the introduction of 5G in London.

This has spawned from a trend both alarming and motivating to entrepreneurs: there are now more people living in urban areas than ever before. Our travel infrastructure risks buckling unless we eradicate pain points in the transport system. This means new and innovative mobility services are needed now more than ever before.

In May, Emilie Hannezo, an Associate at InMotion Ventures, the VC arm of Jaguar Land Rover, shared her thoughts at a Workspace Business Insight dinner. “We

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see a move in the industry towards a single, modal platform, with multiple modes of transport providers integrated seamlessly.

There is a battle to ‘own the customer’ and deliver a one-stop-shop for mobility.” Hosted at The Frames in Shoreditch, the talk covered the latest developments in Mobility-as-aService (MaaS), and highlighted movers and shakers in the industry. Citymapper is one of the most successful MaaS businesses that has spotted an opportunity to solve a growing transport problem. With its headquarters at Workspace’s Cargo Works in Waterloo, it spans 39 cities globally, helping travellers efficiently plan their trip from A to B with a few taps of a finger.

Now, with the introduction of its “Super Duper Pass”, offering weekly unlimited public transport, £10 of cab credits and unlimited Santander cycles for £39 a week (and with more to come), it is competing directly with Transport for London (TfL).

Citymapper pays TfL for each journey travelled, with the card acting as a pre-paid

debit card, but risks losing money unless the concept takes off. In spite of its risks and competitive ambitions, TfL welcomes the move. It openly supports products that promote public transport, walking and cycling in the city.

owners to disclose climate-related risks by 2022. The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) has been on hand to help organisations set out their disclosures to meet investors’ needs of today – and tomorrow.

Responsible, sustainable growth: going green

“We’ve been pushing sustainability for over 10 years now and we’re finally seeing real buyin from our London customer base which is really positive”

As well as getting people from A to B efficiently, mobility start-ups have gained significant attention because of a sea change in attitudes towards sustainability. London is one of the most active global cities pushing for sustainable change, channelling money into organisations with green intentions to promote clean economic growth.

The UK’s new target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 means that it is the first major economy in the world to embed such a target in legislation. Plus, the UK Government’s new Green Finance Strategy has set a leading example in its call for publicly listed companies and asset Michael Qian, Founder of YoBike at The Light Bulb in Wandsworth

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John Robson, Asset Management Director at Workspace

HSBC UK Commercial Bank is supporting British companies to meet their environmental and sustainability goals with the launch of a new green finance scheme. It now offers Green Loans, a Green Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) and a Green Hire Purchase, plus Lease and Asset loans to small to medium enterprises (SME), all the way through to large corporates. The bank has already provided £600 million worth of green loans to UK businesses as part of its pilot, including property developer Argent’s building of Facebook’s new UK headquarters in London.

By 2050, the emissions footprint of London’s buildings will need to be close to zero to meet government-set targets.

Construction is responsible for 11% of global carbon emissions, according to a report from C40, a group of leading metropolitan authorities – cement alone is responsible for 7%, the International Energy Agency estimates. “We’ve been pushing sustainability for over 10 years now and we’re finally seeing real buy-in from our London customer base, which is really positive,” says John Robson, Asset Management Director at Workspace.

“London is an incredibly forwardthinking city in terms of sustainability,” agrees Karen Jamison, Energy and Sustainability Manager at Workspace.

“Landlords are working together as more of a team, rather than vying to overtake and be the best.”

To help future-proof buildings, the Greater London Authority (GLA) sets certain criteria before landlords can gain planning permission. “At our new business centre, Brickfields in Hoxton, we have been following the soft landings framework, holding regular meetings to bring customers

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london calling

Art in numbers. Robert Indiana’s ONE through ZERO sculpture at the Frieze Sculpture exhibition in Regent’s Park

3,000

£5bn

parks across London, which is the world’s first National Park City

value of services provided per year by public green spaces in London

together to talk about the whole life-cycle of the building,” she says.

The UK was the first country ever to introduce a green certification system, BREEAM, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for buildings. “A lot of our buildings must be BREEAM rating Excellent, and when it’s government-led, it works really well,” says Jamison.

to global public opinion and data company YouGov, seven in 10 office workers believe that poor air quality is having a negative effect on their day-to-day productivity and wellbeing.

Luckily, the capital has plenty of green oases to explore, but when the sun goes down and people turn off their work screens, another side of London awakens. The city’s night-time economy is a force to be reckoned with. From music venues to theatres, art galleries to dance academies, the city rakes in £47 billion each year through its culture and creative industries. This plays in to the £117 billion services sector, which dominates London’s economy.

Over at Westbourne Studios near Portobello Market, Seven Decades is telling the story of three guitars that changed the world, in a West End-esque performance that mixes the media of live music, narration, and live documentary.

“From using the Half Moon pub in Putney, a legendary music venue, to work on new material behind closed doors, to being invited to perform at the V&A, London has been a great place to build up our show and meet the right people to make it happen,”

A great place to live

London’s natural advantage sets the city apart. With approximately 3,000 parks marked as public open space, which cover around 18% of Greater London, and more than eight million trees, it’s a true urban jungle. In fact, London has been classified as the first National Park City. And these public green spaces not only fuel the economy, with a gross asset value in excess of £91 billion, providing services valued at £5 billion per year, they also improve performance at work.

A study by Harvard University on indoor air quality showed that employees in a “greener” air environment performed 61% better on cognitive tasks than in standard office conditions. According

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61%

of workers performed better at cognitive tasks in a “greener” air environment

says Freddy Clode, Head of Marketing and Creative Producer.

“You have an appreciative, cultured London audience here – they’re loving it.

It’s a mix between a theatre-going audience, hardcore music fans, and people just going for a good time,” he says. “We now have seven sold-out shows at the V&A this year, with fans flying from across the Atlantic to witness the magic.”

Seven Decades, Emotech, Creditspring, YoBike, Citymapper and Pavegen are just a few of the flourishing business that call London home, built upon its thriving start-up eco-system that will grow, disrupt, and shine as we look to the future. Thanks to continued investment, innovation and sustainable, responsible growth, London is certainly calling.

Head to page 42 to learn how to embed sustainability into the foundations of your business. Want to know more about Olly the robot? Learn how Chelsea Chen built a booming AI company from scratch in Meet the Founder on page 32

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A Seven Decades performance at the V&A

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AFTER DARK ACTIVITIES After a hard day’s work, take time for yourself to relax and unwind. Whether you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, a quirky new hobby or planning the next big work night out, check out these fun activities from our Workspace customers

Flip Out Jump to it and ditch the work desk to leap, spring and bound on the UK’s biggest trampolines in Wandsworth, East Ham and Brent Cross. Flip Out offers stunt box zones, ball games and resident DJs plus parties, fitness sessions and classes for all ages and abilities. flipout.co.uk, £8 per hour

Dabbers Social Bingo

Jermyn Street Theatre

This East London experience gives a unique twist on the classic bingo game.

Expect huge prizes, delicious dining and a one-of-a-kind custom-built ball machine that must be seen to be believed.

If you want to escape the work bubble and take your mind elsewhere, head to the “off-West End”. Tucked behind Piccadilly Circus, this intimate venue hosts a wide variety of shows, from new works like One Million Tiny Plays About Britain to classic theatre like Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well.

dabbers.bingo, £15

jermynstreettheatre.co.uk, £30

Whistle Punks Is work driving you mad? Reconnect with your primal desires by slinging axes with friends or colleagues in Vauxhall.

Go head-to-head in a group tournament until the axe king or queen is crowned. whistlepunks.com, £29

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEETINGS “Great space, brilliant service and we won a substantial piece of business there and then, the client was really impressed, all worked seamlessly.”

John Graham, adcreative

Portrait, The Frames, Shoreditch

Instant Access, Anywhere We have over 100 high spec meeting rooms across London – all bookable by the hour

Tech City Our rooms are kitted out with the latest technology, including superfast Wi-Fi, large LED screens and many have Clickshare, a wireless presentation tool.

Stay Fuelled We’ve got award winning cafes and restaurants on-site, to keep you and your team fully functional.

