Business Bristol Post, Business Pulse. What George really thinks. The mayor answer questions on congestion, the environment, skills... and whether residents' parking will really drive businesses out of Bristol – see pages 10 & 11.
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2 EPB-E01-S3 www.bristolpost.co.uk SUPER COMPUTER HQ Cray Inc opens its European headquarters in Bristol – p3 REPUTATION REHAB UK’s leading woman banker talks the road to rehabilitation – p6&7 INSIDE THE ICE RINK Exclusive look inside ice rink to student digs conversion – p8&9 WHAT GEORGE REALLY THINKS The mayor answers questions on congestion, the environment, skills... and whether residents’ parking will really drive businesses out of Bristol – see pages 10 & 11 BUSINESS PULSE 03 2015 JUN Keeping people moving and communities prospering. www.firstgroupplc.com Proud to support Bristol as European Green Capital
Transcript
2EPB-E01-S3
www.bristolpost.co.uk
SUPER COMPUTER HQ
Cray Inc opens its Europeanheadquarters in Bristol – p3
REPUTATION REHAB
UK’s leading woman banker talksthe road to rehabilitation – p6&7
The mayor answers questions on congestion, the environment, skills... and whetherresidents’ parking will really drive businesses out of Bristol – see pages 10 & 11
BUSINESS PULSE
032015JUN
Keeping people moving and
communities prospering.
www.firstgroupplc.com
Proud to support Bristol as European Green Capital
EPB-
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● The Venturer Consortium’s driverless Wildcat car Photograph: Chris Bahn
InvestmentBristol still ranks withthe best for winningforeign investment● BRISTOL is the seventh mostsuccessful city in the UK outsideLondon for attracting foreigndirect investment.According to EY’s 2014 UK
Attractiveness Survey, foreignfirms made 10 investments in thecity in 2014, including new officesfor Airbus and Spanish insurancefirm Mapfre Abraxas.It was a slight fall from sixth
place the previous year, when 12such projects were carried out.Across the South West, EY
recorded 28 foreign directinvestment projects in 2014 – upfrom 27 and the strongestperformance seen in the regionsince 2010.On average, the South West
secures 950 jobs a year from suchprojects and in 2014 that was upto 1,192.Richard Jones, Bristol-based
senior partner at EY in the SouthWest, said: “2014 has beenanother year of sustained growthfor the South West, demonstratedby the strongest foreign directinvestment performance seen inthe region for four years,according to the number ofprojects secured.“It’s also positive to see Bristol
listed in the top ten UK cities forFDI, attracting over a third of allthe South West’s projects in 2014.“This year, the Government has
announced major transportinvestment strategies that willgreatly improve access to theSouth West for businesses. Thisshould help to attract moreforeign investors and help theregion to compete with the rest ofthe UK.”The top 10 cities were:
Innovation showcase set to bemost exciting tech event of year
THERE’S less than one weekto go until what’s shaping upto be the most exciting tech-nology event of the year. Andwith so much packed into the
schedule for Venturefest, we thoughtyou might need a little help to pickwhich bits to see.The all-day event at the Passenger
Shed on Tuesday, June 9, will show-case incredible innovation fromBristol-based companies.More than 1,000 people are already
registered to attend the one-day in-novation showcase on June 9, theevent will see a raft of excitingdigital and tech product launches aswell as a long list of expert speakersfrom across the globe.Here are some of the highlights
● The launch of the HP Hot HouseChallenge. The HP Future CitiesChallenge, exclusive to companiesexhibiting and attending Ven-turefest, is a competition for or-ganisations to submit a disruptiveidea or business model that is suit-able for public or commercial servicewhich betters peoples’ lives and theenvironment in a city like Bristol orBath. Companies can enter to be inwith a chance to win £25,000 ofsupport from HP Enterprise.
● The Venturer Consortium will bebringing its driverless car, the Wild-cat, which is being trialled in theBristol region as a way of exploringthe feasibility of driverless cars inthe UK. Delegates can come along tofind out more about the technologyand the Consortium itself.
● 09.45: Join the discussion in theTechSPARK Entrepreneurs Club inthe Junction, Engine Shed, or hearthe KTN sector landscape briefing onthe built environment in the QATraining Room, Engine Shed.
● 10.15: UKTI will give a present-ation in the Innovation Showcase onhow to get the most out of support for
international trade development aspart of the Business West BusinessSupport sessions happeningthroughout the day.
● From midday: At the InnovationShowcase, see Skanska’s smartstreet lighting technology, its newSprout ‘immersive’ computing andthe latest Virtual Reality technology.Plus, Open Bionics will showcase its3D-printed prosthetics, including anew robotic hand made from re-cycled plastic.
● 12.30: Pay a visit to the 30 excitingcompanies in the Start-Up Village,which includes the finalists from theGreen Capital Digital Challenge.
● 13:30: IMDb founder Col Need-ham’s anticipated keynote starts inthe Conference Theatre and will bestreamed live around to differentlocations around the venue.
● 14:30: Drop in for a one-to-onewith the InnovateUK LeadTechnologist or look at one ofthe Innovation Showcase Zones –there is a 3D-printed bike fromRenishaw; creative new technologiesfrom the Pervasive Media Studio;and a VW Beetle which runs onbiogas.
● 15.30: Watch a presentation onIntellectual Property in the Innov-ation Showcase, or a briefing on theCreative, Digital & Design Sector bythe KTN Lead Technologies in theQA Training Room. The final HighTech Panel in the ConferenceTheatre will discuss Robots forGood.
● 16.30: Business West will presenton start-up support & finance, fol-lowed by a drinks reception in theInnovation Showcase – hosted byToshiba TRL at 5pm – providing an
opportunity for informal networkingat the end of the day.
Andrew Garrard, chairman ofBristol 2015, one of the main spon-sors of Venturefest Bristol & Bath,said: “As a world centre for in-novation we’re really excited to havethe opportunity to bring togetherBristol and Bath’s leading busi-nesses, entrepreneurs and thoughtleaders and showcase their cut-ting-edge thinking and approach toinvestors from across the region,country and from around theworld.“In Bristol’s year as European
Green Capital, Venturefest will alsoshowcase the best green technologyinnovations from Europe and high-light the environmental contributionmade by the West of England.”For more information, follow
@venturefestbb or visit www.venturefestbristolandbath.com.
