Chi business magazine june december 2018

Chichester Business July–December 2018

The voice of Chichester business www.chichestercci.org.uk

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IN THIS ISSUE...

Chichester Business July–December 2018

04–08 Events programme: July – December 2018 09 Speed Networking: A Quick and Effective Way to Expand Your Professional Contacts

Welcome to the latest issue of Chichester Business – our bi-annual publication featuring local business stories, topical articles and details of forthcoming exciting events.

We’ve been sharing the role of CEO for almost a year now, and we’re delighted to welcome our new members to our vibrant, thriving Chamber.

10 Continuing To Support Our Charity Members!

Reflecting on what has taken place from the beginning of 2018, we’ve tweaked our Members meetings in a couple of ways.

We’ve organised the networking side of things by numbering the tables and getting you all to introduce yourselves to each other. Feedback has been resoundingly positive, a big thanks to Deborah Naylor and Ian Crossley!

Observer Business Awards 2018 Winning members

We’ve introduced our Charity Chamber Pot! As you all know, we’re positive about raising funds for our charity members and thanks to your kind donations, this is reaping results.

The voice of Chichester business www.chichestercci.org.uk

Cover image: Stansted House, Stansted Park

Welcome

11 Business lunch with our MP 13 Supporting Economic Growth In Our Community 15 Member Profile: Sue Harper, Peach Technologies 17 The Power of Co-operation 18 Welcome to our new members

It’s been a fun filled few months, with our first ‘drop in for drinks’ in March, Behind the Scenes at Spirit FM and lunch with Gillian Keegan, our local MP, to name a few events! Our joint meeting at House of Fraser supported by Chichester BID proved extremely popular too.

We’ve supported The Creative Expo organised by our members TSE Productions in March and the Business Expo at Fontwell in May, raising awareness of who we are and how we support local businesses within the district.

We’ve organised training workshops on GDPR, necessary and applicable to all businesses and the feedback from these was fantastic.

Moving forward to what’s happening between July and December, there’s lots on offer. Apart from our regular members meetings and breakfasts, we’re going to be organising luncheons and continue with ‘Drop in for Drinks’ to make networking even more accessible.

There’s a business expo taking place in July at Chichester College, which promises to be slightly different and rather fun!

Members are invited to send their editorial to:

Our AGM takes place in November at Rolls-Royce and is strictly for members only. We’ve also got a breakfast organised with Gillian Keegan in October so do come along for coffee and croissants.

Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry 82 North Street Chichester PO19 1LQ

Finally, we’d welcome good news stories and testimonials from you on how Chichester Chamber have supported and helped you in any way, as we’re really keen to get the message out there on how successful we are and why more businesses need to join us!

Want to contribute?

Phone: 01243 531765 Email: office@chichestercci.org.uk Web: www.chichestercci.org.uk CB Magazine is the magazine of Chichester Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Published bi-annually it is distributed to the membership of CCCI and surrounding local businesses.

Editorial: Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry Branding and design: TM Design | timmulkerndesign.co.uk Printing: SRP Design And Print

Sue Garman & Julie Harrison CCCI CEOs (Joint Role)

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The voice of Chichester business chichestercci.org.uk EVENTS: JULY

JULY

The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with Chichester College

Business Networking Event Drinks and canapés

Date: Wednesday 11 July Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 7.30am – 9am Cost: Members £12 | Non-members £13.50 This monthly breakfast provides a friendly, relaxed and informative environment for local businesses to network and improve your business profile locally, with guest speaker and a delicious full-English breakfast.

Date: Thursday 5 July Venue: Crouchers Restaurant, Bar & Country Hotel,

Birdham Road, Chichester PO20 7EH Time: Approx 6.30pm – Please check

chichestercci.org.uk for exact timing.

In partnership with CCCI, Crouchers Restaurant, Bar & Country Hotel would like to invite you to network with fellow local businesses over Drinks and Canapés to celebrate the opening of their new luxury selfcatering accommodation in four brand new cottages.

Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

'Drop In For Drinks' Wednesday

Date: Wednesday 18 July Venue: Chichester Harbour Hotel,

57 North Street, Chichester PO19 1NH Time: From 5.00pm Come and join us for an informal “after work drink” in the bar at the Chichester Harbour Hotel.

