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Businesswww.bristolpost.co.uk

SUITE DREAMS

Family furnishing firm addssome modern style – page 3

272014AUG

NEW RECRUITERS

Students target neglected areain the market – page 5

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

How immigrant workers arefilling the skills gap – p8&9

Young frozen yoghurt entrepreneurs to openAngelBerry outlets in Middle East and Africa

FLEDGLING FIRMSPREADS WINGS

OVERSEAS EXPANSION

– see page 7

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2 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� Park Furnishers marking manager Paul Marshall in one of the store’s new-look room set-ups

A FURNITURE store that star-ted following a holiday whimby a greengrocer is having amakeover and updating itsproduct lines.

Park Furnishers began whenformer tank commander and NHSadministrator Len Coller spotted anopportunity on a break in Portugal.

By then, Len was working as agreengrocer but was rather takenwith a table and chairs he spied. Hebought them and carried them homeon the roof rack.

After numerous friends compli-mented his new acquisition, nextyear Len went back in a lorry andwithin a few years had handed overthe greengrocers and opened ParkFur nishers.

The firm is still family run more 47years later but that doesn’t mean ith a s n’t evolved.

The store has re-branded, over-hauled its website and introducedsome new collections.

Marking manager Paul Marshallsaid: “Customer feedback has shownthat there has been a demand for us tobranch out in terms of products butwe ’ve also worked hard to preservethe spacious feel of the store and thehigh levels of customer care andafter-sales service we are known for.

“The re-brand of the store itself isanother great turning point; we’rereally excited about the room set-upswhich really give people a feel for howitems will look in their own homes.

“The re-brand means that the storenow truly reflects modern living andwe ’re really pleased with the out-c o m e. ”

The store stocks more than just the

dining tables Len started with. Itstocks a variety of furniture such assofas, beds and office furniture aswell as soft furnishings, upholstery,art, lighting, mirrors and accessor-i e s.

The overhaul is a significant in-vestment in the business but whilethere are new products, Paul says thefirm wants to maintain some of theold ways too.

“We have been in Bristol since 1967and since opening we’ve gained thereputation of being friendly, reliableand great value for money,” he said.

“While we want to remain true toour core family values we also want tointroduce our store to a new gen-eration of home owners and so we’vebranched out into stocking more ex-citing collections that can’t be foundelsewhere in Bristol.”

� The British trade delegation to India, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. It includes Renishaw and Bristol-based Skills for Health

Card payments Ret a i l

Creditcall buildsstrength acrossNorth AmericaA COMPANY which deals with un-supervised card payments – such asthose at parking meters – is con-tinuing its expansion into NorthAmerica.

Creditcall, based in Wapping Roadin the Harbourside, already countsNew York City and the Seattle au-thorities among its customers.

Now the firm, which was recentlygiven the Queen’s Award for Inter-national Trade, has reached a dealwith Canadian company Desjardins.

C re d i t c a l l ’s global trade is donethrough partnerships and it has cer-tified the Montreal-based firm to beits fifth partner processor in Canadaand 12th on the continent.

Dave Witts, president of US pay-ment systems for Creditcall, said: “Bycertifying with Desjardins, we havenot only increased our coverage ofthe North American market but areopening up the doors for our existingand potential new customers by of-fering an even wider selection of pro-cessors that partner with ourpayment gateway.”

Bruno Di Spirito, a director at Des-jardins, said the move would allow itto serve the needs of Creditcall’s cli-ents within the Canadian market.

Creditcall, which employs morethan 60 people in Bristol, developsand manages technology that con-nects parking meters, vending ma-chines and pay-by-phone apps to theb a n k s.

Overseas markets

On a mission Renishaw joins Cleggtrade party paying visit to India

LOCAL firms joined ahigh-profile trade mission toIndia led by the Deputy PrimeMinister and Secretary ofState for Energy.

The trip, which ends today, is thefirst high-level trade mission sinceIndia elected new Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in May.

The delegation of 40 organisationsincludes precision engineering firmRenishaw, which is based in Wot-ton-under-Edge and employs hun-dreds of skilled people in the Bristol

a re a . Renishaw’s Rhydian Pountney,who co-chairs the Advanced Man-ufacturing Group of the India-UKJoint Economic and Trade Commit-tee (JETCO), said, “It is a great hon-our to be invited to attend thismission and comes at a time thatRenishaw is making further invest-ments in India.

“Today we employ more than 250staff in India which includes fivesales offices supporting our expand-ing customer base, plus product as-sembly and software development atour large facility in Pune.”

The firm was part of an aerospacewing of the delegation which atten-ded the Great Business Conference inNew Delhi on Monday.

India’s aerospace market is expec-

ted to be among the top three in theworld within 10 years, according tosome experts.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Cleggsaid: “As the leader in the globalaerospace industry, the UK can alsohelp India strengthen its lead in thisvaluable market.

“Our aerospace industry, whichcomprises big names like Rolls-Royce, BAE systems, Airbus andCobham and smaller companies suchGroup Rhodes, Renishaw and logist-ics company Patton Air, produces andsupplies some of the most pioneeringaircraft components in the world.”

Organisations from other sectorstook part in the mission too, includ-ing education, retail and health.Among them was Skills for Health,

which works to ensure the NHS andprivate employers in the sector canfind people with the right skills fromits headquarters in Broad Plain, Bris-tol.

The delegation was organised byUK Trade and Investment (UKTI) thegovernment department that helpsUK-based companies succeed in theglobal economy.

Ed Davey, Secretary of State of En-ergy and Climate Change, travels onto Hydrabad today looking for op-portunities for British firms in thenewly created state of Telangana.

India is the seventh largest in-vestor in the UK, spending more thanthe rest of the EU combined.

H os p i t a l i ty

Hotels hope to benefitfrom Nato summit

Industrial land deals inarea top 2005 levels� THE volume of industrial landdeals in greater Bristol was thebiggest since 2005 in the first half ofthis year.

The figures come from thewestern branch of the IndustrialAgents Society, made up ofrepresentatives from the region’sleading surveying practices.

It shows a total take-up of 1.53million sq ft whilst 20.25 acres ofland was bought, sold or letbetween January and June this year.

The figures are the highest since2005 for the equivalent period, witha record 126 transactions.

For the same period in 2013, 1.41million sq ft of industrial space and10.07 acres was sold or let.

The largest deal of the period wasthe letting of the 384,768 sq ftformer Morrison’s regionaldistribution centre at CribbsCauseway to The Range.

The sale to Farm Foods, which is

Real estate

New ranges Family-run furnishersadds modern style to old values

THE hospitality sector in the city ishoping to make the most of a majorinternational event taking place justover the Bristol Channel.

More than 150 leaders and dignit-aries from across the world will beheading to Newport next week for aNato summit.

While many will be staying inWales, the event is being staged at theCeltic Manor resort which previouslyhosted the Ryder Cup golf tourna-ment, some people will cross thebridge and use Bristol as a base.

Each delegation will have an as-sortment of civil servants, members

of the media and security in tow.John Dowling, general manager at

DoubleTree by Hilton, Bristol, saysthe summit is a fantastic opportunityto showcase the city as a great placefor business and tourism.

John said: “It’s vital that the cityd o e s n’t miss the opportunity to show-case the city, its facilities, businessacumen and creativity to the del-egates, civil servants and members ofthe media all of whom will be stayingin hotels right across the SouthWe s t .

“The summit is opening up Bristolto countries and individuals that may

not have had dealings with the city inthe past and is a great chance to boosttourism and business links.

“We have numerous bookings onthe back of the summit and we’ll bemaking sure those who are stayingwith us are given the best possibleservice. Their experience will hope-

fully mean repeat business in thef u t u re. ”

This week’s international cricketmatch between England and India atthe County Ground was also expectedto help the hotel sector, although thewashout result won’t have done muchto encourage people to come back.

Sign uphere forbusinessnews directto yourinboxevery day

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Advertising RobertRodgersonCall 07584 003 229Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o n@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapman

Call 01179 343025Email jane.chapman

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising ShamaAbokor, RegionalBusiness AccountExecutiveCall 0117 934 3426Emailshama.abokor@b-nm.co.uk

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

Eurobrick cementsgreat year with moveA COMPANY that makes brick clad-ding is building its own success storyas the construction industry recov-ery continues.

Eurobrick has moved to a biggersite at the Newbridge Trading Estate,Brislington, after having what bossesdescribe as its “most successful yeareve r ” with revenues up 20 per cent.The firm, which employs five people,has been going for 24 years and is ontrack to do even better this year.

The new premises is 65 per centbigger than the old one, with room fora dedicated showroom where cus-tomers can see its product range.

Managing director John Mayessaid: “This move is a really positivestep forward for us and we’re thrilledwith the success of the business overthe last few years.

“We have seen a general upturn inthe level of activity in the construc-tion industry that is of coursesomething everyone can be pleasedabout. By moving into a larger space,we will be able to increase our ef-ficiency as a business and it willmake processing orders easier for thewarehouse staff.”

The firm has created a new role tohelp staff with the increase in en-quiries and orders.

John added: “All in all, this really isa fantastic time for Eurobrick.”

C o n st r u c t i o n

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� JohnDowling,generalmanager atDoubleTree byHilton, Bristol,says the Natosummit isbringingpeople to stayin the city

building a 178,000 sq ft bespokedistribution centre at Central Park inAvonmouth, is seenas more typicalof the market.

PhilCranstone,IndustrialAgentsSocietychairmanandassociatedirector at DTZin Bristol, said:“The Farm Foods dealis hopefully the first of manypre-let/pre-sale transactions in theregion, and current live occupierrequirements seem to indicate thatthis trend will continue into thesecond half of 2014, contributing toa positive full year total.”

The figures cover the four localauthority districts of Bristol City,Bath and North East Somerset,North Somerset and SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re .

Phil Cranstone, pictured

“The Farm Foods dealis hopefully the first ofmany pre-let/pre-saletransactions in there g i o n . ”

EXPORT FOCUS: PAGE 7

Paul Marshall

“While we want toremain true to our corefamily values we alsowant to introduce ourstore to a new generationof home owners.”

A PROFESSOR is coming back homeafter opening a specialist private clin-ic in the city of his birth.

Professor Mark Whiteley was bornin Brislington and went to school inHenleaz e.

He went on to open the WhiteleyClinic in London and Guilford and isnow opening a third centre, this timeat Litfield House Medical Centre inClifton.

The private clinic is for both sur-gical and non-surgical treatment ofvaricose veins and venous condi-tions, a growing business in thehealthcare sector.

Mark said: “It is very special to meto open the clinic in my home city. Iwas born and went to school in Bris-tol and then moved to Bath later on sowhen I decided to open a third clinicBristol was my top location choice.”

The professor was the first con-sultant surgeon to introduce min-imally invasive varicose vein surgerytechniques in the UK when he per-formed the first procedure in 1999.

Chief vascular technologist JudyHoldstock, who assisted in the firstoperation, is among the specialistswho will be working in Bristol.

In 2000 he invented a new techniquecalled transluminal occlusion of per-forating veins, improving on the key-hole surgery techniques and in 2002formed the Whiteley Clinic.

Since 2005 all operations forvaricose veins have been performedunder local anaesthetic with the new

pinhole techniques rather than strip-ping veins, reducing pain and bruis-ing and dispensing with generalanaesthetic and the need to stay inhospital.

Mark added: “The clinic will servepeople in the South West who find itdifficult to get to Guildford or London

for investigations and treatment.“We have installed the latest duplex

ultrasound equipment to accuratelydiagnose underlying causes ofvaricose veins. There is also a brandnew theatre suite for treatments, allof which are walk-in, walk-out pro-cedures with minimal downtime.”

H ea l t h c a re

Surgeon opens clinic in return to his home city

� P ro f e s s o rMarkWhiteley withstaff in hisnew clinic inClifton

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2 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� Park Furnishers marking manager Paul Marshall in one of the store’s new-look room set-ups

A FURNITURE store that star-ted following a holiday whimby a greengrocer is having amakeover and updating itsproduct lines.

Park Furnishers began whenformer tank commander and NHSadministrator Len Coller spotted anopportunity on a break in Portugal.

By then, Len was working as agreengrocer but was rather takenwith a table and chairs he spied. Hebought them and carried them homeon the roof rack.

After numerous friends compli-mented his new acquisition, nextyear Len went back in a lorry andwithin a few years had handed overthe greengrocers and opened ParkFur nishers.

The firm is still family run more 47years later but that doesn’t mean ith a s n’t evolved.

The store has re-branded, over-hauled its website and introducedsome new collections.

Marking manager Paul Marshallsaid: “Customer feedback has shownthat there has been a demand for us tobranch out in terms of products butwe ’ve also worked hard to preservethe spacious feel of the store and thehigh levels of customer care andafter-sales service we are known for.

“The re-brand of the store itself isanother great turning point; we’rereally excited about the room set-upswhich really give people a feel for howitems will look in their own homes.

“The re-brand means that the storenow truly reflects modern living andwe ’re really pleased with the out-c o m e. ”

The store stocks more than just the

dining tables Len started with. Itstocks a variety of furniture such assofas, beds and office furniture aswell as soft furnishings, upholstery,art, lighting, mirrors and accessor-i e s.

The overhaul is a significant in-vestment in the business but whilethere are new products, Paul says thefirm wants to maintain some of theold ways too.

“We have been in Bristol since 1967and since opening we’ve gained thereputation of being friendly, reliableand great value for money,” he said.

“While we want to remain true toour core family values we also want tointroduce our store to a new gen-eration of home owners and so we’vebranched out into stocking more ex-citing collections that can’t be foundelsewhere in Bristol.”

� The British trade delegation to India, led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. It includes Renishaw and Bristol-based Skills for Health

Card payments Ret a i l

Creditcall buildsstrength acrossNorth AmericaA COMPANY which deals with un-supervised card payments – such asthose at parking meters – is con-tinuing its expansion into NorthAmerica.

Creditcall, based in Wapping Roadin the Harbourside, already countsNew York City and the Seattle au-thorities among its customers.

Now the firm, which was recentlygiven the Queen’s Award for Inter-national Trade, has reached a dealwith Canadian company Desjardins.

C re d i t c a l l ’s global trade is donethrough partnerships and it has cer-tified the Montreal-based firm to beits fifth partner processor in Canadaand 12th on the continent.

Dave Witts, president of US pay-ment systems for Creditcall, said: “Bycertifying with Desjardins, we havenot only increased our coverage ofthe North American market but areopening up the doors for our existingand potential new customers by of-fering an even wider selection of pro-cessors that partner with ourpayment gateway.”

Bruno Di Spirito, a director at Des-jardins, said the move would allow itto serve the needs of Creditcall’s cli-ents within the Canadian market.

