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Michelle Dewberry on life after The Apprentice

Planning the ideal Christmas party

Checking your business costs

Protecting your assets


October 2009

The green shoots


of recovery are
sprouting
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This month
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Copyright: 2009 Business Independent Ltd
ISSN 1754-3096
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35 11
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 3
NEWS

Warren Weir opening


Following a £20m investment, Luton
Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa has opened
Warren Weir, its purpose built meeting
and wedding venue.
Key features include: 84 bedrooms and
suites, with views over the lake, weir, private
gardens or river.
Five individually designed function rooms
adaptable for conference or leisure use and li-
censed for weddings and civil ceremonies
First floor hospitality lounge with balcony
views over the water meadows
Exclusive leisure facilities, including an in-
door pool, fitness studio and snooker room
Kitchen available for clients who want to
bring in their own chefs to cater for special di-
etary requirements
Warren Weir has already been used for vari- designed to create the perfect complement to areas are ideal for receptions, product
ous conferences, with events booked ahead the mansion house’s more intimate confer- launches and team building events. We are
into 2010. Elite Hotels Managing Director, ence and meeting facilities. The location also very proud of this exclusive and unique venue
Graeme Bateman, commented: “The latest provides endless possibilities for event organ- and delighted at the interest and number of
stage in Luton Hoo’s development has been isers as the courtyard, gardens and immediate bookings it has already attracted.”

Big business changes ahead Hatfield short-


The next few months will see big
changes in employment law which will
to the relevant statutory deductions, will no
longer count towards NMW. Therefore you will
listed for
have serious implications for SMEs -
as Clare Waller, a director of HRJ Law
have to ensure that payment before the addi-
tion of tips or other gratuities is at or in excess national award
of the relevant NMW level.
LLP, a legal firm with offices in Hitchin
ii) Statutory Redundancy Payment
and Welwyn Garden City explains. Hatfield town centre’s latest major
The maximum weekly pay which will be
Q: I am aware that there are quite a lot of taken into account when calculating a statu-
housing development - The Forum -
changes in employment law coming up in the tory redundancy payment will be increased in has been short-listed for Best Devel-
next few months. As an employer in the hotel respect of redundancy dismissals taking opment Partnership at the Affordable
business what do I need to know? effect on or after October 1 from £350 to £380 Home Ownership Awards, which took
Whilst as an employer it is important to per week. The normal annual increase sched- place in September.
have an understanding of employment law it uled to come into effect on February 1 2010 One of three finalists, the initiative was se-
is also important that you seek professional will not occur, with the next increase sched- lected because it demonstrated effective
advice as this is a complex area and failure to uled for February 1 2011. partnership between the council, town centre
comply risks heavy fines. However here are iii) New Rights for Families developer St Modwen, English Partnerships
the headline details regarding the most signifi- The Department for Business, Innovation (now part of the Homes and Communities
cant changes: and Skills has announced that it intends to Agency – HCA) and Metropolitan Housing
i) National Minimum Wage (NMW) implement the proposal to allow part of the Partnership to deliver an attractive and effec-
The annual increases to the various bands maternity leave to be taken by fathers for tive affordable housing development.
of NMW come into force on October 1. The children born on or after April 3 2011. This The Forum contains 84 flats, in three
relevant minimums will be: would enable the father to take up to six blocks, of which a third were made available
£5.80 per hour for adult workers, an in- months off during the second six months of for affordable housing purchase by Metropol-
crease from £5.73 the child’s life, once the mother has returned itan Housing Ownership. MHO completed 19
£4.83 per hour for workers aged 18-21, an to work. It appears likely that this period one-bedroom apartments and nine two-bed-
increase from £4.77 would be paid only to the extent that there room apartments in December 2008, each
£3.57 per hour for workers above the com- was any of the 39 weeks paid leave entitle- available to buy through New Build Home-
pulsory school age, an increase from £3.53 ment remaining. Buy scheme.
Of particular importance to you is that, also Please note that the answers provided are The development plays an integral part in
with effect from October 1, tips and service for general guidance only. meeting the vision for the town, which aims
charges, which are commonly used within the If you have any legal problems you should to provide a comprehensive and co-ordi-
hospitality industry as a mechanism for dis- always ensure that you obtain specific legal nated redevelopment, to regenerate and en-
charging an employer’s liability to pay the advice. hance and realise the area’s potential as a
NMW when paid through payroll and subject sustainable, safe, clean and lively place.

4 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
NEWS

Herts small
business award
2010 launch
The FSB Hertfordshire Small Business “This is an opportunity - make no mistake
Awards enter their second year with about it - to assess your business and its
the official launch this coming January. strengths and position it for public acknowl-
Once again the initiative, sponsored by edgement and the acclaim of your fellow en-
companies throughout the county, is dedi- trepreneurs in Hertfordshire.”
cated to the success of small businesses, Entry forms should be on the FSB website
significant since in the UK more than 90% of www.fsb.org.uk from early January.
companies employ less than 50 people. The finals will be held on May 13, 2010 at
As the FSB’s Helen Armstrong comments: Tewin Bury Farm near Welwyn Garden City.

New face at EEI


Mercedes
Benz
showcase
Mercedes-Benz Hertfordshire, which
includes dealerships in Bishop’s Stort-
ford, Hertford and Stevenage, is to
showcase over 200 quality approved
used cars at a series of special events
to be held between October 10-18.
As well as significant savings on every vehi-
cle, Mercedes-Benz will be selling each vehi-
cle with a couple of special extra features as
standard – a complimentary, two-year service
plan and a Mercedes-Benz approved used
warranty.
Virtually every model from the Mercedes-
Benz range will be represented - from the pop-
ular A-Class hatchback to the flagship
S-Class. As Andrew Gallacher, Mercedes-
Benz Hertfordshire’s group sales manager
East of England International, the or- develop Hertfordshire as an exciting proposi-
pointed out: “There has been a shortage in
ganisation which helps companies ex- tion for foreign investment.
supply of pre-owned cars due to companies
port, has appointed Michael Dunn as As EEI chief executive David Riches com-
delaying the replacement of their fleets and
ments: “I am pleased to welcome Michael
business development manager for the success of the Government scrappage
and his vast experience to the EEI team. This
Hertfordshire. scheme. However September was a fantastic
role is a first for EEI and we are delighted to
Michael’s brief is to focus on both inward month for us in terms of new car sales as cus-
be working in partnership with Hertfordshire
investment and investor development. To this tomers took advantage of the exceptional of-
County Council to ensure that its profile is
end, he will be working closely with Hertford- fers available and this has resulted in us taking
raised and its reputation enhanced as a great
shire County Council, where his role will be to some superb vehicles in part-exchange.”
county in which to do business.”

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 5
NEWS

Where Angels dare where entrepreneurs can meet up to 20 angels


in just one night.
Angels Den is one of only 25 companies to
secure a place on the national shortlist. Its
entry will now be considered by the national
judging panel which will select the top 10
start-up companies to come to London and
convince them why they should be named the
‘Start-Up Star 2009’.
There will also be £10,000 cheques for the
best new business trading internationally, the
best new green business putting the environ-
ment at the top of its agenda and the best
new business set up by a graduate.
Head of Business Banking for HSBC, Huw
Morgan, said: “HSBC Start-Up Stars is about
demonstrating by practical example that with
the right help and support, there are still op-
portunities out there for people with the dedi-
cation and will to succeed.
“We hope the success of Angels Den in this
year’s awards will help it go from strength to
strength, as well as prove to other budding
A St Albans business duo who run an company after experiencing great difficulty in entrepreneurs that business dreams really can
accessing funding to start a business, and be turned into reality.”
online service connecting entrepre-
wasted £12K on traditional angel investment Start-Up Stars supporter, Google, will be of-
neurs with successful business pro-
groups. Convinced that this process could be fering £11,000 worth of free advertising plus
fessionals have outperformed mentoring at Google’s UK headquarters, to be
done more efficiently and effectively, Bill and
thousands of entrepreneurs to reach split between the four winners. Specialist
Lois launched the Angels Den website in May
the national shortlist of the 2009 HSBC Business Partner, Start Your Business, will
2007 – an online service dedicated to helping
Start-Up Stars Awards. entrepreneurs find that much elusive and also be offering a year’s free subscription to
Bill Morrow and Lois Cook, who started An- sought after business investor, in an affordable each of the category winners.
gels Den, are now hoping to scoop the title and simple way. The overall winner will be revealed at a
and a cheque for £25,000, courtesy of HSBC. To complement online activities, the com- black-tie gala dinner at London ’s InterConti-
The couple were inspired to start their own pany also runs monthly speed funding events, nental Hotel in November.

Students boost St Albans accolade


St Albans City and District Council has
local business been awarded £88,740 by the Depart-
ment of Communities and Local Gov-
opportunities ernment to pilot a new toolkit
designed to help local authorities de-
Wenta, the Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire liver a better customer service
and Buckinghamshire agent for Shell It is one of only nine areas in the country to
Step, has held the first local area participate in the scheme.
awards in Stevenage. The council has already established an ethos
Out of students representing 25 host com- business projects during their summer breaks. of putting the customer first. Its customer
panies, 31 were competing for the title of The programme gives businesses the oppor- services team has been rated highly by resi-
‘Most Enterprising Student.’ tunity to add significant value to their bottom dents in a recent survey which showed that
The event took place at the Business and line. In 2009 alone a quarter of students over 90% of those questioned were either very
Technology Centre in Stevenage and was added more than £300k worth of value to their satisfied or satisfied with the service they re-
sponsored by the University of Hertfordshire host company’s business. ceived in the centre.
in conjunction with Central Bedfordshire Meanwhile, for the university students that As the Council’s chief executive Daniel
Council. Both the winner and runner-up go participate the programme offers them the Goodwin commented: “This award recognises
on to battle for the title within the eastern re- opportunity to experience the real world out- the improvements that our customer services
gion and, if successful, will progress to the side of their studies. This year 13 organisa- team have already delivered by using their
national finals in Bedford. tions across Hertfordshire took advantage of skills to inform national developments. We are
Shell Step is a national scheme that every the scheme and included a wide range of constantly seeking ways to learn from the
year places hundreds of motivated students projects from marketing and database devel- feedback we get from our customers and to
with SMEs throughout the UK to undertake opment to website design. improve our performance.”

