island business magazine, june 2010

BETTER BUSINESS

Search Engine Optimisation –we explore the dark arts ofsearch engine visibility withhelp from Island experts.

SPECIAL REPORT

In the second of our reportson Franchising we look atwhat's involved in creating afranchise out of your business.

COMPANY PROFILE

From pipelines to brewing –how plans to settle down led tothe birth of a new brewery, anda successful Island businesss.

CHAMBER MATTERS

New members, Chamberpeople, member benefits,and more event details foryour diary.

Also in this issue...

Green IslandCan we really deliveron the Eco Islandvision?

Part 2

JUNE 2010

1See digital editions of Island Business Magazine on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

President’s foreword

Published byThe Knowledge Zone Ltd

EditorSteve Sleight

Art EditorKaren Holloway

Editorial teamLouisa MamakouZara MacAlisterSara CoombesDebs Allan

Contact the [email protected]

Administration and enquiriesTanya [email protected]

Advertising SalesAmanda [email protected] 934 4208Mary [email protected] 245505

For IW ChamberEditor (Chamber)Kevin [email protected]

Managing Editor (Chamber)Zoe Stroud

For more great content visit

www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

Contact TKZThe Knowledge Zone Ltd.5-9 Baring Chambers13 Denmark Road, CowesIsle of Wight PO31 7EX01983 [email protected]

Isle of Wight Chamber of CommerceMill Court, Furrlongs, NewportIsle of Wight, PO30 2AA01983 [email protected]

To join the Chamber call 01983 520777

While every care has been taken toensure the accuracy of Island Businessmagazine the publishers do not acceptany liability or provide any guaranteethat the information is accurate,complete, or up to date. The publisherand its employees and contractors haveused their best efforts in preparing thesepages and this publication but make nowarranty of any kind, expressed or

implied, with regard to the informationsupplied. The views of contributors donot necessarily represent those of thepublisher or the IW Chamber ofCommerce. The Knowledge Zone Ltd.and its employees and contractors shallnot be liable in the event of incidentalor consequential damages in connectionwith, or arising out of, the providing ofthe information offered here.

TKZ

CONTENTS

2 NEWS

A roundup of business news

BETTER BUSINESS

Search Engine Optimisation – weexplore the dark arts of searchengine visibility

12 FEATURE

Green Island – Part 2:Can we really deliver onthe Eco Island vision?

24 COMPANY PROFILE

Yates' Brewery – From pipelinesto brewing

30 CHAMBER MATTERS

New members, Chamberpeople, member benefits,and diary dates

34 CLASSIFIEDS

Our classified section

36 THE BACK PAGE

Steve Blamire ponders on theloss of regional identity whileRupert Besley puts pen topaper. Plus RUBS – ReallyUseful Business Stuff

10

THE EXPERT’S VIEWInformation andcommunications technology

11

20 SPECIAL REPORT

Franchising – Part 2:Franchising out yourbusiness

Island Business Magazine is printedby Bishops Printers of Portsmouth

Photo: Ventnor Botanic GardenPhotographer Julian Winslow

Welcome to this, the June issue of Island BusinessMagazine – I can’t believe that we’re already halfwaythrough 2010! Following on from the General Election,the country is definitely in for an interesting ride and it

will be fascinating to see how things pan out between now and theend of the year which will, I’m sure, give a real flavour of the pain /gain to come for us all.

The Chamber is widening its portfolio and has established both anEco-Business Forum and Construction Forum which will join the other

sector groups that report in to the Main Board. The real benefit of these groups is that they canfocus on fewer issues, but with the experience and specialist knowledge of people working inthose fields. With the impending start of the Pan Meadows development and the Highways PFInow a reality, it is vital that our businesses have the best support to prepare themselves to winparts of these multi-million pound contracts. Our challenge must be the re-cycling of as much ofthe available funding within the Island’s own economy which will inevitably benefit everyonewho lives here.

June, of course, sees the return of the iconic Isle of Wight Festival and the mass influx of visitorsto the event and the Island. It is important that we nurture these music fans (especially theyounger ones) as I strongly believe that they are our tourists of the future – a warm welcome andgood impression is vital from all of us.

Mrs. P and I are privileged to own about a quarter of an acre of French countryside with a smallcabin on it – our own little bolt hole of tranquility. In the past eighteen months, we have seen anumber of new wind farms built within a few miles of us. Being curious, we have driven up toassess the impact on the adjacent villages and surroundings. Firstly, the noise is so minimal thatyou have to park with the engine off and the windows open to hear them (and there aren’t pilesof dead birds that have flown into the blades). Secondly, there is not a mass exodus of people,tourists, or properties for sale. We are in the Normandy National Park which, arguably, is just asrural and equally beautiful as the Isle of Wight, but in the preceding years we have never seenany sign of popular protest about the construction of these wind farms. Don’t get me wrong,these are people that love to protest – the farmers regularly strike and a huge protest movementover a number of years halted the siting of an underground dump for nuclear waste. My point is,the French seem to see the benefits of renewable energy outweighing any perceiveddisadvantages to the countryside, and seem to have wholeheartedly embraced the future. Does itmake us want to sell up? Does it make us feel the place is ruined? Absolutely not.

Enjoy your summer.

Steve Porter, President IWCCTI

So, now we know. The election isbehind us and we, the electorate, gavea very mixed decision. Now it's down

to a Conservative and Liberal Democratcoalition to steer the country through whatis likely be one of the most difficult periodssince the 1930s.

It will take time for the dust to clear and forthe new government to produce their firstbudget, but already we are getting clues tothe severity of the cuts individuals andbusinesses will have to cope with, and theinstability of the situation we are in.

What will it mean for Island businesses? Theimpact on Island tourism – such a vital partof the Island's economy – is hard to predict.The increasingly beneficial exchange ratemay help encourage foreign visitors whilehome-grown tourism may be boosted aspeople choose UK holidays rather thantravelling abroad. Either way, all involved inthe Island's tourism industry must workharder than ever to promote our Island as adesirable holiday destination.

While many sectors will be severely hit bythe economic situation, others will seeopportunities. The potential forenvironment-related businesses is high, andthe decisions taken to implement the EcoIsland vision could have a profound impacton the future prosperity of the Island.

Eco Island developments are central to thesecond part of our Green Island feature thismonth (pages 12-19) and include an exclusiveinterview with Council Leader David Pugh.

There's lots of information in the feature butthere's even more on Island Business Online,with in-depth interviews with all theorganisations featured in the article.

Our unique video coverage is one of thethings that has seen Island Business Onlinegrow so rapidly in terms of both visitornumbers and advertisers. Visitors tell us thatthey love our video reports and our daily-updated news. If you have yet to visit ouronline resource please do check it out andlet us know you views.

Until next month, may business be good!

Contact the editorial team at:[email protected] telephone 01983 245505.

Visit Island Business Online at:www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

THE STARTING LINEBY THE EDITOR

Published 29 June• Island events – bringing audiences

and sponsors to the Island

• Better Business – team buildingfor business

• Special Report – the Island'scommercial property market

• Company Profile – HMP Isle of Wight

• Chamber Matters – monthly update

IN THE NEXT ISSUEJULY 2010

2

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Organisers arecountingdown to the2011 NatWest

Island Games, andencouraging businesses to make themost of the opportunity.

The games will feature about 4,000athletes competing at 23 Island venues,hosting hundreds of events in 14 sports.

About 300 media from around theworld are expected to attend, there willbe a Royal visit, an internationalconference, and the opening ceremonywill feature 1,000 schoolchildren. TheGames will also be visited by a team ofofficials from the London 2012 Olympics.

David Ball, Chairman of the OrganisingCommittee, said: "This is an event forthe whole Island, and we want to doeverything we can to ensure thatbusinesses get involved."

Major sponsorship has already beensecured from NatWest, Isle of WightCouncil, Tourism SouthEast, and Wightlink.

David has been involved since theIsland first hosted the Games in 1993,and said: “Next year will be moresignificant than ever," he said. "There ishuge interest already from the LondonOlympics, who are seeing our event as atest bed for the 2012 Olympic Games,and it is a wonderful opportunity to raise

the profile of the whole Island."The Isle of Wight Chamber of

Commerce, Tourism and Industry isworking with organisers to spread themessage to businesses (see page 32 forevent diary date on 8 June).