Creditcall, which employs morethan 60 people in Bristol, developsand manages technology that con-nects parking meters, vending ma-chines and pay-by-phone apps to theb a n k s.

Overseas markets

On a mission Renishaw joins Cleggtrade party paying visit to India

LOCAL firms joined ahigh-profile trade mission toIndia led by the Deputy PrimeMinister and Secretary ofState for Energy.

The trip, which ends today, is thefirst high-level trade mission sinceIndia elected new Prime MinisterNarendra Modi in May.

The delegation of 40 organisationsincludes precision engineering firmRenishaw, which is based in Wot-ton-under-Edge and employs hun-dreds of skilled people in the Bristol

a re a . Renishaw’s Rhydian Pountney,who co-chairs the Advanced Man-ufacturing Group of the India-UKJoint Economic and Trade Commit-tee (JETCO), said, “It is a great hon-our to be invited to attend thismission and comes at a time thatRenishaw is making further invest-ments in India.

“Today we employ more than 250staff in India which includes fivesales offices supporting our expand-ing customer base, plus product as-sembly and software development atour large facility in Pune.”

The firm was part of an aerospacewing of the delegation which atten-ded the Great Business Conference inNew Delhi on Monday.

India’s aerospace market is expec-

ted to be among the top three in theworld within 10 years, according tosome experts.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Cleggsaid: “As the leader in the globalaerospace industry, the UK can alsohelp India strengthen its lead in thisvaluable market.

“Our aerospace industry, whichcomprises big names like Rolls-Royce, BAE systems, Airbus andCobham and smaller companies suchGroup Rhodes, Renishaw and logist-ics company Patton Air, produces andsupplies some of the most pioneeringaircraft components in the world.”

Organisations from other sectorstook part in the mission too, includ-ing education, retail and health.Among them was Skills for Health,

which works to ensure the NHS andprivate employers in the sector canfind people with the right skills fromits headquarters in Broad Plain, Bris-tol.

The delegation was organised byUK Trade and Investment (UKTI) thegovernment department that helpsUK-based companies succeed in theglobal economy.

Ed Davey, Secretary of State of En-ergy and Climate Change, travels onto Hydrabad today looking for op-portunities for British firms in thenewly created state of Telangana.

India is the seventh largest in-vestor in the UK, spending more thanthe rest of the EU combined.

H os p i t a l i ty

Hotels hope to benefitfrom Nato summit

Industrial land deals inarea top 2005 levels� THE volume of industrial landdeals in greater Bristol was thebiggest since 2005 in the first half ofthis year.

The figures come from thewestern branch of the IndustrialAgents Society, made up ofrepresentatives from the region’sleading surveying practices.

It shows a total take-up of 1.53million sq ft whilst 20.25 acres ofland was bought, sold or letbetween January and June this year.

The figures are the highest since2005 for the equivalent period, witha record 126 transactions.

For the same period in 2013, 1.41million sq ft of industrial space and10.07 acres was sold or let.

The largest deal of the period wasthe letting of the 384,768 sq ftformer Morrison’s regionaldistribution centre at CribbsCauseway to The Range.

The sale to Farm Foods, which is

Real estate

New ranges Family-run furnishersadds modern style to old values

THE hospitality sector in the city ishoping to make the most of a majorinternational event taking place justover the Bristol Channel.

More than 150 leaders and dignit-aries from across the world will beheading to Newport next week for aNato summit.

While many will be staying inWales, the event is being staged at theCeltic Manor resort which previouslyhosted the Ryder Cup golf tourna-ment, some people will cross thebridge and use Bristol as a base.

Each delegation will have an as-sortment of civil servants, members

of the media and security in tow.John Dowling, general manager at

DoubleTree by Hilton, Bristol, saysthe summit is a fantastic opportunityto showcase the city as a great placefor business and tourism.

John said: “It’s vital that the cityd o e s n’t miss the opportunity to show-case the city, its facilities, businessacumen and creativity to the del-egates, civil servants and members ofthe media all of whom will be stayingin hotels right across the SouthWe s t .

“The summit is opening up Bristolto countries and individuals that may

not have had dealings with the city inthe past and is a great chance to boosttourism and business links.

“We have numerous bookings onthe back of the summit and we’ll bemaking sure those who are stayingwith us are given the best possibleservice. Their experience will hope-

fully mean repeat business in thef u t u re. ”

This week’s international cricketmatch between England and India atthe County Ground was also expectedto help the hotel sector, although thewashout result won’t have done muchto encourage people to come back.

Sign uphere forbusinessnews directto yourinboxevery day

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Advertising RobertRodgersonCall 07584 003 229Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o n@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapman

Call 01179 343025Email jane.chapman

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising ShamaAbokor, RegionalBusiness AccountExecutiveCall 0117 934 3426Emailshama.abokor@b-nm.co.uk

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

Eurobrick cementsgreat year with moveA COMPANY that makes brick clad-ding is building its own success storyas the construction industry recov-ery continues.

Eurobrick has moved to a biggersite at the Newbridge Trading Estate,Brislington, after having what bossesdescribe as its “most successful yeareve r ” with revenues up 20 per cent.The firm, which employs five people,has been going for 24 years and is ontrack to do even better this year.

The new premises is 65 per centbigger than the old one, with room fora dedicated showroom where cus-tomers can see its product range.

Managing director John Mayessaid: “This move is a really positivestep forward for us and we’re thrilledwith the success of the business overthe last few years.

“We have seen a general upturn inthe level of activity in the construc-tion industry that is of coursesomething everyone can be pleasedabout. By moving into a larger space,we will be able to increase our ef-ficiency as a business and it willmake processing orders easier for thewarehouse staff.”

The firm has created a new role tohelp staff with the increase in en-quiries and orders.

John added: “All in all, this really isa fantastic time for Eurobrick.”

C o n st r u c t i o n

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� JohnDowling,generalmanager atDoubleTree byHilton, Bristol,says the Natosummit isbringingpeople to stayin the city

building a 178,000 sq ft bespokedistribution centre at Central Park inAvonmouth, is seenas more typicalof the market.

PhilCranstone,IndustrialAgentsSocietychairmanandassociatedirector at DTZin Bristol, said:“The Farm Foods dealis hopefully the first of manypre-let/pre-sale transactions in theregion, and current live occupierrequirements seem to indicate thatthis trend will continue into thesecond half of 2014, contributing toa positive full year total.”

The figures cover the four localauthority districts of Bristol City,Bath and North East Somerset,North Somerset and SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re .

Phil Cranstone, pictured

“The Farm Foods dealis hopefully the first ofmany pre-let/pre-saletransactions in there g i o n . ”

EXPORT FOCUS: PAGE 7

Paul Marshall

“While we want toremain true to our corefamily values we alsowant to introduce ourstore to a new generationof home owners.”

A PROFESSOR is coming back homeafter opening a specialist private clin-ic in the city of his birth.

Professor Mark Whiteley was bornin Brislington and went to school inHenleaz e.

He went on to open the WhiteleyClinic in London and Guilford and isnow opening a third centre, this timeat Litfield House Medical Centre inClifton.

The private clinic is for both sur-gical and non-surgical treatment ofvaricose veins and venous condi-tions, a growing business in thehealthcare sector.

Mark said: “It is very special to meto open the clinic in my home city. Iwas born and went to school in Bris-tol and then moved to Bath later on sowhen I decided to open a third clinicBristol was my top location choice.”

The professor was the first con-sultant surgeon to introduce min-imally invasive varicose vein surgerytechniques in the UK when he per-formed the first procedure in 1999.

Chief vascular technologist JudyHoldstock, who assisted in the firstoperation, is among the specialistswho will be working in Bristol.

In 2000 he invented a new techniquecalled transluminal occlusion of per-forating veins, improving on the key-hole surgery techniques and in 2002formed the Whiteley Clinic.

Since 2005 all operations forvaricose veins have been performedunder local anaesthetic with the new

pinhole techniques rather than strip-ping veins, reducing pain and bruis-ing and dispensing with generalanaesthetic and the need to stay inhospital.

Mark added: “The clinic will servepeople in the South West who find itdifficult to get to Guildford or London

for investigations and treatment.“We have installed the latest duplex

ultrasound equipment to accuratelydiagnose underlying causes ofvaricose veins. There is also a brandnew theatre suite for treatments, allof which are walk-in, walk-out pro-cedures with minimal downtime.”

H ea l t h c a re

Surgeon opens clinic in return to his home city

� P ro f e s s o rMarkWhiteley withstaff in hisnew clinic inClifton

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4 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 5We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

A COMPANY that makes med-ical alert wristbands haswon support from a leadingcharity that is now sellingthe devices through its on-

line shop.Tap2Tag, based in Kingswood,

makes wristbands, small cards andkey fobs that contain informationabout the wearer’s medical condi-tion.

They use “near field” technolog ywhich means in an emergency theycan be activated by a smart phone tolearn important details paramedicswould need to know, such as that thewearer has epilepsy or has seriousa l l e r g i e s.

The device can also send a messageto previously chosen family membersor carers to alert them to the emer-g ency.

Now charity Epilepsy Action hasagreed to sell the potentially lifesav-ing devices.

The charity campaigns to raiseawareness about the condition andimprove the lives of the estimated600,000 people living with epilepsy.

Simon Wigglesworth, deputy chiefexecutive at Epilepsy Action, said:“We know from previous researchthat many people with epilepsy areworried about having a seizure inp u bl i c.

“Devices which give informationabout a person’s epilepsy and seizuretype can be very useful in helpingpassers-by know what to do if they seesomeone having a seizure.

“We are very pleased to be able tooffer these devices to people withepilepsy through our online shop.”

Tap2Ta g’s managing director,Chris Ford, said: “Ever since we firstlaunched the devices Epilepsy Actionhas been supportive and enthusiasticabout their potential to help many ofthe hundreds of thousands of peoplewho live with the condition.

“The fact that the UK’s number oneepilepsy charity, which does so muchgood work supporting and improvingthe lives of thousands, believes in ourproducts enough to sell them in itsown shop is a source of enormous

pride for all associated withTap2Ta g.”

In an emergency, for example whensomeone collapses, after calling the

emergency services any passer-bywith an NFC-enabled mobile phonecan just tap the patient’s device and,within a couple of clicks, gain instantaccess to medical information thewearer has chosen to disclose.

That could be medical conditionsor even a note such as: “I have a heartcondition. Spray is in my bag. Sprayonce in my mouth then wait for para-m e d i c s. ”

Chris came up with the idea afterhis nephew was diagnosed with apotentially fatal allergy.

He had the number of a charityhelpline tattooed on his arm in case ofemergency – but the numberchang ed.

T hat’s when Chris decided thereshould be a better way.

Medical wristband firmlifted by charity support

� Chris Ford with the medical wristbands

St u d e n tsseeking tofill gap inthe market

A GROUP of students in Bris-tol are trying to shake up therecruitment market by tar-geting an area they feel hasbeen neglected – people like

them.Chris Dalley, 23, William Duddell,

22, and Denis Sellu, 21, are all stu-dents at UWE Bristol.

Chris and Denis study robotics andWilliam is taking a real estate valu-ation management degree.

But while studying, they have madethe time to launch their own busi-ness, called Missionly.

While most recruitment platformstarget graduates, the trio felt therewas little help for students lookingfor relevant opportunities while stillstudying, such as part-time jobs,freelance work, volunteering and in-ter nships.

And if students find the serviceuseful, it’s a natural next step forthem and businesses to use the plat-form to match people for graduateroles in future.

Will said: “We are striving to givebusinesses the opportunity to sourcetalented students without costingthem an arm and leg.

“Our platform gives employers thetools to make hiring decisions thatonly they know best as opposed toallowing recruitment agencies tomake poorly informed and expensivere c o m m e n d at i o n s. ”

The firm, which is based at theEngine Shed and went through theWebStart Bristol incubator pro-gramme, already has 50 businessessigned up.

It hopes this will grow quickly afterits official launch.

One business that has already usedthe platform is UWE-based robotics

start-up Agilic.Founder Harry Gee said: “I re-

cruited a student using Missionly tomanage my companies marketing en-deavours and I found it to be anexceptional experience.

“John, the student I recruited, hasnow progressed to become a vital partof my team as we look to growthroughout the UK.”

A RESTAURANT that was creditedwith making the bring-your-ownwine concept popular in Bristol inthe 1990s is being revived.

Melbournes BYO had a loyal fol-lowing in Park Street where it wasbased for 15 years.

Tony Wilshaw sold the business inthe late 1990s but is reviving thebrand, although a touch further fromthe inner city hubbub in HamG re e n .

He said: “Quality seasonal food, asensibly priced two and three coursemenu, along with a policy ofbring-your-own wine, was the recipeon which Melbournes built its suc-c e s s.

“I suppose 15 years is a long time towait before returning with a suc-

cessful concept but I feel now is theright time.

“Diners revelled in the fact that atMelbournes you could bring yourown wine without a corkage charge,and we will be reviving this BYOp o l i cy. ”

He said the bar area will be relaxed

offering pizza and a grill menu, withmain meal prices starting at £6.50.

The bring-your-own wine policyoperates alongside fixed pricemenus, and Tony said there were no“hidden extras” with starters accom-panied by bread and all mains ac-companied by potatoes andve getables.

A new pizza kitchen has been in-stalled at the premises, formerly theAnchor and Mezze restaurant, andthe restaurant will offer a takeawayservice too.

The Mezze brand is run by Tony’snephew and is one of the ways he haskept his hand in since the sale ofMelbournes BYO. The other is hisown restaurant Delmonico, inGloucester Road.

Another helping of BYO restaurant

� Leigh Iles and Tony Wilshaw at Melbournes BYO in Ham Green

� TheMissionlyfounders atthe EngineShed, fromtop DenisSellu, ChrisDalley, andWilliamDuddell

Family concerncelebrates withmove to HiveA WEALTH management firm hascelebrated its fifth birthday with amove into North Somerset’s newestbusiness centre.

Joyce Oliver Wealth Management,founded in Elborough near Wes-ton-super-Mare, has taken space inThe Hive, in the town’s Junction 21Enterprise Area.

The family business was foundedand is managed by Joyce Oliver andoffers services such as tax planning,wealth preservation and successionplanning.

Husband Ian works as practicemanager as part of the five-strongteam.

F i n a n ceCar park worker’s ideagets seal of approvalIN the rush to make a flight for yourfamily holiday or important meeting,it’s easy to forget to do something.

One of the surprisingly commonmistakes travellers make is leavingtheir car window open – not idealwhen the British weather sets in.

It’s a problem Bristol Airport hasseen many times, especially as it has14,000 spaces, making it the biggeston-site car park in the country.