A great opportunity to relax after work, buy yourself a drink and meet fellow members in an informal environment. New members will be introduced to other members and get to know the fun side of Chichester Chamber of Commerce. No need to book!

Chichester Business Expo 2018 Supported by CCCI Date: Monday 9 July Venue: Chichester Community Development Trust

Community Hall, Donegall Avenue,

Roussillon Park, Chichester PO19 6DF Time: 6.00pm – 8.15pm Cost: Members FREE | Non-members,

join us at two of our evening meetings

as a guest and see how it works for you.

Working with the communities at Graylingwell Park and Roussillon Park, Chichester Community Development Trust empowers people by developing skills and supporting projects that create local opportunities, employment and build community spirit. Join us for this wonderful opportunity to hear about the Trust and network with fellow Chamber members in an informal environment with a guest speaker.

Prize kindly donated by: Castle Water

Date: Thursday 19 July Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 10am – 3pm Along with the exhibition from 10:00am – 3:00pm there will also be the ‘early bird’ speakers conference taking place on the same day before the expo begins from 7.45am – 9.45am. Net XP have learned that people are at their best ebb first thing in the morning and the engagement process is much higher. If you would like to attend the conference you must register on the website as spaces are limited, Net XP are also offering guests, exhibitors and pre-registered delegates a free continental style breakfast courtesy of their event sponsor. For more information and to book your place visit netxp.co.uk

Places must be booked in advance for all our events at: www.chichestercci.org.uk

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EVENTS : AUGUST – SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with Chichester College

Speed Networking With Our Neighbours Worthing & Adur, Brighton, Sussex and Bognor Regis Chambers of Commerce

Date: Wednesday 1 August Venue: Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, Yapton Lane,

Walberton, Arundel BN18 0LS Time: 12pm – 2.30pm Cost: Members: £24 | Non-Members: £30

Includes a buffet lunch.

CCCI in conjunction with Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce, Bognor Regis Chamber of Commerce, Brighton Chamber of Commerce and Sussex Chamber of Commerce invites companies from all sectors to explore new opportunities and contacts. Using an innovative format of seated 3-way speed networking, this event is both invaluable and great fun!

Date: Wednesday 12 September Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 7.30am – 9am Cost: Members £12 | Non-members £13.50 The monthly breakfast provides a friendly, relaxed and informative environment for local businesses to network and improve your business profile locally, with guest speaker and a delicious full-English breakfast.

Exclusive Networking Lunch Crouchers Restaurant, Bar & Country Hotel

SEPTEMBER Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting Date: Wednesday 19 September Venue: Crouchers Restaurant, Bar & Country Hotel,

Birdham Road, Chichester PO20 7EH Time: 12.00pm – 2pm Cost: Members £18.50 | Non-members £20 Come and join us for lunch at the beautiful Crouchers Restaurant, Bar and Country Hotel. Situated on farmland close to the City of Chichester, the Goodwood Estate and the stunning sandy beach at West Wittering.

A stylish 26-bedroom hotel with an award-winning restaurant.

Date: Monday 10 September Venue: Vicars Hall, Chichester Cathedral

Enterprises, Chichester PO19 1EH Time: 6.00pm – 8.15pm Cost: Members FREE | Non-members,

join us at two of our evening meetings

as a guest and see how it works for you.

This Grade I listed building retains many of its original features, enhancing the unique ambience of the building, yet incorporating all the modern technology that their customers expect. Join us to network in this central Chichester venue and learn more about the history of this beautiful and interesting venue, with a guest speaker.

Prize kindly donated by: MPM2

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06

The voice of Chichester business chichestercci.org.uk EVENTS : SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER

'Drop In For Drinks' Wednesday

Date: Wednesday 26 September Venue: Chichester Harbour Hotel,

57 North Street,

Chichester PO19 1NH Time: From 5.00pm Come and join us for an informal “after work drink” in the bar at the Chichester Harbour Hotel.

A great opportunity to relax after work, buy yourself a drink and meet fellow members in an informal environment. New members will be introduced to other members and get to know the fun side of Chichester Chamber of Commerce. No need to book!