Michelle Russell, Marketing andCommunications Officer, said the scopefor business involvement is huge.“Businesses could, for example, sponsorone of the sports, or help with printing,clothing, a single race or event, advertisein our programmes, or help with anynumber of requirements ranging fromflagpoles for medal ceremonies to largescreen televisions."For more information, visitwww.natwestislandgames2011.co.uk.

Ventnor-based OceanBlue Sea Chartershave launched their new 8.5m

catamaran Free Spirit, built by CheetahMarine, to take passengers on sea safarisalong the Island's south coast.

Lucy Strevens, founder of the seasafaris said: "We wanted to give peoplethe opportunity to get out and have funon the water whilst learning about ourcoastline. Our new Cheetah Free Spirit,which is coded to carry 12 passengers, isthe perfect boat for exploring thesecluded bays and discovering theIsland’s wild south coast from the sea."

Free Spirit is powered by two monster135 hp Honda outboard engines and willoffer exhilarating rides to both locals andtourists who want to discover thespectacular Undercliff coastline.

During the sea safari passengers canget hands on and help haul lobster potsand discover the marine treasures of thedeep. The trip is completed with a` fast

ride back to Ventnor Haven. OceanBluealso offer tailor-made private charters forgroups who are looking to celebratesomething special.

OceanBlue Sea Charters is based atOceanBlue Quay on Ventnor's EasternEsplanade. The Quay, which includes theCheetah Marine workshops, HarbourMaster's Office, and Goodmans Bistro, ispart of the strategic long-term plan fordeveloping the land adjacent toVentnor Haven.

High speed sea safaris from Ventnor

Sporting opportunityfor Island businesses

David Ball

On safari

JUNE 2010

3

NEWS

Visit www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk for up-to-date Isle of Wight business news

Ventnorblog – officially the UK’stop local news site – is out toconvince Island businesses of theneed to invest in social media.

Husband and wife team Simon and SalPerry, who set up Ventnorblog five yearsago, also provide social mediaconsultancy services and say localorganisations are missing out on abig opportunity.

"Sites like Facebook and Twitter givebusinesses a chance to build arelationship with their customers," saidSimon. "But so many are either ignoringthis opportunity, or are not making themost of their existing sites."

Ventnorblog has rapidly expanded sinceits launch, and now receives an averageof 250,000 page views a month. Itrecently won the Best Hyperlocal Site inthe UK award at a ceremony in Leeds,and was nominated for a Best NewMedia award last year.

Sal said that the number of Islandpeople who interact with Ventnorblog isfurther proof of the power of socialmedia. "We have registered more than22,000 comments on the site, and it isclear that people are much more relaxedabout expressing themselves online," she

said. "We hope we can help localfirms make the most of this changeof attitude."

Simon and Sal moved to Ventnor in thesummer of 2005, and have longexperience in online publications. Theywere among the first of the bloggers,and launched Ventnorblog on the backof widespread interest in the discovery ofan unexploded bomb at Ventnor Haven.

Since then, they and their contributorshave written 8,500 articles, as well asrecording video and audio coverageof events.

Seven Britten-Normanapprentices successfully

competed in the Hampshire andIsle of Wight EngineersChallenge Day at Hawley Lakein Surrey.

The apprentices were involvedin a full day of challenges,which were set by the RoyalEngineers and which is part ofthe Key Skills course at college.

Among the tasks wererepairing an enemy sabotagedradio transmitter station,enabling the sending of amessage to friendly troops within 20minutes.

In another exercise, a woodland trackand surrounding ground had to becleared of dummy IEDs (ImprovisedExplosive Devices). There were 10 tocomplete within 20 minutes. Fitnesswas also tested with circuit trainingand running.

The Britten-Norman team in Fareham 2took second place behind FarnboroughMilitary College, which was a fineachievement against dedicatedMilitary Colleges.

The apprentices were Craig Chandler,Joe Crouch, Josh Jennings, Will Poole,Scott Tarren, Joe Tigwell, Matt Woodfordwith Learning and DevelopmentManager, Steve Clark.

Ventnorblogbranches out

With Business Thinking 2010,HSBC are offering the UK's best

business thinkers the chance to sharein £90 million lending plus a financialreward of up to £100,000 each.

Six companies from each of nine UKregions will be selected to join HSBCon a Thought Exchange trip.

They’ll travel as HSBC's guests toone of the world’s most dynamicareas of economic growth - China,the Americas, or Europe - for theopportunity to enjoy networking andbusiness development opportunities.

Entries, refined by insights gained onthe Thought Exchange, will then bejudged by the HSBC panel of experts.Two finalists from each region willreceive up to £5 million lending plus afinancial reward of up to £100,000.

One of the 18 finalists will becomeBusiness Thinking 2010 winner at agala event and receive a furtherfinancial reward of up to £100,000.To find out more and to registeryour interest, go tohttp://businessthinking.hsbc.co.uk/.

How far could yourbusiness thinkingtake you?

Isle of Wighteconomy gettingstrongerBritten-Norman apprentices match up to

army challenge The sixth IWEPBarometer

Business onlinesurvey has reportedon the quarter fromJanuary to March.

The report shows signs that theeconomic recovery is strengthening onthe Island with the stronger performingbusinesses continuing to moveforward, and significantly morebusinesses indicating an improvement.

There has also been an improvementin business confidence and for the firsttime over 50% of businesses are moreoptimistic about the future.

Graham Biss, Chief Executive of IWEP,said: "Looking ahead to the next sixmonths, the respondents appearoptimistic with a third of businessesexpecting profit margins to increase.However, 21% of businesses continueto expect a reduction in margins.Overall the outlook appears stronger,with more expecting to see theirreported trading conditions continue."

Simon and Sal Perry

Apprentices ready for the challenge

NEWS

4


The growth in offshore wind powerhas lead to a new market for RapidResponse Vessels (RRVs) likeOFFSHORE RESPONSE 1, which was

built by GRP Laminates and South Boatson the Isle of Wight. The vessel is ownedby Offshore Wind Power Marine Services,one of the UK’s leading operators of crewtransfer and support services for the windenergy market.

Already, one casualty has had reason tobe thankful for the speedy response thevessel provides. When an individualbecame ill offshore, the vessel was onscene within 15 minutes. The RRV's crewhas advanced medical knowledge anddiagnosed a suspected heart attack. Theysummoned the emergency services and, ata speed of 30 knots, were back in port toa waiting ambulance in minutes. It wasconfirmed that the casualty had suffered aheart attack; thankfully he survived.

Paul Walsh, Logistics Director at OffshoreWind Power Marine Services, explainedthe importance of RRVs: "We supply wind

farm operators with fully-crewed andequipped transfer vessels. As turbines arebeing built further and further offshore,speed becomes more of an issue."

With a top speed of 30kn, the SouthBoats / GRP RRV meets a growing need toreduce engineer and turbine downtime.

The RRV’s versatility is another bonus.“The cabin layout can be arranged to suitthe client," explained Paul. "We couldremove some of the seats on the starboardside to install toolboxes, equipmentstorage cupboards and/or a stretcherbearer, for example.”

The Isle of Wight Chamber ofCommerce, Tourism and Industry has

launched a new initiative to helpstimulate the Eco Island agenda.

The Forum is chaired by Brian Bailey, aformer Chamber President, who isChairman of Wight Energy Limited andManaging Director of RomahomeLimited, with strong support from Forummembers who represent a wide range ofIsland businesses.

Mr Bailey said: "We want to getbusinesses involved and give them avoice on issues relating to theenvironment and the Island’s futureenergy needs. We also want to becomean information hub on issues relating torenewable and energy efficiency support,as well as actively encouraging newtechnologies and innovative ideas thatwill take the Eco Island agenda forward."

The Forum will lend its weight insupport of plans for an Eco / ClimateChange Centre and Technology Park forthe Island, along with the IslandHighways PFI and offshore wind farms.

