business in wrexham - february 2012

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An Essentiallyours publication. Delivered free to over 3,000 businesses in Wrexham County Borough. ISSUE TWO FEBRUARY 2012

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Business magazine covering Wrexham County Borough

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Page 1: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

An Essentiallyours publication. Delivered free to over 3,000 businesses in Wrexham County Borough.

ISSUE TWO FEBRUARY 2012

Page 2: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

Brought to you by

Company No. 6048593

CONTACT USEssentiallyours Limited Harwoods Lane, Rossett

Wrexham LL12 0EU

Telephone

01244 571 [email protected]

www.essentiallyours.co.uk

Front cover image © Ian Williams Photography 2012

@wxmbusinessmag

We hope you enjoyed the first one and saw it as a pleasant surprise when it turned up out of the blue last year. Thank you to those that got in touch with feedback, as always it is much appreciated.

We thought we’d better let you all wake up and get January out of the way before we decided to land on your doorsteps. No wonder January isn’t popular, aside from the usual cold and dismal weather, the lull after the buzz of Christmas, and the over spending, if you’re self employed it can also mean a quiet month and some tax returns!

Nationally and globally we are still in a difficult economic climate as I’m sure I don’t need to tell you. Already this year Wrexham Town has been affected by some national retailers ceasing trading or cut backs, such as Peacocks, Past Times and Barratts. These are in addition to previous losses over the last few years like Woolworths, Jane Norman, Fitness First and Total Fitness. Whilst it is easy to feel de-motivated by this news, I genuinely believe that some of this has been down to old fashioned companies with unpopular products and services just naturally falling by the wayside. Don’t get me wrong there are definitely some genuine victims of the recession, but for others the recession has just been a nail in the coffin for those that don’t have a place in the modern world.

In the mean time our High streets will really need to re invent themselves to bring the hustle and bustle back to their streets, as the world enters a whole new social attitude to shopping habits and patterns.

We cover this very topic this month, as well as generating business referrals, email marketing, and an article about buying and selling businesses. We also have a business profile on a local business that has been going for over a 100 years and an over view of a new initiative that is just getting going amongst other good stuff.

Hope you find it useful, and as always we’d love to hear from you.

All the best, Jill

Just to remind you this magazine is published quarterly and we aim to keep you up to date with business information both nationally and locally.

An Essentiallyours publication. Delivered free to over 3,000 businesses in

and around Wrexham County Borough.

ISSUE TWOFEBRUARY 2012

We won’t reach every single business within Wrexham County Borough straight away but

bear with us and eventually we hope to.

Call us on 01244 571602 if you’d like to advertise your business in our next edition

Welcome to the second edition of Business in Wrexham.

Carol Hartnell

Jill P

rest

on

2 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

i an w i l l i ams photography

07999 500 021www.ianwilliamsphotography.co.uk

Commercial • Products • Industry

Events • Promotions • People

Page 3: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

F.W Parry & Son started in business in the early 1900s. It still exists today as Parry’s in Gwersylt and is still a family business run by mother and son team, Meryl and Steven.

Meryl’s in laws started the business originally in Oswestry and they branched out into Wrexham on Regent street in the 1930s. Meryl tells me you could walk through the shop from Regent Street to Lord Street. Back in these days they sold carpets, beds, furniture, ornaments and pictures. Meryl started working there at the age of 13 as a Saturday girl and in the holidays and also met her husband here.

They sold out to Woolworths in 1962, not the business itself, but just the premises and Meryl and her late husband Mr RF Parry retained a small shop in Lord Street to carry on the business. They used to drive their customers to see other stock from their shop to their store room which was originally on Berse Road. They ended up in Gwersylt due to needing space for stock, after the lease expired on Berse Road, but customers started to call there directly, and it just took off as a show room. In the end they sold the shop and moved entirely to Gwersylt where they are today. You can’t miss them on the main road through Gwersylt, with their infamous van and signage. No doubt you ll recognise them

from the picture.

