Ulster Business - December 2014

DECEMBER 2014 Price £2.30 (€3.75)

The challengers First Trust Bank is back, and it means business

Cross-Border Trade: Benefiting from the Republic’s recovery

Public Sector: The cuts are coming.

How do we prepare?

ISSN 1363-2507

9 771363 250005

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Contents 6 News

37 Fast 50

76 Business Breakfast

The latest news from the front line of Northern Ireland business

Deloitte’s list of the fastest-growing technology businesses

New CEO of Belfast International Airport Graham Keddie breakfasts with UB

14 Cover Story

48 Cross-Border Trade

78 Motoring

First Trust on its plans to make waves in the banking world

As the Republic’s economy recovers, we find out if it’s helping boost Northern Ireland

Pat Burns gives us the low down on the latest from the motoring world

18 Taking Stock

58 Public Sector

90 Events

It’s all change in UB’s fantasy stock market trading game

The cuts are coming but how deep will they be? John Simpson finds out

Out and about at the best corporate events of the last month

22 IT

64 Outsourcing

94 Business Traveller

Why do inward investors come to Northern Ireland to set up IT bases?

All the rage during the downturn, is outsourcing still flavour of the month?

We pack our bags with Aaron Taylor and head across the pond

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37

48 58

22

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

Time to front up

W

elcome to the December issue of Ulster Business. We’ve another bumper magazine for you this month, one which covers some of the big issues impacting business in this period of transition for the Northern Ireland economy.

John Simpson takes a look at how impending public sector cuts could impact businesses here in the months and years ahead.

There can be no doubt the cuts to government spending are going to have a big impact, not just on the public sector but also on the myriad of businesses which depend on the economy’s biggest customer either directly or indirectly.

As another economist said last month, devolved regions such as Northern Ireland have “talked the austerity talk but have yet to walk the austerity walk”.

This issue also examines a vital strand of the economy here, inward investment.

Being granted the tax-setting powers is one thing but getting agreement around the Stormont table is another and going by recent headlines that won’t be as clear cut as first thought.

If ever there were a time to put political differences to one side it would be now, so as to help boost the economy, something which would in tandem boost Northern Ireland from a social point of view.

Off course as these words are being typed there is a lot of uncertainty in the air around both corporation tax and the government spending cuts.

Let’s hope that as you’re reading this we’ve got a positive result for the former and a workable result for the latter.

Publisher Greer Publications 5b Edgewater Business Park Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast BT3 9JQ www.ulsterbusiness.com Tel: 028 9078 3200

Editor David Elliott

Art Editor Stuart Gray

Manager Sonia Armstrong

Production Manager Stuart Gray

Printer W&G Baird Greystone Press, Caulside Drive, Antrim BT41 2RS www.wgbaird.com

Deputy Manager Sylvie Brando

Cover Photography Brian Morrison

Greer Publications © 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Greer Publications.

DECEMBER 2014

At the time of writing a decision had yet to be reached on whether or not Westminster will devolve corporation tax powers to Stormont but by all accounts you should know by now. A positive outcome would obviously bode well for inward investment, providing we can act quickly.

Sales Executive Chris Black

Free to download. Free to read. ulsterbusiness/app 5

NEWS

Briefs Northern Ireland high street retailers are set for a good Christmas, with December sales forecast to rise 4% year-on-year according to the latest research by leading business advisory firm, Deloitte. The survey, which canvassed the opinion of consumers from across the UK, including Northern Ireland, shows that consumers are predicted to spend £42.4bn nationally this Christmas, over £1.5bn more than in 2013. Online transactions will account for 13% of sales, which represents 50% of total market growth.

Titanic Belfast has scooped a major industry award in recognition of the unique visitor attraction’s complex facilities systems. Titanic Belfast opened in March 2012. Part of a £97m Titanic Quarter project, the iconic building has welcomed more than 1.8 million visitors from more than 140 countries, making it one of Ireland’s top tourist attractions.

The Ireland region of the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) has now hailed Titanic Belfast’s Facilities Management staff as Team of the Year.

Belfast company Engage is creating seven new jobs, helping it to increase its export sales over the next few years with Invest Northern Ireland’s support. The web design and development agency, which was set up in 2012, currently employs 17 and has enjoyed sustained growth.

It has secured a number of high profile customers and has developed important strategic relationships with complementary technology partners.

Belfast-based Devenish Nutrition has announced the acquisition of Yorkshire independent animal nutrition business A-One Feed Supplements Ltd for an undisclosed sum. Established in 1975, A-One Feed Supplements Ltd has long been established as a leading specialist manufacturer of feeds and supplements for piglets, ruminants and game in the UK and Ireland, and is a widely recognised and respected brand in the industry.

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Kilkeel businesses aim for bigger slice of the pie

Davey Hill from Kilkeel Harbour Works with Alan McCulla, chief executive of the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation.

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group of businesses in Kilkeel have joined together in a bid to transform the town into a centre of excellence for the maritime industry.

Kilkeel Harbour Works is made up of 16 founder member companies from the town and aims to collectively grow the group’s trade by bringing more business to the region and by boosting exports.

It’s made up of boat builders, marine electricians and other marine engineering companies which hope to use their collective power to tender for bigger contracts to build and maintain fishing and other boats.

“By bringing this group of relatively small companies together we can deliver a bigger service and to take on bigger contracts,” Davey Hill, who heads up Kilkeel Harbour Works said. “Bigger contracts mean more money for the town and means we’ll be able to create more jobs.”

Between them, the group turns over £30m a year and employs 100 people across their businesses and have put in £26,000 of their own money to back the project.

It’s working alongside Kilkeel Strategic Partnership and hopes investment

can be made in the harbour to install an extra slipway and a dry dock.

“We want to see a larger harbour because at the moment we’re at capacity and are turning business away,” Mr Hill said. “If we can expand it then we can really go after the medium-size boat market and then provide a one-stop shop for boat owners.”

Overall, the aim is to make Kilkeel a more prosperous town. “With this type of collaborative network we think we can bring more work into Kilkeel so our children stay here and prosper rather than leave for Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

The group has been backed by former economy minister Sir Richard Needham whose family connections with Kilkeel remain strong.

“Kilkeel is re-inventing itself as a successful fishing port and as a facilities base for all offshore services whether these be in renewable energy, cable laying or other marine-based work,” said Sir Richard. “I am tremendously excited by the network’s ambitions which parallel those of the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority and Invest NI and chime with the Kilkeel Development Association, as well as the local Chamber of Commerce.”

NEWS

Fermanagh firm bags pizza business

A

Fermanagh pizza company has created 10 new jobs after tying up a deal to supply Musgrave Retail Parters.

Derrylin firm Crust & Crumb will supply its stonebaked pizza range to the retailer’s Centra and Supervalu shops across both Northern Ireland and the Republic in a deal worth £1m.

“We are delighted to win this huge contract worth in excess of one million pounds, to develop a bespoke range of pizzas for Musgrave Retail Partners and its SuperValu stores,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being one of Ireland’s leading manufacturers of fresh pizza and pizza bases for the retail and food service sectors and this deal represents a significant investment in our company, growing our team further with the creation of ten new jobs.”

Musgrave Retail Partners NI Trading Manager, Julie Cherry, said consumers are becoming more discerning. “With our new premium range of pizzas, we are catering for consumers’ growing expectations for the same quality taste from their food, as they would from a restaurant or takeaway, but at much better value and convenience.”

DECEMBER 2014

Pictured are Julie Cherry of Musgrave Retail Partners and Mark McCaffrey of Crust & Crumb.

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NEWS

A Month in Numbers £645.1m The amount of money spent by Northern Ireland companies on research and development in 2013, up 2% on the year.

German firm reinvests for a second time

£141,173 The average price of a house in Northern Ireland, according to the latest House Price Index from the University of Ulster and Bank of Ireland. That’s up 5.2%, on a weighted annual basis.

21% Northern Ireland’s current corporation tax rate. At the time of going to print, a decision on whether to devolve business tax-setting powers to Stormont had yet to be made but is mooted as a topic of discussion in the Autumn Statement.

£13 The cost of Airport Passenger Duty each way for short haul flights. A proposal has been made to devolve APD to the Scottish Parliament, adding weight to the campaign to do the same with the tax in Northern Ireland.

Pictured with Minister Arlene Foster is Rob McConnell, Market Director SQS Northern Ireland and Phil Codd, Managing Director SQS Ireland.

A

German software company has created 30 new jobs at its bases in Belfast and Londonderry.

Rob McConnell, Director with SQS NI, said the quality of recruits the company has already taken on has been impressive.

The expansion by SQS group will take the firm’s total headcount in Northern Ireland to 82 by 2017 and is the second reinvestment since setting up base here in 2008.

“We are very well positioned in Belfast and the North West from a technical skills and service delivery perspective to take advantage of the global opportunity for DevOps,” he said. “This is a growing enterprise capability that many of our blue chip clients are engaging with SQS to support. We’ve been very happy with the calibre of software engineers that we’ve been able to recruit in Northern Ireland with proactive support from Invest NI.

The posts will pay an average salary of £37,500 a year and be focused around software development and testing.

2.2% The rate of growth of the Northern Ireland economy in 2014, according to the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy (NICEP).

6.9% House price growth in 2014 in Northern Ireland, according to NICEP.

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Invest NI has offered £210,000 of support to aid the expansion, helping Northern Ireland see off competition from other regions for the business, according to Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster.

“I understand that the SQS directors evaluated a number of other locations for this investment before selecting Northern Ireland because of the quality of our data communications infrastructure, the availability of skilled IT resources and Invest Northern Ireland’s support,” she said.

“We are confident that the Development Operations Centres will continue to support our growth and ensure that we remain a global leader in the provision of quality software services.”

The jobs will be located between SQS’ Development Operations Centres within the Northern Ireland Science Parks in Belfast and Londonderry.

NEWS

60 new jobs at Sixty6

O

ne of Northern Ireland’s biggest pub operators will create 60 jobs when its new Belfast nightclub opens next month.

Sixty6 will open on the city’s High Street as the second phase of the National Grande Café following a £400,000 investment by Beannchor, the group behind the Merchant Hotel and Little Wing Pizzerias.

Set over three floors, Sixty6 is said to “conjure the glamour of a classic Victorian’s Gentleman’s Club” in the Grade B listed former National Bank building.

“The opening of Sixty6 will provide an economic boost not just to the Cathedral Quarter but to the wider hospitality industry as a whole,” Conall Wolsey, director, Beannchor Group. “As we continue to grow, we are creating a solid foundation for the development of rewarding long-term careers.

“As a major employer of over 650 people, Beannchor is committed to investing in its people; these new roles – and all of our employment opportunities – are underpinned by ongoing staff training,

Pictured unveiling plans for the latest addition to the Beannchor Group’s portfolio are Conall and Petra Wolsey.

development and rewards schemes that will drive the improvement of service standards in our own venues and right across the industry.”

Sixty6 is the latest venue to be added to the Beannchor portfolio, which includes over 50 pubs, hotels and restaurants across Northern Ireland, the most recent of which are The National Grande Café and The Dirty Onion.

£5 PER DAY PARKING

DECEMBER 2014

9

NEWS

House prices climb but beware of headwinds

Kevin McCann, the man behind The Rising.

Kickstarter fund-raising business of the month What? The Rising, a film about Seán MacDiarmada, said to the hero and inspiration of Michael Collins. It details the events leading up to and surrounding the Easter Rising of 1916.

Who? Produced by Northern Ireland film director Kevin McCann.

How much? The producers are aiming to raise €73,000. At the time of going to press over €7,000 had been pledged.

He says: “We’re delighted to have not just the support of Seán MacDiarmada’s family, but also the family of fellow leader James Connelly.

Along with some county councils in Ireland and the film board in Belfast, I’ve also successfully secured some funding from the US. All this has allowed me to do the necessary research and work on the script, but now I need the people to help tell this final piece in the story of Ireland’s freedom. Anyone wanting to invest in this project should contact me directly or visit our Kickstarter page”.

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H

ouse prices in Northern Ireland climbed 5.2% over the last year, cementing the turnaround for the sector and reflecting growth in the economy, according to the latest Quarterly House Price Index from the University of Ulster and Bank of Ireland.

headwinds which could temper growth.

It pegged the average house price at £141,173 at the end of the third quarter of 2014 and said that the number of houses changing hands has also increased.

“The UK is entering a period of heightened political and constitutional upheaval post the Scottish referendum outcome with financial markets and growth prospects sensitive to perceptions of growing political risk.”

The Coleraine/Limavady/North Coast and East Antrim areas saw the biggest price increase, climbing 22.3% and 21.6% respectively while north Down climbed 17% and Lisburn by 7.2% Overall the Belfast market was up 9% at £154,326.

Looking ahead, economist Alan Bridle, from Bank of Ireland who helped compile the report, said that while the market is looking robust there are a number of

“While recent market trends are likely to continue into 2015, it would not be a surprise if economic and political uncertainties at both a UK and regional level have some impact on the general housing climate,” he said.

Average price by region: Belfast North Down Lisburn East Antrim L’derry/Strabane Antrim/Ballymena Coleraine/Limavady/North Coast Enniskillen/Fermanagh/South Tyrone Mid Ulster Mid and South Down Craigavon/Armagh

£154,326 £182,164 £185,777 £128,695 £112,197 £117,415 £140,562 £128,717 £112,593 £130,817 £100,566

NEWS

Ballymena mayor opens Diamond offices

T

he Mayor of Ballymena, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE, recently opened the new offices of Diamond Recruitment Group in the town.

Situated on Lower Mill Street, the new state-of-the-art facilities will house the firm’s growing team of permanent and temporary recruitment consultants, resourcers and HR specialists.

This year celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Diamond is Northern Ireland’s largest home-grown recruitment organisation. Employing over 2,000 temporary workers across the province every day and placing hundreds of full-time workers each year, the firm features in the Top 20 employers in Northern Ireland and reports an annual turnover of £32m.

Pictured from left to right are: Rick Butterworth, Diamond Recruitment; Alan Stewart, President Ballymena Chamber of Commerce; Mayor of Ballymena Audrey Wales; Eunice Campbell, Diamond Recruitment; and Gary Irvine, 4C Executive Search.

Now located in Belfast City Centre

Thomas House, 14-16 James Street South, Belfast BT2 7GA DECEMBER 2014

+44(0)2033977755 info@rossboyd.co.uk www.rossboyd.co.uk 11

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21/08/2014 16:47

ANALYSIS

NICEP: economy grows but time to walk the austerity walk Spectre of cuts looms large, says NICEP

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he headline economic data for Northern Ireland remains positive. Employment is growing, unemployment is falling and business surveys all report high levels of confidence and growing order books.

Pictured at the launch of the NICEP Autumn Outlook 2014 report at the First Trust Bank business briefing held in the MAC, Belfast are (l-r) Colin Walsh, Chair, CBI; Jim Fitzpatrick; Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank and Gareth Hetherington, Associate Director, NICEP.

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he Northern Ireland economy is expanding but impending austerity cuts by government will temper growth in the future, according to the latest report from the Northern Ireland Centre for Economic Policy (NICEP).

Its economic briefing said that 14 out of the 19 sectors in the economy here are growing with the industrial and services sectors helping to reduce overall unemployment.

“The headline economic data for Northern Ireland remains positive,” the report said. “Employment is growing, unemployment is falling and business surveys all report high levels of confidence and growing order books.”

And it expects the economy to grow by 2.2% this year, 1.9% next year and 1.3% in 2016, a gradual slowing as government spending cuts begin to bite.

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Gareth Hetherington, Associate Director at the First Trust-backed NICEP, said Northern Ireland, and other devolved administrations, have been relatively sheltered from cuts up until now.

“We’ve been talking the talk when it comes to austerity but we’ve yet to walk the walk,” he said at the report’s launch in The MAC theatre in Belfast.

The NICEP report said Stormont should learn from the experience of the Republic over the last few years when it comes to implementing cuts.

“One impact of the imminent budget squeeze will be the need to prioritise expenditure, but making hard choices that limits damage to the economy will be very challenging,” it said. “In this regard Northern Ireland Government Departments could seek insights from their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland.

Unfortunately, this positive news story has taken a back seat to the very high profile “public sector cuts” debate and the associated political fallout.

The latest NICEP forecasts remain positive for 2015, but thereafter a challenging economic environment awaits. Continued downward pressure on public spending and higher interest rates will affect growth in the medium to longer term.

The other big debate has been the Scottish independence referendum. Although the Scots voted to stay within the union, the result is not a status quo outcome.

One impact is the increased likelihood of greater devolution of powers from Westminster. In Northern Ireland, the impending decision on Corporation Tax could usher in a new era for economic development, but it will also be a time for making tough choices.

This is new territory for the Executive but it is important that all relevant stakeholders engage responsibly in this debate.

KELLY’S PATCH

Home for

Christmas!

For nearest stockist please visit

www.kellyspatch.com

COVER STORY

First Trust Bank makes waves How the AIB-owned bank is becoming a true challenger bank in Northern Ireland.

Des Moore (left) and Richard Ennis.

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COVER STORY

T

he banking world in Northern Ireland has changed.

Different banks have changed in different ways but one lending institution which has shaken off the last vestiges of the credit crunch and is now approaching day-to-day business with a new sense of vigour and enthusiasm is First Trust Bank.

Those in the know could see the change happening over the last few months, as it put considerable time and energy into restructuring its operations in Northern Ireland under boss Des Moore.

For such an organisation, a certain amount of restructuring is always taking place but the bulk of the major changes took place last year and 2014 has seen the bank stabilise and move back into operating profit in Northern Ireland. Importantly, it also took the time to make ambitious plans for the future.

Mr Moore doesn’t shy away from the fact the last few years have been difficult, as the bank has reduced headcount and branch numbers, in an effort to carve out a sustainable future and adapt to a changing market marked by dramatically different customer habits.

But now, with 30 branches in Northern Ireland, the bank is firmly focused on the future.

“The vast majority of the bank restructuring is complete and the focus is now on growing the business.” Mr Moore said in an interview with Ulster Business.

That’s evidenced by recent performance figures. Net new lending volumes have grown by 38% year-on-year and the bank’s cost-to-income ratio has normalised.

With that base to work from, future plans focus on enhancing First Trust’s growing reputation as a “challenger bank”, one which is out quoting for new and existing business alongside the other larger incumbent lenders in the market. It wants borrowers to know it is ready and willing to lend and has matched that with a commitment to superior customer service. >>

DECEMBER 2014

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COVER STORY

“We see ourselves challenging the status quo of the ‘big two’,” Mr Moore said at First Trust’s Belfast headquarters. “That’s something customers have welcomed.

They’re looking for another competitive alternative which offers something different and we’re increasingly finding ourselves being asked to quote for new business.”

Richard Ennis

One of the ways the bank has found itself welcomed to borrowers’ doors is by working hard to become specialists in specific sectors.

Agri-food is one where the bank has always been active but in recent months it’s honed its skills in one of the fastest growing sectors in the land and drilled down to find out what customers really want.

“Agri-food is one of the sectors we’re proudest of as we have listened to what our customers need and tailored packages to suit them,” Mr Moore said. “To complement that, we’ve identified 16 Agri-food ambassadors in the bank, many of whom come from farming or agri-food business backgrounds. There’s nothing better than being able to speak a customer’s language.”

That focus is backed up by a £50m fund, launched over the summer specifically for the businesses within the agri-food sector, one which has proved particularly popular with nearly 50% already committed.

Such specific focus is something Mr Moore plans to repeat in other sectors and a strategy he believes gives the challenger bank a head start against its rivals.

“We’re not competing with the big two on scale so we have to find ways to compete effectively in selected areas, and that’s why the sectoral focus is so important,” he said.

“We’re smaller, flexible and more agile so we can really make a difference to a customer’s business, especially where key investment decisions need to be made quickly.”