The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with Chichester College

Date: Wednesday 10 October Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 7.30am–9.00am Cost: Members £12

Non-members £13.50 This monthly breakfast provides a friendly, relaxed and informative environment for local businesses to network and improve your business profile locally, with guest speaker and a delicious full-English breakfast.

OCTOBER Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

Date: Monday 8 October Venue: Cobnor Activities Centre Trust,

Cobnor Point, Chidham, West Sussex,

PO18 8TE Time: 6.00pm – 8.15pm Cost: Members FREE | Non-members, join us

at two of our evening meetings

as a guest and see how it works for you Join us for a networking session with a tasty difference. At this CCCI meeting, you’ll be participating in a fun, foodie team building session run by KB Training & Development in conjunction with Emsworth Cookery School. You’ll be working in groups to create a selection of dishes and then sit down to share and enjoy your creations with your colleagues before the meeting starts. Please arrive ready to begin at 6pm sharp. Cobnor Activities Centre Trust is an independent charity based in Chichester Harbour, an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”. Close to the border of West Sussex and Hampshire, between Chichester and Portsmouth, on the Chidham peninsula.

Come along to the CCCI meeting and learn more about this fabulous local attraction!

Prize kindly donated by: We Activate The Future

Behind the Scenes – Waitrose

Date: Tuesday 16 October Venue: Waitrose, Via Ravenna,

Chichester PO19 1RD Time: 9.30am – 11.30am Cost: Members only: £10 Back by popular demand as part of the CCCI “Behind the Scenes” programme and following on from the extremely successful and popular visit to Waitrose in 2016, we are delighted to be once again holding this exclusive event. Waitrose in Chichester has been part of the local shopping scene for the past 35 years, championing British produce, supporting responsible sourcing, treating people fairly and treading lightly on the environment. Waitrose is a huge local employer providing over 200 jobs. If you are a member of the Chichester Chamber and would like to find out more about this large business in our city, please join us, as there will be an opportunity to look around the offices and on-line business, as well as meeting the branch management team and the staff (known as Partners).

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EVENTS : OCTOBER – NOVEMBER

Coffee and croissants with our local MP, Gillian Keegan

Date: Friday 19 October Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 8am – 9am Cost: Members £10 | Non-members £12.50 Come along to our informal breakfast to enjoy a relaxed chat with Gillian before starting your working day.

NOVEMBER Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting - AGM

Date: Monday 12 November Venue: Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, The Drive,

Westhampnett, Chichester PO18 0SH Time: 6.00pm – 8.15pm Cost: Members FREE - Strictly members only!

The seven acre factory in Goodwood almost acts as a massive showroom for the Rolls-Royce brand. Built down low into the ground and with an entirely grass-covered roof, the Goodwood factory peacefully blends into the beautiful countryside. Tall glass surrounds the entire building and, along with skylights, fills the entire factory with natural light, which makes for a serene working environment. It’s impressive, but subtle. Just like the cars made inside of it. An exclusive opportunity to hear the latest news from Rolls-Royce and network in the most stunning environment.

Join us at our Monthly Meeting with opportunities for networking and AGM Chamber updates.

Prize kindly donated by: Co Prom

The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with Chichester College

Date: Wednesday 14 November Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 7.30am–9.00am Cost: Members £12

Non-members £13.50.

This monthly breakfast provides a friendly, relaxed and informative environment for local businesses to network and improve your business profile locally, with guest speaker and a delicious full-English breakfast.

'Drop In For Drinks' Wednesday

Date: Wednesday 21 November Venue: Chichester Harbour Hotel,

57 North Street,

Chichester PO19 1NH Time: From 5.00pm Come and join us for an informal “after work drink” in the bar at the Chichester Harbour Hotel.

A great opportunity to relax after work, buy yourself a drink and meet fellow members in an informal environment. New members will be introduced to other members and get to know the fun side of Chichester Chamber of Commerce. No need to book!