In 1969 it was quite a novelty to have a huge walk round showroom/ warehouse and it sounds like business was brisk but Meryl has seen a few different challenging economic times. She told me about inflation of 23% in the 1970s but how people were still queuing out the door to buy furniture. And strange to hear that prices changed that quickly and by quite considerable sums that furniture was priced with the following note , ‘subject to price at time of delivery’, and Meryl tells me it could change by amounts such as £80 which in the 1970s was worse than it sounds now! Back then people used to buy whole suites, no credit cards might I add, but despite the inflation wages rose at the same rate and the world was rosey. In their heyday they had 14 staff and 5 vans.

Since 1989 when Meryl’s husband died, Meryl and Steve have managed the business themselves. They have noticed changes over the years such as more competition, people buying individual items, interest free credit terms and people being happy to buying furniture like a fashion accessory and not so much for life these days.

When I asked what their secret was to surviving, it’s been a mixture of battening down the hatches and weathering the storm, it’s focusing their products on a good quality brand, carrying lots of stock and offering a personal service that family businesses do so well.

And who are we to argue with a business with this track record!

WOOLWORTHS, PeacOckS & BaRRaTTS can’T SuRvive BuT a LOcaL famiLy Run BuSineSS can

batten down the hatches and weather a storm

Page 4: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

4 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

Assets and Economic Development

CommercialPremises

Pennaeth Asedau a Datblygu Economaidd

AdeiladauMasnachol

For further information: Assets and Economic Development

tel: 01978 [email protected]

Cyfleusterau ar gyfer chwilio am eiddo ar draws y sirCyngor a chefnogaeth i fuddsoddi

Gwybodaeth a chymorth am becynnau ariannolGwybodaeth ac arbenigedd lleol a rhanbarthol

Cyswllt i wasanaethau eraill

Am ragor o wybodaeth:Pennaeth Asedau a Datblygu Economaidd

ffôn: 01978 [email protected]

County wide property search facilitiesInvestment advice and support

Information and assistance on financial packagesLocal and regional knowledge and expertise

Links to other services

For further information: Assets and Economic Development

tel: 01978 [email protected]

Am ragor o wybodaeth:Pennaeth Asedau a Datblygu Economaidd

ffôn: 01978 [email protected]

www.wrexham.gov.uk

• Advice and assistance in identifying and applying for possible sources of funding and grant assistance

• A named contact who will deal with all your queries, ensuring that you receive practical help, tailored to your specific needs

• Site and building searches and liaison with local property agents and developers

• Access to a team of highly experienced and knowledgeable professionals, who will offer you a confidential business advisory service, without cost or obligation

• A comprehensive source of free information on all matters relating to starting or developing an operation in the area

NothiNg staNds still

If you’re considering Wrexham as a potential location now or at anytime in the future please call us on

01978 667000 or e-mail [email protected]

Everything moves forward. But some things move quicker than others. Wrexham has always been a commercial pace-setter.In Wrexham we never stand still and are always responding to business needs and the demands of a modern fast pace economy. We’ve long adopted a positive approach to Economic Development attracting new businesses to the area and helping local companies grow and develop through a pro-active business support team.Industry and innovation is at the heart of what makes Wrexham tick. There are over 25 industrial estates and business parks within the county offering a diversity of sites. Wrexham Industrial Estate is the largest, as well as being the largest in Wales and amongst the top 10 in the UK.Success of existing companies and the investment of new businesses is a key driver to Wrexham’s Economic sustainability and we continue to look for new, innovative ways to support our businesses.Any company, large or small, contemplating expansion, relocation or setting up a new venture will find, in the Council’s Assets Economic Development Department, a group of dedicated professionals who will do their very best to offer a full package of support and assistance including:

Page 5: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

5BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

24 Charles Street. Wrexham. LL13 8BT

01978 263 44411 Pepper Row. Chester. CH11 1EA

01244 318 101

imPROve yOuR image - We guaRanTee OuR HaiR cuTSIf you don’t like your hair cut pay us what you think it’s worth