We’ve teamed up with Excell to offer technical support on speed dial for all meeting room bookings Master, Edinburgh House, Kennington

Book and manage online or on the go via the app

workspace.co.uk/meeting-rooms Workspace Group

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“ Our aim is to use AI to partly replace human teachers, reducing the cost of English learning and helping to narrow the gap between rich and poor families�

Chelsea Chen, Co-founder of Emotech at Wenlock Studios in Old Street

meet the founder

MEET THE FOUNDER Arthur House sat down with Chelsea Chen, Co-founder of AI start-up Emotech, which is based at Wenlock Studios near Silicon Roundabout. Emotech has won several awards for its hero product, Olly, a home-assistant robot with an evolving personality What have you been up to at Emotech since you launched Olly?

We are licensing the software behind Olly to other big tech companies, so more consumers can benefit from it. Aside from the internet of things, we’re putting resources into AI solutions for English-language learning.

China, for example, is one of the world’s biggest markets for English-language learning.

Improving speaking and listening skills is expensive because local teachers may have accents, and qualified native English teachers are very limited. Our aim is to use AI to partly replace human teachers, reducing the cost of English learning and helping to narrow the gap between rich and poor families.

How do you manage public concerns about AI? I did a panel talk at The Guardian recently and realised how much people are worried about AI taking people’s jobs. Of course, some jobs will be replaced by AI but, just like in previous industrial revolutions, new ones will be created as well. I am sure we will find a way to work together with AI. Humans are so good at adapting to new technologies. We are also the first British company to participate in Unesco’s AI programme, aimed at using artificial intelligence for sustainable purposes and helping poor countries gain access to AI resources.

Tell us about your investment journey with Emotech.

We launched in 2015, which was fairly early for an AI start-up, before AlphaGo and Amazon Echo. It wasn’t the best time for AI investment but we were lucky to get two angel investors on board who trusted us and believed in what we were doing. After that we sought investment exclusively from professional venture capital (VC) firms rather than “industrial” VCs – departments of big companies.

We thought that if we got involved with tier one tech companies too early we would lose control of the company and become little more than a third-party research lab. In hindsight, this may have been a mistake. The more we got

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involved with the commercial world, the more important supporters we got from big tech companies. At the end of last year we changed our investment strategy and started to collaborate with industrial partners.

We’re about to announce a big strategic partnership soon.

Do you have any tips on pitching to investors?

Do your homework. However good your technology or idea is, you should research the people you meet. Even if you don’t get funding, at least you’ll have a successful meeting. Meet as many investors as possible. It’s not just about money, it’s also about hearing different opinions on your business, gaining inspiration and being challenged. If you get rejected, don’t get frustrated or take it personally.

Are you a shareholder in Emotech?

Yes, we all are. We believe the success of Emotech comes from every team member.

Do you invest your money elsewhere?

My degree was in art management, so I invest in contemporary art: photography, paintings and installations from David Hockney to old Impressionism pictures to contemporary Chinese art. I do a bit of art dealing as well; when I plan to buy a big painting I may sell some smaller ones. The pain is the increase in my taste cannot follow the increase in my income at all! I also buy stocks, mainly in tech companies. I bought Tesla and Nvidia when they were really cheap. It’s all based on my own knowledge from working in the sector. I don’t touch stuff I don’t understand.

What’s the best money decision you’ve ever made?

I bought an apartment in London when the pound was low and anxieties over Brexit were starting to bite. But I believe in the future of London. Even outside the EU, London will still be best placed to attract the world’s talent.

English will still be the world’s major language.

Wherever in the world the new money comes from, London will be able to attract it.

What was your first job?

Ogilvy and Mather in China. I oversaw Johnnie Walker and Baileys for the whole Asia-Pacific region. Advertising was my first passion, before AI. What’s the one luxury you allow yourself?

Designer hotels. I love travelling, especially to places I’ve never been, and visiting museums.

One place I go back to is Japan for the art, culture and food!

What’s the first thing you would do as Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Increase tax on the big companies and use the money to invest in education and incentivise teaching as a profession.

Why did you choose Workspace?

Effy, our super operation lead, chose Workspace, and everyone loves her decision.

The different locations, and being able to switch rooms and venues, is very convenient for fast-growing start-ups.

Find out more about Olly the robot in our feature on what makes London such a great place to do business on page 22

What’s the worst investment you’ve ever made?

Facebook – I’ve been planning to sell my shares for a while now. Instagram’s doing well so I’m holding on to them for the moment. I don’t hold out much hope but Libra [Facebook’s new digital currency] could change things.

Then again, if a company can’t keep people’s information safe, how is it going to fare with their money?

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club profile

New banks on the block Britain’s top five banks might rule the waves of business banking, but a school of nimble new upstarts is disrupting the landscape with cheaper, colourful, more intuitive offerings that meet the needs of today’s entrepreneurs. Should you try out Tide or give Coconut a whirl? Rosie Murray-West, former Deputy Editor of Telegraph Money, investigates

For years, businesswoman Katy Carlisle stuck faithfully to her high street bank.

The founder of online design agency The Wheel Exists, Katy worked hard to build up her client base but found over time that she wasn’t getting the service she wanted or needed from her bank.

“I used to have to keep logging on to see if I’d been paid by clients. That was frustrating! These huge organisations can’t move very quickly and take advantage of feedback to ensure they are offering customers what they need. The business banking offered by the high street seems massively outdated.”

In 2018, Katy had enough. She switched to Coconut, the new current account for freelancers, the self-employed and small business owners, and she hasn’t looked back. Coconut’s selling point for business

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customers is that it combines banking and accounting into one simple product, and takes mere minutes to open a bank account.

Katy says, “Moving my banking to a modern challenger brand was a no-brainer, really. Coconut [tells me automatically as soon as my invoices are paid], and it saves so much time.” She also feels like she has “a relationship” with Coconut, and can respond to the bank on social media if she thinks of features that can help her.

So why are these newcomers springing up, and why are entrepreneurs like Katy jumping ship? Business banking charges can mount up, fast. Most high street banks levy a quarterly charge simply for having an account, not to mention additional costs for standing orders, direct debits, cashing cheques and other everyday banking tasks.

As our table on page 37 shows, a business

“Business banking offered by the high street seems massively outdated.

Moving my banking to a modern challenger brand was a no-brainer” Katy Carlisle, Founder of The Wheel Exists

homeworkmagazine

Where are business customers flocking to?

STARLING

50,000

(free electronic payments, domestic transfers & ATM withdrawals)

could be paying nearly £30 a month just for cashing a few cheques, paying in some cash and receiving or sending direct debits.

Although the high street still holds the lion’s share of Britain’s estimated 5.7 million business current accounts, its dominance is finally being called into question. Bold brands like Monzo, Starling, Tide, Metro Bank and Coconut are launching products into the business banking space that are much cheaper than existing business current accounts.

What do the challengers offer?

They compete on price and service. Most allow you to open an account in minutes, and few charge monthly fees. Entrepreneurs are drawn to free electronic payments, domestic transfers and ATM withdrawals,

workspace.co.uk

TIDE

85,000

(free electronic payments, 20p for transfers between accounts)

along with functions like expenses management and tax planning. These apps also use Open Banking functions to link your bank account to accounting soft ware, and their apps allow you to see your business at a glance.

Where they fall down tends to be on business financing – the big banks have deeper pockets. However, the challengers are beginning to partner with other companies to provide loans and invoice financing, and some are developing this capacity in-house.

Challenger bank OakNorth has made a name for itself by specialising in lending between £500,000 to £45 million to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Starling is developing a platform for instant invoice financing, and an artificialintelligence tool for cash-flow forecasting as part of plans to lend SMEs up to

METRO BANK

100,000+

(no minimum balance and free cash withdrawals in Europe)

£913 million. It is these smart functions that drew entrepreneur Maxim Gelmann to Starling Bank when he set up his business, Stroodles, which sells straws made out of pasta to reduce plastic waste.

“Katy feels like she has ‘a relationship’ with Coconut, and can respond to them on social media if she thinks of features that can help her” He says, “I was sick of my traditional bank accounts with HSBC,” he says. “Starling offered integration with accounting

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challengers soft ware Xero, and the app works really well. Also, I don’t pay. Although Starling doesn’t offer international transactions in as many countries as HSBC, I think that’s a fair compromise, because I can use Transferwise. I think I shall switch

A slow pace of change

New business banking may be cheaper and offer better technology, but many customers are still reluctant to move or switch completely. Businesswoman Katy has kept her old high street bank account open, even though she says it now seems old-fashioned.

She says, “It takes a while for businesses to change the details on invoices, which is why the old account is still open.”