Difference is important and one of the reasons for the ramp up in lending by the bank over the last few months is the fact that nearly all lending decisions are made locally by First Trust staff here in Northern Ireland. The quality

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of the people within the bank is critical to that, according to Mr Moore.

“All banks will say it’s their people, but for us that really is true. There is something about the way we serve our customers which is clearly working.”

One of those all-important people is Richard Ennis, a recent hire to the bank with a rich pedigree in the Northern Ireland banking world.

He’s takes up the role of Director of Corporate and Business Banking and is tasked with building on the impressive start which the bank has already made at building its lending book.

“A lot of the foundations have already been laid and there is a good platform for us to grow,” he said. “We’re lending more to businesses and we’re lending to more businesses.”

And it’s clear Mr Ennis is relishing the taking up that role of “challenger bank”.

“The potential for the bank is huge and confidence is really growing. I realised it before but those things have really been reconfirmed since my arrival.

“The business support fund, the Agri-food fund, our net lending growth, our work in progress; it’s all very encouraging. We’re taking a big share of new business and are very much back in the market place.”

That re-emergence is certainly finding a warm welcome, as is the depth of the offering.

“People are surprised when we do go out there and are able to offer asset finance and invoice finance, that we’ve a Belfast-based treasury team. We’re proving to be a genuine alternative.”

Mr Moore said the bank, having returned to profitability, now has ambitious plans for 2015 which are focused on developing its people, meeting customer needs and having an agile approach to the business market.

In essence, he wants the Bank to work alongside the business community to help rebuild the local economy.

“We want to be a key supporter of NI PLC,” he said.

With that the two bankers are off, off to drive the role of challenger bank, one they are managing to do with aplomb.

I’m an expat executive – get me out of here Craig Harrison, a tax and reward expert with PwC in Northern Ireland, asks what Usain Bolt and some of Northern Ireland’s much-travelled businesses executives have in common. that the number of people going on global assignments will increase by 50% by 2020, with nine in ten organisations saying they plan to increase the number of globally mobile workers over the next two years.

B

oth spend a lot of time in airports and distant parts of the globe.

Bolt, as the only runner amongst the world’s 100 highest-paid athletes, and local business executives, engrossed in hunting for overseas markets to grow their business. What’s different though is whilst many countries, including the UK, have relaxed tax rules so that overseas sports stars competing there are no longer taxable; this luxury is not extended to most other businesses.

Heading in one direction are representatives of indigenous Northern Ireland companies regularly looking at overseas markets for both business improvement and revenue growth.

Heading in the other, are the employees and managers of overseas-owned companies looking to make Northern Ireland a base for their European or UK operations.

Mobility patterns are changing In addition, mobility patterns are changing.

PwC’s latest Modern Mobility report predicts

As well as traditional fixed-term secondments, more employers are adopting increased flexible arrangements with employees fulfilling short term roles overseas. But moving employees around the world raises many tax issues for employers relating to income tax, social security, payroll and immigration. If UK employees travel overseas, then depending on how the arrangements are structured, the length of visit and the tax rules in the host country, individuals and their employer could have a reporting and tax payment requirement overseas.

Similarly, if overseas business employees are sent to the UK, this could trigger a reporting and tax payment requirement in the UK. Even within the UK, the picture is becoming more complex. Despite Scotland’s ‘No’ vote in September’s independence referendum, the Scotland Act gives Scottish Government the right to change its rate of income tax for ‘Scottish taxpayers’ from April 2016.

For people living and working in Scotland, their status as Scottish taxpayers will be fairly straightforward but for employees frequently travelling cross border, complexities will inevitably arise regarding how to calculate and process the right amount of tax in each region. This will affect NI employers with operations in Scotland and, if the proposed Wales Bill includes the power to change its rate of income tax for ‘Welsh taxpayers,’ the situation becomes even more complex.

When might you have a problem?

There is no avoiding the fact that these rules are complex, and whilst there may be similarities, each territory will have its own method of determining whether an employee is subject to tax or not. HMRC is aware of these difficulties and have increased their level of activity in this area.

So, what questions should you be asking your HR and Finance department? Here is a few for starters: • Do you have any employees working overseas even on a short term basis?

• Are you comfortable that you have addressed the tax and social security implications in the home and host country, plus all other employment regulations?

• How do you monitor inbound and outbound employees? Do you have a process to identify issues before they arise?

In summary Those businesses which operate without borders or boundaries should prosper however as the saying goes, ‘if it were that easy everyone would be doing it’.

Businesses will always be encouraged to explore their overseas market opportunities and that can bring challenges in a variety of forms. Tax and employment regulation can be complex, but with the right up front planning, Northern Ireland businesses can be first off the mark.

Craig Harrison, a tax and reward expert with PwC in Northern Ireland and can be contacted on 028 9041 5022 or craig.d.harrison@uk.pwc.com

FANTASY TRADING

Taking stock

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on’t you just love the fickleness of financial markets?

The second month of trading for our trusty band of traders has thankfully resulted in an overall profit for the group (a not-too-shabby £13,000 on top of last month’s £8,000) but individual portfolios have had an up and down kind of month, to say the least.

Mentalist Meade has suffered the most from the market’s ire, dropping a hefty £10,000 on the back of a drop for both his stocks and perhaps paying the price for a back seat trading approach.

Carol Fitzsimons’s worst fears following the well-publicised headlines surrounding Royal Mail’s future revenue flow were briefly met

but a subsequent recovery for the stock meant she lost only £335 on the month and still holds on to second place.

The best monthly performance came from the most likely of sources, Dylan Armstrong, a man who knows a good stock when he sees one. His dip into Aviva and BT Group proved a winning formula and he turned his fortunes around with a massive £12,000 profit and only just missed out on scooping second place. Now that’s a result.

At the top of the tree was the man with the numbers.

Neil Gibson’s profit for the month was only marginally below that of

the student’s, but combined with his winning’s last week he’s romped into the lead by a length, notching up nearly £15,000 profit over the last two months.

Still, it’s early days and there are challengers on his tail…

The rules Each trader starts with fantasy money £100,000 of it to be exact - to invest as they see fit in two FTSE 100 companies, £50,000 each. After a month we count up what will hopefully be winnings and the traders either stick with what they’ve got or exchange them for new shares. At the end of the year we count up who’s made the most and force them to buy the team and the editor dinner. Simple.

The traders Dylan Armstrong (5) student

CAROL FITZSIMONS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE

DAVID MEADE, MENTALIST

NEIL GIBSON, ECONOMIST

Profit/loss this month: £12,054 Account: £107,326

Profit/loss for this month: £335 Account: £108,154

Profit/loss for this month: -£10,069 Account: £91,372

Profit/loss for this month: £11,603 Account: £114,846

Last month: Aviva, BT Group

Last month: Royal Mail, Severn Trent

Last month: Anglo American, Petrofac

Last month: Land Securities, Associated British Food

This month: SSE, Reckitt Benckiser

This month: Associated British Foods, Reckitt Benckiser

This month: Anglo American, Petrofac

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This month: Diageo, Associated British Food

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PERFORMANCE IN ACTION

TM

SELF EMPLOYMENT

Have yourself a merry freelance Christmas

By Julie Stewart

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he festive season is in full swing already. In offices throughout the land tiny desktop trees are sneaked in and plugged into any available USB port without a hint of PAT testing, or Feng shui. Scraps of paper are being drawn from empty boxes to see who gets who in Secret Santa, everyone crossing their fingers that it isn’t them who has to think up the perfect present for the big boss for a measly fiver without looking like a bit of a lick. Emails about office lunches are going back and forth with a speed of a whippet and everyone is grumbling at the choice of venue. One of the team is a vegan which the organiser thinks means they’ll eat fish, but the majority just want to know if the restaurant is licensed.

At this time of tinselly joy, spare a thought for the lonely freelancer. There is no fancy do’s for us. We won’t be taking a half day to get our hair done and then prise ourselves into overpriced satin frocks that induce sweating just by looking at them and will never see the light of day again. We don’t get to go and get unprofessionally tipsy over turkey and blow off steam by flirting with the person you only see in the lift, but you think you’ll have loads in common with and might actually marry, despite the fact they are wearing a comedy tie.

Are we solo workers missing out?

As I welcome my first festive season as a freelancer I chose to say the answer is no.

I won’t get a week off as freelancers don’t get holidays, but then again I won’t have to share a cab home with someone I usually try to avoid in the tea room. I can have a glass of cheap wine at my desk, just like the rest of you, but I don’t have to deal with the

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question on every workers lips around this time of year – how early will they let us leave?

In one of my previous employments the whispers started two weeks before Christmas. As the last day came everyone was practically in their coats by lunchtime.

The clock ticked, 3pm, 4pm, five past 4 (not that I was watching) and still Mr. Boss sat on his throne. At quarter to 5 he lifted the phone and we thought this was it, freedom. It wasn’t. He wanted coffee made for the office to be served round the tree.

Flip sake. The small talk was agonising, the cups went cold and everyone went back to sadly re-start the computers they thought they’d seen the back of until the New Year.

Just after half 5 Mr. Boss came and stood by the door, a bundle of envelopes in his hand.

We all filed past, shook his hand as if part of some kind of Dickensian panto and took our envelope. Perhaps it contained a card wishing us all thanks and festive merriment,

or even better a few pounds to make the Yuletide gay. No, as I ripped mine open in the car, the excitement distracting momentarily from the lack of an early release I discovered it merely contained a remittance for the wages that would go into my account a week later. Merry Christmas one and all!

So if you are in a company of more than one, have a wonderful Christmas party.

If you see a freelancer looking lonely and lost in a corner, fretting about the next client, maybe you could give them a smile.

Or perhaps a glass of wine, a large one.

And if you are the boss, be kind to your staff, because if you aren’t you might find an envelope on your own desk in the New Year, telling you they’ve gone freelance.

Julie Stewart is a social media consultant and copywriter and can be found at alittlesocialtlc.com

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

IT & Technology

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Why us?

Global companies are setting up IT bases in Northern Ireland at a rate of knots. But why? We take a look at the evidence.

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nward investment in the IT sector is all the rage. Over the last couple of years a plethora of global companies have chosen to set up IT centres here in Northern Ireland, generally to act as their European base.

As the following quotes will show, people tend to come top of the list.

Why do they come here?

The skill of the workforce is a big selling point, as is the willingness of the universities and colleges to work with business to provide a steady flow of skilled labour and what has been described as a ‘hard-working attitude’.

You might say the assistance which they’ve been offered, both financially and otherwise, from Invest NI and for a large part you’d be correct.

Proximity to London or mainland Europe is also a draw, as is relatively good value real estate, good air links and being part of the UK.

In many cases the agency is responsible for making an overseas company aware of this small region in the first place and in others for persuading an investor which is considering Northern Ireland amongst a number of other destinations that we should be top of the list.

But aside from Invest NI’s help, there are a number of other reasons why multinational companies choose to spend considerable sums of money setting up base on these shores.

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But don’t take my word for it.

The following are just some of the reasons given by the new investors and reinvestors which have made a commitment to Northern Ireland over the last few months, many of whom have had to build a case to their superiors before being given the goahead to set up base here. With any luck, by the time you read this they’ll also be able to add “a low corporation tax” as well.

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30 jobs at Chelsea Apps Factory Mike Anderson, CEO and Founder of Chelsea Apps Factory “We passionately believe that the UK has some of the world’s finest technology talent, with the skills and capabilities required to serve British businesses. As an expanding business, we want to invest in communities that will help us deliver real quality to our customers. The availability of some of the UK’s finest IT graduates, along with the support from Invest Northern Ireland, made Belfast the primary choice for our new base.”

Alastair Hamilton, chief executive of Invest NI, with founder of Chelsea Apps Factory Mike Anderson announcing the company’s establishment of a new Belfast office.

100 jobs at Puppet Labs, from Oregon US Luke Kanies, CEO and founder of Puppet Labs “Northern Ireland has strong software engineering talent and offers quality and cost advantages to support our growth. We are also looking forward to working closely with Invest NI to continue to develop the software industry in Northern Ireland.”

49 jobs at Lakeland Solutions

100 jobs at Rapid7

Matthew Martin, co-founder of Lakeland Solutions

“We had the pleasure of meeting the First Minister and the deputy First Minister when they came to Boston last year.

With their encouragement we decided to consider Northern Ireland further. We were impressed with the excellent business environment, particularly the close working relationship between government, industry and academia. Of note was the work the universities are doing in IT security. Invest NI’s support and the availability of high quality technical staff made Northern Ireland an attractive location for us.” >>

“After considering other UK locations, we were convinced that Enniskillen offered us the best business environment in terms of cost effectiveness along with the quality and availability of talent.

The support we have received has been important to us getting the operation up and running and we look forward to working with them as we grow the operation over the next couple of years. As an Enniskillen man myself, it is great to be able to give something back to the area by setting up the business here.”

DECEMBER 2014

Corey Thomas, CEO of Rapid7

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First Minister the Rt. Hon. Peter D. Robinson MLA and the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MLA announcing 600 new jobs at Citi along with James Bardrick, Citi Country Officer, United Kingdom.

600 jobs at Citigroup James Bardrick, Citi Country Officer, United Kingdom “The success of our current operations in Belfast was an important factor behind this latest decision to create another 600 jobs. The supply of talent in Northern Ireland, particularly at graduate level, is impressive and, coupled with the support from Invest NI and DEL, it makes this region highly attractive to a global company like Citi seeking the best location for growth.”

£34.7m investment by Seagate Technology

350 jobs at Deloitte

David Mosley, Seagate’s President of Operations and Technology

“Our schools and colleges, our departments of education and employment and learning, and Invest NI can take satisfaction from the fact that they are producing and supporting competently skilled people for a 21st century economy.

The choice of Belfast for this investment is significant, and was made in the face of strong international competition.

The excellent performance of the Belfast Technology Studio since it was set up in 2011, together with the support from government, made Northern Ireland stand out as the best place to grow this aspect of our business.”

“The explosive increase in demand for storage from mobile applications, cloud-computing infrastructures, social media, business applications and consumer markets is driving the need to develop new technology that can deliver greater storage capacity.

This R&D project will see the Springtown R&D team, supported by Ansin at Queen’s University Belfast, apply its expertise to the task of developing HAMR technology and help the company achieve competitive advantage. Invest NI’s support has been vital to enabling us to make this Research & Development investment in Northern Ireland.”

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Jackie Henry, Senior partner at Deloitte

Nitec and Office 365 Working better together

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nitec.com For a free consultation call us on 028 9442 7000 or email solutions@nitec.com

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New app allows you to fill the chief executive’s shoes It’s My Call! takes users through the everyday challenges of running a company.

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nyone who aspires to be a chief executive can now try it out for real with the help of a new app from Northern Ireland developer Everglade Ventures.

It’s My Call! takes users through the challenges a chief executive faces on a day-to-day basis and offers up a number of possible scenarios to test the decision-making mettle of the boss.

There are a series of tough decisions to make and their outcomes will define the financial performance of the business, making it an ideal learning tool for everyone from students to managers.

The app opens with an initial scenario at a manufacturing SME, and offers

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two options. Each option then has a consequence which then leads to a new situation and another set of decisions.

Scores are based on the impact of each decision on predicted profitability of the business and time taken to make a decision. Some questions require more time and others less, leading to an infinite number of final scores.

their business careers. Hopefully the app will appeal to a range of users from students and young professionals to more experienced business people who would find many of the situations familiar.

The team behind Everglade Ventures said they were keen to develop an app which provides a more interesting challenge than many of the management games currently on offer.

It’s My Call! is available through both iTunes and Google Play.

“Every situation in the app is based on real experiences that either of us or friends or colleagues have undergone during

“This first app is based on a manufacturing SME, but further scenarios in the Pro version will cover a whole range of businesses and sectors”

Bespoke versions of the app can also be developed for companies.

For more information contact the team at info@evergladeventures.com

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Outsourcing: Achieving the right balance Ivan Waide, Head of the IP & Technology team at A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office, explains what companies should look out for when outsourcing parts of their business. important to identify customer dependencies associated with any change request.

“It is also in both the customer and supplier’s interests to have provision in the contract for regular governance meetings between the customer and supplier representatives.”

Competing demands As outsourcing continues to be a popular choice for both the public and private sectors in Northern Ireland as a means of reducing cost and improving service, it is important to ensure the underlying contract strikes the right balance between the often competing demands of customer and supplier.

Ivan Waide says: “In any outsourcing deal, whether it is IT outsourcing, business process outsourcing or business transformation outsourcing, the success of the arrangement will ultimately be dependent on the strength of the working relationship between the customer and supplier.”

Building in effective governance structures The underlying contract is the primary tool for governing the relationship of the

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customer and supplier over a potentially long period. As the nature of outsourcing deals becomes more complex, and where change is usually a given over the duration of the contract, it is more important than ever to build in effective governance structures.

Waide says: “Although the outsourcing contract is written at a moment in time, it should be sufficiently flexible to allow for change in a predictable way. From a customer’s perspective, change control should be viewed not as a process in the agreement, rather as a means of closing down the areas that require the parties to negotiate post-signature. A customer would typically want to ensure that any changes to charges are in line with actual changes in supplier’s costs, and that the supplier can demonstrate changes to its costs. From a supplier’s perspective, it will be

Agreeing meaningful service levels Any large outsourcing contract will contain particular service levels at which certain services are to be provided and the parties’ rights and obligations where those service levels are not met. If performance falls below pre-agreed thresholds, a customer would typically want service credits to accrue. Service levels seek to objectively define what level of quality the customer has paid for, and how well the services are being performed.

Waide says: “It is in the interests of both customer and supplier that service levels are not only capable of reliable objective measurement but also focus on the areas that really matter to the customer. The parties should also consider, in conjunction with service credits, the merits of appropriate ‘earn-back’ provisions allowing the supplier the opportunity to earn back service credits.”

Meaningful and appropriate service levels aligned to the customer’s business drivers can facilitate successful outsourcing by creating a business-orientated approach, enhancing service delivery and ultimately building relationships.

For further information please contact Ivan Waide at iwaide@algoodbody.com

Leading firms deliver innovation tips at Craigavon seminar

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lobal IT giant Fujitsu joined a panel of leading firms and business experts at a major conference in Craigavon recently to stress to small businesses the importance of exploring growth through innovation and research and development (R&D).

Improving the local business environment for SMEs and the importance of small firms working in clusters was on the agenda, with advice available about opportunities for funding to stimulate innovation. More than 150 delegates from SMEs across Northern Ireland attended the ‘Innovate NI 2014’ event, which was hosted by Craigavon Borough Council in partnership with the Queen’s University NI Technology Centre in the Craigavon Civic and Conference Centre.

Pictured (from left) are keynote speaker Alistair Fee, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the European Business School; Nicola Wilson, Head of Economic Development, Craigavon Borough Council; Councillor Colin McCusker, Mayor of Craigavon; and conference speaker Newland McKelvey from Fujitsu.

Among those joining Fujitsu on the panel was keynote speaker Alistair Fee, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the European Business School, and representatives from BioBusiness, International Synergies, Enterprise Europe Network, Queen’s University and Craigavon Borough Council.

the borough has established itself as one of Northern Ireland’s best performing business regions. The conference is a further example of local government and the academic sector working in partnership with the private sector to ensure this economic growth continues in the future.

Innovate NI 2014 catered for all industry sectors, with several companies in attendance confirming they would be active participants in an ‘Innovation Forum’ should such a body be set up in the area.

“Feedback from delegates emphasised that there is an appetite for this kind of support for small and medium sized businesses.

Several delegates approached Queen’s University on the day to discuss innovative new product ideas and the team at the Queen’s NI Technology Centre will explore these further in the coming weeks. The networking sessions during the conference presented many of the delegates with opportunities to meet others and discuss real potential business collaborations.”