• friendly staff• male environment• wet shave • xbox• hot towel treatment

Watch the Lego Police

Wrexham Video

www-ego-x.co.uk

t: 01978 855 513 • m: 07734 532 052Cutting Edge Landscapes (W.M) Ltd, 38 Chester Road, Gresford, Wrexham LL12 8TN

NPTC Competent Trained Staff

Safe Contractor Accredited

CSCS Health & Safety

Members of the Institute of Groundsman

Ground maintenance to all sizes of commercial units. In a regular or spontaneous manner, we maintain turf, grass and hard

surfaces, trees, shrubs, flower beds to new and established landscaped areas. Professionalism, quality, reliability, the key factors of our team.

Hedge cutting • Pruning • Litter picking • Wood chipping • Snow clearing & Gritting are all part of the grounds maintenance services we offer

Page 6: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

01978 310 [email protected] • www.simplytaxandaccounts.co.uk

Call Shona Hambleton for a freeinitial discussion without obligation on

6 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

taX UPdatE aUtUMN statEMENt aNd FiNaNCE Bill 2012George Osborne did not have great tidings to impart when he presented his Autumn Statement to the House of Commons on 29 November 2011. The best he could offer the ordinary taxpayer was a freeze in road fuel duty until 1 August 2012, when it will increase by 3.02 pence per litre.

Businesses who occupy small commercial premises receive some generosity with an extension to the business rates relief scheme to 1 April 2013 (previously extended for a year to 1 October 2012). Different business rates relief schemes apply to Wales and England, so ask your local authority what relief applies to your building. Occupiers of larger business premises may be able to defer payment of up to 60% of the increase in business rates for up to two years.The following week, the draft Finance Bill 2012 was published. Below we summarise the main points from the Autumn Statement and draft Finance Bill as they affect small businesses and individuals.

BUSINESSES• All VAT returns will have to be

submitted online in respect of periods commencing on or after 1 April 2012. (At present online submission is not mandatory for organisations with a turnover below £100,000.)

• Main rate of corporation tax will reduce to 25% (currently 26%) from April 2012 and 24% from April 2013. Small companies’ rate remains at 20%.

• Employment law - the qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims will be increased from one year to two years from April 2012. Fees will also be introduced for individuals who want to bring cases to employment tribunals. The amount of the fee is subject to consultation.

• Incentives to recruit young people – an estimated 160,000 wage incentives of £2,275

each will be provided to entice employers to recruit young people

• Changes will be made to the tax rules to ensure that the amount of tax relief given to employers making asset-backed pension contributions to registered pension schemes accurately reflects the amount of payments made and does not give rise to excess tax relief

• Research & Development tax credit for larger companies given above the profit line rather than as a tax reduction, to apply from 2013.

• New Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) from April 2012, giving income tax relief of 50% for investments of up to £100,000 in start-up businesses

• Exemption from capital gains tax when gains realised in 2012-13 are reinvested under SEIS in the same tax year.

• 100% capital allowances in certain new Enterprise Zones

• From 1 March 2012 the informal extra statutory concession (ESC) C16 will be put on a statutory basis. This will allow distributions made prior to a company being struck off of up to £25,000 to be treated as capital rather than income resulting in a potentially lower tax bill.

INdIVIduALS• State pension age rises to 67,

to be phased in over two years from April 2026

• Freeze in the couple and loan parent elements of working tax credit in 2012-13

• No increase in child tax credit above the rate of inflation, as had been announced

• Capital gains annual exemption to be frozen for 2012-13 at £10,600

• Gains made on foreign currency bank accounts will be exempted from capital gains tax

• Where individuals hold a bank account in a foreign currency they are potentially subject to capital gains each time a withdrawal is made from the account. Calculating the gains (or losses) can be complex and time consuming. Hence it is proposed to exempt such gains from CGT from 6 April 2012.

• Following a consultation on the introduction of a statutory residence test, the new rules will be delayed for a further year until 6 April 2013. A further consultation is to take place.

This information is designed to be a summary of the draft clauses announced on 6 December 2012. These are subject to change, and will be finalised in the Budget on 21 March 2012.