Car park attendant Ellis Mead, pic-t u re d , has taped cardboard acrossmany people’s open windows but itwas hardly a perfect solu-tion. He decided thebusiness should dosomething more.

Ellis foundjust that afterspeaking to afirm in Exetercalled Packexe,which makes aglazing filmoften used to pro-tect inside homesduring building works.

Now, after a successful trial, theairport is rolling out the use of theproduct across its car parks.

Graham Howell, customer opera-tions manager (ground transporta-tion), said, “As an airport we arealways looking at ways of improvingcustomer experience.”

Ellis said: “It gives me a great senseof job satisfaction, knowing that Ihave been involved from the veryearly stages of resolving a problemfaced by passengers and seeing it nowused at the airport.”

‘Being a finalist was sogood for our profile’THE winners of a national entre-preneurs award is encouraging oth-ers to enter this year.

Bristol-based Turtle Tots, run byCaroline Sparks and Gabrielle Lix-ton, won the Mumpreneur of the Yeartitle at the Startups Awards.

Caroline said: “We ’ve certainlyfound that being a finalist and being awinner is great for our business.

“The awards are a great way ofraising your profile and there are lotsof spin-offs where people find you as are s u l t . ”

To find out more about the awardsor to enter, simply visit w w w. s t a r -tupsaw ards.co.uk before Friday,September 12.

Software tester TVSlogs in to Far East� A TESTING company whichstarted in Bristol’s SETsquaredbusiness incubator has opened anoffice in Singapore and has startedworking in China and South Korea.

TVS, a leader in the softwaretesting and hardware verificationfields, has been growing at a rapidrate and now employs more than120 people around the world.

But it retains its HQ at theEngine Shed in Bristol’s TempleQuarter Enterprise Zone.

Despite outgrowing theincubator it joined in2008, TVS hasbecome analumnimember andthe biggestfirm in theS E Ts q u a re df a m i l y.

Chiefexecutive DrMike Bartley,pictur ed, praisedthe support theorganisation had given his firm todate. He said: “As a technicalspecialist I needed guidance onhow to grow a business andSETsquared effectively providedthis. TVS is very pleased with itson-going relationship withS E Ts q u a re d . ”

During the past year the firm hasexpanded its operations and plansto continue its expansion withoffices in China and the US duringthe second half of 2014.

In addition, TVS has expandedits services into security testingand compliance with safetystandards, which it expects shouldbring significant new business.

Homes build begins� WORK has begun on 129 newhomes near Emersons Green.

Builder Barratt Homes saysaround 260 people will be involvedin the construction and sales ofthe homes on the Lyde Greendevelopment, most being localsub-contractors and tradesmen.

Sales director Andrea Pilgrimsaid: “This translates into asignificant boost for local retailersat a time when concerns remainabout the national financialp i c t u re , ” she said. “It's exactlywhat this area needs.”

Barratt is one of severaldevelopers on the site.

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

THE recovering property marketcould be putting suburban pubs inperil, according to one expert.

While the hospitality sec-tor as a whole has seenthings improve this year,it hasn’t been enough tosave some of Bristol’slandmark pubs.

Colliers Internation-al hotels specialistPeter Brunt, p i c t u re d ,said while the upturn wasevident in some of the morerural locations suburbanpubs were still being hit hard.

That could be because there aremore pubs closer together in sub-urban spots, fighting for the same

market, compared to little compet-ition in villages.

Peter said the growth in theeconomy had encouraged

many owners to take theopportunity to get onwith plans that some hadshelved over the last fewyears, including con-verting to alternativeu s e s.

A planning applicationwas recently submitted to

turn the Air Balloon Tavernin St George into nine flats.

Peter, hotels director at Colliers’sBroad Quay office, said: “The AirBalloon Tavern is not the only pubwhere an alternative use has been

considered or attempted, especiallygiven the chronic shortage of newhousing across the West.

“These well-known pubs are step-ping stones on the main roads out ofBristol and have served generationsof drinkers. But a combination of therecession, people preferring to drinkat home and even lingering resent-ment at the smoking ban have hitsome businesses for six.”

Several pubs have also become con-venience stores. The Bell in Bell Hill

Owners call time on their pubsstruggling in suburban locations

� The Chequers in Kingswood is scheduled to become a new Tesco; the Lord Rodney has become a Co-op

Road, Kingswood, was turned into aTesco, the Lord Rodney, also in BellHill Road, became a Co-op and theChequers pub in Lodge Road, Kings-wood, is scheduled to become a newTesco, despite a campaign to save it.

Real ale campaigners CAMRA saypub closures are running at a rate of31 per week across the UK.

Peter said: “Many suburban pubseven on main routes such as the A420have continued to struggle whileinner city and country pubs have

rebounded strongly.“But demand is returning and I

believe there are plenty of buyers outthere ready to have a crack at theright pub in the right place. Pubsbeside water and with good gardenshave done particularly well throughthe summer months.

“My take is that owners are seeingthat we can sell property and havenow decided to take the plunge afteryears of putting up with quieter mar-ket conditions..”

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

H ea l t h c a re Airpor t

Startups Awards

H os p i t a l i ty Food and drink

C o n st r u c t i o n

Te c h n o l o g yRe c r u i t m e n t

Joyce said: “I set out five years agodetermined to provide a servicewhich is unique, bespoke andtailored to our clients’ financialneeds and future aspirations, with abusiness philosophy focused on beinglong term trusted advisers deliveringquality advice with integrity.

“We have our own client charterwhich sets out how we operate andwhat we deliver to our clients andwhat we expect from them.

“With most of our business comingthrough recommendation and ourservices passed on from clients totheir beneficiaries, this approach hashelped us build a reputation for ex-c e l l e n c e.

“We concentrate on the life of thewealth as well as the wealth of thel iv i n g . ”

The plan is to continue to grow thebusiness by following the samestrate g y.

Joyce said: “We provide exception-ally good financial advice and sup-port, comprehensive knowledge anda friendly and personable approach.T hat’s our niche.”

So far the team has focused locally,signing up students from UWE, Bris-tol, Bath and Bath Spa universitiesbut the model has the potential to rollout much more widely.

The team was awarded the UWEEntrepreneurs of the Year award for2014 and is looking for investment inorder to take them to grow the busi-ness further.Will Duddell

“We are striving to givebusinesses the oppor-tunity to source talentedstudents without costingthem an arm and leg

� Ian Oliver and Joyce Oliver ofJoyce Oliver Wealth Management

Chris Ford

Since we launched thedevices Epilepsy Actionhas been enthusiasticabout their potential tohelp many of thehundreds of thousands ofpeople who live with thecondition.

“

Tony Wilshaw

“Diners revelled in thefact that at Melbournesyou could bring yourown wine without acorkage charge.”

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

4 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 5We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

A COMPANY that makes med-ical alert wristbands haswon support from a leadingcharity that is now sellingthe devices through its on-

line shop.Tap2Tag, based in Kingswood,

makes wristbands, small cards andkey fobs that contain informationabout the wearer’s medical condi-tion.

They use “near field” technolog ywhich means in an emergency theycan be activated by a smart phone tolearn important details paramedicswould need to know, such as that thewearer has epilepsy or has seriousa l l e r g i e s.

The device can also send a messageto previously chosen family membersor carers to alert them to the emer-g ency.

Now charity Epilepsy Action hasagreed to sell the potentially lifesav-ing devices.

The charity campaigns to raiseawareness about the condition andimprove the lives of the estimated600,000 people living with epilepsy.

Simon Wigglesworth, deputy chiefexecutive at Epilepsy Action, said:“We know from previous researchthat many people with epilepsy areworried about having a seizure inp u bl i c.

“Devices which give informationabout a person’s epilepsy and seizuretype can be very useful in helpingpassers-by know what to do if they seesomeone having a seizure.

“We are very pleased to be able tooffer these devices to people withepilepsy through our online shop.”

Tap2Ta g’s managing director,Chris Ford, said: “Ever since we firstlaunched the devices Epilepsy Actionhas been supportive and enthusiasticabout their potential to help many ofthe hundreds of thousands of peoplewho live with the condition.

“The fact that the UK’s number oneepilepsy charity, which does so muchgood work supporting and improvingthe lives of thousands, believes in ourproducts enough to sell them in itsown shop is a source of enormous

pride for all associated withTap2Ta g.”

In an emergency, for example whensomeone collapses, after calling the

emergency services any passer-bywith an NFC-enabled mobile phonecan just tap the patient’s device and,within a couple of clicks, gain instantaccess to medical information thewearer has chosen to disclose.

That could be medical conditionsor even a note such as: “I have a heartcondition. Spray is in my bag. Sprayonce in my mouth then wait for para-m e d i c s. ”

Chris came up with the idea afterhis nephew was diagnosed with apotentially fatal allergy.

He had the number of a charityhelpline tattooed on his arm in case ofemergency – but the numberchang ed.

T hat’s when Chris decided thereshould be a better way.

Medical wristband firmlifted by charity support

� Chris Ford with the medical wristbands

St u d e n tsseeking tofill gap inthe market

A GROUP of students in Bris-tol are trying to shake up therecruitment market by tar-geting an area they feel hasbeen neglected – people like

them.Chris Dalley, 23, William Duddell,

22, and Denis Sellu, 21, are all stu-dents at UWE Bristol.

Chris and Denis study robotics andWilliam is taking a real estate valu-ation management degree.

But while studying, they have madethe time to launch their own busi-ness, called Missionly.

While most recruitment platformstarget graduates, the trio felt therewas little help for students lookingfor relevant opportunities while stillstudying, such as part-time jobs,freelance work, volunteering and in-ter nships.

And if students find the serviceuseful, it’s a natural next step forthem and businesses to use the plat-form to match people for graduateroles in future.

Will said: “We are striving to givebusinesses the opportunity to sourcetalented students without costingthem an arm and leg.

“Our platform gives employers thetools to make hiring decisions thatonly they know best as opposed toallowing recruitment agencies tomake poorly informed and expensivere c o m m e n d at i o n s. ”

The firm, which is based at theEngine Shed and went through theWebStart Bristol incubator pro-gramme, already has 50 businessessigned up.

It hopes this will grow quickly afterits official launch.

One business that has already usedthe platform is UWE-based robotics

start-up Agilic.Founder Harry Gee said: “I re-

cruited a student using Missionly tomanage my companies marketing en-deavours and I found it to be anexceptional experience.

“John, the student I recruited, hasnow progressed to become a vital partof my team as we look to growthroughout the UK.”

A RESTAURANT that was creditedwith making the bring-your-ownwine concept popular in Bristol inthe 1990s is being revived.

Melbournes BYO had a loyal fol-lowing in Park Street where it wasbased for 15 years.

Tony Wilshaw sold the business inthe late 1990s but is reviving thebrand, although a touch further fromthe inner city hubbub in HamG re e n .

He said: “Quality seasonal food, asensibly priced two and three coursemenu, along with a policy ofbring-your-own wine, was the recipeon which Melbournes built its suc-c e s s.

“I suppose 15 years is a long time towait before returning with a suc-

cessful concept but I feel now is theright time.

“Diners revelled in the fact that atMelbournes you could bring yourown wine without a corkage charge,and we will be reviving this BYOp o l i cy. ”

He said the bar area will be relaxed

offering pizza and a grill menu, withmain meal prices starting at £6.50.

The bring-your-own wine policyoperates alongside fixed pricemenus, and Tony said there were no“hidden extras” with starters accom-panied by bread and all mains ac-companied by potatoes andve getables.

A new pizza kitchen has been in-stalled at the premises, formerly theAnchor and Mezze restaurant, andthe restaurant will offer a takeawayservice too.

The Mezze brand is run by Tony’snephew and is one of the ways he haskept his hand in since the sale ofMelbournes BYO. The other is hisown restaurant Delmonico, inGloucester Road.

Another helping of BYO restaurant

� Leigh Iles and Tony Wilshaw at Melbournes BYO in Ham Green

� TheMissionlyfounders atthe EngineShed, fromtop DenisSellu, ChrisDalley, andWilliamDuddell

Family concerncelebrates withmove to HiveA WEALTH management firm hascelebrated its fifth birthday with amove into North Somerset’s newestbusiness centre.

Joyce Oliver Wealth Management,founded in Elborough near Wes-ton-super-Mare, has taken space inThe Hive, in the town’s Junction 21Enterprise Area.

The family business was foundedand is managed by Joyce Oliver andoffers services such as tax planning,wealth preservation and successionplanning.

Husband Ian works as practicemanager as part of the five-strongteam.

F i n a n ceCar park worker’s ideagets seal of approvalIN the rush to make a flight for yourfamily holiday or important meeting,it’s easy to forget to do something.

One of the surprisingly commonmistakes travellers make is leavingtheir car window open – not idealwhen the British weather sets in.

It’s a problem Bristol Airport hasseen many times, especially as it has14,000 spaces, making it the biggeston-site car park in the country.

Car park attendant Ellis Mead, pic-t u re d , has taped cardboard acrossmany people’s open windows but itwas hardly a perfect solu-tion. He decided thebusiness should dosomething more.

Ellis foundjust that afterspeaking to afirm in Exetercalled Packexe,which makes aglazing filmoften used to pro-tect inside homesduring building works.

Now, after a successful trial, theairport is rolling out the use of theproduct across its car parks.

Graham Howell, customer opera-tions manager (ground transporta-tion), said, “As an airport we arealways looking at ways of improvingcustomer experience.”

Ellis said: “It gives me a great senseof job satisfaction, knowing that Ihave been involved from the veryearly stages of resolving a problemfaced by passengers and seeing it nowused at the airport.”

‘Being a finalist was sogood for our profile’THE winners of a national entre-preneurs award is encouraging oth-ers to enter this year.

Bristol-based Turtle Tots, run byCaroline Sparks and Gabrielle Lix-ton, won the Mumpreneur of the Yeartitle at the Startups Awards.

Caroline said: “We ’ve certainlyfound that being a finalist and being awinner is great for our business.

“The awards are a great way ofraising your profile and there are lotsof spin-offs where people find you as are s u l t . ”

To find out more about the awardsor to enter, simply visit w w w. s t a r -tupsaw ards.co.uk before Friday,September 12.

Software tester TVSlogs in to Far East� A TESTING company whichstarted in Bristol’s SETsquaredbusiness incubator has opened anoffice in Singapore and has startedworking in China and South Korea.

TVS, a leader in the softwaretesting and hardware verificationfields, has been growing at a rapidrate and now employs more than120 people around the world.

But it retains its HQ at theEngine Shed in Bristol’s TempleQuarter Enterprise Zone.

Despite outgrowing theincubator it joined in2008, TVS hasbecome analumnimember andthe biggestfirm in theS E Ts q u a re df a m i l y.