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The voice of Chichester business chichestercci.org.uk EVENTS: NOVEMBER – DECEMBER EVENTS

Network in style over a delicious afternoon tea in the exquisite Kennels Library at Goodwood with Hampshire & Sussex Chambers of Commerce

The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with Chichester College

Date: Wednesday 28 November Venue: The Library, The Kennels, Goodwood,

Chichester PO18 0PN Time: 2.30pm – 4.30pm Cost: £28 Once housing the Duke of Richmond’s hunting hounds, The Kennels is the central clubhouse for all of the Goodwood Estate’s sporting and social memberships, usually only available to Goodwood members.

This exclusive event will be held in the stunning “Library” at the Kennels, with beautiful views of Goodwood House. We will be joined by our neighbouring Chambers, Hampshire and Sussex, for a delicious afternoon tea, which will be accompanied by a talk from a member of the Goodwood Estate staff.

Numbers are limited, so please book quickly!

DECEMBER Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

Date: Monday 10 December Venue: Stansted Park, Rowlands Castle,

Hampshire PO9 6DX Time: 6.00pm – 8.15pm Cost: Members FREE | Non-members,

join us at two of our evening meetings

as a guest and see how it works for you.

Stansted is a Grade II* Listed Edwardian country house set on a 1,800acre estate within the South Downs National Park. The house began as a hunting lodge in the 11th century, but was developed over many hundreds of years. It sits on the Hampshire/Sussex border between Chichester and Portsmouth overlooking the coast. It offers a great day out for the family, residential and commercial space to let in a heritage setting, plus many other events and local attractions. What better place to celebrate Christmas in this spectacular historical local venue?

Join us at our regular Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting including a presentation.

Prize kindly donated by: Cathedral Wealth Management.

Date: Wednesday 12 December Venue: Chichester College, Westgate Fields,

Chichester PO19 1SB Time: 7.30am–9.00am Cost: Members £12

Non-members £13.50.

This monthly breakfast provides a friendly, relaxed and informative environment for local businesses to network and improve your business profile locally, with guest speaker and a delicious full-English breakfast.

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NETWORKING

Speed Networking A Quick and Effective Way to Expand Your Professional Contacts We at Chichester Chamber of Commerce ran our first Speed Networking event in 2007. This event has always proved very popular and effective. As we know, networking can be one of the most powerful and productive activities an individual can do to launch and manage their business or career.

Building an interconnected group of relationships with others is at the core of a person’s effectiveness both personally and professionally. In the workplace today, we need to be known to others as well as ensure that others are aware of how we might be a resource for them.

Over the years speed networking has emerged as a variation of traditional business networking activities for meeting people. Speed networking is a structured and fast paced networking event allowing participants to interact with others, typically in a series of brief one-on-one information exchanges.

This type of event can provide exposure to a lot of people in a short amount of time. It is a way to let others know who you are and what you are looking for, whether new customers or clients, business or sales leads.

How it works During the event Over a 1-2 hour period, you will meet individuals, one at a time. The CCCI event culminates with time allowed for open networking, either for talking to individuals you did not get to talk to or seeking out someone who you met during the event and continuing the conversation.

Preparation for Speed Networking • Practice a 60-second statement that includes your name, title or occupation, and what you are looking for, such as information, leads etc. Some people like speed networking because you get right to the point and there is no time for small talk.

• Make sure you have a supply of business cards ready; bring at least 60 • Bring a pen, notepad, and your appointment calendar with you.

• Usually attire is either business or business casual. Check with the organisers if it is not stated.

• Remember that you have a few seconds to make a positive first impression.

Seated in groups of three, each person is assigned a number 1, 2 or 3. Each person then has 60 seconds to deliver their pitch. After everyone has spoken, all the 1s change places with the 1s in the previous group (moving anti-clockwise), and the 2s do the same with the 2s in the next group (moving clockwise). The 3s remain seated and the process begins again.

After the event After the speed networking event, review the business cards of the individuals you met. With consideration for GDPR regulations, email within 24-48 hours to each person you want to follow up with. Better yet, make a phone call to continue the conversation or book a meeting or lunch to move the relationship along.

Outcomes Certainly, one of the goals of speed networking is to meet new individuals who can directly be of help to you.

But your goal shouldn’t stop there.