Opinion
Companies turning a profit by saving the planet
ENTREPRENEURS and busi-nesses in theWest of Englandare increasingly focusingtheir attention on the sig-nificant commercial oppor-
tunities being offered by green tech,the technology which makes a pos-itive change by reducing the humanimpact on the environment.There are a number of areas ripe
for green tech innovation, but rightnow it is being most disruptive – andprofitable – in areas such as energy,city innovation, transport and food.It is profitable because it makes
sound business sense. Today, the con-servation of natural resources andthe use of renewable resources isseen as a business imperative, notjust because it is good for the planetbut because there are commercialopportunities and there are businessrisks in corporate supply chains that
are over-exposed to needing energy,water or other scarce resources. Thisis why the global market for lowcarbon and environmental goods andservices was worth an estimated £3.4trillion, and growing, in 2011/12. Asthe economic costs of environmentaldegradation continue to be better un-derstood and therefore priced intoGovernment policies, there will beevenmore significant market driversfor green tech.Local energy efficiency companies
like Secure Controls and Green Run-ning are built on the premise of sav-ing money for home-owners andsmall businesses. Their businesses
are not just based on altruistic actionto be eco-friendly, but on a clear com-mercial rationale. Established com-panies like Stirling Dynamics,Renishaw and CFMS are also broad-ening their services into green techas they see evidence of commercialopportunities starting to emerge.This year, as part of Bristol’s
EuropeanGreenCapital year, the cityhas had the opportunity to shine alight on its existing green tech busi-
nesses, as well as helping to createnewones. A great example of thiswasBristol 2015’s Green Capital DigitalChallenge where teams competed todevelop apps and games that tackleenvironmental challenges.The future for green tech in Bristol
and Bath is looking bright. Nextweek, many successful green techbusinesses and academic institu-tions, including all four universitiesfrom Bristol and Bath, will cometogether to showcase some of theirexciting green innovations at Ven-turefest Bristol & Bath 2015, part ofthe International Green technologyFestival.Not only are these green tech com-
panies improving our everyday lives,but they are helping to bring jobs andinvestment to the region which inturn is great news for our economy,both regionally and nationally.
Firm opens secondoffice outside UK● BRISTOL-based ResourceSolutions Group, one of Britain'sbiggest independent recruitmentfirms, has launched its secondoffice outside of the UK withinthree months of opening its first.The office in central Amsterdam
is part of a European-wideexpansion programme and will beopened under the group’sSanderson brand.RSG, which started in Bristol 40
years ago, is headquartered inClifton Down, where it employs180 people and reached£220 million turnover in 2014.The new offices follows five
years of growth in the UK.Nick Walrond, RSG director in
charge of overseeing the EUexpansion programme, said: “TheNetherlands has seen a goodperiod of growth in the past 12months, which looks likely tocontinue, and with this comes anincrease in the flexible jobs market.We believe the expansion will helpus support our existing customersand also create opportunities forour range of services to be broughtto the wider local market place.”It follows an office opened in
Munich earlier this year.Headquartered in Bristol, RSG
specialises in IT and financerecruitment and business change.
“There are a numberof areas ripe forGreentech innovation ...It is profitable becauseit makes soundbusiness sense.
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THE world’s leading supercomputer business hasopened its European,Middle East and Africanheadquarters in Bristol.
Cray Inc chose the city ahead of anumber of other UK and mainlandEuropean cities because of Bristol’stalent and quality of life.ChiefexecutivePeterUngarosaid:
“There’s a couple of great universit-ies here and a great work force, itjust made sense. We looked at otherplaces acrossEurope, this one fit thebest.”Vice president administration
and general counsel Mike Pirainosaid: “It’s a wonderful city with agreat quality of life.Wewant to growand we feel it’s a place people willwant to live.”He added themixture of hardware
and software skills locally was ansignificant pull.“They don’t call it Silicon Gorge
for nothing,” he said.Cray is the leading super com-
puter maker at the top end of themarket. Itmade 16 of the top 50 supercomputers and 28 of the top 100, put-ting it ahead of its main rival, thegiant IBM.The Seattle-based firm recently
won its biggest ever contract outsideof theUnitedStates, toprovidesupercomputers for the UK Met Office inExeter.The firm was founded in 1972,
making it an old hand in the com-puting world, but it sees huge po-tential in the growth of big data.With more organisations gather-
ing large amounts of data throughthe internet,Craybelieves therewillbe greater demand for super com-puters to process that data quickly.It has customers in sectors includ-
ing financial services, oil and gasand life sciences.A super computer will cost up-
wards of $500,000 (£326,000) but thetop ones could top $100 million
(£652,000).The new office already houses
about 30 staff, including sales andmarketing and research and devel-opment.But the firm is “aggressively re-
cruiting” in what is describes as avery specialist field.It was officially opened by Ed Va-
izey, minister for the digital eco-nomy, and welcomed by city leadersand the business community.Theministersaid: “It isexciting to
see a recognised technology leadermake the UK one of its global hubs.“This sends a very clear message
to international organisationsabout innovation and excellence inthe UK technology sector and wehope more companies follow Cray’slead.”
Rick Chapman, high tech sectorchampionat InvestBristol andBath,said: “Cray’s decision is a testamentto the fact that the Bristol and Batharea is seen globally as an economicpowerhouse and the home of aworld-class high-tech cluster.“The region has a rich heritage
and associated skill set spanning anarray of disciplines including cloudcomputing, multi-core processordesign and high speed communic-ations, areas of technology integralto the development of cutting edgeinnovations such as super com-puters, autonomous cars and ro-bots.”● Watch Cray vice presidentMike Piraino explain why thecompany chose Bristol online atwww.southwestbusiness.co.uk
TechnologyNew pension rulesstart to hit small firms● THE next phase of workplacepensions auto enrolment begins thisweek, with companies with fewerthan 30 employees starting to beaffected.It means that some companies
with as few as one employee willhave to comply.Companies will be given staging
dates, which is the date on whichthey have to enrol their employeesinto a pension scheme.And bosses are being warned to
act rather than ignoring the issue.Tom McPhail, head of pensions
research at Bristol-basedHargreaves Lansdown, said: “Manysmaller employers are likely to beless well prepared than their largercounterparts, so it is vital to planahead.“There are likely to be further
policy changes in the near futuretoo, with pension tax relief alreadyunder close scrutiny.”He added: “It is also important to
note that for employees, this is justthe start. The minimumcontributions are not enough to buyyou a decent retirement income soyou should look on this as anopportunity to get to grips with aproblem, rather than somethingwhich you can now forget about.”As smaller firms are brought into
the pensions rules, it means hugenumbers of employers will beaffected. Between January 2016and March 2018, employer numbershitting their staging date will beaveraging over 100,000 a quarter.That means there will be big
demands on the advisors who canguide them through the process.
Helm backing call forapprentice builders● BUILDING firm HelmConstruction is backing a campaignto steer more young people intoapprenticeships in the constructionsector.Reacting to Government plans to
create more than three millionapprenticeships, the Federation ofMaster Builders has called for morethan 200,000 of them to be in thebuilding industry.Helm’s chief executive, Gary
Sheppard, said: “According to thefederation, more than half UK smallto medium builders are struggling tohire the bricklayers and other skilledworkers we need to cope withexisting construction levels.”Aust-based Helm has ten
apprentices and more set to beappointed. It was named smallemployer of the year at the Bristoland Bath Apprenticeship Awards.