If you require any further information on the above we can be contacted on 01978 310600 or email [email protected]

Page 7: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

7BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

Page 8: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

It’s taken two years of hard work for the Roberts family who run F Jones wholesale distributors on Wrexham Industrial Estate to bring Wrexham Lager back to life.

The Roberts family, consisting of brothers Vaughan, John and Mark and sister Janet Gaffey, along with former chief brewer Ian Dale have set up a micro brewery in one of the old warehouses of the Roberts brothers’ distribution firm on St Georges Crescent, next to the Beast Market.

They use the same water supply that supplied the original brewery.

I met Mark Roberts just the other week and had a walk round the immaculate new brewery.

Things are going extremely well and Mark is pleased with the initial response. Things seem to have taken off quicker than he anticipated.

The relaunch came about through a chance meeting between mark and Ian Dale, former head brewer of Wrexham Lager, in the Buck House in Bangor-on-Dee - so it’s quite apt that this is where the first pint was put on sale.

They have had specially-made brewing equipment brought in from Germany and say they have brought back the original strength and flavour of the beer, rather than a version sold by brewing giant Carlsberg Tetley, which scrapped the brand in 2002.

It follows a recipe from the 1970s, when the lager was at 4% strength before it was changed to 3.2%. The lager will be available only in kegs for the time being. I had a quick try and I rather liked it!

Originally, Wrexham Lager was founded in 1882 by Otto Isler and Ivan Levinstein, two German immigrants from

Saxony. They called it the Wrexham Lager Beer Company in 1881 and started brewing

lager a year later.

Their business struggled to survive in the early years due to problems with their refrigeration process and they were bailed out by another German immigrant, businessman Robert Graesser.

He moved to Wrexham founding one of the area’s oldest companies, the former Monsanto (aka Flexsys) chemical works at Cefn Mawr.

Production of the drink stopped in 2003 after it had brewed locally for 120 years. Carlsberg Tetley, the last owners, closed the brewery.

The venture also has the backing of Martyn Jones, former MP, who bought

the original name, logo and building for £1 in 2001.

He has promised that once production starts in full, the Roberts family can use the logo once more. Until then they are planning to use a temporary logo.

WRexHam LageR HaS ReTuRned

8 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

Page 9: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

9BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

WRexHam LageR HaS ReTuRned

www.blueprintarchitectural.comTel: 01978 356 500

COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL • RESIDENTIAL

NEW BUILDING • PLANNING & BUILDING REGULATIONS

Hafod Road I Ruabon I Wrexham I LL14 6ET I [email protected]

Check out our Facebook page and Twitter profile. Online

editions of the magazine and up to date news.

E CUNNAH & SON LTDis your local family run authorised distributor delivering heating oils,fuels and lubricantsfor your homes, farms and industry.

For a prompt and reliable delivery service contact:Tel: Wrexham 01978 720115Web: www.cunnahoil.co.uk

E CUNNAH & SON LTD

Page 10: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

10 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

A major key requirement of any growing business is obtaining and securing new sales. And securing any new sale has a cost to it. Almost every business owner that I meet wants to have new business leads without having to pay for them. One of the best ways to get new leads that has a low cost is via a business referral.

Usually a good referral is one of the best, easiest, most profitable and quickest pieces of business you can get. What’s more the person who you are referred to gets peace of mind that you are recommended for a good source and knows that they should refer you too.

Unfortunately, many business owners don’t have a strategy or system to attract a constant flow of new referrals to them and are usually satisfied by the ones that randomly get passed to them.

By being intentional about how you obtain referrals (or business by word of mouth) you can generate a more constant and predictable “deal flow”. And as your monthly deal flow from referrals increases it will be like a snowball slowly gathering momentum. Concentrating and systemising referrals isn’t a get rich quick scheme but it is a get richer scheme.

So what can you do to be more intentional about business referrals? One thing is to recognise building strong relationships and asking for referrals is a must. People

only refer people they know, remember and value their services.