Chiefexecutive DrMike Bartley,pictur ed, praisedthe support theorganisation had given his firm todate. He said: “As a technicalspecialist I needed guidance onhow to grow a business andSETsquared effectively providedthis. TVS is very pleased with itson-going relationship withS E Ts q u a re d . ”

During the past year the firm hasexpanded its operations and plansto continue its expansion withoffices in China and the US duringthe second half of 2014.

In addition, TVS has expandedits services into security testingand compliance with safetystandards, which it expects shouldbring significant new business.

Homes build begins� WORK has begun on 129 newhomes near Emersons Green.

Builder Barratt Homes saysaround 260 people will be involvedin the construction and sales ofthe homes on the Lyde Greendevelopment, most being localsub-contractors and tradesmen.

Sales director Andrea Pilgrimsaid: “This translates into asignificant boost for local retailersat a time when concerns remainabout the national financialp i c t u re , ” she said. “It's exactlywhat this area needs.”

Barratt is one of severaldevelopers on the site.

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

THE recovering property marketcould be putting suburban pubs inperil, according to one expert.

While the hospitality sec-tor as a whole has seenthings improve this year,it hasn’t been enough tosave some of Bristol’slandmark pubs.

Colliers Internation-al hotels specialistPeter Brunt, p i c t u re d ,said while the upturn wasevident in some of the morerural locations suburbanpubs were still being hit hard.

That could be because there aremore pubs closer together in sub-urban spots, fighting for the same

market, compared to little compet-ition in villages.

Peter said the growth in theeconomy had encouraged

many owners to take theopportunity to get onwith plans that some hadshelved over the last fewyears, including con-verting to alternativeu s e s.

A planning applicationwas recently submitted to

turn the Air Balloon Tavernin St George into nine flats.

Peter, hotels director at Colliers’sBroad Quay office, said: “The AirBalloon Tavern is not the only pubwhere an alternative use has been

considered or attempted, especiallygiven the chronic shortage of newhousing across the West.

“These well-known pubs are step-ping stones on the main roads out ofBristol and have served generationsof drinkers. But a combination of therecession, people preferring to drinkat home and even lingering resent-ment at the smoking ban have hitsome businesses for six.”

Several pubs have also become con-venience stores. The Bell in Bell Hill

Owners call time on their pubsstruggling in suburban locations

� The Chequers in Kingswood is scheduled to become a new Tesco; the Lord Rodney has become a Co-op

Road, Kingswood, was turned into aTesco, the Lord Rodney, also in BellHill Road, became a Co-op and theChequers pub in Lodge Road, Kings-wood, is scheduled to become a newTesco, despite a campaign to save it.

Real ale campaigners CAMRA saypub closures are running at a rate of31 per week across the UK.

Peter said: “Many suburban pubseven on main routes such as the A420have continued to struggle whileinner city and country pubs have

rebounded strongly.“But demand is returning and I

believe there are plenty of buyers outthere ready to have a crack at theright pub in the right place. Pubsbeside water and with good gardenshave done particularly well throughthe summer months.

“My take is that owners are seeingthat we can sell property and havenow decided to take the plunge afteryears of putting up with quieter mar-ket conditions..”

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

H ea l t h c a re Airpor t

Startups Awards

H os p i t a l i ty Food and drink

C o n st r u c t i o n

Te c h n o l o g yRe c r u i t m e n t

Joyce said: “I set out five years agodetermined to provide a servicewhich is unique, bespoke andtailored to our clients’ financialneeds and future aspirations, with abusiness philosophy focused on beinglong term trusted advisers deliveringquality advice with integrity.

“We have our own client charterwhich sets out how we operate andwhat we deliver to our clients andwhat we expect from them.

“With most of our business comingthrough recommendation and ourservices passed on from clients totheir beneficiaries, this approach hashelped us build a reputation for ex-c e l l e n c e.

“We concentrate on the life of thewealth as well as the wealth of thel iv i n g . ”

The plan is to continue to grow thebusiness by following the samestrate g y.

Joyce said: “We provide exception-ally good financial advice and sup-port, comprehensive knowledge anda friendly and personable approach.T hat’s our niche.”

So far the team has focused locally,signing up students from UWE, Bris-tol, Bath and Bath Spa universitiesbut the model has the potential to rollout much more widely.

The team was awarded the UWEEntrepreneurs of the Year award for2014 and is looking for investment inorder to take them to grow the busi-ness further.Will Duddell

“We are striving to givebusinesses the oppor-tunity to source talentedstudents without costingthem an arm and leg

� Ian Oliver and Joyce Oliver ofJoyce Oliver Wealth Management

Chris Ford

Since we launched thedevices Epilepsy Actionhas been enthusiasticabout their potential tohelp many of thehundreds of thousands ofpeople who live with thecondition.

“

Tony Wilshaw

“Diners revelled in thefact that at Melbournesyou could bring yourown wine without acorkage charge.”

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

6 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 7We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The Business Pulse

MANY businesses in theBristol area are exportingsuccessfully, but thosewhich aren’t want morehelp if they are to break

into overseas markets.That was the findings from the

third and final Business Pulse specialreport from the first survey, pub-lished today by accountancy andbusiness advisory firm BDO LLP inpartnership with the Bristol Post.

Business leaders from the city andsurrounding areas took part in theexclusive survey and gave their viewson the topic of exporting and thejourneys taken to tap into foreignm a rke t s.

Exporting has been highlighted bybusiness experts and the Govern-ment as a key driver to economicrecovery and for building on Bristol’sposition as a leading hub for com-merce and business, not just in theUK, but across Europe and beyond.

The recently released Great BritishExport Report from FedEx reportsthat SMEs based in the South Westand London are the most likely toexport overseas. However, it alsohighlights that there is still a lack ofawareness; not only of the benefits toexporting but also of the resourcesava i l abl e.

The Business Pulse survey asked anumber of key questions around thetopic of international trade andlooked at what can be done to improvethe current situation.

When asked whether they cur-rently trade overseas, the inter-viewees were split roughly down themiddle. Half are already engaged inthe global import and export marketand just under 10 per cent trade solelyin Europe. The remaining 40 per centare not involved in internationaltrade in any capacity.

When it came to specific markets,the results were split across a widerange of nations right across theglobe. No major trading partner stoodout but highlighted that South Westfirms are prepared to travel acrossthe globe for the correct opportunity.

Despite ongoing instability in theeurozone, western Europe was iden-tified as the most popular destinationfor international trading by firms in

the region, which has been supportedby the close transport links and theEU. In total 28 per cent revealed theytrade in Europe on a regular basis.The two other regions of the world tostand out were North America andSouth East Asia, followed closely bySouth America.

Businesses not trading overseaswere asked to relay the primary reas-on for not being involved in foreignmarkets. The majority (38 per cent)said they still had to reach their fullpotential in the domestic market be-fore looking further afield.

When it came to help and supportfor firms looking to pick up morebusiness overseas, financing washighlighted as a key issue and thecost of developing customers in newcountries has put some businesses offfrom moving into new markets. Theother two key factors were issuessurrounding the distribution ofgoods and the lack of hands-on as-sistance from organisations and Gov-

ernment agencies.Establishing and building a busi-

ness overseas can be very challengingwith 20 per cent of respondents citingthe need for additional support inestablishing new contacts overseas. Afurther 15 per cent called for greaterhelp in identifying their marketswith increased access to tailored ad-vice and support.

There is a perception that Bristol islacking the international credibilityin comparison to other regional citiesaround the UK. It’s felt that the oddsare firmly stacked in favour of theSouth East, which has the benefit ofinternational airports and transportl i n k s.

Graham Randall, partner and headof BDO in Bristol, said: “The topic ofexporting has produced some inter-esting results in our survey. It is clear

FIRMS LACK EXPORTING KNOW-HOWEarlier this year the Bristol Post and accountancyand advisory firm BDO teamed up to carry out asurvey of SMEs in the Bristol area. In our thirdreport on the results, we look at how businessesfeel about exports.

that the issues surrounding inter-national trade are complex but somekey points have emerged.

“Most important is the fact thatbusinesses have the drive to expandoverseas, however the problem stilllies in understanding how. There is afeeling that more help and support isneeded and businesses are calling forthe backing of the Government notonly in practical terms but also whenit comes to understanding culturaland regulatory differences and es-tablishing new customers.

“The private sector also has animportant part to play to help busi-nesses prosper in new markets acrossthe world. Working with the rightadvisers that have the experience andexpertise to help map out your in-ternational journey is crucial.

“It is vital for Bristol and the sur-

Tell us your views on sustainability, the role of the mid-market in the economic recovery and the importance of apprenticeships. Scan the QR code below using the scanner on your smartphone or visit http://tinyurl.com/bristolpulseqr

HB06265_Bristol Business Pulse campaign_50 x 100.indd 17/17/2014 11:56:38 AM

SOME businesses don’t exportbecause they want to squeezeevery last drop from theirhome market before enteringinto new and uncharted ter-

ritories. But it doesn’t have to be thatway, as AngelBerry proves.

The frozen yoghurt retailer hasjust three UK stores – two in Bristolwhere it was founded and one inBrighton.

But its first store in the UAE openssoon, to be followed by one in SouthAfrica. It is also in early talks withpartners in India and has signed afranchise deal for 80 stores acrossthe Gulf States.

James Taylor, who co-founded thecompany with Ryan Pasco, saysthere was an element of chance inthis expansive approach early on.

“Someone wanted to open a fran-chise in Mauritius,” he said. “Wesaid we wanted to franchise fromday one so we were ready. We hadthought that would be in the UK butwe didn’t want to turn down theoppor tunity.”

Once they started on the inter-national route, there’s been no stop-ping James and Ryan, who are both23.

They launched the business in themiddle of winter at Imperial RetailPark, Hartcliffe, and perhaps thatgave them the early insight thattheir products would do even betterin better weather.

James said: “In the UK we havepoor winters but in the hotter coun-tries the winter is not like ours soafter Mauritius we thought wewould pivot the business towardst h at . ”

They went to a trade show in

Dubai where they pitched to po-tential franchisees and secured amajor deal with TriStar Corporationwhich plans to open 80 franchisesacross the region.

That led to the decision to scale upthe operation. They perfected theirrecipe and found a factory in Italythat could make enough frozenyoghurt to order to meet their am-bitions. That is shipped to Bristolwhere it is stored at the firm’sHartcliffe warehouse before beingshipped around the world.

James was full of praise for thehelp the company has had from UKTrade and Investment, which he saidhad helped with market researchand making contacts.

“That was the big benefit,” saidJames. “A bit of support but mainlythe contacts. We’re talking to acompany in India now which theyput us in touch with.”

In the near future the growthlooks set to continue, including somenew UK outlets. But there’s nochance of AngelBerry going coolabout the potential of overseas mar-kets anytime soon.

Catherine Stephens, internationaltrade services manager atBusiness West, shares her top tipsfor getting paid for your exports.She says: “Selling internationally isvery complex but – as with mostthings – the process can be mademuch easier when you get help,especially when it comes to gettingpaid. During my 15 years workingwith exporters we have noticed areal upward trend in the use of ourLetter of Credit service, asexporters are looking for the addedsecurity it can give them.”

� 1. Use a Letter of CreditA Letter of Credit is an officialdocument used by thousands ofbusinesses across the UK toguarantee payment for exportingtheir products or services. TheLetter of Credit is issued by a bankand contains strict termsspecifying, amongst other things,what documentation is required,the amount of money to be paidand within what time frame.

� 2. Understand the conditionalnature of the Letter of CreditThe letter provides considerablesecurity for the exporter and isoften used to ensure contractualprovisions are met. Howeverpayment will not be made unlessthe terms of credit are metprecisely, so you should ensurethat all terms and conditions arecomplied with.

� 3. Select the appropriate typeThere are a number of differenttypes of Letter of Credit includingConfirmed Irrevocable Letter ofCredit, Irrevocable Letter of Credit,Transferable Letter of Credit, Backto Back Letter of Credit, StandbyLetter of Credit. It is vitallyimportant that you select the righttype for your export activity.

� 4. Use meticulous care75 per cent of exporters who dotheir own documentation get itwrong first time, which can lead toadditional costs and unexpecteddelays in payment. Preparation ofdocumentation required for aLetter of Credit takes time andrequires a high level of attention todetail. Gaining knowledge of boththe shipping world and bankingindustry can also beadvantageous.

� 5. Access expert guidanceThe cost to UK business throughpresenting non compliantdocumentation to banks isestimated to run into hundreds ofmillions of pounds per year,therefore it pays to access expertadvice when it comes to using aLetter of Credit.

Business West can offer expertguidance and assistance withselecting and preparing the correctLetter of Credit. This bespokeservice has a higher first timeapproval rate with the banks andcan save time, money and help toavoid bad debts.

Find out more: www. businesswest.co.uk/letters-of-cr edit.

www.businesswest.co.uk

#GetExportingwww.exportbritain.org.uk

#GetExportingwww.businesswest.co.uk

#GetExportingwww.businesswest.co.uk

#GetExporting

BUSINESS taking up the export chal-lenge will no doubt have heard aboutthe BRIC markets – Brazil, Russia,India and China – and how thesepowerhouse economies hold the keyto a profitable future.

The economist Jim O’Neill, re-sponsible for introducing the termBRIC back in 2001, has been at itagain and has a new term for all tolearn – the MINT countries.

Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria andTurkey (MINT) are the new kids onthe block and considered by many,including Mr O’Neill, as the emer-ging economic giants. It’s true to saythat over the past decade British com-panies have fallen behind theirEuropean and global counterpartswhen it comes to trade and invest-ment. Many nations are enjoying far

more fruitful relationships with theBRIC countries and to keep the UKeconomy growing we must exploitmore export opportunities.

So why focus on these four newm a rke t s ?

The MINT countries have a few keythemes in common; young popula-tions, useful geographic placement,and (Turkey excepted) being com-modity producers. These character-istics echo those that made theirBRIC predecessors so successful andfor this reason it’s important thatBritish businesses are quick off themark to ensure that they’re strategic-ally positioned to get an equal piece ofthe pie this time around.

Let’s take a closer look at each ofthe MINT markets and what makesthem so special.

� MexicoHas the distinct advantage of beingneighbours with both the US andLatin America. With an average ageof 27, it boasts a rapidly growingyoung population from which we arealready seeing a large rise indomestic consumption, with a clearappetite for British products andservices.

� IndonesiaWith a population of over 251million, Indonesia has a growing,and affluent, middle class, which isestimated to be at least 35 millionstrong. This young population isearning more money each year andfigures show that these individualsa re n ’t afraid to spend their newfound wealth.

� NigeriaNigeria could soon overtaje SouthAfrica as the biggest economy inAfrica.

With a population of over 160million people, Nigeria is anincreasingly important market forBritish companies and the UK isalready one of the largest investors.