Pensions
Building
Bristol best for super computerfirm as it chooses European HQ
Renewables firm powering 40,000 city homesMORE than 40,000 homes are nowbeing powered by Bristol green com-pany Triodos Renewables.The company has reported strong
growth in 2014, with an 18.6 per centyear-on-year growth in renewableenergy generation.It comes on the back of three new
wind power projects which werecommissioned in 2013.Last year, the company generated
enough renewable electricity topower more than 32,000 homes byexpanding its portfolio with threenew wind projects, taking the totalnumber up to 12 sites with a totalgenerating capacity of 62.9 MW.Two of the projects are based in
Scotland and started commissioningahead of schedule.And with the successful construc-
tion of a further three wind farmsalready in 2015, Triodos Renewablesnow operates sufficient generating
capacity to generate more than41,000 homes of renewable electri-city annually.Matthew Clayton, executive dir-
ector said: “Providing our share-holders with a rewardingconnection with sustainable energyis at the heart of Triodos Renew-ables. Growing our community ofshareholders and renewable gener-ation by 16 per cent and 18 per centrespectively feels like a very fittingway to start our 20th year of op-erations. Additionally we are de-lighted to have successfullycommissioned a further three windfarms already this year, putting ourshareholders’ investment to workgenerating more renewable energy.“Nationally renewables are mak-
ing a very real contribution, havinggenerated almost 20 per cent of theUK’s electricity last year, overtakingpower generated by the nuclear
fleet.” The board is recommending a4p dividend for 2014 to its 6,000 share-holders.At the annual general meeting
on June 19, shareholders willbe able to vote about theboard’s decision.The board also recom-
mends a raise in theshare price from £2.15at the beginning of 2014to £2.34 per share fol-lowing the share issueand the commissioningahead of schedule of thethree wind farms in 2015.The company launched its
eighth share issue in October 2014,raising a total of £4.1 million andissuing 1,543,721 new shares.The share issue was supported by
existing shareholders who contrib-uted 21 per cent of the funds raised.Some 813 new shareholders joined
the company, representing 16 percent growth in their shareholdercommunity.
Over the past eight years share-holders have invested£27.5million into TriodosRenewables, which hasbeen invested in devel-oping the company’s re-newable energygeneration capacity.On a like-for-like
basis it generated 4.5per cent more renewableelectricity than in the pre-
vious year and the overallgeneration of the company in-
creased by 18.6 per cent.This yearwillmark the company’s
20th birthday.It will be celebrated during the
company’s annual general meetingon June 19 at The M-Shed in Bris-tol.
SUPERCOMPUTERS -WHAT THEY DO
●SO you’ve invested a fewmillion in a super computer ...what do you dowith it?Super computers were once
usedmainly by governments anduniversities but businesses areseeing the potential.AMajor League baseball team
uses one to decide who to sendout to bat against a new pitcher.And an ice creammaker uses
one to decide how to get theconsistency just right.SimonMcIntosh-Smith, from
the department of computerscience at Bristol University, saidsuper computers allow people tobuildmodels to test things in avirtual setting.The Boeing 777was built using
only virtual wind tunnels, he said.Newmedicines such asantibiotics are being tested in thisway too. And it has the potential todo awaywith animal testing.The tech has only been good
enough in the past couple ofyears, but Simon said researcherswere already using it to find outwhichmoleculesmight work inmedicines to narrow the fieldbefore beginning traditional trials.
● Communities Minister Ed Vaizey and Cray CEO Peter Ungaro at theopening of supercomputer business Cray’s European HQ in Bristol
Photograph: Jon Kent
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IT could be party time for one ofBristol’s biggest private employ-ers. Computershare, which has1,400 staff based at its EuropeanHQ in South Bristol, is in the
running for a hat-trick of awards.The firm specialises in a range of
services including share registra-tion, employee share plans, childcarevouchers and tenant deposit protec-tion schemes.It was recently named a finalist in
two categories at the Bristol PostBusiness Awards, held in associationwith UWE Bristol.The firm competing against stock-
broker Hargreaves Lansdown and re-cruitment consultancy People Sourcefor the Large Business of the Yeartitle.At the same time it vies with law
firm Ashfords, waste managementcompany ETM Recycling and renew-ables installer Solarsense for the En-vironmental Business Award.And the company has also been
shortlisted for the PwC West of Eng-land Business Awards, which haspreviously been won by big namessuch as Mitie and Rotork.Naz Sarkar, chief executive for
Computershare UK, said: “It’s fant-astic that the hard work and talent ofeveryone at Computershare has beenrecognised by these two prominentorganisations.“It’s been a great year for us locally.
With 1,400 people now employed atour Bristol office, we have continuedto deliver ground-breaking standardsto our clients and increased and im-proved the services that we offer.
Will it be party time for firm inrunning for hat-trick of awards?
The Bristol MBAFind out morewww.uwe.ac.uk/bristolmba
WHY the family business of the yearaward? Well, it kind of chose usreally.As the longest trading independent
IT Company in Bristol and still fam-ily owned, we at BOM recognise thevalues of a family run business andproud to be associated with theawards for the second year running.As a Bristol-born business and sup-
plier of managed IT services andcloud computing to businesses of allsize we feel family run businessesreally contribute to the developmentof Bristol and the surrounding areas.Over the years the City of Bristol hasseen many small family run busi-nesses develop in to some of Bristollargest and most successful compan-ies. As a result of these successes
many of those businesses remain inBristol, offering a great choice ofproducts, service and driving thelocal economy for local people. Thedraw to other towns or cities is ap-pealing to many but family run busi-ness should remain in Bristol andcontinue to help drive the citiesgrowth.At BOM we understand the chal-
lenge that running a businesspresents and awards of this type areimportant in showing that recogni-tion. Such recognition and praisethat may just help push us to the nextworking day for the desire of successwhen things aren’t quote going toplan.It’s often refreshing to deal with a
family run business, where the val-● Andy Carter of BOM presents last year’s award for Family Business of theYear award to Williams Automobiles
ues are high and good service is themain focus for retention and growthof its customer base. Where workisn’t just a place, it’s where theyshare solutions together and work asa team, as family, striving for thebest.I believe putting people at the
centre of businesses will help deliverthe goals, with the very DNA of thosein the business wanting the samethings. The city offers a great supportnetwork and what better place tostart than with the family run busi-ness.BOM would like to wish all those
nominated the very best and lookforward to hearing about the goals,dreams, visions and successes thatwe all share in business.
“In addition, we believe that en-vironmental responsibility is a vitalpart of doing business successfully,and have played an enthusiastic rolein helping make Bristol greener dur-ing its crucial year as Green Cap-
ital.”The Bristol Post Business Awards
take place at the Passenger Shed onJune 25.Land speed record holder Andy
Green will be the guest speaker onthe night. Andy is the driver of theAvonmouth-built Bloodhound Super-sonic car, which has been built toattempt to break the 1,000mph bar-rier.Tickets for the black-tie event are
almost sold out, at time ofwriting justtwo tables remain. To snap them up,please email [email protected].
Naz Sarkar of Computershare UK
“ It’s fantastic that the hard workand talent of everyone atComputershare has beenrecognised
WORK is due to start ontransforming one ofBristol’s best-keptsecrets, the UnderfallYard.