Councillor Mark Baxter, Chair of Development Committee, Craigavon Borough Council, commented: “The Innovate NI 2014 conference provided the very important small business community here in Northern Ireland with a fantastic opportunity to learn from, and interact with, established companies with proven innovation and R&D credentials. These are skills which are recognised by Craigavon Borough Council’s business strategy as key drivers for economic growth, employment and social integration, and must be a key focus for all SMEs. “It’s vital that local authorities play a proactive role in promoting successful entrepreneurship and in creating a conducive business environment for SMEs to fully utilise the support available to maximise their potential. Thanks to investment from within and from outside Craigavon,

An example of the assistance available to small businesses highlighted at the conference is Craigavon Borough Council’s ‘Product Transfer and New Product Introduction’ programme, which seeks to build the capacity of local manufacturers and service providers to find new customers through product or service innovation.

Newland McKelvey from Fujitsu said: “Fujitsu’s global vision is to deliver A Human Centric Intelligent Society and to harness the power of technology to achieve a better and more self-sustaining society. We

recognise the importance of innovation and R&D to the knowledge economy in Northern Ireland and we are delighted to be involved in this conference that supports and encourages small and medium enterprises to explore growth through innovation.”

Tom Edgar, Head of Consultancy & Technical Services, Research and Enterprise Directorate, Queen’s University, commented: “Having such a strong group of business minds on the speaking panel made Innovate NI 2014 a really successful conference. There is no doubting the importance of innovation and R&D to the potential growth of small companies – to have such a wealth of experience and expertise under one roof and accessible to delegates created an interactive dynamic which benefitted everyone.”

The Innovate NI 2014 conference is one of a number of initiatives which Craigavon Borough Council is pursuing to maximise assistance to businesses and develop the borough’s economy.

Craigavon

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Peter Brown of EOS Systems (left) and Colm O’Farrell of the Deluxe Group take Deluxe forward to meet the Government’s new BIM standards.

EOS Systems help construction meet BIM standard

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T support specialist EOS Systems is helping local construction companies to improve their information and communications technologies (ICT) in line with the government’s new Business Information Modelling standard, BIM. A pioneering ICT solution, BIM is designed to improve efficiencies and will require organisations and individuals working on a government construction project to collaborate and openly share plans, in order to reduce waste. BIM comes into effect by 2016 and will apply to all those responsible for the procurement, design, construction, delivery, operation and maintenance of Government buildings.

Peter Brown, director of EOS Systems,

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explains his company’s role. “We’re helping our customers to achieve full integration of their internal ICT systems, so that they will comply and make a seamless transition to the BIM standard. Our expertise is particularly relevant to organisations which have a high design and CAD requirement, such as the Deluxe Group in Portadown.”

“We’ve worked with the Deluxe team to fully integrate all of their Macs and PCs, and we’re currently introducing the wider use of tablet technology to improve remote access across all of their operations.This is helping the Deluxe Group to achieve cost savings and efficiencies through waste reduction and improved productivity, which of course has direct applications for the Group in terms of meeting the new BIM standards.”

According to Colm O’Farrell, managing director of Deluxe Group, the support of EOS Systems has been invaluable. “We work with a number of high end global corporations, one of whom runs a well-known theme park outside Paris. The EOS Systems team has played a key role in helping us meet their demanding ICT standards.

BIM poses a new level of challenge, but by partnering with EOS Systems, we’re confident of our ability to unlock new, more efficient ways of working.”

To find out how EOS Systems can help your business with future IT requirements, and with BIM standards, call Peter Brown today on 028 9045 9222 or email peter@eossystems.co.uk

IT QUARTERLY

Businesses can’t afford to be reactive with disaster recovery

By Stephen McCann, P2V Systems

D

isaster recovery (DR) planning is often focused on by larger businesses but every company should have a DR plan in place. Without one, a business can be literally paralysed if the worst should happen.

DR planning covers a wide range of eventualities to protect an organisation from the impacts of disaster, all of which are realistic and very problematic if they occur. Businesses without a tried and tested DR plan are putting themselves at risk.

The trigger to action a DR plan can be caused by a multitude of factors including hardware failure, software failure, cyberattacks, human error, fire, flood and theft. It can also extend to external factors that the business has absolutely no control over such as a disruption in the provision of utility services – it’s difficult to run an office without electricity.

Businesses should consider the ‘What if disaster struck?’ factors; How would they recover? What impacts would it have on the business? How would they operate without email, IT Systems or telecoms?

What would it cost the business in downtime, lost information, lost business, lost customers and damaged reputation?

How long would it take the business to recover? Would it ever recover?

These factors should be enough to prompt those without a DR plan to resolve this as a priority.

Of course, it’s not always down to whether or not a business can afford the time and

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resource to give disaster recovery its rightful place in business continuity planning.

Many must adhere to standards, either from a legal compliance perspective or because of customer SLAs. This will often cover the level of DR expected, including off-site data back-up, perhaps stipulating a minimum geographic distance.

could halt or restrict the business activities if they were inoperable due to an outage or adverse event. The identified risks need to be analysed and a detailed, step-by-step plan developed. This will address the issues if disaster occurs by minimising the negative impacts and helping to maintain and resume critical operations as quickly as possible.

The good news is that evolving technology such as server virtualisation, cloud storage and high speed internet make the implementation of a DR solution more cost effective and manageable for businesses of all sizes.

It’s not enough just to develop a plan.

It then needs to be tested, continuously reviewed and evolved to improve its effectiveness and to ensure it remains so as the business operation grows and changes.

The DR planning process requires time and commitment. All factors and risks that must be accounted for in the business continuity plan need to be identified. This is a full review of all IT infrastructure and systems that

One of the crucial factors in DR planning is that the plan itself, including any contact details, are always accessible off-site should disaster occur so it can always be put into action. The plan can’t be allowed to fall victim to the disaster it is meant to be resolving.

Save money, save time, get peace of mind.

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with fixed cost peace of mind Every business needs some form of IT support. At P2V Systems, we take the stress and worry out of managing, implementing, hosting and securing your IT resources. Multi-national or small local enterprise, we can tailor a solution to your specific business needs to increase your productivity and save you money. And all at a fixed monthly cost.

Managed IT Services

Cloud Solutions

Your ‘outsourced IT department’ when you need the resource but can’t justify or afford it on a full-time basis

From Office 365 to enterprise website hosting or running your internal servers in the cloud (IaaS)

Consultancy

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Providing experienced, specialised resources for on time, on budget project delivery

Supporting small and large businesses alike, ranging from data backup to full disaster recovery planning

Let us take care of your IT systems and infrastructure so you can simply get on with business.

Call us today, to learn more about what our team can do for you.

t: 028 9252 8528 e: sales@p2vsystems.com w: www.p2vsystems.com

IT QUARTERLY

ICT in the Knowledge Economy

By Matt McCloskey

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orthern Ireland’s knowledge economy is booming. It has grown by 33% in the past five years and is showing no signs of slowing down. The exchange of, and the ability to capture value from data is changing industries and creating new opportunities. The future role of information communications technology and the underlying network cannot be underestimated in maintaining and growing this momentum.

According to the 2014 Knowledge Economy Index* commissioned by the Northern Ireland Science Park, 295 knowledge economy start-up businesses were established in Northern Ireland this year alone, and employment in this area grew by 5.5% between 2011 and 2013, an impressive figure in the context of a 0.2% decline in workforce jobs over the same period.

Reliable network critical to knowledge economy growth The knowledge economy is constantly evolving, with many of its companies focusing on developing new ideas, technologies, processes and products. Technological advances are introducing new ways of working that help these companies communicate more effectively, work more efficiently and be more productive. Vast amounts of data need to be accessed, shared and stored on the network every day. The

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next-generation IP network is ideally placed to cater to these growing demands. This flexible network handles multiple types of traffic – voice, data and multimedia – and is adaptable to growth in capacity demands and everchanging requirements as we look to a future where everything and everyone is connected.

Key trends supporting the knowledge economy As we move towards this more connected world, trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT) will become a reality and yet, will put ever-increasing demands on the network. In 2010 12.5bn devices were connected to the internet; Cisco predicts this will double to 25bn by 2015 and double again to 50bn by 2020.

Software Defined Networking (SDN) is also poised for growth in 2015. SDN is a new way of managing networks that puts the business application at the centre, with the network dynamically managing demand.

SDN provides ways of improving scalability and performance, making the network more adaptable and security more flexible to deal with growing trends like BYOD. Although more ingrained in the way we work now, technologies such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), and unified communications (UC) are all changing the way companies operate. Continued advances in 2015 will make these technologies more

accessible to smaller businesses and start-ups, without the associated large capital investment.

eircom NI at the forefront of advances in IP technology As a Cisco Gold Partner with a broad team of highly-trained engineers, eircom NI are helping customers embrace the knowledge economy every day. We believe the network should be an enabler of change. Our technology solutions help our customers focus on improving their businesses while we ensure they have a network platform that allows them to succeed. Whether it’s helping Chain Reaction Cycles continue their phenomenal growth as the world leading online cycle store by providing them with our next generation managed network services platform, or helping Wrightbus, provider of the London bus, go from strength to strength with a single managed network to their premises in Northern Ireland and abroad, our focus is on freeing our customers from IT concerns so they can focus on growth.

That’s why we are always at the forefront of every new networking technology. From the Internet of Things, Wi-Fi analytics and SDN, eircom builds innovative solutions that make sure our customers have the edge. *Produced by the NICEP at Ulster University and Oxford Economics.

Matt McCloskey is Sales Director at eircom business solutions NI. www.eircom.co.uk

The Sum of its Parts Simple solutions are built on complex perfection.

Just like in business, what appears simple is often far more complicated and intricate than we imagined. That’s because complex perfection doesn’t just happen. It requires expertise, technological prowess and the experience of people who have seen it before.

At eircom Business Solutions NI we understand this. That’s why our business customers, large and small, across Northern Ireland trust in us. They know we have more technological and network experience than anyone else.

eircom. Driving Business Forward eircom.co.uk

Founded in 2003, Team Solutionz is a leading provider of decision support software that allows management, operations and planning levels of organisations to make faster and better informed decisions.

We believe that informed and timely decision making is the cornerstone of business success. Transparent decision making, especially at a leadership level, instills confidence, inspires trust and builds momentum and support for organisation wide improvement.

Our customers are taken from a broad spectrum of public, private and non-profit organisations and we are grateful for their continued support. We thank them for their loyalty and look forward to earning it for years to come by delivering quality, innovative software that anticipates their needs and exceeds their expectations.

Team Solutionz Ltd. Unit B3, Kilbegs Business Park, Fergusons Way, Antrim BT41 4LZ Tel: +44 (0) 28 9448 7753 www.teamsolutionz.com

Tech companies in the North are thriving too

By David Crawford, Partner, Deloitte of the competition so far. “It is particularly interesting that the sheer range of technologies and sectors represented in the Northern Ireland entries is so wide,” said David Crawford, Partner, Deloitte

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n its 15 years of existence and growth, a major characteristic of the Deloitte Fast 50 Awards is that it is an all-Ireland project. This year 13 firms from Northern Ireland were successful, down a little from the record 40 per cent of winners last year.

But the strength of Northern Ireland participation was exemplified by the performance of Novosco, with a unique record of winning an award in every year

“The winners range from a PLC to a three-year old company, from cuttingedge creative technologies to new developments in traditional businesses and systems. Perhaps the only shared characteristic is innovation combined with drive and a healthy spread of talent and technology.” Northern companies continue to show the fast growth that the Deloitte awards recognise, Crawford said.

“Most of the successful entrants over the years have also made the point that the Deloitte Fast 50 is an accolade that really helps when they are recruiting for sometimes-scarce technical skills,” Crawford added.

Northern Ireland also claimed one of the two Rising Star awards this year. CM Direct

qualified because it is just over three full years in business. It was literally a bedroom start-up that started on eBay but has grown so fast it has now moved to a 40,000-square foot warehouse.

It exemplifies what is possible if you have the idea and the focus and the drive to make things happen.”

Instil Software was the highest placed Northern Ireland entry at sixth place, a considerable step up for a company that entered the Fast 50 for the first time last year. Another new entry last year, Catalyst 2, retained a place, while those entries that were close but outside the 50 included companies that featured in previous years. “All of this has to be viewed in the context of the constantly rising standards,” Crawford said.

“The average growth rate of the Fast 50 this year was 276 per cent, while the No 1 was Inhance Technology with cumulative growth of 1,481 per cent.

These are high benchmarks for everybody.

DELOITTE TECHNOLOGY FAST 50 AWARDS in association with

Patrick McAliskey, MD, Novosco and David Crawford, Partner at Deloitte.

15 in a row for Novosco N ovosco, a leading provider of cloud technologies, has been named in Ireland’s fastest growing 50 technology companies for the 15th year in succession.

Instil the one stop software development consultancy specialising in the creation of bespoke mobile, desktop and enterprise systems was the top Northern Ireland company ranking at number 6.

While Cork-based Inhance Technology claimed top spot in the Deloitte Fast 50 held in Dublin Novosco’s annual success was singled out for special recognition on the night and spoke volumes for the Northern Ireland tech sector.

Overall winners, Inhance Technology, with a growth rate of just under 1500%, has developed a unique all-in-one solution that supports the customer experience throughout the complete lifecycle of their smartphones and tablets. They offer a range of next-generation features that help make mobile devices more secure, healthier and easier to support.

David Crawford, Partner at Deloitte in Belfast, said: “Our Fast 50 continues to be a success story for Northern Ireland companies.

Novosco in particular can be proud of their track record of having been placed in Ireland’s fastest growing 50 tech businesses for 15 years in succession. To further have Instil Software and Sixteen South occupying two of the top ten positions is fantastic.”

Now a staple in the technology industry’s calendar, the awards are in their fifteenth year in Ireland. Cumulatively, the 2014 Fast 50 winners generated approximately €350 million in total annual revenues in 2013, demonstrating the success of the industry

in Ireland. The average growth rate of the companies in the 2014 ranking was 276%.

Competition within the ranking was extremely strong – ding (formerly ezetop) achieved second place in the ranking, also with a growth rate of over 1000% in the last five years. The company, which enables people living or working abroad to instantly top up mobile phones of friends and family back home, had taken top spot in the ranking in both 2013 and 2012.

Third place went to Impedans Ltd with a growth rate of 884%. The company specialises in the delivery of high performance and high resolution plasma diagnostics solutions to customers in research and industry.

Two companies have also been awarded Rising Star awards. This category recognises >>

David Crawford.

DECEMBER 2014

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DELOITTE TECHNOLOGY FAST 50 AWARDS in association with

younger companies with the fastest growth in turnover over the past three years. CM Direct Ltd, a technologically intensive company offering complete brand and product solutions was Northern Ireland’s representative. TheJournal.ie, the Irish news website that invites its users to shape the news agenda, was the Republic of Ireland’s winner in this category.

The Fast 50 awards recognise the very best of the indigenous technology sector in Ireland. In recognition of the importance the multinational sector also contributes to the overall technology industry, and the synergy between the two sectors, two individuals – Barry O’Leary and Frank Ryan – were presented with special awards to acknowledge the contribution they have made through their work with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland respectively.

Announcing the winners of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 programme, David Crawford, Partner with Deloitte, said: “I am continually enthused by the hunger, drive and capacity to innovate that the winning companies demonstrate, as demonstrated by the close competition in this year’s ranking. The Fast 50 awards really do demonstrate the very best of this important sector, and we are delighted to be able to recognise them with these awards.”

Similar to last year, there are six counties across the island of Ireland represented on this year’s listing. Dublin leads the way with 27 companies, followed by Antrim, which has a representation of 12 companies. There are seven companies from Cork, up from four last year; two from Limerick while Derry and Kerry are represented by one company each.

The awards took place in Dublin on Friday 7 November 2014. Keynote speakers on the night included Eric Openshaw, Deloitte Global Sector Leader for Technology and Chris Watt, Partner, ECI Partners.

Details of the final Technology Fast 50 ranking list are available to download at www.fast50.ie

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Richie Howard, Partner, Deloitte, Tara Simpson, CEO, Instil and David Crawford.

David Crawford with Richard Bell and Matt McComb, Instil and Tara Simpson, CEO, Instil.

Conor Martin, CM Direct, Chris Martin, MD, CM Direct and James Greer, Ulster Business.

DELOITTE TECHNOLOGY FAST 50 AWARDS in association with

Fast 50 Ranking David Crawford, Colin Williams, MD, Sixteen South, Jonathan Keatings, FD, Sixteen South, Richie Howard.

Paul Prendergast, CEO, Inhance Technology.

Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte Dublin, Chris and Conor Martin, CM Direct.

Mark Carruthers.

DECEMBER 2014

Rank Region 1 ROI 2 ROI 3 ROI 4 ROI 5 ROI 6 NI 7 NI 8 ROI 9 ROI 10 ROI 11 ROI 12 ROI 13 ROI 14 NI 15 ROI 16 NI 17 ROI 18 ROI 19 NI 20 ROI 21 NI 22 ROI 23 NI 24 NI 25 ROI 26 ROI 27 NI 28 ROI 29 ROI 30 ROI 31 ROI 32 ROI 33 ROI

34 ROI 35 ROI 36 ROI 37 NI 38 ROI 39 ROI 40 ROI 41 ROI

42 NI 43 ROI 44 ROI 45 ROI 46 ROI 47 NI 48 ROI 49 NI 50 ROI

Company Inhance Technology ding* Impedans Ltd Tickets.ie Slainte Healthcare Instil Software Sixteen South Ltd Voxpro Ltd Spearline Labs Ltd ITQuotes AspiraCon Ltd Compliance & Risks Ltd Cartrawler Path XL IIS Ltd Rehabstudio Ltd Emydex Technology Ltd H2 Compliance Seopa Medserv Novosco Espion Limited Leaf Consultancy Limited First Derivatives plc Viatel Action Point Technology Export Technologies Ltd Trilogy Technologies TERMINALFOUR Excelsys Technologies Ltd Exigent Networks Nostra Advanced Manufacturing Control Systems Ltd Openet Creme Global Monex Financial Services Learning Pool Ltd Savvy Integrity Solutions Welltel HiberniaEvros Technology Group Catalyst 2 Topfloor Blueface Camara Education Rockall Technologies Etain Data Solutions Limited Team Solutionz Ltd Openmind Networks

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NEWS & VIEWS

World’s biggest law firm signs up to Belfast Harbour office

Pictured are Jason Marty, Baker & McKenzie’s Belfastbased Global Director of Operations and Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour’s Property Director.

T

he world’s largest law firm has been confirmed as the first tenant of Belfast Harbour’s new office development City Quays 1.

Baker & McKenzie has pre-let two floors in City Quays totalling 28,000 sq ft to accommodate its new Global Services centre which will create 260 jobs.

Work on the five-floor City Quays 1 office is due to complete in early 2015 with occupation anticipated by mid-April.

Belfast Harbour is also in discussion with a number of other parties regarding the remaining 41,000 sq ft at City Quays 1 and a further 124,000 sq ft at City Quays 2 which is due for completion in 2016.

Belfast Harbour’s Property Director, Graeme Johnston, said the deal confirms “the tide has turned” on Belfast’s commercial property market.

“By investing £30m in almost 200,000 sq ft

of Grade A office space, Belfast Harbour is helping address the current shortfall in high-end office space within the city centre. With demand for Grade A office space estimated at around 600,000 sq ft we’re confident that the wider £250m City Quays can quickly establish itself as one of Belfast’s core schemes.

Baker & McKenzie’s Belfast operation will be its second Global Services centre after the Philippine capital, Manila. The firm employs 11,000 people globally and is the world’s largest law firm. The Belfast office will focus on legal work for global clients and providing business services support for the firm’s offices worldwide.

Geoff’s Marketing Know-how

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he World Cup has been and gone but the work of FIFA continues across all parts of the globe.