"There is a huge amount of experienceand expertise on the Forum and we willbe working hard to represent theinterests of all Chamber members and

the Island's business community. Wewould hope to work with the Council indelivering and turning the Eco Islandagenda into reality," added Mr Bailey.The IW Eco Business Forum aims to:• Educate Island businesses and various

economic stakeholders, by raisingawareness of the principles, values andbenefits of a green economy.

• Develop an infrastructure wherebusinesses can explore options andcreate opportunities for enterprise,innovation, skills training, facilities,products and finance.

• Support businesses and key partnersby providing a platform for dialogue,the sharing of ideas and developingbest practices, along with options forlobbying decision makers.

Rapid response fromGRP LaminatesNew moves to strengthen the

Island’s construction industryhave been announced by the Isle ofWight Chamber of Commerce,Tourism and Industry.

Representatives of all sectors of theindustry have come together to formthe Island Construction Hub, and oneof its first targets is to seek to workwith the Isle of Wight Council, whichis reviewing its procurement process.

Geoff Banks, of GJ Banks (IW)Limited, and a Director of theChamber, is Chair of the Hub. Hesaid: “There is an urgent need foreveryone in the Island's constructionindustry to speak with one voice tothe regulators and our clients in bothpublic and private sectors.

"We need to work together toensure that the Island's industry isrobustly represented and see thatIsland contracts are available to andserved by Island companies.”

Members of the Hub includerepresentatives from buildingcontractors, developers, architects,surveyors, engineers, estateagents, the Council, andhousing associations.

Mr Banks said he was keen toencourage all construction-relatedbusinesses to get involved.

“We want to know what problemsare being experienced, so that wecan tackle them together,” he said.“And we want to hear from thosewho are not Chamber members, too,so that we can achieve strongerrepresentation – and become a voicefor the whole industry.”The Hub’s remit includes:• Creation and protection of Island

jobs.• Monitoring major contracts,

including the Roads PFI, andproviding information and support.

• Advice and support on newregulations

• Identifying training needs andincreasing quality standards.

• Identifying and sharing bestpractice.

• Improving dialogue and workingwith the industry's clients.

Businesses wanting moreinformation about theConstruction Hub should send amessage to:[email protected]

Chamber launchesConstruction Hub

New Eco BusinessForum is launched

Brian Bailey

The Island-built RRV

5www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

Cowes Yacht Haven, Vectis Yard, High Street, Cowes PO31 7BD

Call 01983 299 975www.cowesyachthaven.com

Cowes Yacht Haven plays host to the most prestigious events on the Island. It is the ideal venue for all forms of corporate hospitality and events, whatever the scale.

With its superb marina position and complete event management service we guarantee you will have an event to remember. Call us today for a free tour.

Cheap travelfor guests

The island’s biggest event is back and you can maximise the business opportunity by snapping up the limited number of hospitality and sponsorship packages that start from just £500.

Hospitality PackagesEvent bannersSampling stands

SponsorshipFlagsParty nights

Your Event Venue With A Difference

Cowes Week Opportunities

morftratstahtsegakcaphforebmundetimilehtpuppossenisubehtesimixamtnevetseggibs’dnalsiehT

OkeeWWeseCow

.005£tsjupihsrosnopsdnaytilatipsoh

gnippansybytinturopnacuoydnakcabsit

seitinutroppO

dartis YYarecen, VVecvacht Haes YYacht HawoC

aesywwww.co1983 0all C

ssndatsngilpmaSrennabtnevE

segakcaPylitaitpsoH

es PO31 7BDwoeet, Cd, High Str

en.comvachtha975299 3

ss

htginytrPagaFl

pihsorsonpS

NEWS IN BRIEF

Top beach awards for IslandThe Isle of Wight is again leading theway for the quality of its beaches in thelatest Keep Britain Tidy Blue Flag andQuality Coast Awards (QCAs).The Island has three Blue Flag beacheswhile also receiving 11 QCAs, giving it atotal of 14 awards.Shanklin joins Ventnor and Sandownbeaches in being awarded both a BlueFlag. The Island's total of 14 awards onceagain puts it joint top in the countryalongside Torbay.With 111 QCA's awarded across the UK,the Island can boast almost exactly 10per cent of the UK's QCA beaches.

Awards to celebratemanufacturingThe manufacturers' organisation, the EEF,will be showcasing the best of Britishinnovation and excellence through theirpopular Future Manufacturing Awards.The awards celebrate innovation and areopen to all UK manufacturers andtheir apprentices.There are four categories, each with twoawards. You can enter as many awards asyou wish and up to six apprentices canbe entered in the apprentice awards.Entries close on 31 July so to find outmore and download your entry form visitwww.eef.org.uk/awards/default.htm.

Offshore wind opportunitiesMarine South East is partnering withEnvirobusiness for a workshop on supplychain prospects within offshore winddevelopment. The workshop will be onThursday, 17 June, 1000-1230, at theSeawork Exhibition in the Canary IslandsFruit Terminal in Southampton Docks.The workshop will enable potentialsuppliers to understand the supply chainand identify selling opportunities as wellas helping wind farm developers accessspecialist marine companies. To registerfor the event call 02380 111590.

The French ConnectionTwo Island business representativesrecently visited Devon along withdelegates from Research Centres andScience Parks in Brittany, Normandy aswell as South West of England, for athree day exchange visit as part of theChannel Innovation Network (Chain).In September, the Isle of Wight will behosting the next visit of CHAIN delegatesfrom the South West, South East, Brittany,and Normandy. Any business looking toestablish or develop trade links withNormandy, Brittany, or the South West ofEngland can find out more bycontacting either Graham Biss at theInnovation Centre on 550300 or KenDueck on 07785 977 527.

6


The Isle of Wight Chamber’s CharityGolf Challenge proved so successfulit will now become an annual event.

The event was revived this year after afour year gap, and attracted more than20 players who enjoyed the sunshine atShanklin and Sandown Golf Club.

The total amount raised, including araffle and auction, was £2,000, which waspresented to the Isle of Wight Hospice.

The winners – David Street and RoyClayton, of Imp House – won theChallenge Shield for a year and an 18carat gold paperweight. Runners up BarryGroves and Aidan Calder, and third placedRob McCarthy and Jon West won playinglessons with Shanklin and Sandown clubprofessional Peter Hammond.

Zoe Stroud, Chamber Group MarketingManager, said the event – sponsored byWightcable and Southern Vectis – had

been a great success."Sponsors andgolfers gave so generously, and we aredelighted to have raised so much for theHospice," she said. "Everyone had such afantastic day that we have alreadycommitted to making this an annualevent once more."

Workers at one of the Island’s topcompanies are benefiting from

free health checks, courtesy ofChamber Health.

The sessions at Gurit have been sosuccessful that there are plans for more.Over 50 staff attended the first check-ups, at which qualified nurses check forcholesterol and blood pressure, andgive wide-ranging health advice.

Chamber Health is a service of the Isleof Wight Chamber of Commerce,Tourism and Industry, which wasformed in partnership with the Island

NHS to help in the early identification ofhealth problems.

Lynette Herbst, who leads the team,said the service was now established asa social enterprise, supported bynational funding.

"We aim to help take health servicesout to people who would otherwise notthink of going to a doctor, and thatobviously includes people who are atwork all day," she said.For more information, and to booka visit to your business, [email protected].

Demand for highly-skilled people willintensify during the recovery, and

employers fear they will not be able to findpeople with the skills they need, a newCBI/EDI survey has revealed.

Half of employers (51%) are concernedthey will not be able to fill posts requiringthe right graduate level or higher skills inthe coming years, and a third (32%) don’tbelieve it will be possible to fillintermediate level jobs, requiring skillsequivalent to A level. A third (30%) ofemployers predict the need for lower-levelskills will decrease, while just 17% say itwill increase.

Despite the recession, nearly half ofemployers (45%) say they are alreadyhaving difficulty recruiting staff with skillsin science, technology, engineering and

maths (STEM), with manufacturers andscience-related businesses having the mostdifficulty finding highly-skilled people to filltheir posts. Even more companies (59%)expect to have difficulty finding STEM-skilled people in the next three years.

Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General,said: "In the future, people withqualifications in science and maths will beparticularly sought after, and firms say it isalready hard to find people with the righttechnical or engineering skills. The newgovernment must make encouraging moreyoung people to study science-relatedsubjects a top priority. Businesses can helpby showing that these skills lead toexciting and rewarding careers, helping totackle the big challenges, such asclimate change and energy security."

