The widest-read business publication in the South East. Covering International Trade, Legal Issues, Accountancy, Wealth Management, Business Travel, Chamber News, Business Style, Editorial Opinion, Networking, Motoring, Plus much more. Interview with Greg Dyke
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ISSUE 13 . 2015 The widest-read business publication in the South East Plus: Business Funding Guide International Trade Legal Issues Accountancy Wealth Management Business Travel Chamber News Business Style Editorial Opinion Networking Motoring GREG DYKE ON THE BBC AND FIFA CROYDON’S TIME HAS COME TONY NEWMAN LEADER OF CROYDON COUNCIL SURREY TO SUSSEX CATERHAM CARS I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD! INTERVIEW WITH COUNCIL DEPUTY LEADER PETER MARTIN MERCEDES-BENZ AND DE VERE VENUES JOIN US FOR A VERY SPECIAL COMPETITION LEATHERHEAD BUSINESS AWARDS THE LAUNCH READ ALL PAST ISSUES AT WWW.PLATINUMBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM THE BIG STORY SURREY EDITION .
Transcript
ISSUE 13 . 2015 The widest-read business publication in the South East
PLATINUM
PLATINUMPlus:
Business Funding Guide
International Trade
Legal Issues
Accountancy
Wealth Management
Business Travel
Chamber News
Business Style
Editorial Opinion
Networking
Motoring
GREG DYKE ON THE BBC
AND FIFA
CROYDON’S TIME HAS COME TONY NEWMANLEADER OF CROYDON COUNCIL
SURREY TO SUSSEXCATERHAM CARS
I HAVE THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!
INTERVIEW WITH COUNCIL DEPUTY LEADER
PETER MARTIN
MERCEDES-BENZ AND DE VERE VENUESJOIN US FOR A VERY SPECIAL COMPETITION
LEATHERHEAD BUSINESS
AWARDSTHE LAUNCH
READ ALL PAST ISSUES AT WWW.PLATINUMBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM
THE BIG STORY
SURREY EDITION .
For all your family and personal law needs• Divorce&Family
For more information on how our lawyers can help you and your family, please email [email protected].
4
WELCOMEISSUE 13. 2015
We are delighted to bring you the very first issue of the
Surrey edition of the most read and distributed business
publication in the South East.
Platinum has taken Sussex by storm with hundreds of
thousands of avid business readers across the region and
expert editorial written by leading figures from all sectors
of the business world. Leading law firm DMH Stallard
discuss the post-election real estate market, one of the top
accountancy firms in the country, Kreston Reeves, discuss
tax relief on research and development and the unique
Skerritts Wealth Management delve into the subject of a
possible Brexit from the EU and what that might mean for
the country.
Also in this issue we profile Greg Dyke in the Big Story, whose
career has ranged from Chairman of the BBC to Chairman
of the FA with a few stops in between. We chat with Peter
Martin, the deputy leader of Surrey County Council about
what the future holds for businesses in the county, we
follow Caterham Cars as they make the journey down the
M23 from Surrey to Sussex and Tony Newman, Leader of
Croydon Council, writes about the dramatic regeneration of
the borough.
We hear from Peter Quilter, head of the NatWest team in
Guildford, about the legal benchmarking report and we
present a regular feature about the benefits of membership
of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce, courtesy of CEO Louise
Punter.
As this is our launch issue, we also bring you a relaxing
competition, courtesy of Horsley Park Hotel and Sandown
Mercedes-Benz. We all work far too hard, so enter the
competition and enjoy a relaxing five-star break at one of
the most beautiful hotels in the area and arrive in one of the
finest automobiles ever built.
And finally, we are delighted to announce that Platinum
Business Magazine is the media sponsor for the Leatherhead
and District Business Awards and judge of the Business
Person of the Year Award.
So as you can see, we‘ve been busy. We hope you enjoy the
magazine and that it will become your regular read every
month.
Maarten & IanPlatinum Business Magazine, Surrey
INTERVIEW
We chat with deputy leader of Surrey County Council, Peter Martin.
CATERHAM TO CRAWLEY
The iconic car company schlep down the M23.
BUSINESS AWARDSThe launch of the
Leatherhead and
District Business
Awards.
SECRET SURREY Organic Scotch whisky
from Bramley.
84
88
96
65
NATWEST
Peter Quilter on why confidence is returning to law firms in the South East.
14
5
THE TEAM
THE BIG STORY
GREG DYKEThe man who lowered standards at TV-AM and lost his job trying to raise standards at the BBC.
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All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Platinum Business Magazine is published and owned by Platinum Business Publications Limited.Directors: Maarten Hoffmann and Ian Trevett
before tax of £33m against an income of £148m. The
discretionary funds under management total £26.2
billion.
“We have made good progress in streamlining and
positioning ourselves for sustainable long-term
growth and meeting our ambition of becoming the
UK’s leading wealth manager. These results reflect our
confidence as a team in Reigate, the continued quality
of client service and potential for new business in
Reigate as we see increasing demand for professional
and trusted wealth management advice.”
The Board declared an interim dividend of 3.75p per
share. The interim dividend is payable on 26th June,
2015 to shareholders on the register at the close of
business on 5th June, 2015, with an exdividend date
of 4 June, 2015.
{ NEWS }
6
Fourteen areas may be removed from the greenbelt in Woking under plans to build 5,000 new homes. Woking Borough Council said the plan will see the
area’s greenbelt reduced by 2% and will involve parts of Mayford, Brookwood and Byfleet. The council will decide whether to approve the building list on
Thursday, with most homes being built in town centres.
However, the extent of the greenbelt loss has angered residents. Ron Dawes, from the Mayford Village Society, said, “As far as we’re concerned, what is
proposed is totally unacceptable to Mayford and Mayford’s residents. “It would reduce our greenbelt substantially... Mayford, over the years, has been an
important green gap between Woking and Guildford and prevents the coalescence of the two towns. That’s going to be seriously reduced.”
However, Graham Cundy, in charge of planning at the council, said, “We’re looking at the majority of development being in the urban area and have taken
into consideration all the possible urban sites. “Woking has 63% greenbelt, and after the review it will still have 61%. We’re talking about 2% being taken
from greenbelt.” This highlights the struggle to come for the entire South East. There is little disagreement that the UK needs more home building, but the
dilemma will always be where to build.
INEVITABLE SHRINKAGE
CEO OF THE YEAR
A DOLPHIN IN REIGATE
LOCAL NEWS
“Every time you feel yourself being pulled into other people’s drama, repeat these word: Not my circus, not my monkeys”
{ NEWS }
7
Tenancy deposits in Redhill over the last
year were 64% more expensive than the
average for England and Wales, statistics
released by The Deposit Protection Service
(DPS) have shown.
By law landlords must submit deposits from
tenants to an authorised tenancy deposit
protection scheme, and those submitted to
the DPS for properties with Redhill postcodes
between March 2014 and February 2015
averaged £1,346.73, which is £527.38 more
than the national average (£819.35).
Redhill’s figure was on average only £375.23
less than tenancy deposits within the most
expensive area, London (£1,721.96). Julian
Foster, Managing Director of the DPS,
said: “Tenancy deposits give landlords the
security they need while their property
is being rented out. Tenants are also
provided with peace of mind when the DPS
protects the money during their tenancy,
as it provides free, impartial adjudication if
there is a dispute at the end of the tenancy.
Both landlords and tenants need a deposit
protection service that is fast, efficient, clear
and communicative, and the DPS has been
entrusted with over 3.2 million deposits
since we launched in 2007.”
The DPS is the only scheme to offer a choice
between schemes that are custodial –
where it holds the money for the duration of
tenancies – and insured – where landlords
retain deposits but pay a fee to protect them.
Its custodial scheme is open to all letting
agents, landlords and organisations, and
there are no membership fees or qualifying
criteria.
The DPS repays all deposits within two
business days, on receipt of a jointly
authenticated repayment instruction.
REDHILLDEPOSIT SURGE
“Remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else”
A new hub designed to control
satellites and collect their data
has opened at a Surrey research
park ahead of the launch of four
new spacecraft. The spacecraft
operation centre (SOC) opened
by Surrey Satellite Technology
(SSTL) replaces the old mission
control at the company’s
Guildford campus. SSTL has built
and launched 43 satellites since 1981 and is currently controlling and monitoring 14. Four more,
to be run from the Guildford HQ, will be launched this summer.
The company, which designs, manufactures and operates satellites and ground systems,
is currently assembling more than 20 spacecraft. It operates satellites of its own, and for
organisations, including the Canadian government, BAE Systems and the UK Space Agency.
“The facilities are really are out of this world, and I have no doubt they will be the nerve centre
for many successful missions,” said Surrey County Council deputy leader Peter Martin, who
attended the official opening of the SOC on Thursday.
The new SOC communicates with the satellites via ground stations in Guildford and Bordon,
Hampshire and another in the Arctic Circle, which will come into use in June.
Satellites usually make six passes over the Guildford ground station in 24 hours.
MORE than 100 start-up and small firms are expected to be helped
by a new business support centre being set up in Croydon. Sussex
Innovation – Croydon, will be based on two floors of No 1 Croydon in
Addiscombe Road,
It further cements links between Croydon and Sussex University,
which also runs a similar business incubation network on its campus in Brighton. The university already
works with Croydon College on providing higher education in the borough. The Croydon centre is the
university’s first off-campus operation and the aim will be to eventually provide a base for around 30
small companies, potentially employing around 300 people.
Mike Herd, Executive Director of the Sussex Innovation Centre, said that through the extra support
services provided at the centre and through the Brighton set-up, it was hoped the number of companies
receiving some kind of backing would rise above 100. Sussex Innovation is planning to take advantage
of the fact that research shows more businesses are looking to set up away from central London where
costs are lower. Mr Herd believes Croydon is ideally located as a base for new and expanding firms. He
said: “It has excellent transport links and will enable businesses to benefit from being part of the north-
south corridor between Croydon and Brighton.”
Sussex Innovation is confident that over the next three years, the first tenants will generate £6 million in
turnover and raise £1 million in investment. Mr Herd said the new centre, as well as providing serviced
office space for companies, would offer expert support on financing, sales and marketing.
The centre will be managed by Mark Bailey, founder of Sciensus, one of the resident companies at SINC
at Falmer.
SINC
MISSION CONTROL, GUILDFORD
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{ NEWS }
Guildford-based Britannic Technologies conducted research on the take up of
putting telephony, contact centres and unified communications in the cloud by
surveying CIOs, IT Managers and IT Executives from companies with 50- 5000+
employees.
The results produced some interesting stats, including the fact that 56% of
companies didn’t have voice in the cloud and were missing out on the opportunities.
However, 44% did, and it was refreshing to see how companies are now realising
the benefits of putting their voice infrastructure in the cloud. A staggering 64%
said they had a partial voice solution in the cloud, followed by 36%, whose
communications solution was wholly cloud-based.
Jonathan Sharp, Sales and Marketing Director, Britannic Technologies commented,
“Senior Managers are now aware that technology helps businesses differentiate themselves in today’s competitive market place. It also enables
employees to work in more collaborative ways and essentially service customers better.”
Britannic’s customer Trailfinders employed its voice infrastructure and contact centre in the cloud. Matthew Raymond comments: “Since moving
our telephony to the cloud we have achieved a total of approximately £250k savings per annum on line rentals alone and increased the agility of
the business; it now takes 10 minutes to set up a new travel centre. We also benefit from shared resources, increased resiliency and can offer
personalised customer service through the contact centres.”
The great news is that as the technology and market have evolved, so too have the capabilities of key service providers such as Britannic in working
with customers to address those fears and concerns through effective design, planning, structured processes, programme management, formal
certifications and quality standards, underpinned with next generation managed services.
THE CLOUD IS BUILDING
LOCAL NEWS
The amount of oil at Horse Hill to the north of Gatwick airport could be about
70% more than previously estimated, an exploration company says.
UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) now estimates there are 271 million barrels of oil per
square mile (mmbo) in the Weald. The total amount of oil in the field has not
been revealed. A previous report estimated about 158 mmbo, after exploration
at Horse Hill.
UKOG said it was planning to drill more exploration wells in the Weald and was
assessing the potential of the reserves in the area. David Lenigas, chairman of
UKOG, said: “This really is a change of the model for the potential of oil around
the Weald basin, particularly in the Horse Hill area.”
He said UKOG was planning to drill more exploration wells and would need to
conduct flow tests to work out how much of the oil was recoverable.
“Fracking is not our agenda, there is plenty of conventional oil in the Horse Hill
well, to not even look past that,” Mr Lenigas said.
Oil has been produced onshore in the South of England for many years. There
are currently about a dozen oil production sites across the Weald, an area
spanning Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire.
HORSE HILL, TEXAS
“The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate you away from those who are still undecided”
{ NEWS }
9
Metro Bank is reportedly planning to
move its company headquarters to a new
development in Croydon town centre.
The bank, founded five years ago, is in talks
to take the vast majority of office space in
the first phase of the town centre Ruskin
Square development, according to Estates
Gazette.
If the deal is agreed, Croydon would likely
be the bank’s new headquarters.
Work started on the £500m Ruskin Square
scheme last November, on land which
had lain derelict for more than 40 years.
The nine-acre site will eventually include
625 homes, 1.25 million sq ft of offices
and 100,000 sq ft of shops, cafes and
restaurants.
The residential first phase of the
development, made up of a plinth and
22-storey tower, will provide 161 homes
close to East Croydon Station.
The apartments will comprise a mixture of
private homes, shared ownership and rent.
It is likely that much of the scheme’s
commercial second phase, the first part
to include office space, would be taken by
Metro Bank should the deal go ahead.
Metro Bank, which is reportedly looking to
lease 150,000 sq. ft. of the scheme’s office
space, was the first new high street bank
to launch in Britain for 150 years when it
opened its headquarters in Holborn in 2010.
The bank runs some 30 branches
nationwide, with one in North End’s Central
shopping centre.
METRO ON THE MOVE TO CROYDON
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please”
New research from accountants and business advisers BDO LLP
has revealed Surrey’s top 20 most profitable mid-market companies
have continued their post-recession revival, reporting profit growth
of 34% in the last year.
The top 20 firms featured in BDO’s Surrey Best in Business 2015 are
ranked by compound annual operating profit (CAGR) growth over a three-year period. They employ 4,600
people and have combined profits of £99m compared to £73.6m the previous year.
The top performing company is Caterham-based North Atlantic Limited. Operating a fleet of freezer trawlers
for the pelagic fishing industry, the firm has reported an annual growth rate of 102%.
Innovative technology firm Steljes in Bagshot ranks second in the list with almost 90% profit growth in the
last three years, followed by Whelan & Grant, the reinforced concrete specialists based in Walton on Thames,
with 49%.
The BDO analysis highlights the importance of medium-sized businesses to the local economy, with Surrey
being home to 331 companies with a turnover between £10m-£300m. In total these firms employ more than
100,000 people and pay out £3bn in salaries each year from revenues of £19.2bn.
TOP 20 MOST PROFITABLE FIRMS IN SURREY REVEALED
{ NEWS }
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NATIONAL NEWS
“If you could kick the persons backside responsible for most of
your troubles, you wouldn’t sit down for a month”
FULL STEAM AHEAD
It is now the end of the road
for the paper licence. With a
distinct lack of information
available to motorists, any
of the 46 million drivers on
UK roads could unwittingly
break the law. Anywhere up
to 15,000 short-term loan
vehicles are on Britain’s
roads each day, a staggering
5 million each year. All road-
users will be affected by
this ruling if we ever want to
rent or test drive a vehicle
because 1 in 5 car dealers haven’t got a new plan in place. Barry Cooper,
Managing Director at Cooper Solutions, is concerned these dealers could
potentially be ‘failing in their duty of care’ to drivers once the paper licence
is scrapped. To meet the expected surge in enquiries from car dealers, the
DVLA is implementing a number of additional checks, including a premium
rate phone line and online system.
So, the DVLA scrap the licence, have no alternative system in place and
then charge a premium rate to call for information. Business as usual!
An award-winning
young engineer,
Roma Agrawal, from
London, was a finalist
in the Institution of
Engineering and
Technology (IET) and
is calling on her fellow
females to become
engineers too! Roma
Agrawal, a structural engineer for WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, said: “I realised
very early on in my career that female engineers are in short supply – and that
there was a real need to do something about it. Being a finalist in the YWEYA
in 2012 has led to all kinds of opportunities to promote engineering to girls,
from school and university visits to appearing on the BBC Politics programme
and being chosen as a model for M&S.” If the lack of women in engineering
continues, the UK will be in a significantly weakened position to find the 1.82
million people with engineering skills employers are projected to need from
2012 - 2022 (according to Engineering UK). “I would encourage other young
female engineers to enter and join the campaign to help inspire a future
generation of female engineers. My vision is to see women making up 30% of
the engineering workforce over the next ten years.” Roma’s mission begins.
SHRED THE LICENCESFEM-GINEERING!
Ricardo PLC in Shoreham-by-Sea has quickly become a local and global success story. The world-
class multi-industry consultancy for engineering, famous for designing fuel-efficient engines for
McLaren and BMW, recently secured a £40m funding package in its acquisition of Lloyd’s Register Rail
(LR Rail). The deal will accelerate the firm’s diversification into the rail consultancy and assurance
industry in its centenary year. What with LR Rail already being a leading international specialist rail
consultancy, Ricardo can harness their own already abundant power of engineering knowledge to
enhance the previously proven track record of the existing rail firm. Ricardo employs over 2000
engineers, scientists and consultants around the world to deliver expertise to clients in three
specialist areas: energy, transport and scarce resources & waste. Off the back of this deal, the firm
will launch Ricardo Rail, a new stand-alone international rail consultancy and assurance business
which will combine the two companies’ expertise and reach in sector. Nick Hughes of Lloyds Bank’s strategic finance team commented: “Ricardo is
internationally renowned for helping its clients in both the private and public sector solve some of the world’s most complex environmental challenges.
With this new acquisition, Ricardo is now well placed to build its reputation as a leader in the rail consultancy space, too.” Dave Shemmans, CEO of Ricardo
adds to this: “As the world continues to urbanise, the demand for technical consulting and assurance services in the rail sector has never been greater.
For such an ambitious project to work, meticulous planning and the tireless efforts of stakeholders goes a long way, but it’s ultimately finance that makes
it all happen. With the support of our banking partners, we now have the capital to build a new global force in rail consultancy and assurance.”
{ NEWS }
11
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t”
Research reveals that 64% of small
business owners expect demand for
alternative finance such as property
finance, crowdsourcing, invoice finance
and asset finance, to increase over the
next two years, while just 8% think it will
decline. Small firms predict demand
will increase by an average of 26% over
the next two years. In 2014 the total amount raised through alternative forms of lending was
an estimated £1.74 billion, double that of 2013. 42% of small businesses said they considered
using alternative finance in the last five years. The most popular option, considered by 24%
of respondents, was crowdsourcing finance, including peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding,
followed by cashflow/invoice finance (18%), property finance such as bridging loans and
commercial mortgages(8%) and asset finance (6%), which covers areas such as plant and
machinery and business equipment. On a regional basis, 77% of small business owners in
London predict a rise in demand for alternative finance, the largest portion in the UK. Business
owners in Scotland and Wales were equal second with 69%. SMEs in the West Midlands were
the least enthusiastic about alternative finance with 53% anticipating an increase. Finding
trustworthy, professional money lenders has never been so vital to the growth of SMEs in the UK.
TheJobsMenu.com was born out of one
simple idea: life is too short to do a
job you don’t love. Aiming to add some
personality to an increasingly stuffy and
overly formal recruitment process in the
catering and hospitality industries, it is a
brand new business based in the North
West, servicing companies nationwide. The
business is backed by James Caan CBE,
the entrepreneur and television personality
from Dragons Den.
Launched on June 3rd, the team at
TheJobsMenu.com has created a much
more client-friendly business, spearheaded
by an intuitive and innovative web portal
which utilises unique NLP (Neurolinguistic
Programming)-based behavioural matching
criteria. It gives high-profile brands a chance
to have their jobs advertised directly to the
industry’s best talent. Brands include the
likes of The Restaurant Group - the parent
company of Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito,
as well as itsu, Be At One, The Dorchester
Collection and Absolute Taste.
“We work directly with the brands and
present their job openings in the most
engaging way possible on our mobile-
friendly website,” says Illona Alcock,
Operations Director.
The website prides itself on matchmaking
abilities, and likens itself to a dating website
for finding your perfect job match. “To
attract the very best talent, brands need to
present themselves in the most positive,
enticing way possible, which is why we’ve
been so meticulous when designing our
site. First and foremost, we want all of our
clients to look great, and, secondly, but just
as importantly, we want the best candidates
to easily find them, whether they’re using an
old desktop, a mobile phone or a tablet.”
SIDE ORDER OF HOSPITALITY
1. Give thanks. Even when you’re calling
the shots, waking up and going to work
each morning can be a challenge. To
start the day on a positive note, some
small-business owners dedicate
time to gratitude through journaling,
spoken affirmations, reflection or even
customer interactions.
2. Tend to your to-do list. The most
successful ones review and refine it
every morning, making sure it ties back
to and drives their overall business plan.
We could make a long list of their best practices. Some stick to three tasks and “eat the frog” (or complete
the most dreaded one) first. Others set time limits or organise by the day’s schedule.
3. Make some thoughtful me-time. It’s tempting to check email before getting out of bed, especially
when your phone doubles as your alarm clock. But motivational speaker Sylvia Theisen advises against
it. “Opening email first thing is reactive, not proactive,” she says. Instead, many business moguls,
professional athletes and thought leaders start the day alone with their thoughts. Mindfulness exercises
have been associated with improved physical and mental health, decreased stress and sharper focus.
4. Get Smarter. Simply that. The easiest way to keep up - or better yet, stay ahead - is to make education
a daily priority. Research, read news, and keep current.
4 HABITS OF A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
ALTERNATIVE FINANCE DEMAND
FULL STEAM AHEAD
{ NEWS }
12
US SATELLITE FIRM TO CREATE 50 JOBS
“People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us that do”
NATIONAL NEWS
The Government is to sell its
majority stake in RBS, which
was rescued during the financial
meltdown with £45.5bn of
public money. Chancellor
George Osborne said sales of
the taxpayers’ 79% stake in the
bank will begin in the coming
months, and may take “some
years” because of the size of the holding. “It’s the right thing to do for
British businesses and taxpayers,” he said at his annual Mansion House
speech to business leaders in London. “Yes, we may get a lower price than
Labour paid for it. But the longer we wait, the higher the price the whole
economy will pay. And when you take the banks in total, we’re making sure
taxpayers get back billions more than they were forced to put in.” Selling
the Government’s stake in RBS would result in a total loss of between
£13bn and £26bn, according to research by independent think-tank New
Economics Foundation. Mr Osborne faces fierce criticism if the shares are
sold at a discount. What with this and the government selling their 15%
stake in Royal Mail, it seems like the Chancellor is shutting up shop!