Pick out your top 25 - 75 contacts who are or you suspect could be your best referrers. Now it’s important to be visible and remembered by each of these people. Contact each one of these people every month without fail. Make your contact with them as personable as possible. This means sending them a newsletter or an email blast just doesn’t cut it. It could be a phone call, a personal letter or note, a news clipping that is focused on their needs. You could physically visit them if you are passing.

You need to build up your credibility with them. The need to be reminded that you are good at what you do, that you are helpful and you know your stuff. This again isn’t a stuffy newsletter that they won’t read. For example an estate agent might want to give a tip sheet on elements to check in the insurance policy.

Finally let people know you grow your business by referral and that their referral is important to you. The “Who do you know who….” Question is a good way to bring this up.

If you would like more tips on growing a business visit www.progress-people.com

One of the best ways to get new leads is via a business referral

Page 11: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

11BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

NEtwork likE thErE’s No toMorrow!

Business 2 GoRosset Hall

WrexhamLL12 0DE

t: 08443 57 57 38e:[email protected]

New Standing Order Instruction

To Bank

Please set up the following standing order and debit my/our account accordingly

1: Account details

Account name: ___________________ Account No: ___________

Account holding branch: ___________ Sort code: ____________

2: Payee details

Name of person or organisation you are paying: BUSINESS 2 GO

Payment reference: ____________________(This will appear on the bank statement of the recipient account)

Sort code: 55-81-42(Of the person/organisation you are paying)

Account number: 90581695(Of the person/organisation you are paying)

3: About the payment

How often are payments to be made: Monthly

Amount details Date Amount

Date and amount of first payment: __________ £_______(Please allow 3 working days for receipt)

Date and amount of ongoing payments: ___________ £_______

Choose from one of the two following options

1: Date and amount of final payment ____________ £______

2: Until Further notice (tick)(Payments will be made until you cancel this instruction)

4: Confirmation

Customer signature(s): ______________________________________________

Date: _____________________

WEEKLY - THURSDAY 6.45am - 8.30amBusiness2Go is a young, friendly, growing business networking group. We meet for breakfast at Rossett Hall Hotel every Thursday to talk business, give each other referrals and provide advice and business support.Business networking is a great way to help grow your business. By meeting regularly with other local companies and generating leads from them, this is a great way of establishing your company in the area.For more info visit www.bus2go.net

FORTNIGHTLY - FRIDAY 7am - 8.30amMembership of your local group offers much more than just business opportunities. As well as the natural support that the regular meetings provide, every member has the opportunity to present to the group on a regular basis. This is excellent practise for those all-

important business pitches to potential clients.Meeting St David’s Hotel, Ewloe every other Friday.For more info visit www.bforb.com

Describe you and your business concisely and impressively.

MARCH 20th - BUZZ TUESDAYThis is not just the usual networking event where people get together in a room to interact. buzz tuesday provides you with a speaker to talk on a topic that is interesting, educational and inspiring and more importantly relevant to help grow your business. And a bit of decent food never goes unnoticed!

If you’d like to meet like-minded professionals from the Chester and Wrexham area in a relaxed setting, and also learn something new visit www.buzztuesday.co.uk

Financial AdvisersA local Wrexham business is expanding

and offers positive earnings potential for individuals seeking a new and

exciting opportunityDiploma qualified, DIPPFS

If you are interested and would like a confidential chat please call

07976 562 428 or 07714 590 455

JANUARY 2012 • DELIVERED FREE

YOUR MONTHLY INSIGHT INTO LOCAL LIVING COVERING

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COVErING uP TO 7,000 HOmESThroughout Rossett, Pulford, Marford, Gresford, Overton on Dee,

Bangor on Dee, Worthenbury, Cross Lanes, Marchwiel and surrounding areas

For more information call 01244 571 602 or email [email protected]

Page 12: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

12 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

Email marketing resolutions for 2012.Are you one of those people who around this time of year will make a new years resolution for your business? You’re not alone if you do, lots of us make them but only occasionally do we keep them.