Each person you meet has a network of individuals they know, and it may be one of those persons who will be a good match for you. By meeting individuals during the course of a speed networking event, you potentially

“plug in” to the people they know, greatly extending your ability to connect with individuals related to your goals.

To be effective at your job or in your business and find new opportunities, it’s not just what you know and what you can do, but also who you know.

Speed networking can be another tool in your professional toolkit to contribute to your success.

SPEED NETWORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS – CCCI, Worthing & Adur, Brighton & Hove, Bognor Regis and Sussex Chambers of Commerce Wednesday 1st August at Hilton Avisford Park Hotel, Yapton Lane, Walberton, Arundel BN18 0LS. See page 5 for more details.

The voice of Chichester business chichestercci.org.uk CHARITIES

AWARD WINNING MEMBERS

Supporting charity members

Congratulations to CCCI members who were winners at the Observer Business Awards

Charity, at the heart of our business community! Our new initiative which introduced the Chamber Pot to you all back in January has proved to be a resounding success. During the first four months of 2018 we’ve raised £248.58 (with 2 months to go) for Enable Me, St Wilfrid’s Hospice, The Sussex Snowdrop Trust and UKHarvest.

OBA logo 18_Layout 1 04/07/2017 13:02 Page 1

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We would like to thank the following members who have donated raffle prizes for the second half of 2018:

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For the second half of the year, we will be supporting 4 more charity members, so do remember to bring your wallets and purses with you!

Our chosen charity members for July to December 2018

Congratulations!

TTE E Z GA

10

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Hospitality Tourism and Leisure Love Where You Live Small Business Vinco Marketing Large Business Moore Stephens (South) LLP Outstanding Contribution to the Community Brad Ainsworth (Cathedral Wealth Management) Employee/Team of the Year Kiwi Recruitment Ltd Manufacturing & Construction S I Protech / Improbiz Green Business Great Ballard School Lifetime Achievement Diana Levantine (The Sussex Snowdrop Trust)

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CCCI wishes to thank The Photography Lounge for taking photographs at our events.

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BUSINESS LUNCH

Local Business Lunch with our MP Q. What help for start-ups should there be in the Chichester area?

A. Gillian knows there are lots of resources available but accepts they can be difficult to find and it’s hard for startup businesses to know who to trust. She mentioned a great free service which is provided by the British Library. The group also discussed what help CCCI could give now the Coast to Capital Growth Hub has changed its focus from start-ups to growth and scale-up businesses.

Q. Will the minimum wage go up again, as it has done recently?

On Friday 13th April, around 30 local business people had lunch at the Harbour Hotel with Gillian Keegan, MP for Chichester. Lunch was followed by a talk which gave insight into Gillian’s background, and a question and answer session.

Gillian is from a different background to a ‘usual’ Conservative MP. Originally from Knowsley in Merseyside, she gained 10 'O' Levels at the local comprehensive, then went on to an apprenticeship at a local car factory in Kirkby. She was then sponsored to study a part-time degree in Business Studies.

Following her 25 year career in business, a chance meeting with one of the female founders of Women2Win (which encourages women to stand for the Conservative party) inspired Gillian to work on her public service record before standing as a parliamentary candidate in Merseyside in 2015. Gillian went on to win the Chichester seat in 2017.

The questions from the group were varied and touched on some of the major topics for Chichester businesses: Q. Apprenticeships levy; this seems to have put the price of apprenticeships up significantly in the care sector?

A. Gillian stated that she is the only MP to have started her working life as a degree-level apprentice, and that she is very interested in getting school leavers

and businesses working together for the best possible outcomes. At the start of the new levy process there may be some issues that need to be worked through.

Q. What is the status on Brexit?

A. Gillian campaigned and voted to remain in the EU referendum. She understands that the uncertainty around Brexit is one of the most difficult factors for business, but she anticipates seeing the shape of a deal in Autumn 2018.

However the result of the referendum was clear and Gillian believes that there should be a long term upside despite the short term pain for leaving the EU. Q. Roadworks and disruption around Chichester and the A27 discussions; what is her view?

A. Gillian has been attending the Build A Better A27 workshops when she isn’t in Parliament. She feels the new consultants have a better grasp on the issues. However, any solution will be disruptive for Chichester, and this 34 year old problem needs an innovative approach.