Twitter Chief Executive
Dick Costolo has
announced he is
stepping down - with
the site’s co-founder
and previous Chief
Executive, Jack Dorsey,
replacing him. The
social media network
has struggled to
boost its numbers of
users and develop
new advertising methods, despite a high-profile public offering on the stock
exchange two years ago. “Shareholders have been really concerned about
the lack of growth. User growth has slowed, especially when you compare it
to a behemoth like Facebook,” Tom Cheshire, Sky technology correspondent
said. “There has also been shareholder concern that the departing CEO didn’t
have ‘the vision’ needed to take the tech giant forward. Shares in Twitter rose
by more than 7% in after-hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange
following the announcement. Mr Costolo, who has been with the company
for six years, said: “I am tremendously proud of the Twitter team and all that
the team has accomplished. There is no one better than Jack Dorsey to lead
Twitter during this transition. He has a profound understanding of the product
and Twitter’s mission in the world.”
CHANCELLOR TO SELL RBS… AT A LOSS!
TWEET-TWO
A Californian satellite and data company is opening a centre in Glasgow to build the next
generation of weather forecasting devices. Spire chose the city because it already has
expertise in space technology at its universities and small businesses. The San Francisco-
based firm has been attracted by a £1.5m Scottish government grant through the Scottish
Development Agency. The company intends to employ 20 people initially, building up to
more than 50. The new recruits will design and build small satellites, which will be able
to collect five times as much data as weather forecasters have had before. By the end of
2017, that could rise to 100 times more data. Part of the plan is to plug an imminent gap in
weather forecasting identified by the US authorities. An ageing generation of 20 weather
satellites is due to be retired or may stop working before others are in place, with the gap
forecast at between one and five years. Spire’s satellite and data handling know-how is
designed to provide worldwide and round-the-clock information for its clients in global trade, shipping and air traffic control, as well as meteorology.
The announcement of Spire’s Glasgow office was made during First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s recent visit to the USA. Ms Sturgeon said it confirmed
the recent strong flow of investment from American companies. Spire said it chose to locate in Scotland because it has a low cost base and an extensive
range of universities with talented engineers. Peter Platzer, Spire’s Chief Executive, said: “We are not only looking for the top 1% of the world’s talent
pool, but the 1% that demand constant challenge and improvement that has come to embody Spire’s culture.”
{ NEWS }
13
US SATELLITE FIRM TO CREATE 50 JOBS
“Prejudice is a great time saver. You can form opinions without having to get the facts”
The 84-year-old CEO of
Twenty-First Century Fox
and News International will
hand the title to his son
James. Murdoch is tipped
to continue in his role as
the Executive Chairman of
the company, while his son
Lachlan will become Executive
Co-Chairman. The Fox
restructuring is rumoured to
involve the stepping down of
its Chief Operating Officer, Chase Carey, who has been in his role since 2009. CNBC notes that
this will leave the company without a senior manager outside the family. Murdoch founded News
Corporation in 1979 as a holding company and used the name to buy up 20th Century Fox and
launch the Fox television channel in the ‘eighties.
Murdoch has been described as ‘the last media mogul’ by the Economist. He counts the Wall
Street Journal, the New York Post and Sky Television among his brands. Murdoch is not expected
to sit back from the running of Fox, despite today’s announcement. No one doubts that the elder
Murdoch will still have the final say on whatever goes on at Fox.
Net neutrality is the principle that all internet
data traffic should be treated as equal and
that content should not be prioritised based
on its source. A global row is brewing over
‘net neutrality,’ and, depending on who wins
– the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) or
the regulators – the internet could be very
different in the future.
Imagine the data pipes we use to connect to
the Internet (sometimes referred to as the
“last mile”) as the lanes we use on our roads.
ISPs believe they have the right to create so-
called ‘fast lanes’ or toll roads, where those
content creators who pay to use them will
receive a larger share of the bandwidth and
a better service. At the receiving end on our
screens, we are most likely to appreciate the
need for this prioritisation when streaming
data-heavy video or voice content, which
requires greater bandwidth. Large-scale
producers of this type of content are
naturally in favour of ISP fast lanes and are
willing to pay a high price to use them for
their content.
In the US, the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) has recently introduced
new regulations in support of net neutrality,
which have effectively reclassified ISPs as
public utililities and require that all content
on the internet be treated equally. ISPs are
obviously concerned that this could restrict
their revenue-making opportunities and
some content producers are also worried
that they may not be able to secure any
priority in the future. An industry fight-back
has begun.
NET NEUTRALITY, WHAT IS IT?
Mrs Deane was a full-time
41-year-old mum back in 2008,
when she found out that her then
eight-year-old daughter was
being bullied at school. She and
her husband were immediately
determined to move Emily and
brother Max, then six, to another
nearby state school as soon as
possible, but found that there
were no spaces. So, they decided
they had no choice but to send
their son and daughter to a private
school instead. In order to pay the fees, Mrs Deane decided to set up her own business, which she would
run from the family home on the outskirts of Cambridge, in East Anglia. An accountant by trade, she sat
down and thought about what she could do. The winning idea was to set up a business making satchels
- old-fashioned, leather school bags. Mrs Deane was reading the Harry Potter books to her children at
the time and wanted to buy a satchel that was Wizard and Witch “cool”. But she said she soon found
out that such satchels were actually very difficult to buy; she couldn’t find anyone who made or sold
them. Realising that she could fill this gap, in 2008 Mrs Deane launched the Cambridge Satchel Company
from her kitchen table, with just £600 of savings. Today the company makes all bags in the UK and sells
satchels and other products in more than 100 countries. In addition to global sales via its website, the
firm’s products are sold at third party stores around the world, including Harrods and John Lewis in the
UK, and Bloomingdale’s in the US. Its satchels are owned by celebrities such as US singer Taylor Swift and
UK presenter Fearne Cotton and the company has an annual turnover of more than £13m.
BAGS OF SUCCESS
MURDOCH STEPPING DOWN
{ FINANCE }
14
Now that the UK economy is headed in the
right direction, confidence is returning to
law firms in the South East. According to
the recent NatWest legal sector benchmarking
reports, firms in the South East witnessed a 3%
increase in revenue in 2014.
NatWest’s “2015 Financial Benchmarking
Report – Law Firms” looks at the performance
of law firms operating in the SME space. It is the
largest free report of its kind, with more than
330 firms taking part in the research.
Among the highlights in the report are that
the improvements in the economy are starting
to spread beyond the M25, with firms in the
South East, in particular, benefitting. Overall
billing was up by 5% in the region, well ahead of
inflation. The areas that have grown most include
conveyancing, with the significant bounce back of
the residential property market in our region, and
commercial work, which includes intellectual
property, supply agreements distribution, agency
and marketing agreements.
Furthermore, NatWest has seen an increase
in the number of corporate transactions it’s
funding in the region. These deals, including
company purchases, feature lawyers as
key advisers. This growth in corporate and
commercial work speaks of a stronger business
environment and is an indication of clients
becoming more confident and active.
On the ground, senior partners of firms are
reporting more confidence, with investment in
new staff being made to cope with the influx of
work. This is leading to some shortages in the
market for certain specialties, but profitability,
as a whole, is growing.
THERE’S SUN ON THE HORIZON FOR SOUTH EAST SOLICITORS
By Peter Quilter ACIB MCIBS Chartered BankerDirector, Corporate and Commercial, West [email protected]
Whilst profits are up, the hours worked by
each fee earner has remained static, meaning
productivity has remained unchanged. The lack
of an increase in productivity in recent years is
reflected in the rest of the business community
too.
When George Osborne says that he wants
the economy to find an “extra gear”, this isn’t
in reference to the speed of growth in the UK
economy, but rather the quality of the work and
economic output, combined with a need to upgrade
the country’s infrastructure and skills base.
Productivity is crucial to help make Britain
a world beater. Prior to the recession, our
productivity growth had been outstripping the
average of OECD countries, but it has since
dropped below average and, as a result, the
normal resumption in growth after a recession
has not materialised. UK investment in new
plant and machinery is less than our peers.
To improve productivity the more
strategically-minded legal firms are taking a
long-term view and investing in training and
technology. Typically, better IT helps with the
significant compliance burdens, leading to
increases in efficiency.
Over the next two decades it is predicted that
artificial intelligence will undertake more of the
work. So, to survive and remain relevant in a
rapidly changing digital economy investment
must continue. The current, relatively low,
borrowing costs are further helping to justify
this expenditure.
The impact of growth has seen increasing
amounts of cash being tied up in work
in progress and debtors. This can prove
problematic for any business, but solicitors are
improving their position in terms of managing
debtors and billing more frequently. With less
chance of a nasty surprise, more frequent
billing has got to be good for clients too.
There are still a number of troubling factors
in the economy, but confidence has returned
and, for the most part, solicitors in the region
are innovating and investing to put themselves
in a stronger position to attract the top talent
and support their clients.
To download NatWest’s “2015 Financial
Benchmarking Report – Law Firms”, visit
www.nw-businesssense.com/financial-
benchmarking-law.html
{ FINANCE }
15
“On the ground, senior partners of firms are reporting more confidence, with investment in new staff being made to cope with
the influx of work”
While law firms in the South East saw an increase in revenue and profits in 2014, it has not been
plain sailing getting to this point. In fact, many solicitors would argue that during the past eight
years they have been presented with more challenges than in the previous 400. These include:
• The implementation of the Legal Services Act, which led to the arrival of new competition,
with non-solicitors setting up legal businesses. Examples include the Co-operative’s
Legal Services business and the ill-fated Stobart Barristers, an offshoot from the famous
haulage company. While these two may represent the ‘bleeding’ edge of new players in
the legal market, there are a number of newcomers who have benefited from massive
overseas investment.
• The Government’s significant changes to Legal Aid have led to dramatic cuts in income for
many firms specialising in family and criminal law.
• There have been significant increases in regulation and the associated costs relating to
compliance.
• Large increases in Professional Indemnity Insurance.
• Historically, many legal firms’ profits for the year were equivalent to the interest earned
from client deposits. However, with the lowest sustained base rate ever, this is no longer
the case.
These changes, coupled with the longest recession since World War II, have meant that
many solicitors have had to develop or invest in new skills, including those of a marketeer, a
compliance officer and a financial controller. The most successful are those who used these
changes to develop innovative new ways to serve their clients and invest in the future.
So, while the days of simply focusing on the law may be over, many South East firms are rising
to the challenge.
{ CROYDON REGENERATION }
16
It has been said too many times over the past
20 years or so that Croydon is on the verge of
great things.
There were mutterings of bringing to the
town centre a world-class arena. Then the
grand Park Place scheme, that would have seen
the development of a new shopping centre and
town square on the site of St George’s Walk,
foundered on the unforgiving rocks of the worst
economic downturn in decades.
It was that same downturn that saw the
collapse of the dream of a retail and small-
business hub around a restored town-centre
plaza, off Croydon’s historic Surrey Street
Market. Restoration of a great space, full of
potential, had just been completed when the
world’s markets went into a nosedive.
Things, though, are changing. Those past
false dawns are about to be eclipsed by a new
upsurge in growth and regeneration that, over
the next five years, will make the town, and the
wider borough, almost unrecognisable from the
place we know today.
Elected on a platform of Ambitious for
Croydon, I’m delighted that the borough as
a whole is well into the delivery phase of an
unprecedented period of regeneration that is set
to transform our town as a place to live, work
and visit.
Residents and businesses are set to benefit
from a life-giving boost in economic prosperity
that will see the creation of a “growth zone”
delivering a £5.25bn regeneration programme
offering the potential for up to 23,500 new jobs
and 9,500 new homes.
This is the fastest development programme
in London and it’s clear above all else that
Croydon is now established by the government
and the GLA as the leading destination to deliver
the much-needed expansion in homes and jobs
for London.
Among the exciting plans that will see
Croydon develop and grow over the coming
decades are a dazzling new town-centre retail
and leisure mall, a new hub that will put the
borough at the centre of the country’s tech
offering and a partnership with neighbouring
boroughs that strives for greater devolution
CROYDON’S TIME HAS COMEBy Councillor Tony Newman, Leader of Croydon Councilwww.croydon.gov.uk
from central government for our patch of south
London.
Central to our town’s plans is the £1bn
redevelopment of the 1960s-built Whitgift
Shopping Centre into a 1.5m sq ft state-of-
the-art retail and leisure destination that will
provide 5,000 new jobs and 600 new homes,
including affordable housing.
We’re also hopeful of a second runway being
built at Gatwick, a development that could
generate an extra 22,000 jobs for Croydon
residents.
And technology is going to be playing an
ever-greater role in the future of a borough set
to become a centre of excellence, thanks to an
innovative new tech business incubator and
start-up space that will make Croydon the best
place in London to start and run a tech business.
This exciting project – the first of its kind in
the UK – has secured more than £2m of backing
from the council and the Greater London
Authority to develop a new industry-leading
21,000 sq ft tech space in a town-centre office
block. And it confirms Croydon’s position as
London’s most significant new tech cluster,
providing a world-class facility right at the
centre of our regeneration programme.
The borough, London’s fastest growing tech
cluster, is already home to 1,500 technology,
media and telecommunications businesses,
with more than 275 tech businesses located
around the East Croydon and Old Town areas
alone. This includes a roll call of industry
leaders, such as Dotmailer, Pro G and Goal
Group.
Another aspect of tech that the council will
promote in support of small business growth is
the improvement of the digital infrastructure of
the borough by increasing superfast broadband
provision. That will help new and existing
businesses to continue to develop, as well as
bringing empty offices back into use.
As part of our cultural ambition, we’ve
just secured the services of world-renowned
architects Rick Mather and Mott McDonald to
oversee the design redevelopment of College
Green, at the heart of which will be Fairfield
Halls, a complex that offers a concert hall,
{ CROYDON REGENERATION }
17
“We’re telling government, in no uncertain terms, to devolve to us the powers we seek to unlock the growth
potential in our region”
“This is the fastest development programme in
London”
theatre, exhibition/conference hall and a
number of public spaces.
The revival of the cultural quarter is also set
to offer an innovative and inspiring area with
a lively and sustainable mix of homes, offices,
shops and restaurants, as well as creating a
high-quality public space. It will form part of a
route to and from East Croydon station, quickly
connecting visitors with The Queen’s Gardens,
the Clocktower complex, Surrey Street and
Exchange Square, and is set to revitalise the
night time economy.
Away from the borough’s retail and
business centre, the council is working hard
to revitalise the district centres, which, for
most residents, are the local port of call for
shopping, entertainment and day-to-day needs.
Multimillion-pound investment is earmarked
for South Norwood and Thornton Heath while
other areas are being actively encouraged to
apply for funding.
From a wider local government perspective,
Croydon is engaged in a partnership with four
other south London boroughs striving to take
more powers from central government and, in
the process, gain greater control over our own
futures.
The South London Partnership places
Croydon alongside Kingston, Merton, Richmond
and Sutton as the growth gateway to the south-
east, with great infrastructure links, direct
access to central London, Surrey and other
emerging urban clusters down to the south
coast.
We have such a huge potential for growth
that includes creating thousands of new jobs
and homes and we are ready to make this
opportunity a reality.
We’re asking the government to help us
achieve this potential by covering four key
themes for growth:
• Devolved decision-making powers –
including devolved funding streams and
budget holding at a local level, 100%
retention of business rates;
• Matching skills to demand to support the
local economy and create new jobs and
businesses through devolved funding and
commissioning at a local level;
• Realising infrastructure ambitions –
including a stronger role in transport
planning, local control of bus routes and
stronger orbital connections;
• Greater freedom to deliver homes –
including a stronger voice in planning
housing, easier and more direct routes
to funding, removal of restrictions on
borrowing.
We believe that south London represents
one of the biggest opportunities, not only in
the capital, but the entire country. We have a
strong track record of working together, and
have shown that we have a common focus on
delivery.
We’re telling government, in no uncertain
terms, to devolve to us the powers we seek
to unlock the growth potential in our region,
ensuring that London maintains its status as a
global city in the years and decades to come.
This time, the future does indeed look rosy for
Croydon.
“Among the exciting plans that will see Croydon develop
and grow over the coming decades
are a dazzling new town-centre retail and leisure mall, a new hub that will put the borough at the centre of
the country’s tech offering”
18
{ BUSINESS SCENE }
19
RUNWAY TO WESTMINSTERTotal Politics and Gatwick Airport hosted a reception on the terrace at the Palace of Westminster as the Government edges closer to a final decision
on airport expansion in South East England.
While some of those in attendance had already made up their minds on where a new runway should be built, many MPs indicated that they were yet
to finalise their thinking on whether it should be at Gatwick or Heathrow. The first speaker was the newly-elected Conservative MP for Croydon South
Chris Philp, who said, “We do see the potential for significant benefits should Gatwick be expanded with a second runway.”
Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate declared, “There’s no question that we can privately finance it, and we’re not looking for a penny from the taxpayer.”
He concluded by saying, “If the country is serious about not having a report simply gathering dust, but actually wants to have a runway delivered,
I think there is only one deliverable solution. It’s Gatwick obviously, and if we get on and deliver it we’ll get the economic benefits for the next
generation with a fraction of the environmental impact.”
PoliticsHome editor Kevin Schofield described the political landscape and pointed out: “The Lib Dems were the only major party to go into the
election saying they opposed any form of airport expansion - and a fat lot of good that did them!”
Sussex-based Skerritts have won the industry-recognised Citywire New Model Adviser award for the South East for the 5th successive year. The awards were presented by comedian and TV presenter Clive Anderson.
Sussex-based Skerritts have won the industry-recognised Citywire New Model Adviser award for the South East for the 5th successive year. The awards were presented by comedian and TV presenter Clive Anderson.
If you are a regular reader of this column,
may I first of all offer my thanks and then my
commiserations. However, it may mean that
you recall my thoughts a few months ago about
the impact that digital devices and ever-present
communications may have upon our creativity. I
also felt that if used and controlled as tools such
devices may be a boon to our working lives.
Some recent research from Twine* that I came
across gave some interesting feedback on how
this can impact upon everyone’s working lives.
Not so long ago the phrase “working from
home” was greeted with a knowing smile and
an assumption that perhaps a major sporting
event might be the prime focus of someone’s
attention.
Both the times and legislation have moved
on from that, however, and that knowing
assumption needs something of a rethink.
Whilst not solely related to working from
home, it is worth bearing in mind the legal
position regarding flexible working. “Under
provisions set out in the Employment Rights
Act 1996 and regulations made under it, all
employees have a statutory right to ask their
employer for a change to their contractual terms
and conditions of employment ….”, states the
ACAS guide, which can be found at www.acas.
org.uk. A person needs to have been employed
by their employer for a continuous period of 26
weeks, but once they have been they are entitled
to make one such request in each 12-month
period. The guide contains much helpful
material, both on entitlements and on how an
employer should deal with such requests.
Twine quote the figure of 72% of businesses
surveyed globally, indicating that they thought
increased productivity could be traced directly
to their use of flexible and remote working.
To consider just one aspect of flexible
working, home, or rather, remote working,
various studies have been cited showing it leads
to higher levels of job satisfaction. This in turn is
more likely to lead to greater productivity, and
many companies believe it helps to reduce staff
turnover rates.
It is easy to imagine that the mutual trust
between employer and employee when the
arrangement works well is likely to lead to
greater satisfaction and to loyalty that can work
both ways.
Touching on another previous column, the
Twine report states that amongst Millenials only
69% are anticipating that regular attendance at
the office is going to be necessary for their job.
As with most things, a balance is probably
going to produce the best results overall. Some
flexibility can produce greater productivity.
Avoiding or at least reducing commuting time
that can be more profitably used (in all senses)
will enhance productivity, but communal
meetings and personal interactions will always
have their place, I would suggest.
Flexibility is certainly something to bear
in mind. You may have to face it if a request is
made, so why not approach it positively and
proactively?
* www.twineintranet.com/blog/does-flexible-
working-work/
JUST A THOUGHT
You spent many hours honing
your business plan. When did
you last check your progress
against it?
{ INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS }
21
HOW FLEXIBLE ARE YOU ?
By Dean Orgill Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxterwww.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com
GREG DYKE
By Maarten Hoffmann
A LIFE WELL LIVED
Greg Dyke certainly gets around. In the 1960’s he started life in the media and
early on decided to shake things up a bit and brought tabloid television to
the masses. In 1983, he was drafted into the ailing TV-AM show to revitalise
the ratings and this he certainly did by adding bingo, horoscopes and celebrity
gossip, which generally began the dumbing down of the nation’s television output.
His lifelong love of football led him to become Chairman of Brentford F.C and then
finally into his present role of Chairman of The Football Association, and his endless
TV and press appearance recently, connected with the FIFA corruption scandal.
{ THE BIG STORY }
Greg Dyke’s life began in Hayes, Middlesex in 1947, the youngest of three sons born into
a lower middle class family. His father was an insurance salesman and Dyke attended
Hayes Grammer School, leaving with one grade ‘E’ at A-level mathematics before
going on to become a lowly manager at Marks and Spencer. He felt a strong urge to join
the media and left M&S to become a trainee reporter for the Hillingdon Mirror, where
his talents were quickly recognised as he rose to become the chief reporter within eight
months. Having had a taste of the media, he realised that to be taken seriously he would
need a degree and attended the University of York as a mature student, graduating in
1974 with a BA in politics. During his time at York, he became active in student politics
and was part of a collective that produced the psychedelic underground magazine called
Nouse. He also met and married his first wife at York and his university contemporaries
were future journalists Peter Hitchens and Linda Grant. Dyke was awarded an honorary
doctorate degree by the university in 1999 and has been Chancellor since 2004.
Having become disillusioned with the press, his first foray into television began when he joined
London Weekend Television under bosses John Birt and Peter Jay and ruffled a few feathers by
insisting that to gain a good audience share, programmes needed a populist edge, and this led to
him being given control of The Six O’Clock Show, fronted by Michael Aspel, with co-hosts Janet
Street Porter and Danny Baker. After a spell at TV-AM he joined the consortium that successfully
bid for the Channel 5 licence in 1995 and become the first Chairman of the new channel.
In 2000, he took over the helm of the BBC from John Birt. At the beginning of his tenure,
he famously promised to “cut the crap” at the Corporation. The “crap” he referred to was the
complex internal market Birt had introduced at the BBC which, it is claimed, turned employees
away from making programmes and into managers. Dyke reversed this trend; he reduced
administration costs from 24% of total income to 15%. Unusually for a recent Director-
General, he had a good rapport with his employees and was popular with the majority
of BBC staff, his management style being seen as more open and risk-taking than Birt’s.
Apart from restoring staff morale, Greg Dyke laid claim to two major achievements
during his office. In 2002, he introduced the Freeview terrestrial digital transmission
platform with six additional BBC channels, and persuaded Sky TV to join the consortium.
Previously this was an ITV subscription service that had closed with major losses,
but by mid-2007 it could be seen by more than half the population. After leaving
the BBC, he said that he always realised that the introduction of Freeview helped
to prevent a subscription funding model for the BBC gaining traction, because it is
impossible for broadcasters to switch off the signal to individual Freeview boxes.
Dyke controversially described the Corporation in early 2001 as “hideously
white”, based on statistics that showed the organisation’s management structure
was 98% white. Dyke said that “The figures we have at the moment suggest that quite
a lot of people from different ethnic backgrounds that we do attract to the BBC leave.
Maybe they don’t feel at home, maybe they don’t feel welcome.” Dyke set a target that
by 2003, 10% of the BBC’s UK workforce and 4% of management would be from ethnic
minority backgrounds. In September 2004, Dyke received an award for his remarks from
Glasgow-based organisation Empower Scotland, which fights against workplace racism.