August has been extremely busy for me with trips to Trindad and Tobago, Sri Lanka and Oman with FIFA and it’s really encouraging to see these Federations grow and adopt new ways of working.

The global experience I have gained through working with FIFA has helped me to provide knowledge and experience on a wide range of topics such as branding, communications, commercial and strategic development.

I have been fortunate to work with FIFA over the last five years traveling to countries such as Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean , several countries in the former Soviet Union, Jordan and Oman in the Middle East and to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in central Asia.

The work undertaken is wide and

40

varied. From recruitment and mentoring programmes through to the development of marketing, commercial, communication and strategic plans for football Association.

One of the many benefits of working with FIFA is being able to sample different cultures and meeting some fantastic people who have a real passion for football and pride in their country.

One such country I visited recently was Oman in the Middle East. A long but narrow country with a population of four million people.

The trip started with a nine hour flight from Manchester stopping off along the way at Abu Dhabi. The work involved conducting a review of their marketing and communications operations followed by the development of a business case for a merchandising programme.

Working on a global scale with FIFA gives me the opportunity to exchange my knowledge and experience with Federations in the area of sports marketing and strategic

Geoff Wilson with the General Secretary of the Tajikistan Football Federation.

development . This global experience has proved invaluable as I provide consultancy services to a wide range of local and international sporting organisations.

Geoff run’s his own Sports Consultancy, working with clients such as FIFA across the world. He is also on the board of SportNI. You can follow Geoff on twitter @geoffwnjwilson or Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/in/geoffwnjwilson

The power behind the cheese Backing Wyke Farms’ plans for 100% energy self-sufficiency

Wyke Farms, Somerset Richard Clothier, MD, Wyke Farms Ltd Colin James, Relationship Director, Barclays As Britain’s largest independent farmhouse cheese maker, Wyke Farms wanted to become self-sufficient in energy production. Barclays supported them by providing £3.5m of finance to build a biogas plant to recycle waste and generate green electricity. As MD Richard Clothier says, “It’s people that make things happen.

Barclays’ knowledge, enthusiasm and commitment are crucial to making our business sustainable and competitive.”

To find out how we can help your business succeed, call Adrian Doran on 02890 882900* or visit Barclays.com/corporatebanking

Barclays is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiaries. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702). Registered in England. Registered number is 1026167 with registered office at 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. *Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. To maintain a quality service we may monitor or record phone calls.

HOSPITALITY

Hilton’s NI Heritage Hilton has firmly established itself in Northern Ireland and is looking forward to more developments in Belfast’s Waterfront

The Belfast Hilton

also boasts an 18-hole golf course and spa, and playing host to the great, the good as well as the everyday tourist and business person.

Falling into the former category are the likes of Bill Clinton, Luciano Pavarotti, Dolly Parton, Shirley Bassey and, eh, Westlife, to name but a few.

Area manager Mark Walker has been in the post for five years and has enjoyed his fair share of high profile guests, not least the prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe who was staying at the hotel during the G8 Summit last year, nor the filming of the first season of The Fall where Gillian Anderson was a regular.

While the big names are exciting, Mark said the day-to-day running of the two hotels is what he enjoys most about his job.

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t the time, the arrival of a global hotel name in Belfast might not seem like the most obvious signal to the end of Northern Ireland’s troubled past but in retrospect it marked the end of one era and the start of another.

Even now it and its sister hotel in Templepatrick are two of only six amongst the 540 which Hilton own, the rest being franchises.

It started back in 1997 with a pre-opening office in Adelaide Street where Catherine Williamson, who is still working alongside the Hilton, was one of the first employees as human resources director helping to hire staff.

Those trying to turn the country around at the time concur that Hilton Hotel Group’s decision to build its own hostelry in the city was a turning point, one which gave a rubber stamp to the region’s peace.

The hotel, tucked alongside the Waterfront Hall, the River Lagan and offices housing the likes of PwC and BT, opened in September 1998, and managed to raise quite a fanfare.

That the Belfast hotel is one of a handful which the group actually owns outright was evidence of even deeper backing.

Since then Hilton has established itself further in Northern Ireland, taking over the aforementioned hotel in Templepatrick which

42

“I love the fact no two days are the same,” he told Ulster Business in the company’s Belfast hotel. “I work with some great people here across two successful and yet different hotels and get to meet some fascinating people.”

A veteran of the hotel world with 19 years at Hilton under his belt, Mark took the helm in Northern Ireland at a time of great upheaval in the hospitality world.

Along with the downturn in the global economy, there was also the arrival of a plethora of new hotel rooms in Belfast, adding more competition to a dwindling market.

Despite that, he has enjoyed considerable success since, particularly in the last couple of years when the region played host to a number of major events.

HOSPITALITY

The Hilton, Templepatrick

Hilton at night

Mark sits on the board of Visit Belfast in an effort to help attract all types of travellers to Northern Ireland and he’s particularly keen on attracting more conferences to the region.

He’s particularly encouraged by the extension to the Hilton Belfast’s nearneighbour The Waterfront Hall, one which is expected to make the city much more accommodating for large conferences and will bode well for the city hotel.

Mark Walker (centre back) meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

The aforementioned G8, the Giro d’Italia, the opening of the Titanic Belfast, the MTV Awards and a plethora of other big name gatherings provided a boost to business for Hilton and cemented the importance

DECEMBER 2014

of such events to the economy here.

That’s particularly true because the group’s global name means its custom is made up of around 60% business travellers, although leisure travellers are also important.

“Belfast has so much to offer the conference world and we’ll be perfectly placed to service delegates because we’ll be right beside one of the biggest venues,” Mark said.

Whether the Japanese prime minister will ever be back at the Hilton is hard to tell but there’s no doubt the future looks bright for the hotel group which had the courage to commit to Northern Ireland when many others shied away.

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PROFILE

Connected...

By Neal Lucas

This month, Neal Lucas, MD of the Executive Search Firm, Neal Lucas Recruitment Ltd meets with Heather Thompson, Regional Director of the National Trust.

What are the key aims for the National Trust over the next few years?

In April 2015 we will celebrate the conclusion of the £7.5m restoration project at Mount Stewart – a project that will bring this famous house back to its former glory. We have exciting plans for the wider demesne at Mount Stewart too and that will keep us busy for the next decade at least!

Regionally our focus will be on land, outdoors and nature. In Northern Ireland we look after more than 200 buildings and outdoor places across 46 square miles of beautiful countryside and farmland. We also look after 15% of our coastline here.

As a key player in tourism, and with more than 2.5 million visitors every year we will also continue to focus on providing the best visitor experiences.

What process do you use for strategy formulation?

We have an inclusive planning process involving staff and volunteers which helps us to build a regional business plan. That spirit of teamwork is really important to us.

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Our core purpose is to look after special places forever, for everyone – so we look far beyond the next five or 10 years.

We’re aware that decisions we make today will have an impact in more than 100 years. That’s a big responsibility.

What key attributes of your leadership are important in delivering your strategy?

For me it’s about my own commitment to our environmental work. I truly believe that we need to manage our natural resources in a different way in order to leave this place better than the way we inherited it.

I’m also committed to getting the best from my team. We can get amazing results through identifying the best people to lead on projects and providing coaching support to help them develop.

Finally, I’m very competitive, so that really spurs me on to deliver results!

What are the most important decisions you make as a leader?

Having the right people is essential so that we use our resources effectively. As a

charity it’s also important to invest our funds wisely. We have so many differing needs to consider and there is never enough to do everything – so prioritisation is key.

How do you extract complementary skills from your team to enable strategic objectives to be delivered?

Although we have up to 500 staff in peak season, we are incredibly lucky to have the support of 6,200 volunteers locally. Without that support network we simply couldn’t do what we do. That gives us a huge pool of talent, from experts in fabric and wallpapers to specialists in wildlife and conservation.

The challenge is bringing all that amazing knowledge together.

Do you have a definition of leadership?

Leadership is ultimately about getting results. It is up to me to get the best performance from my team through creating the right culture, setting a clear direction and celebrating our successes.

You can contact Neal Lucas on 028 9268 8818 or by visiting www.neallucasrecruitment.com

What’s going on at Downtown?

Well for starters, there’s much, much more to early mornings with the Downtown Breakfast show. Gary and Kirstie reach 146,000 weekly listeners, that’s second only to sister station Cool FM for the commercial audience.

Overall Downtown Radio reaches 269,000 weekly listeners.

Two great reasons to go Downtown.

*Source RAJAR Qtr 3, 2014 Downtown TSA

The Downtown Breakfast Show with Gary Myles and Kirstie McMurray Monday to Friday 6am to 10am.

So, if you want to reach a mass audience across the province, in the most cost effective way, then call Simon Mann, Commercial Director on 02891 815151. downtown.co.uk

PROFILE

Giant Students Calvin Elfring and Kevin Saurette, Stena Line Belfast Giants are the ninth and tenth students to be profiled in our “Studying Success” series. They have completed an MBA at Ulster University Business School.

Calvin Elfring (left) and Kevin Saurette, Stena Line Belfast Giants, MBA, Ulster University Business School.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of your career?

Kevin: I’ve played ice hockey professionally for nine seasons, including in the USA and Germany. The past two seasons have been spent with the Belfast Giants.

Calvin: After graduating from Colorado College in 1998 with a BA in Economics, I played ice hockey in North America and Germany. While contemplating retirement, the opportunity to continue my sporting career with the Belfast Giants and pursue my MBA at the Ulster University Business School arose and I jumped at the offer!

Does study at Ulster University Business School differ from study back home on your undergraduate course?

Kevin: The MBA programme has smaller class sizes than where I studied in Canada so it was more personal and interactive, allowing for a better overall understanding and experience.

Calvin: I attended a small university previously and the class sizes were similar. As it was over 16 years since I last studied I found it challenging but my tutors were very supportive.

Why did you decide that an MBA at Ulster University Business School was for you?

Kevin: I wanted to begin the process of preparing for life after hockey. I have witnessed many athletes struggle once their careers ended as they refused to prepare for life after sport. The MBA was a chance to gain a critical understanding of today’s business world while adding to the skills I gained through professional sport.

Calvin: I have acquired many skills as a professional athlete that will transfer into the business world but I wanted to advance my education to make myself more attractive to potential employers.

What part of the course has been the most beneficial?

Kevin: It really opened my eyes to the dynamic business world. The course forced me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to learn many new skills.

It was also great to learn from people

46

from different industry backgrounds as it gave me a rounded experience.

Calvin: For me, Accounting and Operations Management were the most beneficial courses.

I liked applying real world examples to the academic theory. My management project was very beneficial as it enabled me to formulate a potential resolution to an issue that exists in the current business environment.

Who do you admire most in the business world?

Kevin: Entrepreneurs. I admire anyone that can make something tangible from their ideas while assuming all the risks associated in the development of that idea.

Calvin: I would have to say my old youth ice hockey coach, Brian McNaughton. He saw an opportunity in the business world and capitalised. He created a commodities company that had a four month growing season in Canada and in the offseason he expanded into the southern hemisphere.

How has the course prepared you for life post Belfast Giants?

Kevin: I have a few new business ideas that have come from the MBA but hopefully life post the Belfast Giants is still a few years away!

Calvin: The MBA course has helped me bridge the gap that existed. I feel I have expanded the skillset I can offer a potential employer and I am a lot more confident.

At the beginning of the course I was timid and hesitant but by the end I was fully contributing and engaging in classes.

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

Cross-Border Trade

CROSS-BORDER TRADE

A cross-border boost?

The economy in the Republic is well on the road to recovery and racing ahead of other European nations. What does that mean for Northern Ireland and how can businesses here take more advantage of it? Jamie Stinson finds out.

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CROSS-BORDER TRADE

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his year the green shoots of recovery in the Republic of Ireland economy have begun to blossom. In the second quarter of 2014 the economy grew by 1.5%, and an increase of 7.7% year-on-year, the strongest year-on-year recorded in Ireland since the early noughties, according to finance minister Michael Noonan.

During the same period, the eurozone recorded the lowly figure of 0.7%.

Mr Noonan has had to up-grade his figure for growth in 2014 from 3% to 4.5%, which is impressive considering the initial forecast was 2.1%.

Danske Bank believes this is a conservative figure, and suggests economic growth could reach 5% this year and 3.5% next year in the Republic of Ireland.

But will Northern Ireland see any benefit to economic improvements being seen in the Republic of Ireland?

Angela MacGowan, chief economist at Danske Bank, feels there are many sectors in the province which will see the benefit of the Republic’s recovery. Ms MacGowan says: “This is of course good news for Northern Ireland with manufacturing export sales of just over £1.3bn currently going south of the border. In addition, the increase in economic activity in the Republic of Ireland presents further opportunities for local business services such as consultants, architects and many more firms who can provide competitive services to the Irish market.”

Nigel Smyth, CBI Northern Ireland director, believes the improvement in the Republic of Ireland economy gives Northern Ireland’s growing medium sized businesses sector an opportunity to prosper. Mr Smyth says: “A strong recovery in the Irish economy does provide good opportunities for small >>

DECEMBER 2014

49

CROSS-BORDER TRADE

companies, as well as are growing number of medium sized businesses, which the CBI believe have the potential to help transform the Northern Ireland economy.”

The recession hit exporters and the construction industry in the province hard, but with consumers in the Republic of Ireland expected to have a few more Euros in their pocket, Northern Ireland businesses could benefit.

“Trade has fallen sharply since the onset of the recession in 2008 but with consumer expenditure expected to grow in Ireland by around 3% in 2015 and investment rising by over 12% there will be increasing opportunities for a range of businesses, and we expect trade levels to start to increase,” Mr Smyth adds.

After tough years in recent times, the construction sector in the Northern Ireland will see the benefit of the improvement in the Republic of Ireland’s economy, according to Richard Ramsey, chief economist at Ulster Bank.

Mr Ramsey says: “The recovery of the Republic’s economy has been felt in Northern Ireland, with the recent Ulster Bank Northern Ireland PMI reporting a 16th consecutive month of private sector growth. As house building in the south continues to recover,

50

this will provide a further boost to Northern Ireland’s construction sector and associated local manufacturing businesses.”

As the UK economy is seeing reasonable growth and the strict monetary policy of Bank of England chairman Mark Carney, compared with the relatively poor performance of the Eurozone, the pound is much stronger against the Euro. Ms McGowan points out, exports to the Republic of Ireland are not as high as we would usually expect due to a strong pound, and we will see a fall in trade from north to south of the Border.

“Foreign exchange rates can help or hinder foreign sales and unfortunately at the moment the strong pound is not allowing Northern Ireland to reach full capacity in terms of its export potential.

“The strong pound means that the full potential for increased sales that a growing Irish economy would normally present might be not be realised. Danske Bank expects EUR/ GBP to trade lower in the coming 12 months primarily driven by divergent growth and monetary policy,” Ms MacGowan adds.

Mr Ramsey points out Northern Ireland companies have lost their competitiveness, but the food and drink sector is providing hope. “Now that the Sterling has strengthened significantly against the

Euro, the shoe is on the other foot, with the price competitiveness that Northern Ireland businesses enjoyed against their southern competitors having been eroded.

“That said, the Northern Ireland food and drink sector continues to perform well, with things like quality, provenance, sustainability and traceability standing local products and produce in good stead.”

Mr Smyth believes Northern Ireland will still remain competitive despite the weakening of the Euro: “Even with sterling at its current rates against the euro we believe many Northern Ireland companies will be able to compete successful – sterling is still 10% below its value back in 2007. In many cases companies have purchases in euros which help to offset a stronger pound.”

In some potentially good news for firms which trade across the border, with the Euro expected to soon bottom out, according to Ms MacGowan. “Although exchange rates are highly unpredictable; it would come as no surprise to see the euro bottoming out at 1.31 (76p) on the six month horizon before recovering during the 6-12 month horizon to around 1.26 (79p).

The volatility obviously makes it difficult for local exporters, although local firms should be aware that their bank can help to hedge against foreign exchange risk.”

Discover what’s possible

Energise your business In a challenging commercial world, business energy makes all the difference. InterTradeIreland is a powerful resource for business growth, helping provide that critical energy through business intelligence, meaningful contacts and funding support. Join over 25,000 businesses that have been supported by InterTradeIreland to identify and develop all-island trade and innovation opportunities.

Find out more about the extraordinary possibilities that exist right here on our doorstep.

It could be just the boost your business needs.

Intelligence

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Funding

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Contacts intertradeireland.com

CROSS-BORDER TRADE

The cross-border market – a growing opportunity for local SMEs

By Aidan Gough, Strategy and Policy Director at InterTradeIreland

managing a different currency before moving into more complex European markets.

Exporting companies are three times more likely to be growing and therefore creating jobs so it is extremely important for the local and wider economy that firms are supported and encouraged to do so.

The Q2 2014 InterTradeIreland Business Monitor, based on the views of more than 750 business managers, found that 82% of firms surveyed are not currently exporting, despite one in five businesses having a product or service suitable for export. This suggests that there is a significant body of potential exporters out there but these firms may be reluctant for a number of reasons.

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s further uncertainty mounts in the wider global economy, the market in Ireland is unquestionably experiencing recovery with the European Commission tipping it to become the fastest growing country in the EU this year.

Understandably the value of cross-border goods trade dropped significantly as the economic crisis took hold, but since 2010, this has turned around and has improved significantly over the last few years. It is now worth €2.8bn and with the ongoing growth in Ireland’s economy, the crossborder market will continue to provide opportunities for firms from Northern Ireland. There is also the prospect for local

52

firms to bid on southern public tenders, an extremely lucrative market worth €8.5bn.

As our closest neighbour, Ireland can be the first step in an exporting strategy that can lead to success in other markets further afield.

Recent research from InterTradeIreland has shown that cross-border sales represent the first export market for almost three-quarters of businesses across the island, with 90% of Northern Ireland firms taking their first export steps in the Irish market and two thirds (63%) of Irish exporters taking the same steps in the opposite direction. For a first-time exporter in Northern Ireland, the southern market is the perfect place to start. It is geographically closer, there are no language barriers and companies can gain valuable experience

The main challenges perceived by SMEs include a lack of time or management resources, the perceived cost associated with entry to new markets as well as a shortage of internal financial resources and a lack of awareness of available support.

In InterTradeIreland we recognise the challenges that firms face when wanting to trade across the border and we have an array of appropriate supports to help firms realise the benefit and opportunities that can be obtained. These supports will help firms to develop the capabilities and connections to discover the potential offered by the crossborder market and exploit a new market opportunity.

If you would like further information on InterTradeIreland’s supports please contact 028 3083 4100 or visit the website www.intertradeireland.com

EMPLOYER, WORKER, JOBSEEKER? EURES CROSS BORDER Partnership can HELP you with FREE Recruitment Services, Information and Advice.

WHAT IS THE EURES CROSS BORDER PARTNERSHIP? The EURES (European Employment Services) Cross Border Partnership was established to facilitate the free movement of people who wish to commute daily or weekly across the Ireland/Northern Ireland border. The Partnership aims to make life easier for employers wishing to recruit workers and people who travel across the border for work purposes. A network of specialist EURES cross border advisers provides information, advice and placement services for employers and jobseekers interested in cross-border recruitment or working.

WHO ARE THE PARTNERS? There are seven organisations, from both sides of the border, represented on the Partnership:• Confederation of British Industry (CBI) • Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) • Department of Social Protection (DSP) • Dundalk Chamber of Commerce • Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC) • Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) • Londonderry Chamber of Commerce

WHAT REGION IS COVERED BY THE PARTNERSHIP? The Partnership covers all of Northern Ireland and the counties of Louth, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Sligo, and Leitrim in the Republic of Ireland.

For a copy of our mobility pack, to contact an adviser or for more information please visit our website: www.eures-crossborder.org

This publication has received financial support from the European Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation “EaSI” (2014-2020). For further information please consult: www.ec.europa.eu/social/easi

EASI Programme

CROSS-BORDER TRADE

Greater cross-border co-operation could yield dividends for property market

By David McClure, Director, Professional Services, Osborne King Commercial Property Consultants

H

aving just returned from a family break in Dublin I was, as usual, amazed by the vibrancy of the city. Dublin is very evidently a genuine business and cultural hub, an outward looking European city in every sense.