This slow pace of change means that high street dominance of the businessbanking market continues. Even leading challenger Metro Bank only has 2% of the market. The Current Account Switching Service (CASS) says that just 33,000 small businesses switched in the financial year to April 2019, compared with more than 900,000 individuals. Why so slow?

“I don’t need a person, I just need everything to be quick and accessible” Maxim Gelmann, Founder of Stroodles Maxim Gelmann, Founder of Stroodles

my other business account to Starling too.

There’s no reason not to.”

With rival Tide, entrepreneurs can sign up for a free business account in minutes, and benefit from time-saving tools like accounting, payroll, invoicing, expense management, tax and more.

Looking to switch to a start-up bank? Tide Business Banking is offering a special deal for Workspace customers. Get a year of free bank transfers at tide. co/partners/workspace. Open an account and use the code WORKSPACE to claim your offer.

Do your homework

However, take a look beyond the shiny interface and you might find some big differences. Rachel Springall at financial product-comparison group Moneyfacts says that it is important to be very sure what you are paying for, as well as looking at the functionality. For example, Starling charges £3 for depositing cash at the Post Office.

“Clearly, those accounts that charge more for cash deposits will be a poorer choice for businesses that deal with cash frequently, so users best be aware of the full tariff on their account and switch if it’s costing them each month,” she says.

Johanna Ho, Founder of PHVLO in Club Workspace The Leather Market, London Bridge

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“Our research shows that awareness amongst SMEs of the switching service offering is high, but often these businesses are not sure that there is a better bank account available for them,” a spokesperson says. “It’s important that companies do assess what they need from a bank account, because there are variations between providers that could make a notable difference to the way they are able to run their business’s finances.”

SMEs sitting on the fence

Lorence Nye, Senior Policy Adviser at the Federation of Small Businesses, says that business owners are wary of switching to challengers because they are worried about mistakes, even though the challenger banks offer functionality that they would find helpful.

“People think of entrepreneurs as risk takers, but they are still quite traditional when it comes to banking,” he says. “While challengers are often offering a better or cheaper option, business owners can be quite reluctant to switch. Success stories from other businesses will help to encourage them, but it is a slow process.”

The price is not right

There is some evidence that the high street banks are taking on the challengers when it comes to free business banking. Royal Bank of Scotland recently announced the launch of Mettle, a standalone digital entity

offering a free business current account.

Some banks now have apps that allow you to pay in cheques using your camera’s phone, as well as checking your balance and making electronic payments.

Jacqui Morcombe is Area Vice President for International Sales Enablement at cloudbanking specialist nCino, based at Metal Box Factory in Southwark. Across nCino’s own 250+ global client base, traditional financial institutions can provide quality customer experiences if they leverage the right technologies and processes.

Jacqui says, “With an installed customer base, brand recognition and a wealth of knowledge and resources, they too can be well positioned to deliver client-focused solutions. Innovation is a culture and an attitude and certainly not limited simply to challenger banks.”

However, despite the launch of Mettle and more, there has been no move from high

How much are you being charged to bank on the high street?

19p whenever a credit goes in your account (HSBC)

30p

23p per online or automated telephone payment (HSBC)

per cheque paid in at a branch (HSBC)

80p

when you pay cash in branch (+0.6% of cash value) (HSBC)

£1

per £100 of cash paid in at a branch (Lloyds)

£1.30

per two cheques paid in at a branch (Lloyds)

£5

per bill paid in at a branch (HSBC)

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The monthly cost of business banking high street vs challenger banks £14 OR FREE IF BALANCE IS OVER £5000

£12

£0 (START PLAN) £5 A MONTH (GROWTH PLAN)

£10

£6

Coconut

Metro

FREE

Mettle

FREE

£2

FREE

£4 RBS

Lloyds

HSBC

Barclays

Santander

£8

Tide

Starling

A typical monthly business bank bill HSBC’s Small Business Tariff

Starling’s Business Account

- Monthly fee

£5.50

- Monthly fee

£0

- 10 bill payments

£2.30

- 10 bill payments

£0

- £1000 cash paid over the counter in

- £1000 cash paid over the counter in

five tranches

five tranches

£12

(i) Bank Credit fee

£4

(i) Bank Credit fee

£0

(ii) Percentage of the cash deposited

£6

(ii) Percentage of the cash deposited

£0

- 10 BACs payments - 5 cash machine withdrawals (i) Cash machine percentage charges

£2.30 £1 £4.50

on withdrawal of £1000 - 10 paid cheques - 10 debit card payments

TOTAL

£6.80 £2

£28.40

- 10 BACs payments

£0

- 5 cash machine withdrawals

£0

(i) Cash machine percentage charges on withdrawal of £1000

£0

- 10 paid cheques

£0

- 10 debit card payments

£0

TOTAL

£12

challengers

Alex Cardona, Co-founder of Codat (bottom right), and his team at Ink Rooms in Clerkenwell

street banks to compete on price or offer free business banking. At best, some accounts offer a free banking period to start with, but soon the charges stack up. These vary depending on turnover.

Can big banks compete?

Start-ups get 12 months’ free business banking with Santander and 18 months free with NatWest, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland.

After the free period, however, most business accounts slap on monthly charges with rates varying wildly – check out our comparison chart on page 37. On top of these charges, though, customers can end up paying for a huge variety of things.

A spokesperson for Santander says that its customers pay for “unique access to relationship managers” and other services such as “masterclasses”, and that its prices

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are similar to other banks. However, Starling believes that charging customers is a question of mindset, and that big banks don’t get it. Starling user Maxim says, “I don’t need a person, I just need everything to be quick and accessible. I guess traditional banks aren’t very good at thinking about what start-ups need and don’t need.”

Big banks’ lack of resourcing in this area opens up an opportunity for nimbler fintech businesses, says Alex Cardona, Cofounder of Codat, based at Ink Rooms in Clerkenwell. Codat provides APIs for small business banks and modern payment service providers, like Tide and iZettle.

Alex says, “Small businesses are complicated and it is very hard to argue in a big bank that there should be more resources put into products that will be helpful for this small pool of customers. That leaves a great

opportunity for challengers, who are coming up with some great banking products for small business.”

Whether a challenger bank account is right for your business depends on its size, and on the functionality you need. In many cases, the challenger banks still only deal with smaller businesses, or those with simple business structures, but for many starting out, the disruptors can save money and hassle – a winning combination for any business owner.

Do you need an affordable loan? Check out Creditspring, based at Grand Union Studios in Ladbroke Grove. Find out more in My Workspace on page 40

homeworkmagazine

Q

“Help! I need to buy out my business partner. We don’t see eye-to-eye and it’s time to go our separate ways. How do I find the resources to do this without losing my business and my sanity?” (Nearly half of co-founders are forced to buy out their business partners).

A

Chris: “Business partnerships are a bit like marriages. Great when both sides get on, but not when the relationship declines to the point where a break-up feels inevitable. Do you have a partnership or shareholder agreement in place that deals with termination? Many smaller businesses have nothing formal in place, but it’s worth checking your articles of association, as you may find there are some rules in place there.

If you have a good business partnership but no agreement, get one! Google has plenty of free templates that you can play with, and then get a friendly lawyer to sign it. If you don’t have an agreement in place, then you are left with negotiating something that works for both sides.

Firstly, calculate whether you are personally better or worse off from the split.

Take account of both costs and revenues currently generated by your departing partner, together with how the split impacts your profit share. If you land up being worse off, or the business is already loss-making, why pay anything at all?

If you will be better off, put a value on it. Say you believe you will be £100,000 per annum better off. If that was guaranteed for the foreseeable future, you might pay a multiple of that – perhaps five times. But nothing is guaranteed and, as the acquirer, you take all the risk. Take that “guaranteed” figure and discount heavily. Discounting by at least 50% would not be unusual, but it depends on the mix of risk you are taking. In this example, you’d be paying £250,000.

How do you find the £250,000? Even if you have the cash, or can borrow against

your own property, be sure that the business can generate that cash in less than three years. In short, if you are personally funding the buyout, think in terms of the business paying you back – and quickly.

Seek to defer payments to your expartner. The closer the payment schedule matches the cash generated by the business, the better. Your ex-partner might even accept payment that is linked to the performance of the business, which is good for businesses that have a “lumpy” cash flow.