6 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
NEWS

Harpenden entrepreneur
wins franchise award
Harpenden TaxAssist accountant Mark
Fordham has been named bronze win-
ner of the 2009 British Franchise Associ-
ation/HSBC Franchisee of the Year
Awards.
Mark impressed the judges by demonstrating
how he had achieved success in spite of chal-
lenging times. In fact since acquiring the St Al-
bans branch he has developed one of the
largest and most successful practices in the net-
work. To this end he has increased his product
portfolio and expanded his franchise territory to
include Hemel Hempstead and nearby areas.
This has been backed by heavy investment in
infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities.
As HSBC’s Head of Franchising, Cathryn
Hayes, commented: “Judging these awards is
always a difficult task but we felt Mark’s story is
testament to the franchise model working at its
best. He has demonstrated drive and commit-
ment to make his business a success, working
closely with the franchisor and investing in staff
and premises.”
The awards, sponsored by HSBC Bank and
Mark Fordham seen here receiving his prize at this month’s award ceremony held at the ICC in Birmingham.
Express Newspapers, celebrate the UK ’s best
From l/r: Sir Bernard Ingham (BFA President), Cathryn Hayes (Head of Franchising HSBC), Mark Fordham (Tax-
performing franchisees in an industry now worth Assist Accountants), Shelley Nadler (Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP), Kieron Summerhayes (Classified Advertising
an annual £11.4bn to the economy. Controller, Express Newspapers) and Brian Smart (Director General BFA).

STANLEY REACHES
FOR THE SKY

Harpenden-based materials handling special-


ist Stanley Handling Ltd has won a lucrative con-
tract to supply equipment to leading missile
systems company MBDA. The initiative involves
the provision of five canister rotation units for
use in the loading of Seawolf missiles onto the
Royal Navy’s type 23 frigates.

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 7
NEWS

Training triumphs
North Hertfordshire College and The
Consortium for Business have been
named as the East of England’s Train
to Gain Provider of the Year.
In spite of the recession they have contin-
ued to grow the number starting on the gov-
ernment’s Train to Gain scheme - up 75% on
2007/08 levels with success rates of 83%.
Robust processes combined with support and
development of consortium members and
sharing best practice has enabled a growth in
employees achieving qualifications of 62%.
North Hertfordshire College is the lead partner
in the Hertfordshire Train to Gain Consortium
covering NVQ delivery in the workplace in
Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire
and Essex. This allows the consortium to offer
a huge range of qualifications covering most
sectors.
Caroline Neville, Regional Director for the
Learning and Skills Council East of England
recently presented the award to Fintan Dono-
hue, chief executive and principal of North From l/r: Karen Kelly (LSC), Jayne Henderson (HRC), David Neal (The Consortium for Business), Caroline
Hertfordshire College, and said: “The consor- Neville (Regional Director for the LSC East of England), Fintan Donohue (Chief Executive and Principal of North
Hertfordshire College), Gail Brench (LSC), Bev Jones (The Consortium for Business), Signe Sutherland (North
tium has been chosen to receive this award in Hertfordshire College) AND Mark Pike (Ridgemond Training).
recognition of its outstanding performance
and responsiveness to the needs of employ- Fintan, accepting the award added: “This come a recognised Centre of Excellence for
ers throughout the academic year. award means a lot to North Hertfordshire Col- training and the outstanding success rates are
“Feedback from skills brokers has been lege and its excellent partners. Two years ago, a testimony to the quality of providers that
consistently positive with the consortium with support from the LSC, we committed to make up the Consortium. This award will give
praised for the responsive and dynamic way major investment in our employer responsive all consortium members a strong incentive to
they manage enquiries and keep them up- capacity, which has paid off. do even better in the future. We hope to wel-
dated.” “Our Goldsmith Centre for Business has be- come more employers as their training partner.

OPTIMAX OPENS SHENDISH MANOR CASTLE HALL


IN MILTON KEYNES UNDER NEW £600,000
Optimax, the UK's leading laser eye MANAGEMENT MAKEOVER
surgery provider, is to open a new mil- Shendish Manor in Hemel Hemp- Castle Hall in Hertford is to undergo a
lion pound treatment clinic in Milton stead, which was placed into ad- £600,000 face lift - its biggest revamp
Keynes. ministration back in May, has been
Situated close to local rail links, this will fea- since it opened in the ‘70s.
sold by administrators KPMG to This will include new gallery space, a cafe
ture the latest IntraLase laser platforms as
Planned Holding Limited, operator and a dance studio and the purchase of high
standard, offering the most advanced proce-
dures currently available. This is combined
of the Manor of Groves Hotel quality film projection equipment.
with state-of-the art Wavefront diagnostic based in East Hertfordshire. As Linda Haysey, executive member for com-
techniques and a high-speed OPD Iris Recog- As KPMG’s David Crawshaw com- munity development, leisure and culture, said:
nition system. mented: “Trading has not been easy in "This is not about tinkering around the edges,
Scheduled for an official launch in late Octo- these difficult times but I’m pleased that changing the colours of the seating. This in-
ber, Optimax Milton Keynes is the latest in a the quality of the hotel’s service has been vestment is about putting the show on the
succession of recent developments for the maintained, occupancy rates have in- road."
laser provider which has recently introduced creased and that we were able to honour The hall will close for around six months next
consultation clinics in Liverpool Street, Cardiff, all deposits and wedding bookings. I’d year and will reopen in time for Castle Hall’s in-
and Nottingham. like to take this opportunity to thank the augural in-house pantomime, which would cost
As Chairman Russell Ambrose commented: customers and suppliers for their ongoing about £70,000 a year to stage and could even-
"The credit crunch hasn't affected our cus- support in this difficult time which has tually bring in a profit of £35,000 annually. East
tomers. Quite the reverse: they like saving helped to ensure that this historic site will Herts Council also wants the makeover to lead
money on glasses and contact lenses in ever continue for many years to come.” to greater use of the building in an attempt to
increasing numbers." The sale completed on September 30. reduce its subsidy by £700,000 over 10 years.

8 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
NEWS

New
appointment
at CMC to
move forward

Enter the Wayne Dobson has joined the CMC


Partnership as a partner. His remit is

dragon
to deliver the CMC brand in Hertford-
shire from his base in Harpenden.
As Wayne commented: "When I ran my
own business, there were tough times when I
looked around for business advice. All that
was available to me were professional advis-
ers who were not entrepreneurs, were very
expensive and couldn't run a business them-
selves! If I'd found CMC at the time, I'd have
chosen them to help me. Working with CMC
This month will see the official launch that private sector businesses that fail should is a great way to make sure other entrepre-
not be bailed out and 48% want remuneration neurs don't make the same mistakes I did."
of the Entrepreneurs Board, a learning
to be capped for all public sector workers (in- While the main focus of Wayne's business
forum where like-minded business
cluding those in majority-owned businesses will be to help and advise SMEs in Watford
leaders can meet up to test ideas and
such as banks). and St Albans, he will also cover Hatfield,
investigate opportunities. Hemel Hempstead, Luton, Stevenage and
And in another ringing endorsement of the
The event, to be held in Watford, will also Welwyn. He is currently organising a series
perceived power of the entrepreneur, more
highlight the findings of new research which of events in the region for March and April
than seven in 10 people definitely (41%) or
examines public attitudes to entrepreneurs. 2010.
maybe (34%) want tax cuts to be given to
As successful businessman Peter Cordery,
start-ups and entrepreneurial businesses to
who will be heading up the new organisation
further stimulate the economy. As Brian
explains: “The survey shows that Britain’s
entrepreneurs have the business x-factor
needed to kick start the economy and pull the
Chernett, Founder of The Entrepreneurs
Board, added: “Entrepreneurs are vital to
SMUG OAK
Business Centre
recovery in the UK and the public understands
country out of recession.”
The study showed that 28% of those ques-
this. We should do everything possible to Office suites available
help entrepreneurs make their businesses
tioned think entrepreneurs are most likely to
more successful, whether it’s tax cuts or
from 150sq ft
have the most positive effect on bringing Situated in a rural environment with very
providing business support and guidance.
Britain out of recession over the next year, in convenient access to M25, M1 and M10. Ample
The Entrepreneurs Board is an extension of secure parking, free use of a boardroom. Two
comparison with 24% voting for the Govern-
proven leadership programmes that help lead- fitted kitchens, shower areas and CCTV.
ment. Large businesses were chosen by 13% (no agents fees)
ers learn from each other. Experiential busi-
of respondents and trades unions by just 3%.
Meanwhile some 45% of people surveyed
ness learning helps business owners learn by OAK PROPERTY RENTALS
‘doing’ and inspires them to achieve their ulti- for more information please call
feel that funding should be given to start-up
mate dreams while creating economic value 01923 894600
companies instead of supporting failing
for the country.” Or email: ohm@smugoak.co.uk
businesses. Nearly half of people (47%) agree

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 9
INTERVIEW

Life after
The Apprentice
Hannah Prevett talks to Apprentice winner
Michelle Dewberry about life post-Apprentice
and founding lifestyle portal, Chiconomise