Grafton Street was, as always, thronged with tourists and shoppers engendering, it has to be said, more than a faint whiff of economic recovery in this Ulsterman’s nostrils. As this aroma faded on my journey north, I reflected on the very clear disparity between our two capital cities attempting to somehow make sense of this in a property context.

The economic reality is very straightforward: Ireland as a whole simply doesn’t have the population to justify more than one genuine capital city and Belfast is in many respects merely a regional outpost. The point is simply that little of the vibrancy and wealth of Dublin is emanating far beyond its city limits, let alone making the journey across the border into Northern Ireland.

In truth, the notion of an all-island Irish property market remains idealistic.

The concept of cross-border trade in a property context remains largely nonexistent and our exposure to all-Ireland dynamics has been very much limited to the melt-down of the banking system and subsequent NAMA process in 2009/2010 which gave us some flavour of our nearest neighbour’s asset landscape.

Arguably the most significant and recognisable example of Irish-based investment within a Belfast context is the 185-acre £7bn Titanic Quarter Master Plan.

The project has understandably stagnated in recent years, but whatever the commercial

54

complications presented, surely no-one could deny that this is a project born out of genuine visionary intent. We now have quality waterfront residential living comparable to anything in western Europe, an entertainment arena, “best-in-class” office buildings and of course the Titanic Signature Project.

The recent emergence of the private equity funds has also introduced a new dynamic to the all-island market. There is little doubt that having initially been drawn to Dublin, these opportunistic players have looked north for the next wave of product. It could be argued that the underlying Irish banking system has by default led to interest in Northern Ireland, but I like to think that the likes of Cerberus, Loan Star, Davidson Kempner and Kennedy Wilson to name but a few, all see merit in investing in Northern Ireland. For the time being at least, there is undeniable value in our local property market, more favourable income returns for investors, and importantly the opportunity afforded by the wholesale disposal of debt.

Beyond the private equity landscape, ultimately the key to sustainability is what happens next? The investment characteristics of these players suggest a short-term phenomenon and in order to exit the market at the desired pace, a functioning indigenous banking system is required capable of supporting our entrepreneurs and visionaries both north and south of the border. Only once this has occurred will we have witnessed a return to a normalised property market and created the opportunity once again for Irish entrepreneurs to contemplate NI investment.

However, aside from the obvious commercial opportunities that market normalisation will present, we also need to create genuine trust and respect between jurisdictions if we are to maximise cross-border investment.

Bluntly, this challenge remains largely the responsibility by our politicians.

David McClure can be contacted on tel: 028 9027 0000 or at david.mcclure@osborneking.com

Driving leadership in local enterprise

BDO partners celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary at the Ulster Museum. From L-R: Brian Murphy, Laura Jackson, Michael Jennings, Francis Martin, Maybeth Shaw, Nigel Harra (Senior Partner), Alex Ward, Peter Burnside (Managing Partner), Sean Lavery and Carol Malcolmson.

BDO NI celebrate 25th anniversary

B

DO Northern Ireland recently celebrated their 25th anniversary of supporting and working with businesses in Northern Ireland this year. To celebrate this important milestone, the accountancy and professional advisory firm held a drinks reception at the Ulster Museum on the 1st October 2014. Representatives from clients who have been with BDO over the last 25 years were present along with BDO staff, past and present.

Speaking at the event, BDO’s Managing Partner Peter Burnside said the 25th anniversary was an important benchmark for BDO. “Throughout the last 25 years one constant feature of the business community in Northern Ireland has been a determination to not only survive but to flourish during some very difficult economic times. That determination characterises the way we in BDO approach our work, it also is a part of how our client companies operate. Many of those clients who are with us this evening have been part of the BDO journey for the better part of the 25 years.

“Despite the recent downturn, our staff numbers have grown; our client numbers have grown, and so has the level of service provided to our clients. We now have in place a team which has a depth of experience over a wide range of business sectors including energy, family businesses, agri-food, procurement and business recovery.

“So as we look back and acknowledge where we have come from we are also forging ahead, preparing for growth and planning to continue our role in helping drive forward Northern Ireland plc. It is a very exciting time for BDO in Northern Ireland.”

Managing Partner Peter Burnside addresses over 400 clients and contacts at the BDO 25th Celebration in the Ulster Museum.

DECEMBER 2014

Maria McAllister, Senior Business Manager at Bank of Ireland UK, Belfast Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon and Laura Jackson, Partner at BDO Northern Ireland at the launch of the Leadership in Enterprise.

B

DO Northern Ireland, in partnership with Bank of Ireland (UK) have recently launched a new report, “Driving Leadership in Enterprise”, produced following a series of interactive seminars attended by some of Northern Ireland’s leading female business leaders.

These seminars aimed to identify and share trends, challenges and insights that leaders in enterprise face in Northern Ireland. The four key themes of Strategy & Planning, Customers, Innovation and Confidence clearly emerged as the areas requiring focus in driving leadership in enterprise forward in the region.

Evidenced throughout the series of seminars was the passion and desire of the attendees to lead the growth of enterprise in Northern Ireland, and a consensus that through a combined macro and micro focus on these common themes, the Northern Ireland business community can thrive and become a leading driver of enterprise.

The report was launched by Belfast Lord Mayor Nichola Mallon in City Hall on 15th October 2014, who welcomed the report and the partnership approach between BDO and Bank of Ireland (UK) which led to its publication.

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TECHNOLOGY

Make technology a business advantage

By Kyle Johnston, Sales Director at Leaf

Digital gives back after years of high street taking

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or SMB’s technology can make the difference in driving your company ahead. Modern IT can set you apart from your competitors, whatever size they may be. But how do you get there?

Microsoft and Leaf provide something different – offering a unique approach for making the benefits of modern technology a reality for SMBs. Microsoft empowers SMB’s by making technology a business advantage. You can choose your own path with solutions that address your business goals – whether growing sales, increasing efficiency, enabling a mobile workforce, or keeping data protected.

Microsoft offers business solutions designed to address your business goals and challenges across four key areas: • Grow efficiently – Use technology to reduce costs and be a real enabler of your business growth.

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A

fter being blamed for draining trade away from the high street, the world of online shopping is finally going to help resurrect Northern Ireland’s stores.

That’s the conclusion from a newly-released survey from Deloitte which found that 40% of shops sales this Christmas will be “digitally influenced”, where customers use some form of digital technology to inform or facilitate their purchase.

“This is great news for Northern Ireland retailers and further proof that harnessing digital technologies will continue to be the key to success and longevity,” Dr Danny McConnell, Technology Partner at Deloitte (pictured) said.

He said the mix of high street and online shopping is one which is finding a balance.

“In this digital age, consumers demand instant access to information on products and services. They want to compare prices and increasingly pay and transact via digital devices.

However, this surge in demand for click and collect services seems to suggest that while many are happy to purchase online, some still feel more comfortable collecting purchases at their convenience rather than relying on a delivery company.

“It will be up to local retailers to capitalise on this opportunity by continuing to invest in in-store technologies such as mobile payments to facilitate faster, more convenient transactions and beacon technology to track shoppers in-store and deliver personalised messages and promotions, further boosting the digital influence on the physical environment.

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

Public Sector

PUBLIC SECTOR

Budget crisis postponed but inevitable

By John Simpson

T

he budget crisis for the Executive raises several critical questions.

Has the Executive been treated fairly, given our circumstances, by the Treasury? Is there a case for less stringent budget limits? If the budget must be cut, should some of the changes apply to revenue raising as well as spending? If spending must be reduced, can the changes be validated by comparative reference?

Inevitable?

The Westminster Government coalition early in its term of office published its budget plans from 2011 to 2016. With only small variations, these Westminster budget plans have been delivered. When this comment appears, there will be confirmation of the plans for 2015-16 announced with the Autumn Statement.

For Northern Ireland, the scale of the changes in the Block Grant were outlined four years in advance and, being set in cash terms, the probable real terms could be deduced.

Looking back, using short-term discretionary decisions, the Northern Ireland Executive ill-advisedly postponed the upcoming serious budget adjustments. The expenditure approved by the Executive exceeded the continuing revenue and was financed by temporary expedients.

Over £1bn deducted The key indicator lies in the total available for current spending, excluding capital projects.

The available total in money terms was just over £10.2bn in 2010-11. In 2015-16 the allocation from HM Treasury (before some

58

local budget items) is only slightly larger.

[This total omits the managed expenditure on benefits and pensions which have a parity based cash guarantee from Westminster each year and will cost over £8.4bn in 2015-16.]

If an adjustment is made for inflation of 12% over this five year period (which is a conservative aggregate) then the real spending power of the current discretionary budget has been reduced by just over £1.2bn. This underpins the critical charge that Westminster’s ‘austerity’ budget has taken over £1bn from Northern Ireland.

“The £380m reduction must be found from the £3.6bn budgets of the remaining departments, excluding education: an average reduction of over 10%.”

changes, as well as asking how the response to the changes should be distributed between spending departments and, additionally, whether there should also be a response in seeking additional revenue from local taxation or other sources.

At first sight, the size of the Northern Ireland budget shortfall is not large.

Current spending in 2015-16 from the Treasury must not exceed £10.3bn.

That total is deceptive. First, the total must be adjusted for the repayment of a loan of £100m from the Treasury. Second, the inherited budget for 2014-15 already includes a worrying over-commitment which affects 2015-16. Third, these inherited pressures mean that current spending in 2015-16 must be at least 2% lower than originally budgeted. In other circumstances only a 2% reduction could be stressful but manageable.

The effective budget reduction becomes frighteningly clear when there must be large internal adjustments within the Northern Ireland totals.

Westminster ministers will argue that this austerity charge is misleading. Northern Ireland has, more than proportionately, contributed to the UK budget imbalance and should contribute to the adjustment.

Despite the apparent austerity budgeting, Northern Ireland has maintained public spending which is over 20% higher per person than the UK average.

Spending on health and social services, to cope with acknowledged demand pressure, has been allocated a budget increase of £150m, or 3.3%, and spending for enterprise, trade and investment gained an extra £20m, or 5.3%. These two adjustments alone convert a gross reduction of £213m into a net reduction of over £380m on the other government departments.

Since the intention of Westminster is clear, that leads into questions about the distribution and impact of the budgetary

The £380m reduction must be found from the £3.6bn budgets of the remaining departments, excluding education: an >>

DECEMBER 2014

59

PUBLIC SECTOR

average reduction of over 10%. The heaviest reductions will apply to Social Development, Employment and Learning, Culture and the Arts, and the Environment.

By any standard the reductions will be dramatic, exceptional and painful.

Extra spending widely spread Since Northern Ireland already spends, on average, more than 20% more per person on public services than in GB, there is an interest in comparing where spending will fall with the general areas where spending is already higher than in GB. To make the comparison slightly more relevant, the 2012-13 public spending figures for the North East of England have been used as a baseline. Northern Ireland has annual identifiable public sector spending nearly 16% (or £1,457) higher per person than the North East.

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• Social security etc

4% higher or £153 per person

• Public order (police)

55% higher or £273 pp

• Agriculture

258% higher or £196 pp

• Enterprise & economy

152% higher or £93 pp

• Transport

46% higher or £98 pp

• Housing & community

110% higher or £250 pp

• Education

13% higher or £176 pp

• Health

2% lower or £41 pp

Based on the expenditure groups used by the Treasury, Northern Ireland public sector spending compared with the

North East. Spending on policing, farming and enterprise is higher but might be expected to be higher. Only in terms of

North East has been (see table above).

housing and community development, and transport do the details suggest that Northern Ireland spending merits some scrutiny.

This breakdown of the spending figures dispels some of the usual perceptions, points to some understandable differences and then leaves one or two open questions.

Spending on social security and health is surprisingly close to the experience in the

Northern Ireland is generously financed

by Westminster. Areas of excessive funding are not large and conspicuous.

However, the challenge is not demonstrably unreasonable.

10 Key Changes in Public Procurement

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By Lisa Boyd, Director, Cleaver Fulton Rankin

n 28 March 2014 three new directives were published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), updating and amending the current regime. This article intends to focus on Directive 2014/24/EU which governs how public authorities can award public works, supply and service contracts and the 10 key changes it will implement. In the UK regulations have already been drafted and are out for consultation however, no date has been confirmed as to when they may come into force.

3. Award criteria must be on the most economically advantageous tender and be based on a cost-effectiveness approach Contracting authorities must award contracts to the most economically advantageous tender.

What has changed under the new rules?

5. In-house exemption The Teckal exemptions will be codified.

Essentially, there Is a two part test: • Control: the controlling authority has to exercise sufficient control over the controlled body; and • Activity: the controlled body has to carry out the essential part of its activities for its owner authority.

8. Compulsory acceptance of self-declarations Only the winning tenderer needs to submit all the documentation proving that it qualifies for the contract. To participate in the procedure, it will be sufficient to submit a self-declaration that it fulfils these conditions.

6. Mandatory use of electronic communications Contracting authorities will have 30 months after the directive has been implemented into national law to move to fully electronic tendering in all procurement procedures.

9. Minimum deadlines to submit tenders shortened For example, in the open procedure, the minimum timescale for returning tenders will be reduced to 35 days where tenders can be submitted electronically and 20 days where a Prior Information Notice (PIN) is used and specific conditions met.

1. The distinction between Part A and B services abolished The distinction between Part A and B will be abolished and all above threshold service contracts will be subject to the Procurement rules. There is one key exception, in that there will be a new light-touch regime for health and social services and a limited number of other specified services which must meet a higher threshold of €750,000.

2. Improved access for SMEs New measures include ‘self-declaration’ and limiting turnover requirements to a maximum of twice the estimated contract value. In addition, contracts for goods and/or services over €500,000 or for works over €5 million are to be divided into lots and whilst this is not compulsory, a contracting authority who does not divide a contract into lots will have to set out its main reasons for not doing so.

4. Amending contracts post-award The Pressetext case which governs variations to contracts will be codified. Variations will fall into one of two categories: (i) “substantial” changes requiring a tender process for a new contract; and (ii) “not substantial” changes.

7. A new ground for discretional exclusion Contracting authorities may now exclude a bidder where they have shown significant or persistent deficiencies in the performance of a substantive requirement under a prior public contract which led to early termination, damages or comparable sanction.

50 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FW For more information: tel: +44 (0)28 9024 3141 or visit www.cfrlaw.co.uk

10. Competitive Negotiated Procedure The contracting authority will be able to negotiate with bidders who have submitted their tenders to improve the content of their offers. There will need to be a “final tender” stage during which bidders will then be invited to submit a revised tender.

PUBLIC SECTOR

The budget riddle Belfast Metropolitan College Chairman Richard O’Rawe sets out the worrying economic consequences of the draft Budget.

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t the heart of the draft budget lies a riddle and the riddle is this: how can you build and rebalance an economy while simultaneously depriving it of skills?

The answer is of course glaringly obvious – you can’t.

Belfast Met is Northern Ireland’s largest further and higher education college and, as such, plays a pivotal role in meeting the education and skills needs of the local economy. As its Chairman, I am as baffled as I am troubled by the proposal to cut the Department for Employment and Learning’s allocation by some 10.8%.

In particular, I am struggling to understand the logic of a budget which purports to prioritise economic recovery and reflect “what is important to the people of Northern Ireland” on the one hand, while simultaneously proposing such a severe cut to the department which plays so critical a role in wider economic and business success.

The further education sector is fortunate in having a Minister with the vision, commitment and undeniable talent of Minister Farry.

Under his leadership, Belfast Met has been given the space and support to regain its economic focus and relevancy. And yet a budget cut of such magnitude could potentially stop this in its tracks and possibly even undo a lot of the excellent work done to date.

Economic recovery is predicated on having the infrastructure and skills to allow businesses to develop and flourish. Belfast Met works alongside industry, from the biggest employers right through to the smallest of local businesses, in matching what they need with what our curriculum and training courses deliver.

How are we to continue our pivotal role in skilling, up-skilling and re-skilling the workforce in the face of such a cut?

The draft budget quite rightly places great emphasis on funding job creation as evident in the fact that DETI is being allocated a further £30m “to ensure its recent impressive record on job creation can continue”. Belfast Met delivers the skills needed to feed this demand at every level of the economy but notably at higher level in priority areas such as STEM. It is, as yet, unclear how the budget cut would affect Belfast Met’s work as part of DEL’s highly effective Assured Skills programme.

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Richard O’Rawe, Belfast Met Chairman

The programme has enabled us to collaborate with industry in developing initiatives to bridge the skills gaps in priority sectors such as IT, advanced engineering and financial services. It has helped us support the growth strategies of leading companies, such as Deloitte, PwC and Harland and Wolff and in the process has given graduates the skills needed to take up well-paid jobs in sectors where demand outstrips supply. In turn, this raises the profile of skills and talent in Northern Ireland and helps satisfy client and foreign direct investment demand. It is clear therefore that the effectiveness of DETI and Invest NI is inextricably linked to that of DEL and Belfast Met. The period between now and the end of the year is crucial.

The budget is still in draft form and will remain so until public consultation closes on 29 December. Belfast Met’s governing body will be submitting a robust response. We are perfectly prepared to make hard decisions, but are not willing to go along with a budget which, quite frankly, just doesn’t add up.

Outsourcing Flags, firebombs Facilities && flashbacks Management

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OUTSOURCING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Bring in the experts The drive to cut costs for companies in all sectors has helped benefit the outsourcing sector over the last few years. Will the onset of recovery pose new challenges for outsourcing companies or will cuts to the public sector present new opportunities? Jamie Stinson investigates.

T

hroughout the recession, cutting costs has been the number one priority for all businesses, no matter what its size.

One method of reducing overheads adopted by many companies has been outsourcing.

This is something Northern Ireland has benefited from as many international

64

companies sought solace in the highly skilled workforce and relatively low cost commercial property of the province.

game during the economic downturn and for global players, outsourcing played a key role in that efficiency drive.�

Angela MacGowan, chief economist at Danske Bank points out, the recession changed the game for businesses leading companies revaluate their costs. “Quite simply, all firms were forced to up their

There have been many big name companies which chose Northern Ireland over other locations throughout the world. In many cases this has been driven with help from Invest NI.

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OUTSOURCING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

“Northern Ireland has been fortunate enough to experience numerous investments with large international firms such as Allen & Overy, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers who have embedded aspects of their business and certain projects in the local economy,” Ms MacGowan adds “These global players and many others recognise that outsourcing can drive down costs, reduce overheads, increase operational control over functions and reduce risk.”

To remain competitive firms outsourced parts of the business which did not need to remain in their main office, as a way to alleviate cost pressure.

Dr Esmond Birnie, PwC chief economist in Northern Ireland says: “As companies focus on productivity, innovation and increasing their competitiveness, we’re seeing a greater willingness to outsource non-core activities.”

Once the economic recovery starts to take hold, whether firms will still have the determination and drive to cut costs remains to be seen.

Ms MacGowan adds: “It is highly unlikely that in the recovery period companies will want to backtrack as the new economic climate will also require a continued focus on efficiency and cost reduction.”

This is what attracts many firms to Northern Ireland, over the major cities of Dublin and London. Ms MacGowan said: “As large cities such as London and Dublin get increasingly congested and as technology and connectivity make location less relevant, regional hubs for outsourcing will become a prominent feature of the economic landscape.

“Luckily Northern Ireland appears to hit many of the right notes for investors looking to outsource. Our high standard of living, good infrastructure, good schools and universities, as well as the competitive cost base makes Northern Ireland a perfect location for this type of business activity.”