If you don’t have the personal funds, then you can borrow against the business’s cash flow or saleable assets, although lenders will take a more rigorous approach to checking out both you and the business. You will almost certainly have to provide personal guarantees. If the business is in good shape and generating good cash, then a loan should be feasible – and don’t rule out the big banks.

Equity finance is another route. There is a lot of venture capital out there for management buyouts, but it’s really targeted at larger, cash-generating business producing more than £1 million of profits. It’s very expensive otherwise!

Q

“I’m one of the 43% of women (vs 64% of men) who don’t negotiate their salary. I find it uncomfortable to bring up money and am not good in this kind of situation. I don’t even know how to bring up a pay rise with my boss.”

A

Hanna: Your feelings are perfectly legitimate, particularly in a world where women articulating their needs have – for centuries – been deliberately characterised as pushy and aggressive. It’s a narrative that allows others to get what they want from women while shaming women for asking for anything.

Shouldn’t women be grateful for their lot?

Step one: Situate your feelings of embarrassment and discomfort within this history to know where it comes from and that it doesn’t need to be this way.

Step two: Because of this long history, it may be that your salary negotiation will be seen less favourably by your manager than if you were a white, non-disabled man. But

ramona da gama

chris dines

Do you have a workplace dilemma zapping your time and energy? A problem shared is a problem halved!

Email HomeworkEditor@workspace. co.uk and let us help you find a fix.

Business coach Ramona Da Gama and business leaders, Hanna Naima McCloskey, Founder and CEO of Fearless Futures, and Chris Dines, CEO of Informed Funding, give their expert advice on two work issues

hanna naima mccloskey

ADVICE CLINIC

in business contexts, negotiations are the norm. It might feel intense for you but this will probably be routine for your manager.

Don’t amplify the size of this in your own mind – feel the fear and do it anyway.

Step three: Do your research. Have a clear sense of the company context, pay levels and so on, so that you can make a compelling case about your worth and the market. Whatever number you come to, add something extra on top.

Step four: Add context. What skills and experience merit this increase? If you can’t get your precise demand, what about a pay review post-probation? Be open to flexing as the negotiation develops.

A

Ramona: Women undervalue themselves, almost as a subconscious feeling of not being worthy! We need to change our mindset. We keep asking for equality, so we must be equal.

Irrespective of gender, if we have the same skills and qualifications and are capable of doing that job, then we should ask for what we are worth.

Find the same job or similar ones elsewhere and note the pay offered. This will give you a benchmark of what to ask for and your value on the open market. If you want a pay rise, apply for other jobs and get an offer; this is a great bargaining tool.

No organisation wants to lose a good and loyal employee – it’s really difficult, timeconsuming and expensive to keep recruiting.

How are you valued at work? If you always deliver on your goals, then it’s highly unlikely that the business will want to lose you, so make yourself indispensable.

Each and every one of us is a brand that has value, but whoever we pitch to needs to know our brand value and how they will benefit from it before they will buy.

Remember, if you don’t value yourself and don’t have the confidence in your ability to sell yourself and negotiate the best deal for yourself, who else will? In your organisation always try and find a brand ambassador who will also sell you to the management team.

Finally, if you don’t ask you don’t get.

Believe in yourself, and guess what: others will believe in you too!

Neil Kadagathur

Creditspring

Neil Kadagathur is Co-founder of loan facilitator Creditspring, based at Workspace’s Grand Union Studios in Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington. Creditspring offers people in the UK the opportunity to borrow money in times of need without breaking the bank. We asked him what challenges he faces as an entrepreneur, what’s on his bookshelf and his go-to spots near Grand Union Studios

Where is home?

Boston is where I grew up, but London is defi nitely home now.

I’ve been here for 17 years.

Why London?

Initially, I moved to London after university for an internship on my Irish passport. I thought I’d only stay here for three months.

Now I have a wife, children, a home – everything! I love it here, it’s a great city.

Creditspring in a nutshell?

Creditspring offers two cash advances per year at 0% interest, in return for a small monthly membership fee.

What motivated you to launch your own business?

I’ve always wanted to do something that has a positive effect. All the bad news about people getting into trouble with debt and payday loans encouraged me to leave my job in the City in credit derivatives and help people in this space.

Top tip for a fintech start-up?

Be mindful of the regulatory environment from the outset.

Th is will make things easier as you grow – trust me. Contrary to general lean start-up mentality that you must simply get your idea out there, you can’t do that in a regulated environment. You need to map things out from the start.

Best place to celebrate a work deal?

Portobello Ristorante & Pizzeria near Grand Union Studios, aka the best pizza in London. We’ve celebrated a few deals here with team dinners.

Neil Kadagathur at Grand Union Studios

64

in Ladbroke Grove

Pizza at Portobello Ristorante

my workspace

What’s the greatest challenge you’ve faced as an entrepreneur?

Well, the odds are always against you as an entrepreneur: 95% of start-ups fail. I knew I would face challenges from the start, but you need to go in every day knowing that the odds are against you and still keep pushing. You have to have faith that you can succeed. It brings out the best in entrepreneurial spirit.

Grand Union Studios café

Three words that best describe your work ethos...

I can give you two: forward progress. Every day when I wake up, I ask myself, “What can you do to move the ball a little bit forwards?” It has good compounding returns, for sure. If you do it every single day you realise you’re actually nudging something much bigger forwards over time.

Go-to spot near Grand Union Studios?

We all go to an Italian restaurant called Panella for lunch. It’s really good! Also, our go-to pub is called The Eagle. It’s a good old-school London pub down the road from us. A few other companies from Workspace go there too, which is nice.

What’s on your bookshelf?

High Output Management by Andy Grove. Every entrepreneur should read it. And Principles by Ray Dalio – it’s about the principles he uses to run the world’s biggest hedge fund. It serves as a really good entrepreneurial grounding.

Who has inspired you in life?

Bill Gates. He basically completely changed the world with Microsoft Windows and made it accessible for everyone to use computers. He did it out of nothing, made a bunch of money, and now he’s given it all away making another huge impact on the world by fighting malaria and improving education.

Worst work habit?

Sometimes I try to push too many things at once and I need to step back a little bit and let people do their thing.

If you were Mayor of London for the day, what would you do?

Open up all the communal gardens and – defi nitely! – put air conditioning on the tube.

Light-filled walkway at Grand Union Studios in Ladbroke Grove

Would you like to find out what Grand Union Studios could do for your business? To have a look at what’s on offer, head to workspace.co.uk/workspaces/grand-union-studios

workspace.co.uk Portobello Market

41

GREEN UP YOUR BRAND

Sustainability is a confusing word. It’s become a catch-all term for any activity that we want to present as better for the planet, whether it really is or not. For businesses this is a blessing and a curse, but with consumers getting wise to greenwashing – and transparency and authenticity being seen as key to brand loyalty – it’s time businesses made sure that every element of their operations makes a positive impact

By Georgina Wilson-Powell, Founder of Pebble magazine

sustainability Given the expansion of plastic-free campaigns and the rise in activism, especially from the millennial generation down, it’s not enough to nod and like a few things on social media that echo your green credentials. In 2019 and beyond, a business’s reputation relies on committing to long-term change.

Find out what changes other businesses have made and what being “sustainable” (a tricky concept to pin down) means to them.

How can you make your business sustainable from top to bottom? Start-ups often find themselves in a more privileged position, being by nature quick to pivot, lean in numbers and short in supply chain.

It’s arguably easier to build the blocks of a more eco-friendly business from the getgo, like changing tack on a dinghy rather than trying to turn round an oil tanker.

Nevertheless, change is possible.

It pays to be green

The ethical marketplace was worth £84 billion in the UK last year, with doubledigit percentage rises in ethical fashion, skincare and organic food and drink. Plastic packaging, fast fashion and unhealthy food are out. Being conscious about what you put in and on your body are in.

At Nailberry, a vegan, cruelty-free nail varnish brand based at Grand Union Studios in Ladbroke Grove, sustainability means three things to Sonia Hully, Founder and CEO. Investigating the supply chain; choosing partners who hold strong ethical credentials; and sticking to your beliefs.

Nailberry looks to Ecovadis, a ratings agency that scores companies on their sustainability ratings, to identify green suppliers.

“We work with a manufacturer on the Ecovadis platform which achieved a good score (60/100). I also refuse to distribute Nailberry in China because they still test beauty products on animals. I am missing out on a huge opportunity but I won’t budge. And I turn down any brands working with fur during London Fashion Week,” says Hully.