N
o sooner have I stepped foot time for such DIY pursuits given the recent
through Michelle Dewberry’s launch of her new venture, Chiconomise, but
front door I’m ordered to take it’s good to see her practising what she
preaches.
off my shoes. Naturally, I abide and
“Chiconomise is my baby,” she smiles, at
gingerly follow the 2006 Apprentice
the mere mention of the start-up. “I came up
winner through her impeccably deco-
with the idea when I was living and working in
rated apartment and into the lounge. New York last year. I was reading daily lifestyle
Now I understand the ‘no shoes’ rule. This email, Daily Candy and they suggested a fabu-
room, like the others, is kitted out art deco lous hair salon to go to but it was $100. I
style, with loud, yet stylish, pink and black asked myself if I’d be able to afford a $100
wallpaper. Surfaces are scattered with pictures blow dry once a fortnight. Probably not. So I
of friends and family. Above, the book shelves started thinking, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if I could
are crammed with spare copies of her autobi- have the blow dry at a discount’,” she recalls.
ography Anything is Possible, poetry books And so Chiconomise was born. “I want to be
and business bibles. able to keep up the nice lifestyle, but without it
necessarily costing a lot of money.”
Staying grounded The timing of the project is no coincidence.
Across the room, Dewberry nestles herself Dewberry, known as the ‘Steel Pixie’ during
on a cream chaise longue, looking effortlessly her time on the BBC show, is tuning into the
chic in a black Diane von Furstenberg wrap needs of an increasingly cost-conscious soci-
dress. “When I got this chaise it was a real ety. “I am massively aware of the current eco-
wreck,” she admits. “I had to re-cover it, put nomic climate and while people are impacted
the legs on and I put all these studs at the and people are cautious about what they’re
arm,” she says proudly. Surprising that she has spending, girls will be girls and we want to

10 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
INTERVIEW

“Sir Alan Sugar


taught me that the
most important thing
you can give yourself,
and it is a gift to your-
self, is self-confi-
dence and self-belief”
Chiconomise as becoming a crucial portal in
the way women lead their lives.”
Dewberry is certainly passionate about her
latest project, which is the most high-profile
since she parted ways with Sir Alan after 11
months, a fact which is commonly misrepre-
sented in the media. While the partnership
wasn’t as long-term as many would have en-
visaged (she left for professional reasons after
the project she was working on was deemed
unviable and was subsequently shelved), the
petite blonde says she learnt valuable lessons
from her mentor. “Sir Alan Sugar taught me
that the most important thing you can give
yourself, and it is a gift to yourself, is self-con-
fidence and self-belief,” she recalls. “Because
when Sir Alan Sugar has an opinion, wild
horses can’t drag him back from what he be-
lieves in. And that’s a very good trait,” she
says emphatically.

Not the best of starts


Certainly, starting a business requires a
large dose of self-confidence, as setting up in
a recession is even more difficult –
Chiconomise found itself homeless a couple
of months ago after the landlords of their
Covent Garden office went bust. Added to
look good, we want to feel good, we want to this, an initially tricky round of funding meant
socialise: Chiconomise can help girls to do Dewberry had to take the decision to go it
that.” alone and fund the business herself. “I origi-
That said, the use of the Chiconomise por- nally went for funding and I had to take the
tal needn’t only be limited to during the decision not to take the money on because of
downturn, she says. “Chiconomise isn’t just the amount of equity they wanted due to the
for bargain hunters; it’s all about intelligent economic climate,” she recollects. “I’m now
spending,” she explains. “The economic seriously considering angel investment and
climate bears no relevance when it comes I’m having some good solid meetings about
to intelligent spending. It’s about helping that at the moment.” The business is currently
people get the best deals on whatever it making its money through affiliate deals and
is they want to buy, which I think is a eventually revenue will be driven through ad-
sensible way of shopping.” And there vertising on the site. “Anyone who says set-
is more to come – over the next 18 ting up a business is easy is lying,” she
months Dewberry plans to put Chiconomise admits. “But that’s part of the joy. I absolutely
on the map as “the number on site for women thrive on it.”
to check out before they do anything. I see

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 11
THE FESTIVE SEASON AHEAD

Planning the ideal corporate


Christmas party
Simon Clark looks at how to make sure your companies festive
season celebrations go with the right sort of bang this year
I've seen many a company goodwill. Whatever you do, you "Wow, x number of pounds on interpreted—you certainly don't
Christmas party that was do not want your good intentions booze and not even a bonus for want your company Christmas
planned with the best of in- to backfire. For example, let's say us." In the old days, when every- party to backfire.
that your company relies on a one was an employee, companies Inclusiveness. You won't be-
tentions but executed with
blend of regular and contract em- did not need to tread quite as lieve this story but it's true. I once
inadvertent blunders. Here
ployees. Chances are that your carefully as they do now. Con- worked at an establishment
are a few points to consider
contract employees may be more sider the point of view of every- where only select members of a
before you begin to plan a appreciative of a Christmas one who is a part of the team were invited for Christmas
company Christmas party: bonus or some paid holiday days company-full-time, part-time, lunch. Worse, the head of the
off than a lavish holiday party (or contract and otherwise-as you company would go through the
Goodwill. Remember that the in a perfect world, all of the decide on your office Christmas department, and tap those cho-
company Christmas party is all above). While you could well be party plans so that it generates sen on the shoulder while every-
about generating goodwill. Before thinking, "Everyone will feel pam- goodwill for all, as intended. one else looked at one another
you even begin planning, con- pered if I buy only top shelf There is no worse feeling than out of the corners of their eyes in
sider what will generate the most scotch," they might be thinking, having your good intentions mis- disbelief. If you're having a party,

Festive Season Lunch


Make time to enjoy a Merry Christmas with us. Why not bring your
family and friends and celebrate in sumptuous surroundings?

Christmas Menu
£14.95 two courses
£18.95 three courses
Including crackers and a welcome drink, prosecco!
********
Salad of smoked chicken with cherry tomato,
cucumber and crispy bacon
Goat’s cheese and pear puree with a
walnut dressing
Roasted tomato soup with basil pesto croutons
********
Traditional turkey with all the trimmings
Fillet of sea bass with new potatoes and
seasonal vegetables
Aubergine compote with cous cous and
a tomato sauce
********
Christmas pudding with brandy sauce
HATFIELD HEATH NR. BISHOP’S STORTFORD HERTFORDSHIRE CM22 7AS Orange and walnut tart with caramel ice cream
T: 01279 731 441 F: 01279 730 416 E: sales@downhall.co.uk Chocolate mousse
www.downhall.co.uk

12 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
THE FESTIVE SEASON AHEAD
make sure that it's a party for whether this involves public acco- you are reminded to watch
everyone, not just the A-team. lades or a handwritten note ac- your Ps and Qs at Christ-
Keep this point in mind if your knowledging an individual mas parties and in particu-
company has satellite offices, as employee's unique contribution lar, to refrain from drinking
well—the satellite offices deserve (tucked into a gift basket, per- too much. Just to play
Christmas parties that are on par haps?). Remember, too, that devil's advocate for a mo-

AFTER HOURS
with the parent company's cele-
bration.
Christmas party details become a
part of the office lore and com-
ment....The whole point of a
Christmas party is not to
Company Tradition. There's a pany tradition. see people's usual but-
lot to be said for the camaraderie Generosity. Since this is an op- toned-up selves but to
that develops among employees. portunity for the company to see them with their hair
Camaraderie, and the positive show its appreciation, err on the down for a change. What bet-
good feelings that come from it, side of generous and not cheap. ter agent for
can help propel a workplace be- A few extra pounds spent here go achieving this
yond the ordinary. How you treat a long way toward buying you objective than
your staff becomes a part of the some goodwill with your employ- alcohol? When
company's self-definition and tra- ees. I still think fondly of the you think of
dition, and the company Christ- bashes that Mr Murdoch and any large,
mas party is a piece of that. I Company would put on back in festive cele-
always think it's a good idea for my early days of employment— bration over
employers to err on the side of granted it was a city-based pub- the course
seeing employees at their best lishing company so the standards of human his-
and treating them accordingly. If may be different than say, a recy- tory, alcohol (or an-
you think that you employ stars, cling facility in Peoria, but the other intoxicating
they're going to want to live up to point is that a good party is no- agent) was almost al-
your assessment. ticed and appreciated by employ- ways involved.
People like to be appreciated
and acknowledged; find a way to
incorporate these values into your
AFTER HOURS
ees, and makes you feel that you
are a part of something special.
Alcohol. This is always such a
Now while I'm not
saying that you want to
encourage employees
company Christmas party, dicey topic: Everywhere you look, to tie one on, remem-

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We do all the work, so you get all the Ho, Ho, Ho!
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includes hats, crackers,
Lunch is served from midday until 2.00pm
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Butter Bean and Chive Soup


Butter Bean and Chive Soup
with pancetta shavings
IV
T

with pancetta
Fresh Vegetable Tortellini shavings
with black olives, bell pepper and Parmesan shavings
T I V W SR
with a herb infused olive oil

Fresh Vegetable Tortellini


Chicken, Asparagus and Apricot Terrine

Then why not complete your Christmas


with red mustard frills and rocket salad,
with black olives, bell pepper and Parmesan shavings
cherry tomatoes and a hollandaise sauce

with a herb
Plaice stuffed infused olive oil
with Crayfish
with a lemon chervil sauce

Traditional Roast Turkey


Chicken, Asparagus and Apricot Terrine
with sausagement and morello cherry stuffing
and all the festive trimmings
celebrations and enjoy a good night’s sleep that
with red mustard frills and rocket salad,
A Selection
cherry
of Seasonal Vegetables and Roast Potatoes
tomatoes and a hollandaise sauce
Christmas Pudding
with a dark fruit medley
won’t cost a fortune.
Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse filled Profiteroles B OOK BEFORE 18 TH S EPTEMBER 2009
with a dark chocolate sauce TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING
Plaice stuffed
Bavarian Vanilla Cream with Crayfish £250 WORTH OF H IGH S TREET VOUCHERS

Premier Inn London


with a blueberry compote
with a lemon chervil sauce
Freshly Brewed Tea or Coffee
with petits fours

Quality Hotel St Albans


If you have any special dietary needs please do let us know
Traditional Roast Turkey
with sausagement and morello cherryTelephone:
234 London Road, St Albans, Herts. AL1 1JQ
01727 857858 Fax: 01727 855 666
stuffing Quality Hotel
Elstree/Borehamwood
is the perfect location for
Email: st.albans@quality-hotels.net
and all the festive trimmings www.stalbans-hotels.co.uk St Albans