Charity golf challengeis great success

Low-skilled jobs expected to decline

Gurit plans more health sessions

IB-JUNE2010-2-9_news.qxd:Island Business 25/5/10 14:20 Page 6


Passionate about sailing

Call 0844 463 6825or visit www.sunsail.co.uk/ibus

Join us between Saturday 31st July and Saturday 7th August 2010 for one of the world’s most famous sailing events. Cowes Week provides everything you need for the perfect summer’s day out! Whether you want to simply spectate from your deck or be part of the race action, Sunsail Events can arrange it for you.

Terms and Conditions: Price is based on six people on board, for one day. Travel to and from Cowes Yacht Haven, Isle of Wight is not included. Sunsail can arrange RIB transport to and from the South coast and overnight accommodation with preferred hotel, price and availability on request.

Your Crew Package at the Races includes:

Prices from - £295 per person

Fancy a day at the

races?

PRICES

F RO

M£295per person

Don’t miss out on this year’s greatest race week! Cowes Week

NEWS IN BRIEF

Plug in and driveThe Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerceis working with partners to investigatethe possibility of creating a network ofelectric vehicle charging points onthe Island.The Chamber has sought expressions ofinterest from tourism-related businessesthat would be willing to have a chargingpoint installed on their premises. The aimis to gauge interest in an initiative whichcould contribute to the Eco Island vision.

Police warn of Island internet scamIsle of Wight police have issued awarning about a scam involving a fakecompany making allegations about illegaluse of the internet.The scam uses the fake company name'HSE Business Support', which falselyclaims to be based in Newport High Street.People who receive a letter are told that acomputer linked to their internet accounthas been monitored as sharing copyrightedmusic online unlawfully.Anyone who receives a letter like this isadvised not to pay any money but toreport the matter by phoning either thepolice on 101 or Isle of Wight Council'sTrading Standards Service on01983 821000.

Small wind turbine workshopMarine South East under its Wind of theCoast project will host a workshop onThursday, 17 June looking at theopportunities for marine businesses toinstall small scale onshore wind energysystems. It will be of particular interest tomarine businesses located in windycoastal locations.The workshop runs from 1400-1630 andwill be held at the Seawork Exhibition, inSouthampton Docks.It will highlight relevant policies andregulations, set out the economic case for‘small wind’ and examine some of thetechnologies on offer. Call 02380 111590.

Frontline workshopAn interactive workshop for frontlinestaff this month will focus on how tocommunicate more effectively in adiverse community.Organised by the IW Chamber and theIsland Strategic Partnership, with Red TieTheatre, the session will help staff whodeal directly with clients and customersto understand the issues facing migrantworkers, and other groups.The free event will be held at Quay Arts,Newport, on Wednesday, 23 June,1500-1700.Contact the Chamber on 01983 520777for more information or to book a place.

8


Aspecialist surveying company isaiming to take the sting out of the

process of dilapidations, for commercialtenants and landlords.

Dilapidations liabilities are stated inmost commercial leases, requiring theoccupier to return the premises to adefined condition on the expiry ofa lease.

Laurie Gavaghan of Dilaps UK, Isle ofWight, said it can be an aggravatingand time consuming process. “Theissue of dilapidations tends to be raisedright at the end of the lease,” he said.“This adds the pressure of time and somany people miss out on possibletax savings.

"Accounting for dilapidations reducestax liability, but only if accurately andprofessionally assessed. Dilapidationsliabilities do not go away. They need tobe assessed on an ongoing basis by

specialist surveyors with a detailedknowledge of the local area. Localknowledge is key to optimisingthe claim."For more information visitwww.dilapsuk.com

Businesses using plant orequipment of any kind are beingwarned to be aware of their dutyof care to employees.

Updates to the 1974 Health and SafetyAct mean that more and moreequipment falls under the legislation,requiring it to be kept in good and safeworking order.

Many items of plant and equipmentwill be subject to statutory inspectionunder regulations such as: PUWER -Provision and Use of Work EquipmentRegulations 1998; LOLER - LiftingOperations and Lifting EquipmentRegulations 1998; PSSR - PressureSystems Safety Regulations 2000;

and EAWR - Electricity at WorkRegulations 1989.

Items that fall under these regulations –whether that is a pressurised coffeemachine or a crane – need inspectingand testing at regular intervals toensure compliance.

Jenny Pearcey, Regional CentreManager at Swinton Commercial Cowes,said she had become worried to discoverthat some businesses on the Islandbelieved that statutory inspection ofplant did not apply to them. "It isimportant to stay on top ofrequirements, and use experiencedengineering inspectors,” she said.

Isle of Wight Lotterytop prizewinner Barry

Taylor will be spendinghis winnings on homeimprovements.

Barry, who lives inNewport, recently won £2,000, and likemany winners, he says the real reason forsubscribing £1 a week to the Lottery isbecause "it contributes towards thecreation of new jobs and businessopportunities".

Feedback from winners of the weekly£2,000, £300 and £200 prizes showsthat the Isle of Wight Lottery gets theirsupport for the same reason.

A winner who lives in Lake said: "ThisLottery is on the Island for Island people

and it is very important tohelp local businesses."

A Shanklin winner whohas subscribed since 2002said that the money wouldcome in handy towards the

cost of a holiday this year, but that theLottery’s scheme of interest free loans tonew and developing businesses wouldwin her support whether she won a prizeor not.

Alan Cousins, of Ryde, announced withtongue in cheek that he would not bedonating his winnings to PortsmouthFootball Club. Alan added: "The Lotteryhelps to create Island jobs, and playsits part in keeping unemploymentnumbers down."

Duty of care

Accounting for dilapidations

IW Lottery – winning isn’t everything

LaurieGavaghan


APPRE

NTICES

HIPS

SPEC

IALIST SH

ORTCOURS

ES

TRAIN

TOGAIN

ANDESF FU

NDING

BESP

OKE TRAIN

ING

NVQs

www.island

traini

ng.or

g

Employ

erhe

lpline:

0198

3 5506

09

A refreshingly personal approach

Moore Stephens (South) LLP are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

We make the time to get to know you aswell as your business. So you can trust uswith some of the most important decisionsyou’ll ever make.

For a friendly, no obligation meeting,call us today.

Working with you, not just your business.

Moore Stephens 9 St John’s Place, NewportT 01983 825000 www.moorestephens.co.uk

BETTER BUSINESS

10


Search engine optimisation (SEO)helps tune website content toimprove visibility; the higher yourank in a search engine's index,

the more visible you will be."SEO is a complex subject, and requires

time and effort to achieve results," saidJohn Cooper, Managing Director of Etetra."It's highly competitive and the ruleschange on a daily basis."

The key elements of SEO are research,optimised content, technical work onwebsite coding, and above all, the rightlink building strategy. Text on the websitemust be well written and clearly explained,so visitors (as well as search engine spiders)can find you, know what your businessdoes, who you are, and where you are.

"It's essential that you pick realisticphrases which you would like to achieve a

high rank for in the search engines," saidVectis WebDesign's David Groom.

"The page content, page title, otherpage elements, and if possible the page'sfilename should all be constructed to giveprominence to the phrases you wish ahigh ranking for," David explained. "Eachpage should, if possible, have differentcontent to the others. Use, or ensure yourweb designer uses, Google’s WebmasterTools to check for potential problems."

Ensure your website address is referred toas often as possible on other websites. Inpart, this is down to good content; if yourpages are of use to people then they willlink to them, but be proactive, ask for linksfrom other websites and try posting

comments linking to your website inrelevant forums.

Business Link Adviser and web expertJames Cope said: "There's a science tosearch engine optimisation, and whilebusiness owners don't have to becomeexperts, an appreciation of the main issuesis worth having before talking to yourdesigner. Before starting, make sure youhave benchmarked your current position;installing a package like Google Analyticswill show your current traffic levels andgive an idea of current terms that visitorsare using to find your site.

"Broadly speaking an 80/20 rule applies;80% of effort needed is on offsiteelements (inbound links, social networks,directories, PR) and 20% is onsite (contentand meta tags).