Communicate what you’re doing

Consumers don’t expect every business to be 100% sustainable (which is impossible) or for massive change to happen overnight, but they do expect you to try – and be honest about your efforts. Without any messaging, even if it’s not all positive, they’ll make their own assumption about your relationship with the planet, and it might not be a good

44

Sonia Hully, Founder and CEO of Nailberry

one. Waldyr Arias, Managing Director of ethical laundry company Ecozone, at Barley Mow Centre in Chiswick, says, “It’s important to be as clear as possible to consumers about who the company supports and any credentials products have that customers might need for their life choices.

Support bodies that root for positive change and protect the environment. We work with many, such as Cruelty-Free International, The Vegan Society, The Naturewatch Foundation and more.”

Co-working is good for the environment (and the bottom line)

Sometimes the biggest idea for conquering carbon emissions isn’t the most radical one. For ethical marketing agency Good Beans, it’s their set-up. Co-founder Ella Wiggins says, “We work from a local coworking space, which definitely affects our environmental impact. Thanks to cloud computing, we can work from any location and have found we rarely print or buy office

homeworkmagazine

Let ethical values guide your growth

equipment. Our desk set-up includes two – often admired – bamboo laptop stands, which are easy to pack up at the end of the day.” Co-working can also work out cheaper than renting an entire office – which is great for reducing expenses and boosting profitability.

At Blueprint, the UK’s only B-Corpcertified housing developer, being more sustainable means cutting back on transport, says CEO Samantha Veal. All its staff are home workers. “We do also operate a small number of hubs where the teams come together but the ethos of the company is to work where it makes sense.

We don’t support company cars, we expect staff to use public transport, and cycle and walk as much as possible when commuting to projects and meetings. In addition, the projects that we develop encourage takeup of green transport and look to reduce reliance on cars.”

What’s in your products?

Ecozone’s eco-friendly cleaning products have made the biggest difference to its environmental impact. Ecozone works to make aquatic life safer, using biodegradable, plant-based or natural formulas that are free of animal by-products. Arias explains, “This means there is less of an issue when any product used enters the water supply. There are fewer carbon emissions overall, since no animals are required for making stable formulas – and they are generally less toxic for the environment.”

In your business, try using materials that are environmentally friendly. Awardwinning Nailberry, for example, has its nail-polish bottles made out of glass, even though it pushes up the costs and is logistically trickier.

workspace.co.uk

Consumers now look to businesses rather than politicians to lead positive change and address broader societal issues like being sustainable, according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. Consumer goods giant Unilever recently announced that it will sell off its brands that do not contribute positively to society, citing consumer appetite for “purposeful” brands. Bad news for Pot Noodle and Magnum, great news for plant-based cleaning manufacturer Seventh Generation. It also pays to be ethical. In 2019, Unilever’s announced that its purpose-led, Sustainable Living brands are growing almost 70% faster than the rest of its brands, and delivering three-quarters of company growth.

Blueprint also has stringent ethical policies that guide its operations internally and externally. Its UK-wide team is drawn together under a single value set, “People, Place and Planet”. Veal says, “We practise what we preach. Our ‘Green Team’ assesses our corporate sustainability agenda and performance to ensure we are all, individually and collectively, striving to achieve socially valuable outcomes. Policies include offering ‘green home loans’ to employees to upgrade the environmental characteristics of their homes, working with charities together with offering employees two days of paid volunteering.”

Find the right funding

The balance between big business and being environmentally friendly can be a hard one to navigate. Big funding is often seen as a sell-out in the eco community, and more so when bigger, less sustainable corporate brands buy out small, eco-friendly businesses. Start-ups often lack the time or resources to go after big, sustainable financial investment, but London is the capital of sustainable finance.

There is a growing number of investors that allocate money to sustainable businesses. From UnLtd, which supports budding social enterprises, to Seedrs and Mustard Seed, which focus on brands that move the dial on issues like food waste, there is a pool of willing investors.

Join brands like Innocent and Pukka by applying to be a B Corp, the world’s most rigorous, sustainable accreditation scheme. The application test alone will help you break down your business to see where to improve. Find out more at bcorporation.uk

Get inspired with these quick green tips

Use renewable energy at work as well as at home. Ecotricity uses its profits to build windmills and sun parks to increase the renewable electricity fed to our homes, and you can plump for green web hosting from Green Geeks.

Check out highly rated Bulb for affordable, renewable energy – switch and save £254 on average.

Find out more at ecotricity.co.uk, greengeeks.com and bulb.co.uk

Offset your work’s carbon emissions with a subscription to Treedom, which plants trees to negate your daily commute or other activities. Choose from a range of trees planted in different countries.

Discover more at treedom.net

Working late or need to buy lunch for a team? Try the Too Good To Go app and pick up surplus, discounted food from nearby cafés and restaurants. With over 1,000 options in London, you’re never far from delicious food that needs rescuing from the bin.

Pick up a bag of food today at toogoodtogo.co.uk

45

“Club Workspace gives me the flexibility I’m looking for” Fernando Irigoyen, Career and Executive Coach

Fernando Irigoyen at Club Workspace The Frames in Shoreditch

JOIN THE CLUB With locations dotted across London, Club Workspace is enabling fast-growth businesses from all industries to flourish. Find out how its business-ready spaces encourage a community of likeminded entrepreneurs to work in the way that’s best for them

Nick Owen

Fernando Irigoyen

Johanna Ho

Founder of What Food

Career and Executive Coach

Founder of PHVLO

Based at China Works in Vauxhall

Based at multiple locations

Based at The Leather Market in London Bridge

I like the fact that whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, you can still access the spaces and be productive. This allows you to create a good work-life balance as you can work the hours that suit your schedule and productivity.

This reduces stress levels as you don’t have to commute with everyone else.”

Club Workspace gives me the flexibility I’m looking for, as I can work across different locations in the city. The breakout spaces at Kennington Park are the perfect, quiet place to coach my clients and I can work from anywhere on my laptop. I don’t like to work with too much noise, so when I need to get my head down and focus, the individual desks at The Frames are great.”

Sometimes when you have your own private office you don’t actually talk to other people and make connections. Club Workspace allows people to link up and connect. We look forward to meeting all collaborators who could be our potential partners and we can work together to create a positivity-driven community.”

Do you need space to grow your business? Check out our 19 co-working clubs across London at workspace.co.uk/co-working

workspace.co.uk

47

PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Advertising on Workspace’s new digital screens helped us raise awareness of our brand and our products to thousands of target consumers in key London locations.

Sophie Blythe, Marketing & Communications Director, Aduna

Raise your brand awareness Reach up to 400,000 customers each month within our thriving communities

Gain maximum attention Access six 65Ë? fully managed digital screens in key London locations

How to advertise Discounts available to Workspace customers, email Bitposter to plan your next campaign: workspace@bitposter.co

For more information visit

workspace.co.uk/media

Wellness at Work

Lunch Inspo

Salute the Sun

New horizons

Be your best self

Chef Davide cooks up a storm

Perfect your yoga poses

Re-energise on holiday

Find

your

inner

peace

e m o c l We s s e n well e h t o t in e c a l p work Wellness is now part of the conversation in everyday life, yet when it comes to the workplace, many employers are still lagging behind.

Here’s how to catch up...

By Sophie Goddard The juggernaut that is the wellness industry is an unstoppable force, growing around 12.8% in the last two years alone.

However, it seems that many employers aren’t keeping up.

With at least a third of our lives spent at work on average, and 11 million days lost annually in the workplace due to stress, it seems like a gigantic oversight that less than a tenth of the world’s workforce is able to access a workplace wellness programme.

“If you’re constantly in a state of stress, your body will age at a faster rate because you’re not giving it enough time to rest, repair and grow,” said Michael Adu, Founder of wellness coaching

company Stress-Less Fitness, based at Club Workspace Clerkenwell Workshops.

“This can lead to a chronic imbalance in stress hormones that can be taxing on the body’s cardiovascular system. As a result, you may find yourself feeling lethargic, slow and unproductive at work.”

Matthew Carlton, Shine Workplace Wellbeing’s Principal Consultant at China Works in Vauxhall, claims that workplace wellness schemes hold numerous positive business effects. “Wellness in the workplace is key, but throwing a token class or two at employees isn’t necessarily a helpful move,” he explains.