A Selection of Seasonal Vegetables and Roast Potatoes


your Christmas Party,
Christmas Pudding
with a dark fruit medley
contact a member
Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse filled Profiteroles B OOK BEFORE 18 TH S EPTEMBER 2009 of our team on
with a dark chocolate sauce TO BE IN WITH A CHANCE OF WINNING 0870 990 6616 to book.
Bavarian Vanilla Cream
with a blueberry compote
£250 WORTH OF H IGH S TREET VOUCHERS

Freshly Brewed Tea or Coffee


with petits fours

If you have any special dietary needs please do let us know Quality Hotel St Albans
234 London Road, St Albans, Herts. AL1 1JQ
Telephone: 01727 857858 Fax: 01727 855 666
Qu
Email: st.albans@quality-hotels.net www.businessindependent.co.uk | 13
www.stalbans-hotels.co.uk
THE FESTIVE SEASON AHEAD

    



    

%  

"!%! %"#!"!!%
ber that alcohol is a social lubri- years, some incredibly successful
$!"!!  ! ! "! 
cant. Of course, you will need to and some not. Before you get into
!! &%"#! !""!!
consider offering taxi service, a the specifics of who, what, where
%
designated driver system or some and when, consider these general
other way to ensure that if your themes to be sure that your com-
employees are inebriated, they pany Christmas party is a suc-  
will arrive home safe and sound. cess and not an inadvertent   
I've attended a variety of com- blunder. $   !"#   "! ! $%"
pany Christmas parties over the 
    
 
%""%

Celebrate the Festive Season


at Hanbury Manor
Hanbury Manor provides a unique and
truly memorable experience in a timeless
and enchanting haven of tranquillity.
This breathtaking historic retreat
promises storybook charm with gracious
service and defines the essence of a
quintessentially English setting.
• Party Nights (private or join a parties)
• Corporate Christmas lunches
• Christmas Day Dining
• Accommodation throughout
the season
To make your reservation
please call 01920 487722.
www.MarriottHanburyManor.co.uk
14 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
BUSINESS ADVICE

Directors & corporate insolvency


What a director “ought to have a contribution to the creditors.
In this economic climate, even well run companies known” will vary on a case by Examples of breaches of duty
can find themselves in difficulties, and insolvency case basis, but by way of an ex- held by the Courts include:
proceedings can be the end result. Chris Maylin, ample, company directors who • Payment of illegal dividends
Partner at WKH Chartered Accountants & Business trained as accountants will have a (dividends paid out where there
higher expectation placed upon are insufficient retained profits).
Advisors, briefly discusses those circumstances.
them than, say, civil engineers. • Taking excessive drawings
Essentially, the better qualified from the company.
Whilst the concept of lim- directors. These guarantees are
you are to judge whether your • A failure to be involved with
ited liability status affords often expressed in monetary limit
company is in dire straits, the ear- the management of the company.
strong protection to direc- terms and may also be supported
lier you are expected to take ac- This could be a particular prob-
by a charge over the director(s)
tors and shareholders when tion such as seeking professional lem for “sleeping directors”.
home(s).
their company is forced into advice. In uncertain times for compa-
Banks will hold directors to
liquidation, there are cir- nies, it is always a good idea to
these guarantees and you should
cumstances where the “cor- Fraudulent Trading document decision making
think extremely carefully before
porate veil” can be lifted A higher burden of proof is processes.
providing a Personal Guarantee –
needed here so these cases are You should keep minutes of
and company directors, in ideally you should talk it through
not heard as often. s213 of the In- management meetings and board
particular, can be exposed with your accountant or solicitor.
solvency Act 1986 tells us that meetings and ensure that all
to the considerable powers
where it appears that the direc- stakeholders of the company
of the liquidator. Wrongful Trading (that includes employees, credi-
tors have been carrying on the
This concept is explained by
business with the intent to de- tors, customers as well as the
s214 of the Insolvency Act 1986.
Personal Guarantees (PGs) fraud creditors, the Court may re- shareholders) are considered
Broadly, if a company goes into an
These are increasingly an issue quire a personal contribution from when decisions are taken. Having
insolvent liquidation and it can be
for Owner Managed Businesses. the directors. This is a more seri- a full and contemporary record of
demonstrated that, at some time
Where creditors had been content ous offence and, consequently, events will be a big help if a liq-
before the commencement of
to secure their lending with a the sanctions are stiffer. uidator does undertake a review
winding up, the directors knew, or
charge over the company’s as- Misfeasance of the period leading up to the
ought to have known, that there
sets, concerns over the realisa- There are some wide ranging company’s insolvency.
was no reasonable prospect of the
tion value of those assets in this definitions in s212 of the Insol- If you are experiencing diffi-
insolvent liquidation being avoided,
economic climate have led credi- vency Act. The gist is that where culties and have concerns
then the Court can require the di-
tors (usually banks & landlords) to directors have failed to properly about any of these issues, you
rectors to make a personal contri-
seek Personal Guarantees from apply the assets of the company, can contact Chris Maylin for a
bution to satisfy creditors.
they are in breach of their fiduciary free consultation on 01462 687
duty, and potentially liable to make 333 or at cmaylin@wkhca.co.uk

Enhanced corporate finance


expertise at WKH
WKH are delighted to an- national Experience at Board
nounce that they have purchased level especially in buying Indus-
a strategic equity stake in the trial products. He has planned,
Precision Group, comprising Pre- organised and fully implemented
cision One and Precision Corpo- several multi million projects from
rate Finance. inception to turn key.
The Precision Group is led by Both Neil and Don will add sig-
Neil Ackroyd and Don Woodward nificantly to the pool of skilled
who each bring a wealth of expe- professionals already at your dis-
9dlcijgc48gZY^i8gjcX]4 rience, contacts and expertise in posal at WKH.
the fields of corporate finance, More good news comes with
"I^bZidi]^c`djih^YZi]ZWdm# company turnaround and change WKH manager Dave Hailey being
>ci]ZhZjcXZgiV^ci^bZh!ndjcZZYVcZY\Z# management. awarded the Certificate of Profi-
6cYL@=XVc\^kZ^indjWZXVjhZlZ/ Neil has worked for ten years ciency in Insolvency (CPI). The
GZXd\c^hZi]VindjgWjh^cZhh^hbjX]bdgZi]Vc[^\jgZhVcYhiVi^hi^Xh within the financial services mar- CPI examines the administration
=ZaendjidbVcV\ZndjgWjh^cZhhV[[V^gh^cXajY^c\eVngdaa!Wdd``ZZe^c\!VXXdjcih ketplace specialising in corporate of corporate and personal insol-
VcYYZkZadebZciVhlZaaVhndjghiVijidgndWa^\Vi^dchgZ\VgY^c\VjY^iVcYiVmVi^dc finance, private equity, due dili- vency matters and will enable
=ZaendjidVX]^ZkZndjgWjh^cZhhVcYeZghdcVa\dVah
gence and audit assurance with Dave to go on to study for the full
<^kZndjegVXi^XVaVYk^XZ^ceaV^c:c\a^h]
experience gained from at both insolvency practitioner exams in
lll#l`]XV#Xd#j`
KPMG Corporate Finance and the future.
K^gijVaD[[^XZ IVmEaVcc^c\ 6XXdjciVcXn ;^cVcX^VaHZgk^XZh 7jh^cZhhHdaji^dch
Tenon Livingstone Guarantee. For more information contact
AZiX]ldgi] Gdnhidc 8VbWg^Y\Z
Registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business
activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales Don is an experienced profes- James Price at their on 01462
%&)+'+-,((( %&,+('),('& %&''('*,-*% WKH Financial Services Limited is authorised and
regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
sional Interim with immense Inter- 687333 or jprice@wkhca.co.uk

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 15
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16 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
LEGAL

Shareholder Blues
Recessions encourage business tension. This encourages investors and managers to see
if they are getting value for money. Shareholders sometimes disagree about the running
of the business. If you are a director, are you satisfied that you are running the business
in such a way as to not prejudice the shareholder's interest?

We are seeing an increase in situa- Deadlocked companies:


tions of deadlock between sharehold- this is a classic situation
ers, or complaints of unfair prejudice, where investors (most com-
monly two individuals or two
as a result of a decline in profits and
families) go into business to-
dividends and tougher bank lending
gether each having represen-
conditions.
tation on the Board and each
holding the same number of
Are you confident you are:
shares. Matters are fine in
• running the business in such a way that
good economic times when
does not prejudice anyone's interest?
there is plenty of harmony
•acting in the best interests of the company
amongst the shareholders
and its shareholders?
and directors. However, if the
•aware of the rights that shareholders have
investors and directors fall
in relation to protecting their own invest-
out about how the company
ments?
is being run, often about the
Also, have you reviewed the terms of your
direction of the business,
Shareholders Agreement recently – always
where one party thinks they
assuming you have one? A lot of businesses
can do a better job than the
start with trust and goodwill but no one antici-
other, it is not uncommon for
pates trading situations which put personal
tensions to quickly rise and
and business relationships under pressure. In
for parties to reach a stage
these difficult times there are three common
where they simply cannot
and potential dispute-related scenarios:
work together.
• A minority shareholder claims his interests business dealings. In times of harmony
Status of shareholders: the affairs of private
are being prejudiced between investors, people never think there
limited companies are often dealt with in a
• Majority shareholders want to get out of can be times of discord. In matters of discord
slightly less sophisticated way than might oth-
the business and take the good bits of it for as between investors, our aim is to bring
erwise be expected. Family businesses or
themselves elsewhere harmony. If we can assist in resolving disputes
businesses that grow up amongst a small
• Directors who run or manage the business like this, it is to the good of all concerned.
number of investors often get along more by
on a daily basis see opportunities but without If you see this sort of dispute brewing on the
the spirit of co-operation and understanding
the distractions of fellow shareholders or horizon in the business that you are a part of,
of those involved than necessarily giving the
directors who play little or no part in the whether you are a minority shareholder, a
right corporate and fiscal treatment to the in-
business. major investor or a director and you want
ternal affairs of the company e.g. making sure
In any of these situations a dispute, or advice on the position that you find yourself in
that the company's statutory books are up to
worse litigation, may be a possibility. These then please do not hesitate to contact us.
date. Often there is a genuine doubt as to
disputes are to be avoided at all costs. They
whether or not Party A is in fact a shareholder!
are time consuming, costly and a major dis- Andrew Knight is a Partner in the Commercial Liti-
Or one or more investors may have “dropped
traction from the main task of growing and gation and Dispute Resolution department of Taylor
out” after the initial honeymoon period of the
managing the business. Walton LLP, which has offices in Luton, Harpenden
company's launch, having agreed at the out-
We have also recently seen an increasing and St Albans and provides effective legal solutions
set that a group of, say, five individuals would
number of disputes which mirror these tough to businesses and individuals across Bedfordshire,
take shares in the company. That may not be
economic business conditions. Almost invari- Hertfordshire and the South East. Andrew can be
a problem in itself, but what if the company
ably the motives for this increased litigious ac- contacted on tel. 01582 731161 or email
then turns out over a longer term to be ex-
tivity comes from a shareholder wanting to andrew.knight@taylorwalton.co.uk
tremely successful and profitable?
realise their investment, dispense with poor
performing directors or simply part company
Disputes like these are cumbersome, messy
with former investors with whom an harmo-
and generally expensive. They can all be
nious relationship is now no longer possible.
avoided if the correct paper trail is in place as
Typically, the situations we are seeing more of
and when the investors come to the arrange-
are either:
ment between themselves and regulate their