A. Gillian mentioned that housing is a real issue as rent has gone up more than wages, meaning that people are finding it hard to cover the bills. The minimum wage has gone up, and the point at which tax is payable on earnings has also increased, which is beneficial.

Gillian met with all the guests at the lunch and emphasised that she wants to hear from local businesses about problems, ideas, solutions and how she can support the Chichester constituency. Gillian can be contacted at gillian.keegan.mp@parliament.uk

This lunch event was kindly sponsored by Rathbones www.rathbones.com

This article was written by Rachael Tout, owner of Brandbalm Marketing provider of strategic marketing consultancy services. www.brandbalm.com

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13

LOCAL ECONOMY

Supporting economic growth Coast to Capital LEP has now been delivering the Enterprise Adviser Network for over 2 years in the Chichester and Arun area. Our role is to bridge the gap between education and the world of work.

We currently work with 7 secondary schools, Chichester College and 2 Alternative Provision Centres. We are likely to increase this by at least 3 before the end of this academic year.

Enterprise Adviser volunteers are the backbone of our service. Representatives from a variety of business sectors in the Arun & Chichester partnering each secondary school or college, working with their Senior Leadership Team and Careers Leads to develop and support the embedding of careers programmes in education. Planning activities to meet the Careers Strategy, helping to bridge the gap between employers and education by motivating, inspiring and supporting young people in making informed choices about their future.

In addition to these Enterprise Advisers we are also building a database of Industry Champions. These can be anyone from the world of work who want to participate in work related activities such as talks, careers fairs, CV workshops, mock interviews, apprenticeship opportunities, projects, workplace visits.

We are always seeking new Enterprise Adviser’s and Industry Champions to support young people in Arun & Chichester, helping the economic stability and growth of the area. We run termly South Coast Careers Networking groups in partnership with the University of Chichester and National Careers Service.

If you’d like to get involved or simply find out more, please contact Kelly Parkhouse on 07827 332132 or email kelly.parkhouse@coast2capital.org,uk

WELLBEING

Guiding Minds 1 in 6 people in the workplace are currently experiencing a common mental health issue with anxiety, stress and depression now the reason for almost half of sickness absences. In response to this Grant and Louise Elgin have set up Guiding Minds whose vision it is to help organisations take a proactive up-front approach to the mental wellbeing of their employees.

With contrasting backgrounds, Grant in the corporate world and Louise as an NHS CBT therapist they have seen this growing issue from both sides and are determined to create something that will make a real difference.

Having identified some common themes within organisations such as the continued stigma surrounding mental ill health in the workplace, increasing stress levels, rising NHS waiting times for talking therapy and a lack of understanding of where to find help, Guiding Minds have developed a unique model that includes a range of CBT based employee wellbeing workshops, mindfulness stress reduction courses, mental health first aid training, a signposting and resources toolkit and 1-2-1 therapy and counselling.

This approach is helping employees better manage their own mental wellbeing whilst helping create pathways for those with more specific needs.

Evaluation of our services and employee feedback has also demonstrated to Guiding Minds that employees feel more valued when their employer invests in their mental wellbeing. This has also been reported to positively impact on productivity and morale. www.guidingminds.co.uk 01243 696440 | grant.elgin@guidingminds.co.uk

2 Chapel street, Chichester 01243 696440 | www.guidingminds.co.uk

15

MEMBER PROFILE

Sue Harper Peach Technologies

Peach Technologies

BT will start the ISDN phase-out in 2020 Migrating from ISDN to SIP with Peach couldn’t be easier.

Growing up, my father was in the Royal Navy and I spent a lot of time visiting boiler rooms and pumping stations as well as steam engine museums which gave me the passion which led me into my career into Technology.

I have sold a wide portfolio of products including small relays and capacitors to large standby generators. With a passion for travel, I decided to call Virgin Atlantic airways to see if I could sell them any generators or back up power suppliesI succeeded in my goal and as a result became account manager of Virgin Atlantic for several years. In 2017 I was contacted by Peach directly and was delighted to accept a career here.