� Tu r k e yIf Turkey can sort out its politicalproblems the country could becomeone of the fastest growing Europeaneconomies.

Nearly half of its 80 millionpopulation is under the age of 25,and Turkey is positioned sweetlybetween Europe and Asia with thepotential to act as a gateway to theMiddle East.

Making sure you getpaid for your exportsFrozen yoghurt makers quick to

make move in foreign marketsGavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk � Business West is

campaigning to increase thenumber of exporters in there g i o n .

Under the banner#GetExporting, the goal is help2,020 companies to grow theirbusiness through exports by2020.

Business West and UKTI canoffer a range of support forfirms looking to export.

Find out more online atw w w. b u s i n e s s w e s t . c o . u k .

#GetExpor ting

� AngelBerry founders James Taylor (left) and Ryan Pasco

Get a taste for exporting to the MINT countries

Tell us your views on sustainability, the role of the mid-market in the economic recovery and the importance of apprenticeships. Scan the QR code below using the scanner on your smartphone or visit http://tinyurl.com/bristolpulseqr

HB06265_Bristol Business Pulse campaign_50 x 100.indd 17/17/2014 11:56:38 AM

Colin Skellett, Chairman, Westof England LEP:

“Exporting is criticalfor the growth of thelocal market. Itdirectly improves abusiness’scompetitiveness,which has an indirectbut significant impacton a region’s economy.The LEP, through Invest Bristol& Bath in partnership with thefour local councils, worksclosely with UKTI to supportexport promotion from there g i o n .

“The service, to support

exporting, is really well honedand supports the inward

investment work we arealso doing. So whilstUKTI provides thedirect support andgrants to businesseslooking to export,Invest Bristol & Bath

has been working hardto open up new

markets for localcompanies to exploit, such as

the Middle East, China andacross Europe.

“From the survey it is clearthere is more that we and UKTIneed to do to make the supportfor exporting more visible.”

James Durie, Executive Directorof Bristol Chamber atBusiness West:

“More businessesneed to gain theconfidence to exploreand expand intooverseas markets. Wereally must get behindambitious businesses inthe region if we are tostand a chance of achieving thePrime Minister’s target ofincreasing exports to £1 trillionby 2020. This is exactly what our#GetExporting campaign hasbeen designed to do.

“SMEs often cite lack of

support as a barrier to getting into export and our job at

Business West is tomake sure thatbusinesses of allshapes and sizes areaware of the supportthat is available. Wehave a vast network

of business advisers,coaches and mentors

who provide a wide rangeof strategic and tactical export

support.“We are pushing the message

that if your products and servicesare selling successfully in thiscountry, then it’s likely that theywill also be a success overseas.”

rounding area that local businessesbecome even more engaged with ourinternational trading partners if weare to establish ourselves as a majoreconomic powerhouse.”

� The second Business Pulsesurvey is asking businesses for theirviews on sustainability, the role ofthe mid market in the economicrecovery and the importance ofapprenticeships in businesss t r a t e g y.

If you would like to take part visitwww.sur veymonkey.com/s/BusinesPulse2 or contactIsabel Duckworth viaisabel.duckworth@bdo.co.uk.

Graham Randall, partnerand head of BDO in Bristol

“Thetopic ofexportinghasp ro d u c e dsomei n t e re s t i n gresults in oursurvey. It is clear that theissues surroundinginternational trade arecomplex but some keypoints have emerged.

‘Critical for growth of local market’ ‘We must get behind ambitious businesses’

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

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S3

6 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 7We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The Business Pulse

MANY businesses in theBristol area are exportingsuccessfully, but thosewhich aren’t want morehelp if they are to break

into overseas markets.That was the findings from the

third and final Business Pulse specialreport from the first survey, pub-lished today by accountancy andbusiness advisory firm BDO LLP inpartnership with the Bristol Post.

Business leaders from the city andsurrounding areas took part in theexclusive survey and gave their viewson the topic of exporting and thejourneys taken to tap into foreignm a rke t s.

Exporting has been highlighted bybusiness experts and the Govern-ment as a key driver to economicrecovery and for building on Bristol’sposition as a leading hub for com-merce and business, not just in theUK, but across Europe and beyond.

The recently released Great BritishExport Report from FedEx reportsthat SMEs based in the South Westand London are the most likely toexport overseas. However, it alsohighlights that there is still a lack ofawareness; not only of the benefits toexporting but also of the resourcesava i l abl e.

The Business Pulse survey asked anumber of key questions around thetopic of international trade andlooked at what can be done to improvethe current situation.

When asked whether they cur-rently trade overseas, the inter-viewees were split roughly down themiddle. Half are already engaged inthe global import and export marketand just under 10 per cent trade solelyin Europe. The remaining 40 per centare not involved in internationaltrade in any capacity.

When it came to specific markets,the results were split across a widerange of nations right across theglobe. No major trading partner stoodout but highlighted that South Westfirms are prepared to travel acrossthe globe for the correct opportunity.

Despite ongoing instability in theeurozone, western Europe was iden-tified as the most popular destinationfor international trading by firms in

the region, which has been supportedby the close transport links and theEU. In total 28 per cent revealed theytrade in Europe on a regular basis.The two other regions of the world tostand out were North America andSouth East Asia, followed closely bySouth America.

Businesses not trading overseaswere asked to relay the primary reas-on for not being involved in foreignmarkets. The majority (38 per cent)said they still had to reach their fullpotential in the domestic market be-fore looking further afield.

When it came to help and supportfor firms looking to pick up morebusiness overseas, financing washighlighted as a key issue and thecost of developing customers in newcountries has put some businesses offfrom moving into new markets. Theother two key factors were issuessurrounding the distribution ofgoods and the lack of hands-on as-sistance from organisations and Gov-

ernment agencies.Establishing and building a busi-

ness overseas can be very challengingwith 20 per cent of respondents citingthe need for additional support inestablishing new contacts overseas. Afurther 15 per cent called for greaterhelp in identifying their marketswith increased access to tailored ad-vice and support.

There is a perception that Bristol islacking the international credibilityin comparison to other regional citiesaround the UK. It’s felt that the oddsare firmly stacked in favour of theSouth East, which has the benefit ofinternational airports and transportl i n k s.

Graham Randall, partner and headof BDO in Bristol, said: “The topic ofexporting has produced some inter-esting results in our survey. It is clear

FIRMS LACK EXPORTING KNOW-HOWEarlier this year the Bristol Post and accountancyand advisory firm BDO teamed up to carry out asurvey of SMEs in the Bristol area. In our thirdreport on the results, we look at how businessesfeel about exports.

that the issues surrounding inter-national trade are complex but somekey points have emerged.

“Most important is the fact thatbusinesses have the drive to expandoverseas, however the problem stilllies in understanding how. There is afeeling that more help and support isneeded and businesses are calling forthe backing of the Government notonly in practical terms but also whenit comes to understanding culturaland regulatory differences and es-tablishing new customers.

“The private sector also has animportant part to play to help busi-nesses prosper in new markets acrossthe world. Working with the rightadvisers that have the experience andexpertise to help map out your in-ternational journey is crucial.

“It is vital for Bristol and the sur-

Tell us your views on sustainability, the role of the mid-market in the economic recovery and the importance of apprenticeships. Scan the QR code below using the scanner on your smartphone or visit http://tinyurl.com/bristolpulseqr

HB06265_Bristol Business Pulse campaign_50 x 100.indd 17/17/2014 11:56:38 AM

SOME businesses don’t exportbecause they want to squeezeevery last drop from theirhome market before enteringinto new and uncharted ter-

ritories. But it doesn’t have to be thatway, as AngelBerry proves.

The frozen yoghurt retailer hasjust three UK stores – two in Bristolwhere it was founded and one inBrighton.

But its first store in the UAE openssoon, to be followed by one in SouthAfrica. It is also in early talks withpartners in India and has signed afranchise deal for 80 stores acrossthe Gulf States.

James Taylor, who co-founded thecompany with Ryan Pasco, saysthere was an element of chance inthis expansive approach early on.

“Someone wanted to open a fran-chise in Mauritius,” he said. “Wesaid we wanted to franchise fromday one so we were ready. We hadthought that would be in the UK butwe didn’t want to turn down theoppor tunity.”

Once they started on the inter-national route, there’s been no stop-ping James and Ryan, who are both23.

They launched the business in themiddle of winter at Imperial RetailPark, Hartcliffe, and perhaps thatgave them the early insight thattheir products would do even betterin better weather.

James said: “In the UK we havepoor winters but in the hotter coun-tries the winter is not like ours soafter Mauritius we thought wewould pivot the business towardst h at . ”

They went to a trade show in

Dubai where they pitched to po-tential franchisees and secured amajor deal with TriStar Corporationwhich plans to open 80 franchisesacross the region.

That led to the decision to scale upthe operation. They perfected theirrecipe and found a factory in Italythat could make enough frozenyoghurt to order to meet their am-bitions. That is shipped to Bristolwhere it is stored at the firm’sHartcliffe warehouse before beingshipped around the world.

James was full of praise for thehelp the company has had from UKTrade and Investment, which he saidhad helped with market researchand making contacts.

“That was the big benefit,” saidJames. “A bit of support but mainlythe contacts. We’re talking to acompany in India now which theyput us in touch with.”

In the near future the growthlooks set to continue, including somenew UK outlets. But there’s nochance of AngelBerry going coolabout the potential of overseas mar-kets anytime soon.

Catherine Stephens, internationaltrade services manager atBusiness West, shares her top tipsfor getting paid for your exports.She says: “Selling internationally isvery complex but – as with mostthings – the process can be mademuch easier when you get help,especially when it comes to gettingpaid. During my 15 years workingwith exporters we have noticed areal upward trend in the use of ourLetter of Credit service, asexporters are looking for the addedsecurity it can give them.”

� 1. Use a Letter of CreditA Letter of Credit is an officialdocument used by thousands ofbusinesses across the UK toguarantee payment for exportingtheir products or services. TheLetter of Credit is issued by a bankand contains strict termsspecifying, amongst other things,what documentation is required,the amount of money to be paidand within what time frame.

� 2. Understand the conditionalnature of the Letter of CreditThe letter provides considerablesecurity for the exporter and isoften used to ensure contractualprovisions are met. Howeverpayment will not be made unlessthe terms of credit are metprecisely, so you should ensurethat all terms and conditions arecomplied with.

� 3. Select the appropriate typeThere are a number of differenttypes of Letter of Credit includingConfirmed Irrevocable Letter ofCredit, Irrevocable Letter of Credit,Transferable Letter of Credit, Backto Back Letter of Credit, StandbyLetter of Credit. It is vitallyimportant that you select the righttype for your export activity.

� 4. Use meticulous care75 per cent of exporters who dotheir own documentation get itwrong first time, which can lead toadditional costs and unexpecteddelays in payment. Preparation ofdocumentation required for aLetter of Credit takes time andrequires a high level of attention todetail. Gaining knowledge of boththe shipping world and bankingindustry can also beadvantageous.

� 5. Access expert guidanceThe cost to UK business throughpresenting non compliantdocumentation to banks isestimated to run into hundreds ofmillions of pounds per year,therefore it pays to access expertadvice when it comes to using aLetter of Credit.

Business West can offer expertguidance and assistance withselecting and preparing the correctLetter of Credit. This bespokeservice has a higher first timeapproval rate with the banks andcan save time, money and help toavoid bad debts.

Find out more: www. businesswest.co.uk/letters-of-cr edit.

www.businesswest.co.uk

#GetExportingwww.exportbritain.org.uk

#GetExportingwww.businesswest.co.uk

#GetExportingwww.businesswest.co.uk

#GetExporting

BUSINESS taking up the export chal-lenge will no doubt have heard aboutthe BRIC markets – Brazil, Russia,India and China – and how thesepowerhouse economies hold the keyto a profitable future.

The economist Jim O’Neill, re-sponsible for introducing the termBRIC back in 2001, has been at itagain and has a new term for all tolearn – the MINT countries.

Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria andTurkey (MINT) are the new kids onthe block and considered by many,including Mr O’Neill, as the emer-ging economic giants. It’s true to saythat over the past decade British com-panies have fallen behind theirEuropean and global counterpartswhen it comes to trade and invest-ment. Many nations are enjoying far

more fruitful relationships with theBRIC countries and to keep the UKeconomy growing we must exploitmore export opportunities.

So why focus on these four newm a rke t s ?

The MINT countries have a few keythemes in common; young popula-tions, useful geographic placement,and (Turkey excepted) being com-modity producers. These character-istics echo those that made theirBRIC predecessors so successful andfor this reason it’s important thatBritish businesses are quick off themark to ensure that they’re strategic-ally positioned to get an equal piece ofthe pie this time around.

Let’s take a closer look at each ofthe MINT markets and what makesthem so special.

� MexicoHas the distinct advantage of beingneighbours with both the US andLatin America. With an average ageof 27, it boasts a rapidly growingyoung population from which we arealready seeing a large rise indomestic consumption, with a clearappetite for British products andservices.

� IndonesiaWith a population of over 251million, Indonesia has a growing,and affluent, middle class, which isestimated to be at least 35 millionstrong. This young population isearning more money each year andfigures show that these individualsa re n ’t afraid to spend their newfound wealth.

� NigeriaNigeria could soon overtaje SouthAfrica as the biggest economy inAfrica.

With a population of over 160million people, Nigeria is anincreasingly important market forBritish companies and the UK isalready one of the largest investors.

� Tu r k e yIf Turkey can sort out its politicalproblems the country could becomeone of the fastest growing Europeaneconomies.

Nearly half of its 80 millionpopulation is under the age of 25,and Turkey is positioned sweetlybetween Europe and Asia with thepotential to act as a gateway to theMiddle East.

Making sure you getpaid for your exportsFrozen yoghurt makers quick to

make move in foreign marketsGavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk � Business West is

campaigning to increase thenumber of exporters in there g i o n .

Under the banner#GetExporting, the goal is help2,020 companies to grow theirbusiness through exports by2020.

Business West and UKTI canoffer a range of support forfirms looking to export.

Find out more online atw w w. b u s i n e s s w e s t . c o . u k .

#GetExpor ting

� AngelBerry founders James Taylor (left) and Ryan Pasco

Get a taste for exporting to the MINT countries

Tell us your views on sustainability, the role of the mid-market in the economic recovery and the importance of apprenticeships. Scan the QR code below using the scanner on your smartphone or visit http://tinyurl.com/bristolpulseqr

HB06265_Bristol Business Pulse campaign_50 x 100.indd 17/17/2014 11:56:38 AM

Colin Skellett, Chairman, Westof England LEP:

“Exporting is criticalfor the growth of thelocal market. Itdirectly improves abusiness’scompetitiveness,which has an indirectbut significant impacton a region’s economy.The LEP, through Invest Bristol& Bath in partnership with thefour local councils, worksclosely with UKTI to supportexport promotion from there g i o n .