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 17
18 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
BUSINESS ADVICE

Guaranteeing your
reputation

I
n this digital age it is easier for us ning the customer’s heart and mind is all them the standard calendar or diary branded
to disseminate and obtain infor- about how they perceive you. with our company logo? There is a good
mation than ever before. Let me give you an example: There is a chance they won’t tell any story at all. There-
The Web means we have information con- story of an airline that launched a brand new fore, what value have you obtained? The an-
stantly at our fingertips. Meanwhile we are long distance route. On their maiden voyage swer is none.
communicating with each other all the time via the plane was stuck on the runway for four-
email, mobiles and text messaging.” Word of teen hours. At that point what story would the So think of the story.
Mouth” has always been powerful, yet as the customers tell? They would probably tell their Find out what they like during the course of
opportunities to voice our opinions increase, friends and colleagues of a hellish journey that working together. Then, for example, if you
its importance is growing rapidly. would infer that they would never fly that air- know they like milk chocolate, send them a
Reputation, therefore, is more essential for line again. box with a note. The impact will be huge and
companies than it ever has been. It doesn’t The next day, however, the owner of that air- the story they will tell will be very positive.
matter whether you are a global enterprise or line called every passenger personally to apol- Managing customers does not have to be
a small local outfit. Retaining customers, ogize and offer them a discount on a future difficult. Always think about the story they will
keeping them happy and, therefore, ensuring flight. The story was managed brilliantly. be repeating to their friends and colleagues. If
you have a good reputation is not easy. You see, the story was now about receiving you think it may be negative, think about how
There are a many myths spoken about man- a personal call from such a well known and you can turn that around.
aging customers. There is, however, a simple busy person and the delay became incidental. You don’t have to spend a lot of money but
and effective way for ensuring you are always Instead of the airline being criticised for a poor you do have to give it a lot of thought. Having
mindful of your reputation. In any situation, service, the story was all about their excellent customers talking about you in a positive light
ask yourself one question, customer service and how much they care. and ensuring you have a good reputation in
If you want to ensure you manage your cus- today’s market place is invaluable. Quite sim-
tomers successfully; you need to be con- ply, you cannot afford not to.
“What story will my customer tell?”
stantly thinking about the story they are likely
to tell. Just sending them a thank you note
It is this question that enables you to decide Grant Leboff is Principal of Watford based The
when they decide to use you, will mean they
how to handle any situation effectively. The Intelligent Sales Club working with companies on
will be telling a good story. How many compa-
story the customer will tell is how you are per- effective sales and marketing strategies and lead
nies do that and yet it is so simple?
ceived by them and, therefore, how you will be generation; creating a steady stream of sales op-
During the time they are engaged with you,
perceived by others. It is this perception that portunities for businesses. For more information
ask the same question. For example, If you
is all that matters. visit www.intelligentsalesclub.com or call:
are going to send a Christmas gift, ask the
The customer’s perception is their reality. 0844 478 0044.
question; “What story will they tell if I send
Whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant. Win-

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 19
SECTION

What does recovery look like?


The dramatic collapse in UK ment outpacing subdued consumption.
Nevertheless, we are not out of the woods
output seems to have run its yet. How sustainable the recovery proves to
course and activity is now be depends on three main factors.
• the speed with which the personal
stabilising, but what sort of sector reduces its debt and increases savings.
recovery can we expect? Too abrupt an adjustment would precipitate
another down-leg to the recession
• how quickly the authorities withdraw
Recent evidence on the economy has the various stimulus measures and start to
been mixed. tighten policy again. The car scrappage
On the positive side, the latest KPMG/REC scheme, for example, contributed to the
Report on Jobs found that permanent and bounce in manufacturing output by boosting
temporary staff appointments rose for the first the demand for new cars but, even though
time in 17 months, while the number of vacan- this has been extended by £100 million, it is a
cies declined but at a slower pace. On the one-off with a limited life. More generally,
other hand, the KPMG/BRC Retail Sales Mon- whoever wins next year’s election will be look-
itor for the same month, showed weaker re- ing to tighten fiscal policy by cutting spending,
sults on the High Street, with like-for-like sales We can take encouragement from the fact
and probably raising taxes too. The trick will
down 0.1 percent on the same period last year that the authorities have done the right things
be to wait until the recovery has gained suffi-
– reversing an earlier improvement. so far – stepping in to stabilise the financial
cient momentum to withstand the withdrawal
In fact, these apparently contradictory indi- system, boosting the economy via fiscal pol-
of the current fiscal boost and the reversal of
cators give a flavour of the likely shape of the icy and reducing interest rates to near zero –
the current loose monetary stance.
recovery. After a long period of unbalanced, but the patient will remain in intensive care for
• how quickly bank lending recovers.
consumer-led growth, the economy is in for a a while yet and in its early stages recovery
We have seen positive signs that the banks in
re-balancing as the debt-laden personal sec- may be a case of two steps forward, one step
our region are starting to lend again. Clearly it
tor repairs its balance sheet and takes a back back. The authorities must also take care not
would be a mistake to return to the lax lending
seat. to introduce policies that inhibit business
policies which contributed to the boom and
In contrast, manufacturing should ultimately growth or deter entrepreneurial wealth cre-
bust, but equally a continued contraction in
benefit from the weaker pound and a recover- ation.
lending to the (non-financial) private sector is
ing global economy, resulting in more even Mike Coughtrey is senior partner at KPMG in St
incompatible with a sustained economic
growth with both exports and business invest- recovery. Albans (mike.coughtrey@kpmg.co.uk)

© 2007 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved.

Do you have
You barely
time to teach
have time to
an advisor
read this ad.
your business?

The less your professional advisors understand Putting you one important step closer to the kind of
about your business coming in, the more you informed advice you’re looking for.
might have to teach them.
Contact Mike Coughtrey, Senior Partner for KPMG in
And the longer it could be before they’ll have anything St Albans via e-mail at michael.coughtrey@kpmg.co.uk
useful to contribute. But KPMG in the UK has chosen
to focus on key industry sectors. So when you call us kpmg.co.uk
in, we can bring deep vertical knowledge with us.

20 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 21
SECTION

Making those connections


In a global market, making ket visit. Businesses can also use our con-
tacts and impressive Embassy or Consular fa-
identify potential overseas clients and local
support agencies in Singapore, which they
the right connections can cilities to help close a major deal, or launch a had earmarked as a destination for a new of-
be the key to success. new product or service.
Noel Harvey, EEI International Trade Advisor
fice. They were provided with a great deal of
assistance by the British Embassy in Singa-
for Hertfordshire explains: “Even the larger, pore, who helped and supported RSA with
This is where UK Trade & Investment (UKTI)
more experienced companies can struggle to everything they needed to facilitate the suc-
can provide real value to business with their
make the right connections, but with OMIS cessful creation of the new premises.
Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS),
and the on-the-ground support it provides, Nick Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of
delivered in the East by East of England Inter-
tailored advice and assistance is available to RSA commented: “The OMIS scheme gave us
national (EEI). OMIS can literally open doors
make those connections. We have a world- a local insight into the Singapore Market
and make the right connections between UK
wide network of UKTI staff who are based at which we would never have had otherwise. It
firms and the key people to do business with
the British Embassies and Consulates and are allowed us to reduce the risk of moving our
overseas. The service provides access to
usually locally engaged, therefore they speak business there, whilst speeding up our access
UKTI staff located in 99 overseas embassies
the language and are extremely well con- to the market, and enabling us to hit the
who can broker the right introductions, ensure
nected in their specific sector. UK companies ground running and make immediate inroads.
the correct business etiquette is followed, and
can tap into this wealth of knowledge and It was great value for money, and our contacts
set up meetings. It is delivered online, giving
save a great deal of time and effort in gaining in Singapore coordinated the move for us,
you a direct link to the embassies irrespective
access to an overseas market.” meaning we didn’t have to shift our everyday
of the time zone or location, and allowing you
Hertfordshire based RSA is a leading life focus away from running the business in Eng-
to keep in touch wherever you are.
science executive company involved in help- land. The service we received was second to
Whether you're a first timer or a very experi-
ing major organisations find key senior staff, none.”
enced exporter, a broad range of elements
including pharmaceutical executives, profes- For further information on the Overseas
can be combined to suit your individual
sors of medicine and directors to run research Market Introduction Service (OMIS) please
needs. OMIS can provide help at any stage -
institutes. call East of England International on 08456
from initial research to identifying potential
The company commissioned an OMIS to 419955 or visit www.eei-online.com.
distributors and agents and arranging a mar-

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22 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
Are you
covered?