Dyke attracted criticism when he ‘forgot’ to sell an equity stake in Granada Television,
which presented a conflict of interest in his new position. He also caused controversy when
23
“So there we have the neat package ofgovernment ensuring its own backside is safe by destroying a man who was
genuinely trying to raise the editorial standards of the state broadcaster”
{ THE BIG STORY }
he lost the rights to Premier League football to
ITV, then accused the league of fixing the auction.
Others were worried that the openness
and high risk strategies of his management
style could backfire on the corporation. An
ITV executive was quoted as saying, “By being
too radical and playing fast and loose with
the public service remit, the BBC is inviting
external regulation – and it deserves it.”
Inevitably, it was not long before Dyke’s
interest in politics would surface and his
departure from the BBC top job, along with
Andrew Gilligan and Gavyn Davies, was
caused by the publication of the Hutton Report.
Hutton described Dyke’s approach to checking
news stories as “defective”; when Alastair
Campbell complained about the story, Dyke
immediately defended it without investigating
whether there was any merit to the complaint.
In an email sent to all BBC staff just prior to his
resignation, Dyke wrote: “I accept that the BBC
made errors of judgement and I’ve sadly come
to the conclusion that it will be hard to draw a
line under this whole affair while I am still here.
We need closure. We need closure to protect the
future of the BBC, not for you or me but for the
benefit of everyone out there. It might sound
pompous, but I believe the BBC really matters.”
It was subsequently established that Dyke
had offered his resignation to the BBC’s Board
of Governors in the hope that they would reject
it. However, he was only able to secure the
support of about one-third of the Governors.
Some BBC staff felt that in the Hutton Report
too much blame had been placed on their
organisation in the wake of the David Kelly affair,
and that the government was interfering in the
BBC. Tim Gospill, spokesman for the National
Union of Journalists, said, “Being independent
doesn’t just mean not having the government
telling you what to do. It means you can
criticise the government as well. I’m not at
all sure the government understands that.”
Groups of staff staged walk-outs
from Broadcasting House and other BBC
offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle,
Glasgow, Cardiff and Londonderry, in protest
at Dyke’s resignation. In addition,
on 31st January, 2004, BBC staff
paid for a full-page advert in
the Daily Telegraph to express
their dismay over Dyke’s
departure. The statement
in the advertisement read:
‘Greg Dyke stood for brave,
independent and rigorous
BBC journalism that was
fearless in its search
for the truth. We are
resolute that the BBC
should not step back
from its determination
to investigate the
facts in pursuit of the
truth. Through his
passion
and integrity Greg inspired us to make
programmes of the highest quality and creativity.
We are dismayed by Greg’s departure, but we
are determined to maintain his achievements
and his vision for an independent organisation
that serves the public above all else.’
Dyke’s departure came 20 hours after BBC
Chairman Gavyn Davies resigned following
the Hutton Report and after the governors
had spent all day in crisis talks in London.
An emotional Mr Dyke told BBC staff at
their central London headquarters: “I don’t
want to go. But if in the end you screw
up, you have to go.” The BBC had made
certain mistakes, he said, adding: “I do not
necessarily accept the findings of Lord Hutton.”
The pair quit after parts of Andrew Gilligan’s
BBC report of claims that Downing Street had
“sexed up” a dossier on Iraq’s illegal weapons
were branded “unfounded” by Lord Hutton.
Lord Ryder said: “The BBC must now move
forward in the wake of Lord Hutton’s report, which
highlighted serious defects in the Corporation’s
processes and procedures. On behalf of
the BBC I have no hesitation in apologising
unreservedly for our errors and to the individuals
whose reputations were affected by them.”
Then Prime Minister Tony Blair quickly
welcomed the statement, saying it meant both
the BBC and the government could move on.
He said: “This for me has always been a very
simple matter of an accusation that was a
very serious one that was made. It has now
been withdrawn; that is all I ever wanted.”
The apology was also welcomed by ex-
Number 10 media chief Alastair Campbell, who
told BBC News 24: “It was right that Gavyn Davies
has resigned; it’s right that Greg Dyke resigned.”
Lord Hutton’s report cleared the government
of “sexing up” its Iraq weapons dossier with
unreliable intelligence and Hutton stated that
25
he believed Dr Kelly had killed himself after
being named as the suspected source of the
BBC’s controversial weapons dossier story.
So there we have the neat package of
government ensuring its own backside is safe
by destroying a man who was genuinely trying
to raise the editorial standards of the state
broadcaster but had the temerity to question
what they were doing. With some questioning
how much they knew about Kelly’s death, Alistair
Campbell and his Labour attack dogs went to
work and the fact that Dyke also got involved
in the ‘sexed up’ dossier, just added grist to
the mill. Blair and Campbell managed to wipe
out two unpleasant stories in one fell swoop.
On 28th November, 2003 Greg Dyke was
formally appointed by the University of York as
its new Chancellor, replacing Dame Janet Baker,
who had served in the post since November
1991. There was some controversy regarding
his appointment in the midst of the Iraq Dossier
scandal. He officially took the post in August 2004.
In this role, he is the honorary and ceremonial
head of the University, as well as heading the
University Development Board. He has also
made a personal grant to the new Department
of Theatre, Film and Television, to found the Greg
Dyke Chair in Film and Television. On 6th February,
2004 Dyke announced that he had signed a six-
figure book contract with HarperCollins. The
book “Inside Story”, subsequently published in
September 2004, goes into detail about Dyke’s
opinion on the relationship between the BBC
and the British government, and on the Dr.
David Kelly affair and Hutton Inquiry. In July
2004 Dyke was awarded honorary doctorates
from the University of Sunderland, Middlesex
University and in 2006 from The University
of Bedfordshire. He was appointed Chair of
the British Film Institute on 15th February,
2008, succeeding Anthony Minghella and
on 10th March, 2010, it was reported that
he had been approached by Alexander
Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev to
edit The Independent and The Independent on
Sunday newspapers. In the wake of the News
of The World hacking affair, Dyke frequently
appeared in the media to comment on events.
In April 2011 he said, “I don’t think the
News of the World is a great contribution
to British journalism. They have obviously
been playing fast and loose for a long time
and are now getting their just deserts.”
Dyke appeared on BBC2’s Newsnight
programme on 8th July, 2011 alongside
comedian Steve Coogan, where he confronted
former News of the World deputy features editor
Paul McMullen over his attitude to the events of
the phone hacking scandal. Dyke told McMullen
“Your tabloid’s nothing to do with a free press,
or a decent democracy”. Distancing himself from
McMullen, he said, “I’ve spent most of my life being
a journalist, and I’m nothing to do with him, and
neither are most other journalists. You could see
there are occasionally, very occasionally, public
interest cases but most of the time it wouldn’t
make it less morally reprehensible. These tabloid
journalists just tapped anyone they could think of”.
He was also of the opinion that stronger
independent regulation of the press was
needed, claiming that broadcast media had
always been more strictly regulated. On 11th
July, 2011, Dyke wrote in the Financial Times
that “from the moment it was revealed that
the News of the World had hacked into Milly
Dowler’s phone, Rupert Murdoch’s bid to buy
the 60.9 per cent of British Sky Broadcasting
that News Corp does not already own was all
but over.” He admitted, “for those of us who
have been warning about the tactics used by
the Murdoch operation for many years – Mr
Murdoch once described me as ‘an enemy’ –
the events of the past week have been sweet.”
Such outspoken words all but secured his
permanent departure from the media as there
were few people he had not upset. As is often
the case, it is not the words that are so much
{ THE BIG STORY }
“For those of us who have been warning about the tactics
used by the Murdoch operation for many years – Mr Murdoch once described me as ‘an enemy’ – the events of the past
week have been sweet”
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{ COMMERCIAL PROPERTY }
36
So what of it? The election, that is,
and specifically what effect the
Conservative majority will have
on property in the South East.
Property will be always be a hot topic in the
South and it would seem that demand is likely to
out strip supply for the foreseeable future. The
relaxation of the Permitted Development rules
allowing commercial properties to be converted
to residential use without the need to apply for
formal change of use has been criticised by many
as contributing to the loss of valuable office and
commercial space in the region and exacerbating
supply issues. There was a good deal to be said
about the shortage of supply of land in the region
at the Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum
held on 4th June. The acute shortage of available
commercial sites is high on the agenda for a
number of regional manufacturing businesses
and in the medium term the indicators are that
this could hamper their ability to grow and,
ultimately, recruit and retain our talented young
people in the region. So returning to our question,
what of it and what changes in policy can we
expect from the Government post-election.
HOUSING & PLANNING
The Government’s planning proposals mostly
encourage house building, which boosts economic
growth in line with the long-term economic plan
and provides much needed housing especially in
the South. The Tories now promise a Right to Build,
a scheme which puts a positive obligation on local
planning authorities to support custom and self-
builders in identifying appropriate plots in their
local area on which to develop their own homes.
This could provide real opportunities for those
minded to build their own properties and is likely
to be of particular interest to the high numbers of
entrepreneurs along the South Coast, although
admittedly that will not appeal to the majority.
Hand-in-hand with this are proposed registers
of brownfield land, which the Government
intends all local authorities keep and maintain
in respect of the land in their boundary, and a
statutory framework to support the delivery of
200,000 homes on brownfield sites. The aim
is to have local development orders (“LDOs”)
granting planning permission for housing on 90%
of brownfield sites over the next 5 years. A LDO
permits certain development without the need for
a separate planning application – an incentive to
develop on brownfield land which is usually more
expensive due to the cost of clearing and possible
environmental clean-up. There is a clear intent
that no land should go to waste, and no stone
should be left unturned in the search for viable
land for development.
These measures are important for those in
the South East, where housing and development
in this desirable area can be difficult to realise
especially around the protected Green Belt. St
William Homes, which was set up by National Grid
and Berkley Homes joining forces with a view to
building 14,000 homes over the next 15 years on
now obsolete National Grid sites in London and the
South East, specifically chose this area because of
its viability and acute need for housing.
In addition to the push for brownfield
development, local authorities are being asked
to let go of surplus land in order to make
space for 150,000 homes on redundant public
sector land by 2020. Surrey County Council are
working with Spelthorne Borough Council and
the Ministry of Justice to free up enough land for
300 new homes whilst Horsham District Council
is proposing a substantial strategic mixed use
development on land north of Horsham to
provide around 2,500 homes and associated
infrastructure for the period to 2031. Horsham
by Tina George, Partner and Head of Real Estate, DMH StallardT: 01293 60 5193 | E: [email protected]
PROPERTY POST ELECTION – WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON?
The Brighton i360 – due to
complete in Summer 2016
District Council’s proposals also include a high
quality business park and a range of community
facilities and services. The site is being promoted
by Liberty Property Trust and DMH Stallard are
the planning consultants. Liberty Property Trust
is a masterplan developer. One of its flagship
schemes is a new community at Kings Hill in
Kent, which combines commercial, residential,
educational, retail, community, sports and leisure
uses within 800 acres of highly landscaped
parkland.
The National House Building Council recently
identified that between January and March this
year, new registrations of houses in the South
East grew by 47% when compared to the same
period last year. Support for garden cities such
as Bicester and Ebbsfleet is set to continue
along with as yet unknown general changes to
legislation and policy which intend to speed up
and simplify the planning system.
THE ENVIRONMENT
The Government is committed to creating a
new ‘Blue Belt’ around the UK’s 14 Overseas
Territories, protecting marine habitats around
islands in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Back
on the UK’s main island, the Government has
plans to increase the existing network of Marine
Conservation Zones to protect marine wildlife,
habitats and geology. There are several existing
in the South East including two running parallel
to the East Sussex coastline from Brighton to the
Beachy Head Cliffs near Eastbourne, protecting
the South East’s chalk reefs and gullies which are
home to sealife including oysters and seahorses.
The Government proposes to create roads and
railways with a reduced environmental impact,
and launch small green spaces in cities known as
‘pocket parks’.
In keeping with its plans to devolve more
decisions and power to local authorities, the
Government intends to remove large wind
farms from Nationally Significant Infrastructure
Projects so that applications will not need the
consent of the Secretary of State. Applications
for such developments, like the 116-turbine
Rampion wind farm currently under construction
eight miles off the Sussex coast, will now be dealt
with locally. This will crucially allow locally led
decisions on such applications, reflecting the
Government’s steer towards localism.
Meanwhile, we are told that David Cameron
is warming towards support for a second
runway at Gatwick airport owing to the potential
environmental impacts of expanding Heathrow.
Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the Airports
Commission, is set to release his final report on
the best way to increase airport capacity in the
South East over the coming months and we wait
to see his recommendations.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
There are changes to the business rates system
promised (and not before time I hear you say).
Business rates are charged by Local Authorities on
most commercial properties, subject to permitted
reliefs and exemptions and are calculated by
multiplying the rateable value of the property
(set by the Valuation Office Agency) by a business
rate multiplier (set by central government). A
revaluation exercise is carried out every few years
to reflect changes in the property market. At the
same time, the multipliers are reviewed so that
the overall business rates bill nationwide only
changes in line with inflation. Business rates are
paid annually on 1.8 million properties in England
alone and the next valuation is due in 2017. The
Enterprise Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech,
aims to improve the business rates system ahead
of the 2017 revaluation exercise.
The changes will include reform of the business
rates appeals process, including extending the
powers of the Valuation Tribunal to consider appeals
by ratepayers. Additional provisions will allow for
the Valuation Office Agency to share information
with Local Authorities to improve the system
overall. The Bill builds upon the commitment
given by the government back in the 2014 Autumn
Statement to overhaul the business rates system.
A consultation published by HM Treasury in March
2015 closed on 12 June 2015 and its findings are
expected to be reported before the 2016 Budget.
The consultation invites comment in order to
examine the structure of the current system and
consider whether it remains fit for purpose and
how businesses use property; what the UK can
learn from other countries about local business
taxes; and how the system can be modernised so
it better reflects changes in the value of property.
DMH Stallard’s Real Estate team will be watching
this with interest and our blog will report further on
this in due course.
MANSION TAX
Economists were warning of a property melt-
down when labour announced its plans to
introduce a tax on high value residential property
in its pre-election manifesto, and the fear was
that this would stifle activity at the top end of the
market. The claim was that the tax would raise
£1.2 billion in revenue for the Chancellor in fairly
short order if Mr. Miliband made it into Number
10. Whilst there was a discernible short term
slow down in the South East residential market
in the lead up to the election, this was said to
be more as a result of general uncertainty than
specifically the threat of the mansion tax, and
was seen across the board and not just on those
properties in the £2m plus price bracket. Now
that all fears of the mansion tax have evaporated
there is talk of another property boom. Time will
tell, although we are told only this week that the
“Even where a lease purports to prohibit alterations or a landlord has an absolute decision on whether to give consent, there are a
couple of saving graces”
4 In certain circumstances a tenant can
claim compensation at the end of the
Lease for making improvements pursuant
to the above rights.
4 Sometimes an occupier is required by
specific legislation to make upgrades to a
property – for example, under the Equality
Act 2010, The Health and Safety at Work
etc, Act 1974 and Environmental Protect
Act 1990. Where a tenant carries out
works to meet these statutory obligations,
they do not need to obtain the landlord’s
prior consent to do the works.
The lease should be reviewed to determine
if you need landlord consent. Likewise what
obligations you will have to the landlord to
reinstate alterations at the end of the lease
term and whether the lease terms exclude
your alterations when valuing the property on
future rent reviews. Having to pay the cost of
reinstating the property to its original condition
or finding out that, because the landlord’s
approval was not obtained, the works have
increased the rental value, and as a result the
landlord can increase the rent you pay, are two
costly outcomes to be avoided.
CONTRACTS FOR WORKS AND WARRANTIES
Works to your business premises are costly;
defects in works can be more so. We would
recommend that quotes be obtained in writing
and contracts for works should be reviewed
carefully. Where the nature of the works is
substantial, consider whether you need to ask
contractors and designers for insurance backed
warranties.
PLANNING CONSENTS, LISTED BUILDING
CONSENTS AND CONSERVATION AREA
CONSENTS
Are your proposals substantial in nature,
affecting the appearance of the exterior of the
building, or do you plan to change your use of
the property? If so, planning consent may be
required from the Local Authority. Guidance
should be sought early on, particularly if the
property is in a conservation area or the building
is listed.
BUILDING REGULATIONS
Structural works require prior Building
Regulation approval, but also bear in mind
that works which alter a property’s services
or fittings, such as drainage and electrics,
also need to be carried out in accordance with
up-to-date Building Regulations. Compliance
with Building Regulations can often be met by
a contractor who manages the whole process
for you, from obtaining consent, if required, to
certifying the works on completion. Check if
your contractors will be managing this for you.
ARE THEIR COVENANTS ON THE PROPERTY’S
TITLE SEEKING TO RESTRICT WORKS TO THE
PROPERTY?
Covenants can exist on a property’s title which
prevent works entirely, or require consent to
be obtained from a third party before works to
the exterior, even such as changes to decoration
colouring, can be carried out.
It is also important to check whether consents
are required from neighbouring owners to any
planned works and seek advice on the risks of
enforcement if not obtained.
IS THE PROPERTY MORTGAGED?
If you have finance secured against your
business property, check the terms of your loan
facilities, the terms of which may require you to
seek the lender’s approval to your works.
INSURANCE
Consult your buildings insurer as to whether
they need to be notified when works commence
and complete to be confident cover cannot be
avoided.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Finally, before proceeding with any works, do
ensure that the health of you your employees
and the contractors is protected. Under
the Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2015 you have a liability to manage
your obligations and protect health and
safety risks in respect of works you contract.
Health and safety files, asbestos surveys and
management plans should be kept up-to-date
and made available to contractors, whose
contracts should require them to comply and
update these during the course of the works.
If you intend to alter or refurbish your
business premises, please give us a call at an
early stage of your plans so we can offer you
practical advice on the legal consents you may
require and how we can help obtain these. But
don’t panic if you have already begun - we can
still help.
Contact Gemma Lawrence Associate and
Chartered Legal Executive on 01903 706990 or
another member of Bennett Griffin’s Property
Team on 01903 706900.
“Most business leases will contain alteration clauses which prohibit a
tenant from having carte blanche to make whatever alterations they
wish”
40
Figures released by Her Majesty’s Revenue
& Customs show that only 16,000 firms
made a claim in the year 2012/13, the
latest for which statistics are available, from
the 150,000 that could have done so. A poll
last December suggested that less than one
quarter of small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) had even heard of the Research and
Development (R&D) tax credit regime, despite it
being available now for more than 14 years.
For reasons that may be to do with complexity,
or plain lack of publicity, a very significant tax
break, which could benefit many more firms
than seem aware of its existence, is waiting to
be claimed.
This is a lost opportunity to recover a major
cost. For many businesses, expansion involves
trying to find a technological advance, which is
exactly what the relief is designed to encourage.
The R&D tax credit is specifically intended as
an incentive for firms to create new technology,
whether they are making a profit or loss at the
time. It is also one that the Government keeps
improving.
It works by increasing the value of money
spent on development by a percentage. In so
doing it reduces the amount of declarable profit
and, therefore, the corporation tax owed.
The tax relief on qualifying expenditure is
currently 230% for an SME, which means for
every £100 that a company turning over less
than £80m million a year spends on R&D it can
deduct an additional £130.
The relief for large companies is not as
generous, but still valuable: an additional £30 on
top of every £100 spent on the qualifying R&D
Many businesses are still unaware of the generous tax reliefs available for research and development. They are missing a trick, says Khin Warber, Chartered Tax Advisor at Kreston Reeves
RESEARCH TAX BREAKS AND DEVELOP YOUR POTENTIAL
{ TAX }
41
expenditure can be deducted when calculating
taxable profits. However, the Government has
raised the rate of the ‘above the line’ tax relief
for large companies to 11 per cent of actual R&D
expenditure.
A common, and false, belief is that relief is
only there to support innovation from people in
white coats with bubbling beakers of chemicals
or something mechanical. The relief is actually
intended for all kinds of businesses.
Catering and confectionery firms,
manufacturers, engineers, software developers,
and many others, can all benefit, even if few
seem to know.
There are rules to define R&D for tax
purposes. The key one is that a project must
seek to achieve an advance through science or
technology.
But the relief can support everything
from developing electronics, to improving
organisational processes and creating a new
form of food packaging.
It is not eligible for routine analysis, copying
or adaptation of an existing product, process,
service or material.
Although few people seem to know about it,
nobody should be surprised that the scheme
exists. The Government has long made support
for business innovation a core part of its
strategy for stimulating economic growth; and
backing that up with tax credits for qualifying
expenditure is part of making developments
happen.
There is no sign of that commitment
flagging, either. Companies with fewer than
500 employees may benefit the most, but
there is something for everyone. In the Autumn
Statement last year, Chancellor George Osborne
raised the reliefs, continuing the trend of
support.
He went even further in his last Budget before
the general election this May, announcing the
‘voluntary advanced assurance’. This is an
opportunity to get up-front approval from HMRC,
valid for three years, that an R&D project will
qualify for the tax credit.
The ’assurance’ represents an opportunity
to plan finances, giving the certainty needed
to know whether a particular project will be
eligible before funds are committed.
Yet even businesses that do know about
the R&D regime are often unaware that if the
advance sought by their project is not achieved,
or fully realised, they can still claim for the work.
Smaller businesses incurring trading losses,
or where the additional R&D deduction turns a
taxable profit into a loss, can also ‘surrender’
part of that loss in return for a tax refund from
HMRC. This is currently worth 14.5 per cent of
the amount ‘surrendered’.
The only qualifying costs for a claim are those
directly attributable to an R&D project and not
subsidised through, for example, some form of
state or EU aid.
Qualifying costs include:
• Spending on software and items that are
used directly in carrying out an R&D project
• Relevant payments to the subjects of
clinical trials
• Staffing costs, both internally and
externally, provided workers are directly
or actively involved in the R&D project
• Payments to subcontractors for
undertaking R&D activities on behalf of the
company, restricted to 65% of the cost
The taxation rules regarding R&D activities
are complex and evolving, which may partly
explain why so many firms have failed to take
advantage of them. We do understand them and
help our clients to reclaim significant amounts
of money.
Kreston Reeves has a team of tax specialists
across its six offices based in Sussex, London
and Kent, working on R&D tax credit claims.
We can advise on whether your business
technology projects fall within the definition
of R&D for tax purposes. We can also assist in
claiming tax credits under the relevant scheme,
which will depend on company size and other
variables.
For further information or to discuss whether
your R&D activities are eligible for the relief,
please contact either myself or Shirley Smith
on 01293 776152; via email: khin.warber@
krestonreeves.com or shirley.smith@
krestonreeves.com
“The tax relief on qualifying expenditure is currently 230% for an SME, which means for every £100 that a company turning over less than £80 million
a year spends on R&D it can deduct an
additional £130”
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{ MADE IN GATWICK }
43
GATWICK FOR GROWTH
The Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth
Forum, which took place at the Arora
in Crawley in June, explored two key
aspects of our regional economy.
The first – the Airport – was led off by
a world tour of airport economies, taking
in Guangzhou, Amsterdam, Zurich, Denver
and more en route to Manchester, where
speaker John Atkins had masterminded the
development of ‘Manchester Airport City’, a
significant development of employment space
around the airport.