"Brainstorm the search terms you thinkyour customers will use to find your goodsor services, and use tools such as Google'sKeyword Tool which helps you identify ifthere are people searching for that phrase,and if there's a market online. The toolalso suggests other terms to consider.Then take each term and determine thebattles you can win and how muchcompetition is there.

"A simple check is to pop the phraseinto Google, hit search and see how manyresults there are. Any phrase with underone million results will give you a betterchance of being in the top 10; over amillion and you have a fight on yourhands. I'm not saying don't target densermarkets, just be aware of the effort you'llhave to put in if you do," said James.

To help you find out how a search

Increasingly, customers aresearching online to find productsand services they require,therefore search engine visibilityis key to online success.

Search engineoptimisation

Louisa Mamakouexplores the darkarts of SEO anddraws on the adviceof local experts.

Contributors:

Kevin Barton - The Deep DesignCompany LLPwww.deepdesign.co.uk

James Cope, Business Link Adviserwww.businesslink.gov.uk/southeastwww.ebusinessblog.co.uk

John Cooper - Etetra Ltdwww.etetra.co.uk

Thomas Cowley - Netguides Limitedwww.netguides.co.uk

David Groom - Vectis WebDesignwww.vectis-webdesign.com

Mike Jolliffe - Wight365www.wight365.com

JUNE 2010

11Read international business news on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

CHAMBER INTERVIEW

Information and communicationstechnology is crucial to manybusinesses. In his Expert's Viewcolumn Jonathan Thornton,Technical Services Director of Ryde-based IT provider, PC Consultantsoffers his views on how to get thebest from ICT.

Time to take the tablet?

Throughout recent yearsthere have been severalrumours of an Apple tablet

device and these were confirmedin January when the new AppleiPad was announced by ChiefExecutive Steve Jobs. Describingthe Cupertino-based company as“the largest mobile devicescompany in the world” herevealed the new iPad as a thirdcategory device sitting between alaptop and smartphone.

Of course Tablet computershave been available for severalyears in various guises withMicrosoft releasing Windows XPTablet PC Edition back in 2002right up to the most recentWindows 7 operating systemwhich includes touchscreencapability. Yet in many ways theseearlier incarnations have failed totake off and still represent asmall share of the marketcompared to desktop PCs, laptopsand netbooks.

However, with sales of over onemillion within the first 28 days oflaunch, the iPad has certainlyconfounded many technologyanalysts who predicted a veryniche market for such a device.The on-going very public rowbetween Apple and Adobe overthe lack of Flash on the iPad wasan example of missing featureswhich would supposedly reduceits appeal. Yet with an apparentshortage of the product andsubsequent delayed internationallaunch until May, Apple hascertainly succeeded in generatingenthusiasm for the device.

Other manufacturers haveannounced iPad rivals includingsoftware giant Google who havereleased plans for a similar tabletrunning their own open sourceAndroid operating system which

can only help tablet devices gainmarket share. The continuedgrowth of Cloud based solutionssuch as Google Apps andupcoming Microsoft Office WebApps are all examples of browserbased solutions which can workwell in such an environment.

Apple has also tried to create aproduct in the iPad which appealsnot only to home but alsobusiness/enterprise users. Take forexample the iWork productivitysuite which has been ported tothe iPad and is compatible withMicrosoft Office files, allowingusers to directly edit and viewdocuments. Keynote is the Appleequivalent of MicrosoftPowerPoint and combined with aprojector could be used to deliverpresentations directly without theneed for a traditional laptop.Additionally, in keeping with therest of the iPhone platformoperating system, MicrosoftExchange support for email,calendar and contactsynchronisation is included out ofthe box. The iPad also supports,through various third partyapplications, connections toremote thin client solutions suchas Citrix or Terminal Services.

Back in the late 1980s Apple’searly attempt at a touch screendevice – the Apple Newton waslargely seen as a failure.However the new iPad, buildingon the success of the iPhone,continues to cement Steve Jobs’claim that Apple are now “thelargest mobile devices companyin the world”!

Contact:Jonathan at PC Consultants on01983 811711www.pcctechservices.co.ukJonathan.thornton@pcconsultants.co.uk

THE EXPERT’S VIEWINFORMATION & COMMUNICATONS TECHNOLOGY

sponsored by

engine reacts to your web pages and what can be done to boostvisibility, use a spider simulator such as Summit Spider Simulator.This free simulator provides a report on aspects of the page thatare used to determine how highly in a search engine the page isranked, and also gives some general usability feedback.

Remember to review your Analytics to see what's working andmaybe adjust your optimisation if required to select morerewarding markets. Plus, it's important to review your list ofkeywords periodically. "Optimisation is not a case of do it onceand forget about it," said Kevin Barton from TheDeep Design Company. "Good optimisation isan ongoing activity."

Thomas Cowley from Netguides added:"Don't rely on Flash movie text for searchresults; Flash movie contentcan't be viewed by searchengines so replicate thecontent outside of the movietoo." Also, make sure thewriting on your site is indeedtext, and not images, as searchengines can’t read textin images.

SEO hot topics and tipsPersonalised search results - Google is bringing in amechanism to skew search results to bias sites you usuallyvisit. This might help site owners focus their sites and achieveresults in their target market.Speed matters - Google's mission has always been todeliver best user experience, and by including a speedelement in rankings it may do just that for Google users.Research - Do your homework and choose the battles youcan win. Focus on terms your visitors use, and try to get nicheterms that will send targeted customers to your site.Real time searches - The main search engines have beentalking to social sites such as Twitter to try and integratetweets into search results. Google, continuing its quest forbetter user experience, is right to look at integrating these.Local results - If your business services a local market, makesure you include that in your optimisation, e.g. Isle Of Wight.Make sure you get a Google Local Business listing to driveadditional traffic to the site.Inbound links - Relevancy of other sites linking to your site.This is often overlooked by small businesses, but still plays animportant role in achieving success according to Google.Statistics - Get a statistics package. This is the first and mostimportant step after you have a website. It allows you tounderstand how your site traffic responds to what you do.Blogs - Regular authoritative, narrative content, talking aboutyour specialist area, is highly ranked by Google.Video - Use video on websites as search engines favour siteswith video and deliver search results which include videocontent.Get an expert to help! - Good search engine optimisationcan lead to traffic to your website which can provide a hugeboost for your business, so it’s worth doing properly.

References:

Google's Webmaster Toolswww.google.com/webmasters

Google's Keyword Toolwww.googlekeywordtool.com

Google Analyticswww.google.com/analytics

Summit Spider Simulatorhttp://tools.summitmedia.co.uk/spider

FEATURE

12


E veryone we spoke with for thefirst part of this article talkedabout the Eco Island idea, firstmentioned by ex-Council Chief

Executive Joe Duckworth in 2007. At thetime there was suspicion that this waslittle more than a powerful sound bytethat would fade into oblivion through afailure to implement.

Three years on, many feel that theinitiative has stalled at top level whilebeing alive and well on other levels. Butat the grass roots it is very much aliveand well, and fighting to grow. All overthe Island, there are businesses,organisations, partnerships, andcommunities making huge strides.

We spoke with Council Leader, DavidPugh to find out if the Council's visioncan still match the ambition of Islanders.

"It's very much still the strategy for thelocal authority and also our partners, theIsland Strategic Partnership," said David."It's not just about renewable energy,which some people think; it’s about ourwider social, environmental andeconomic aspirations for the Island.

"It is alive and well," he continued."There is a lot more still to do and it'sunderstandable that people do becomecynical. We need to demonstrate evengreater leadership in taking this forwardand actually driving the renewable side.

"There's always a bit of a reality checkon where we are and, particularly in thecurrent economic climate, what we canstill deliver within certain timescales,"explained David. "But in many ways inthe current economic climate it's evenmore important because of the savingswe can make for people through homeinsulation and so forth, and thecontribution that it can make totightening belts."

Apparently, the aims are unchanged(see info box) and David Pugh pointedout practical steps the Council has takenas an enabling organisation, such as the

In part 1 of our Green Island feature last month we discovered thewealth of activity on the Island focussed on sustainability. Newcompanies are developing in the sustainable energy sector and othersare integrating sustainability into their core business operations.