It is the latest stage in an ambitious£3.8 million project to celebrate theyard’s past and to protect its future.Few people today realise the im-
portance of this part of the FloatingHarbour, the vital machinery, whichprevents flooding, and the boat build-ers who continue their ancient craft.The Underfall Yard Trust is spear-
heading a Heritage Lottery Fundedproject, which will see sensitive re-pairs to the historic industrial build-ings, and the addition of solarpaneling, a visitor centre and café.Bristol-based John Perkins Con-
struction start build work this week.The Perkins name will join the
ranks of the city’s most illustrious.Those involved in Underfall Yard in-clude famous engineers WilliamJessop and Isambard KingdomBrunel and the lesser-known JohnWard Girdlestone, who built most ofthe buildings and the slipway.The £2-millionprogrammeof build-
ing work, part of the overall scheme,is due to finish for Easter 2016.The Heritage Lottery Fund is con-
tributing £2.8 million of the totalcosts, which also cover displays, sig-nage, an oral history project, aschools education programme andevents.Construction work will safeguard
the red brick buildings, includinggrade two star listed landmarks thePower House and chimney, and willbring abandoned workshop spaceback into use.TheUnderfall Yard is alreadyhome
to a number of thriving businessesand organisations, including boatbuilders, a blacksmith and a divingclub.Chairman of the Underfall Yard
Trust Ian Wilkinson said: “This is agreat day for the Underfall Yard and agreat day for Bristol. Underfall Yardis an historic gem, the heart of theFloating Harbour.“Our work, supported by the Her-
itage Lottery Fund, will see a periodof dramatic change, giving vulner-able historic buildings a new lease oflife and the people of Bristol a true
● Switching on - from left, Richard Lowe,Investment Programme Manager at BristolCity Council Energy Service with JonathanDavis, Mi-space Energy and Nick Spice,BASIC
New life for harbour’s historic ‘secret’
● Marking the startof building work atthe Underfall Yardwith champagneand a bacon butty,from left, ProjectDirector NicolaDyer, Chairman ofthe Underfall YardTrust Ian Wilkinson,Assistant MayorCouncillor MarkBradshaw andRupert Perkins, ofJohn PerkinsConstructionPhotograph:Barbara Evripidou
THE largest solar panel project to be createdin Bristol has been completed.The installation at Horfield Leisure Centre
is the first of many similar roof-mountedarrays that will be introduced across the cityunder the new Bristol City Solar Frame-work.It has been commissioned by Bristol City
Council as the city celebrates its year asEuropean Green Capital.The 100kWp installation was delivered
through a partnership between the council’sEnergy Investment Service, Bristol-basedproperty services company Mi-space, and theBristol Area Solar Installers Co-operative(BASIC).The Horfield Leisure Centre scheme in-
volves solar panels able to generate an es-timated 90,000kWh of energy a year, reducingthe facility’s energy consumption and cuttingcarbon dioxide output by 50,000kW annually.It also marks the start of the four-year
framework to see solar panels installed on arange of community buildings, council offices,
schools, libraries, sports centres and othercouncil-owned buildings throughout the city.The partnership aims to bid for large-scale
solar projects and multiple installations with-in the region.Jonathan Davis, Mi-space energy specialist,
said: “The Horfield project is the first of threeschemes that Mi-space will be delivering inconjunction with BASIC.“The collaboration between the BASIC and
a large organisation like Midas is a ground-breaking initiative.“The council gets the benefits of working
with local contractors and therefore support-ing the city’s economy while buying the se-curity and peace of mind that a largecontractor like Midas brings.”Nick Spicer, Your Power operations director
and current chairman of BASIC: “It’s greatthat Your Power, BASIC and Mi-space aredelivering the first of three significant solarinstallations on behalf of Bristol City Coun-cil.“This installation will make a sizeable con-
tribution to reducing energy costs and cuttingemissions and will hopefully also encourageusers of the leisure centre to consider theirday-to-day energy use.“As part of the wider solar PV programme
launched by the council, this is another clearjustification of why Bristol is European GreenCapital 2015.”
understanding of its importance tothe city’s future as well as its fas-cinating past.”The Underfall Yard Trust’s project
director Nicola Dyer added: “Thisis a truly exciting phase in the£3.8million project, where we will seethe site transform and improve
whilst retaining the raw, working at-mosphere that everyone who knowsthe Yard loves.“The visitor centre, with stunning
views onto the harbour and boatyard,will be free for visitors and is due toopen in Easter 2016.”John Perkins Construction has
worked on a number of heritage sites,including Brunel’s ss Great Britain,Goldney Hall and Clevedon HallHotel.Contracts director Rupert Perkins
said: “Companies rarely have the op-portunity to undertake such an his-torically significant project.“Our work will safeguard Under-
fall Yard for future generations ofvisitors, craftsmen and women.“It is especially important that in
the EuropeanGreen Capital Year, ourwork will include improving thissite’s environmental credentials in-cluding solar paneling.”
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The Big Interview
THE banks have to rebuildtheir reputation with busi-ness one customer at a time,according to one of the mostpowerful women in British
banking.Alison Rose, who became chief ex-
ecutive of commercial and privatebanking at RBS last year, admits thefinancial industry has not been themost popular, but says she is proud ofher job.
“Everybody comes to work wantingto be proud of what they do,” she says.“I’m really proud to work for RBS andsee a great sense of responsibility toour customers and our staff to do theright thing to support them and re-build this business in the eyes of thecustomers.
“But we have been through somevery tough times, I think there are
still some learnings that we are tak-ing and if there are things on whichwe are not doing a good enough jobthen it’s my job to fix them.
“Building strong relationshipswith customers is how you rebuildthe reputation of the industry. You’vegot to do it customer by customer.”
Alison was in Bristol for the launchof RBS’s partnership with Entrepren-eurial Spark, where they are openinga new accelerator hub.
She sees this project as part of thatrehabilitation.
“It’s about supporting new busi-nesses,” says Alison. “As the leadingUK bank we have a unique position toplay a role in supporting entrepren-eurs and new businesses when theygo from that early idea to try to grow.You are not at the point where a bankcan finance you and it’s the loneliesttime for an entrepreneur.
“We’ve got bankers who can helpthem to write business plans and getinvestor-ready. We’re opening eightaccelerator hubs over the next 18months around the UK, either in ouroffice space or providing office spacefor free, putting our bankers in to helptrain and coach and partnering withe-spark to build a programme to sup-port entrepreneurs.”
Alison believes RBS can add a lot ofvalue to the entrepreneurs. Busi-nesses which have come through thepilot initiative in Scotland have asurvival rate of 80 per cent after two to
BUILDING TRUST, CUSTOMERThe banking industry ison a journey to rebuildnot just balance sheets,but its reputation, too.Gavin Thompsondiscusses the road toredemption with Britain’smost senior womanbanker, Alison Rose
“As an industry, the financial sectorand banking industry is rehabilit-ating itself.
“I think this is one way we can dowhat a bank should do, which is reachout and give real value to businesses,entrepreneurs, the community andeconomy and if we can do that andcontribute to that success then thatwill ultimately drive our success.”
For Alison, getting out of Londonand meeting customers is an import-ant part of that process.
“I try to travel around the regionson a regular basis and Bristol is one ofour key hubs and a big growth area,”she says. “I’m here to sit down withcustomers and get the chance to hearfrom them directly how it’s going,
She says the bank can also supportthe start-ups through its contacts.
She says: “We bank huge numbersof successful corporates, businessesand entrepreneurs who can be po-tential mentors, suppliers and cus-tomers of these companies, so if wecan help connect them and become afocal point to bring the eco-systemtogether, we can add real value to thelocal economy, and that’s where Ithink we should be.