It is now home to around 40,000 jobs and
makes a significant difference to the regional
economy. This, and the other global examples,
showed the value of airports to economies, and
pointed to a number of key success factors we
need in place around our own Gatwick Airport.
It does well already for infrastructure
and connectivity and will improve, but more
investment will be required in road and rail. We
will also need available land for development –
especially if the Airport wins the right to build
a new runway – and policy support from local
and regional politicians.
Nick Dunn, CFO of Gatwick Airport, talked
about expansion, laying out the rather long
timetable from the Airports Commission’s
report, expected any time now, on the opening
of a new Gatwick runway, should all go
swimmingly, in around 2026. That this can be
so short is in Gatwick’s favour; a Heathrow
option for a new runway would take longer.
Nick was open about the consequences
of expansion for businesses in the north of
Manor Royal and Lowfield Heath, areas which
would become part of the enlarged airport.
He said that the airport was involved in close
consultation and would be working to make the
change as easy as possible.
Interestingly, a show of hands, not on
whether the airport should expand or not, but
whether delegates thought it would get the
go-ahead to from the Davies Commission, was
overwhelmingly positive – a sentiment backed
by online bookmaker Betfair, who has Gatwick
at 8:11 ahead of Heathrow at evens in a two-
horse market.
We moved from the airport to our Advanced
Manufacturing Sector, led off by Rosemary
French of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative,
who explained how vital this rapidly growing
sector is to our future, and how it needs to be
protected and strengthened.
We have a good cluster of such businesses,
said Geoff Wightwick of Baker Tilly, pointing out
that his Gatwick office has more manufacturing
clients than his Manchester office. But it’s a
sector that a lot of other regions – in the UK
and across Europe – are eyeing jealously.
Speakers like Brett North of Elekta and Mike
Wood of Chemigraphic pointed out the people
challenge they face – finding and keeping
appropriately qualified staff – and our
educational institutions need to address this.
Investment is also required in infrastructure
– roads and rail to allow easier movement
of people and goods – and in housing, where
building new homes for the people doing the
new jobs to live in was critical to allow the
growth to happen.
As conference chair Daryl Gayler of RBS
noted in his summing up, manufacturing is
seriously important to the Gatwick Diamond;
issues like infrastructure and housing need to
be addressed. Luckily, as Daryl also noted, we
have the engagement and passion to make it
happen.
by Ross Sturley
Ch a r t e r e d
accountants
a n d
tax advisers,
Carpenter Box,
has appointed
Tony Summers
as Audit Partner
to help grow and
develop its new
Gatwick office.
Tony was appointed on 1st May and has over
20 years accounting and advisory experience
dealing with a wide range of businesses, from
small start-ups to large corporates, both
listed and private. He has particular specialist
experience in owner-managed businesses
and those with venture capital backing in
a number of sectors, including technology,
manufacturing, software, transport and logistics
and recruitment consultants.
Tony commented: “I am delighted to be
appointed Audit Partner in a firm with such
an excellent reputation as Carpenter Box. The
company was recently crowned ‘Professional
Services Firm of the Year’ in the Gatwick
Diamond Business Awards 2015, so I do have a
lot to live up to!
“The appointment is an exciting opportunity
for me, as Carpenter Box has an ambitious
strategy for growth in the Gatwick area and
offers a very distinct value proposition for
businesses in the region. The firm has an
experienced, client focussed team providing
high quality service and outstanding value for
money.”
Carpenter Box has grown to become a real
force in Sussex and the South. With a headcount
of over 120, including 12 partners, it is one of the
largest business advisory firms in the region. It
is also a founding member of MHA, a national
association of leading independent accountants,
giving Carpenter Box the ability to provide larger
clients with accounting and audit solutions
across the UK. The firm is also an independent
member of Baker Tilly International, which
provides client access to a global network of
trusted advisors for businesses looking to trade
globally.
Outside of work, Tony is a keen Brentford
FC supporter and attempts to keep fit playing
tennis as and when time allows. He also enjoys
relaxing with his wife and two children at their
home in Crawley Down.
www.carpenterbox.com
Passionate about business.
Our services include:
• Accountancy & bookkeeping
• Audit services
• Tax returns
• Tax planning
• Payroll services
• Financial and investment services*
• Wealth management
www.carpenterbox.com
We love to make your profits larger and tax payments smaller!
Go to www.carpenterbox.com to see what our clients say or get in touch on 01903 234094
*Carpenter Box Wealth Management LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
SUMMERS TIMENEW PARTNER APPOINTED
{ APPOINTMENTS }
44
{ BUSINESS SCENE }
45
TAKE OFF FOR CARPENTER BOX AT GATWICK
Carpenter Box, one of the region’s largest independent business advisory firms, has formally opened a new Gatwick office, welcoming almost 100
people to a ‘take-off’ reception.
Robert Dowling, the Carpenter Box Partner heading the Gatwick team, said, “We have made significant progress in the Gatwick area, developing
high-quality business relationships and meeting the needs of a growing number of clients. We started with a hub, but growth has been such that
we’re now delighted to establish a firm foothold in a key economic area for Sussex and the UK as a whole.”
Recognition of the impact being made in the region by the firm came with success in the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards, with Carpenter Box
winning the accolade for Professional Services Firm of the Year.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
6.
9. 10.8.
7.
6. Tony Summers, Keith Pordum & Lee-Ann Connor
7. Charlie Eve & Rob Alner
8. Nik Askaroff, Simon Fox & Jonathan Grant
9. Sam Uwins, Aurelia Butler-Ball, Sarah Birkbeck &
Chris Coopey
10. Adam Godley, Robert Dowling & Justin Ellis
1. Stuart Noakes, Peter Reading, Polly Horne, Terry
Porter, Chris Coopey, Robert Dowling, Tony Summers &
John Billings
2. Peter Reading, Robert Dowling & Tony Summers
3. Lee-Ann Connor & Chris Coopey
4. Samaranayake Travis, Stuart Noakes & Jeff Southern
5. Glenn Fisher, Alan Edwards & Sam Uwins
{ ANGER MANAGEMENT }
46
ANGER MANAGEMENT
BRING BACK NATIONAL SERVICE
This country suffers the problems of long-
term unemployment, hooliganism, fraud,
theft and moral ambiguity and a generation
of boys left, in many instances, with no father
figure, unfocussed and meandering through life
with no real prospects and little help at hand.
Many instances of long-term unemployment
are intentional, with vast swathes of families
having no one in the family holding down a job.
This is not long-term unemployment; this is
intentional unemployment and bone idleness.
Back in the ‘50s and ‘60s, there was not only
National Service but also approved schools, or
borstals, that took in many young, unfocussed
and under-educated boys and put a bit of metal
into them.
In most cases for the better.
When I was 15, due to unfortunate family
circumstances, I went off the rails, and when my
single mother with four children had had enough
of pulling her hair out, I was shipped off to a
so-called ‘approved’ school that was actually
located on a four-masted sailing ship called
the TS Arethusa. Moored on the River Medway
and built in 1911. It was an old galleon run by
Shaftesbury Homes, an organisation that took
wayward boys and trained them for a life in the
merchant navy. We literally slept in hammocks
and scrubbed the decks, in all weather, at 5am.
Suffice to say that it terrified the living daylights
out of me and I never put a foot wrong in life
again. I am sure this will not be the experience
of all boys, but I so missed my unappreciated
comfortable life and freedoms, that I vowed
never to end up in a place like that again.
The point here is that young men need
direction, discipline, focus and sometimes a
short, sharp shock, and they are certainly not
getting that out on the streets of 2015. Nor, sadly,
in many of our state schools, where the health
and safety rules, political correctness, lack of
male teachers and constant political meddling
meet the perfect storm of single parent families,
a smorgasbord of alluring benefits and the
notion that 15 minutes of football fame will set
them up for life.
Prince Harry has recently called for the
return of national service, stating that he hates
to think what he would be getting up to if he
had not gone into the military. He said, “I dread
to think where I would have been without the
Army. You can make bad choices in life, some
severe, but it’s how you recover from those and
which path you end up taking that matter. The
Army has done amazing things for me. Bring
back National Service”.
And this from a man who is a Prince and has
every conceivable opportunity open to him. What
about that 15-year-old living in relative poverty
on a housing estate with no father figure in his
life, surrounded by drugs and gangs with the
educational level of a gnat? It is sad to say, but
he has virtually zero chance of a good life and
of becoming a useful member of society unless
he gets help.
But what if this boy were taken into the
military for two years or sent to a strict training
school? Would this not knock him into shape,
provide him with a sense of purpose and self-
worth? Would this not provide him with the male
role model so desperately required? If it didn’t
work for 50% of them, that would still be 50%
that were ‘re-tuned’ and would become valuable
members of society. This boy/man is also three
“Restore National Service, restore training
schools for the most wayward and produce a society that we all want
to live in, feel safe in and of which we can be
proud”
Utterly failed by Maarten Hoffmann
{ ANGER MANAGEMENT }
47
times more likely to turn back to the coming
generation to educate the next bunch. They are
also more likely to be involved, conscientious
fathers and therefore affect the next generation
in a much more positive manner.
The actor Hugh Grant is an advocate, stating:
‘National Service goes with our personality. It
suits us. My father and grandfather both served
and it shaped them into the men they became.
Giving them tough training, discipline and a
sense of achievement would help them to focus
in civilian life’.
The shocking divorce rate often results
in children left with a mother, who in many
circumstance will be going out to work and
has possibly had a poor education herself, thus
leaving the children to fend for themselves. In
these same circumstances, many mothers,
seeing their relationships constantly fail, will go
on to have more than four children.
A report just published by the Sutton
Trust think-tank revealed that being from a
poor, fatherless family more than doubles a
youngster’s chance of missing out on top GCSE
grades. This has been described by experts as a
scandal, and it is going to get worse.
The so-called Generation Y, born between
1980 and 2000, will be forced to pick up the
tab for decades of government over-spending.
Analysis by the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS)
accuses baby boomers of making unfunded
promises on pensions and benefits and then
leaving their children to pick up the bill. Coupled
with unaffordable housing, mass immigration,
university debts, poor pensions and a rapidly
retreating state pension age, Generation Y now
faces a quality of life well below that of their
parents.
The situation for the boys of this country
will only get worse and we will all suffer the
consequences – as will our daughters. Restore
National Service, restore training schools for
the most wayward and produce a society that
we all want to live in, feel safe in and of which
we can be proud.
Technical engineering manager Accountable for managing the IT Infrastructure team acrossmultiple disciplines including databases, servers, storage andnetworks.
Claims planning business partnerTo lead a team responsible for forecasting contact volumesand designing appropriate shift patterns and schedules forcolleagues across multiple functions.
Senior systems engineer Overseeing the implementation and support of the Hastingsinfrastructure services across the systems, storage and virtualisation environments, whether these are on-premise,cloud or hybrid configurations.
Senior finance business partner Acting as an integral link between the Finance Departmentand the wider business, this role is responsible for planning,analysing and reporting on the financial and operational aspects of the company.
Senior network engineer Assisting in the development strategy for the corporate network, creating and articulating network infrastructure solutions, and addressing the core network architecture and design requirements for Hastings Direct.
Contact centre leaders for sales and customer serviceLeading the Contact Centre in delivering excellent customerservice to Hastings Direct customers.
Head of compliance To be accountable for Compliance throughout the companyand ensure that regulatory obligations are adhered to in conjunction with the requirements of the business
Customer representativesStarting salary of £15,500 with exciting and achievable career development and the opportunity to earn up to£18,500 as you progress.
We’re on the lookout for great people, so experience is notrequired as we will invest lots of time up front in our fantastictraining environment. All we need from you is the flexibility to work when our customers need us and to enjoy working aspart of a team. If that sounds like you and you have basiccomputer and communication skills, as well as the drive to really go places, we want to hear from you.
Mon-Fri 8am to 9pm. Sat 9am to 5:30pm and Sun 10am to 5pm.
Part time opportunities are also available working evenings and weekends
Hastings Direct is an agile and fast moving insurance company which continues to challenge industry convention andremains one of the fastest growing insurance providers in the UK, with over 1.7 million customers. As an ambitious, industry innovator, we are seeking talented individuals to join our multi-award winning team at our head office basedin Bexhill-on-Sea. In a culture which recognises achievement and actively promotes career progression, we can offeryou the tools to excel and continue to grow with us in the future.
If you would like to know more about us or any of the above vacancies please visit our careers site at:www.hastings-careers.com or send us an email to: [email protected]
Do you want to be part of a winning team?
We have a variety of exciting opportunities across an array of business functions including:
Technical engineering manager Accountable for managing the IT Infrastructure team acrossmultiple disciplines including databases, servers, storage andnetworks.
Claims planning business partnerTo lead a team responsible for forecasting contact volumesand designing appropriate shift patterns and schedules forcolleagues across multiple functions.
Senior systems engineer Overseeing the implementation and support of the Hastingsinfrastructure services across the systems, storage and virtualisation environments, whether these are on-premise,cloud or hybrid configurations.
Senior finance business partner Acting as an integral link between the Finance Departmentand the wider business, this role is responsible for planning,analysing and reporting on the financial and operational aspects of the company.
Senior network engineer Assisting in the development strategy for the corporate network, creating and articulating network infrastructure solutions, and addressing the core network architecture and design requirements for Hastings Direct.
Contact centre leaders for sales and customer serviceLeading the Contact Centre in delivering excellent customerservice to Hastings Direct customers.
Head of compliance To be accountable for Compliance throughout the companyand ensure that regulatory obligations are adhered to in conjunction with the requirements of the business
Customer representativesStarting salary of £15,500 with exciting and achievable career development and the opportunity to earn up to£18,500 as you progress.
We’re on the lookout for great people, so experience is notrequired as we will invest lots of time up front in our fantastictraining environment. All we need from you is the flexibility to work when our customers need us and to enjoy working aspart of a team. If that sounds like you and you have basiccomputer and communication skills, as well as the drive to really go places, we want to hear from you.
Mon-Fri 8am to 9pm. Sat 9am to 5:30pm and Sun 10am to 5pm.
Part time opportunities are also available working evenings and weekends
Hastings Direct is an agile and fast moving insurance company which continues to challenge industry convention andremains one of the fastest growing insurance providers in the UK, with over 1.7 million customers. As an ambitious, industry innovator, we are seeking talented individuals to join our multi-award winning team at our head office basedin Bexhill-on-Sea. In a culture which recognises achievement and actively promotes career progression, we can offeryou the tools to excel and continue to grow with us in the future.
If you would like to know more about us or any of the above vacancies please visit our careers site at:www.hastings-careers.com or send us an email to: [email protected]
Do you want to be part of a winning team?
We have a variety of exciting opportunities across an array of business functions including:
IT’S GRADUATE BUSINESS – building your organisation’s talent
Having a fulfilling job is what we all want,
isn’t it? Because then it doesn’t feel like
work. And for me, being able to help
develop and grow our future leaders is just
one of the many highlights of working for a
progressive and developing organisation.
For me, there’s no question why Hastings
Direct runs a Graduate programme; our
ambitious plans demand a pipeline of future
professionals and leaders – and we aren’t
going to magic them up! From previous issues
you’ll be aware of the work we are doing with
local universities to bridge the gap between
education and employment. This ‘pool’ provides
a key ingredient to help grow a successful,
progressive business. Agile minds coupled with
energy and passion to try new things means
that they are well suited to any company that
wants to be able to adapt and grow.
But recruiting graduates and college
leavers can also be fraught with issues; their
expectations can differ from the realities of
work. The key is to be clear about ‘what’s in it
for them?’ as well what’s in it for the business.
Katie McLellan runs our programmes at
Hastings Direct, and I have asked her to share
her top three tips in helping to make these
programmes a success:
1. THINK ABOUT THE END-GAME
What type of professional do you want at the end
of the programme? Match the challenges within
the programme to the desired end-game early
on. So, if you want resilient professionals who can
endure through tough challenges, throw them in
at the deep end! If you want professionals who
can rise above ambiguity and create their own
plans, give them loose remits and outcomes
to achieve, but without prescriptions. If you
want professionals who can solve complex
problems, give them complex problems to solve
early on. Many companies make the mistake
of underestimating the abilities of graduates.
Better to overestimate what they can do rather
than underestimate. One caveat: you must make
sure these experiences are highlighted for them
so that they can make the link and understand
why they are doing what they are doing. If you
need pragmatic leaders who understand all
aspects of the business, they’ll need to ‘stack
the shelves’ for a while; that’s fine as long as
you explain why.
2. HAVE A PLAN AND COMMUNICATE IT
CLEARLY
Human beings like certainty and to be able
to predict the future where possible. If it suits
your business to do so, have a plan of learning
opportunities and experiences mapped out for
at least a year. Be clear about the purpose of
each experience (linked to the point above) and
ensure the plan is flexible. Graduates perform
better if they have an end-to-end goal to achieve
and freedom about how they achieve it. They like
to make a difference, so make sure its a genuine
business need, and that you communicate how
what they are doing will impact the business.
Make sure you’re on hand for support. I can’t
emphasise enough the importance of not
underestimating capability. We have only ever
lost graduates because we weren’t moving
quickly enough to keep up with their learning.
We don’t make that mistake now!
3. KEEP IN TOUCH AND BE A MENTOR
Value their opinions and really listen to them.
When I think about our culture at Hastings, I
feel proud of the environment we have created,
where colleagues are valued and where open,
honest discussions are encouraged. Ask them
what they think about things, what they would
do differently, how they would change things if
they were in charge. That fresh pair of eyes from
a different perspective to your own will provide
valuable insights to your business. You may also
benefit from up-to-the minute developments
from their recent academic studies.
Finally, for graduates, what they are often
missing is YOUR experience and insights. Don’t
be shy; be generous with your knowledge and
your own journey of learning and mistakes. They
will get a huge amount from this. We have our
Directors come and talk to them regularly and
this is always one of their favourite elements of
the scheme.
At Hastings we have spent time refining
our programme and learning from our own
mistakes. We have learned that the investment
in a graduate programme reaps results. We have
filled critical positions as a result of the scheme
and provided fantastic opportunities for early
responsibility and career progression. Sussex
has a rich supply of talented college leavers and
graduates; make the most of it!
By Amanda Menahem, HR Director and Katie McLellan, Leadership and Talent Business Partnerwww.hastingsdirect.com
50
It’s a year of milestones for Fastsigns. The
Crawley/Gatwick franchise is celebrating 20
years of trading, and the parent company is
celebrating its 30th anniversary. A small company
known for its friendly and professional service,
the Crawley business has established itself as an
institution on the Manor Royal Business District.
You know you will be greeted with a familiar face
as most of the staff have been with the company
for the best part of two decades. Clearly, staff
retention has never been a problem.
Behind the scenes they can call on the
knowledge and economies of scale of the biggest
franchise operation in the signage industry.
Fastsigns was founded in Dallas in 1985 by
Gary Salomon and Bob Schanbaum. The first
franchise was sold in December 1986, with its
first international franchise sold in 1991.
There are currently more than 575 Fastsigns
locations worldwide in the United States, Canada,
the U.K., Brazil, the Cayman Islands, Mexico,
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Australia (where
centres operate under the name Signwave).
The debate about the pros and cons of buying a
franchise or starting a new business could fill the
pages of the whole magazine, but for Raj Vithlani,
who purchased the franchise five years ago, the
decision wasn’t very difficult.
“To find a business where you have people
with 17 or 18 years of experience tells you they
are doing something right,” says Raj. “It’s a
small team, but it’s a team that has got a vast
experience base. They are also unique as the
longest-serving team in Fastsigns UK!”
Marketing Manager, Melanie Martinez, who
joined the Crawley company on day one, agrees;
You can see the work of Fastsigns wherever you go - whether it is shop fronts, car wraps or exhibition stands. The company has become a familiar presence in the Gatwick Diamond and has just celebrated 20 years of trading in Crawley. Platinum Business Magazine met with owner Raj Vithlani.
SIGNS OF SUCCESSMurat Kalan, Raj Vithlani, Melanie Martinez, Max Hollick, Alan White and Jose Martinez.
“Raj inherited more than just an experienced
team, he has also benefited from the goodwill we
have generated over the years.”
“We have some long-term customers, who
dating back 20 years, have been loyal to us.
Customer service is our priority; it isn’t always
easy to compete with prices, but we deliver
quality in both service and product.”
As well as a dedicated local team, he also has
the backing of a global company, which invests
heavily in research and development. This gives
the franchise owners a significant advantage
over independent businesses.
“I think the way it’s all going now is digital,”
says Raj, “you now find screen sizes are getting
bigger and bigger and with technology, the
intensity of signs ensures they are visible even
in bright daylight.”
“We will eventually see screens that are
remotely controlled. Whether it will take off
in the UK is difficult to say because there is no
uniformity in the planning regulations here, so
they might allow it in some areas and not others,
but digital signage is where it’s going.”
Digital signage offers all kind of futuristic
options - think of Tom Cruise in Minority Report,
where signs detect your eyes from a distance.
“The technology is moving so fast, there’s
something new happening all the time. It’s like
having a pair of eyes built into the signage which
actually recognises the gender, age and colour
of a person and then actually flashes a sign
relevant to that demographic. This technology
is being trialled in the US and elsewhere, even
a small kiosk sign that will only come on when
you walk in front of it, which means it will not be
wasting energy when there’s nobody there.”
“It’s not just movement sensors, these new
digital signs can display information based on
who is actually viewing.”
“Fastsigns are at the forefront in developing
innovations, which means we will be ahead when
these ideas are rolled out in the UK.
“We also have the advantage of technical back-
up and a network of support. Even though we’re
independent, you can always ring one of the
UK branches, as well as calling or emailing the
States for technical issues, so that all helps.”
The franchise was started by Richard Jameson
in 1995, and Richard sold the business to Raj
when he decided to retire.
For Raj, the purchase of the Crawley Fastsigns
franchise represented a complete change of
direction, having previously been an owner of
bookshops.
“I was looking for something different from
retail and closer to the print industry,” says Raj.
“I preferred a re-sell as opposed to setting up a
new enterprise, because, the way I looked at it,
the cost involved was the same, and with a re-
sell, hopefully, I should have the track record.
“From 1995, my wife and I traded as Horley
Bookshops Ltd and had two shops, one in Horley
and one in London, but retail was getting more
and more difficult. I can’t see independent
booksellers surviving at all, and a lot of national
ones have closed down as well. People just buy
electronic books now.
“The main difference I have found is the
fact that in retail you set up shop and wait for
customers to walk in. With Fastsigns you have to
actively go out and find your customers or your
customer base. You have to market yourself,
which is the biggest difference. It’s fairly
challenging because there’s always something
new you’re dealing with. It’s not a case of buying
off the shelf products that you’re then selling,
you’re often creating something bespoke.
“I have enjoyed the challenge, but it has been
a learning curve. Our region is predominantly the
RH postcode, pretty much the Gatwick Diamond.
There is a big advantage of actually having an
established team when buying a re-sell business,
because they will hold your hand along the way.
There are still scenarios where I think ‘how do I
do this?’ and someone in the company will have
experienced something similar before and be
able to help me.