David Greaves, Director of Deals & Small Businesses at RSA gives up


some practical tips on ensuring that cutting back on insurance costs doesn’t
mean you find yourself uninsured if you need to make a claim

W
ith over 200,000 SMEs any legislation changes and HR updates, and stock or change your premises then you may
expected to go bust in therefore help you avoid any future fines or find you’re not covered. It is however possi-
2009 those that will costs. ble with many companies to update your pol-
With the growth of comparison websites, icy but you must ensure they are notified of
succeed are companies that under-
many are tempted to choose the cheapest any changes at the earliest opportunity.
stand the changing nature of risk and
option that ticks the most number of boxes. Business continuity insurance
are willing to adapt.
However, as a result of insurance providers Another common mistake made by SMEs
As many businesses are trying to reduce
wanting to appear as high up the list as is the failure to take out business continuity
costs cutting their cover can often be
possible and so often have to hide costs that insurance or instead a very cheap package.
tempting. However, without it the
come into play later on. However, before making this decision you
consequences could be far reaching and
Many will charge high interest rates on must think through the possible conse-
potentially devastating for a company’s
monthly direct debit payments or have high quences of a worst case scenario. If your
future.
excesses on claims. So before making any premises suffered a fire, would you be able
Consult a professional purchase decisions ask someone to take you to keep trading? How important is another
While your needs may seem simple and through the details so that you are aware of office to you? If your IT failed would you be
small the most important thing for any small any further costs down the line. able to operate elsewhere? Do your cus-
business is to take on board professional
Make sure you forecast properly tomers expect you to maintain a service at
advice such as a broker. As your business
When deciding on the right package for all times? Could you afford to not trade? It
changes so will the needs of your cover and
your business it is important to ensure you would be wise to talk through this issue with
a good broker will be able to tailor your cover
forecast for your needs over the time it is due your professional advisor and try to find a
specifically to your needs. More importantly,
to run. If you take on more staff, increase package that offers the right support.
they will also be able to keep you informed of
IT ADVICE

So will cloud
computing lift
your business?

What is cloud computing and what can it


do to help your business cut costs and
grow? Dean Miles helps us as we look to
the sky for the future

W
hy do larger compa- cations, which can level the play-
nies get the benefits ing field and make powerful busi-
of new software ness software available to any
business – from a one-person
first?
start-up to an organisation with a
When productivity-enhancing
turnover of £20m or more.
applications like CRM, sales man-
agement and even accounting
software are introduced, they’re Cloud formations
typically aimed at big organisa- How do cloud applications do
tions with big IT budgets. this? Put simply, instead of pur-
These applications trickle down chasing the software applications
to smaller businesses eventually. you want, and installing them on
But even then, costs are still high: your own computers (with all the
the software has to be pur- associated upfront costs), the ap-
chased, licensed, maintained and plications are hosted on secure
supported. Hardware often servers that you access over the
needs to be upgraded. And it all Internet – that is, in the cloud.
serves to distract you from run- You use the applications, and
ning your business. input or extract data and files, via
However, there are new types your web browser.
of software application that offer This works in the same way as
even larger benefits to smaller or- web-based services such as Hot-
ganisations than to larger ones. mail, Google Mail and Amazon.
These are cloud computing appli- These are all methods of storing

24 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
IT ADVICE
and accessing data via a web
browser, making them classical
As long as you have a connection to the was becoming an issue for the
growing company. Managing di-
cloud applications. And in the Internet, you can retrieve files and access or rector Elaine Whylde said: “We
same way, a major advantage of were looking for a cost-effective
cloud applications is that some- manipulate business data anywhere – solution to provide a single, real
one else is taking care of all the
awkward, costly parts of business
whether at your desk, or a WiFi hotspot or 3G time view of our central stock po-
sition, both internally to the busi-
computing – buying and running ness and externally to our
servers, maintaining the software, browser, with their files and data managing and maintaining the customers through our e-com-
handling upgrades and so on. securely backed up on servers in applications are removed – you merce web site.
With the upfront and ongoing the cloud. simply use the applications, with- Allgas chose an application,
costs of software removed in this This has several key advan- out the need to dedicate re- which gives access to stock infor-
way, you just pay to use the ap- tages, quite apart from the obvi- sources and manpower to mation, purchases and transac-
plications as you go along – typi- ous low costs and avoidance of support them. tion records, so stock levels can
cally a low monthly fee (around upfront investment in new soft- Let’s take a look at a case be managed efficiently. It gives a
£25 per user). And you have the ware. First, you’re no longer de- study of an established business constantly updated, real-time
ability to add functions and users, pendent on one particular that’s benefiting from using cloud view of the company’s current
as you need to. You pay for computer to access and work on computing applications. position, and can be accessed
cloud computing services just like business data. As long as you Allgas is a Yorkshire-based securely from any web-enabled
you pay for electricity or water – have a connection to the Internet, specialist supplier and maintainer device at any time, helping with
as you use them. you can retrieve files and access of gas and electrical appliances planning and decision-making.
or manipulate business data any- and accessories. Allgas carries a Put simply, cloud computing
Clear benefits where – whether at your desk, at large stock of appliances, acces- gives a way for smaller compa-
So you access the business ap- home, via a WiFi hotspot or 3G sories and spares, totalling some nies to access enterprise-class
plications you want to use – from on a laptop or web-enabled 30,000 items across its two sites, business software applications,
accounting, and e-commerce to handheld device. So you can and is building an e-commerce and get the same benefits, with-
CRM, stock management and so take your business wherever you site to enable customers to order out the enterprise price-tag or
on – online in a single ‘dash- go. parts online nationally. maintenance costs.
board’ display in your web Second, the headaches of In particular, stock management

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www.businessindependent.co.uk | 25
SECTION

Mediation - the new


tool for business

Clive Lewis author of ‘The definitive guide


to workplace mediation and managing
conflict at work’ looks at recent changes
to help resolve office conflict

O
n 6th April 2009, The legislative measures are
employers and based on the Employment Act
employees were 2008. The Act paved the way for
the Acas statutory Code of
given greater
Practice on discipline and griev-
flexibility to deal with
ance, which sets out the princi-
workplace discipline and
ples that employers and
grievance issues in a way employees should follow when
which suits them best. dealing with disputes at work.
The government repealed the The foreword to the Code
2004 statutory grievance and highlights that employers and
disciplinary process. A new employees should always seek
framework for resolving employ- to resolve disciplinary and griev-
ment disputes in Great Britain ance issues informally. However,
emphasises the importance of where an issue cannot be re-
the early resolution of workplace solved informally, then it may be
matters in the workplace.

26 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
SECTION

pursued formally. According to is not possible to resolve disci- mediation processes that it can one day through mediation. In
the Code, employers and em- plinary and grievance issues in be applied to individual, team, the UK, mediation has a success
ployees should behave fairly and the workplace employers and departmental, functional or or- rate of 93%
reasonably when taking formal employees should consider ganisational disputes. A further Whether you run a small,
action to resolve their dispute. using an independent third party strength of mediation is that it is medium or large business there
This is great news for busi- to help resolve the problem. In quick. For example a dispute is likely to be a risk of this type
nesses. Research shows that in some cases, an external media- that has been rumbling on for of scenario happening within
some cases, managers spend up tor might be appropriate”. years can often be resolved in your organisation.
to 25% of their time dealing with Mediation has been practised
issues associated with conflict. in the UK for the last 20 years. It
Although the principles manag- is a future focussed process that What should you do now?
ing grievance and disciplinary is- is less concerned about who For your organisation to also benefit from engaging
sues should still be applied, the might be right or wrong. It is with conflict resolution principles here are 5 steps I rec-
encouragement to solve difficul- more concerned about solving ommend that you follow.
ties at an earlier stage will help problems so that they don’t 1. Consider training some colleagues to become accredited me-
companies save money. The occur again. In mediation re- diators. This could be done on an in-house basis.
Chartered Institute of Personnel sponsibility for finding a work- 2. Partner with an external mediation provider. This will ensure
and Development estimates the able solution for the dispute that in cases where there may be a conflict of interest to appoint
cost of conflict to UK business rests firmly with the parties. The an internal mediator you can call on the services of an external or-
as £24bn per year. In a time of mediator facilitates the process. ganisation
economic uncertainty, this could The 5 main planks on which me- 3. Review your organisations policies and procedures to incor-
be a good time to embrace new diation is based are: porate clauses that promote and encourage early resolution of dis-
thinking that will help increase • It is voluntary putes and mediation
efficiencies. • It is confidential 4. Review other parts of the HR framework. For example con-
Organisations that fail to pur- • It is without prejudice sider offering training for line manages on topics such as ‘how to
sue options for early resolution • The mediator is neutral and manage difficult conversations’ and equality/diversity training
may be penalised in the event impartial 5. Link any success from mediation back to the business case.
that a case goes to Tribunal. • It is non-binding Identify savings made and ensure the benefits of mediation are
What is Mediation? (until agreement is reached) publicised within the business.
The new Code states “Where it One of the strengths of the

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www.businessindependent.co.uk | 27
SECTION