“The service, to support

exporting, is really well honedand supports the inward

investment work we arealso doing. So whilstUKTI provides thedirect support andgrants to businesseslooking to export,Invest Bristol & Bath

has been working hardto open up new

markets for localcompanies to exploit, such as

the Middle East, China andacross Europe.

“From the survey it is clearthere is more that we and UKTIneed to do to make the supportfor exporting more visible.”

James Durie, Executive Directorof Bristol Chamber atBusiness West:

“More businessesneed to gain theconfidence to exploreand expand intooverseas markets. Wereally must get behindambitious businesses inthe region if we are tostand a chance of achieving thePrime Minister’s target ofincreasing exports to £1 trillionby 2020. This is exactly what our#GetExporting campaign hasbeen designed to do.

“SMEs often cite lack of

support as a barrier to getting into export and our job at

Business West is tomake sure thatbusinesses of allshapes and sizes areaware of the supportthat is available. Wehave a vast network

of business advisers,coaches and mentors

who provide a wide rangeof strategic and tactical export

support.“We are pushing the message

that if your products and servicesare selling successfully in thiscountry, then it’s likely that theywill also be a success overseas.”

rounding area that local businessesbecome even more engaged with ourinternational trading partners if weare to establish ourselves as a majoreconomic powerhouse.”

� The second Business Pulsesurvey is asking businesses for theirviews on sustainability, the role ofthe mid market in the economicrecovery and the importance ofapprenticeships in businesss t r a t e g y.

If you would like to take part visitwww.sur veymonkey.com/s/BusinesPulse2 or contactIsabel Duckworth viaisabel.duckworth@bdo.co.uk.

Graham Randall, partnerand head of BDO in Bristol

“Thetopic ofexportinghasp ro d u c e dsomei n t e re s t i n gresults in oursurvey. It is clear that theissues surroundinginternational trade arecomplex but some keypoints have emerged.

‘Critical for growth of local market’ ‘We must get behind ambitious businesses’

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

8 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 9We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

TWO contradictory storieshave been emerging through2014. First, a sense of angerand opposition to immigra-tion among some has gained

greater political traction.UKIP topping the Euro election

polls put all the parties on notice overthe issue. The taboo has been brokenand immigration – or opposition to it– is on the agenda.

At the same time, there are skillsshortages across a host of sectors. Ithas been widely reported that theconstruction sector, suddenly boom-ing as the economy recovers, lacksthe people it needs to do the workre q u i re d .

The shortage goes much furtherand is not all about catching up afterlay-offs in the recession.

Technology is moving quickly,faster than education can keep pace.

And with an aging population somesectors face large numbers of retire-ments in the coming years.

Bristol is not immune from this.The skills gap in the aerospace sector,so important to Bristol’s economy, issuch a concern that both the nationalAerospace Growth Programme andthe local West of England AerospaceForum have set up working groups totry and address the problem.

The Government plans to create aNational Aerospace College, whichcould be in this region, to get morepeople coming into the sector.

But all that takes time.Even Bristol’s creative sector is

having to go abroad to fill posts ascompanies struggle to recruit enoughpeople to meet fast-growing demandfor its services.

Robert Bolton, Bristol-based part-ner in KPMG’s global HR centre ofexcellence, says the problem is sig-nificant.

“T here’s an enormous proportionof people in some sectors who areretiring in the next five years,” hesaid. “Some companies face up to 30or 40 per cent of their workforcere t i r i n g .

“T hey’ve got to bridge the skillsshortage and immigration is a way todo that.”

Another area is energy. The UKplans to create a new generation ofnuclear power stations, includingtwo in the South West at Hinkley inSomerset and Oldbury in SouthGloucestershire. But we don’t haveenough expertise.

Foreign partners such as Frenchfirm EDF and Japanese companyHitachi are leading these projects.

Robert said in the past the UKnuclear sector had relied on recruit-ing people leaving the Royal Navywho had experience in the Tridentprog ramme.

“The industry is going to need sig-nificant numbers of nuclear trainede n g i n e e r s, ” he said. “We can’t simplyrely on people from the Royal Navybecause it’s not enough.

He added: “In telecommunicationsas broadband becomes more and

more widespread, a lot of networkengineers are coming to retirementbut we need people to lay the cablesand manage the network softwarethat drives them. There are people inChina with these skills so we arestarting to see a need for people tocome from there to here.

“Hotel, tourism, leisure and res-taurant businesses don’t seem to beable to function without people fromove r s e a s.

“The health service certainlyc o u l d n’t function.”

Robert concedes some of theseproblems are self-inflicted.

“Some of these shortages you cansee coming five or 10 years out but thediscipline of strategic workforceplanning to match supply with de-mand for skills has been lost in many

migrant workers and there arequotas. Annually, the UK will admit20,700 so-called tier two skilled work-ers. These are degree-level jobs suchas engineers.

So if a company wants to hiresomeone there are only 1,725 spacesin any given month across the UK.

Judith Hockin, specialist immig-ration lawyer from Bristol-based lawfirm VWV, said: “There is no cer-tainty even if you meet the require-m e n t s. ”

She said some employers simplygive up because they are put off by thepaperwork and hoops they have to gothrough, although she says she is yetto have an application rejected.

Judith believes the system worksokay for degree-level skilled workersand says the local Home Office staff

are helpful and supportive. But de-mand is growing.

“We are certainly getting more em-ployers looking for sponsor licences,”said Judith, which will put more pres-sure on the systems and may start totest the restrictions.

She believes the bigger problemsare above and below that level.

“For highly skilled, or tier one,workers it’s even harder,” she said.

“A dentist, for example, has to comein as an entrepreneur or an in-ve s t o r. ”

The former category requires himor her to bring £50,000 with them, thelatter considerably more.

Judith said: “We are in danger oflosing these people to the UnitedStates or Australia.”

And for skilled jobs below degree

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

The rise of UKIP has marked a seemingly growingtide against immigration, but businesses often needskills from overseas, particularly when there is askills gap in the UK. Gavin Thompson looks furtherinto the immigration debate

Special report: Immigration

WHY BUSINESSES STILL NEED TO BRING IN FOREIGN WORKERS

level, it’s pretty much tough luckoutside the EU.

Judith said: “We used to have lots ofFilipino care workers because cul-turally they are very good with eld-erly people. That doesn’t happen anymore because those jobs are not ofdegree level.”

This has hit the hospitality in-dustry too, particularly with regardsto trained chefs in smaller restaur-a n t s.

So while the anti-immigrationbandwagon gathers pace, there is agrowing problem in important sec-tors of the economy. Some businessesare reluctant to speak out on im-migration, preferring to keep theirheads down. But more may have tojoin the debate or soon they may paythe price on the bottom line.

� RETAIL support services business eXPD8sees the benefits of employing workers fromdiverse backgrounds, and often that includesforeign nationals.

Without them, director Mark Thurgood saysthe company could struggle to find the rightpeople.

“I think we would be able to get bodies butwe might struggle to get the right people in theright locations,” said Mark.

The Orchard Street-based firm employs2,500 people across the UK, who go intostores such as the McColl’s chain and helpthem with their displays. It also works withbrands and distributors to make sure shops arecorrectly displaying their goods, for exampleover The Lego Movie DVD launch.

Mark said about 2.5 per cent of its UKworkforce was made up of foreign nationals. InIreland that rises to 11 per cent.

Many of those are EU workers so notrestricted but other come from countriesincluding Brazil, Australia and India. Theygenerally already have the right to work in the

UK, so the company does not need to sponsorthem as it would if they were coming fromoverseas for the job.

The firm doesn’t target them for recruitmentbut often finds foreign nationals are more keenon the flexible working conditions in hisi n d u s t r y.

“The type of work we offer is part-timeflexible work and an awful lot of foreignnationals find that works for them asindividuals,” said Mark.

“Many of them have a number of differentjobs and employers and our work is relativelyflexible from a time of day perspective.

“We need people who are in a very localisedarea so they don’t have to travel. We look forpeople who understand their community.”

And sometimes they happen to be foreignnationals, particularly in areas with a largeimmigrant population.

Mark said: “We are recruiting 600 additionalpeople for Christmas – which for us starts inSeptember – and I suspect the majority willend up being non-British nationals.”

Robert Bolton, Bristol-basedpartner in KPMG’s global HR

centre of excellence

“T h e re ’s an enormousproportion of people insome sectors who areretiring in the next fiveyears. Some companiesface up to 30 or 40 percent of their workforceretiring. They’ve got tobridge the skills shortageand immigration is a wayto do that.

CASE STUDY: eXPD8

‘Without foreign nationals, we could struggle to find right people’

Judith Hockin, specialistimmigration lawyer from

Bristol-based law firm VWV

“For highly skilled, or tierone, workers it’s evenharder ... A dentist, forexample, has to come in asan entrepreneur or aninvestor. We are in dangerof losing these people tothe United States orAustralia.

HR departments,” he said. “T henthere was no recruitment in reces-sion.

“Industries are going to have tothink more longer term.”

But even if industry does, thatd o e s n’t help now. And there will al-ways be skills gaps to fill and hiringtalent from overseas is a way to do tryto do that more quickly.

The market, and the competition,wo n’t wait and if Bristol – or British –firms can’t meet demand the con-tracts will go elsewhere.

Robert said: “If they don’t fill thoseskills needs, businesses struggle toc o m p e t e.

“It’s all about competitive advant-age in the marketplace. Revenues willbe constrained which means abilityto grow is constrained which meansability to innovate.

“You have either got to create avirtuous cycle or a downward spiral.Inability to fill these jobs can lead to adownward spiral.”

And that means fewer jobs allro u n d .

But immigration, from outside theEU at least, is constrained. Compan-ies have to apply to sponsor skilled

� The team at retail support services business eXPD8, which benefits from employing workers from diverse backgrounds including foreign nationals Photographer: Dave Betts BRDB20140826B-004

Part of the Local World group

We supply a glossy setting worthy of any awardwinner. From staging and set design, to an assortmentof lighting from LED’s to gobos. We provide all thenecessary services and equipment you would needto make your awards evening the one to remember.

Staging your Awards doesn’thave to cost a fortune...

Presentation Production

Live Camera Relay

Pyrotechnics

Call us on: 01684 575832Email us at: enquiries@aneventservices.co.ukVisit us at : www.aneventservices.co.uk

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

8 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 9We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

TWO contradictory storieshave been emerging through2014. First, a sense of angerand opposition to immigra-tion among some has gained

greater political traction.UKIP topping the Euro election

polls put all the parties on notice overthe issue. The taboo has been brokenand immigration – or opposition to it– is on the agenda.

At the same time, there are skillsshortages across a host of sectors. Ithas been widely reported that theconstruction sector, suddenly boom-ing as the economy recovers, lacksthe people it needs to do the workre q u i re d .

The shortage goes much furtherand is not all about catching up afterlay-offs in the recession.

Technology is moving quickly,faster than education can keep pace.

And with an aging population somesectors face large numbers of retire-ments in the coming years.

Bristol is not immune from this.The skills gap in the aerospace sector,so important to Bristol’s economy, issuch a concern that both the nationalAerospace Growth Programme andthe local West of England AerospaceForum have set up working groups totry and address the problem.

The Government plans to create aNational Aerospace College, whichcould be in this region, to get morepeople coming into the sector.

But all that takes time.Even Bristol’s creative sector is

having to go abroad to fill posts ascompanies struggle to recruit enoughpeople to meet fast-growing demandfor its services.

Robert Bolton, Bristol-based part-ner in KPMG’s global HR centre ofexcellence, says the problem is sig-nificant.

“T here’s an enormous proportionof people in some sectors who areretiring in the next five years,” hesaid. “Some companies face up to 30or 40 per cent of their workforcere t i r i n g .

“T hey’ve got to bridge the skillsshortage and immigration is a way todo that.”

Another area is energy. The UKplans to create a new generation ofnuclear power stations, includingtwo in the South West at Hinkley inSomerset and Oldbury in SouthGloucestershire. But we don’t haveenough expertise.

Foreign partners such as Frenchfirm EDF and Japanese companyHitachi are leading these projects.

Robert said in the past the UKnuclear sector had relied on recruit-ing people leaving the Royal Navywho had experience in the Tridentprog ramme.

“The industry is going to need sig-nificant numbers of nuclear trainede n g i n e e r s, ” he said. “We can’t simplyrely on people from the Royal Navybecause it’s not enough.

He added: “In telecommunicationsas broadband becomes more and

more widespread, a lot of networkengineers are coming to retirementbut we need people to lay the cablesand manage the network softwarethat drives them. There are people inChina with these skills so we arestarting to see a need for people tocome from there to here.

“Hotel, tourism, leisure and res-taurant businesses don’t seem to beable to function without people fromove r s e a s.

“The health service certainlyc o u l d n’t function.”

Robert concedes some of theseproblems are self-inflicted.

“Some of these shortages you cansee coming five or 10 years out but thediscipline of strategic workforceplanning to match supply with de-mand for skills has been lost in many

migrant workers and there arequotas. Annually, the UK will admit20,700 so-called tier two skilled work-ers. These are degree-level jobs suchas engineers.

So if a company wants to hiresomeone there are only 1,725 spacesin any given month across the UK.

Judith Hockin, specialist immig-ration lawyer from Bristol-based lawfirm VWV, said: “There is no cer-tainty even if you meet the require-m e n t s. ”

She said some employers simplygive up because they are put off by thepaperwork and hoops they have to gothrough, although she says she is yetto have an application rejected.

Judith believes the system worksokay for degree-level skilled workersand says the local Home Office staff

are helpful and supportive. But de-mand is growing.

“We are certainly getting more em-ployers looking for sponsor licences,”said Judith, which will put more pres-sure on the systems and may start totest the restrictions.

She believes the bigger problemsare above and below that level.

“For highly skilled, or tier one,workers it’s even harder,” she said.

“A dentist, for example, has to comein as an entrepreneur or an in-ve s t o r. ”

The former category requires himor her to bring £50,000 with them, thelatter considerably more.

Judith said: “We are in danger oflosing these people to the UnitedStates or Australia.”

And for skilled jobs below degree

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

The rise of UKIP has marked a seemingly growingtide against immigration, but businesses often needskills from overseas, particularly when there is askills gap in the UK. Gavin Thompson looks furtherinto the immigration debate

Special report: Immigration

WHY BUSINESSES STILL NEED TO BRING IN FOREIGN WORKERS

level, it’s pretty much tough luckoutside the EU.