“We are very supportive of local businesses
and communities. They are important to us
and we like to think we would be important to
potential clients instead of sourcing competitors.
We like to build relationships with our customers;
getting to know them so that we can show them
our qualities is key.”
Fastsigns makes custom banners, large
format inkjet signs, vehicle graphics, decals,
QR codes, mobile websites, architectural site
signs, digital signs, point of purchase exhibits
and displays. They also provide in-house custom
design services and consultation, delivery, and
installation.
www.fastsigns.co.uk/854-Crawley-banners-signs
{ INTERVIEW }
51
“It’s really big in the States and has now
become global. There are around 500 stores in the US, quite a few in Australia and the UK.
They’re even in Mexico, Costa Rica and Saudi
Arabia now too! In the sign industry it’s the biggest franchise”
52
Melanie Martinez, Marketing Manager of
Fastsigns, has been with the Crawley
franchise since it opened its doors 20
years ago.
If staff retention is a sign of a company that
treats its people well, then Fastsigns in Crawley
must be a great place to work. The core of the
team has been with the company since the early
days of the franchise. “We have a brilliant team,”
confirms Melanie. “We have known each other 17
years plus, which is great and I always feel like
it shows longevity of our relationship with the
business. Everyone is very committed, not just
to it, but to each other. You don’t want to let each
other down, because you’re part of such a strong
team.
“I started in May 1995. They had a pilot store
in New Malden where my husband Jose Martinez
worked at the time. Jose was the first-ever UK
employee of Fastsigns and began 22 years ago.
He told me they were opening up a Fastsigns
in Crawley, and 20 years later I’m still here, so
I must have enjoyed it! I initially started with
Richard Jameson, who bought the first franchise.
“I started as a designer, and, as time
progressed, I realised that I liked the customer
contact, so ended up in my current role of
Marketing Manager so that I could interact more
with customers. Jose joined us in Crawley when
I went on maternity, because I was going to
drop to part-time and he took my full-time slot
and became production manager. Alan started
17 years ago and is our designer. Murat joined
us about the same time; he was doing work
experience from Crawley College and never left
us.”
“I think we were the fourth UK franchise, we
started off in Crawley town centre, next to Marks
and Spencer, which was really good for business
in the early days with such a large foot fall. With
such a lot of walk-ins, it got our name out there
pretty quickly, when the lease was up 10 years
ago we relocated to Manor Royal.
“We have always been community focussed
and have been involved with many projects over
the years, including Young Start Up Talent and
children’s artwork projects, which we really
enjoyed.
“We’ve been heavily involved in the Young
Start-Up Talent Initiative that Lorraine Nugent
and Matt Turner run. We were just going to do
one region, and now we’re doing five. We provide
start-up signage for the winners and that’s been
brilliant publicity. It’s great to be involved and
have the added bonus of getting our name in all
the papers in all the different areas. We like to
keep ourselves out there, not just networking but
putting something back into the community too.”
Clearly, much has changed over two decades,
particularly with digital innovations. “When I
started it was all cut vinyl,” recalls Melanie. “If
someone sent us a logo, we would literally scan
it, cut all the different colours, piece it together
and layer it up, which was very time-consuming.
Then, before you knew it, everything went digital
and full colour.
“Our core business is signage, but we also
supply promotional products as well as marketing
material. That way we can offer someone the full
package if they are starting up a business.
“Being a local business with a strong team,
we just want our customers to know that we
genuinely care about what we do. That’s why we
stick together and work so hard, not just for the
clients but for each other too.”
“To find a business where you have people with 17
or 18 years of experience tells you they are doing
something right. It’s a small team but it’s a
team that has got a vast experience base”
52
Henry Smith MP, Melanie Martinez, Mayor of Crawley Brenda Smith and Raj Vithlani
A SIGN OF LOYALTY
{ BUSINESS SCENE }
ANNIVERSARY SIGNS
Fastsigns celebrated 20 years of trading in Crawley with a drinks reception at their headquarters in Manor Royal, with enticing appetisers prepared
by Shila Vithlani
Leading the accolades for the company were the Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Brenda Smith and the MP for Crawley, Henry Smith. Rajesh Vithlani took
the opportunity to thank the loyal staff, many of whom have been with the company for 17 or more years.
Fastsigns offers signage, graphics and visual communications solutions.
2. 3.
4.
5.
7. 9.8.
6.
1. Shila, Raj and Anamika Vithlani
2. Richard Jameson who started the Crawley store in 1995
3. Barry Thayre (Varian), Sam French (Sams Kitchen),
Sam Murray (Manor Royal Business District)
4. unveiling the plaque
5. Sam French (Sam’s Kitchen), Stephen Barnes (Toy
Barnhaus), Steve Sawyer (Manor Royal Business District)
6. Karen Methven (Crawley and Gatwick Business Watch),
Paul Tester (CGG Veritas)
7. Lee-Ann Connor (Gatwick Diamond Business),
James Turner (Creative Pod)
8. Paul Roe (Kreston Reeves), Nick Blythe (Paella Fella)
9. Happy Go Sushi’s New Chef Lubo with founder Imrich Berta
and Sam French (Sams Kitchen)
53
1.
54
Explaining why she started her wedding gown business, designer Vera Wang said ‘when I decided to get married at
40, I couldn’t find a dress with the modernity or sophistication I wanted.’ Her words got me thinking; dressing for
weddings throws so many guests into a tailspin, and rarely (in my opinion) do they look modern or sophisticated
either.
You may have guessed that I am not a fan of the traditional wedding look. Women tend to look frumpy or overdone, and
men seem to wear badly-fitting morning dress or the same old boring office suits.
Dressing for a wedding can be really stressful. Many people leave it to the very last minute. They end up panic-buying on
the high street and the result is an outfit they are unhappy with and uncomfortable wearing. Or (horrors of horrors) they
arrive only to find someone else has turned up in the same outfit. It’s a sartorial minefield.
Let’s turn this around. In this article I’m going
to give you some tips and ideas to help you be
the best dressed guest this summer, without, of
course, upstaging the bride and groom.
First, let’s look at the options for men.
DON’T DRESS FOR THE OFFICE
Guys, I’m sure you don’t want to show up to a
good friend’s big day looking like you’re going to
the office. He won’t appreciate it, and you won’t
feel quite up-to-scratch. You will also want to
stay cool as the mercury rises, and (hopefully)
you feel comfortable enough to dance.
Dressing for a formal wedding is fairly
straightforward. There are a number of places
on the high street to hire or buy morning
suits and formal highland dress. But do get
organised and plan in advance to ensure your
size is available and any necessary alterations
can be made.
For black tie weddings choose a dinner suit in
black or midnight blue (the Duke of Windsor’s
favourite) in wool. Single-breasted is the most
popular option, although double-breasted is
making a comeback. For a modern look, go
for a slim leg trouser, and don’t worry about a
cummerbund – these are rarely worn nowadays.
BE THE BEST DRESSED GUEST
“keep it simple and refined, and
you’ll be sure to be the best dressed guest this summer”
{ PLATINUM STYLE }
55
For weddings that call for lounge suits or more informal
dress, there are a variety of ways to look stylish and up
to date:
• Think three: the three-piece suit (in classic or slim
fit) is back and is a clean and sharp take on the
lounge suit;
• Add some colour: suits in bright blue, pale grey,
stone or pale grey check are great alternatives to
dark grey and navy. For more casual weddings, be
bold and go for a navy jacket for example, with a
pale blue shirt and bright-coloured chino. A pink,
lavender or grey shirt is another way to add a pop
of colour;
• Beat the heat: keep things cool with lightweight
wool, wool-mohair blends or cotton. Or choose
linen, but beware the crumpled effect;
• Show some ankle: slim-cropped trousers (no more
than an inch above the ankle) worn with loafers
and no socks is a contemporary informal look;
• Lose the tie: this depends on the formality of the
Ladies, you don’t have to wear a hat. It’s not obligatory. Or a dress, for that matter. There
are a number of cooler alternatives out there:
• Trousers: consider wide-leg trousers in vibrant colours (or a small print) with a silk
top, heels and a clutch. Or go ‘matchy-matchy’ in a floral print top and trousers (very
2015);
• Slim trouser suits: in powder pink, sand or ice blue are a great way to work pastel
shades without looking too girlie. This look can also be worn as slim trousers with a
matching duster coat;
• Go ‘midi’: a midi-length skirt, dress or culottes worn with block heels is a cool modern
option;
• The jumpsuit: this is fast becoming a classic. A good look for women going to a black
tie wedding who don’t want to wear the ubiquitous LBD.
Another quick word on black tie weddings. Debretts states that a ‘smart dress’ is appropriate,
and can be long or short (but not too short – no more than an inch above the knee). And it
needn’t be black. But do not wear white, cream or ivory – the bride will not appreciate it.
Don’t wear a hat with a long dress as it will completely unbalance the look. Fascinators can
work but keep them small – I think your best bet is adding sparkle and texture with a hair
clip or slide. If your dress (or trousers or jumpsuit) is plain, you can wear more elaborate
accessories. Likewise, if you choose a bold print, then keep your accessories clean and
simple. And no platform shoes, please – they instantly make an outfit look cheap.
Modern weddings vary in type and venue, so make sure you understand and adhere to the
dress code as stated on the invitation. If you’re in doubt, ask. Consider your outfit as a whole,
while paying attention to the details; this will help you retain elements of your individual
style and ensure that everything works together. Finally, keep it simple and refined, and
you’ll be sure to be the best dressed guest this summer…
LET’S DOBUSINESSEASTBOURNETHE TOWN’S NO.1 B2BSHOW RETURNS: MAKESURE YOU’RE THERE
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57
ONLINE BOOKINGS SURGE IN TOURISM SECTOR
With its close proximity to London, good
connections to several motorways
and the presence of Gatwick Airport
allowing swift connections to the region, the
South continues to be very popular with tourists.
Its improving economy, along with events
such as Glorious Goodwood and the Festival
of Speed – to name just two- and the retail
and beach attractions of Brighton, attract both
domestic and overseas visitors, increasing
levels of tourism in the summer months, which
benefit all areas of the hospitality and leisure
industry.
Our 2015 survey results indicate that there
is no question that tourist expenditure is set
to increase over the coming years; however,
surprisingly, the results also indicate that 26%
of operators in the hotel and bed and breakfast
sector are still unable to take online bookings.
This is despite the fact that 50% of
respondents to the annual survey report a year-
on-year increase in online bookings and the fact
that there has been a 16% increase in the ability
to take online bookings direct.
This would indicate that there is a need for
businesses within the Tourism & Leisure sector
to better embrace the new technologies that are
now available, which in turn would potentially
lead to increased bookings, income and profits.
This growth in direct transactions is good to
see, especially as online booking agents have
been increasingly dominating the UK hotel and
bed and breakfast sector, and this trend should
lead to a greater online presence and more
competitive offerings.
The survey results for 2015 for the South point
strongly towards growing business confidence
and are encouraging for the development of the
hospitality industry. Indeed, 64% of respondents
reported an increase in profits over the past 12
months, representing a rising trend in domestic
trading conditions, with 59% saying that they
expect to see an increase over the next 12
months. The coming holiday season will be
viewed with a great deal of anticipation.
In line with other regions across the UK, one
third (33%) of respondents to the survey in
the South still employ workers on zero-hours
contracts, only slightly lower than the 37%
recorded last year. The amount of zero-hour
contract staff who are working 21+ hours has
halved since last year to 34%. However, these
findings are still concerning and suggest that
hospitality workers on zero-hours contracts are
suffering through reduced paid hours.
The percentage of companies in the South
who have green policies in place has dropped
to 65%, down from 82% last year and over 41%
remain unaware that tax reliefs are available for
introduction of such policies.
This decrease in those with green policies
suggests increased financial pressure, and yet,
at the same time, there appears to be a distinct
lack of awareness of the tax reliefs available,
which suggests that more publicity is needed to
encourage eco-friendly investment.
In terms of tax reliefs generally, our
experience at Carpenter Box is that many hotels
are simply not aware of what they could be
claiming for and we are, therefore, happy to
undertake a free initial consultation and assess
whether or not they can make a claim.
Our survey also indicated a wider lack of
investment, which reflects the position in the
economy as a whole, with continued difficulties
in raising traditional bank finance, although
there are some signs of this position easing.
Nathan Keeley is Head of the Tourism &
Leisure sector group at Carpenter Box.
*MHA is the UK-wide association of chartered
accountants and business advisors.
www.carpenterbox.co.uk
Nathan Keeley reports on the latest Travel & Tourism Survey conducted by Carpenter Box, in conjunction with MHA*
“Surprisingly, 26% of operators in the hotel and bed and breakfast
sector are still unable to take online
bookings”
Passionate about business.
Our services include:
• Accountancy & bookkeeping
• Audit services
• Tax returns
• Tax planning
• Payroll services
• Financial and investment services*
• Wealth management
www.carpenterbox.com
We love to make your profits larger and tax payments smaller!
Go to www.carpenterbox.com to see what our clients say or get in touch on 01903 234094
*Carpenter Box Wealth Management LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
Phot
o Cr
edit
Dom
inic
Alv
es
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{ CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE }
59
BACK TO TELL THE TALE
“It was louder than anything I’d ever heard.
First, we were thinking about how lucky
we were to be where we were. Then we
wondered what was going on down the other
side of the mountain. Had we been up a few
days before and been hit, it probably would have
been game over.
“I spend a lot of time on boats and I always
describe the experience as standing in a small
boat and these huge waves are coming. You’re
just going up with them. It was quite slow
but very pronounced. The after-effect of the
avalanches was terrifying.
“It was terrifying. Everything was shaking.
“Twenty four hours before, we were actually
up the mountain at 7,000m. We were just going
to come down for a rest day. It was about midday
and I was lying in my duvet. Then all of a sudden
the ground shakes, and I got out my tent and
looked around and the mountain was throwing
down huge rocks.
“Slowly the information started coming
through. We relied on the BBC for the
information. We had a team of about 10 of us
plus the Sherpas. We felt terrible because it was
clear the Sherpas’ families had got caught up in
the worst of the earhquake.
“They were prepared to carry on climbing,
because they needed the money from the
clients and they are so dedicated to their job,
but it was clear that they were distraught. A
lot of the Sherpas couldn’t get in contact with
their families, but would still say: “It is my duty
to serve you.” I didn’t feel it was right to carry
on, as I wanted to help in whatever way I could.
“I’m an army reservist and my captain from
my regiment was running another expedition.
He was down in base camp and he was trying
to get a team together to Katmandhu to try and
help out. We weren’t able to get to Katmandhu
because the roads had been destroyed. We tried
to get into Katmandhu as we had doctors in our
party, but physically weren’t able to get in, which
was really frustrating.
“It’s weird because you’re on Everest and
you’re okay, and you can just see the destruction,
thousands dead in the valley, and you can’t do
anything.
“I would like to go back one day and try again.
The Sherpas are such wonderful people.
“My sponsors were very generous as I
obviously came back without succeeding in
what I set out to do, so Chestnut Tree House
still raised valuable sponsorship money. In
particular, I would like to thank Darwin Property
Investment Management, Hoseasons, Garsden
Pepper, Global Wealth and Snow & Rock for
their support of the charity.
“Chestnut Tree House is close to my heart as
my brother was very ill as a child and the family
had to travel to and from Great Ormond Street.
It would have been fantastic for the family if
there had been somewhere like Chestnut Tree
House.”
To support Rupert’s next attempt at a
double ascent of Everest, please go to
www.everest2k16.com.
www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk
People do all kinds of amazing things to raise money for the children’s hospice charity, Chestnut Tree House, but Rupert Jones-Warner was more ambitious than most. His plan was to become the first Briton to climb Mount Everest twice on two routes. However, while he was on the mountain he witnessed the biggest earthquake to hit Nepal in 80 years. Rupert told PBM about the horrific experience.
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SOUTH EASTBUSINESS SHOW
2015
www.b2bsoutheast.com
{ MARKETING }
Big Beach MarketingTel: 01273 434552Web: www.bigbeach.co.uk
You may remember, I featured one of
our clients, Himalayan Footsteps, in a
previous article about going the extra
mile; 4,554 miles to Kathmandu, to be precise.
Due to the recent earthquake there, the team
have faced a few challenges, as you can imagine.
Going through this experience with Himalayan
Footsteps has reminded me that as business
owners we’re perhaps not as secure as we’d
like to think, especially when disaster strikes.
What to do when the Sh*t hits the fan
For Himalayan Footsteps, having customers
and local team members in the earthquake
zone was as bad as it gets. Luckily, nobody
was hurt, all customers were evacuated and
the local team relocated to where they could
help without being injured. This was achieved
by the high standards of contingency planning
and procedures in place for such an extreme
situation.
But how would you and your business cope
with a catastrophe? Discounting life-threatening
circumstances, what does your worst-case
scenario look like and what do you have in place
to deal with it?
We are all subject to external, uncontrollable
and unplanned events. It could be 80% of your
revenue comes from one customer and they
cease to trade one day. Your server actually has
a melt-down and takes all your data with it. Or
you’re owed a large payment that never comes.
Acknowledging these potential situations and
their effects will help you plan for them. It may
also help you make better business decisions
that could potentially lessen their impact, and
maybe even give you the incentive to take your
business further or in a new direction.
Making an omelette
The threat of disaster could be an energising
experience for business planning. Could you
diversify? Expand your products or services into
new markets? Could new technology investment
put you ahead of the curve? Perhaps you’ve been
putting off dealing with less profitable areas.
‘Seizing the day’ instead of being cautious could
be very positive.
People like to help
Most people will help if they can. We saw this
in the aftermath of the earthquake and the
aftershock that happened two weeks later. In
the business community, people are helping
Himalayan Footsteps as one business to
another. It reminded me that when you need
guidance during a difficult phase, you should
ask for help - because someone else has been
there. They can either provide you with the
benefit of their experience or specific expertise
to see you through.
There’s always recovery
The long-term view of tourism in Nepal is that
it will recover – and Nepal needs tourism. This
means that the Himalayan Footsteps team will
be OK, too, and in the meantime there are other
countries of the Himalayas to focus on. Right
now we are helping the team refocus marketing
activity onto India. I feel another trip coming on…
“It reminded me that when you need guidance during a difficult phase, you should ask for help - because someone else
has been there”
61
By Louise Walden Director of Big Beach Marketing
WHEN YOU’RE GIVEN EGGS… MAKE AN
OMELETTE?
Mergers and Acquisitions
Commercial Property and Development
Planning advice
Commercial Landlord and Tennant
Employment Law
Intellectual Property
Litigation
Charities
Debt Collection
{ BOOK REVIEW }
THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
When Jack Welch brings out a new
book, it’s always going to be a
worthwhile investment. Currently,
the Executive Chairman of an online MBA
school (the Jack Welch Management Institute),
his CV is more than impressive, including 20
years as Chairman and CEO of General Electric
Company, which was named the world’s most
valuable corporation and was consistently
voted the most admired company in the world
by Fortune magazine. Fortune also named Jack
as the Manager of the Century at the turn of the
Millennium.
His wife Suzy, also has a business pedigree
to be admired, including a stint as editor of the
Harvard Business Review.
The Welchs have targeted their new at
employees seeking to broaden their business
skills, as well as students seeking to get a
sense of what a graduate business program is
all about.
“Getting an MBA today takes time, money
and a lot of flexibility that not everyone has,”
says Suzy Welch. “If you have ever thought to
yourself that you really want or need an MBA
then this is a good book for you.”
The book covers a multitude of topics
including recovering from a ‘whack’,
building ‘Wow’ teams, how to go global and
understanding finance, and they have down-
to-earth style which makes the subjects both
accessible and a pleasure to read about.
Packed with anecdotes, they are able to draw
on their own life experiences in business and
stories drawn from meeting with so many
businesspeople while promoting their books
and courses.
So how to summarise in a one page review?
There are key themes which surface all the way
through the book: truth, trust and alignment.
They highlight ‘alignment’ as the biggest
problem afflicting corporate America today
(yes, it does have an American emphasis),
where leaders at the top of the hierarchy are
often out of step with their employees at the
bottom - and vice versa.
The answer is to build businesses where
everyone buys into the company’s stories,
and people across the organisation feel
empowered. Crucially, the company owners
need to be able to trust their employees with
the truth.
Specifically, they assert that mangers/
owners should reveal:
• “Truth in telling people where they stand
and getting very specific in how they can
improve.
• “Truth in talking about how the business
is doing and what real challenges lie
ahead.
• “Truth in bearing down on the assumptions
underlying a business’s strategy,
budgeting and other processes... Every
meeting, every encounter should end with
the reflection by all involved: “Did we get
at the truth with our conversation?”
So, would I recommend this book? Like many
business/management books it covers ground
that has been written about before. It is rare to
find something completely new, but it is always
so easy to forget about the bigger pictures
when you are immersed in the day-to-day of
running a business. It is always worthwhile
reading the thoughts of someone who has been
so successful.
The truth? An enjoyable if undemanding
read, with some inspiring tales of business
success. And much quicker than studying for
an MBA.
The Real Life MBA by Jack & Suzy
Welch. RRP £20. Published by Thorsons,
(HarperCollins)
Truth matters in business, says Jack & Suzy Welch in their new book, The Real Life MBA. It engenders trust and alignment within a business, and is vital for building teams and networks... Review: Ian Trevett
{ EDUCATION }
More businesses would have happy endings
if they started with stories, according to
new research. Managers need to be able
to spin a great yarn as easily as they manage
people and budgets, says Dr Sara Spear, a
researcher at the University of Portsmouth.
She has found that leaders and senior
managers tend to be better storytellers than
middle managers, but very few are good enough at
it. “It is worrying that the role and power of stories
within organisations is underestimated by many
managers, particularly those at higher levels.
“Managers ignore the importance of storytelling
at their peril. Good storytelling should probably be
taught to all managers. It creates brands whose
values resonate throughout an organisation. All
businesses want employees who deliver a brand
message, both in terms of how they think about
their employer and how they behave. Stories have
a powerful role to play in making this happen.”
Dr Spear presented her research at the 10th
Global Brand conference at the University of Turku
in Finland. She examined the role of storytelling
in the internal communications of two major
companies in the energy industry. In addition to
conducting nearly 70 interviews with staff at all
levels, she collated formal and informal stories
from within the companies, including in staff
newspapers and magazines and comments on
blogs and forums.
“The results were clear that it’s important
managers tell official stories and encourage
employees to share their own stories to
reinforce corporate brand values, increase brand
engagement and influence employees’ behaviour
in delivering the brand,” she said.
Brands which she said show excellent
understanding of the power of storytelling to
enhance their reputation include HP, which tells
stories about the company’s development, from
its origins in a garage, and its on-going focus
on innovations which will make a difference to
customers.
“Encouraging storytelling in organisations can
enable co-creation of the corporate brand with
employees and generate positive attitudes and
behaviour. This is critical, as employees play a key
role in brand delivery and will therefore impact
other stakeholders’ brand experience.”
Portsmouth Business School holds regular
postgraduate information events where you can
meet lecturers and discuss courses. Please visit
www.showyoumeanbusiness.com for details.