“It’s a really exciting initiative andone I feel really passionate about. Ithink Bristol in particular as a cityand a region has a very entrepren-eurial culture. The type of businesseshere give it that feel of a growing,successful economy. The number ofentrepreneurs emerging here is high,so if we can help support them we canmake a difference.”
It is possible that some of the com-panies formed will become successfuland may choose to bank with RBS, butthe hub is as much a message to thebusiness community.
“Our ambition is to be number onefor our customers in trust, serviceand advocacy and we’ve changed ourstrategy to put customers at the heartof it, but you’ve got to earn trustback,” says Alison.
three years, compared with 45 percent across the industry.
“The thinking behind it for me ishow we can build trust and support,”she says. “We don’t charge for the useof the space or the coaching, theydon’t have to be customers of the bankand there is no condition at any pointin the future to be, we put prize moneyin but we don’t take any equity.
“The benefit for us is that I put mybankers through the same trainingprogramme as the entrepreneurs andthat helps educate my bankers to be-come more business-friendly.
“If you are standing in the shoes ofthe entrepreneur and you are think-ing about what they need to maketheir business successful, that’s verydifferent to how a banker mightthink. The more I can train mybankers to think like that, the morethey will be understanding of thetrials a new business goes through.
“So I selfishly get a huge amountout of it. If you can take more of thesecompanies through this programmeyou can stimulate better growth inthe UK economy and hopefully, as aresult of doing that, in three or fouryears’ time they might want to comeand bank with us, but we don’t makethat a precondition.”
Alison Rose
“ It’s a really excitinginitiative and one I feelreally passionate about.I think Bristol inparticular as a city anda region has a veryentrepreneurial culture.
Alison Rose
“The clear messagefrom our customers isthey want banks whounderstand them andwork with them and helpthem deliver their plans.
Business diary
Email your business events [email protected] are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.
Bristol Connected: Don’t missthe next Bristol Connected, theinformal networking event run bythe Bristol Post and South WestBusiness. Takes place tomorrownight from 6-8pm at RadissonBlu hotel in Broad Quay.Speakers will be from cycle mailservice Velopost and MentorMedia Training and the event is agreat chance to meet the BristolPost business team. Register viawww.southwestbusiness.co.uk/business-calendar/ or eventbrite.
South GloucestershireBusiness Forum AnnualBreakfast: Panel discussionfeatures Matt Cross, of InvestBristol and Bath, Chris Smith, ofMarshfield Bakery, West ofEngland LEP boss BarbaraDavies, and SouthGloucestershire Council directorSteve Evans. Friday, June 5, at7.30am at Bristol and BathScience Park. Email Strategy&[email protected]
Business Outlook in NorthSomerset: Speakers include DrLiam Fox MP, Berkeley Harris,Quality Solicitors Burroughs Dayand more. Run by PortisheadChamber of Commerce, onFriday, June 5 at Somerset Hall,Portishead. Call 01275 390620to book.
Venturefest: Showcase forinnovation comes to the EngineShed and Passenger Shed atTemple Meads. June 9. Go toventurefestbristolandbath.com
Marketing Expert in a Day:Chartered Institute of Marketingworkshop aimed at the ownersand managers of smallbusinesses to help them grow.Takes place on Tuesday, June 9,at The Bristol Golf Club,Almondsbury. [email protected].
The Community Apprentice -The Auditions: Burges SalmonLLP hosts ‘The Auditions’ onJune 11 at 6pm where MayorGeorge Ferguson will begalvanising 100 volunteers fromthe Bristol business communityto support him in the next seriesof the city's popular inter-schoolcompetition, in which they willbe advisers to the communityapprentice teams. Find out morevia eventbrite or contact envisionon 0117 315 5113.
Charity mergers seminar:Experts talk about legal issuesaround charity mergers,including Sue Davie fromMeningitis, which formed frommerger of Meningitis Trust andMeningitis UK. 10am-1pm onJune 18 at Foot Anstey, 100Victoria Street, Bristol. To bookcall 0800 408 0050 or [email protected].
Investing in the Future: Edenproject co-founder Sir Tim Smitis keynote speaker at thisRathbone GreenbankInvestments event, which alsofeatures short talks from localfigures involved in creating amore sustainable future. Part ofBig Green Week. Takes place atAt-Bristol on June 18. Book atwww.biggreenweek.com.
● Britain’smostseniorwomanbanker,AlisonRose
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Imperial Tobacco takes over US brands
Chris’s cordless workstationbecomes internet sensation
what they are seeing and what theyare looking for from a bank and talk alittle bit about our strategy and talkwith our teams on the ground, too.“The clear message from our cus-
tomers is they want banks who un-derstand them and work with themand help them deliver their plans.“I was talking to customers today
and one asked me, ‘How do you meas-ure your bankers now?’ None of myrelationship bankers have financialtargets, we measure them verysimply on client satisfaction scoresand the complaints we get from cus-tomers. We look at how we are doingin the customers’ eyes.“Businesses want more local de-
cision-making and empowerment onthe front line. They want a relation-ship banker, someone who under-stands their business.“The great thing about putting a
group of customers in a room to-gether is that they don’t sugar-coat it.That’s when I spend a lot of timeoutside London sitting down withcustomers.”To keep that connection, Alison in-
sists all her senior team haveface-to-face contact with customers,including herself.“I went to a printing customer,
around £5 million turnover, and Iturned up,” she said. “They did spendthe whole visit saying, ‘I can’t believethe CEO turned up’, but these are thebusinesses who are our customers, soI should be spending time withthem.“It’s good for them, but I get an
enormous amount out of it, too. Idon’t think it’s healthy for you if youare just locked away in the board-room.”One of the messages she has picked
up is that bank needs to make thingssimpler, whether that is the techno-logy or when visiting a branch.But a key message she has been
sending back is that the banks areopen for business.“We’ve been writing to customers
with a bespoke analysis saying if youdid need credit, this is how much wecould lend you, so that they know weare open for business,” she says.“We’ve issued letters of appetite for
almost £12 billion of funding. Twelvemonths ago peoplewould say, ‘Are youreally lending?’ Now they say, ‘Yesyou are’.”So the banks are ready to lend. How
many takers there are will depend onhow well Alison and her peers canrebuild that all-important trust.
VIDEO Alison shares her biggest businesslesson on South West Business atSOUTHWESTBUSINESS.CO.UK
IMPERIAL Tobacco has won ap-proval to buy a number of Amer-ican cigarette brands that will seeits market share jump from three to10 per cent in the United States.The Bristol-headquartered FTSE
100 company is capitalising on themerger of US rivals Reynolds andLorillard which have been forced tooff-load some brands to satisfycompetition regulators.Imperial’s acquisition was ap-
proved by the US Federal TradeCommission this morning.The $7.1 billion move will see
Imperial strengthen its e-cigarettebusiness as it includes the blubrand.Other famous brands which will
come under Imperial include Win-ston, Maverick and Kool.