Big headlines,
small spend
PR activities don‘t have to break the journalist will let me draft the fea- ness campaign which could in-
ture which they will go on to edit; volve a national newspaper part-
bank - as local marketing guru Julia or the media might be contacting ner - and the budgets will vary in
Girling of JGC outlines. you with regards to a story they
are researching, again a PR will
accorance.
Local cause-related campaigns
use this opportunity to generate offer excellent value for money as
I often meet directors of ing objectives and who you need
maximum coverage for your com- they can have a huge impact by
small or medium-sized to reach and influence. Your tar-
pany or brand. generating coverage and support
businesses who tell me they get audience might be people liv-
The majority of my time is dedi- from local papers, businesses
ing within the local area, in which
would love to employ a PR cated to proactive media relations and organisations, but can be or-
case a media relations campaign
agency but could not afford – this is where I contact the jour- ganised on a limited budget.
aimed at local media will make a
the hefty fees. nalist and ‘sell in’ a story that will
real difference; or maybe you
There is definitely a misconcep-
need to communicate with pro-
generate positive coverage for A cause
tion that PR and marketing cam- my client e.g. a new contract win; Firstly the PR needs to find a
fessionals within a specific indus-
paigns automatically equate to a particularly successful case cause that is relevant to your
try, in which case you can launch
big bucks and this does not have study; product or service business and its culture e.g. a
a trade press campaign.
to be the case. There is also a launches and promotions; staff local car insurance company
I use one of two approaches
myth that bringing a PR agency initiatives, such as, raising money might run a ‘Driving towards a
when contacting the target media
on board involves signing up to a for local charities. Safer City’ campaign.
- reactive and proactive media re-
long-term commitment and, Your PR will compile a case for
lations. Reactive is when you are
again, this is far from the truth. I
responding to the media’s Budgeted the campaign by using research
have many clients that I work for A media relations campaign is data e.g. statistics showing that
agenda e.g. trade publications
on an ad hoc or project basis. budgeted on the hours incurred road accidents are rising across
produce forward feature lists that
There are numerous ways that by the PR; and so can be as the city; highlighting particular
chart their forthcoming scheduled
your business could benefit from small or large as you wish. danger spots; listing the regions
features – if one of them is rele-
PR expertise that does not have Another cost effective PR tactic safest roads etc. The company
vant to your business to give
to break the bank. It is really de- is media promotions, this might then needs to be seen to do
comment and/or be interviewed
pendent on your specific market- be in the form of a product com- something to support the cause
for the feature; in some cases the
petition or reader giveaway; a e.g. commissioning an expert to
media sponsorship or advertorial. provide hints and tips on safe
EverheardofCharteredAccountants Many local newspapers and trade driving habits; sponsoring and
thatofferFixedFeesandUnlimitedFreeTelephone or consumer magazines regularly providing free local road safety
give their readers the chance to classes and producing ‘Be Safe’
SupportandAdvice?
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HereatSkinner&Co,ourrefreshinglynewapproachisbeginningtorevolutionise
given substantial copy space to All this information would be
theaccountingworld...justaskourlocalclientsͲtheylovethepersonalservice promote your business. The PR compiled into a press release,
&attentionthatweoffer&it’sveryprofessionaltoo. negotiates the competition with which will launch the campaign to
the publication; sources visuals the media.
Here’sasnapshotofwhatweoffer... and drafts the competition copy, The campaign launch and its
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giving away plus your PRs fee, Bearing in mind that research
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CALLUSNOWon01923777338
equally good job of promoting age than they are to be influenced
your products. by advertisements, it is definitely

Cause-related PR campaigns worth investigating the different
Email:help@skinnerandcompany.co.uk range from a specific regional ways you could generate great
Website:www.skinnerandcompany.co.uk ‘call to action’ by the brand to its publicity for your brand, without
local public, to a national aware- spending a fortune.

28 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
SECTION

The value of a brand


As new businesses are
being established by entre-
preneurs across the coun-
try, to suit the market
looking for more individual
service, businesses must
focus on creating a brand
that can leverage their busi-
ness financially.
Branding is affecting business
more and more everyday, so
much so that it is taking over
larger shares of a business' value
and becoming an increasingly im-
portant factor when it comes to
differentiating yourselves from
competitors.
Brand is worth the investment –
successful brands command pre-
mium positions, customers will
pay more and economic value will
be added to your organisation. A
powerful business asset, brand-
ing can be used to strengthen
customer retention and win new
able to meet their changing needs
clients and, maybe more impor-
in the business world. Selling to
tantly for the future of business,
existing customers is the easiest
good brands attract the right cali-
(and cheapest) way to increase
bre of employee – something that
revenue and it is these customers
is often overlooked. It’s estimated
who are most likely to bring you
that 50% of Coca Cola's worth
new referrals.
lies in its trademark and we’ve
Customers form emotional al-
also found this with SME clients
liances with strong brands, ulti-
who have honed in on creating a
mately these brands are able to
brand, not just a business.
command a higher price in the
Let's take a look at an example.
marketplace, providing much
Xiros, a Yorkshire based medical
stronger financial returns through-
devices manufacturer, found that
out a business’ life cycle.
potential customers weren’t see-
ing the business for what it truly Attracting new customers
was, an innovative medical de- The current climate means that l iiquid
quidbbubbl
u b bl
be
sign house – effectively missing new customers are much more

20% OFF
out on business they knew was cautious when entering into new
right for them. After evolving their business relationships. They will
existing brand and dissecting the be on the lookout for a brand that
product offer, the business
recorded a 700% increase in new
they can relate to, one that
matches the needs and values of EEVERY
V E R Y THING
THING
their business. L I M I T E D P E R I O D O N LY
business generation within 12
months. This has kick-started a This is where brand works most
effectively. Creating differentiation
Webdesign
Webdesign
period of significant growth over
the last two years. Brand plays a is one of the most important at- E-Commerce
E-Commer ce W
Websites
ebsites
significant part in how the tributes to a brand. A valuable CD/DVD Duplication
company is perceived and how it perception of quality in the mind
of the customer will guarantee
Creative
Creative Design
approaches new business. T h i r d FFloor
Third loor
The existing customer's rela- you are competing based on your UUnit
n i t 2244
Print Management
tionship with a brand
As well as attracting new busi-
credentials rather than on price.
The current climate offers great
FFourth
ourth W
Wembley
W embley
Wayay
00845
8 4 5 230
2 3 0 9821
9821
opportunities for SMEs – larger Middx
M iddx www.liquidbubble.com
www.liquidbubble.com
ness, a re-brand lets existing cus- HA9
H A 9 00LH LH TTerms apply..
erms & conditions apply
tomers know that you are firms that sub-contract to smaller
evolving with the times and are independents are looking to cut

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 29
SECTION

costs. SMEs need a good brand double their turnover, but An effective brand strategy its, whilst also adding value to the
behind them to leverage credibil- achieved this in 2 after reposition- should deliver results to the bot- customer. From multinational
ity for bigger contracts. ing the business as a complete tom line and therefore should al- companies to SMEs the princi-
Interior Surfaces solutions provider. Turnover rose ways have targets to meet and be ples are the same - good brands
Interior Surfaces, bespoke from £1.2m to £2.4m. measured for performance. It will be reflected in a stronger bal-
manufacturers of solid and lami- This was put down to the new should tie into your wider market- ance sheet with a higher level of
nate surface products, decided to brand and strong design ideas ing strategy and flow consistently profitability for a given cost of
invest in their brand as a way of bringing a sense of what they within an organisation's internal sales – a very attractive proposi-
attracting larger contractors. They were able to achieve to the com- and external communications. tion to build a business around.
invested in a re-brand because pany, both within the business This makes the brand a more But what must be remembered
their existing image was not rep- and externally, and have since powerful tool. first and foremost is that a brand
resentative of their capabilities gone on to successfully win con- Branding affects business is not just a logo, it is paying at-
and they wanted to appeal to a tracts with larger clients, and en- Brand equity is turning into a tention to every aspect of commu-
larger commercial customer base. tered new markets. corporate asset that provides fi- nication within an organisation,
They had a 5 year plan in place to Design with targets to meet nancial return and long term prof- from stationary to staff.

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Gainsborough House, 15 High Street
Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2RT

Regulated by the ICAEW for a range of Investment Business Activities

30 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
BUSINESS ADVICE

Learning to lead is like learning


to walk: you need support
Have you ever just sat back and thought • That funding is available to support their management funding for senior managers.
‘how did I end up being a manager and lead- staff development The first £500 can be accessed with no con-
ing a team?’ Typically this question arises • That developing their organisation’s most tribution from your company and a further
when the situation is challenging. valuable resource, their people, is critical to £500 is available when matched £ for £ by
If you look back to the start of your career their success your business.
whatever sector you are in, didn’t it seem that • That a specialist management develop- Support through change
you had all the encouragement, support and ment organisation has been on their doorstep In these challenging times, you might also
training you needed to get you started on your for over 10 years. be dealing with the prospect of having to re-
career path, ensuring you had the right level of Yes, you can lease people from your organisation. Individu-
skills and knowledge to do your job? We have worked with over 700 organisa- als at risk or redundant can access funding to
Then one day, particularly if you are in the tions and supported over 12,000 learners in enhance skills that they may need to secure a
smaller business arena, you are thrust into a the last 10 years, enabling them to harness new role.
position of leadership, people management or their business expertise using improved lead- For more information about all our funding
you decide to start your own business: so ership and management skills. opportunities or how we can support you with
where, how and what do you do to ensure you We have also assisted hundreds of busi- leadership and management development
and your team now have the right skills and nesses and individuals in accessing Govern- programmes, please do get in touch:
knowledge to step into the unknown? ment funding to support this. From
Can you believe it? in-company strategic brainstorming work- Heather Butler, Managing Director
The Government Skills Agenda sets out to shops to leadership courses for women in the People Development Team, 01920 485569
ensure all businesses have the right skills land-based and environmental sector, all have info@people-development-team.com
available to support them to succeed; benefited from subsidies for development and
www.people-development-team.com
however, achieving success requires more training from us at the People Development
than just words: Our challenge as a training Team.
and development company has been to get If you are a business that has 5 – 249 em-
organisations to believe: ployees, you can access current leadership &





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www.businessindependent.co.uk | 31
Business Advice

Give your business a


‘cost healthcheck’