BRANDS WITH STORIES LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER
You’re a professional – so prove it
Whether you are responsible for projects, HR, marketing, risk management or have ambitions for a top-level executive role, Portsmouth Business School offers part-time and professionally recognised postgraduate programmes for busy working people. A first degree may not be essential, as long as you have the right attitude and work experience which will have prepared you to succeed. You’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain, so come along to our next open evening – for details please visit www.showyoumeanbusiness.com.
David Ridley is a man with Caterham Cars running through his veins where the rest of us just rely on blood. As the Chief Operating Officer, he has been with the company for over 14 years and is the best marketing tool they have.
Full of excitement and enthusiasm for the brand, it is not difficult to see why this niche vehicle builder has been in continuous production for 58 years, and it doesn’t have customers as much as life-long devotees.
Founded by Graham Nearn in 1957 as a dealer for the original Lotus 7 car, they purchased the rights to the model from Lotus when Colin Chapman announced his intention to discontinue production. The Caterham/Lotus 7 is widely regarded by car enthusiasts as one of the iconic sportscars of the 20th century, and to many it first came to national attention when Patrick McGoohan drove one in the quintessentially British TV show, The Prisoner.I sat down with David at their brand new showroom in Crawley to find out what the future holds for the company.
CONTINUE
66
CATERHAM CARS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
THROUGH A FEW CHANGES OF OWNERSHIP.
WHO OWNS THE COMPANY TODAY?
We are owned by Tony Fernandes, the Malaysian
entrepreneur and founder of Air Asia, who
purchased us in 2011, and we have been on
a remarkable journey. Tony’s strategy was
to regain the Lotus name and he approached
David Hunt, brother of James Hunt, who owned
the rights, and then started his Formula 1
team, Team Lotus. This was to be the first part
of the marketing plan, and then he planned to
purchase Lotus Cars and grow the business
exponentially as he has done so successfully
with Air Asia. The deal to purchase Lotus fell
through and our MD at the time approached
Tony and suggested that if he could not get hold
of Lotus, how about he purchase the other iconic
British sportscar company, Caterham? Tony said
absolutely, and, in a Victor Kiam moment, liked it
so much be bought the company.
I WONDER HOW THE COMPANY HAS LASTED SO
LONG WHEN SO MANY OTHERS HAVE FALLEN
BY THE WAYSIDE?
I think it comes down to the passion for the
brand. There are not many cars that can cost
as little as £20,000 that will see off a Ferrari.
We also work hard with an assortment of
strategies that keep the legend alive. One that
I am particularly proud of is the Caterham
Academy. The Academy is aimed at people
who always wish they had given motor racing
a go but now feel that day has passed. And of
course, motor racing can be a very expensive
and confusing sport for those who are not on
the inside. What we do is make it very, very easy.
Join the academy and we supply you with the
car, the entry fees, the race licence, and all the
technical pit lane support; basically, we put an
arm around your shoulder and walk you through
your first season. Racing is a drug, and once
addicted, it can be tough to walk away, and there
are many more levels you can progress through.
SO, I PRESUME THE ACADEMY IS FULL OF
20-YEAR-OLD POTENTIAL RACERS?
Absolutely not, and that is the great thing that
I really want to get across. The age range of
Academy drivers is 30 to 55. These are people
who can afford to indulge their unrequited
“It is a very mean machine, and on the track it will wheel
spin in 4th at 100mph and there are not many cars
that will do that for under £50,000”
67
passion for the sport but don’t have the time for
all the backroom work. With the Academy, we
take care of everything and the driver turns up
to race. As an example, John Caudwell of Phone
4 You went through the academy, as did the
founders of Innocent Drinks. It’s a case of finally
realising that long-held dream of racing.
I GUESS THAT DOESN’T HURT AS A CLEVER
MARKETING TOOL EITHER?
It certainly doesn’t, and of course many of the
Caterham races are televised, which greatly
helps our exports, too, and keeps the brand in
the forefront of people’s minds. Exports make
up around 70% of our sales to the USA, France,
Japan, Sweden, Norway and many more. In
Malaysia, Taiwan, China and Columbia they
are actually starting Caterham championships
and their own Academies, so the future is very
bright.
TALKING ABOUT YOUR ROOTS IN MOTORSPORT,
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CATERHAM F1
TEAM?
There has been quite a bit of misinformation
about that. The F1 team was a part of the wider
strategy to develop the brand and lead us into
a deal with Renault to produce a mainstream
car as part of a family of new vehicles. That
deal eventually faded away, and although we
were spending less than any other F1 team,
we were still burning through £70 million per
season, and that is unsustainable for a niche
manufacturer. We sold the Caterham F1 team
to a chap whose intentions might not have
been totally honourable and it was placed into
administration.
DEBT LOADING?
Yes, and that was not the deal we signed up
for, but once sold we had little control over it.
The headlines hit that Caterham had gone into
administration, which was very damaging. It
was not the company but the F1 team, but as
it had our name attached, we suffered the lurid
headlines, but I can categorically state that
Caterham is in rude health and still going strong.
I HAVE JUST ENJOYED A WEEK WITH THE
270S, WHICH, AND I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND
ME SAYING IT, IS TOTALLY BONKERS BUT
GREAT FUN. YOU HAVE A SUPERCHARGED
2-LITRE 620R, AND THOSE STATS ARE
REALLY BONKERS: 310 BHP, TOP SPEED
OF 155MPH AND 0-60MPH IN 2.79! THAT
OUTSTRIPS MOST FERRARIS, ASTONS AND
LAMBOS?
It is a very impressive machine. But all of our
models have a phenomenal power to weight
ratio that makes them extremely rapid, and as
you are so close to the ground, everything just
seems faster. It is a very mean machine, and
on the track it will wheel spin in 4th at 100mph
and there are not many cars that will do that for
under £50,000.
SO, THE BIG QUESTION: WHY THE MOVE FROM
CATERHAM TO CRAWLEY?
Developers got their hands on our original
building in Caterham and gave us 6 weeks to get
out. I remember getting the email on December
23rd stating ‘You need to exit this building in
6 weeks’ time’. Merry Christmas. We’d been
there since 1996 and were given 6 weeks, but
I am extremely proud of our team and what
we managed to do. We didn’t lose a single
day’s production and were up and running
in our temporary facility in Crawley within 6
weeks. We then had to make the move again to
this showroom last August, which is now our
permanent home.
SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR THE
COMPANY?
The future is very bright. We have new models
coming; we have an order book that is full five
months out. How many companies can say that?
We still build every car to order and we are a
profitable business. We make and sell 500 cars
a year and we are very happy with our journey
to this point and our plans for the future.
SO, I GUESS THE NAME WILL NOW CHANGE TO
THE CRAWLEY 270?
I think not.
Caterham Cars are based in Fleming Way in
Crawley and they will happily offer you a test
drive or, better still, why not join them on one of
their many track days, when you can really find
out what this machine will do?
“Racing is a drug, and once addicted, it can be tough to walk away, and there are many more
levels you can progress through”
{ MOTORING INTERVIEW }
Caterham Cars
Fleming Way, Crawley, RH10 9NQ
T: 01293 312301
W: www.caterhamcars.com
{ MOTORING REVIEW }
68
I can list on two hands the cars I have never driven. Then, like
buses, two come along at the same time. Tesla, which I will
review next month, and a car I have only ever driven on a track
at Palmer Sport – the Caterham.
Caterham have been producing slightly insane cars since 1957,
and the name comes from their location in Caterham, Surrey. But
no more. Following a developer getting his grubby hands on their
iconic Surrey site, they have hauled themselves down the M23 to
Crawley and now boast a great looking centre in Fleming Road,
Crawley.
The first thing they have done is to simplify the range, replacing
all the confusing names with simple tags: now we have the 270,
360, 420 and the satanic monster 620R. It is not often I say this, but I
was quite pleased when I was given the 270S, as it poured non-stop
with rain while it was in my possession, and the 620 in the rain is
not something I am that keen to experience.
This is a car stripped to the basics. No mod cons, no bleeps and
chimes every two minutes, no traction control, just an engine, two
seats and four wheels, and it really took me back to the old days
of driving by the seat of your pants, knowing you can lose it on any
corner if not alert, and the iconic man and machine feeling. It’s really
a go-kart for the road and more fun than you can shake a stick at.
Is it a road car? Not really, save for those sunny Sundays or
insane track days. While I had it I went about my normal business of
meetings, events and dining reviews, and, with the roof up, getting
in and out of it is a young man’s game, or for those with a competent
realise what this car is all about. It sings through
the gears and constantly screams at you, ‘Let’s
go faster, you pussy!’The steering is absurdly
accurate and direct, the low ride height makes
60 feels like 160 and all those hedges that you
are used to peering over at on-coming traffic
disappear and you are on your own an inch or
two off the deck. It begs you to stab it through
the close ratio 6 gears and take corners faster
and faster. In the dry, it won’t let go and the
power-to-weight ratio is just glorious, but in
the wet you will be seeing the back end beside
you more often than not, unless you drive like
a vicar.
They have pulled every horse out of the
1.6 Ford Sigma engine, with 0-60 coming in
5 seconds and a top speed of 122mph, which
feels like 300mph hour with the roof and side
screens off. Or, for the slightly unhinged, have
a look at the 620R with a 2.0 litre Ford Duratec
plant that will propel you to 60 in 2.79 seconds,
which, I hasten to point out, is faster than a
Lambo Murcielago, McLaren 12C and a Ferrari
458!
It just makes you laugh with the joy of actually
driving a car rather than just piloting it. It makes
you smile when you walk up to it, smile when
you slide aboard and chuckle when you fire it
up. These are not motoring emotions we feel
very often anymore, and I miss them.
Every Caterham is hand-built to order, or,
if you are the hands-on type, save yourself a
packet and order it in kit form. They deliver all
the parts and, one can only guess, an instruction
manual that makes the one from IKEA look like
child’s play. There are endless variants and
options and you could just keep ticking boxes
and come out with a bill for £50,000, but let
the professionals at Caterham learn what you
are looking for and then take their advice on
what you need. You will end up with one of the
funkiest, fastest and most furious cars on the
road. Then stick it in the garage and get it out
for sunny Sunday blasts and look up track days
where you can really let it rip. Having driven the
older 7 Superlight on track, this is its natural
home. It will slide around corners and rip off
the line like no other. Naturally, Caterham run
their own track days, and that is certainly the
place to start. If you don’t know whether you
really want to buy one, go to one of their track
days and drive their car. Now that’s a test drive
from heaven.
Ever fancied being a racing driver? They have
that covered, too, with their Academy that has
run for 20 years and takes complete novices
into full-on races. You pay the money and they
supply the car and all the technical support in
the pits. More details on that overleaf.
The Caterham is slightly bonkers, but in a
very good way, and with a starting price of only
£20,000 it is cheapest supercar on the planet,
and it’s British through and through. It will most
likely prove the best £20,000 you ever spent.
“It makes you smile when you walk up to it, smile when you slide aboard
and chuckle when you fire it up”
70
Brighton Metropole was, and still very much is, a labour of love. This year, as it celebrates its 125th anniversary, we reflect on one of the most iconic buildings Brighton’s seafront has to offer. It was built 125 years ago, in 1890, by the renowned architect of The Natural History Museum and the University College
London, Alfred Waterhouse. He took four years to complete his meticulously designed and vastly different seafront hotel. He selected his materials for their proven durability: hard red brick and terracotta dressings in red and earth tones were more economical and less susceptible to erosion in polluted Victorian cities than stone. In a similar style to the UCL and many other of his commissioned builds, he coloured the facade of the Metropole with Italian red terracotta, which stuck out like a sore terracotta thumb for some local critics, who believed it less beautiful than their accustomed Brighton style of whitewashed buildings. They questioned the beauty of its exterior, but no one would question the beauty of the décor inside.
The cost of this stylishly different build was £57,000, which, translated into today’s money would be around £3m. It boasted an impressive 800 rooms, and was one of the first buildings outside London of such immense proportions. Twelve lodging houses, a parade ground and an entire park were cleared in order to make way for Waterhouse’s Metropole.
TERRACOTTA AND SEAWATER TAPSby Hannah Monkcom
{ HISTORY }
71
ARRIVING IN STYLE
For the grand opening of the hotel there was a
special train service which carried over 1500
guests to Brighton from London. The London
Times reported on the opening as ‘the most
prominent building on the Kings Road’. Patrons
were welcomed by staff from it’s neighbour, The
Grand, and schmoozed in style as the Metropole’s
band played in the ballroom (now Clarence
room), while the Coldstream guards played in
the dining room. The Italian garden was lit up
by hundreds of electric bulbs, romanticising the
opening with elegant charm.
INTERIOR VICTORIAN SWAGGER
Maple’s of London designed all of the original
interior furniture. For the three dining rooms,
capable of seating 500 people, the colours
ranged from golden brown to ivory, with
matching silk curtains and imposing vaulted
ceilings, classically embellished in cream and
glittering gold. It is easy to imagine the glorious
picture of ladies and gentlemen entering these
rooms holding onto their bonnets and top hats as
they curve their necks backwards to view such
splendour.
A part of the Hotel Ballroom (now Ambassador
Suite) housed a large Italian Marble Angel who
was said to have watched over the proceedings
(and ornate wrought iron hotel logo) below. Both
angel and logo are still in situ and remind guests
of the Victorian era in which they were forged.
Great fireplaces were central to most rooms,
including a large carved oak fireplace designed
by none other than Queen Victoria’s nephew.
Smoking rooms had ‘easy chairs’ with dark,
wooden armrests, and covered in fine Persian
saddlebags and throw rugs. Below this recreation
room was another, greater, relaxation room, the
Turkish baths. The baths were filled with scent
created by the hotel’s very own perfumier and
were decorated by Albert Kingsley and the
brothers Temple: a hotel that had it all, right
down to its very own printing room, where each
menu card and piece of stationery supplied to the
dining rooms, bars and suites was created, right
up until 1982.
SWEET SUITES
Bedrooms varied in luxury and price; modest
“bedding rooms” would have been basic beds
with no bathroom and thus the cheapest option.
For the wealthier patron the alternative was the
lavishly decorated suites with furniture from
Maple’s. Suites were dressed in regal colours
of deep coloured woods, gold, dark reds, blues
and greens and cream. The bedrooms would
have hosted everything one might need for
a holiday, minus a trouser press! Their most
notable feature would have been in the en-
suite bathrooms, which included innovative
‘tapped water wells’ or ‘taps’ as we know them
today. Patrons could choose between hot or
cold fresh water, and even had the option to
choose seawater! Perhaps it was a smart way to
encourage patrons to use a free source of water,
or to allow guests to experience the sea without
having to undress in public! In any case, the use
of seawater would have saved the hotel money
and would, of course, been easily accessible,
bearing in mind the location.
NOTORIOUS MOMENTS
Many significant characters have passed
through the doors of the Metropole, including
the ‘Gaiety girls’, Princess Louise (daughter of
Queen Victoria), and Lillie Langtry. Oscar Wilde
is rumoured to have stayed more than once, the
hotel was well known as a location for seedy
trysts. Winston Churchill dined in the hotel in the
1940s, after WWII; his signed menu is available
to view in the Library Suite off the Hotel Lobby.
There was a train robbery in the early 1940s.
The crew stored the stolen money in a hotel
bedroom, but they grew paranoid and tried to
leave the hotel very calmly, aware that workers
at the hotel were suspicious. However, as they
were coming down the Grand Staircase, their
holder split and all the £25,000 fell into the lobby;
they were subsequently arrested!
LONDON TO BRIGHTON CAR RUN
On 14th November, 1896 began the legendary
Car Run. The cars began their run at the London
Metropole Hotel on Edgware Road in Marylebone
and ended at the front of the Brighton Metropole.
The event celebrated the increase in the speed
limit to 14mph! Imagine the frustration of drivers
today if stuck in such a snail race! To this day the
event is still being held every year. What is even
more remarkable is that some of the vehicles
used in the first run are still being used today!
“Their most notable feature would have been in the en-suite
bathrooms, which included innovative ‘tapped water wells’ or ‘taps’ as we know
them today”
WARTIME AT THE METROPOLE
Due to the large military camp at Shoreham (the
first licenced aerodrome), the Metropole became
an aircrew-holding unit for the RAF and other
allied nationalities in 1941. Several hundred
military men were stationed at the hotel during
both World Wars, and, in fact, three major airlines
still station their air crews overnight at the
Metropole today. The building saw some action
in WWII when a roof-mounted machine gunner
spotted a low-flying FW190. The surprised plane
retaliated but missed the hotel. Another German
plane later tried to bomb the hotel, but missed
and dropped its payload in a nearby park.
MODERN TIMES
The hotel was part of the Gordon hotel chain
from its construction to up until 1959, when it
was acquired by AVP industries. The hotel then
underwent a major revamp as it entered its 60th
year, which included the addition of bathrooms
to all its rooms. The central spire and small
turrets were removed and two new floors were
added with a flatter roofline. The Italian gardens
vanished and made way for the new Regency
ballroom. Extensions were added, including an
exhibition block that was built onto the side of
the building, with a new tower block above for
private apartments. On the 7th floor was a new
dining venue called Starlit Club (Chartwell Room),
which boasted an a la carte menu and ocean
views. These additions meant the demolition
of another row of houses and the graceful St
Margaret’s church. Strangely, yet nostalgically,
some of the church’s old building walls were
used in the construction and support of the new
buildings. People who remembered the original
artwork were horrified to find that some of it had
vanished or had been covered up, perhaps by the
same type of people who had an issue with the
red terracotta amongst the whitewashed theme.
The new exhibition complex housed state-of-
the-art exhibition halls, again the largest outside
of London, where toy fairs, food exhibitions and
kitchen appliance goods were exhibited to the
public, and, interestingly, the first microwaves in
England were on display in the late 1970’s in Hall
1 (Oxford Suite).
THE FIRST LICENSED CASINO IN BRITAIN
Due to a change in gaming laws in the late ‘50s,
The Clarence Room, on the right-hand side of
the building, was the venue of the opening of the
first licenced casino in Britain in 1962, and had
its own entrance onto Cannon Place at the rear.
The casino’s large safe can still be seen and is
situated in a supporting wall of the hotel and
can thus not be removed! The safe was not on
view until 1997, when, once opened, the contents
were valued at £3m. Unfortunately, they were old
casino chips and were completely worthless!
The casino moved in 1985 and became the
International Casino in Preston Street, just a
stone’s throw away, and is still there to this day.
The original Metropole logo can still be seen on
the windows.
MODERN LOUNGES
Modern times made their way into the life of the
Metropole with the construction of a swimming
pool and health club in the space occupied by the
former Turkish baths. The Metropole group was
acquired by Lonrho group for £25m in 1977. This
led to further expansion, including the closing of
the Starlit Club (now the Chartwell function room)
and the opening of the Cannon (Bar 106) Bar and
the Metro (Lo Lounge) Night Club. In recent years
the hotel has changed hands, now being owned
by the Stakis group, part of the Hilton group.
Several more function rooms have been added to
the hotel, making the Hilton Brighton Metropole
the largest residential conference centre in the
South East of England.
The Hotel façade was completely replaced
in 2006 and took 18months to replace; each
individual terracotta brick, all the intricate
mouldings and fretwork were painstakingly cut,
carved and replaced at a cost of £2.1m!
LAUNCHING IN NEW STYLE
The Metropole unveiled earlier this year its major
plan to spend £3.75m and has already begun
renovating 185 of the 340 rooms (including four
suites), offering Victorian elegance combined
with modern convenience. Some communal
spaces are transformed, too, capturing the Arts
and Crafts Movement alongside feature artwork,
paying homage to William Morris with historical
styling.
Aside from the guest rooms, the hotel also
boasted an impressive revamp of their spa,
sweetly named ‘Schmoo by the Sea’, and an all-
new ocean view restaurant. General Manager
Sascha Koehler said, “The contemporary dining
experience at The Salt Rooms is the perfect
complement to its sister restaurant, The Coal
Shed, and it will showcase the best of British
food - with a particular focus on British fish and
Gemini Print on the importance of supporting community and arts projects
PRIDE IN PRINT
{ PROMOTIONAL FEATURE }
75
Summer is here and one of Brighton’s
biggest employers is making headlines for
all the right reasons.
This company is an eco-business, a big supporter
of apprenticeships and a very high-tech
operation. It is also a major supporter of the arts
and the creative sector in the region.
Introducing Sussex’s national player - Gemini
Print. It has been established in the region for
decades and it is no stranger to creating impact -
as any of these images can testify. But it’s not all
PR spin, as Managing Director Steve Cropper is
keen to point out. Gemini Print has put massive
investment in all the latest printing, digital and
finishing equipment – and it’s all under one local
roof.
It is one of Brighton Fringe’s key partners,
offering support through print to the festival
and to all its participants. It launched the very
successful Design for Print Awards at this year’s
Fringe and is also a key supporting partner for
Brighton Pride - one of the other major events in
the region’s calendar.
“Gemini Print is a keen supporter of the arts and
culture in the region. This comes on the back of
our two-year partnership with Brighton Fringe,
where we have been immersed in the world of
theatre, comedy and entertainment,” said Steve
Cropper.
“As the leading printers in the region, we like to
support key events that bring culture, revenue
and fun to the key city in Sussex. Now marking
its 25th anniversary in August, Brighton Pride
has become the UK’s biggest Pride festival and
is a spectacular showcase of Brighton’s diverse
community.”
Gemini’s operation is impressive: the ability
to print absolutely everything, finish it to any
specification, store it, direct-mail it or deliver it
to your door as you need it is one of the USPs of
Gemini Print.
Steve Cropper said: “We are not reliant on any
other subcontractor to complete a job. This
puts us in control of the project and therefore
circumvents errors or delays. It also reduces
costs for customers.”
Over the past 18 months, it’s been go, go, go at
Gemini Print. The company has expanded to
London with the opening of an office in the capital,
over £1 million has been invested in Gemini
West (the Bristol operation), which has gone on
to win some key tenders - most recently Bristol
Zoo. Now Gemini Brighton, based in Hollingbury,
and Gemini Print in Shoreham are starting to
consolidate work processes even more closely
to ensure greater efficiency and cost savings for
customers.
Gemini Print is at heart a Sussex business, and
while it works nationally it is obvious that it is very
proud of its Sussex heritage. It is an operation that
offers great employment opportunities locally
– from apprenticeships to more senior roles -
and it is dynamic in its approach to production
and customer service, always developing and
changing to what’s needed to be a leading player
in its field.
For more information visit: www.gemini-print.co.uk
“As the leading printers in the region, we like to support key events
that bring culture, revenue and fun to the
key city in Sussex”
LIVE THE LIFEYOU HAVE ALWAYS IMAGINED
Godfrey Investmentsgodfreyinv.com
Godfrey Design & Buildgodfreydesignbuild.com
Godfrey Livinggodfreyliving.com
Sourcing outstanding property oppertunities.
Creating and developing unique buildings.
A boutique property services company.
Godfrey Living are a boutique property services company in Brighton. We are the first choice partner for the property investor.
Our aim is to design and deliver an outstanding experience for all our customers and investors. Whether we are evaluating, advising, sourcing, marketing or managing properties we will always focus on our customers needs.
At Godfrey Living our property experts will share your vision and support you throughout your adventure.
Godfrey Living are a boutique property services company in Brighton. We are the first choice partner for the property investor.