Dr Birnie believes as the economy improves, the traditional role of outsourcing may begin to change. “To see where this

DECEMBER 2014

may lead, we need to look beyond the traditional outsourcing of support services like cleaning, maintenance and logistics.

Culture, Arts and Leisure, Employment and Learning, and Environment, all facing a 13% decrease in their budgets.

“For example, the pharmaceutical/biotech industry already has the highest levels of R&D outsourcing across hi-tech industries, with its outsourcing growth rate outstripping internal investment. Some large pharmaceutical companies suggest that 40% or more of their R&D spend will be outsourced in the near future and that clinical operations functions will eventually be outsourced entirely.”

In the province our public sector plays a much bigger role for our economy than the other regions of the UK.

However, Dr Birnie thinks as technology, and access to technology, improves all companies no matter the size will need to change how they work.

“Three main economic drivers – infrastructure, our education system and skills all rely heavily on public investment.”

“That’s supported by our recent Future of Work report, which suggests that around a third of employees would be willing to work on a project-by-project basis as part of loose collaborative networks, brought together by technology, with social media heightening the connectivity.

“Public sector cuts always present a challenge as public spending influences our quality of life. Three main economic drivers – infrastructure, our education system and skills all rely heavily on public investment,” Ms MacGowan said.

“As companies focus on productivity, innovation and increasing their competitiveness, we’re seeing a greater willingness to outsource non-core activities.”

“A decade from now outsourcing may have a very different profile with technology allowing even the smallest companies to access worldclass expertise on an ‘as-needed’ basis.”

And will cuts to the public sector present new challenges?

The Northern Ireland budget announced by finance minister Simon Hamilton in October will see cuts of £873m to the public sector.

The department seeing the biggest hit are

The Department of Employment and Learning has seen a cut of nearly 11% in its budget for next year, which has led Queen’s University and University of Ulster accept 1,100 less students next September. This could have a serious effect on the Northern Economy long term, with many students having to go overseas. The province could lose out of many high-skilled graduates, which attract many international businesses to Northern Ireland.

Ms MacGowan believes the cuts are hitting Northern Ireland’s future workforce, with the cuts to the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and learning. “Essential investment in our future workforce is going to be slashed.

Other challenges will emerge for various other departments and public sector reform which aims to deliver ‘more with less’, will need to be speedily delivered.

“These cuts are planned for next year but as yet we have not seen any alternative solutions around how we can drive up educational standards with less money or cope with mushrooming costs in the NHS with a limited budget.”

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OUTSOURCING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

New heads for Grant Thornton Business advisory firm Grant Thornton has announced the appointment of three partners to lead the company within Northern Ireland.

L

ouise Kelly (Audit), Peter Legge (Tax) and Richard Gillan (Advisory) will spearhead significant expansion plans over the coming years.

Grant Thornton, which operates in 130 countries globally, employs 300 staff in Belfast.

Louise Kelly will lead the Audit team in Northern Ireland. Having joined Grant Thornton in 2000, she has experience working with public and privately owned companies, particularly within the construction, education, motor retail and manufacturing sectors. She is the author of Advanced Auditing and Assurance, the text book used by Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Tax partner Peter Legge has almost 20 years’ experience in providing tax advice to individuals and businesses. He joined Grant Thornton in 2005 and specialises in advising owner managed businesses on tax matters.

His clients include those from the food and beverage, property and construction, technology and media and retail sectors.

Richard Gillan joins Grant Thornton from the private sector to lead the Advisory team.

Having trained as a Chartered Accountant he has spent the last decade acquiring a number of businesses, restructuring and expanding them in advance of successful exits. He is uniquely placed in the Northern Irish market to advise on acquisitions, disposals, corporate strategy and financing.

In welcoming the new partners, Paul McCann, Managing Partner of Grant Thornton, Ireland, said: “These appointments not only represent a

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At the announcement are the new partners, Richard Gillan (Advisory), Louise Kelly (Audit), Paul McCann, Managing Partner, Ireland and Peter Legge (Tax).Grant Thornton, which operates in 130 countries globally, employs almost 300 staff in Belfast

new dawn for Grant Thornton in Northern Ireland but also recognise the vast experience and knowledge that all three partners possess.

“I’m delighted that all three are Northern Irish natives and know the nuances and challenges for companies” “Grant Thornton has been one of the fastest growing accountancy firms in Ireland over the past decade and the new partners have ambitious plans to grow the business in Northern Ireland by expanding

its portfolio of specialist advice.

“I’m delighted that all three are Northern Irish natives and know the nuances and challenges for companies and individuals when operating in both a local and global marketplace.

“While Louise and Peter have been with Grant Thornton for many years and each is vastly experienced and respected, Richard Gillan joins the firm from the private sector.

He has purchased and successfully exited a number of businesses and his skills will be unrivalled as he leads the Advisory team.”

Grant Thornton in Ireland comprises over 600 partners and staff operating from offices in Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Kildare.

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OUTSOURCING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Leading the way in business support solutions

By Cathal Geoghegan, Managing Director at The Mount Charles Group

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he service industry is one that has to cope with the multi faceted demands of continually evolving client needs.

Over the past 25 years The Mount Charles Group has risen to the forefront to become Ireland’s largest indigenous food service and business support solutions provider.

In a competitive market that is populated with multi-national providers, we’ve done this by positioning ourselves as a multi-service provider that not only offers value for money, but also a level of service that is uncompromising in its commitment to excellence.

As a local company, we have an understanding of our clients’ organisations and what is important to them that the multi-national companies just can’t replicate.

With a team of over 1,600 people across the island, we offer innovative, integrated and cost effective solutions to clients across a wide spectrum of industries.

When first established, the company was entirely focused on the contract catering market and while that remains a core element of the business, it has grown organically over the years to include other

70

divisions such as vending and retail catering, which have become integral parts of the business in their own right.

It’s the cleaning and support services division though that’s really gone from strength-to-strength.

It was conceived from a small base back in 2010 and has grown rapidly since then to become a key division of the business, and one which now generates annual revenue of close to £4m.

Our cleaning operation has grown 30% in the last year alone, and it is in response to this growth that we appointed a Director to the division in the form of Jonathan McKinlay.

Jonathan, who was originally the Group’s Business Development Manager, has been instrumental in the success we’ve achieved and his new position has allowed an increased focus on developing our services in this field.

We offer a full range of services including cleaning for businesses, healthcare, events, hospitality, public transport, education, retail and other specialist areas.

The complexities of meeting the

requirements from these diverse sectors throws up challenges of course, but our team is structured to respond to changing client needs quickly and efficiently.

This burgeoning part of the business has evolved to include a number of integrated business support services, such as reception staff, maintenance, helpdesk, portering, security, waste management and a remote switch board service.

We can provide an innovative turnkey solution, which equates to significant savings in both time and resource for our clients.

Our view is we will adapt our offering to meet their business support requirements, whatever these may be and irrespective of the size of the individual contract, our approach is always to provide a service that combines cost effectiveness and quality.

Our passion for delivering highly bespoke business support is palpable and we constantly strive to improve our knowledge and seek ways to enhance efficiency and productivity in all that we do.

That’s the beauty of outsourcing really; we will find ways to reduce operating costs while improving quality, leaving the client free to focus on maximising the potential of their core business.

CATERING | CLEANING | RETAIL VENDING| SECURITY | BUSINESS SUPPORT

Ascot House, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, BT2 7DB Email: info@mountcharles.com Web: www.mountcharles.com Tel: 028 90 32 00 70

NEWS

Craigavon butchers make the cut for top UK prize

Business outlook for 2015 remains positive: Hays

B

usiness outlook is positive, recruitment activity is increasing and candidates are confident to look for new roles, according to John Moore, Managing Director at specialist recruitment company Hays.

The Mayor of Craigavon, Councillor Colin McCusker, joins Simon Dowey of John R Dowey and Son and Clayton Moore of M&W Farm Meats to congratulate them on their shortlisting.

T

wo Craigavon butchers were shortlisted for a top UK industry award in November. Portadown’s M&W Farm Meats and John R Dowey and Son from Lurgan were joined by overall winner Clougher Valley Meats on the shortlist for the Northern Ireland Best Butcher’s Shop of the Year category at the ‘UK Butcher’s Shop of the Year’ awards.

The event is renowned as the premier awards of the UK butchery sector and aims to recognise and reward the best in butchery business in the UK. Congratulating the butchers on their shortlisting, the Mayor of Craigavon, Councillor Colin McCusker, said: “It’s a huge honour for the borough of Craigavon to have had two of the three shortlisted entries in the Northern Ireland category. Their shortlisting is another signpost to the strength of Craigavon’s agri-food sector – the area has become the food heartland of Northern Ireland.

The borough has been identified as a sub-regional economic centre and the Council is strongly committed to stimulating growth and competitiveness in the agri-food and other key sectors.”

The Mayor’s engagement with the shortlisted butchers was through the ‘Craigavon Means Business’ programme, a council-led initiative aimed at profiling the three key business sectors in Craigavon – agri-food, health and life sciences and the creative industries. The council is undertaking a series of projects focusing on engaging with businesses currently operating in the area to discuss growth potential within their sector.

Craigavon

means business

showcasing the best of local business

If businesses are interested in finding out more information or would like to get

Better news could be on the horizon for employees according to our latest survey data. Our recent guide to UK Salary and Recruiting Trends found that almost three-quarters (72%) of employers in Northern Ireland intend to increase permanent headcount, with 35% expecting to increase their temporary/contract hiring.

The survey also revealed that just over half (56%) intend to increase salaries over the coming 12 months.

Competition for the best staff remains intense and looks set to grow. Over 84% of employers here said they expect to encounter a shortage of suitable candidates when recruiting, while over 65% said they expected to face stiff competition from other employers.

Demand for managerial and leadership positions was strongest, followed by operations and technical workers and finance roles.

From an employee perspective, most of whom work in accountancy, IT, construction, and engineering, one-third (33%) said they were happy with their salary, compared to over 66% who were not.

Crucially, 51% say they would be enticed to stay in a current job by a salary rise – but only if other factors also improved.

Proving that it isn’t all about salaries, and presenting employers with some food for thought, candidates cited working hours, concern about job security and lack of future opportunities as reasons why they wanted to leave their current jobs.

Given that only a small proportion of employees (26%) had taken action to ask for a pay rise, it would be advisable for all employers to review their retention strategies to consider financial and non-financial criteria.

The imminent Northern Ireland public sector cost measures could have significant impact on both the public and private sectors. That notwithstanding, business outlook remains positive, recruitment activity is increasing and employers are investing in training their workforce to address skills shortages.

involved they can contact Sarah-Jane Macdonald on Tel: 028 3831 2572 or email: sarahjane.macdonald@craigavon.gov.uk

For further information visit hays.co.uk/northernireland

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CHARITY

A corporate gift which will change lives

By Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice

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s you reflect upon 2014 please consider celebrating your success by making a donation to Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and help us care for very special children like Ruby. Ruby, is one of the 300 children cared for by Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice over the past year. Ruby is two years old, has severe cerebral palsy, epilepsy and is visually impaired.

A child with Ruby’s needs really does change everything for a family and the Children’s Hospice is often the only means of support, care and advice for these families.

Ruby’s parents, Andy and Lisa, tell us about some of the difficulties they have faced

since Ruby was born: “Complications at birth left Ruby with very complex care needs. She also experiences cerebral irritations which mean that she doesn’t sleep well at night. This also means that she cannot be left alone or with anyone untrained in how to care for her at any time of the day or night.

After a year-a-half my husband and I were almost at breaking point, but thankfully the Children’s Hospice stepped in and gave us some emergency respite.

Ruby now visits the Children’s Hospice for short breaks; we stayed with her for the first few visits until the nurses got to know her needs. They know her really well now and we have complete confidence in the staff to care for her, just as we do.

“Having a child with Ruby’s needs changes everything and we’d be lost without the support from Children’s Hospice.”

- Lisa Powell

The time Ruby spends at Children’s Hospice is so rewarding for her and she has a brilliant time. It’s also an opportunity for my husband and I to get a break and do things that other people take for granted.

One of our favourite things at Children’s Hospice is the hydro pool as Ruby can’t go to a normal swimming pool. Being in the pool is really good for her muscles.

On top of this, her little cousins often come swimming with us, which is so special, giving Ruby the chance to enjoy her childhood with our family.”

It is good to give, please give a donation to Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and make a real difference to Ruby and other local children who need the gift of hospice care this Christmas.

What is the most precious gift you will give this Christmas?

When you think about Christmas gifts, please consider the gift of hospice care for a local child with a life-limiting illness.

Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice relies on the support of local businesses to continue caring for almost 300 children every year. £100 will pay for one night of hospice care for a local child in Northern Ireland providing much needed rest for parents and carers.

Thank you for your gift this Christmas Donations will be supported with an e-card to circulate to staff, customers and friends.

To make a donation contact Ellen Hillen, Corporate Fundraising Manager

Telephone: 028 9078 1836 e-mail: fundraising@nihospice.org Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, Head Office 18 O’Neill Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 6WB

nihospice.org Charity Number XN45696

DECEMBER 2014

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SMALL BUSINESS OF THE MONTH

NTD (North Time & Data), Lisburn We would prefer to walk away from an application if we felt that it exceeded our resources or expertise. Clive has built a very sound and thriving business on reputation and consistency: and I have inherited his philosophy – that a sound reputation takes years to build, but can be so quickly squandered.

NTD Managing Director Stephen Brown and company director and founder Clive Irwin with new facial recognition time management system.

How will your business look in five years time?

I want us to always be regarded as the most innovative company supplying time management systems, ID products and mailroom equipment, as well as offering the best service in the business.

What makes your business stand out?

The key to our success has been specialisation – in the 26 years in business, NTD has actively sought out niche products and services to offer businesses across Ireland.

In 1988 Clive Irwin set up a mailroom equipment company offering a range of postal franking machines. Clive identified opportunities in other areas, including time clocks and the then rapidly growing market of computer printers and monitors.

Over time printers and monitors became consumer items and didn’t require specialist sales or service – they were being sold cheaply and widely on the internet. We took the decision quickly to move away from this market and really focus on developing technologies that were completely transforming time management systems.

The company successfully moved into high-tech time management systems, now

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developing its own software which links to hardware such as biometric and facial recognition time clocks. These products stop time-fraud, as no-one else can clock a fellow employee IN or OUT – each employee has to present his/herself; there is no doubt that biometric registration saves employers many thousands of pounds every year.

In recent years NTD has also expanded into the niche market of ID card systems, which are increasingly popular with larger businesses, schools and local councils.

How do you compare with the competition?

Our reputation is strong and we often get recommendations from within our client base. We have local support staff on the ground so they can be with customers quickly. One of our largest clients in Ireland, Mercury Engineering which has over 2,000 employees, approached us for this very reason,” Stephen Brown explained.

How do you encourage innovation in your company?

We are continually looking for new ways to make our products better. To do this we really need to understand what our customers need. We emphasise this to everyone in the team – anyone who comes in contact with the customer, needs to really have an understanding of how we can make our clients’ businesses more efficient.

What is the next big mind-blowing product or idea for your company?

Our next big thing is employee self-service time systems, using apps on touchscreens such as Smartphones or Tablets. Employees can use a web portal to book time off, view holiday entitlements etc., thus cutting down queries to HR managers.

So far 17 local councils are using our systems, but NTD is currently redeveloping new software to be launched in November 2015, which will be even more user-friendly and feature-rich.

BUSINESS TRAVEL

British Airways settles in to T5 Airline’s Belfast City Airport service now lands at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

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nyone who regularly travels to Heathrow with British Airways (BA) will no doubt be aware the airline’s Belfast City Airport flights have a new home.

Rather than landing in Terminal 1, flights now arrive into BA’s very own Terminal 5, the six year-old departure and arrival point it shares with its sister airline Iberia.

For seasoned travellers, particularly weekly business commuters, change to a regular schedule can take a while to get used so Ulster Business thought it wise to find out what the new terminal is like.

Along with a gaggle of some of Northern Ireland’s best business journalists and PR gurus, we took a Thursday lunchtime flight to have a behind-and-in-front-of-the-scenes tour T5, as it’s known in the business.

One of the first things of note after arriving to the London hub is a much shorter walk from the allotted gate to the luggage carousel (no signs of the well publicised hiccups which plagued the terminals opening with our luggage) and on to the exit.

That is definitely a boon compared to the long slog from the far off reaches of gate 8 where the airline used to arrive and will speed up the process of both getting in to London and transferring on to other BA flights.

The other point to note is the sheer vastness of the terminal, one which is so large it is apparently possible to fit 50 football pitches across its five floors.

DECEMBER 2014

Such space helps maintain an air of calm in the airport, something which reduces tension for passengers and staff, and even a bunch of wide-eyed journalists.

by a lift in the terminal building with ease.

Even in the pilot and cabin crew meeting point, which we were privileged enough to be shown, the air was one of calm organisation.

There’s a much more pleasant experience travelling to and from the airport and, according to BA, transfer time to BA flights is cut significantly.

We were taken through the departures process for the passengers at T5,one which is designed to ensure you are always walking forwards, from one of the 96 check in kiosks, through to luggage drop off to security and on to the shops and the gates.

Those with a shopping bent won’t be disappointed given the vast array of big name brands which outdoes terminal 1 on a number of levels, as does the choice of restaurants.

When it comes to lounges, T5 has a number to chose from depending on your class of ticket or executive club membership.

The Galleries Club Lounge has 830 seats and is open to Club World, Club Europe, Gold and Silver Executive Club members, the Galleries First Lounge has 542 seats and is allocated for First and Executive Club members while the Concorde Room holds 156 seats for First class customers.

It’s in the latter where we’re shown the board room, one which is furnished with the actual seats from one of BA’s retired Concorde aircraft, a touch which is surely going to make any meeting that little bit more special.

With our tour over, we headed into central London on the Heathrow Express, reached

All in all the switch to Terminal 5 should be welcome for BA’s passengers.

And if you’re ever lucky enough to gain entrance to the Concorde Lounge, you can even check out the seats from one of the world’s most famous and iconic aircraft.

Factfile Heathrow Terminal 5 • British Airways and Iberia, both part of International Airlines Group, have sole use of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, which opened for business on March 27, 2008.

• By the autumn of 2014 more than 165 million customers had used the facilities and the terminal had handled more than 1.1m flights.

• The terminal will typically look after between 500 and 550 weekday flights and between 80,000 and 90,000 customers on a normal day.

• At the peak of the busy school summer holidays, more than 95,000 customers use the facilities each day.

• Terminal 5 has the largest retail offering of any of the UK airports.

• Gates will be no more than a six-minute walk from security.

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REVIEW

Business

Breakfast

with Graham Keddie

The column which doesn’t have time for lunch.

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unning an airport can’t be that difficult, can it? Provide a landing strip for a few aircraft, a bit of shelter for the passengers and you’re done, aren’t you?

Hmmm. Such a description might be oversimplifying the role but it’s the essence of its function, one designed to get us on an aeroplane and into the air.

Obviously, it’s a bit more complicated and sophisticated than that, hence the transformation over the last few years of our average air gateway from a simple tarmac-stripped departure point to a cross between Cape Canaveral and a particularly security conscious shopping centre.

Graham Keddie knows intimately how that transformation has happened to the industry as a whole, having spent a career working both in airports and in airlines.

He has worked with Cathy Pacific, Virgin, East Midlands Airport, Bahrain Airport, Abu Dhabi Airport, Larnaca and Paphos Airport and knows the industry inside out.

The reason Ulster Business is meeting Mr Keddie on a crisp autumn morning in the Hilton Templepatrick is his new post as chief executive of Belfast International Airport, one he has been in for only 12 weeks.

Despite barely having time to pull his chair back, never mind get his feet under the desk, he’s clear about his role.

“My task is to get confidence back,” he said, over the racket of a busy morning

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breakfast service at the Hilton. “Belfast International Airport is on the radar of a number of airline’s radars and we’re in negotiations with them as we speak.