A
recent study by the Here Allison provides 10 top £50,000 of savings a company examining and any developments
Chartered Institute tips to trim business expen- would have to increase sales by that you may be able to capitalise
of Personnel & De- diture: £625,000 to have the same posi- on. For example the fact that en-
tive impact on the bottom line. ergy prices are currently going
velopment concluded that
It is critical to start caring about down and paper costs are on the
making job cuts should be Create a cost conscious
cost management before the situ- up. Establish a supplier market in-
the last resort in the current culture
ation becomes critical and hasty telligence system and update that
economic downturn, after The economic boom over the
decisions have to be made. Also system at regular intervals.
revealing that the cost of last ten years may have affected
get your suppliers involved during To have any chance of negotiat-
laying off an employee your employees’ focus on cost
the implementation of the cost re- ing favourable arrangements with
control. Develop a culture where
could be more than £16,000. duction programme. suppliers, you must have knowl-
everybody within the organisation
Against this another study re- edge of the prevailing market
is responsible for challenging
vealed that 69% of Financial Di- Lead by example prices and practices. Do not rely
costs, from the receptionist book-
rectors feel under pressure from Business leaders need to set an on your supplier for this infor-
ing a courier to senior manage-
board colleagues to find more example by demonstrating to em- mation.
ment reviewing their nationwide
ways to cut costs. With Britain ployees that they care about sav- Also don’t waste time and en-
logistics provision.
now officially in recession, how ing money, even on the smallest ergy on looking at individual item
Celebrate cost reductions as
does a business keep costs in items. Don’t book the most ex- costs from different suppliers. By
you do business wins. Even cre-
check to maintain a healthy bot- pensive flights and hotels when enhancing your knowledge of the
ate an internal awards scheme for
tom line without necessarily mak- you are asking your own manage- supplier market place you will in-
cost reductions made by employ-
ing redundancies? Robert ment teams to take the budget crease your confidence of using
ees.
Allison, Managing Director of Ex- option in both cases. one supplier for a number of
Make staff aware that savings
pense Reduction Analysts, the As a business leader you will items and gaining from a ‘basket’
go straight on the bottom line.
world’s largest cost reduction need to open your organisation to cost rate.
Also use powerful and simple
consultancy, believes that organi- scrutiny and examine every cost.
monetary examples to educate
sations can make savings in the Don’t purchase things you
your workforce regarding the
region of 20% on average Be marketwise don’t need
quick and significant impact that
through putting the spotlight on a It is critical that you are aware Buy what you need and not
cost savings can have on prof-
range of non-core operating of the constantly changing sup- what your suppliers would like to
itability. For example, based on a
costs. plier market for the costs you are sell you. Suppliers will often use
typical 8% profit margin, for

32 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
Business Advice
bait-and-switch tactics to move how many suppliers will back
you onto their higher margin down to retain the business.
items or will try their version of As highlighted above do your
the fast food pitch “would you research and comparison-shop-
like fries with that?” Many suppli- ping before approaching suppli-
ers make much more money from ers so that you are able to
supplementary services or add- negotiate from a position of
on services such as service or strength. During negotiations
maintenance agreements. Be present the value of your busi-
sure you understand what you are ness to the supplier.
buying and whether you really
need it. For example, do not pur- Establish key supplier
chase premium services unless performance
they are necessary, such as a In addition to reviewing prices
10am courier delivery if 5pm is look at establishing key perform-
acceptable. ance indicators, which are appro-
priate for your business. Set them
Establish your costs higher than required and this will
You may believe your costs are add to the cost base. Conversely
under control but your perceived set them too low and this could
‘well kept ship’ may not be as affect the quality of your service
leak proof as you thought. Foren- to your clients and business rela-
sically examine and benchmark tionships in the longer term.
your costs line by line. It is often Make sure you obtain manage-
our experience that this is where ment information from suppliers
the barrier to making cost im- relating to any cost increases/de-
provements lies as this demands creases, otherwise these could standards match the agreed costs and many more.
significant resource. Therefore it be easily be hidden, and therefore specification. Also remember to By following these ten steps
could reap significant dividends missed, in an invoice incorporat- frequently review each business you should be able to guarantee
to look at using outside agencies, ing a large number of supplied cost category whether it be return on your cost reduction
consultants and benchmarking items. This both helps avoid over- logistics, property, banking, programme.
services to establish your costs charging and ensures a transpar- telecommunications, property
by getting comparisons against ent relationship with the supplier.
competitors and other suppliers. Finally constantly monitor the per-
In doing so you will highlight formance levels and adherence to
areas that have the most potential the contract.
for improvement and will help you
set cost saving priorities. Jettisoning suppliers should
be the last consideration
Keep the green light Reducing costs is not just
flashing about going to a cheaper sup-
Instil a sense of urgency and plier. Indeed good relationships in
create a culture of cost con- any line of business are funda-
sciousness where employees act mental and the one with your
immediately to reduce costs and supplier is no exception. By !
maximise profitability. If it does following the tips above and " !
not remain high on the board- " ! !
working in partnership with your
room agenda, employees will see suppliers to identify cost cutting
the directors’ crusades as ‘the strategies you can in the majority
flavour of the month’ and the of cases generate savings without #
drive to cut costs will fall to the affecting or disrupting standards
bottom of everyone’s in tray. of service through changing
suppliers. $ %
Let suppliers know about & &
your cost review Create a long-term cost-
Rarely will a supplier volunteer management programme
a price review. Let your suppliers Potential savings are great, but % (( 23 2 24 5 *6 3 78 5 4 26 3
know that you are undertaking a they don’t mean anything unless
review of all overhead costs. Also they are realised. After imple-
refuse to accept price increases menting a culture of cost con-
# 9 : 2
during these challenging times as sciousness, appoint cost
: *
well as suppliers’ statements that champions to drive the
4 ; <;*
‘our prices are higher because we programme forward. Constantly '
provide superior quality and serv- monitor the situation to ensure
ice’ or “our prices cannot be staff are not slipping into old ( $ )
beaten” – remember it is a buyers habits; suppliers are charging cor- * +,- .,-"" ./. 0 ,1..1
market and you will be amazed rect prices; and that service

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 33
SECURITY

Protecting
your
assets
In the current economic cli- tomer if it’s been stolen or you not having cigarettes and alcohol coming more common. Your
mate, protecting your busi- being able to trade if your office stolen, offices are having PC’s alarm secures your building when
ness is essential. Every or computer system is out of ac- and laptops taken and contrac- you are not there, but what keeps
tion due to fire can have serious tors are losing power tools from your staff, their possessions and
sale, purchase and decision
consequences to your ability to sites, offices and stores. your assets secure? Locking your
you make, will ensure the
trade. Your customers may go By reviewing your security doors and preventing walk ins
continuing success of your
elsewhere and find another sup- measures, this can reduce the can stop you losing a laptop with
company, large or small. plier if you can’t help them and it risk of becoming a victim to business critical information.
What would happen if you were could take months to win them crime. Adding some more protec- For further advice and informa-
to suffer a burglary or a fire? Even back once they have found tion to your office, installing an tion, or for a free audit of your se-
if you are insured against the loss someone else. extra CCTV camera or having a curity arrangements, please
or damage, there are consequen- Burglary is on the increase with simple door entry system fitted contact us at Detection Security
tial losses that need to be consid- the economic downturn and busi- can all help reduce your attrac- Systems in confidence. “For your
ered. Not being able to provide nesses are being targeted. tiveness to an intruder. Walk in Security Protection – call Detec-
your goods or services to a cus- Newsagents and off licenses are thefts during office hours are be- tion”.

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34 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
MOTORING

The pride of the fleet


Citroen is reviving the iconic DS badge for a range of luxurious, 'near-premium' models. But their most
recent attempt at luxury motoring – the fast-depreciating C6 saloon – has fallen as flat as a stale crepe,
says Dave Sumner Smith.

How comfortable is it? Does it make financial sense?


For sheer spaciousness, the C6 takes some In financial terms the C6 is as appetising as
beating. The interior dimensions are huge, the gritty snails in garlic. The all-diesel, all-auto
design theme uncluttered and the atmosphere range stretches from a 173bhp 2.2-litre at
borders on the opulent – particularly in the V6 £28,645 to the 208bhp 2.7-litre at £35,245,
Exclusive model, which boasts electrically ad- but all depreciate at a ruinous pace. Substan-
justable seats in the rear as well as the front. tial trade discounts result in surprisingly low
Impressive. leasing costs, however, from as little as £245
pcm for the entry model, as you will see on
What is it like to drive? contracthireandleasing.com .
The 4.9 metre Citroen differs from the norm
in having a head-up speed display on the What else should I consider?
windscreen and an unconventional Hydractive If you are after a spacious, slightly quirky
suspension system. But while it is extremely saloon and you’re not a brand-snob, then
comfortable on the motorway, the variable lev- consider a Chrysler 300C, Hyundai Sonata,
els of power assistance for the steering, front Volvo S80 or Skoda Superb. If brand is key,
connection is poorly
wheel drive transmission and sheer bulk mean then it’s back to low-priced versions of the
programmed to prevent shuffle settings.
it struggles to rise above the ranks of comfy usual suspects: Audi A6, BMW 5-series,
cruiser. Jaguar XF and Mercedes E-class: Safe, but
What does it say about me?
predictable.
Anyone who leases a C6 could be viewed
Will it impress?
as a bold individualist with a love of comfort
The Citroen brand is best known for smaller, Any toys and gadgets?
and a self-confident character. But anyone
cheaper cars, so in the office pecking order The C6’s gadgets range from the electric
who is thinking of purchasing a new C6 at
the C6 has all the kudos of a Marks & Spencer parking brake and speed-sensitive rear spoiler
anything approaching list price needs to take
cardigan. It may look shapely and elegant to front and rear parking sensors and a telem-
a firm lecture in depreciation from a their ac-
from some angles, but the C6 feels like an as- atics system that will even read back text
countant – followed by a brutal flogging with
yet incomplete design project and will impress messages. Specification levels are generous
birches to persuade them to think again.
no-one other than its passengers. and trim standards are high – though the iPod

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 35
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