Set up in 2018, Shine works with companies to develop wellness strategies

designed to improve workplace culture and boost the health and happiness of employees. “What’s right for one company isn’t necessarily going to work for another. A good wellbeing strategy is employee-centric, using staff input and not a set of guidelines decreed by senior management.”

Working out how exactly this is done is more of a science than an art. A good place to start is with a staff survey, says Carlton. “The results can help shape programmes and strategies, including workshops, mental health awareness training, forming wellbeing committees and organising a series of health and wellbeing activities.” Unfortunately,

wellbeing xxxxxxxx

“In short, exercise is a powerful natural antidepressant, and employers would be foolish to overlook the benefits.”

Gary Bloom, Presenter of On the Sporting Couch on TalkSport

wellness schemes often rank low on the list of priorities for businesses.

A mistake? Mounting evidence seems to suggest so. Studies indicate that happy employees are 20% more productive at work (37% for those working in sales) and 49% of employees would accept a reduction in salary if it boosted their sense of purpose at work.

In fact, a study by human resources experts, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, found that those whose organisation had health and wellbeing schemes in place during 2017 had better employee morale and engagement (44%), a healthier and more inclusive culture (35%), and lower sickness absence (31%).

Although businesses often think setting up such initiatives will be time-consuming and expensive, “wellmaintained initiatives attract and retain staff, with implementation and running costs substantially lower than recruitment costs,” says Carlton.

Sophie Stainton, Head of Corporate Wellbeing at GO Mammoth, the UK’s largest social sports and fitness club, based at The Light Bulb in Wandsworth, agrees. “The benefits of wellness schemes can be fantastic,” she says. With more than 15,000 weekly participants, GO Mammoth offers bespoke corporate wellness programmes and events for companies like L’Oréal and Hobbs.

Demand is steadily rising too, says Stainton. “Traditionally, companies have invested in large annual Christmas parties, which would inevitably lead to a lack of

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productivity the following day. Now, employers are realising they can offer alternatives that are much more beneficial for everyone. There is recognition of a direct correlation between a fit and healthy team, and high performance and productivity.”

It’s no surprise, says psychotherapist and counselling Directory member Gary Bloom, who presents TalkSport’s award-winning mental health show, On the Sporting Couch. “During exercise, increased heart rate means more oxygen is pumped to the brain, and other organs too,” he explains. “Since the brain thinks we are going to fight an enemy or run away, it secretes endorphins, which give us a feel-good factor. Research has also shown regular aerobic exercise develops an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which aids memory and learning – crucial in the workplace. In short, it’s a powerful natural antidepressant, and employers would be foolish to overlook the benefits.”

Like Shine, GO Mammoth offers mental health initiatives too – from introductory mindfulness courses to weekly onsite meditation classes, all bespoke and customised to the office space, demographic and environment. “While not every employee will feel the need to take up the offer, there is still a massive taboo when it comes to mental health, especially amongst men,” says Bloom.

“When you consider that suicide is the

Sophie Stainton from GO Mammoth at The Light Bulb in Wandsworth

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biggest single killer of men under 45 in the UK, effective mental health support within organisations is crucial.” Everybody benefits, too. “Our brains have mirroring neurons that means when we recognise other people are struggling, we can get an insight into our own problems. Going to a mental health wellbeing class doesn’t mean spilling all the beans about the most intimate aspects of your personal life – maybe the most useful option is to just listen for 20 minutes, and open up lines of communication that weren’t previously there.”

The good news is that implementing a workplace initiative doesn’t have to be costly – nor does it necessarily require external support, either. Siobhan Canniffe is Head of People and Culture at Spacelab, a London-based design and research studio employing just under 40 people and working with clients that include Great Ormond Street Hospital and Goodwood Racecourse.

“For us, people have always been – and will always be – at the heart of everything we do.

It’s fully embedded in the Spacelab culture,” she says.

Employees of Spacelab benefit from uncapped holiday allowance, flexible working, monthly massages, weekly yoga, a no-email-out-of-hours policy, mental health first aid training, volunteering opportunities, a cycle-to-work scheme and the introduction of personal development plans, plus social events (think monthly birthday lunches and parties).

Informal conversations and staff workshops mean employees are “invested in the initiatives as they’ve been involved in their development,” she says. “Communication has been key to helping people adjust to some of the more progressive initiatives.” Like uncapped leave, for example. “Every member of the team retains their statutory leave plus bank holidays, as well as being entitled to take additional days off without limit or the need for formal approval. Just as we trust our team to manage their own time and workload when it comes to normal working days, the same goes for holiday approval.”

It seems to be working. A recent survey at Spacelab revealed a 27% increase in staff seeing the company as a psychologically and emotionally healthy place to work.

Furthermore, since implementing the

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uncapped leave policy, the average number of annual leave days taken has increased from 25 to 32.5 (excluding bank holidays) – with a mixture of longer periods being taken to go abroad to visit family members, and shorter last-minute time off. Crucially, the number of sick days has decreased by 45%, and overall engagement has increased by 58% over the last two years.

Now, 92% of people say they are proud to work at the company.

At Parkhall Business Centre in Dulwich, Bodyshot Performance is working with businesses of 25–500 people to create a culture of energy, vitality and performance.

Rising to the four-week Thrive in Five Wellbeing at Work challenge, Workspace implemented Bodyshot’s wellbeing tips – and the results were a success.

“The philosophy behind our ‘Thrive in Five Tips’ is advice to optimise your mind, body and wellbeing in five minutes or less,” says Founder Leanne Spencer. “The tips help to give businesses a competitive advantage.”

Happier, healthier staff who enjoy their jobs? Surely it’s a no-brainer…

Find out more about Bodyshot Performance’s Thrive in Five Wellbeing at Work Challenge at bodyshotperformance.com/wellbeingat-work-challenge-week-1/. To set up a wellbeing strategy with Shine Workplace Wellbeing, contact Matthew Carlton at contact@shineworkplacewellbeing.com

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of our lives are spent at work

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days are lost in UK workplaces due to stress each year

90%

of the world’s workforce doesn’t have access to a wellness programme

20%

greater productivity is seen in employees who class themselves as happy at work

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Workspace Book Corner We asked the people interviewed for the magazine which books inspired them to find success in business and achieve financial growth. Here are five top recommendations

Michael Qian Founder of YoBike, The Light Bulb “I’ve learned a lot from this book. It was written by the Co-founder of LinkedIn and explores how to start your company.

In the initial stages of your start-up you need to remember that the idea isn’t everything – it’s about growing your company faster in order to generate more capital, but you also need to grow in a way that is responsible. It is a very interesting book.”

Featuring case studies from numerous prominent tech businesses such as Airbnb and WeChat, Blitzscaling offers a specific set of practices for catalysing and managing dizzying growth in burgeoning start-ups. Prioritising speed over efficiency in an environment of uncertainty, it illustrates how businesses can accelerate to generate maximum value. Using the framework provided by Hoffman and Yeh, readers will learn how to design business models that simultaneously support growth at a furious pace and capture market share, as well as how to navigate the necessary shifts in strategy needed at each level of scale.

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book corner

Jesse Wilson Co-founder of Jubel Beer, Edinburgh House “Jim Koch started a brewery called Samuel Adams Boston Lager and it’s now the biggest craft brewery in the United States. It’s really cool to hear the journey they’ve gone on. It’s a fantastic book.”

Koch offers unprecedented insights into the whirlwind ride from scrappy start-up to a thriving public company.

His refreshingly honest tales combined with an unprecedented business make for interesting, counterintuitive lessons that are applicable to both life and work. A fun, engaging guide for building a career or launching a successful business based on your passions, Quench Your Own Thirst is the key to the ultimate dream: being successful while doing what you love. He also has surprising advice on sales, marketing, hiring and company culture. Koch’s anecdotes, quirky musings and bits of wisdom go far beyond brewing.

Wilfred EmmanuelJones Founder of The Black Farmer, Parkhall Business Centre “The greatest mistake that businesses make after they’ve been through the start-up stage is taking their foot off the gas – and then they start to fail. The book is about how to make sure businesses become comfortable with uncertainty and don’t drift into survival mode. It’s a bit of a kick up the arse.”