Peach Technologies is a multi-awarding winning provider of essential business technologies; specialising in Cloud, IT, Connectivity and Telecoms. Established in 2006, Peach Technologies has seen amazing successes driven by our inward desire to always provide the very best services and solutions for our customers. One of our main focuses at the moment is getting people switched over from ISDN to voice over IP technology.

ISDN has been the business standard for so long so we can understand why customers may have concerns about moving away from a service that is known for high call quality and flexibility. In a nutshell, BT is moving its entire voice network to voice over IP (VoIP). VoIP has been a proven platform for voice for some time now. It works. If your business has renewed its telephony sometime in the last few years, you may have been told about it. VoIP has many advantages over ISDN; it is much quicker to provision new lines, you can reduce your line rental due to needing fewer physical lines, and it is vastly scalable and flexible – for example you can redirect calls to different parts of the country at the flick of a switch, or have a single phone number follow you around the world irrespective of where you’re working.

I was given Chichester as one of my territories when I started at Peach. In the last few months I have been to various networking events organised by Chichester Chamber of Commerce. It was from one of the networking events that I went to that I met Gloria Robinson of Tawny nurseries who became my first Telecoms customer. I am delighted that Peach Technologies have now installed the new NEC telephone system for which the majority of the cost was offset by upgrading their analogue lines to SIP trunks and massively reducing their call costs.

Contact us today

0800 988 2002 www.peachtechnologies.co.uk official approved suppliers of

Gloria was so impressed with our service that she was kind enough to say these kind words:

Tawny Nurseries were in need of a new telephone system and Peach provided exactly what we needed!

The technology installed has transformed the way we communicate at the nursery, even my 91 year old father can use it. I get coverage with my DECT handset in all areas of the nursery and the caravan park- something that was not possible at all before! I have received really good service and excellent advice from Sue and the team at Peach Technologies.”

T: 07736279089 E: s.harper@peachtechnologies.co.uk

Developing people, developing business We can offer your organisation something a little different.

• • • • •

Employee training and development Business consultancy and research Start-up business support Host your conferences and meetings Engaging with emerging talent Call today to find out how we can support your business development. t. 01243 812051 e. business@chi.ac.uk.

chi.ac.uk/business

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BID

RETAIL

The power of cooperation These are tough times for retail and as part of a global trend, they are not likely to get easier any time soon. We may well lose some old friends as online shopping continues to bite as this phenomenon had already claimed 20% of commodity transactions by the end of 2017 and is predicted to double in the next few years.

But Chichester has the capacity to do better than most and all of us in the business community have a duty to build on that, together with the public authorities and the landlords. As an organisation based on the collective power of the City Centre business community, the renewed BID team has already given itself the job of providing simple schemes to build opportunities for business growth and improve the dwell-times of our visitors.

As part of the launch of this new programme for 2018, we were glad to be invited to participate in a joint BID-Chamber networking event hosted by one of our joint members: House of Fraser.

Over 75 business owners attended, to learn more about this major retailer’s desire to engage more fully with its local business community by opening up its trading floors to small local businesses - the backbone of the UK economy as we all know. Within three weeks of this meeting, the store manager had met personally with 42 business owners and a series of joint events were immediately put in place to provide sales opportunities for those SMEs who had signed up to their programme. With this level of success, the event could well become a fixture in the Chamber’s annual programme of monthly networking meetings.

In line with this, the BID team has in place for the remaining part of the year a series of activities designed to support businesses who wish to develop their revenue opportunities and promote longer dwell-times. Two of these are also designed to deliver either levy or cost neutral results to our levy payers, and promote further opportunities to do business with visitors whose dwell times are being extended. A considerably refreshed Christmas programme will crown this dynamic, with a full set of events to promote sales opportunities for proactive businesses, as we all continue to fight the national downturn in bricks and mortar sales and keep Chichester open for business well into the next decade.

Point of View

By Ray Gillman, Managing Director, BoConcept Chichester To find the current location of our store, I literally walked the streets, eventually finding the Corn Exchange.

I immediately felt that the character of the grade 2 listed building would provide a fantastic backdrop to our urban style furniture. Had I known the additional expense I would incur and the unnecessarily protracted planning process I would be subjected to, I may well have reconsidered!