The move fits with the Ash-ton-based firm’s strategy to targetkey growth markets including theUS.Speaking when the proposed deal
was announced last year, chiefexecutive Alison Cooper said:“This is a great opportunity totransform our US business andsecure a significant presence in theworld’s largest accessible profitpool.“We plan to build a US brand
portfolio through national distri-bution and create a stronger, morecompetitive business. We intend tointernationalise blu, the US leaderin e-cigarettes and enhance itsgrowth opportunity with ourknow-how.“We expect opportunities for cost
optimisation through integration.“The acquisition of these assets,
without historic product liabilitiesfor the cigarette brands, on reas-onable terms means that it isexpected to offer a return of over 10per cent, well in excess of our costof capital in its first full year and isexpected to be significantly earn-ings enhancing in the first full yearpost completion.“The value this will create for
shareholders and the strategictransformation of our position in akey growth market, makes this anoutstanding opportunity.”The firm’s share price jumped
87p to 3,371 by 10am following theannouncement. Earlier this monthImperial posted six month profitsof £959 million.
THE video of a popular DIY productinvented by a Portishead companyhas gone viral, with more than 46million views.The Power8workshop – the
world’s first cordless workstation –appears in a simple six-minute clipin which the demonstrator showsviewers the unique features of theproduct, which was created eightyears ago in a home garage.The video was posted on Face-
book by a Turkish reseller, Her-gunyeni.com, on May 5.Since then, it has received 46
million views, nearly 200,000 likesand has been shared 1.2 milliontimes.Following the clip appearing on-
line, 4,000 distributors and custom-ers worldwide have been in touchwith the designers of the product,CEL, a design firm based in Bris-tol.The company, which also has of-
fices in Hong Kong, sold out of all
stock of the product within 48 hoursof the video going live. The team arenow awaiting shipments and aretaking pre-orders to cope with de-mand.Chris Elsworthy, managing dir-
ector of CELUK, said: “We’re a littlestunnedby the response to the videoas we didn’t even know it was goinglive originally.“Suddenly our inboxeswere filled
with thousands of emails overnight,and our website crashed, and wehad no idea why.“After investigating further and
finding out about the video, we’reobviously delighted with the re-sponse.“I invented the Power8workshop
many years ago at home, and al-though it was very successful at thetime, appearing on the likes ofDragon’s Den andThe Gadget Show,our attentions have shifted a littlesince.“While we continue to push our
power tool range, the past couple ofyears have been spent working onour Robox 3D printer – but it’s niceto turn the attention to the Power8as this is the reason the companybegan in the first place.”Chris invented the Power8work-
shop back in 2007.He appeared on Dragon’s Den in
2010 and secured the backing ofDuncan Bannatyne and PeterJones, but chose to reject their fund-ing after the show.The Power8workshop has also
been featured on Channel 5’s TheGadget Show, and has won inter-national awards.CEL are in talkswith distributors
worldwide about stocking theproduct, withMaplin Electronics inthe UK becoming the latest to fea-ture the range.CEL now has a very successful 3D
printing arm to the business, andsells the Robox 3D printer inter-nationally.
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WITH most building pro-jects, the demolition isthe easy bit. Knockingdown is easier thanbuilding something.
But when Unite Students decidedto turn Bristol’s former ice rink intoa new home for hundreds of students,the demolition was a little trickier.It wasn’t so much that the former
ice rink posed challenges, but theexisting nightclub and music venue,the 02 Academy, under it.“The nightclub, the 02, has a longer
lease so the plan was to developaround it,” explained Unite corpor-ate development director JamesHunt. “In layman’s terms you’ve got abox with an operational nightclubinside. That kept us awake at night!“You’ve got a nightclub open
throughout the programme; above
| ’
Converting offices into flatshas become commonplace inBristol, but turning an icerink into a home for 400students poses a few extrachallenges. Gavin Thompsonfinds out more
that is an enormous heavy struc-ture.“We’ve had to create something
called a transfer deck which carriesthe load and transfers the weight tothe ground and foundations. It’s aslabmade of a special type of concretethat spans the 45-metre length. That’sfour and a half double decker buseslaid end to end.“There is 25,000 tonnes of structure
and all the fixtures and fittings thatgoes with it on top of that.”The project had been a long time in
the planning. Unite bought the sitemore than 15 years ago but couldn’tdevelop it until the lease on the icerink expired.But even with time on their hands,
there’s only so much they could plan
Property Matters
HOW NIGHTCLUB KEPT ICE-RINK
for such an unusual job.“The demolition took us nigh on 12
months when it would normally beone or two,” said James. “Until youstart you don’t know what you aregoing to find. Sections of wall had tobe removed panel by panel to do itsafety.”But James said the project was on
schedule andwill provide the studentaccommodation specialist with re-turns in line with expectations.Unite is based in Bristol, where it
employs 300 people. The firm prettymuch invented the purpose-built stu-
dent accommodation market.Its flats are a far cry from the
stereotypes of slum-like conditionsyou might imagine of student digsand expectations have stepped up anotch or two since students startedpaying tuition fees. Facing higherlevels of debt, theyhavebecome savvyconsumers and expect more for theirmoney (a Unite room inBristolmightcost £135 per week, including bills).“On check-in day the number one
query is not ‘where’s the bus towherever’, it’s ‘what’s thewi-fi code’,”said James.
The ice rink site will have 481 bed-rooms, split into cluster flats, eachroom en-suite and with a shared kit-chen and dining area between 10.There will be lots of communal
areas where you’ll find studentshunched over laptops or socialising.Outside, the area will be land-
scaped and an old public right of wayup to Lower Park Row will be im-proved to suit students heading upthe hill towards Clifton.“Students spend a lot more time
where they live than in their lecturetheatre,” said James. “So the envir-
onment is very important and shouldcontribute to their time at uni-versity.“If you are going to go to university
and it costs you £9,000 a year beforeyou switch the lights on, once youaccept you are going to come out withdebt making the most of that ex-perience has to be paramount. Hav-ing the right environment aroundyou can contribute to that.”The market is growing, despite
those hefty fees. There are already40,000 students in Bristol and they allneed somewhere to sleep. Numbers
Unite corporate developmentdirector James Hunt
“ Inlayman’stermsyou’ve gota box withan operationalnightclub inside. Thatkept us awake at night!
● Scenes inside the old ice rink which is being turned into student flats - and inset, howthe site used to look Photograph: Michael Lloyd
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THE national Press has reported– apparently without question –how home sales in the postcodescovering Avonmouth and Shire-hampton are outstripping therest of the country, doubling inthe past year.
The national media may be tip-ping it as the next ‘regional prop-erty hotspot’ but as we all knowstatistics can be made to say any-thing.
Avonmouth is a close-knit com-munity and while there are cer-tainly some good value propertyopportunities it’s fair to sayChelsea-by-the-Sea it’s not.
The latest figures – which sug-gest Avonmouth is on the brink ofgenerating its own house pricebubble – will seem quite absurdto anybody familiar with thearea.
But they could be seriouslymisleading for those living fur-ther afield.
Londoners looking for thatget-away-from-it-all-move outWest, for instance, are unlikely tobe clued in to the aspirationalgulf between Bristol Harbour-side and Avonmouth Severn-side.
Like St Pauls, Avonmouth hashad something of a bad press butit is in fact a strong and thrivingcommunity, fiercely proud of itstough, independent streak.