Award-winning entrepreneur Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones argues that our natural instinct for caution is one of the greatest barriers to making progress in life. Drawing on a life that has taken him from a deprived childhood in inner-city Birmingham to becoming one of the nation’s most famous farmers, he demonstrates how we can all go further by learning to escape the fears that stop us from achieving our ambitions. He shows that only by embracing jeopardy and liberating ourselves from the shackles of uncertainty and self-doubt can we realise our full potential. (Turn to page 14 to read about Emmanuel-Jones’ life story.)

Michael Adu

Leanne Spencer

Founder of Stress-Less Fitness, Club Workspace Clerkenwell Workshops

Founder of Bodyshot Performance, Parkhall Business Centre

“This book was a gamechanger for me. Sapolsky questions why we as human beings can create stress from just a thought, while animals create stress from a situation. It gives great tips and tricks on how to reduce stress that you feel on a daily basis through being mindful.

I highly recommend it.”

“I wrote Rise & Shine to increase awareness of burnout and what causes it. I hope that it will both help those who are already suffering and those who are not yet on that path, who want to adopt a ‘prevention rather than cure’ approach to their health.

Ultimately, it’s about healthspan not lifespan.

Let’s live long and full lives, unblighted by the misery caused by poor mental and physical health. This book will help you achieve that.”

Robert M. Sapolsky’s acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. Combining cutting-edge research with a healthy dose of good humour and practical advice, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers explains how prolonged stress causes or intensifies a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, heart disease and more. It also provides essential guidance to controlling our stress responses.

“The book makes sure businesses don’t drift into survival mode” workspace.co.uk

Rise & Shine shows you how to spot the signs of professional burnout, recover, and go on to enjoy a happier, healthier life and career. Gain inspiration from real stories of people who have bounced back from burnout; apply tried and tested techniques designed to help you make a full recovery; adopt a balanced lifestyle built around healthspan not lifespan. This book is a mustread for any person in a senior position and high-pressure environment. Whether you’re just starting to see the tell-tale signs of burnout, or are already suffering its crippling effects, this book will help to give you clarity on where you currently are in life, and what steps may be necessary to make a successful recovery.

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club profile Head Chef Davide Gostoli at Livewire created these tasty dishes with fresh, wholesome ingredients. Take inspiration from these recipes and try some out for yourself at Livewire at China Works and Vox Studios in Vauxhall, or Edinburgh House in Kennington. Qualified nutritionist Nick Owen, Founder of What Food based at China Works, explains why these dishes are so great for your health.

EAT WELL

Head Chef Davide Gostoli at Livewire CafĂŠ at China Works in Vauxhall

nutrition

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OH MY OMEGA Smartphones, TVs and computers all produce blue light which can bring on macular degeneration of the retina and even cause blindness if you are over-exposed to it. The cherry tomatoes and spinach in ‘Oh my Omega’ contain plant chemicals carotenoids and lutein, helping to absorb blue light in a healthy way.

“Whether it comes from oily fish, or nuts and seeds, omega is great for our cardiovascular health, concentration and overall brain power.”

Nick Owen, Founder of What Food at China Works in Vauxhall

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Ingredients: Smoked Mackerel with Pul Biber Chilli Flakes, Cannellini Crush, Cherry Tomato & Spinach on Piedmont Rye

HOT STUFF Vitamin B12 plays a vital part in our immune system, yet our bodies cannot produce it. It aids our nervous system and helps create healthy blood cells that make up our DNA. Weakness and fatigue are signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency, so eat enough sources of B12 to help prevent this.

“Lamb is rich in protein, and also B12 which is needed for red blood cells and our nervous system. Rocket is packed with vitamin K, helps lower blood pressure and studies show it is good for the heart.”

Ingredients: Lamb & Pine Nut Patties with Sumac Yoghurt, Couscous & Pitta

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FULL OF BEANS The lentils in ‘Full of Beans’ contain zinc, which aids immune function, gene expression and growth and development. It’s also fundamental to skin health and DNA synthesis.

“Lentils are full of health-boosting minerals like iron, zinc and magnesium. It is also a great mix of protein, carbs and fibre.”

Ingredients: Puy Lentils & Roasted Aubergine with a Goat’s Cheese & Yoghurt Dressing

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podcasts

pod up your life Stuck in the rat race with no time to reflect more deeply on your work path? Try listening to a podcast on your commute or lunch break.

Mercedes Bankston from the Founder Institute shares her top four suggestions

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STARTUP Gimlet Media, Alex Blumberg and Lisa Chow

Mercedes Bankston, Director at the Founder Institute “I love the whole methodology of podcasts. With anyone able to make one, it falls nicely into the American ideal that you can be anything you want to be. I’m a big believer that everyone has a piece of knowledge worth sharing and lots can be learned from podcasts.”

This addictive podcast starts with American entrepreneur Alex Blumberg telling his story of raising funds, making mistakes and navigating employee challenges while building Gimlet Media. Each season is filled with candid interviews exposing topics that never surface outside the company and takes a deeper look at outside influences for inspiration. The production gives the feeling of being a fly on the wall and, at the same time, I’m cheering for the entrepreneurs taking on challenges.

BIZCHIX Natalie Eckdahl, MBA and BizChix CEO I’m biased as I met the host Natalie in a women’s entrepreneurship class years ago and we hit it off. As a female with a family, I know male-minded podcasts don’t always resemble the life of a female entrepreneur. BizChix gives a refreshing voice about women taking an idea and turning it into a six-figure income, with stories about managing family matters. Listen to this podcast for inspiration on things like how to simplify your business with the 80/20 rule, tips to combat feeling overwhelmed and how to overcome imposter syndrome. A must for the female entrepreneur with a family.

Being Mercedes From deconstructing old computers to building clocks as a kid, by the age of 19, Mercedes had launched her own successful coffee start-up that grew to 150 employees in under three years.

Now, the LA-born businesswoman is using her entrepreneurial spirit to help others succeed. She branched out from her first company aged 22, and launched Cisco, NEC and Oracle, initiating new products and divisions. Before long, she was Managing Director for Girls In Tech-Orange County and Experts-in-Residence at the University of California. Today, she runs the Founder Institute in London, the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator giving entrepreneurs a leg-up from idea to launch.

“I’m a big believer that everyone has a piece of knowledge worth sharing and lots can be learned from podcasts”

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THE MINIMALISTS

THE BUGLE

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus

John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman

It’s no secret that I treat my home like a hotel, so The Minimalists is apropos.

Digging deeper though, having less stress, spending less money and making time for more memories is something we should all strive for. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus explore how to live a meaningful life with less in this podcast, which has over 50 million downloads and is often the number one health podcast on Apple Podcasts. The hosts are funny, but they also help save money, eat better and find happiness.

If those three things are not your goals, then I’m not sure anyone can help you!

In a world of Trump, Brexit and Kim Jong-un, sometimes the headlines place a dampener on my spirits.

The Bugle provides real news with a comedian spin. This weekly satirical news podcast, which has been running since 2007, claims to leave “no hot potato unbuttered”. It’s a way for me to unapologetically laugh out loud on the Tube, stay up-to-date with current events and find humour in the dark world of news.

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a) Begin standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Ground your feet, still your eyes and focus on your breathing b) Inhale and raise your arms above your head to Urdhva Hastasana. Reach through the fingertips and lengthen the sides of the waist c) Exhale. Soften your knees slightly and slowly fold forward into the Uttanasana position

SALUTE THE SUN WITH MICHAEL adu Are you new to yoga or a diehard yogi? Rise to the occasion with a pre-work Sun Salutation sequence to energise your mind and body. Wherever you are in your practice, check your form to get the most out of it.

Michael Adu, qualified yoga instructor and Founder of Stress-Less Fitness, based at Club Workspace Clerkenwell Workshops, demonstrates how to do Sun Salutation correctly.

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a) Inhale and lengthen the spine into Extended Forward Fold, still drawing the belly in and up to protect the lower back. Place your hands on your shins and look straight ahead b) Inhale, plant the palms and step your legs back into a High Plank.

Press strongly into the hands, firm the front of the body into the back of the body and keep the neck in line with the spine c) Exhale, lowering halfway down to the floor and come into FourLimbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)

Start out with four to six rounds and then build up to 12 as you advance. Each move works to warm up, strengthen and align your entire body. To mix things up, try playing with the pace: speed it up to stimulate your body, or slow it down to create a moving meditation.

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exercise

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a) Inhale. Roll forward into Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). Press the hands into the floor, pushing your chest up and out and roll the shoulders down the back b) Exhale. Draw the stomach in and up. Ground your hands and feet into the floor, press the tops of the thighs back and extend the whole spine.