Our aim is to design and deliver an outstanding experience for all our customers and investors. Whether we are evaluating, advising, sourcing, marketing or managing properties we will always focus on our customers needs.
At Godfrey Living our property experts will share your vision and support you throughout your adventure.
DATES FOR THE DIARYWednesday 01/07/2015 (17:00-21:00) Open 9-Hole Golf Evening at Reigate Heath Golf Club Reigate Heath Golf Club, The Club House, Flanchford Road, RH2 8QROpen to all business people. Tee off from 17.00 hrs, 9-hole Stableford competition, followed by supper and prizes. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team. Thursday 02/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Spelthorne & Runnymede, Breakfast networking. Mercure London Staines Upon Thames Hotel, Thames Street, TW18 4SJ
Wednesday 08/07/2015 (08:00-17:30) Open 18-hole Golf Competition for the Bill Ward Memorial Cup Worplesdon Golf Club, Heath House Road, Woking GU22 0RAOpen 18-hole Stableford competition open to all business people. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team. 08.00 hrs Coffee and bacon roll, 18-hole Stableford competition followed by lunch and prize giving, finishing by 17.30 hrs. Friday 10/07/2015 (08:00-10:00) Chamber Connections Woking - Mastering the Sales Conversation in 5 Simple Steps, Breakfast networkingHoliday Inn Woking, Victoria Way, Woking GU21 8EW Plus a 60 minute talk on “Mastering the Sales Conversation in Five Simple Steps” Guest speaker Glen Williamson, Principal Consultant, GWC limited Friday 10/07/2015 (18:00-20:00) Badminton Networking Event Lightwater Leisure Centre, Lightwater Country Club, The Avenue, GU18 5RGBack by popular demand, we are pleased to run a fun business networking event, hosted by Surrey Chambers and projectfive. Local companies meet for a couple of hours to play badminton in a relaxed and friendly environment. You’ll get to play with at least five partners during the evening, against different opponents each time.Then, it’s drinks and snacks in the bar to catch up with everyone else.
Tuesday 14/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Epsom Breakfast - “Winning Business with Effective Communications”, with Mark Rhodes, Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom Downs, Epsom KT18 5LQMark Rhodes is an entrepreneur, business mentor, published international speaker and trainer in success and shows both individuals and businesses around the world how to massively improve their results with little or no extra effort! Tuesday 14/07/2015 (07:30-09:30) Bank of England breakfast NatWest Guildford, PO Box 1, 2nd Floor G3, 2 Cathedral Hill, GU1 3ZROne of the Bank of England’s two core purposes is monetary stability and stable prices.
Wednesday 15/07/2015 (15:30-17:30) Business Women in Surrey at Pennyhill Park Pennyhill Park Hotel & Spa, London Road, Bagshot GU19 5EUAfternoon tea and use of the Spa, limited to 25 people, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Wednesday 15/07/2015 (09:00-10:30) Business Breakfast at The Bulldog The Bulldog, 556 London Road, Ashford TW15 3AFA joint networking business breakfast being promoted by Spelthorne Business Forum, Hounslow and Surrey Chambers of Commerce, so an excellent opportunity to make some new contacts. Booking: This is a drop in event but you must book so we can order breakfast for you. The cost of the breakfast is £4.99 and is payable on the day. Thursday 16/07/2015 (09:15-16:30) Motivating & Managing your Channel Partners - Course for Exporters Arcom IT, Export House, Cawsey Way, Woking GU21 6QXThe independent channel partner, whether a distributor or agent, is entrepreneurial by nature and has long been an enigma for many companies who want to export.
Wednesday 22/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Guildford, Breakfast networkingThe Refectory, Guildford Cathedral, Stag Hill Guildford GU2 7UPPlus a short talk from Rebecca Bowden, SATRO Wednesday 29/07/2015 (18:00-20:00) Members’ Networking Evening Loseley Park, Estate Offices, Loseley Park, Guildford GU3 1HS Thursday 30/07/2015 (08:00-09:30) Chamber Connections Waverley, Breakfast networkingThe Manor House, Huxley Close, Godalming GU7 2AS
83
For further information go to www.surrey-chambers.co.uk
84
“I’ve probably got the best job in the
country,” says Peter Martin, before we
have a chance to ask him a question.
“I enjoy every minute of every day because it’s
absolutely fascinating. Surrey is a £35 billion
economy – it’s enormous. It’s bigger than any city
in the country other than London. That’s pretty
phenomenal.
“Over the last three years we’ve grown at 18%.
It’s not quite China levels of growth but we’re not
far off. And when you look at GVA (Gross Value
Added) per head, it is pretty phenomenal. That
makes life pretty interesting. We have one of
the highest employment rates, we have a high
education level and we are the country’s leader
in youth justice.
“We have the lowest level of our youth getting
into the crime machine of any part of the country,
as we are the country’s leaders on restorative
justice. We believe in it because when you put a
youngster into prison or into a young offenders
institution, almost universally they come out
worse than when they started. If you keep them
out, then you can transform their lives and that’s
what we’re doing. Even hardened judges now,
who used to be a bit sceptical, are on our side on
that.
“We are always promoting business in Surrey;
we try and get 50-60% of the business we do to
be with Surrey businesses. When we do a big
Launching a business magazine in Surrey seemed like quite a good idea, so we thought it might be worth
meeting the Cabinet Lead for Economic Prosperity at Surrey County Council. After an hour in the company
of Deputy Leader, Peter Martin, it became apparent that we were completely mistaken. It wasn’t quite a
good idea - it is the best idea we have ever had! Our only mistake was not doing so sooner. So despite
our journalistic intentions, the following pages are not so much an interview, but more a rousing lecture
on why Surrey is such an excellent place to do business. And who would possibly argue?
THE BEST JOB IN THE COUNTRY
deal with a big company, we try to ensure their
contractors come from Surrey.
“The County Council itself is enormous; we’ve
got a £1.7 billion piece of business here, the
equivalent of a FTSE 250 company. And I think
people don’t realise the sheer scale of our County
Council. We’re the fifth biggest local authority in
the country.”
Unlike most public servants, Martin’s language
is interspersed with reference to commerce,
indicating a business background.
“I was 33 years with IBM. After graduating from
the University of Durham. I was a VSO teaching in
Khartoum, Sudan for 2 years, before returning
to join IBM. I qualified as an accountant, and did
three years in the States plus five years in Paris.
I was Head of Marketing in the UK for a while,
and CFO of various units including the petroleum
unit in Paris, and then spent the last four years in
mergers and acquisition, going all over Europe,
Middle East and Africa.”
So why the leap from private enterprise into
local government?
“I’ve always been a politician. Politics flows
through my blood. My father was a trade union
leader in the Cowley car factories in Oxford, and
the Secretary of the local Labour Party. He was a
Methodist lay preacher and was teetotal.
“I joined a non-union company and the
Conservative Party! He died when I was only 23,
and he said to me before he died, “If you ever
stand as a Tory, my ashes will fly in your face”.
So if you ever come out campaigning with me,
we peer around the corners and make sure dad’s
ashes aren’t flying off the street!
“My son is a politician, an Executive of Waverley
Borough Council. He and I are in the same two-
member ward. We just had the election a month
ago, so it’s a question of whether I beat him or
he beats me. I beat him, and then he demanded
a re-count.
“I’ve been a County Councillor for ten years
and I’ve been a member of the cabinet for eight
years. I’ve been responsible for the environment
portfolio, education and children’s services, and
for the last four years, I’ve been Deputy with
responsibility for the economy, for business,
for economic prosperity. And that’s a really
important brief to have.
“I’ve got a £500,000 budget and there are lots
of things I can do with that but you realise that
that is not a great sum of money within the great
scheme of things. What I can do is almost be
the mouthpiece of business. So I work with the
EM3 and C2C Local Enterprise Partnerships, the
Gatwick Diamond initiative, Surrey Chambers,
the Federation of Small Businesses, the IOD, the
CBI, the UKTI...
“Last month, Michael Boyd, Managing Director
of UKTI, came to visit us. He looks after inward
investment from foreign directors, so we took him
to Frazer-Nash Research, and Surrey Satellite
Technology (SST), where we opened the new
satellite tracking operation. We did a tour of the
premises and saw satellites being manufactured.
It’s a fantastic organisation, an offshoot of Surrey
University; they’re now owned by Airbus, SSTL
grosses over £100M a year and probably has a
backorder of c £500M. SST is the world leader in
‘small’ satellites. The world comes to them: the
Chinese, the Russians, the Moroccans…
“We had a business reception afterwards,
and I can act as a mouthpiece from business
to government. I’m almost like a telephone
exchange, I go and find a connection here, plug
it in there.
“We’ve got some fascinating niche sectors in
Surrey, for instance 5G. Eighteen months ago,
the University of Surrey won a £12m contract
from government to promote 5G, and they are
hosting the 5G Research Centre. As a result of
that, the world’s mobile phone companies, such
as Huawei, have come to Guildford, and they’ve
now got a £70 million investment, and a big new
three-storey building. This is the world leader in
5G research.
“It isn’t an evolutionary thing from 1G to 4G
and onto 5G. 5G tears up the paper for everything
you’ve had before and starts again. It’s app
driven, where speed is all. Now, you can think of
{ INTERVIEW }
85
“A lot of people think that Surrey is just this sort of a dormitory for London
– it’s just not. We’ve got 250 of the largest
companies in the country located here”
86
all sorts of things you can do as a result of that.
“If you go to Royal Holloway, University of
London, you find absolute leaders in cyber
security, working with the government and GCHQ.
They are undoubted world leaders in improved
cyber security, a phenomenal place to go to.
“The University of Surrey is a fascinating
place. They’re a £1.7 billion operation if you
include the research park and the hospital.
They have just established a veterinary school
and they’re building three big new buildings to
house it all. That will all be opened in September
this year when they take their second year
undergraduates. It’s becoming huge. It’s very
exciting because they also link to organisations
like the Pirbright Institute. There are lots of
research institutes around in Surrey focused on
veterinary, so it’s very clever to have a veterinary
school, the first new veterinary school in a long
time. And they are going for a medical school as
well. They want to specialise in looking at animal-
related diseases that transfer to humans. So
we’ll have a brand new veterinary school and a
brand new medical school and you’ve got links to
research institutes located close by.
“I find that incredibly exciting. If, in my job I
can stimulate interest, isn’t that fantastic? Now,
you don’t think of Surrey as being automotive
centre, and we don’t produce 100,000 cars a year
in Surrey, that’s not our thing. But we’ve got the
headquarters of Kia, we’ve got the headquarters
of Toyota now in Epsom. Then there is McLaren,
which is absolutely phenomenal. It is so clean
you could eat your breakfast off the floor. In the
paint shop, they’ve got clear glass windows by
the spray guns and there’s not a speck of paint
on the glass.
“A few months ago I was at Brooklands, for
a business breakfast meeting and I was sitting
next to people who are tool makers to the space
and automotive industry. That’s quite interesting
because you’ve got the whole perspective of
reshoring going on. Suddenly China and the Far
East are much less interesting as we want quick
reactions and local expertise.
“Then we have gaming - the computer gaming
industry has a big hub in Guildford. Did I know
that four years ago? No, I didn’t – I do now.
Agritech is very interesting. Royal Holloway and
Kew Gardens have a big link and Kew Gardens
has compiled a comprehensive inventory of
seeds from every plant going.
“There are links between agritech and
veterinary research, and one of the things I can
do is to spot that maybe there’s a link-up here.
“Food and drink in this area is quite amazing.
Denbies is the biggest or the second biggest
vineyard in the country. I visited an organic
vineyard near Albury, just on the outside of
Guildford, and next to it is a distillery called
Silent Pool. Would you expect to find a distillery in
Surrey producing high quality gin? We’re putting
a focus on the development of the rural economy.
Surrey is the most wooded county in England. So
doesn’t it make sense to promote biomass and
wood?
“Finally, oil and gas. This is big in two ways:
You probably don’t know that BP has its biggest
office in the world in Surrey, in Sunbury. It’s the
headquarters of their world geological research,
9,000 employees – it’s vast. So everything that
happens in terms of oil exploration in the world
through BP comes out of that organisation. That’s
pretty phenomenal.
“I’m almost like a telephone exchange, I
go and find a connection here, plug it in there”
“And at the same time, of course, you’ve got
this extraordinary business of the oil in the
Weald, and again, where is that? It covers Surrey.
“So Surrey is open for business. It’s a vibrant,
exciting place, edge of technology. We’re not a
mass manufacturer but we have a GVA bigger
than any in the country bar London, it’s growing
phenomenally, it’s a great place.
“A lot of people think that Surrey is just this sort
of a dormitory for London – it’s just not. We’ve
got 250 of the largest companies in the country
located here, whether it’s Siemens, Novartis,
Proctor & Gamble, Provident, the headquarters of
Toyota, Mercedes Benz, BP – the list is huge.
“SAB, for instance, took over Miller, a South
African company taking over an American
company. Where do they list? They list in London.
Where is the headquarters? In Woking - 1,100
people with jobs in Woking that didn’t exist six
years ago. So it’s very much open for business. We
have a huge success story. My job is to promote
the success, to tell people what we’re doing, to
work through all of the organisations that visit
business, to promote it through UKTI, to promote
it through the Local Enterprise Partnerships and
do everything I can to say, “Hey, we’re open for
business”. And by the way, I love doing it.
“I think the story from Surrey is that we’ve had
success despite years of by governments in the
past. We’re the golden goose laying the golden
eggs. One borough in Surrey pays more income
tax than the whole of Glasgow. We pay £7.5 billion
a year of income tax into the national Exchequer.
What do we get back? Not enough.
My job is to stick up for Surrey. We need
investment in infrastructure. Why do my
residents have to get on the train in Guildford
and have to stand all the way into London?
Canon have national headquarters in Redhill and
international headquarters in West London – you
try and drive from one to the other, it can be slow
going . The Senior Director of Mercedes-Benz is
from Stuttgart, but he’s not so keen on coming
down because they land at Heathrow, they have
to get on the M25, coming down to the wonderful
Brooklands Mercedes Benz, which is a fantastic
place to be, need to be gone earlier than they’d
like to miss the traffic. So in many ways we’re a
victim of our own success.
“My big job in life is to do something with the
infrastructure. That’s not a one-year, two-year,
five-year plan, that’s a long-term plan. There
are some things that we can do quickly, and
broadband, for instance, is one of them. I signed
a deal with BT four years ago for the provision
of superfast broadband. We spent £20m of our
taxpayer money, we got BT to put in £14m or
thereabouts, and we got the government to put in
£1.3m, so a total of £35m. We’re now near the end
of that project, and we’re now the best-connected
county in the country. 97% of the intervention
area has superfast broadband connection; nearly
all are getting speeds in excess of 15 Mb per
second. We’re now on phase two, I’ve instituted
a new Open Market Review which, again, looks
at where we are and where are the white spots,
the white areas if there is still more to do. We’re
going to try and then see whether there are
ways in which we can go further and make it
even better. But that’s an example of being on
the leading edge, and I think it’s really important
to get a broadband connection. I hear that in
other counties businesses are moaning and
groaning about broadband. I can’t say it’s fixed,
it’s not done, but there’s much less of an issue on
broadband here than there is everywhere else. If
I didn’t get on and do that, who else was going
to do it?”
Will investment in infrastructure become
even harder with the Government’s Northern
Powerhouse emphasis?
“From a government’s point of view, we are a
very London-centric country, and I’m not opposed
in any way to growing the North. That would be
foolish. All I’m saying is that the government
shouldn’t lose sight of the powerhouse that
we are and the investment that we need, in
particular in infrastructure. The birth rate of
Surrey has gone up by 20% over the last 12
years. The investment in schools is phenomenal.
Last September we opened the equivalent of
10 new large primary schools. This year we’re
going to open the equivalent of 13 new large
primary schools, simply because of the birth
rate increase. At the same time you’ve got the
growth in demographics of the old. So we have
a real crisis in terms of trying to deal with that
and at the same time dealing with the need for
infrastructure.”
The county is sandwiched between two major
airports. What is your position on the extra
runway debate?
“I’m simply one of those people who say that
we need expansion. We need expansion of our
airports and I’m not going to get into the ‘Is it
Heathrow or Gatwick?’ We’ve got an agreement
in Surrey, we put it through the Full Council two-
and-a-half, three years ago. What we said is that
we accept the need for expansion of airports.
What we want, particularly, is improvements
in surface transport and the infrastructure to
go with it. And that needs to come first, not
afterwards. So that’s our mantra on that.
“Many of the people of Surrey depend either
directly or indirectly on Heathrow and to a lesser
extent on Gatwick for their jobs. Would 250 very
large companies locate in Surrey if Gatwick and
Heathrow were not there? I think not.”
“When I’m in sales mode, I can very simply say
“We’re next to London, we’re next to the airports,
it’s a great place to live, it’s the most wooded
county in the country, we’ve got a great education
system, we have the finest schools, it’s a great
place to live. You wouldn’t want to live anywhere
else. We have golf courses, we’re not far from
the sea, airports close by, 83 railway stations, it’s
fantastic.”
{ INTERVIEW }
87
“My big job in life is to do something with the infrastructure. That’s
not a one-year, two-year, five-year plan, that’s a
long-term plan”
“My job is to stick up for Surrey. We
need investment in infrastructure. Why do
my residents have to get on the train in Guildford and have to stand all the
way into London?’”
Members of the Leatherhead & District business community gathered to launch the annual Leatherhead & District
Business Awards at a recent event at ExxonMobil’s offices in Leatherhead, Surrey.
With ten categories, the Awards will highlight and recognise Leatherhead’s entrepreneurial stars and corporate leaders – people and companies
who go the extra mile to achieve extraordinary success and/or inspire others to achieve their potential.
Alongside Platinum Business Magazine, this year’s award sponsors include headline sponsor Exxonmobil, Unilever, Prowse & Co. Ltd, Leatherhead
and District Chamber of Commerce, Surrey County Council, The Gatwick Diamond Initiative, Mole Valley District Council, Munday’s LLP, the
Leatherhead Advertiser and Riverbridge House Business Centre, which is sponsoring this year’s Awards trophies.
Open to any individual or business located within Leatherhead, Ashtead, Bookham, Effingham, Mickleham or Fetcham, the Awards are FREE to
enter and organisations and individuals may enter for more than one category.
There are ten Awards categories for 2015 as detailed below:
LAUNCH AT EXXONMOBIL
BEST BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY, SPONSORED BY EXXONMOBIL
This award recognises businesses that can
demonstrate responsible business practices across areas
including: local community, environment, supply chains
and the local economy. Judges are looking for evidence of
a contribution to the overall well-being of the community,
its environment, economy and quality of life.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEARSPONSORED BY THE GATWICK DIAMOND INITIATIVE
The award recognises businesses that can demonstrate success in achieving growth or expansion in international markets. The judges are
looking for a business of any size that best demonstrates an international growth strategy that has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit
and market share improvement. The judges will be looking, in particular, for effective and innovative international trading initiatives.
BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE
This award celebrates an individual who is likely to have demonstrated
high levels of commitment, initiative and dedication in key aspects of
business performance, helping the company or the local business community achieve
success and/or inspiring others to achieve their full potential. The judges are looking
for a business person (in any position within a large or small company) who has shown
outstanding achievement, dedication and enthusiasm in his/her role.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PROWSE & CO. LTD
This award recognises professional
services organisations that have demonstrable
strength in the areas of service excellence, and
business growth. The judges are looking for a local
firm that that demonstrates strong customer care
and delivers a positive impact for its clients.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY THE LEATHERHEAD & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The Business of the Year Award recognises a local business or
organisation (large or small) that has demonstrated exceptional
performance and impact on the local economy and local community. The judges
are looking for outstanding performance in one or more aspects of its business
activities, including, business managemet, product/service development,,
customer care, marketing, community, HR or environmental initiatives.
1.
3.
2. 5.
4.
89
WOMEN IN BUSINESS, SPONSORED BY MUNDAYS LLP
This award celebrates successful women who
have excelled in their specific business, profession,
organisation or line of work. The judges are looking for women who
have made a real difference in business over the past 12 months.
The essence of these awards is to discover and reward exceptional
women who stand out - through leadership, entrepreneurialism,
mentoring skills, and/or their ideas.
RETAILER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY THE LEATHERHEAD ADVERTISER
This award sets out to recognise and acknowledge
the ongoing contribution that retailers make in
growing and sustaining the local economy and also acknowledges
the leading role that retail plays in setting the standard for customer
service excellence. The judges are looking for a business that
can demonstrate ‘first class’ customer service, strong business/
financial/ market performance, innovation and the ability to adapt
and change.
LEISURE AND TOURISM, SPONSORED BY SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL
This category is open to any organisation involved
in the delivery of leisure, tourism, visitor attractions
or hospitality. The judges are looking for an organisation that can
demonstrate outstanding performance in a number of aspects relating
to their operations, including evidence of growth, investment and
delivery of innovations and improvements, adding value to the local
area, creating employment opportunities and customer satisfaction.
SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR,SPONSORED BY UNILEVER
This award recognises organisations that can
demonstrate a commitment to improving the
sustainability of their business and have implemented a combination
of economic, social and environmental improvements that enhance
the overall sustainability of the business. Judges will be looking for
examples of sustainability projects and commitments undertaken by
the organisation plus evidence of their success.
EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL
This award recognises businesses or organisations
that best demonstrate their commitment to investing
in people. The judges are looking for employee strategies that attract,
retain and develop talent and how this contributes to sustainable
growth. They will also be looking for evidence of how employees are
engaged in strategic goals and company values as well as investment
in people.
8.
10.
7.
9.
6.
The nomination process is simple: • Businesses self-nominate in a category of their choice
using an online form which can be downloaded from the Awards website www.leatherheadawards.com
• Alternatively, you may nominate an organisation or individual for any of the award categories.
• Judges will meet to decide category winners/ runners-up from nominations.
• Category winners may be visited by the judges and an overall winner will be selected.
A panel of senior executives will judge the awards. Finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony at St. John’s School, Leatherhead on 30 November 2015 where each winner will be presented with a trophy and certificate at a gala dinner.
Entry forms for the 2015 Leatherhead & District Business Awards are available online www.leatherheadawards.com from the Help Shop in Leatherhead or the Awards Office on telephone 01372 363386. The entry deadline is Friday, 11 September, 2015.
The Leatherhead and District Business Awards were established in 2009 by Prowse & Co. Ltd. The award-winning PR, events and marketing
consultancy is based in Surrey and works with some of the world’s best known brands and locations to create content for digital, print and social
media channels Locally, the team advises a number of public and private sector organisations and entrepreneurs.
Discover more at www.prowse.co.uk
BEST BUSINESS CONTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY, SPONSORED BY EXXONMOBIL
Exxon Mobil Corporation is the world’s largest publicly traded international oil and gas company and it, or its
affiliated companies, operates facilities or markets products in most of the world’s countries. ExxonMobil has had
a major presence in Leatherhead since 1990 and 800 employees and contractors are currently based in the town.
The company has a strong ethos to invest in the communities where it operates, and has supported the Leatherhead & District Business Awards as Headline
Sponsor since their inception.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY GATWICK DIAMOND INITIATIVE
The Gatwick Diamond Initiative is a business-led partnership run by people with proven commercial and economic
development experience. With our focus on key strategic issues, we partner with business leaders, business membership organisations, colleges and
universities, local authorities and government agencies to address the needs of the area to ensure it is a world-class place to live, work and do business.