Coy about the exact subject of those negotiations, Mr Keddie does reveal that Germany is a strong contender for a new route, pointing out the disparity with our nearest neighbour given Northern Ireland currently has no direct flights to the region while Dublin has 228 a week.

Meanwhile, we’re tucking into the cooked breakfast buffet, attempting to pluck the healthier options out of the cooked section while studiously ignoring the museli, fruit and other interlopers. It is a Wednesday after all.

In between mouthfuls – the concept of Business Breakfast necessitates a certain dexterity on behalf of the interviewee – Mr Keddie can’t help reveal the enthusiasm he has for his new role.

As well as selling the airport to airlines, he’s also on a mission to make the experience for fliers more pleasant.

Graham Keddie is chief executive at Belfast International Airport.

the customer experience, something which isn’t far behind EBITDA – a more detailed measure of income which sums up earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation – on his list of objectives.

Helping achieve that income aim is an idea which could be classed as thinking outside the airport box. Not only that but it could also help alleviate a growing shortage of grade A office space in Northern Ireland.

Mr Keddie wants part of the airport’s land – around 100 acres – to be declared an enterprise zone, similar to the likes of Manchester and Cardiff, to attract developers to build new offices and companies to fill them.

An ambitious plan but one which makes sense.

Whether it gets the go-ahead is another matter but one thing is for sure, Mr Keddie brings with him a bundle of enthusiasm and a new take on some old issues.

To do that he’s started by attempting to boost staff morale by engaging them more in the day-to-day running of the business and making the airport “a more fun place to work”.

With that we’ve put in a two-and-a-half hour breakfast and it’s time for everyone to depart, Ulster Business to type furiously for the rest of the day, Mr Keddie to pitch to some of the biggest airports in the world, rally his troops and prepare for a dip in ice cold water as part of an airport charity event.

That should be welcomed by a group of staff which can boast average length of service of 19 years.

It’s a varied role, to say the least.

David Elliott

Mr Keddie’s hoping that an enthused staff, as well as some cosmetic refurbishment of the airport buildings, will help improve

Flags, firebombs & flashbacks

Executive Motoring

By Pat Burns

Sponsored by

EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Vehicle Insurance – are you fully covered for contract hire agreements or might there be a GAP?

BMW 2 Series Convertible

If you currently contract hire your cars and vans or are thinking of embarking on a new agreement either through your business or privately then are you aware of a possible financial pitfall should the vehicle subsequently be declared an insurance ‘total loss’?

You may think ‘oh it won’t happen to me, I don’t have accidents and in any event even if it did happen then my insurance will pay for everything’. Well this may not be the case.

The insurance company will pay out the current market value of the vehicle at the time of loss, however, as this amount is not in any way linked to the finance companies settlement amount there may be a significant different or gap between the two.

This is where the protection of a Finance GAP (Guaranteed Asset Protection) policy would be beneficial. Depending on the level of cover taken, the GAP policy will pay this difference, it will also cover you for the full term (up to 48months) of the contract and may pay some, if not all, of your insurance excess for ‘at fault’ claims.

Naturally as with any insurance policy there are certain exclusions and conditions, however, with the increase in the rate of accidents, thefts via creeper burglaries, car hijacking and remote cloning of vehicles keys, could your insurance cover be exposed?

Finance GAP Insurance – protecting you from insurance write off shortfalls!

For further information on contract hire for you or your company vehicles please contact Peter Stanley, Business Development Manager with Fleet Financial Ltd.

T: 028 9084 9777 M: 07885 433197 E: peterstanley@fleetfinancial.co.uk W: fleetfinancial.co.uk

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B

MW has launched the third model in its 2 Series portfolio, the Convertible. It will join the 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Active Tourer in the line-up from February 2015, with prices starting at £29,180 OTR. The new car replaces the 1 Series Convertible, the most successful car in its class and the only one with rear-wheel drive.

The 2 Series Convertible will be available with a choice of four engines, including a new 2.0-litre diesel for the 220d and, for the first time in a BMW convertible, an M Performance variant, the M235i. Fuel economy improvements over the previous model average 18 per cent. The 2 Series Convertible also brings significant improvements in passenger space and access, acoustic comfort, style, dynamism and equipment, while the ConnectedDrive services for the first time include wireless updating of navigation data.

The electrically operated folding soft top lowers or raises in just 20 seconds at the touch of a button, and can be carried out at speeds of just over 30mph. Once folded, the soft top disappears fully into the boot to give the BMW 2 Series Convertible a premium ‘boat deck’ appearance. Luggage capacity increases by 30 litres to 335 litres, making it the largest boot in its class. A throughloading system is optionally available to increase versatility.

The four-seat interior, with folding rear bench, provides greater space and a more intense open-top driving experience, placing the occupants in a typical BMW set-back position

Take your business places!

Contract Hire | Fleet Management | Personal Contract Hire | Sale and Leaseback | Accident Management

Whatever the size of your business Fleet Financial have the right package for you, at the right price.

For a better deal contact us today.

T: 02890 849777 W: fleetfinancial.co.uk

EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Ford’s first Hybrid for Europe

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ord has started production of its all-new Ford Mondeo Hybrid – the first hybrid electric car built and sold by Ford in Europe.

The Mondeo Hybrid combines a speciallydeveloped 2.0-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and 1.4 kWh lithiumion battery for 67.3 mpg (combined), reaching 100.9 mpg for urban driving and 99 g/km CO2 emissions.

First launched in 1993, Mondeo has since found homes with more than 1.4 million customers across the UK. The all-new model is produced at Ford’s stateof-the-art plant in Valencia, Spain.

The widest-ever range of powertrains for Mondeo includes Ford’s new 1.5‑litre EcoBoost petrol and enhanced 2.0-litre TDCi diesel. The Mondeo Hybrid offers

pricing competitive with Mondeo diesel powertrain variants, delivering on Ford’s promise to give fuel-efficiency-minded customers the power of choice.

In the U.S., Ford is the second largest manufacturer of hybrids, having already produced a total of 400,000

vehicles since their introduction.

The all-new Mondeo Hybrid is available here as a four-door saloon from £24,995 - the same as its 2.0-litre diesel Mondeo Titanium Powershift five-door equivalent.

Charles Hurst launches new ‘B2B’ car division to support local businesses support local businesses from sole traders through to PLCs. Working in partnership with its corporate division, Fleet Financial, the leading, award-winning local contract hire and fleet company which became part of the Charles Hurst Group in 2012, the new ‘B2B’ division promises business owners and managers the best help, advice, choice and value with regards to acquiring their business vehicles.

Pictured unveiling the new B2B arm and brand are Colin McNab, Group Operations Director at Charles Hurst, and Philip Miley, Sales and Marketing Director at Fleet Financial

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harles Hurst, Northern Ireland’s largest car retailer, has officially launched a new ‘B2B’ vehicle division which is directly geared to

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The move consolidates the combined strength, expertise and experience of two of the biggest players in Northern Ireland’s business motoring market, which has seen strong and steady growth in recent years.

Driven by Fleet Financial, the new

division means that business owners, managers or fleet managers can now access the widest choice of vehicles, finance, service and value available from two of the market’s largest players.

Businesses can now access a wide panel of finance lenders to locate the best deal that meets their particular requirements and includes all makes and models within the Charles Hurst Group – from a Toyota Aygo, a brand new Renault Trafic van, or even a Ferrari.

Colin McNab, Operations Director, Charles Hurst Group, said: “Charles Hurst has always been successful in the delivery of fleet and contract hire services to our growing business community.”

EXECUTIVE MOTORING

The sound of music

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don’t know much about the sound system in the Jaguar F-Type. Like the rest of the car it will be high quality but you’ll probably not turn it on. There is a much more enjoyable soundtrack to listen to – the scream of a supercharged 3 litre V6 cylinder valve engine on full song. Even on start up, the F-Type gives a rev and a crackle, letting bystanders know that something rather special has burst into life.

The 335bhp engine will happily burble about town. There is a button on the centre console that opens or closes a valve on the exhaust system and when it opens it magnifies the sound effect. Obviously you’ll want it open as much as possible!

The F-Type is strictly a two seater and not

DECEMBER 2014

an overly roomy one either. It’s a wide car but the body is pressed out of one piece of aluminium which means there are quite wide sills to step over. In between the two seats is the eight speed quickshift gearbox.

Unlike many other paddle shift gearboxes, this eight speed unit does exactly as it’s asked. If you want to flat shift at 6,500rpm just hang on tight. The V6 F-Type S, as tested by Ulster Business can hit 60mph in 4.8 seconds and is limited to 171mph.

Standard features include Dynamic Mode, sports exhaust – V6 models use twin, centrally-mounted tailpipes – sports suspension and Jaguar’s Performance Braking system (354/325mm discs front/ rear) with silver calipers. The Coupé is fitted as standard with 18in Vela wheels, partial leather/Suedecloth sports seats and a leather steering wheel with black paddles.

All models feature a deployable rear spoiler which sits within the tapered shut-line of the F-Type and rises at speed in order to balance front and rear lift.

The spoiler automatically rises at 70mph and lowers when the speed drops below 50mph, reducing lift by up to 120kg.

There are also Convertible and Type R versions which use the 5.0 litre V8 powerplant while next year will see Jaguar launch more versions of this award winning car.

In 2015 Jaguar is expected to set new standards for dynamics and driver involvement with the addition of intelligent all-wheel drive (AWD) and six-speed manual transmission options, and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) standard across the range.

Prices for the F-Type range start from £51,235.

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EXECUTIVE MOTORING

Discovery celebrates silver jubilee designs, further enhance the Discovery’s appearance. To give vehicles a heightened level of distinction, the optional ‘Black Design Pack’ remains available, with revised detailing, plus 20-inch black alloy wheels.

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ne of the most popular 4x4s in the world has just celebrated its 25th birthday.

First introduced in 1989, the Discovery revolutionised the 4x4 landscape.

Its combination of contemporary design, spacious and user-friendly interiors, unflinching capability and extreme versatility made it an instant hit. With the release of each new generation, the Land Rover Discovery has cemented its position as the most capable, versatile SUV in the world.

Thanks to its formidable array of innovative and award-winning technologies, from Terrain Response to Hill Descent Control, the Discovery is as comfortable taking on everyday journeys as it is tackling the world’s harshest terrain – as numerous intercontinental expeditions have proved. Over its 25 years it has been chosen as the explorer’s choice to take on challenges and adventures; Sir Ranulph Fiennes used an original Discovery

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in his expedition to discover the Lost City of Ubar, while the Discovery 3 was used on the record holding London-Cape Town drive in 2013. Discovery models have also been used in Land Rover’s own famous G4 Challenge and Camel Trophy.

The latest model, the fifth incarnation of the Discovery combines all the original ideas that made the vehicle such a hit and has added even more luxury, quality and state of the art technology.

The latest Discovery receives a new look, new badging, new fuel stretching technology, improved audio systems and a new range of driver assistance, comfort and safety features to broaden its appeal even further. The new Discovery has been given a new ‘face’ and numerous detail exterior changes.

A new front grille, new front bumper, new headlamp design, new daytime running lights with a distinctive LED signature, plus two new alloy wheel

In recognition of the Discovery’s established identity, the refreshed exterior design also incorporates a change of identity for the vehicle. For the first time ever, the name ‘Discovery’ name replaces ‘Land Rover’ on the bonnet and the number 4 will be removed from the tailgate leaving just the word ‘Discovery.’

Engine badging moves from the tailgate to an ingot mounted on each of the front doors. This side badging will reflect the engine type and appears as ‘SDV6’ here.

Underlining Land Rover’s commitment to power with sustainability, the new Discovery will continue to be available with the class-leading 256PS 3.0 SDV6 - with CO2 emissions reduced from 230g/km to 213g/km, and fuel consumption improved to 35.3mpg. All models are equipped with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The new range of driver assistance, comfort and safety features for the 2014 Discovery include: Wade Sensing (a technology unique to Land Rover), Blind Spot Monitoring, Closing Vehicle Sensing, Reverse Traffic Detection and T-junction Cameras.

To align the Discovery with other Range Rover vehicles, it will be available with Meridian premium audio. The standard system features 8 speakers and 380 Watts of power, while the Meridian Surround system produces an impressive 825 Watts output and features 17 speakers.

Prices for the HSE model start at £59,965.

REVIEW

Howard’s way

W

ith stiff competition on every corner in Belfast, manager Niall Davis and chef Marty Murphy have been able to find their own niche on Belfast’s ever growing restaurant scene. Marty, often referred to as Belfast’s answer to a boxing Gordon Ramsey, has travelled the length and breadth of Thailand amongst other countries and his love of Thai food is evident in the selection of infused dishes perfectly balanced with a good variety of more robust flavours, all priced mid-market. Produce is sourced locally and delivered fresh every morning – the haddock, for example, is smoked on Belfast’s Shankill Road.

The restaurant Don’t be put off if, from the street, this restaurant seems a little on the quiet side. The somewhat void area at the front of the restaurant opens in to a large welcoming, warm and friendly atmosphere with a layout and design beholding to the originality of the building. The furniture is comfortable and functional and the décor has a type of industrial feel with exposed brick and concrete walls whilst still offering a warm and cosy feel.

There’s also a ‘snug’ if a more confidential setting is required for a business lunch. The

DECEMBER 2014

By Sylvie Brando

lighting is well balanced if you feel the need to jot down notes.

imagine and a vanilla brûlée with wild berry compote took this dining experience to an even higher level. Speechless!

The menu For me, the good sign of a menu is the length of time it takes to decide witch dish to choose, and the staff were certainly put to the test. I wanted everything!

After long deliberation and very helpful and knowledgeable information from the staff, I settled for the spiced coconut prawn soup with tom yum, spring onion and coriander – by far the best I have ever tasted – followed by slow cooked marinated beef short rib, tomato & peanut curry and skinny fries. The meat was spoon-tender and the combination of peanuts and spicy tomato work ridiculously well together – a perfect balance of sweetness and spice.

The service

My lunch partner had the same difficulty in deciding on her order and followed the recommendation of seared scallops, smoked pork belly, potato & onion gratin with tender stem broccoli – another superb choice; the scallops were juicy and tender and for fear of being repetitive “the best pork belly she has ever had”.

For more details see www.howardstbelfast.com

The spiced pear bread pudding with honeycomb & toffee ice-cream surrounded by an array of every chopped nut you can

Niall and his team have got this down to a tee. The floor staff is genuinely friendly and welcoming and has mastered the art of being perfectly attentive without being over-bearing.

Their knowledge of the dishes and ingredients is extensive and the service professional and efficient without being stiff. It all happens without you noticing it is happening.

In short A great spot for a business lunch with a warm atmosphere, very good value for money with excellent choices, quality and service. You will not leave hungry. I can’t wait to go back.

Spiced coconut prawn soup Slow cooked beef short rib Seared scallops & smoked pork belly Vanilla brûlée & wild berry compote Spiced pear bread pudding 2 glasses of Sauvignon Blanc Total

£ 6.75 £10.00 £13.00 £ 6.00 £ 6.00 £ 9.00 £ 50.75

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APPOINTMENTS

Michael Robinson has joined Bank of Ireland UK’s growing team at its Portadown branch as a Business Adviser.

Clare McKeveney has joined Bank of Ireland UK as a Business Adviser within the bank’s High Street branch, Belfast.

Claire Derby has joined the Business Adviser Team at Bank of Ireland UK’s High Street, Belfast, branch.

Paddy Rooney has joined Bank of Ireland UK’s team in Lisburn as a Business Adviser.

Kelly McNeice has been appointed Business Adviser at the Bank of Ireland UK branch in Lurgan.

Lauren MacLean has been appointed solicitor at Cleaver Fulton Rankin specialising in Dispute Resolution.

Siobhan Kearney has joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a solicitor specialising in Dispute Resolution.

Susan Campbell has joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin as a paralegal.Susan will work in the company commercial department specialising in perfection of banking security.

Benjamin Matson has been appointed as a solicitor at Cleaver Fulton Rankin specialising in Company Commercial.

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APPOINTMENTS

John Henning has become a trustee of AgriSearch, the NI Agricultural Research and Development Council, for a three year term.

Siobhan Lavery joins ICAN as director after 9 1/2 years in UTV as Head of Sales for U105.8FM where she was responsible for driving sales from local, Irish and UK markets.

Laura Mackin has joined ICAN’s new Belfast office as Account Director. She has worked across Ireland with a range of B2B and B2C brands.

Kainos has appointed Anthony Dooher as head of the Evolve business in Ireland. Anthony is a healthcare professional by background, having qualified in 1996 as a diagnostic radiographer.

Rebecca Kincade has joined MCE as a Client Manager. Prior to joining MCE, Rebecca spent seven years as a copywriter, editor and journalist.

Caroline McNeill has joined MCE as a Senior Client Executive. Caroline is a qualified barrister with extensive political and communications expertise.

Rachel Harrison has joined MCE as a Client Executive working in the Public Affairs team. She holds a LLB degree in Law and Politics and a Masters in Irish Politics from Queen’s University.

O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors has appointed Eddie McAllister to the firm’s Commercial Department. Eddie has specialised in Bookmakers’ Licensing Law in addition to his Residential and Commercial conveyancing.

Ita Dickson has joined Svitzer Belfast as Marine Assistant after four years working with Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ Port Operations Department.

DECEMBER 2014

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PHOTOCALL 1. The Mayor of Lisburn Cllr Andrew Ewing helps Tim and Mairead Andrew from Lisburn based Andrew Ingredients announce a major £750k investment plan at their Ferguson Drive site which will be opened during the company’s 70th anniversary in June 2015.

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2. Sharon McTaggart, Operations Manager, Allianz and Mary Trainor-Nagele, Chief Executive, Arts & Business NI share the shortlist for the upcoming Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2015.

3. Students Ashleigh Reid and Ashleigh Brimacombe from South Eastern Regional College prepare for the 51st BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. BT has announced that 15 schools from Northern Ireland have qualified for the next exhibition which takes place at the RDS in Dublin from 7 – 10 January 2015.

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4. Enterprise, Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster pictured meeting with professional snooker players, Joe Swail and Mark Allen, to congratulate them on the role they have played in promoting Northern Ireland on the world stage. As ambassadors for NI Connections, Mr Swail and Mr Allen recently played at the World Snooker International Championship in Chengdu.

5. Success is sweet for Methody Year 12 student Naomi Hipson as her own-recipe carrot cake hits the shelves in selected Spar stores here. The cake, which won the James Street South Bakery competition during Belfast restaurant week, has been recreated by Irwin’s Bakery.

Pictured with Naomi are Alistair Kelly, Henderson Group, Gary Mason, Irwin’s Bakery, and Niall McKenna, James Street South.

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5

PHOTOCALL

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6. Savvy shoppers from across Northern Ireland are taking advantage of Stena Line’s budgetbusting £10 day return ticket to Glasgow, where they can stock up on the biggest range of festive goodies for family and friends. Helping Meagan with her purchases is Stena Line’s Captain Alistair McCarlie.

7. Asda’s team of Community Life Champions are pictured at Stormont celebrating the announcement that the Asda Foundation will donate close to £600,000 to sport for development charity, Active Communities Network.

8. Pictured from left to right are Jonathan White and Cherrie Stewart, both from patent attorney firm, Ansons, with Scott Kennedy, Director at Belfast law firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin at the recent software patenting workshop, which gave companies advice and guidance on the latest developments on UK software patents.

9. Craigavon contractor JMC Mechanical and Construction Ltd has been awarded a £28m contract to provide full maintenance services to four Northern Ireland housing associations. Pictured are (L-R) Marcus Patton, Beverly Surgenor, Shane McCaffrey, Clare McCarty, Karen Massey, and James McCully.