Judith said: “We used to have lots ofFilipino care workers because cul-turally they are very good with eld-erly people. That doesn’t happen anymore because those jobs are not ofdegree level.”

This has hit the hospitality in-dustry too, particularly with regardsto trained chefs in smaller restaur-a n t s.

So while the anti-immigrationbandwagon gathers pace, there is agrowing problem in important sec-tors of the economy. Some businessesare reluctant to speak out on im-migration, preferring to keep theirheads down. But more may have tojoin the debate or soon they may paythe price on the bottom line.

� RETAIL support services business eXPD8sees the benefits of employing workers fromdiverse backgrounds, and often that includesforeign nationals.

Without them, director Mark Thurgood saysthe company could struggle to find the rightpeople.

“I think we would be able to get bodies butwe might struggle to get the right people in theright locations,” said Mark.

The Orchard Street-based firm employs2,500 people across the UK, who go intostores such as the McColl’s chain and helpthem with their displays. It also works withbrands and distributors to make sure shops arecorrectly displaying their goods, for exampleover The Lego Movie DVD launch.

Mark said about 2.5 per cent of its UKworkforce was made up of foreign nationals. InIreland that rises to 11 per cent.

Many of those are EU workers so notrestricted but other come from countriesincluding Brazil, Australia and India. Theygenerally already have the right to work in the

UK, so the company does not need to sponsorthem as it would if they were coming fromoverseas for the job.

The firm doesn’t target them for recruitmentbut often finds foreign nationals are more keenon the flexible working conditions in hisi n d u s t r y.

“The type of work we offer is part-timeflexible work and an awful lot of foreignnationals find that works for them asindividuals,” said Mark.

“Many of them have a number of differentjobs and employers and our work is relativelyflexible from a time of day perspective.

“We need people who are in a very localisedarea so they don’t have to travel. We look forpeople who understand their community.”

And sometimes they happen to be foreignnationals, particularly in areas with a largeimmigrant population.

Mark said: “We are recruiting 600 additionalpeople for Christmas – which for us starts inSeptember – and I suspect the majority willend up being non-British nationals.”

Robert Bolton, Bristol-basedpartner in KPMG’s global HR

centre of excellence

“T h e re ’s an enormousproportion of people insome sectors who areretiring in the next fiveyears. Some companiesface up to 30 or 40 percent of their workforceretiring. They’ve got tobridge the skills shortageand immigration is a wayto do that.

CASE STUDY: eXPD8

‘Without foreign nationals, we could struggle to find right people’

Judith Hockin, specialistimmigration lawyer from

Bristol-based law firm VWV

“For highly skilled, or tierone, workers it’s evenharder ... A dentist, forexample, has to come in asan entrepreneur or aninvestor. We are in dangerof losing these people tothe United States orAustralia.

HR departments,” he said. “T henthere was no recruitment in reces-sion.

“Industries are going to have tothink more longer term.”

But even if industry does, thatd o e s n’t help now. And there will al-ways be skills gaps to fill and hiringtalent from overseas is a way to do tryto do that more quickly.

The market, and the competition,wo n’t wait and if Bristol – or British –firms can’t meet demand the con-tracts will go elsewhere.

Robert said: “If they don’t fill thoseskills needs, businesses struggle toc o m p e t e.

“It’s all about competitive advant-age in the marketplace. Revenues willbe constrained which means abilityto grow is constrained which meansability to innovate.

“You have either got to create avirtuous cycle or a downward spiral.Inability to fill these jobs can lead to adownward spiral.”

And that means fewer jobs allro u n d .

But immigration, from outside theEU at least, is constrained. Compan-ies have to apply to sponsor skilled

� The team at retail support services business eXPD8, which benefits from employing workers from diverse backgrounds including foreign nationals Photographer: Dave Betts BRDB20140826B-004

Part of the Local World group

We supply a glossy setting worthy of any awardwinner. From staging and set design, to an assortmentof lighting from LED’s to gobos. We provide all thenecessary services and equipment you would needto make your awards evening the one to remember.

Staging your Awards doesn’thave to cost a fortune...

Presentation Production

Live Camera Relay

Pyrotechnics

Call us on: 01684 575832Email us at: enquiries@aneventservices.co.ukVisit us at : www.aneventservices.co.uk

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

10 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 11We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

FOR MORE PICTURESCheck out our

website at

AS the kids are getting kittedout to go back to school, JenniRoberts, Brantano kids fittingexpert, answers some of thosecommon questions aboutgetting your children’s shoesfitted:

Q: Why do I need to get mych i l d r e n’s shoes fitted?

“Growing feet need room togrow, and children’s feet grow invariable bursts so being vigilantand awareness are key. It is re-commended that children gettheir feet measured by a trainedfitter every 3-4 months once theybegin school.

“Even if they haven’t out-grown them, shoes should be re-placed if they are worn out. Ifchildren aren’t wearing cor-rectly fitted shoes, it can createboth short and long term foothealth issues.

“At Brantano, stores are openuntil late and friendly staff areon hand to help, making it easyand convenient to pop in andcheck your children’s feet. ”

Q: Should I buy shoes that mychild will grow into?

“Its best not to buy shoes thatare more than one size too largefor your child in the hope theywill grow into them.

“Shoes that are too big couldcause a child to develop footproblems and/or develop inher-ited foot problems.

“It is also advisable not to handdown shoes from siblings orfriends as the shoe will haveshaped themselves to someoneelse’s foot.”

Q: What could happen if mychild wears poorly fittedshoes?

“In the short term conditionssuch as redness and soreness,bunching up of the toes and in-growing nails if the shoes areoverly tight.

“In the longer term develop-mental foot problems can bemade worse by ill-fitting shoesand bunions and foot deform-ities such as hammer toe can becaused by poorly fitted shoes.

“Unsupportive and sloppystyles of shoe can lead to a sim-ilar gait (style of walking).

“In addition, there are alsolonger term health implicationsfrom poorly fitted shoes such asback pain, knee problems & painand posture problems.”

Brantano has stores at Avon-mead Retail Park, Abbey WoodRetail Park, Emersons GreenDistrict Centre and the BrooksCentre, Bradley Stoke, and offersa free expert fitting service withno obligation to buy. For moreinformation or to buy onlinevisit www.brantano.co.uk

Jenny RobertsKids’ fitting expertBrantano

A fitting solutionfor children

Ask the expert

Institute of Directors in Bristol networking event

GALLERIESGALORE

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Business diary

Email your business events togavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Ladies That UX: Launch of newchapter of group which supportswomen in the male-dominateduser experience sector. First freeevent at The Cosy Club, onBaldwin Street, Bristol, onThursday, August 28, from6:30-9pm. Register atMeetup.com.

We d n e s d a y @ 6 : Institute ofDirectors informal networking atthe Radisson Blu Hotel 6-8pm,Wednesday, September 3. Nonmembers welcome. Free but toregister call 0117 3707785 oremail iod.southwest@iod.com.

Set.Social: Networking for thecreative industries held on thefirst Wednesday of every monthto facilitate collaborative workingamongst like-minded creativeprofessionals, many of whomwork from home as freelancers.At The Set, Bath Road Studios,from 6pm, Wednesday,September 3.

Networking with FreelanceMum: A networking walk thentalk for parents in business whowant to bring their children. Theevent is aimed at those workingparents, often freelance, whofind themselves isolated. Thenext event is September 5,departing from St Andrew’s Park,North Bristol, at 10.30am. Findout more atw w w. f re e l a n c e m u m . c o . u k .

Access to Growth Capital: TheLondon Stock Exchange andCapita Asset Services areorganising this event to helpfast-growing SMEs understandhow they can get money to grow.From 2.30-6pm on September 9at Burges Salmon offices, 1Glass Wharf. Register ath t t p : / / / w w w. l s e g . c o m / re g i s t e r 1 0 0 0 .

Institute of Directors Bristolbranch Autumn Special At theUniversity of Bristol BotanicGardens with Martin Bigg fromthe Bristol Green Capital,Tuesday, September 9. Checkwww.iod.com/swestevents formore information and to book.

Seasonal FacebookCampaigns: Strategies forSuccess: The latest talk from theBristol and Bath MarketingNetwork features a talk fromDigital Visitor chief executiveAntony Rawlins at the CliftonClub from 5.30-8pm on Tuesday,September 9. Book viaeventbrite.

Triodos annual meeting: Achance for customers, investorsand anyone who’s interested in amore progressive approach tobanking to find out more aboutthe bank. Saturday, September13 at Brunel’s Old Station, ThePassenger Shed, Temple Meads,10am to 4pm.

The Bristol BusinessExhibition: The exhibitionattracts business owners anddecision makers from across theregion and is a great way tosource suppliers and generatenew business. It takes place atAshton Gate Conference Centrefrom 10am to 3pm on Tuesday,September 30.

ADVERTISEMENT

IT may be the depths of summerbut the world of business doesn’tstop and members of the In-stitute of Directors in Bristoltook the chance to meet at the

org anisation’s regular networkingeve n t .

Wednesday @6 takes place at theRadisson Blu in Broad Quay everyother week, unsurprisingly on Wed-nesdays from 6pm.

The event offers members achance to share ideas, problems andjust meet other people in a similarro l e.

Branch chairman RebeccaTregarthen said: “We always enjoyour regular meet-ups and it’s great tosee people turning out even in thequieter summer period.

“We welcome new people along asguests, the only rule is that it’snetworking, not selling!”

The next event is on September 3.It is free to attend but guests areasked to register first by calling 01173707785 or emailing iod.southw-est@iod.com.

A SECONDARY school is showing itspupils the importance of networking.Staff at Castle School in Thornburyknow most jobs are never advertisedand then who you know can be moreimportant than what you know whenit comes to finding the right job.

So the school organised a network-ing lunch for its Year 12 students,with 40 businesses and 57 studentsattending. Firms taking part rangedfrom engineering companies Airbusand Renishaw to the financial ser-vices sector.

Lou Davies, head of sixth form,said: “Before the networking lunchbegan, many students were reallynervous, wondering what they pos-sibly had to say.

“It was a real pleasure to see themgradually relax and begin to enjoy theevent, listening to the businesses,picking up tips and learning to de-scribe their own personal qualities,skills and career ambitions.

“In the end, the lunch over-ranbecause everyone was enjoying it som u ch .

“It's all well and good discussingcareers and life-skills in a classroom,but it's when you translate this intoan engaging, challenging and real-istic event that our students makehuge strides.

“We are incredibly fortunate to beso well-supported by local businesses,helping us provide our Sixth Formerswith as many opportunities to learnabout the world of work as possible.”

The event was well received on boths i d e s.

Student Henry Thomas said: “Ithas shown me that the importance ofcontacts cannot be understated, andthat social skills are one of the mostimportant aspects of employment.”

While Anne Holloway of IronActon-based IT firm Innovecom, said:“To meet so many bright articulateand enthusiastic youngsters has verymuch made me want to work morewith the school.”

Tim Pearce of Castle Estate Agentsand Georgia Honey, a year 13 leaver,give short speeches sharing their ex-periences of networking .

FOUR finance students in the SouthWest have been honoured for theirsuccess by the Chartered Institute ofManagement Accountants (CIMA),the professional body of managementaccountants, at a celebratory lunch atBrasserie Blanc.

The lunch was a chance for theprize winning students and their em-ployers to celebrate their success.

The quartet, who all came in thetop five in the UK in their CIMAprofessional exams last year wereinvited, along with their employers,to a lunch hosted by CIMA SouthWest area chairman David Johnson,ACMA, CGMA.

Friederike Frizen who is now abusiness development manager atRolls Royce in Patchway, said “T hecommendation of being top three inthe world is an outstanding resultand it was gratifying to receive thisdistinction on my final assessment.

“CIMA has been a great acceleratorto my career as it is highly regardedacross the industry.”

The other three were Simon

Wilshire, now at Connect Education& Care in Trowbridge, Daniel Meri-field, now working at EDF inGloucester and Zoe Burgess who isnow at Devon NHS PartnershipT r ust.

To become a Chartered Manage-ment Accountant, students need tocomplete 10 professional qualifica-tion exams across four years requir-ing personal study and dedication.This is complemented by three year'sexperience which can be gainedwhilst studying.

’A chance to share ideas andproblems - or just meet others’

Radisson Blu in Broad Quay

Networking lunch Castle School in Thornbury Chartered Institute of Management Accountants lunch Brasserie Blanc

� The winners at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants lunch

� Net-working atthe event atCastleSchool inThor nbury

� Karen Brasier of Cabot Training and Glen Maxwell-Heron ofSt Andrews Consulting Ltd BRML20140820D-007_C

� Ben Leighton, Niall Jones and Alistair WatsonBRML20140820D-002_C

� DavidRayfield,William Shierof Tidalp ro g r a m m i n gLtd, andauthor AAAbbottBRML20140820D-004_C

� IOD Chair Rebecca Tregarthen and Caroline Gourlay, Business PsychologistBRML2014 0820D-005_C

� Gary Chatwin and Nick SturgeBRML2014 0820D-005_C

� DavidPinchard ofthe Instituteof Directorsand JoHaywood ofSkylarkPhotographs:Michael LloydBRML20140820D-001_C

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

10 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 11We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

FOR MORE PICTURESCheck out our

website at

AS the kids are getting kittedout to go back to school, JenniRoberts, Brantano kids fittingexpert, answers some of thosecommon questions aboutgetting your children’s shoesfitted:

Q: Why do I need to get mych i l d r e n’s shoes fitted?

“Growing feet need room togrow, and children’s feet grow invariable bursts so being vigilantand awareness are key. It is re-commended that children gettheir feet measured by a trainedfitter every 3-4 months once theybegin school.

“Even if they haven’t out-grown them, shoes should be re-placed if they are worn out. Ifchildren aren’t wearing cor-rectly fitted shoes, it can createboth short and long term foothealth issues.

“At Brantano, stores are openuntil late and friendly staff areon hand to help, making it easyand convenient to pop in andcheck your children’s feet. ”

Q: Should I buy shoes that mychild will grow into?

“Its best not to buy shoes thatare more than one size too largefor your child in the hope theywill grow into them.

“Shoes that are too big couldcause a child to develop footproblems and/or develop inher-ited foot problems.

“It is also advisable not to handdown shoes from siblings orfriends as the shoe will haveshaped themselves to someoneelse’s foot.”

Q: What could happen if mychild wears poorly fittedshoes?

“In the short term conditionssuch as redness and soreness,bunching up of the toes and in-growing nails if the shoes areoverly tight.

“In the longer term develop-mental foot problems can bemade worse by ill-fitting shoesand bunions and foot deform-ities such as hammer toe can becaused by poorly fitted shoes.

“Unsupportive and sloppystyles of shoe can lead to a sim-ilar gait (style of walking).