And although these figuresmight catch the eye of wantawaysin Walthamstow, they do not re-flect the reality of life on theground here – as any Avonmouthresident would be the first topoint out.
Surely the fact house prices inAvonmouth are some of the low-est in the Greater Bristol area arefar more likely to have skewedthe picture.
Avonmouth is recognised asBristol’s largest industrial area –and although commercial activ-ity levels are rightly higher thanthey have been for years, the ideathe residential element couldgenerate its own house-pricebubble would be scorned by thepeople living there.
Statistics like these – no matterhow accurate as far as they go –underline the importance of localknowledge of genuine marketvalue – and the dangers of trust-ing to tables, charts and figures.
The Bristol city centre, Broad-mead, Canon’s Marsh, Redcliff,and Spike Island postcodes –which had come second in thenational survey into house sales– are far more plausible con-tenders as residential hotspots.
are rising and the cap on numbers islifted from September which meansinstitutions can increase numbers ifthey can handle them.
So perhaps the surprise is that this£26-million project is Unite’s first in-vestment in Bristol, where ii cur-rently has 3,472 student beds, sincePhoenix Court opposite Cabot Circusin 2007.
“We would love to do more here,”said James. “The demand is there andwe are actively considering what isavailable but we’ll only invest wherewe see we can develop in the right
• Managed Offices - from 100-524 sq ft(9.3 - 48.7 sq m)
• Inclusive terms from £250 per month• Low cost flexible licence agreements
available• Convenient location close to Cabot
Circus and the M32
BK code: 2795
location. We are not in the game ofgoing crazy and paying too much for asite because then you have to chargetoo much rent. We aim to providehigh quality accommodation at acompetitive rent.”
As for the ice rink site, it is not yetdecided whether it will be leased toone or other university or be open tostudents from anywhere to stay.
But either way, James is confidentit will be fully let come September,such is the demand. So once therooms go on the market, students hadbetter get their skates on.
THERE’LL be some pain buteventually Bristol will be abetter place as a result of res-idents’ parking and otherschemes to cut congestion.
ThatwasthemessageBristolMayorGeorgeFergusondeliveredtothebusi-ness community at a launch event forthe next Business Pulse survey.The Business Pulse is a joint ini-
tiative between the Bristol Post andaccountants and advisers BDO, de-signed to highlight the barriers andopportunities companies face.TheMayoransweredquestions sub-
mitted by businesses on topicscovered in the surveys so far, includ-ing the Temple Quarter EnterpriseZone, skills and traffic, which wasidentified as the number one barrierto doing business locally.In a no-holds-barred interview he
explained his congestion policies.“By far the biggest issue is conges-
super computer to enable uswith partners to developsmarter ways of doingthings. Sowewill be lookinginto clever ways of dealingwith car sharing and more
intelligent traffic control but wecan’t turn a historical city into
a highway city.“Therewillbeabit of pain,there has to bea bit of painbefore youcome out theother endwith a better
place.”When questioned about businesses
moving out because of the parking re-strictions, theMayor stood firm.“Theymove to another part of Bris-
tol to be nearer the station whichmakes a lot of sense but it is not sus-tainable for people to use residentialstreets as their commercial carparks,” he said.“There maybe one or two move,
what I have discovered is an a lot ofpeople who were going to move any-way use it as an excuse. I don’t thinkthey’ll move to North Somerset orSouth Gloucestershire because whatthey benefit in terms of the ecology of
the place, the culture, the nice placesto go and eat and drink is much moreimportant thanwhether or not you’vegot a bloody great car park.”The Mayor also talked up Bristol’s
ability to lure talent from the capital.“Firstofall it’snotLondon,”hesaid.
“London is overheating and Bristol isthe first best stop out of London. Weare a brilliant place to live it’s a greatplace to bring up a family and be achild.“People choose place first. It’s got a
great buzz, with great universities,we’ve got somuchgoingon in termsofdevelopment and interesting indus-tries and it’s a great place to absorb
culture, we’re becoming relativelysuccessful at sport.”He talked about how the Temple
Quarter Enterprise Zone was movingthe city centre nearer the train sta-tion.“We are doing all the right things
about the enterprise zone,” he said.“Oneofmy first decisionswas tobuildEngine Shed. That’s proving such ahuge success we are going to have tobuild Engine Shed 2.“At the same time we’ve got people
like Salmon Harvester investing inspeculative office development andgetting really good tenants at recordrents for Bristol.
GeorgeFerguson
“By far thebiggest issueis congestionand pollution.I make noapologies forbeing toughabout that.
VIDEO Watch the full interview online -and take part in the next questionnaire -at SOUTHWESTBUSINESS.CO.UK
ONLINE
● Paul Falvey, tax partner and head of manufacturing at BDO Bristol speaks at the event with Mayor George Ferguson, centre Photographs: Michael Lloyd
● Malcolm Emery, of Thrings; Nicola Edwards of BDO; and Mark Lucas ofDuncan Lawrie Private Bank
● Martin Newman of Management Kinetics; Dr Stephen Fear of FearGroup; and John Talbot of BDO
● Alan Bailey of Low Carbon South West and Professor Nick O’Reganof UWE
tion and pollution,” he said. “I makeno apologies for being tough aboutthat.“It can’t be dealt with in one fell
swoop. You can’t say wait until we’vegot better transport before you bringin measures about parking becauseit’s all so inter-dependent.“Weneedabit of patiencebutweare
getting there. We are investing in thecity region, £400 million in MetroBusand suburban rail.“We are going to look at a better,
smootherrunningcity in threeor fouryears time.“Residents, parking is about much
more than residents, parking, it’sabout howwe use our streets and howwe create a better environment.“There was a huge amount of op-
position but it is a really key one. Wecan’t have residential areas beingused as commuter car parks. It’s a stu-pid way of running a city and it’s stu-pid that we’ve got 55,000 cars cominginto the city everymorning and 90 percentaredriveronly. It’s idiotic.Anditsnot smart. We’ve got to get smarterabout these things.“We’vesetupsomethingcalledBris-
tol is Open using the university’s
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“All that is going it he right direction. I’vegot make sure we invest in things that boostthat and spread the wealth.”
On skills and jobs, the Mayor said hewanted to bring all the business organisa-tions together to engage with schools, col-leges and other training providers.
“We’re pretty well off in terms of higherskills but we need to do an awful lot in skills atthe lower level,” he said.
“I’m really keen that we develop a learningculture across Bristol. I have an initiativecalled Learning City which brings togetherall those involved in learning and teachingacross Bristol.
“Skills is one of the biggest challenges –we’ve got to be able to give what business
needs. I do think we could benefit from bring-ing all the business organisations together ina hub. I’ve been having the beginning of adiscussion about how we bring business to-gether.”
And he was frank about his views on coun-cil meetings.
“Council meetings don’t thrill me,” hesaid. “You think they’re about democracy butthey are really about politics.”
Finally, the Mayor described the city hehopes to leave behind when he ends his termin office.
“Bristol will look very diverse and it will beculturally interesting,” he said. “But at theheart of that city has got to be a thrivingbusiness community.”