Can we reallydeliver on theEco Islandvision?

Steve Sleight, ZaraMacAlister, andDebs Allan explorethe latest greendevelopments andask "is this EcoIsland in action?"

Pan Meadows development, theHighways PFI scheme, and the wastegasification plant.

He also pointed out that the newgovernment's decisions will impact onwhat can be done. "It will be interestingto see what comes forward onrenewable energy projects, particularlytidal offshore, wind, and so on."

Acknowledging that expectations arehigh and difficult to meet, he said: "Isuppose one of the frustrations is that allthis can’t come to fruition as quickly asyou would like."

Challenged about the need forleadership and a more clearlycommunicated road map, David Pughsaid: "Clearly there is a role forleadership and that's where we come inbut people don't need to wait for ourlead, they can, as they've demonstrated,get on with these things themselves."

Getting on with itAll over the Island there is lots to takeinspiration from. The Chale GreenProject, for instance, is a real community-led project that's being watched withinterest at national level.

Malcolm Groves, Head of the SteeringGroup, also sees it as fitting in well withthe Eco Island vision. "We hope that oneof the things people will take from it isan understanding of what might be doneelsewhere on the Island."

To help this aim, the Chale project ispart of the Green Towns Project set upby the Council which covers three townsin the pilot, Chale, Brading, and Shanklin.

"The idea is to develop a set ofmeasures right across the board coveringeverything from waste through toelectricity and water use," explainedMalcolm. "Then we can see how weprogress on those measures over theyears to come."

Malcolm points out that the Chalecommunity has a strong ethos of self-help and the local Chale Green Stores iscertainly leading from the front. They'veinstalled a ground source heat recovery

system for hot water and heating,double-insulated all new structures,installed a rainwater harvesting system,and light tunnels to bring in more naturallight, among a whole range of initiatives.

The Island-based charity The FootprintTrust is a big supporter of the Chaleproject. Ray Harrington-Vail said: "It'sgiven us a real focus on the Island ofwhat can be done.

"It's not just the people in socialhousing who are benefiting. We arevisiting people in private homes andhelping them reduce their fuel bills. It hasreally acted as a catalyst and is beingwatched by other parts of the countryand other parts of the world."

A slightly different community project isthe Pan Meadows development whichrecently took a step forward whenBarratt Homes was confirmed asdeveloper. The 846 units, 254 of whichwill be affordable homes, will be built toa high level of energy efficiency andheated by a biomass plant burningwoodchip, primarily from the Island.

"The biomass building has beendeliberately designed for potential futureadd-ons," said Peter Hopkins, the Isle ofWight Council’s manager for regenerationand community development.

"The Island could produce about 40,000tonnes of wood chip by the time thebiomass system is fully operational. We’renot decimating forests and woodland onthe Island. This is about promoting naturalgrowth, through coppicing."

Eco Island - the vision"We want the Isle of Wight tobecome a world renownedEco Island, with a thriving economy,a real sense of pride and whereresidents and visitors enjoy healthylives, feel safe and are treated withrespect," Eco Island vision.

The ambitions of Eco Island are:

• Thriving Island• Healthy and supportive Island• Safe and well kept Island• Inspiring Island.

By 2020:

• The Isle of Wight will havethe lowest carbon footprintin England.

• The development of new sectorsof employment, creating a centreof excellence in renewableenergies and generating capacityof over 100Mw of electricity.

• A 20 per cent reduction inpreventable deaths fromtobacco, through the uptake ofhealthy active lifestyles.

• The Island’s infrastructure will berenewed to the highestecological standards.

• The majority of Island childrenand young people will makebetter than average progress inschools and achieve results at 16that place the Isle of Wight inthe top 10 per cent nationally.

• Make the Island a centre forsustainable developmentresearch and development in anexisting and thriving real-lifecommunity.

JUNE 2010

13

FEATURE

See digital versions of Island Business Magazine on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

Even the birds are well provided for at Liz Earle'senvironmentally friendly headquarters

Chale GreenCommunity Project

The Chale GreenCommunityProject is aimedat increasingefficiency andself-sufficiency inall areas of

village life including energy, transport,waste, food, water, and events.

In December 2009 Chale wasawarded £500,000 from theDepartment of Energy and ClimateChange to become a low carboncommunity. The funding will helpwith the main aims of the project - toreduce fuel cost for Chale residents.

Malcolm Groves, Head of theSteering Group, explained the maindifference between the Chale Projectand other projects: "Lots of thingshave been done in the past butthey've all been top-down nationallydriven programmes by government.

"The Chale Community Project isvery much about a community-ledsustainability project."

A major focus for the project is theSpanners Close estate and Malcolmdescribed what is being done:"They're very typical 1970s buildingsand in the winter they are very cold.So the money is going on upgradingthose with air-to-water heat pumps.

"South Wight Housing is replacingwindows and checking to make surethat the existing insulation is as goodas it needs to be to make the airsource heat pumps efficient."

Malcolm summed up his hopes forthe Project: "I want it to deliver forthe people here. I’d like people to livewarmer, more comfortable, pleasantlives, and I'd like this to bring thecommunity even closer together thanit is now and to be seen as a nationalexample of what can be achieved bysomething community-led."

For much more information onthe Chale Community Projectwatch our video story on IslandBusiness Online and visit:www.chalecommunityproject.com.

The Footprint TrustThe FootprintTrust was set upin 2003 as aneducationalcharity to helpreduce theecological

footprint of the Isle of Wight byadvising both the public and businesson how to stabilize their footprintthrough sensible solutions.

Ray Harrington-Vail, spokesman forThe Footprint Trust, explained thatresearch had shown that the Island'spopulation: “was using somethinglike two and a half times its earthshare, so if everyone in the worldlived like us, we’d need a planet twoand half times the size.”

Obviously this isn’t sustainable andthe Trust decided it was essential toraise awareness of the issues. “Theultimate aim is to seek to reduce thefootprint," explained Ray.

The Trust's practical approach rangesfrom addressing sustainability at apersonal level, with schemes such asWarmahome, an Island projecthelping people to keep warm andmanage fuel costs, and initiatives likethe Adopt-A-Garden scheme, FutureEnergy events, and the Green Gym.

In order to promote the ideas theTrust attends every Island event theycan: “We go where no otherenvironmental charity would dare togo!” said Ray. They give away lowenergy light bulbs and save-a-flushbags to encourage people to begreener in their own homes. Theyalso do free home visits giving adviceon energy saving and helping peopleto reduce their fuel bills and assistwith gaining insultation grants.

Summing up the Trust Ray said: “Webelieve passionately in wildlife, and inthe environment, but we are forwardthinking conservationists, notbackward looking preservationistsand that’s a big difference.”

For more information on TheFootprint Trust watch our videostory on Island Business Onlineand visit www.footprint-trust.co.uk.

FEATURE

14


Ian Wallace, Managing Director ofBarratt David Wilson, Southampton saidthat energy efficiency and renewableenergy sources are "one of the highestitems on our agenda".

Barratt has been chosen to develop thefirst Code 6 (highly energy efficient)house in the country, but that's in Bristol.The Pan Meadows development will, saidIan, be "built to Code 4 standards,heated using biomass technology. So forthe Isle of Wight, for the industry, it'sfairly new and innovative."

Another project that's been enabled bythe Council is the Stag Lanedevelopment where Vestas are buildingtheir new R&D facility. David Pughexplained: "Next door to the new Vestascentre, on a former landfill site, we'vemade an initial decision to allocate thatland to renewable energy projects, tohave a biomass project where we cangenerate energy from waste."

Waste managementBeing an Island, land is naturally severelylimited for traditional landfill disposal,and how we handle our waste has amajor impact on all of us.

Island Waste is responsible for theIsland's domestic waste managementand its gasification plant was the firstexample of green energy on the Island.

Although the Island doesn't scoreimpressively on waste managementleague tables, Island Waste's Lynn Clarkeexplained: "The Island decided a longtime ago that due to the volatile natureof recycling markets the economicsdidn't stack up and it was preferable todeal with waste on the Island.