Chichester has an amazing amount to offer as a retail destination; but is proficient at “hiding its light under a bushel”. More needs to be done to promote the city. I’m undoubtedly in the minority as one who doesn’t have an issue with Chichester’s quantity of coffee shops. For me, as a Chichester retailer, it is simply a “supply and demand” equation and if that’s what brings the buying public onto the streets, then all well and good. We are in the fortunate position that furniture is still largely a product that buyers wish to ”touch and feel” before purchasing and the majority of sales still take place in the store.

Car parking costs are prohibitive and the lack of a permanent, low-priced ‘Park & Ride’ facility never ceases to amaze me. With shoppers choosing online alternatives, we need to make it easier and cheaper to come to the shops. I am also concerned that independents are being priced out of the city centre locations and a “generic” High Street is a real risk.

With so much local housing development and a new café opening next door, their planning journey made mine look like a walk in the park, I am hopeful and confident of a busy remainder of 2018.

Create the best environment for your employees, customers and guests.

BoConcept Chichester offers Danish furniture in modular designs and countless customisation options.

Colin Hicks, Chairman, Chichester BID Tel. 01243 776300 Email. chichester@boconcept.co.uk Corn Exchange . Baffins Lane . Chichester . PO19 1BF

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The voice of Chichester business chichestercci.org.uk

Welcome to our new members Ally Berry Photography allyberry.co.uk

BoConcept Chichester boconcept.com

Crouchers Hotel & Restaurant crouchershotel.co.uk

DLM Group dlm-group.co.uk

Guiding Minds guidingminds.co.uk

Leapfrogg leapfrogg.co.uk

Little Kanga littlekanga.co.uk

Love Where You Live love-where-u-live.com

Monk Marketing monkmarketing.com

One Xi Consultancy Johncmaxwellgroup.com/gsmith

Park House Hotel & Spa parkhousehotel.com

PPC Stars ppcstars.co.uk

Santander

SRP Design & Print srpress.co.uk

The Photography Lounge thephotographylounge.co.uk

Vinco Marketing vincomarketing.com

The corporate experience Stansted House is set in 1800 acres of forest, parklands and formal gardens, and perfectly lends itself to a wide variety of exciting team building activities, from cricket to cookery, biking to butchery, yoga, giant chess, historic conservation and a maze. The grounds can also provide the opportunity to meet your corporate responsibility requirements in terms of mucking in and helping out with environmental and sustainability work.

Inside, this magnificent stately home offers elegant state rooms for presentations, receptions and tours, a formal board room for brainstorming and one of the most extensive and fascinating ‘below stairs’ experiences in the country. Whether your team needs a change of scene for a day thrashing out problems or a rewarding overnight break in the countryside, we have a range of inspiring solutions.

Major attractions nearby include Chichester Festival Theatre, Goodwood Racecourse and Motor Circuit, Cowdray Park Polo, golf, sailing and watersports. Our trusted partners will cater for breakfast, lunch and / or dinner in the house itself, or wander past the chapel and Dutch gardens to sample the delicious menus at the award-winning Farm Shop and Pavilion Tea Rooms.

Easily accessible by road and rail, as well as offering helicopter landing at the front of the house, Stansted Park can be yours for a day.

Contact us now to discuss how we can help you to improve your business. Email events@stanstedpark.co.uk or call us in the office on 023 9241 2265.

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Why join CCCI? Give your business the competitive edge locally:  Raise your business profile by using Chamber PR and marketing opportunities

 Use our free monthly meetings to network and be introduced to key contacts  Be part of the ‘voice of Chichester business’ and join forces to lobby on key local issues  Quality workshops  Keep up-to-date with Chichester Chamber events and business news with a free copy of the Chichester Business magazine

Membership benefits: · · · · ·

Events and networking Policy and Public Affairs Workshops and Training Business Advice and Services New Business Opportunities

Membership starts at just £120 Join now at www.chichestercci.org.uk/join

CCCI Ltd trading as Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry 82 North Street, Chichester, PO19 1LQ Tel: 01243 531765 Email: admin@chichestercci.org.uk

The voice of Chichester business chichestercci.org.uk