● Julia Husband and Paul Flower of Barclays and Louise Masson of Harvey Nichols at the event ● Chris Mapp of Santander and Tony Stringer of BDO
● Nicola Mapp and Aled Morris, Co-opBank; and Tim Stringer of Integral Build
● Jon Payne of Noisy Little Monkey andJohn Evans of Lloyds Bank
– FOR PEOPLE AND FOR BUSINESS’
● Guests at the event at BDO’s office in Bridgewater House
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The back pagePeople● A Bristol author has become afinalist in the International BookAwards.Bryony Thomas has been
shortlised in the Marketing &Advertising category for WatertightMarketing, a no-nonsense guide forentrepreneurs looking to grow theirbusiness with structured marketing.This crowd-funded book has
picked up a string ofhonours since itspublication in2013. It wasrecognised bythe CharteredInstitute ofMarketing as itsBook of the Monthin 2013, selected asthe Winner of theNational Indie Excellence Awards in2014, and came a close second inthe Small Business Book Awardspublic vote last year.Bryony said: “I got the news about
the International Book Awards as Iwalked off stage from opening asmall business expo in London lastweek. It is such an honour to bedistinguished amongst books fromacross the globe.”
Places
● Skanska has pre-let 3,000sqft(279m²) of office space at 66 QueenSquare in Bristol to a Swedishbanking group. Handelsbanken hastaken the part of the ground floorspace, which will be available foroccupation in September this year,on a 10-year lease at a rent of£28.50 per sqft (£307 per m²).Alex Jordan, Skanska’s leasing
director, said: “This is a greatcovenant to secure, complementingour main tenant KPMG. There isnow just the fourth floor, comprising3,200sqft (297m²), and theself-contained 72 Queen Square(3,000sqft or 279m²) available tolet.”
Situated in the heart of Bristol onthe historic Georgian square, thedevelopment of 66 Queen Squarewill complete in September 2015.Alder King and JLL are letting
agents for the scheme. Alder Kingadvised Handelsbanken.
● A housing project in Bristol haswon a prize for helping toregenerate part of Bristol.Junction 3 (J3), a Knightstone
development in Easton, designed bygcp chartered architects, receivedthe Regeneration award at the 2015RICS South West Awards.J3 has contributed to the
significant regeneration of the siteand surrounding area, with thecreation of 59 new affordablehomes, seven business units, alibrary and learning centre.Jonathan Platt, director at gcp
Chartered Architects, said: “J3 is theculmination of seven yearsdedicated work to create a placethat people just want to be. It hascompletely transformed this part ofthe city.”Mike Day, director of development
and home ownership atKnightstone, added: “We’re soproud of J3 and the contribution it’s
Feel the fear – and turn it to your advantage
FEAR is an emotion felt byeveryone at some time in theirlives, but for some it controlstheir very existence.Fear of going out – agorapho-
bia– isonesuch fear.Fearof staying in– claustrophobia – is another. Vertigo,the fear of heights, is yet another.Atychiphobia, the fear of risk, is the
one that affectsmany business peoplethemost.Fear of risk is something many en-
trepreneurs face almost daily. Willthis or that work? Will I waste mytime? Will I run out my capital? Whatwill my friends and family think if Ifail?Will I make a fool of myself ?All these andmanymore are ‘fears’
which are expressed negatively.However as an entrepreneur it is
essential that you firstly understandyour fears and then use them to your
advantage – turning them to posit-ively drive you forward.In my case I only have to look into
the mirror to confront my personal‘Fear’ every day!Fear is essential. It prevents you
stepping out onto a busy road in frontof oncoming traffic. It prevents youfrom going too close to a cliff edge. Itstops you taking unnecessary risks.What you mustn’t do though, in myopinion, is let it stop you taking anyrisks.If youare to growyourbusiness you
will need to take risks. It’s how youmanage them that will define the out-
● Theteam atKellawayGroup
Opinion
come of any endeavour.Asanexampleababy learns towalk
bytakingrisks.Atthatstageofhumandevelopment the baby is unaware ofrisks, of course. It learns by fallingdown a few times. This howeverdoesn’t prevent it trying again andagain until walking is second nature.The drive to bemobile and experiencethe freedom walking gives motivatesthe baby to have another go. I doubtthere isanyparentwhodecidedon thebaby’s first fall that their baby willnever walk! No, as a parent you keepgetting your baby to stand up and tryagain until he or she does walk.As an entrepreneur who may have
failed it is essential that you learn toconfront your fear of failure and tryagain. Your past does not equal yourfuture. You can succeed. It is essentialthat you learn something from your
mistakes but don’t be surprised if yourepeat a few. I certainly have.Fear, as I say, is a negative word
which should be expressed positively.Use the fear of failure to drive youforwardinanyendeavour. Itcanbethemost powerfulword inyour arsenal ofresources.Fear of lack of knowledge of your
subject? React to that fear by obtain-ing more knowledge. Develop a burn-ingdesire forknowledgeandyour fearwill dissolve.Fear of failure? Develop a burning
desire tosucceedandyouwillconquerthis fear also.Anything is possible and most
things are probable with a positivemental attitude.Feel the fear and do it anyway. Use
that fear as amotivator and turn yourdreams into reality.
The Phone box MillionaireFear Group
making to the local area, so to seethe development being recognisedin this way is really rewarding.”
Success● Brick and stone slip claddingspecialist Eurobrick has reached amilestone in 2015 with 25 years inbusiness.Despite two major recessions, the
company has seen year on yeargrowth since day one with 2014being its best year to date.Based in Brislington, Bristol, the
company is now the country’slargest stockist of brick slips,introducing its innovative insulatedbrick slip cladding system to the UKin 1990.Eurobrick’s directors, John Mayes
and Tony Hornsby, introduced the
first comprehensively designedX-Clad brick cladding system to themarket.John said: “Building methods are
constantly evolving in response toexternal pressures, such as theneed for greater speed andefficiency and the skills andmaterials shortages. It’s productslike our cladding systems thatprovide an answer.“We will continue to work hard to
meet the challenges and areconfident there is a long-term placein the industry for our cladding andbrick slips.”
● Kellaway Group has been giventhe seal of approval on its fleetoperation with bronze accreditationfrom the Fleet Operator RecognitionScheme.The organisation, based in
Patchway just outside Bristol,includes Kellaway Building Supplies,Avonside Insulation Supplies, GriggsTimber and Bristol Tile Company.It underwent audit and
assessment procedures to securethe prestigious award which isbased on the lawfulness, safety,efficiency, and environmentalprotection of its fleet of 37 vehicles.Group fleet manager Mike
Burgess said: “Undertaking thisaward is voluntary, but it highlightsthe importance that we place uponsafety. Very few fleet operatorsoutside of London operate thisscheme but we feel it essential toensure we are mitigating the risks ofour fleet operation.”
● A storage company is celebratingits 10,000th customer in its 10thyear.UK Storage Company, which
operates from Bedmisnter andAvonmouth, has grown fromstrength to strength.During that period, husband and
wife team, Keith and Cathy Taylor,have not just grown the businessbut their family too, having threechildren.Keith said: “It’s been a fun and
eventful ride, and to have had tenthousand customers store with usacross all our locations is a greatachievement. “Longest standing customer Chris
Huxtable has stored with them since2006 and he presented the twocompany directors with a birthdaycake to celebrate the occasion.