10 DECEMBER 2014

10. Niall Casey, Invest NI, is pictured along with the Propel 2013/14 participants at the Propel Pitch Up event in Belfast’s The Mac, where they pitched to a panel of investors and business experts for the chance to be named ‘Propel Company of the Year’. Photo by Aaron McCracken/Harrisons.

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PHOTOCALL 11. Ken Sharp, owner, The Salty Dog is pictured with Niall McMullan of Hercules Brewing Company in preparation for this weekend’s Local Ale Showcase at the Bangor Hotel & Bistro.

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12. Flybe’s UK Regional General Manager Andrea Hayes steps out with the ‘Beatles’ to announce the airline’s new thrice daily service from George Best Belfast City Airport to Liverpool John Lennon Airport which begins on February 2nd 2015.

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13. Michele Scott and Laura Cowan of Titanic, Siobhan Marley of Pinnacle and Liam Smyth, also of Titanic celebrate Pinnacle appointment by Titanic Belfast to support its Sage 200 business software.

14. Global diagnostics firm Randox has engaged its scientists and clinicians in creating one of the world’s most advanced fertility health assessments.

Pictured launching the new Randox Health, Fertility service are, from left, Jenny Dobbs, Randox Health and Dr Peter FitzGerald, MD Randox Ltd.

15. From left: IAESTE students Georg Sailor from Austria and Alejandro Pitarch Olivas from Spain are pictured with Mike Nesbitt, Kathy Simpson and Gary Smith from Michelin.

The students took part in the programme in the summer of 2014, with Alejandro Pitarch Olivas now employed at the firm as a graduate engineer.

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PHOTOCALL

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16. MCS Group directors Barry and Louise Smyth are investing almost £1 million as part of a two-year plan to triple the size of their Belfast recruitment business by creating an additional 20 new professional posts.

17. Pictured at the recent Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association dinner are, from left to right, Des Moore, Head of First Trust Bank, Dr David Dobbin CBE, NIFDA Chairman, and Malcolm Walker, Iceland Founder and CEO.

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18. Helm steers forward with H&J Martin. From left to right are Derek Martin, Managing Director of H&J Martin Ltd and Michael McDonnell, CEO Helm Housing announcing the £25m deal which will see H&J staff provide maintenance services to tenants and properties across Northern Ireland.

19. Helping launch the Action Renewables Association Awards are Nicola Branagh, Business Development Manager, Action Renewables (centre) is pictured at the launch with event sponsors James Pringle, Partner, Tughans (left) and Ross McConnell, Renewable Energy Manager at Vayu.

20 DECEMBER 2014

20. Emma Leahy from Get Invited and Deirdre McCanny from Co Couture Gourmet Chocolates ahead of the Ulster University Business School’s annual student conference in the department of Tourism and Hospitality at the Belfast campus.

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EVENTS

Canapés and cocktails The cream of the last month’s business events.

Women in Law event Irish Auto Trade Awards Pictured from left are Philip Hanlon, Modern Tyres, Sean Gallagher (Master of Ceremonies), Rory Byrne & Charlie Corscadden from Modern Tyres accepting their award for Northern Ireland Tyre Retailer of the year 2015. At the inaugural Irish Auto Trade Awards, which were held at a gala dinner in the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, Modern Tyres was named Northern Ireland Tyre Retailer of the Year 2015.

During her term as President of the Law Society of NI, Imelda McMillan, Partner with O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors initiated a mentoring programme for female lawyers entitled ‘Women in Law’.

The structured mentoring group has been successfully trialled and at a dinner hosted by Ulster Bank and those who had mentored were awarded certificates for completing the programme by the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan. Certificates from the Institute of Leadership and Management were also awarded to three mentors from O’Reilly Stewart - Partners Imelda McMillan and Janet Williamson and Associate Solicitor Clare Templeton. Pictured L to R are Denise McBride, QC; Ulster Bank’s Ellvena Graham, MD SME Banking; The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Declan Morgan and Imelda McMillan, Partner with O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors.

From left to right, MC for the event Mark Simpson, Mandy Martin President of NIHF, Linus Murray, Partner O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors and Paul Simmons, Chief Commercial Officer for Flybe.

Northern Ireland Hotels Federation‘s Annual Lunch For the tenth year in a row O’Reilly Stewart Solicitors was principal sponsor of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation‘s Annual Lunch at the Europa Hotel. The lunch forms part of NIHF’s Hospitality Exchange which is a conference and exhibition for hotels, bars, restaurants and personnel in the hospitality and tourist sectors.

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BIFM Ireland Region Awards Sharon Hood, Director, BS Holdings Ltd; winner of FM Project of the Year 2014 ‘Going Green at Charles Hurst’ and Jacqueline Byrne, BIFM Ireland Region Committee Member and Director of Business Development, HBE Risk Management.

EVENTS

Pub of the Year Awards

From left to right Chair, of the Parliamentary Save the Pub Group Greg Mulholland MP, Charlie Lawson, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association Brigid Simmonds and Pubs of Ulster Chairman, Mark Stewart.

Pictured left to right: Front row - Pubs of Ulster Chairman, Mark Stewart, Andrew Gedge from The Goat’s Toe, Finance Minister Simon Hamilton, Nigel McNeely from the Goat’s Toe and Martin Breen from the Sunday Life pictured at Pubs of Ulster’s prestigious Pub of the Year Awards 2014, where The Goat’s Toe in Bangor was named the overall Pub of the Year 2014.

Belfast Met Fellowship Awards

Belfast Metropolitan College conferred its inaugural Honorary Fellowship award to Niall McKenna, owner and chef at James Street South Restaurant and Cookery School, during its annual Graduation event which celebrated the achievements of over 1,000 higher education students. Niall, who was recognised for his outstanding contribution to entrepreneurship and to the Hospitality and Tourism sectors in Northern Ireland, is pictured receiving the Honorary Fellowship award from Marie-Therese McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met.

Belfast Metropolitan College conferred its inaugural Honorary Fellowship award to Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte Northern Ireland, during its annual Graduation event which celebrated the achievements of over 1,000 higher education students. Jackie, who was recognised for her outstanding contribution to enterprise and economic development in Northern Ireland, is pictured with Marie-Therese McGivern, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met, and Belfast Met’s guest speaker for Graduation, Philip Bain, Co-Owner of ShredBank.

IntertradeIreland Seedcorn Awards Jenarron Therapeutics Ltd from Belfast, which has developed a novel drug delivery technology, was named the Northern Ireland regional winner in the Early Stage Category at InterTradeIreland’s 2014 all-island Seedcorn Investor Readiness Competition held in Belfast and took away a cash prize of €20,000. Pictured with InterTradeIreland’s Acting CEO Margaret Hearty and Ian McCrea, MLA, Assembly Private Secretary for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment are Maura Burke, CEO, Mark Jenkins, Paul McCarron and Caroline McGoran from Jenarron Therapeutics.

DECEMBER 2014

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TECHNOLOGY

Have yourself a Merry Techmas Adam Maguire checks out the best festive gadgets.

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ith Christmas around the corner, you may well be looking out for the perfect gift for the gadget-lover in your life – or maybe you’re simply seeking inspiration for your own wishlist. To help in either endeavour, here are some tech-heavy gift ideas (at every price point) to help you along.

Case in point

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orget apps, Bluetooth keyboards or over-priced headphones – the first investment you should make after buying a smartphone or tablet is a good case for it.

Doing so will help protect the device from the knocks and scrapes that come with everyday use, and having one could be what separates you from a hefty repair bill (or worse, the cost of a replacement) when the inevitable tumble happens.

Otterbox arguably has the best reputation in this regard, and offers a selection of cases for all the main devices currently on the market. Depending on your requirements you might opt for a slim-but-sturdy ‘Commuter’ case. Should you need something on the other end of the scale, the ultra-rugged ‘Defender’ case could be right up your street instead.

Prices start at £25 but vary depending on device model and case selected.

Perfect fit

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itness tracking has gone way beyond the humble pedometer in recent years, with countless fitness bands now on the market.

Depending on your price range, you could get yourself a simple digital tracker or a computer-on-your wrist. The FitBit Charge probably sits somewhere between those extremes.

Strap the Charge on and it will tell you how many steps you’ve taken, how far you’ve travelled and how many calories you’ve burned in any given day.

Beyond simply tracking, though, the device can also give you stats and goals, while also operating as a hands-free receiver for your smartphone. As it uses a very basic display it’s not too power-hungry either – so you shouldn’t have to charge it more than once a week with normal usage.

The Fitbit Charge retails for around £100.

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TECHNOLOGY

Remote control home

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ou may well have heard the buzz about ‘the internet of things’ but few have managed to show solid examples of how this might benefit you in the real world – the home heating industry being one obvious exception.

There are a few choices now on the market for those wishing to make their radiators more cutting edge – though Google’s Nest is probably the most elegant of the lot.

The Nest takes the place of your existing thermostat and heating programmer and promises to quickly learn from the selections you make.

So, turn the heat on around the same time each day and Nest will quickly start to do it for you. Show a preference for a particular temperature, and Nest will do its best to maintain that level for you in the future.

The device even claims to know when you’re away and adjusts the house’s temperature accordingly and, if all else fails, users can also remotely control the heating from their phone.

The Nest costs £179 – or £249 with installation.

Raising the bar for audio

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eople will often spend an awful lot of money on the perfect TV, only to rely on its limited builtin speakers for sound. This is all well and good for standard television, but those wanting the true home cinema experience may be left disappointed.

An increasingly attractive investment for this is a dedicated soundbar; a strip that sits below the screen to give the pictures an extra bit of aural umph.

DECEMBER 2014

The Arcam Solo Bar is considered by many to be best in class in this regard, combining style with performance for a high-but-not-extortionate price.

The Solo Bar has HDMI connections, meaning it will hook-up to any relatively modern set with no problems. It also offers Bluetooth connectivity, meaning it can double as a wireless speaker for your smartphone or tablet too.

Serious audiophiles who want to take the extra step can also add a subwoofer to the mix – though for most this step is probably one beyond necessary for an enjoyable film night.

The Arcam Solo Bar retails for around £800.

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Business Traveller

Name: Aaron Taylor Position: Managing Partner at enterprise consultancy Frankly What’s your favourite app for passing the time?

I tend to play a lot of games when travelling – ridiculous amounts of time have been expended on Farm Heroes Saga by King.com.

I also spend a lot of time on apps like Longform and Flipboard which are great for catching up on articles I’ve been trying to get time to read.

Have you ever unexpectedly run into someone you know from home in a far flung destination?

Thankfully not yet!

What do you enjoy most about working internationally?

The variety of people you meet and engage with is a constant source of fascination for me.

What’s your favourite city/country in the world and where has disappointed you?

There’s always something to do in New York that suits any budget plus you always meet such an eclectic mix of people from such a variety of backgrounds. Las Vegas disappoints me – I’ve yet to leave wishing I could go back.

How often do you travel and why?

I’m a regular traveller to the United States, both east and west coasts.

My background is in tech startups and if you have global ambitions you need to be well networked across the US. With GoPrezzo we had offices in San Francisco as well as Manhattan which really focuses your mind as you’re surrounded by incredible companies.

Other than your phone, what are the three things you couldn’t do without when travelling for work?

Mostly I’d be lost without my US iPhone, my earphones and Mophie Juice Pack. You never know when you’re going to run out of power so having an additional power pack makes a huge difference.

Have you found a good way to work while you are on the move?

I try to treat travelling a bit like working from home. I work to a routine, into work in the morning, meetings during the day then business dinner or events at night. I try to keep the weekends for down time.

What would be your top tips for anyone embarking on a job that involves a lot of travel?

Embrace it, experience as much of the culture as you can. It’s almost a privilege to be in a position where you get to go experience different cultures, ways of working and different ways of life.

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What do you look for in a good hotel?

Typically I try to book through AirBnB as I prefer the Apartment experience but when I have to book a hotel, I always look for location.

What’s the best airline you’ve flown with and the best hotel you’ve stayed in?

I fly United everywhere as I have Gold Status from collecting all my air miles and that gets me regular upgrades to Business/ First Class. The best hotel I’ve stayed in was Hotel Nikko in San Francisco, mainly because they upgrade me to a suite each time because of my partner reward status.

Have you worked out a way to avoid jetlag?

You just have to tough it out and stay awake until 10/11pm on your first night then get into a decent sleep cycle. Staying hydrated seems to really work for me.

Do you speak any languages and if so, have they been of use on business trips?

I speak English and I have to say, it’s been pretty important so far on my trips.

Where in the world would you most love to work?

I love LA and San Francisco, but New York stands out as the coolest place on earth.

TRAVEL

Launch of “Autism in the Air”

Vueling to take off for Barcelona Pictured at the ‘premiere’ are Bethany Convey, 11, and Ethan Geddis, 9, with Michelle Hatfield, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Belfast City Airport.

L

ast month George Best Belfast City Airport launched “Autism in the Air”, a series of interactive films aimed at demystifying the experience of air travel for children living with autism.

Funded by Belfast City Airport in collaboration with the charity Parents Education as Autism Therapists (PEAT) and Queen’s University Belfast, the five short films illustrate the various processes involved from traveling to the airport through to boarding the plane.

Nichola Booth of PEAT said: “As most parents will be aware, the experience of travelling through a busy airport can stir up a mixture of emotions for any child as they are exposed to a variety of new and interesting sights and sounds in a strange environment. For a child with Autism these emotions can manifest in behaviours which can cause problems and make travelling difficult.

“Working with Queen’s University Belfast, we devised “Autism in the Air” to help shed some light on how parents and children with Autism can cope with the various challenges they may face and prepare them in advance. We are so grateful to Belfast City Airport for their continued support throughout the project and for helping us to make it happen.”

Director of Corporate Responsibility for Belfast City Airport, Michelle Hatfield said: “Autism affects many individuals and families throughout Northern Ireland so we are delighted to show support by facilitating the needs of those who have it. By providing families of children with Autism with the information they require in advance of traveling, we hope this will build a better understanding of what to expect when travelling through an airport, making the experience much more enjoyable.

To view the ‘Autism in the Air’ videos online, please visit www.belfastcityairport.com

DECEMBER 2014

A

nother direct European service has been added to the departures gate list at George Best Belfast City Airport.

German airline Vueling, part of British Airways owner International Airlines Group, is to start flying twice weekly from Belfast to Barcelona in May. It’s hoped the new route will encourage new inward tourism, as well as outbound travel.

“It remains our aim to attract new airlines to Northern Ireland and facilitate more direct European routes from Belfast,” Brian Ambrose, Chief Executive of Belfast City Airport, said. “We are therefore delighted that Vueling has chosen to include Belfast City Airport as one of a select few UK airports in its plans to expand its network.”

Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said the announcement is good news.

“We look forward to co-operating with Vueling to maximise the promotion of this new service from Barcelona. As an island, the importance of convenient, direct, non-stop flights cannot be overstated – they are absolutely critical to achieving growth in inbound tourism.

“Tourism Ireland is committed to working with Vueling, Belfast City Airport and other tourism interests, through cooperative marketing, to drive demand for this new service – as we work with other carriers and partners to promote and help maintain vital routes and services to Northern Ireland.”

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96

TECHNOLOGY

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Business Diary

January 2015

F

date

event

venue

CONTACT

06 January 08:00 - 09:00

Understanding Social Media Organiser: Seltics

Venue: Online event Cost: £60

For further information or to book visit: www.seltics.co.uk

15 January 09:45 -15:45

Doing Business in the Nordics

Radisson Hotel, Belfast

For further information contact:

Organiser: Invest NI

Cost: Free

Sandra Kelly Tel: 028 9069 8045 or email Sandra.kelly@investni.com

15 January 10.00 - 12.00

Mad Monday Networking Organiser: Halo Business Angel Network

Northern Ireland Science Park

For further information contact:

Cost: Free

paul.clancy@nisp.co.uk T: 9073 7815 or visit www.haloni.com

From 19 January

Aer Lingus Viscount Awards

Venue in London TBC

For further information contact:

in association with Ulster Business

Awards to be held on 21 April 2015

rachel@baxterpr.co.uk 028 9032 5533

Call for entry

Cost: Table: £1000 + VAT (table of ten)

www.viscountawards.ulsterbusiness.com

Organiser: Aer Lingus

Single: £150 + VAT Includes 3-course meal & return flights to London.

20 January 09:30 - 12.30

21 January 17:30 - 18:30

Principles of Customer Service

Crash Service, Newry

For further information visit:

Masterclass

Cost: Free for Members

www.womeninbusinessni.com/events

Organiser: Women in Business

£10 + VAT for Non-Members

Super Connected Belfast: Growth Seminar

Duncairn Centre

For Further information or to register

Organiser: Belfast City Council

Cost: free

call 0800 587 4695 or email: connectionvouchers@belfastcity.gov.uk

22 January 09:30 - 10:30

Zero Hours Contract

Labour Relations Agency - Head Office,

For further information visit:

Organiser: Labour Relations Agency

Belfast, BT1 2LG

www.lra.org.uk/

Cost: Free 22 January 09:00 - 11.30

LinkedIn Masterclass - Build Relationships

Holiday Inn Belfast

For further information visit:

That Drive Results

Cost: £20 + VAT for Members | £30 +

www.womeninbusinessni.com/events

Organiser: Women in Business

VAT for Non-Members

If you would like to promote an event or conference please contact Sonia Armstrong (soniaarmstrong@greerpublications.com)

FEBRUARY 2014

97

MY DAY

Uncovering the 9-5

connection updates. Members of my team also contribute to internal policy discussions, consultations and technical developments.

The full team meet weekly to knowledge share and handle internal communications.

1:00pm I need to ensure my team are informed on these rapid changes and react as required.

The NI Executive has committed to secure 40% of electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2020. If we don’t get the renewable generators connected we won’t be playing our part in meeting those targets.

A lot of data and information needs to be available to plan a network of this scale and complexity.

NAME: Dick Lewis POSITION: Transmission Access Manager for SONI Ltd, the System Operator for Northern Ireland.

7:00am I check emails first thing on my smartphone; I can be working in Belfast, Dublin or Brussels and take an interest in the real-time system, seeing what the weather forecast is for the day and what wind is currently on the system.

8:30am Having joined SONI in 2005 initially as Project Director of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) Establishing Programme I now work closely with EirGrid and large generators or demand customers on grid connection.

Once a month I meet with other transmission system operators in Brussels via a group named ENTSO-E. I’m fairly used to the travel by now so it doesn’t faze me to have an early start.

11:00am I no longer deal with day-to-day activities to meet capacity requirements; it’s

more about the next 10 years and developing innovative solutions.

The network has to operate within prescribed technical parameters ensuring all customers enjoy a similar standard of supply; therefore the network has to be assessed for every connecting party to ensure standards are maintained throughout. Similarly the connecting parties must be able to operate in a specific way. Duties and responsibilities for all the parties have to be stated and wrapped up in commercial and legal agreements.

In addition to generation the industry is considering different approaches to storing energy and if they are successful they will be the first commercial electricity storage in Northern Ireland.

My team are at the forefront of facilitating new and exciting developments in the electricity arena and I touch base daily for

4:00pm I cannot function without a lot of support and input from other parties and, most importantly I have to meet the connecting customer’s expectations within pre-defined timescales. I take the opportunity to understand their perspective on the changing policy space, assess their requirements and how we are meeting them.

As part of a multi-player industry that meets customers’ needs every minute of every day, we work closely with NIE, Utility Regulator, DETI and other industry stakeholders to ensure the continued safe and secure operation of the power system.

6:00pm I try to get away from the office around 6:00pm. I do on occasion take work home but keep it to a limit. With travel being a key part of my job working strange hours is often unavoidable.

My family have all grown up and started their own careers, but outside of work I enjoy rugby, singing in a male voice choir and staying active. I am a season ticket holder with Ulster Rugby. I can often be found SUFTUM-ing at Ravenhill (Kingspan) and sometimes whisk my wife away for a romantic weekend – an away game!

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