Our best intentions somehow get sidetracked as the issues of the day or week take over and our focus gets switched from one thing to another as we end up fire fighting within our business.

If you have considered or are considering Email Marketing as a new years resolution for your business let me recommend creating a realistic 5 point plan which may help you in terms of driving results and best practice, giving you every chance that this new years resolution sticks:

1. Testing, testing and testing.

I can’t drum the importance of testing your email campaigns enough. Whether it’s the Offer, the Creative, the Timing of the Email send or the Call to Action, only by testing and measuring each’s performance can you truly get a grip as to what is working and what is not. Testing is a fundamental and essential best practice for any email marketing campaign to follow. Start by testing the most basic email program elements with an A/B split test, like subject

lines, and work your way to testing of creative elements, like images, calls-to-action and landing pages.

2. How do you know if you’re Email campaign is working.

Is your email marketing campaign a success? What do you want from your email campaign? Is it a success if you have high email deliverability (customer retention programs), open, click-through and conversion rates?

Are you trying to drive new business purchases or new leads for your sales team? You need to think carefully here as your desired outcome will have an impact on the construction of the email and the overall email campaign strategy.

3. Staying relevant and keeping engagement.

Nearly all email marketing is trying to invoke an action of some sort. This can be anything from trying to get a new purchase to trying to get a subscriber to take a survey. But what about those inactions, those subscribers that were once valued customer but are now inactive?

Chances are you have a reasonably high percentage of subscribers who were once engaged and interacting with your messages, but have lost interest over time. These subscribers are likely deleting your messages without reading them, so what changed, when did it happen and, most importantly, why?

Understanding what keeps your subscribers engaged over the long-term will be increasingly important

for getting delivered to the inbox, staying there and maintaining high levels of activity.

4. Winning back your inactives.

Stop focusing on list quantity and concern yourself with its quality. Inactives can be anything from recycled email addresses and unknown users to subscribers who once found your emails relevant and no longer do.

Take action and remove the bad email addresses & validate your existing email list to ensure you’re giving yourself every chance to win back your inactive subscribers.

Look to create a strategy for re-engaging with existing subscribers who are still valuable to your business.

5. Targeted Email data Lists.

There are over 1 million highly targeted personal email addresses for senior business decision makers in the UK. Likewise there are over 15 million fully opt in and targeted consumer emails available.

Getting the right data lists and targeting just the people or industries relevant to you will greatly increase your chance that your email message gets through to the right people who are more likely to be interested to hear from you.

Committing to at least some of these New Years resolutions will ensure your email marketing program is set up for success in 2012 and beyond - let’s make 2012 your best year yet!

CHRIS TATE marketing data Solutions Ltd

direct Line: 01824 774 260mobile: 07900 890 927www.marketingdatasolutions.co.uk

marketing data Solutions provide targeted, accurate data lists and marketing data services to help our clients achieve their marketing goals and objectives.We are trusted providers of premium quality databases for the UK and beyond, providing both Targeted Consumer and Targeted Business databases for any sector or decision making contact you may require.

Our Digital Marketing suite encompasses both the Provision and/or Appending of Email & Mobile Phone numbers to an existing database. Additionally we manage and monitor Email & SMS Broadcasting services on behalf of our clients.

What sets us apart from the rest is that we provide totally honest but experienced advice to help our clients make informed and more accurate decisions. We discuss with you your data objectives, your target audience, your timescales and your budgets, before we put forward our data solutions for you to consider. We don’t put pressure on you, we don’t haggle over price or chase you for an update.

Our new customers contact us often because they have been referred to us by other customers or people who have enjoyed our honesty and work ethics. That alone speaks volumes of how we work, how we continue to work and why contacting us today maybe the very best thing you have done for a while!

Page 13: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

13BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

Every City, Town and Village has owner managed and run businesses at their core.Many of these businesses have been built on hard work, service and dedication,” to do what they do” very well.Owners of these businesses spend years building them up and developing a good client base, not knowing what to do when the time comes to sell on. Couple this with a commercial property held on a lease or indeed freehold and you have something of real value. With people finding it difficult to compete in the employment market, especially those who may have experienced redundancy, owning and running an established business really appeals especially if the present owner wishes to retire.When an established business owner wishes to sell they are quite often faced with some difficult decisions.