Take three long, deep breaths c) Bend both knees towards the mat

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a) Inhale. Step the right foot forward to your right thumb, returning to a high lunge b) Exhale. Step the left foot forward to join the right and come into Standing Forward Fold c) Inhale. Ground through the feet, soften the knees a little, firm the belly and sweep the arms out and up, returning to Urdhva Hastasana

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travel

Looking to escape the office? Health and Fitness Travel, based at The Light Bulb in Wandsworth, offers a range of wellbeing holidays to help you shelve work woes and re-energise. Here are our top picks...

BEST FOR

Digital Detox

Words by Charlie Conibear

Pine Cliffs, Portugal BEST FOR

Bootcamp Fitness

Are you tired of living vicariously through social media influencers? Perhaps it’s time to hop off Twitter and listen to the birds tweeting around you.

Disconnect from Wi-Fi, switch off your smartphone and indulge in utter freedom at this three-day Digital Detox programme at Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal.

Clear your mind and re-energise your body.

GI Jane Bootcamp, UK Push yourself to new physical and mental heights at this GI Jane Bootcamp experience. Unlock your full potential through meditation, nutritional advice and life-coaching, while taking part in intensive physical training supported by a professional team.

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travel BEST FOR

Exotic Getaway

Florblanca, Costa Rica Spice up your next work break by visiting this luxury boutique retreat set in the tranquil tropical jungle of Florblanca. Explore what Costa Rica has to offer by taking up surfing, horseback riding, ziplining and hiking, before sitting down in the magnificent Nectar restaurant for local, fresh food daily.

BEST FOR

Relaxation

Forte Village, Italy Take a journey to discover your optimal wellbeing on the island of Sardinia. Forte Village provides expert insight into how to reach your longterm wellness goals through fitness and nutrition. Recover, re-energise, and restore your mind and body with a yoga experience like no other in breathtaking surroundings.

BEST FOR

Yoga Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal If you’re in dire need of some muchdeserved R & R then Six Senses is the place to unwind. The integrated wellness approach focuses on sleep, movement, alternative therapies, holistic treatments, yoga, meditation and mindfulness. It’s based in a restored 19th century manor, where healthy-living devotees can enjoy stunning views across the Douro River.

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For advice, guidance and booking visit healthandfitnesstravel.com or call 0203 397 8891

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the workspace advantage

“If growth continues the way it has been, a move to a larger office within Edinburgh House or another Workspace building is definitely on the cards” Jesse Wilson, Co-founder of Jubel Beer

A recipe for success What does the Workspace Advantage mean to our customers?

Meet Jesse Wilson, Co-founder of Jubel Beer, based at Edinburgh House in Kennington. The fruity beer company is growing at an impressive rate. Its refreshing peach- and elderflower-flavoured brews are now stocked in Sainsbury’s, pubs and restaurants across the UK. Since joining, Jubel Beer has been able to take advantage of all Workspace has to offer.

#NoLimits

Since the company’s launch in April 2018, Jesse’s team has tripled – and it seems the only way is up.

“Workspace has given us the perfect space to grow into,” he says. “If growth continues the way it has been, a move to a larger office within Edinburgh House, or another centre, is definitely on the cards. We’re keen to keep things flexible.”

#WiredDifferently

The building’s superfast Wi-Fi connection means the team can work when and where they like. “We can mix things up and make the most of working from Edinburgh House’s café and other breakout spaces. We connect our laptop or phone to the Wi-Fi and we’re good to go!”

#SuperConnected

The relaxed and sociable environment at Workspace has also enabled Jesse to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs. “It’s important for us to be part of a community that’s got a good energy. There’s a buzz, an energetic vibe,” says Jesse. “You tend to find that in places with lots of start-ups and it’s great to be part of.”

Are you part of a growing business looking to make your mark in the capital? Find out more about what Workspace can offer by visiting workspace.co.uk/advantage

Jesse Wilson, Co-founder of Jubel Beer, in the light-filled atrium at Edinburgh House

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Workspace customer Joe Jenkinson, a consultant at 2MC at Metal Box Factory in Southwark, has created our second cryptic crossword. Follow the rules below to solve the puzzle. Snap your completed crossword and send to HomeworkEditor@ workspace.co.uk by 31st March 2019 for a chance to win free flowers from Bloom & Wild*. It’s more fun if you try it as a team!

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GO TEAM!

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Congratulations to our first prize winner, John Muldoon, Senior Account Executive at lobbyist Thorncliffe, based at China Works in Vauxhall.

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Cryptic Crossword Across

Down

1. Half of vicars pray desperately for seclusion (7) 5. Looks for a long time (7) 10. Exercise, and from the start you obviously gain athleticism (4) 11. Nothing big about two fat ladies found at this event (5, 5) 12. A car is crashing into part of lung (3, 3) 13. Coppers catch informant or keepers (8) 14. Set out twice with clever insect (6, 3) 16. Hide in store (5) 17, 28. Moved sad priest out of Workspace centre (5, 7) 19. Commitment to dance moves around this place (9) 23. Crazy moron is eating potassium in Workspace centre (3, 5) 24. Tumour from throwing axe in resort (6) 26. New small place found in bone marrow (6, 4) 27. Idea about assistant (4) 28. See 17 29. IRA lies about nationality (7)

2. Romeo is changing flatmates (7) 3. None taken from unusual Slovenian containers (5) 4. Child left in reserve’s changing area (7) 6. Smells about two thirds of sourdough (6) 7. Is a lottery almost ruined by thinker? (9) 8. Encourages old short leader to go to the back (7) 9. Something that could add spike to punch (7-6) 15. Others die painfully, it’s speculated (9) 18. A tunnel formed into a ring (7) 20. Elf sung about floods (7) 21. Tied some lace around fortress (7) 22. Cat in love with fruit (6) 25. American city where a ham radio finally gets returned (5)

Cryptic clue rules Double meaning clue: e.g. Annoy insect (3) Answer: Bug (which means annoy and insect) Homonym clue, e.g. Naked animal can be heard (4) Answer: Bare (which is pronounced just like bear – so animal can be heard, and the definition is naked).

Compound clue: e.g. Underwear in clean condition (9) Answer: Brainwash (Underwear = bra, clean = wash, so underwear in clean becomes bra + in + wash = brainwash, which means condition – to condition someone is to brainwash them).

Abbreviations: e.g. Large and small countries (5) Answer: Lands (Large is abbreviated to L, and small is abbreviated to S, so large and small becomes L + and + S = lands, which means countries).

Anagrams: e.g. Women with strange ideals (6) Answer: Ladies (ideals is an anagram of ladies, so strange ideals becomes Ladies, and the definition in the clue is Women).

Hidden words: e.g. Constellation visible from Iceland, Rome, Damascus (9) Answer: Andromeda (The defi nition is constellation, and the word Andromeda is visible from IcelAND ROME DAmascus, because the word is hidden in the clue).

General cryptic clue: e.g. Not the right way to go (4) Answer: Left (In these clues, the entire clue provides a description for the word, but tricks you into misinterpreting them).

Wordplay: Strange doctor with American degree returns (6) Answer: Absurd (Doctor = Dr, American = US, degree = BA, so Dr with US BA gives drusba. Returns means puts back and if you put drusba backwards, you get absurd, which means strange).

Some clues combine more than one of the above. The clue will often contain a standard definition for the answer, either at the start or the end of the clue, and the rest of it is the cryptic part. Your answers must fit with the cryptic part as well as the definition.

*Receive delightful blooms again and again (and again!) with three months of flowers. Once a month for three months, Bloom & Wild will deliver a different fresh flower bouquet to your door. Each bouquet is designed by Bloom & Wild’s expert florists for a varied and beautiful present you will enjoy for weeks to come

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Put the work back into co-working Sometimes when you have your own private office you don’t actually talk to other people and make connections, but the space here allows people to link-up and connect. We look forward to meeting all collaborators who could be our potential partners and we can work together to create a positivity-driven community.

Johanna Ho, PHVLO, Club Workspace The Leather Market

20 London locations

Rolling monthly packages

Business grade Wi-Fi

Connect with over 3,000 businesses

Bursting events calendar

Bookable meeting rooms

Additional member benefits

Free day trial

Find out more at

workspace.co.uk/co-working