"A lot of league tables are based solelyon recycling and composting, and whenwe pit ourselves against those two alone,we don't compare very favourably. Butonce you factor in waste to energy,which for the Island is very important,then we're doing very well."

Lynn explained the situation regardingbusiness waste: "Business waste ishandled by numerous contractors,several of whom now have systems forcollecting and recycling. It's much betterthan it was. I'm pleased to see thatgradually the system is improving."

Lynn also emphasised the businessopportunities: "An example would bethe battery recycling directive. Historicallythere were very few reprocessors in theUK and batteries were sent to places like

Island WasteIsland WasteServices isresponsible formanaging theIsland'sdomestic waste.Lynn Clarke,

Island Waste's Community LiaisonOfficer explained: "We have a veryefficient waste management servicefor domestic waste. We have asystem that enables us to divert asmuch waste as possible from landfill,which is the crucial issue on theIsland, minimising landfill void."

Recycling facilities for organic waste,glass, and paper products areprovided through collection and atrecycling centres across the Island.Domestic bin bag waste is brought tothe Forest Road site where it isseparated out mechanically. Plastics,cardboard, and other combustiblewaste are extracted in the ResourceRecovery Facility and turned into flocfuel. The fuel is burned in thefacility's gasification plant to produceup to two megawatts of electricity,enough to power several thousandIsland homes.

The result of the recycling,composting, and waste-to-fuelprocesses mean that only about 30per cent of the domestic waste nowends up in landfill.

When looking at statistics on wastemanagement, the Island doesn'tcompare favourably because a lot ofUK league tables are based solely onrecycling and composting.

But Lynn explained: "Once you factorin waste to energy, which for theIsland is very important, then we'redoing very well.

"There is still waste that we need totackle, and some things are difficultto recycle. We're always looking atthe next move to take - it's not astatic process by any means,"concluded Lynn.

For more information on IslandWaste watch our video story onIsland Business Online and visitwww.islandwaste.co.uk.

JadestoneJadeStonemoved intorecycling whenMatt Harlowspotted anopportunitywhen the new

WEEE regulations were introduced.

The WEEE regulations (WasteElectrical & Electronic Energy) arerelevant to all businesses as Mattexplained: "WEEE regulations areEuropean rules denoting thatanything requiring an electricalcurrent to operate must be recycledand cannot be land-filled."

JadeStone is now one of only ahandful of companies in southernEngland able to deal with the correctdisposal of this equipment andhandles anything that requires anelectrical current. As experts inrecycling electrical products they cangive businesses advice on legislationand compliance, and how to disposeof electrical items.

Matt explained what happens tocomputer equipment: "We ensurethat there is no data storage in there;we remove any hard drives and wephysically destroy those."

With all the methods of recordingdata removed, the equipment is thenpackaged in bulk and sent to Wales,where the plastic, metal, glass, andother components are fully recycled.

Awareness of the legislation amongstbusinesses is not yet widespread,especially among smaller companies.

It is also little known that batteries,including household batteries, haveto be recycled separately. Worldwide,over 15 billion batteries are disposedof annually. In the UK, less than fiveper cent is currently recycled.

Jadestone operate both on the Islandand the mainland and will collectfrom Hampshire, Dorset, Devon,Cornwall, West Sussex, Surrey,Wiltshire, and the south coast.

For more information onJadestone watch our video storyon Island Business Online andvisit www.jadestone.co.uk.

JUNE2010

15

FEATURE


France. Now, there's a market in the UKfor people to recycle them here, so onthe back of some of these laws anddirectives, new businesses can spring up.

One example on the Island isJadestone, which provides recyclingservices for electrical products as requiredby the WEEE regulations. These requirebusinesses to ensure that electrical wasteis managed properly and to be able toshow documentation to prove thatequipment has been disposed of properly.

Talking about Island business wasterecycling, Jadestone's Matt Howell said:"There are some very good companieson the Island doing some very goodwork, but with the sites they have theycan't handle anywhere near the amountof waste that is needed.

"We need to look at some sort of biginfrastructure where we have an energyfrom waste plant that is designed fromthe ground up."

Business actionsDavid Pugh made the point that thefuture of Eco Island isn't just down tothe public organisations. "It's aboutbusinesses as well, and in many waystheir contribution is going to be as big ifnot greater than some of the stuff we'redoing, so we're all in this together."

At Liz Earle's company headquarters inRyde, there's a Green Team whichfocusses on environmental issues. Fromingredients to packaging, the energyefficiency of their headquarters, a greentransport policy, and efficient use of IT,the team's influence is everywhere. Staff,suppliers, and customers, are all involvedin a continual development process.

Despite the closure of theirmanufacturing base, Vestas remains avery important Island company withalmost 200 staff working on Blades R&D.Currently based in an old and inefficientbuilding in East Cowes, Vestas isinvesting £50 million in a newtechnology centre on the riversidebetween Cowes and Newport.

"There aren't many things on the Isle ofWight that are putting £50 million intothis Island," said Rob Sauven, ManagingDirector, "and we are making thatbuilding just about as green as we can."

The centre will have ground sourceheating, natural ventilation, highinsulation, and a very bike-friendlytransport policy. They've even wired theroof for solar photovoltaics.

Liz Earle NaturallyActive Skincare

Over the past 15years Liz Earlehas grown intoan awardwinning businesswith over 300employees.

As a botanically-based skin carebusiness the company has alwaysbeen keen to work with theenvironment as Geoff Day from theirGreen Team explained: "We like tomake very small steps but veryfrequently. Our philosophy is progressnot perfection."

The Green Team is responsible forcontinuous improvement on theenvironmental impact of thecompany including the ingredients intheir products: "We look at ouringredients very carefully at allstages and obviously the firstconsideration is quality but we alsolook at the country in which it isgrown, we look at the sustainabilityin its broader sense, and itsavailability," said Geoff.

As well as reducing the number ofplastic bags brought in by suppliersby 95 per cent, the Green Team hasreduced the amount of packagingused: "The vast majority of ourpackaging is recyclable," said Geoff.

The company also has a purpose-built, energy efficient headquarters inRyde – The Green House. It has anetwork of underground pipes whichpower a geothermal heating system:"It uses minimal energy and keeps uswarm in the winter and cool in thesummer," said Geoff.

They also have an underground tankto collect rain water for flushingtoilets: "Water use is increasinglybecoming an issue particularly on theIsland, and we're looking at ways wecan reduce our water usage and greywater recovery is an important partof that," explained Geoff.

For much more on Liz Earle watchthe video report on IslandBusiness Online and visitwww.lizearle.com.

VestasThe VestasResearch andDevelopmentsite, currently inEast Cowes,employs one percent of the total

worldwide Vestas workforce. About200 people, the majority of which areengineers and senior technicians,focus on development of blades forwind turbines.

The Vestas company slogan is 'Asgreen as it gets' and they haveinvested £50 million into their newIsland technology centre to make itas green as possible. "We intend tomove into the new technology centrein April 2011, and we are saying toour workforce that it might be a lowenergy building but it's also up to ushow we use it," said Rob Sauven,Managing Director of Blades R&D.

Wind energy is the most developedof all the renewables and Robexplained why: "It's the resourcethat is in just about every country onearth and therefore it's a resourcethat a lot of different countries haveinvested in. The more countries thatinvest in the technology the moremature it gets. Wind technology hashad 25 years of investment and it'smade it very cost competitive.

"The wonderful thing about a windenergy resource, or any renewableresource, is you have it on tap, thefuel is free," said Rob.

Rob accepts that most objections towind turbines are due to visualimpact and believes the mainproblem comes from people notaccepting change.

But he says it is age related. "Theolder generation are much morelikely to find it an unwelcome visualintrusion and the younger generationare much more likely to find it athing of beauty and interest."

For the full interview with RobSauven watch the video report onIsland Business Online. For moreinformation on Vestas visitwww.vestas.com.

FEATURE

16


Still in their old building, the companyhas vastly reduced the impact and costsof travel by installing a state-of-the-artvideo conference facility. They also buyall the food for their canteen locally, ifit's available on the Island, with a wallmap showing where the food comesfrom.

Island bus company Southern Vectishas a positive impact on the environmentwhenever they take passengers out ofcars, but they're also conscious of theirown corporate responsibility to bemore sustainable.