“In addition, there are alsolonger term health implicationsfrom poorly fitted shoes such asback pain, knee problems & painand posture problems.”

Brantano has stores at Avon-mead Retail Park, Abbey WoodRetail Park, Emersons GreenDistrict Centre and the BrooksCentre, Bradley Stoke, and offersa free expert fitting service withno obligation to buy. For moreinformation or to buy onlinevisit www.brantano.co.uk

Jenny RobertsKids’ fitting expertBrantano

A fitting solutionfor children

Ask the expert

Institute of Directors in Bristol networking event

GALLERIESGALORE

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Business diary

Email your business events togavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Ladies That UX: Launch of newchapter of group which supportswomen in the male-dominateduser experience sector. First freeevent at The Cosy Club, onBaldwin Street, Bristol, onThursday, August 28, from6:30-9pm. Register atMeetup.com.

We d n e s d a y @ 6 : Institute ofDirectors informal networking atthe Radisson Blu Hotel 6-8pm,Wednesday, September 3. Nonmembers welcome. Free but toregister call 0117 3707785 oremail iod.southwest@iod.com.

Set.Social: Networking for thecreative industries held on thefirst Wednesday of every monthto facilitate collaborative workingamongst like-minded creativeprofessionals, many of whomwork from home as freelancers.At The Set, Bath Road Studios,from 6pm, Wednesday,September 3.

Networking with FreelanceMum: A networking walk thentalk for parents in business whowant to bring their children. Theevent is aimed at those workingparents, often freelance, whofind themselves isolated. Thenext event is September 5,departing from St Andrew’s Park,North Bristol, at 10.30am. Findout more atw w w. f re e l a n c e m u m . c o . u k .

Access to Growth Capital: TheLondon Stock Exchange andCapita Asset Services areorganising this event to helpfast-growing SMEs understandhow they can get money to grow.From 2.30-6pm on September 9at Burges Salmon offices, 1Glass Wharf. Register ath t t p : / / / w w w. l s e g . c o m / re g i s t e r 1 0 0 0 .

Institute of Directors Bristolbranch Autumn Special At theUniversity of Bristol BotanicGardens with Martin Bigg fromthe Bristol Green Capital,Tuesday, September 9. Checkwww.iod.com/swestevents formore information and to book.

Seasonal FacebookCampaigns: Strategies forSuccess: The latest talk from theBristol and Bath MarketingNetwork features a talk fromDigital Visitor chief executiveAntony Rawlins at the CliftonClub from 5.30-8pm on Tuesday,September 9. Book viaeventbrite.

Triodos annual meeting: Achance for customers, investorsand anyone who’s interested in amore progressive approach tobanking to find out more aboutthe bank. Saturday, September13 at Brunel’s Old Station, ThePassenger Shed, Temple Meads,10am to 4pm.

The Bristol BusinessExhibition: The exhibitionattracts business owners anddecision makers from across theregion and is a great way tosource suppliers and generatenew business. It takes place atAshton Gate Conference Centrefrom 10am to 3pm on Tuesday,September 30.

ADVERTISEMENT

IT may be the depths of summerbut the world of business doesn’tstop and members of the In-stitute of Directors in Bristoltook the chance to meet at the

org anisation’s regular networkingeve n t .

Wednesday @6 takes place at theRadisson Blu in Broad Quay everyother week, unsurprisingly on Wed-nesdays from 6pm.

The event offers members achance to share ideas, problems andjust meet other people in a similarro l e.

Branch chairman RebeccaTregarthen said: “We always enjoyour regular meet-ups and it’s great tosee people turning out even in thequieter summer period.

“We welcome new people along asguests, the only rule is that it’snetworking, not selling!”

The next event is on September 3.It is free to attend but guests areasked to register first by calling 01173707785 or emailing iod.southw-est@iod.com.

A SECONDARY school is showing itspupils the importance of networking.Staff at Castle School in Thornburyknow most jobs are never advertisedand then who you know can be moreimportant than what you know whenit comes to finding the right job.

So the school organised a network-ing lunch for its Year 12 students,with 40 businesses and 57 studentsattending. Firms taking part rangedfrom engineering companies Airbusand Renishaw to the financial ser-vices sector.

Lou Davies, head of sixth form,said: “Before the networking lunchbegan, many students were reallynervous, wondering what they pos-sibly had to say.

“It was a real pleasure to see themgradually relax and begin to enjoy theevent, listening to the businesses,picking up tips and learning to de-scribe their own personal qualities,skills and career ambitions.

“In the end, the lunch over-ranbecause everyone was enjoying it som u ch .

“It's all well and good discussingcareers and life-skills in a classroom,but it's when you translate this intoan engaging, challenging and real-istic event that our students makehuge strides.

“We are incredibly fortunate to beso well-supported by local businesses,helping us provide our Sixth Formerswith as many opportunities to learnabout the world of work as possible.”

The event was well received on boths i d e s.

Student Henry Thomas said: “Ithas shown me that the importance ofcontacts cannot be understated, andthat social skills are one of the mostimportant aspects of employment.”

While Anne Holloway of IronActon-based IT firm Innovecom, said:“To meet so many bright articulateand enthusiastic youngsters has verymuch made me want to work morewith the school.”

Tim Pearce of Castle Estate Agentsand Georgia Honey, a year 13 leaver,give short speeches sharing their ex-periences of networking .

FOUR finance students in the SouthWest have been honoured for theirsuccess by the Chartered Institute ofManagement Accountants (CIMA),the professional body of managementaccountants, at a celebratory lunch atBrasserie Blanc.

The lunch was a chance for theprize winning students and their em-ployers to celebrate their success.

The quartet, who all came in thetop five in the UK in their CIMAprofessional exams last year wereinvited, along with their employers,to a lunch hosted by CIMA SouthWest area chairman David Johnson,ACMA, CGMA.

Friederike Frizen who is now abusiness development manager atRolls Royce in Patchway, said “T hecommendation of being top three inthe world is an outstanding resultand it was gratifying to receive thisdistinction on my final assessment.

“CIMA has been a great acceleratorto my career as it is highly regardedacross the industry.”

The other three were Simon

Wilshire, now at Connect Education& Care in Trowbridge, Daniel Meri-field, now working at EDF inGloucester and Zoe Burgess who isnow at Devon NHS PartnershipT r ust.

To become a Chartered Manage-ment Accountant, students need tocomplete 10 professional qualifica-tion exams across four years requir-ing personal study and dedication.This is complemented by three year'sexperience which can be gainedwhilst studying.

’A chance to share ideas andproblems - or just meet others’

Radisson Blu in Broad Quay

Networking lunch Castle School in Thornbury Chartered Institute of Management Accountants lunch Brasserie Blanc

� The winners at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants lunch

� Net-working atthe event atCastleSchool inThor nbury

� Karen Brasier of Cabot Training and Glen Maxwell-Heron ofSt Andrews Consulting Ltd BRML20140820D-007_C

� Ben Leighton, Niall Jones and Alistair WatsonBRML20140820D-002_C

� DavidRayfield,William Shierof Tidalp ro g r a m m i n gLtd, andauthor AAAbbottBRML20140820D-004_C

� IOD Chair Rebecca Tregarthen and Caroline Gourlay, Business PsychologistBRML2014 0820D-005_C

� Gary Chatwin and Nick SturgeBRML2014 0820D-005_C

� DavidPinchard ofthe Instituteof Directorsand JoHaywood ofSkylarkPhotographs:Michael LloydBRML20140820D-001_C

EPB-

E01-

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12 We d n e s d a y, August 27, 2014w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The back pagePe o p l e� COLLINSON Tiles’ newest recruitis something of a familiar face to thebusiness.

Suzi Hambly is the St Philip’sfirm’s new commercial manager,where she’ll be working alongsideher mum and dad.

Suzi is getting to grips playing apart in running the company shegrew up with and heard her parentsdiscussing over the dinner table,when she was a child.

“It has actually been a bit scaryhow many people have told me theyremember me as a kid coming intowork with mum and dad over 30years ago.” said Suzi. “My siblingsand I would have to amuseourselves when mum and dadwere busy roller skatingaround the tilewarehouse andhaving races on theoffice chairs!”

The firm wasestablished in 1908and now hasshowrooms acrossthe South West.

Suzi is on a 12-monthinduction after joining thefamily business, which has includedsome new experiences.

“I am also more used to an officeenvironment and now I need to beinvolved in the warehouse, drivingthe forklift and lifting boxes of tilesa ro u n d , ” she said.

“I can however bring somedifferent ideas from outside of thecompany, a background in themarketing and web space plussome renewed passion andenthusiasm after what has been atough few years in the industry.”

� Eggnogg founder Kate Edmundshas been named a winner of formerDragon and Ryman’s stationeryboss Theo Paphitis’ SmallBusiness Sundaya w a rd s .

Eggnogg designscreative gifts, partysupplies and quirkycolour-in products -such as its child’scolour-in PE kit bag.

The Clifton-basedfirm was also a finalist inthe flexible businesscategory of in the nationalMums And Working Awards.

Kate said: “I have enjoyed everyminute of the journey so far and

whilst juggling business withparenting has been hard-work

at times, it has enabled me tocreate a work-life balance that Idesired, and through our newemployment scheme, we hope to dothe same for others.”

� Charlie Stockford, managingdirector of sustainability consultancySustainIt, has earned a place on ascholarship programme in the US,which she hopes will help her crackthe lucrative market.

A UKTI programme offers UKcompanies the chance to attend the‘Fundamentals for Success in theUS Market’ executive businessprogramme at the NorthwesternUniversity’s Kellogg School of

Management near Chicago.The five-day course focuseson the key issues and

actions UK companiesmust consider toenhance their presencein the US.

Charlie, left, said:“With the US corporatesocial responsibility and

sustainability marketlagging around five years

behind Europe, sharing our10-year experience and best

practice should help US businessesto move faster and not make thesame mistakes.

Initiative helping to transform building sector

THE traditional view of theconstruction sector is that ofa bastion of male dominationand a ‘jobs for the boys’ wo rk -place culture.

That legacy is reflected in the factthat women employed in construc-tion make up only 12 per cent of theworkforce, and less than one per centof all manual roles.

But the transformation of thegender divide is now under waythanks to initiatives like the Be FairF ramework.

Led by CITB, the Framework hasbeen developed by the industry forthe industry in partnership withConstructing Equality.

Working with 100 companiesacross Great Britain, Be Fair is an

accreditation for the constructionand built environment sector whichfocuses on Fairness, Inclusion andRespect in the workplace.

This is the very first industry-spe-cific equality framework, which en-courages businesses to adoptpractices to help employers discoverthe business and commercial benefitof fully harnessing diversity.

With confidence in constructiongrowing, the sector needs 182,000

� Suzi Hambly, left, and working in the Collinson Tiles warehouse

The op-ed column

qualified construction workers in thenext five years to meet the skillsdemand. They are the workersneeded to build projects such as theHinkley Point Nuclear Power Stationdevelopment and additional plans bythe Ministry of Defence to developaccommodation for troops returningfrom Germany.

If we are going to tackle the in-dustry’s lingering image problemand change negative cultures, weneed to ensure the sector attracts andretains the best and brightest talentregardless of gender, race, sexual ori-entation and background.

We need these workers to stay inconstruction so we can benefit fromtheir knowledge, experiences ands k i l l s.

The framework accreditation hasbeen awarded by CITB to achievingcompanies, including one in Bristol -M D Building Services Ltd in Ash-ton.

This company has become one ofthe first in the country to be rewardedfor its commitment to Fairness In-clusion and Respect in the work-fo rc e.

The Be Fair framework will helpcreate more inclusive working en-vironments, both in offices and onsites, to ensure that all workers aretreated fairly and with respect.

Congratulations to M D BuildingServices which have achieved the BeFair accreditation. It is at the fore-front of the transformation of con-str uction’s public image.

Roger StoneSouth West strategy managerConstruction IndustryTraining Board

“It is a huge market and a hugechallenge, which is also veryappealing as an entrepreneur.”

� Lloyds Bank Commercial Bankinghas restructured its SME team, withDavid Beaumont the new SME areadirector for South West Englandsupported by a team of seniormanagers.

Previously area director of Devonand Cornwall, David is now alsoresponsible for Bristol andSomerset.

His senior managers work closelywith relationship managers acrossthe South West, with two teamsspecialising in the support ofagricultural clients, a healthcare

team, a specialist property team,and a newly-formed manufacturingteam. Gary Himsworth has alsotaken up a new position as seniormanager in Bristol.

David said: “It is important to havea strong frontline presence, and bybuilding on what is alreadyrecognised as a very stable andexperienced team, I have everyconfidence that at Lloyds Bank wewill continue to support the aimsand ambitions of our existing andprospective clients.”

D ea l s� Brandon Hill Communications isshooting for the stars after beingappointed to deliver the UK SpaceConference 2015.

The UK’s leading spaceconference, this two-day event isheld every second year andconcentrates on how the UK canmake a global impact in a marketthat it is estimated could be worth£40 billion to the national economyby 2030.

Luke Brown, managing directorfor Brandon Hill’s events divisionsaid: “We are very excited to beappointed as the delivery partner forthis crucial event. We look forwardto working closely with the event’sorganising committee to build apowerful showcase for one of themost exciting areas for academicresearch and high growthopportunities for the UK economy.”

The venue for the conference isstill to be announced.

� A Bristol-based company set upto get capital to smaller and mediumsized businesses has been dishingout its cash. The Business GrowthFund, based in Victoria Street, hasinvested £3.6 million inGloucester-based Ecovision.

The firm installs heat pump, solarpanels, biomass and gas boilers inthousands of homes, businessesand community buildings across theUK.

BGF’s investment director NedDorbin said: “Our capital, togetherwith a debt facility from Shawbrook,will immediately be invested in theincreased marketing of Ecovision’sHassle Free Boiler offering so that itgains increased momentum andtraction in the market.”

Bristol-based lawyers support thedeal with Osborne Clarke advisingEcovision and Burges Salmonadvising BGF.

Your digest of the week in business

In numbers

Business currentaccounts

Petrol prices

1.01%£10,000 deposit

0.25%£1 deposit

State Bankof India

Corporation tax

21 %20 %Main rate

Small profitsrate – below

£300,000

129 .0 6 pUnleaded

133 . 46 pDiesel

137 .86pSuperunleaded

68 .32pLPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Business savingsaccounts

1.49%£10,000 deposit

1.8%£10,000 deposit

Inflation (CPI)

1.6 %

Weekly earnings

0.4 %Base interest rate

0.5 %Ave mortgage rate

3.99 %

S o u rc e :

Cambridge &Counties Bank

Inflation (RPI)

2.5 %

State Bankof India

� Brandon Hill Communications isto stage the two-day UK SpaceConference 2015