1 How do I go about valuing my business?

2 What do I do about the premises (leasehold or Freehold)

3 How do I go about selling without telling customers and suppliers?

4 Who should I seek advice from?

There is no doubt we are in difficult economic times and this has affected most businesses, however, the good ones generally survive, there will always be a need for a business that “specializes” be it a service, a profession or a product, it is also important to support these independent businesses, otherwise we will all be at the mercy of the supermarkets!

Ian J Hart MNAEAwww.hartbusinesssales.com

07827 773 773

selling your business

Page 14: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

14 BUSINESS IN WREXHAM Feb/Mar 2012

At Hadlow Edwards we offer a distinctive approach to our clients and their financial affairs. You get all the benefits of personal attention and years of experience, from an approachable, friendly team of professionals. We take care of the details and take away the frustration of financial planning.

• mortgages • Investments• retirement Plans • Insurance • Tax

65 Regent Street, Wrexham LL11 1PF

Telephone: 0800 652 8175 Fax: 01978 311 633

email: [email protected]: www.sjpp.co.uk/hadlowedwards

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Contributed by Warren Hadlow & Medwyn Edwards, Hadlow Edwards Ltd.Telephone: 0800 652 8175 – e-mail [email protected]

Hadlow Edwards Limited represents St. James’s Place Wealth Management Plc, which is authorised and regulated by the

Financial Services Authority.

On initial reflection 2011 may appear to have been a year to forget for investors. Many markets suffered a difficult time as the world became a spectator to the Eurozone crisis. Fortunately the markets eventually lost patience with the politicians and took matters into their own hands at the tail end of the year.

Looking at things a little more closely there were some very mixed and in some cases unexpected outcomes. Overall the place not to have been was European Equities with German markets falling around 15% and Italy nearly 25%. The Asian markets were on the whole somewhere in between.

The UK fared better, with the FTSE 100 slipping just 5% (but just 2% after dividends were reinvested). The surprising winner was the USA where the super blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Index actually rose by 6% over the year.

So, the big question – is “What will happen this year?” It might be helpful to think about some of the issues that might influence the markets and then think about investment strategies for your savings, investments and pensions.

Who knows for certain the answers to the following questions:

• Will the Eurozone survive intact?

• Will the Sovereign Debt crisis hit Britain?

• Which will be the leading global market place 2012?

• Will US and UK companies pay out higher dividends? (If you know all five answers please get in touch!)

An interesting thought here is that US and UK companies are almost certain to pay out higher dividends. Companies have substantial free cash flow (a lot of our larger companies hold huge cash reserves at present) and very little appetite to spend it on acquisitions or expansion programmes. Income could well be the key for 2012.

In terms of strategy the best course of action could be to create a portfolio that will respond if the markets deliver “more of the same” this year. In other words a strategy that would have done well last year and can repeat the performance.

Perhaps this is the time more than ever when you should really know your numbers.

Whether you are looking at the interest rate on your savings, your existing ISAs, older With Profits Bonds or your pensions, do you know how they compare, and where they sit in their league table? That’s one question you can find out the answer to and we would be delighted to help, by way of a complimentary meeting, with no cost or obligation on your part.

One thing for sure this year is that there will be significant winners and losers and a little time invested now will probably not go amiss.

You can perhaps build a greater degree of certainty for your own finances, in what remains a very uncertain world. We look forward to hearing from you.

Page 15: Business in Wrexham - February 2012
Page 16: Business in Wrexham - February 2012

The nursery caters for children from throughout the Wrexham

area as well as children of Glyndŵr University

students and staff

Find out [email protected]

01978 314912Active Childcare Ltd, The Centre for the Child,

Glyndŵr University, Mold Road, Wrexham LL11 2AW

www.activechildcare.co.uk