WOMAN IN BUSINESS AWARD, SPONSORED BY MUNDAYS LLP
Mundays is delighted to sponsor the Women in Business Award this year. As a firm with women in many of our most senior
roles, we believe that a business that operates with a diverse and balanced mix of people at all levels will thrive, and we
are very proud to be sponsoring this award. Based in Cobham, Mundays has over 50 lawyers providing specialist legal advice to both businesses and
individuals. We provide local and national businesses with advice on general corporate and commercial matters as well as specialist services in banking and
finance, real estate, employment and dispute resolution.
RETAILER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY LEATHERHEAD ADVERTISER
The Leatherhead Advertiser is the local newspaper and online site for the Leatherhead and District area. As the only
newspaper dedicated to Mole Valley, it offers coverage of local news, business, sports and entertainment, both in print and online, at its fast-growing website.
As a media partner for the Awards, publicity is secured across a number of weeks to promote the categories, sponsors and winners.
BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE
Platinum Business Magazine has recently taken Sussex by storm as a new, relevant, informative and independent business publication
in the South East. It has rapidly become the most read, most respected and widely distributed magazine in Sussex. This issue marks the
launch of the publication to every corner of Surrey featuring many local business figures as expert editorial contributors with news, articles and informative
commentary on issues that matter to Surrey.
LEISURE AND TOURISM AWARD, SPONSORED BY SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL
Surrey County Council is pleased to support the Leatherhead and District Business Awards. It is important that local business are
recognised for their achievements and that success is celebrated. The Economic Prosperity of the county is one of the three strategic
goals of Surrey County Council, with initiatives ExportSurrey and Invest in Surrey supporting this goal. Demonstrating that the county is
‘open for business’ is paramount to our future success and the Leatherhead and District Business Awards certainly show that it is! We wish all businesses
the best of luck in the 2015 awards.
BEST EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY MOLE VALLEY DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mole Valley District Council means business! That’s the message we want to get out to all entrepreneurs and small to medium
businesses that are thinking of starting up in Mole Valley. We pride ourselves on the personal support and information provided by our Sustainable Economy
team. Our friendly staff at Pippbrook can advise on many aspects of starting up your own business such as planning permission for premises, business rates,
licensing, funding and so on.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY LEATHERHEAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Our Chamber is a vibrant, forward-thinking business networking organisation operating within the Leatherhead & District
area, providing an opportunity for the local business community to become involved with like-minded individuals and
organisations. Our aim is to help our members grow and sustain their businesses through local trade, networking and the
sharing of best practice. We understand the Importance of business access to vital resources and our events programme provides a range of networking
seminars, local information, representation and social events.
THE SPONSORS...
SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY UNILEVER
Unilever, one of the world’s largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, has its UK headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey. With
sustainability at its heart, Unilever has committed to being a more inclusive business and to helping to promote a new era of youth employability
through its Sustainable Living Plan.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY PROWSE & CO. LTD
Established in 1988, Prowse is an award-winning PR and marketing consultancy based in Surrey, within easy reach of London. We work
with some of the world’s best-known brands and locations to create content for digital, print and social media channels. As one of the leading
consultancies in South East England, we also support local companies and partnership organisations.
National Independents’ Day on July 4th
is fast becoming a recognised day in
the retail calendar, supporting and
celebrating the UK’s dynamic mix of independent
businesses with the aim of encouraging more
of us to shop locally. Experience Guildford, the
town’s Business Improvement District, are
‘Super Sizing’ Independents’ Day this year,
introducing a month-long loyalty campaign
to showcase the eclectic mix of independent
businesses in the town and reward visitors with
cash prizes with a combined value of £1000 to
spend in their favourite independent businesses.
From the July 4th to the July 31st, visitors
who purchase a product or service from three
independent stores or businesses in Guildford
will be entered into a prize draw to win one of
ten £100 vouchers. With over 120 of Guildford’s
independent businesses signed up to the
scheme, visitors won’t have to look far to find
an independent store, bar, cafe, venue or leisure
business that could put them on the road to
being £100 better off.
By encouraging more of us to shop locally,
Experience Guildford aim to make everyone feel
better off, rewarding both shopper, business and
the local community. Independent businesses
do much to attract visitors and increase
footfall to our towns, elevating their status to a
destination rather than just a shopping centre
and creating a valuable point of difference. They
provide a healthy injection to the local economy,
with around 50p to 70p of every £1 spent in a
local, independent business filtering back to the
community.
So, from theatre tickets to takeaway
cappuccinos, killer heels to a cut and blow-
dry, Experience Guildford want visitors to seek
out, shop and shout about all the fabulous
independent businesses that the town has to
offer. Look out for the handy map they have
created to pinpoint all the businesses involved
in Guildford’s Independents’ Day loyalty
promotion, which also includes a branded
tear off loyalty card. Maps are available in
businesses throughout the town and can also be
picked up from Guildford’s Tourist Information
Centre. Visitors need to simply collect three
stamps from any combination of participating
businesses on the loyalty card section of the
map by July 31st, fill in their details and post
the tear off section back to Experience Guildford
by August 7th to be entered into the prize draw
to win a £100 voucher. Stamps will be awarded
with each purchase made, and there is no limit
to the number of times shoppers can enter the
draw.
For more information on Guildford’s
Independents’ Day loyalty month, the
participating businesses and where to send
in your completed loyalty card, visit www.
experienceguildford.com or Facebook.com/
ExperienceGford. Plus, share your favourite
Guildford independent businesses on Twitter at
@ExperienceGford using the hashtag #IndieDay
and discover some new hidden gems at the
same time.
{ LOCAL BUSINESS }
91
INDEPENDENTS’ DAY The launch of a loyalty campaign to support Guildford’s independent businesses
EXPERIENCE GUILDFORD
Experience Guildford is the Business
Improvement District representing retail
and leisure businesses within Guildford
town centre. Launched in October 2012,
it consists of 589 levy payers who have
come together to decide and manage any
additional improvements they want to
make to the town centre. Working with the
town’s retail and leisure sector, Experience
Guildford has created a cohesive business
plan that aims to serve the town across four
main project areas:
• Marketing, Promotion & Events
• Safe, Clean & Welcoming
• Access & Car Parking
• Business Support
Along with the Best Bar None awards,
Experience Guildford are working to make
Guildford town centre the most successful it
can be, and to help town centre businesses
thrive.
{ SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE }
92
Surrey is one of the most successful and
productive areas for business in the
UK. With an economy worth over £35bn
and a net return of taxes to the government of
more than £6bn, it’s a county that embraces
innovation and is a fantastic location to run a
business.
Sitting at the heart of this business
community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce,
one of 52 accredited Chambers, has acted as
a catalyst by connecting local businesses to
opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable
contacts for over 25 years. With a membership
representing every sector of the economy and
every size of company, the Chamber works hard
to ensure that the continued growth of Surrey
takes into account the needs of business.
We help businesses to grow and develop by
promoting them, keeping them informed and
representing them locally, regionally, nationally
and even internationally. Surrey Chambers
of Commerce is an integral part of the Surrey
business support network and alongside its
partners offers specialist advice on a huge
range of fundamental issues facing local
businesses. We have a number of local town
chambers affiliated to Surrey Chambers, which
enables us to provide an even stronger local
business voice. The chambers we work with are
Chertsey, Cranleigh, Dorking, Godalming, Horley,
Leatherhead and Woking, and the Woking Asian
Business Forum is also affiliated.
We are fully engaged with local MPs
expressing the views of local business, so that
politicians can make decisions with a clear
appreciation of the consequences of their
actions on the business communities that
provide local employment and growth. We also
work very closely with any initiatives, which
may affect the business environment, ensuring
the business voice is heard.
In Surrey there were no MP changes in the
recent election, although higher majorities were
gained and a few Ministerial positions were
changed. Michael Gove is Secretary of State
for Justice, Philip Hammond, Secretary of State
for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Jeremy
Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, Chris
Grayling, Leader of the House of Commons and
Anne Milton is Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer
to HM household. We ought to be able to
influence some thinking in parliament!
The Conservatives now have a clear mandate
to take bold and important decisions, and must
use it to help Surrey businesses invest and
grow. In return, business stands ready to work
with the new government to deliver prosperity,
WELCOME TO THE SURREY CHAMBERSOF COMMERCE
by Louise Punter, Chief Executive of Surrey Chambers of Commerce
{ SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE }
93
“Sitting at the heart of this business community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce, one of 52 accredited Chambers, has acted as a
catalyst by connecting local businesses to opportunities”
jobs and sustained economic growth. This clear
result provides stability and clarity, which is
welcomed from the business community, but
now the government must push to build on the
economic progress we have started to see.
The New Secretary of State for Business, Sajid
Javid, has already spoken out about reducing
regulation on businesses, which will definitely
have a positive impact on productivity. Surrey
Chambers and other business representative
organisations are working with the authorities
on Better Business for All, which has been
set up to improve the world of regulations for
businesses. We will be gathering views over the
next couple of months to see how things might
be changed positively.
BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)
is a dynamic and independent business
network made up of 52 Accredited Chambers
established in every nation and region of the
UK. The BCC is an authentic voice for British
business and a leading commentator on the
UK economy, drawing on the powerful network
of accredited Chambers like Surrey. They
represent business interests in Westminster
and Brussels and facilitate a global network
of Overseas Chambers and Business Groups
in key markets, allowing us locally to connect a
business directly to a chamber overseas.
EXPORTSURREY
British products are in high demand around the
world and the global profile is at an all-time high.
Only 1 in 5 British SMEs are already exporting
their goods and services, so the potential
for growth is enormous. These companies
who venture into new export markets tend to
be rewarded both directly, through boosted
turnover, and indirectly, through improved
levels of efficiency, innovation and credibility.
Exporting enables companies to diversify
their portfolios and to weather changes in
the domestic economy. Exporting helps small
companies grow and become more competitive
in all their markets. Trading in new markets
leads to the potential increase of sales and
profits as well as gaining market share. So
what stops businesses exporting? Whether a
business is new to importing/exporting or an
experienced exporter looking to expand into new
overseas markets, there are many regulations
and trade barriers to consider. Using our expert
contacts we can help businesses to unravel
the complexities of selling internationally. The
International Trade team at Surrey Chambers
of Commerce provide friendly, professional
advice and assistance to help businesses trade
internationally.
Surrey Chambers in partnership with Surrey
Connects have a service called ExportSurrey,
to actively promote the business benefits that
trading overseas can bring. The service links
local businesses with practical support to
help them export for the first time or expand
on existing activities into new countries.
ExportSurrey acts as a signpost service that
can help a business to get the advice they need
in today’s competitive global market. We work
closely with Government organisations such
as UK Trade and Investment, HM Revenue and
Customs and the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, in addition to other chambers of
commerce, embassies and banks. Our
comprehensive country fact files are available
free to our customers.
SURREY CHAMBERS BUSINESS ADVICE
Surrey Chambers has launched a business
advice service that provides initial general
advice followed up by introductions to local
specialists-all designed to ensure the continued
success of the local economy. Surrey Chambers
of Commerce, working with trained advisors
from Branduin, are delivering subsidised
advice for any company. Depending on the
size of the business, one-hour sessions or on-
site visits will be available. We are also able to
provide start-up advice in Camberley, thanks
to support from Surrey Heath Borough Council
and Basepoint Business Centre. The numbers
of start-ups are still growing within the area and
we all know that the better help they get at the
start of their business the more likely they are
to succeed. As membership of Surrey Chambers
grows we are keen to help the entrepreneurs
and employers of the future.
KEEPING WHITEHALL INFORMED
Through the British Chambers of Commerce we
are currently undertaking the Quarterly
Economic Survey (QES) for Q2 2015. The QES is
the largest and longest-running business survey
in the UK and is a powerful tool for representing
the voice of business to Government. At the
national level, it’s a leading indicator, often
picking up big changes in the economy long
before other surveys or official statistics:
• The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy
Committee uses the QES as one of its key
benchmarks when setting interest rates;
• HM Treasury and the independent Office
for Budget Responsibility use the QES to
put together their forecasts for the UK’s
economic performance;
• The European Commission uses the QES to
assess the health of the UK economy when
it makes policy recommendations for both
Westminster and Brussels.
•
The key thing to be aware of locally is that the
results from our businesses are always more
positive than the rest of the country, so we need
to keep working on ways to keep our business
community productive.
www.surrey-chambers.co.uk
“An economy worth over £35bn and a net return of taxes to the government
of more than £6bn”
WIN
{ COMPETITION }
As we all work far too hard, we thought a competition to win a relaxing night at the
magnificent De Vere Venues Horsley Park near Leatherhead, tickets to RHS Wisley and a
top-flight Mercedes-Benz for the weekend would be spot-on for this exciting first issue of
the Surrey edition of the magazine.
Horsley Park is part of the De Vere Venues portfolio and is located in East Horsley. Set in 70 acres of
stunning parkland, with leisure facilities including health club with gym, sauna and indoor swimming
pool, this grand Victorian mansion was built in 1828 and boasts an ornate classical chapel, some
wonderful four-poster beds, the dramatic Great Hall, along with 47 flexible training, events and meeting
rooms. Having enjoyed a sensational dinner for two in the Steam, Bake and Grill restaurant, a relaxing
night’s sleep and the breakfast of your choice, we have an agreement with Mother Nature for the sun
to shine all weekend to make the most of the next part of our competition, which is a visit to the glorious
RHS Wisley Gardens in Woking, to wander through the twisting wisterias, tropical greenhouse and dazzling
rhododendrons. Wisley is one of the great gardens of the world.
We cannot possibly expect you to use your own car; therefore, courtesy of Sandown Mercedes-Benz of Guildford and
Hindhead, we will also supply the stylish new Mercedes-Benz CLS for you to drive for the weekend. The new generation
CLS Coupe and CLS Shooting Brake are a glorious combination of luxury, style and exhilaration, and as we cannot possibly ask
you to drive a car we have not fully tested, our Motoring Editor will review the car in next month’s motoring section, and you will
certainly not be disappointed.
TO ENTER:
So as to tax you as little as possible, the winner has to answer one simple question:
What do the Mercedes-Benz letters CLS stand for? We will accept the answer in English or German.
Entries to: [email protected] by August 10th , 2015 with the answer and your name, address, company name if applicable and e-mail address. Details will never be passed on to any third party.
Employees of this magazine or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the
competition. Closing date for entry will be August 10th , 2015. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received
for whatever reason. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition. No cash alternative to the prizes
will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value. The winners name will be
drawn at random on August 11th 2015. The promoter will contact the winner to arrange a mutually convenient time to accept the prize. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating
his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions. Prize includes a one night break for two in a Signature Double Room complete with dinner and breakfast, based on two people
sharing a double room. Prize must be booked and redeemed by 30 September 2015 on dates subject to availability.
TIME TO RELAXUNWIND AT DE VERE VENUES HORSLEY PARK WITH A MERCEDES FOR THE WEEKEND
Mercedes-Benz of Guildford
Moorfield Road
Slyfield Industrial Estate
Guildford, Surrey GU1 1RU
Sales 01483 315824
Service 01483 315826
Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead
Seven Thorns Lane
Bramshott Chase
Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6DF
Sales 01428 768652
Service 01428 768654
www.sandown-group.co.ukwww.deverevenues.co.uk
95
The name Bramley might best be known for cooking apples but there
is another remarkable company in the village of Bramley: organic
spirits, in the shape of Juniper Green organic gin, UK5 organic vodka
and Highland Harvest organic Scotch whisky.
London & Scottish International is an independent company owned by
the Parker family of Edinburgh and markets its own Scotch whisky with
single malt blends. London dry gin is a growth category and the Parker
family is a shareholder in Thames Distillers, London’s only remaining
gin distiller and bottler. Since launch in 2000 the products have won 42
medals against the world’s leading conventional brands, a tribute to their
outstanding quality and consumer acceptability.
In 2007 the company was honoured to receive the Royal Warrant from
HRH The Prince of Wales. UK5 organic vodka is the first vodka ever to
carry a British Royal Warrant and Juniper Green organic gin is the first gin
in 60 years to be granted that status.
We caught up with Managing Director Chris Parker and asked why they
specifically make organic whisky: “Our experience with distilling other
grains, such as rye and wheat, produced a very smooth spirit which our
customers enjoy, and we have been delighted to find this also applies to
barley – the key grain in Scotch whisky. First-time customers for Highland
Harvest usually ask what makes it organic. Conventional farms growing
barley use nitrate-based fertilisers which produce high harvest yields
with much enlarged carbohydrate content. Nitrates unfortunately kill
most of the natural life in soil and the crops grow taking nutrient from
the chemical fertilisers. In fact, one ton of nitrate oxide produces the
equivalent of 298 tons of carbon dioxide. A small conventional farm using
12 tons of nitrate-based fertiliser will cause the equivalent of 3,000 tons
of carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere.
“‘Nature knows best’ is our thinking. Organic soil, alive with millions of
bio-organisms, insects and earthworms, grows healthy plants nurtured
naturally, giving grains with a normal protein and carbohydrate balance.”
“Organic grain produces less per hectare than conventional crops, and
when distilled, provides less alcohol. The great benefit is the smooth,
clean alcohol which, when matured, is much enjoyed by our customers.
The benefits to the consumer are that organic products are naturally
very smooth; they give 100% natural flavour and they greatly help the
environment.”
This is a very convincing argument and not one that we often associate
with the production of spirits. It’s easy as a consumer to ignore the
thoughts of quite how many pesticides go into producing our food and
drink – whether it be spirits or carrots. We have to wonder quite how many
chemicals we consume on a daily basis. If organic produce can be grown
SECRET SURREYNATURE KNOWS BEST
{ SECRET SURREY }
96
Callisto Associates
www.callistoassociates.com
{ SECRET SURREY }
97
so easily, why do we use pesticides at all? Chris
is not lost for an answer: “Each year one or more
of the 300 pesticides and hundreds of herbicides
is withdrawn from sale. As science advances, so
does proof of the harm done to human health.
Organic farming permits fewer than 10 of such
products and most of these are from natural,
non-chemical formulations and only to be used
under separate supervision.”
“‘We are what we eat’, goes the old saying, and
alert people avoid eating chemicals wherever
possible. Organically grown food is the only
food produced under strict regulations and this
is widely appreciated by consumers. Organic
barley is used in many food products as well as
in Highland Harvest organic Scotch whisky.”
We all accept that cases of cancer are on
the rise across the globe and research shows
that one of the suspected causes for this is
chemicals in the food chain. Chlorothalonil is
one of the most widely used fungicides applied
to grain, and according to the US Environmental
Protection Agency, is a possible cause of cancer.
Our air is contaminated with airborne particles
every time any type of chemical spray is used.
If organic produce tastes better, is better
for your body and better for the environment,
one has to wonder why the entire world is not
organic.
London & Scottish is a company that is doing
something about it; I have spoken to a few of their
customers and 100% of them state that they will
never return to traditional Scotch or vodka once
they have tried organic as the superior taste is
noticeable and there is a certain satisfaction in
knowing that they are doing their bit to help the
planet.
Prince Charles is certainly well-known as
an advocate of organic farming, and in 2007 he
honoured the company with his warrant for the
supply of organic spirits. That’s not a bad client
to have landed.
London & Scottish International, The Tannery, Tannery Lane, Bramley, Surrey GU5 0AB
“Nature knows best is our thinking. Organic soil, alive with millions of bio-organisms, insects and earthworms, grows healthy
plants nurtured naturally”
Winner
{ WISE WORDS }
98
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but
names will never hurt me
I’ll start in my childhood. My sister and I
attended 6 different primary schools, in two
different countries in seven years. As constant
outsiders we were always teased. I remember
in New Zealand having to run home from school
every day to avoid the verbal bullying by the
local Maori children, who could be really cruel to
us ‘pommies’. But there was always a welcome
at home, with Mum singing the above rhyme to
us. It is a brave thing for a child to walk into
a new class almost every year, but with our
parents’ support we grew up to be confident
and not to worry about name calling. It was very
handy too when I grew to be six foot tall and
the teenage school boys would call me ‘giraffe’,
which was hardly pleasant. But then again, my
height and my confidence have meant that I
have succeeded in my career as a woman, which
in itself was a challenge in the last century!
Everybody Makes Mistakes and Try and Try
Again
I reckon that the UK has a culture of gloating when
people make mistakes, especially in business.
America has been built by entrepreneurs who
have made mistakes in several ventures before
finding the winner and going on to make their
millions. But for some reason here we vilify
failure. Does this come from school, I wonder?
It was for me. I remember being belted for failing
to spell ‘immediately’ correctly at seven years of
age! - I really hope this is no longer the case.
I had a catastrophic failure in business in
1994 when my company went into liquidation.
My mistake was continuing to manufacture
in the UK because I believed that the better
quality would attract the higher prices. But I
got that so wrong. My competitors were already
outsourcing in the Far East, and my principal
market, the national retail chains, wanted those
same low prices on British products.
I also totally misjudged the Trade Union. I
had to release employees to provide the cash
flow to enable me to source overseas, but the
Trade Union stood in the way and stopped any
redundancies. Time was running out, and down
the company went, with 58 employees losing
their jobs, and I lost my home and investment.
But I relocated and found another job and
started to build my career again. Within two
years I was sent to New York to launch a
business there for my boss. My employer was
an enlightened family business who said that
there is no better experience than losing your
business ensure success with the next one! And
he was so right. Learning by mistakes gives
valuable experience.
Look after the pennies and the pounds will look
after themselves
I am a Scot, and this saying is ingrained in us.
We were always taught to spend our pocket
money carefully and to save, and this has
definitely been the way I live my life. As a result,
I am approaching retirement with a comfortable
private pension, which I have saved for since
I was 28 despite all the ups and downs of the
stock market, and a mortgage paid off in my
mid-50’s. But our cars are second hand, and our
home is not furnished with expensive furniture
and the most up to date electronic gadgets.
People are shocked when I say we only have one
TV! It is a problem when my husband watches
football, but I have my iPad to watch Downton
Abbey and Strictly in comfort.
Silence is golden
Again, my parents’ wise words, but did I listen?
No! As anybody who knows me can confirm, my
absolutely worst vice is being unable to keep
quiet. I do not mean that I am a noisy person
,although I do have a rather strident Scottish
accent! It is just that I continue to ask the
question in meetings that everybody wants
to ask but dare not! It is often the ‘elephant in
the room’ or ‘emperor’s new clothes’ question.
Sometimes I get in trouble, but just as often it
turns out that the meeting actually becomes
worthwhile instead of a talking shop. Even so, I
really must shut up!
Proud sponsor of the Best International
Business of the Year in the Leatherhead and
District Business Awards 2015. Enter here:
www.leatherheadawards.com
By Rosemary French OBE, Executive Director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative
The Gatwick Diamond – at the heart of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership www.coast2capital.org.uk The Gatwick Diamond Initiative, 55c Basepoint, Metcalf Way, Crawley RH11 7XXM: 07748 115411 | T: 01293 813950 | www.gatwickdiamond.co.uk
Issue 13 Wise
Words
Sandown Mercedes-Benz Fleet Sales
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