"We cut our fuel use on buildings by16 per cent," said Marc Morgan-Huws,Operations Manager, "and we're nowworking on water reduction, so we takeit very, very seriously.

"We're not saying we're environmentalbecause people get on our buses; we arealso very committed to making our ownoperation as sustainable as we can."

Southern Vectis is also involved withthe Chale Community Project on a pilotstudy involving low cost fares, and hasalso introduced its own car scrappagescheme which has seen 44 cars scrappedsince October in return for a year's freebus travel.

The elephant in the roomOf course, all of this substantial 'green'activity can't hide the embarrassingelephant in the room – why has an islandthat aspires to 'Eco' status been soreluctant to embrace wind energy?

Interestingly, given the passionatedebate over the past few years, we failedto find anyone who would speak againstwind power. A spokesperson for TheWight Against Rural Turbines (ThWART)campaign group told us they had no-onethat could speak to us as campaigners"were exhausted".

There were plenty of people, however,who have no doubt of the need forwind. "It is a great sadness for us at TheFootprint Trust," said Ray Harrington-Vail, "that whilst we talk about EcoIsland on one of the windiest places inthe UK there's not one wind turbine.

"There is no good reason why weshouldn't have a handful of large windturbines on the Isle of Wight and wedisagree fundamentally with those whosay they're ugly."

Indeed, the arguments against an Islandwind farm do seem to have come downlargely to the issue of visual impact.

Readmore at vestas.comPower your life - As the world’s leading supplier of wind power solutions, we have delivered more than 40,000 wind turbines in 65 countries. Over 20,000 employees are eager to welcome new, dedicated colleagues on our journey to a more sustainable future.

Vestas Technology UK ltd is pleased to welcome its 200th R&D employee and we are looking forward to welcome all into our new technology Centre in Q1 2011on Isle of Wight.

The Worlds biggest Blades Technology R&D centre

vestas.com

Wind. It means the world to us.

Southern VectisSouthern Vectisis the principalbus operator onthe Island andhave a largepart to play inhelping the

environment. Marc Morgan-Huws,Operations Manager for SouthernVectis explained: 'We undertakeabout 8.5 million passenger journeyseach year, so that gives the scale ofwhat we do in terms of movingpeople round the Island."

Southern Vectis' bus fleet is quitenew, with the oldest just eight yearsold, and they are some of the mostenvironmentally friendly buses inthe country.

Southern Vectis is naturally keen toencourage people to use publictransport: "There’s a lot of evidencethat if you can get people to breakthrough the psychological barrier ofusing the bus, usage will go up quitesignificantly. We try to say to people –it's not a last resort, but a very viableway of getting around in a number ofcircumstances," said Marc.

"We run a very different networkthan we did about five years ago; it'snow about high frequency, fastreliable services that run across along expanse of the day, and decentquality buses."said Marc, "andactually frequency is the thing thatdrives most people towards us."

In the summer months bus usage ismuch higher and Marc estimates thatabout a third of the people using thebus in the summer are visitors to theIsland. Many of the Island's touristcompanies are aware of thelimitations of travelling to the Islandwithout a car, particularly for familieswith small children, and Marc is alsounderstanding of this issue: "We'renot necessarily trying to persuadepeople to give up their car or to leavetheir car at home but perhaps use acombination of the bus and their car."

For the full interview with MarcMorgan Huws watch the videoreport on Island Business Online.

West Wight LandscapePartnership

The West WightLandscapePartnership,(WWLP) is athree yearprogrammefunded by theLottery to help

conserve and enhance the importanthabitats of theWest Wight.

Over £1.5 million has beencommitted to the scheme and it isrun by ten partners including ParishCouncils, the Isle of Wight CountyCouncil, the National Trust, theWildlife Trust, and the Chamber ofCommerce, all of whom contributeto the overall budget.

The project addresses four broadthemes; learn, conserve, celebrate,and assess.

Peter Fellows, Scheme Manager,explained: "It's really about taking alandscape-scale approach to all ofthese issues.

"It's about looking at the West Wightand what there is to be celebratedabout this place and how to do that ina way that really makes an impact."

Education is one of the mostimportant aspects of the work carriedout by the WWLP.

"If we can't engage young peopleand older members of the communityin understanding and appreciatingwhat's of value on their doorstepthen we're going to struggle in thefuture," explained Peter.

The WWLP works with all of theschools in the West Wight, helpingstudents to see what is so specialabout their local area and to be ableto look after it and care for it in thelonger term.

"I think that very much reflects theethos of Eco Island," concluded Peter.

For much more on the WWLPwatch our video story on IslandBusiness Online and visitwww.wwlp.co.uk.

FEATURE

18


It's almost a Marmite thing, you eitherlove them or hate them. While some saythey destroy the visual landscape, otherssay they're beautiful, and a very positivesign of renewable development.

Rob Sauven, Managing Director BladesR&D, Vestas said: "I absolutely respectpeople who consider them a visualintrusion in beautiful landscapes," Robsaid but added: "My challenge to thosepeople is if you want to turn your lightson and look after this planet, windenergy is about the only commerciallyviable resource in the next 20 years thatis going to make a serious impact."

Ray Harrington-Vail emphasised thesame point: "We have to ask ourselvessome very serious questions. What do wewant? Because, if we don't want windturbines, the Island is the ideal place toput nuclear power. So we need to thinkvery seriously about what we do want."

You might imagine that an organisationas dedicated to their local environmentas the West Wight Landscape Project,would be vehemently opposed to theprospect of a wind farm. But, as PeterFellows, Scheme Manager, explained:"Obviously. we have an interest insustainable energy and what we can do ishelp people understand what the issuesare. We're not here to advocate onesolution or another, but try to encouragepeople to understand the issues."

David Pugh acknowledged theimportance of the wind farm issue.

"I think sooner or later we probably willsee some onshore wind on the Islandand the question is on what scale andwhere is it going to be?"

So, can the Island really live the EcoIsland vision and show a lead to the restof the country as was first envisaged?David Pugh thinks we can. "The Island iswell placed to lead on this. Clearly thereis a lot more for us still to do and weneed to respond to that.

"One of the interesting things will bewhat we get from government, in termsof what incentives, what policies theyput in place, and what opportunities theyprovide to local authorities to lead onsome of these projects at a local level.

"But we certainly can, we're a distinctdefined island community and ifanywhere can the Isle of Wight can."There is much, much more on thissubject with all the contributors'video interviews available atwww.islandbusinessonline.co.uk.

SPECIAL REPORT

20


T here are many advantages tousing the franchise model toexpand your business. You maybe able to grow the franchised

business using the capital resources offranchisees, without having to take onfurther staff and commit other resources.The franchisee, as an owner of his/herown business, is likely be more motivatedthan a manager or assistant managerworking directly for you, and in certaincircumstances the franchisee may havelocal knowledge which would nototherwise be available to you.

You may start your business with theidea that you want to grow rapidly andfranchise out as soon as possible, or likeDenis Chirgwin from Animals at Home itmay just work out that way: "We never

planned to franchise our business. Wegrew from one branch to two and thenreceived so much interest we decided thefranchise route was the right one forus." Animals at Home began on the Isleof Wight in 2004 and franchised thebusiness out in 2005. They now haveover 55 franchisees across the country.

Denis is happy with the franchise modelfor his business and said: "With afranchise, customers feel they get the

personal service of dealing with theowner, and the comfort of anational brand."

If you choose to franchise out yourbusiness you are entering into a longterm contractual relationship with thefranchisee – you will be granting a licensefor the franchisee to operate a branch ofyour business. Long term contractualrelationships of any kind must beconsidered carefully and not entered intowithout thorough research and thought.

The basic principal is that the franchiseewill pay you a fee to start up theirfranchise and will be regulated underyour guidance and supervision. They willthen benefit by becoming part of aproven business model, they will have theuse of your trade marks and logos, andfull training and support from you.

But in practice it is a lot morecomplicated than that! When youfranchise out your business it is likely thatyou will lose a certain amount of directcontrol over the business and the brand.However, if successful this could be asmall price to pay for the financialrewards you may receive.

Firstly, you will need to have beenrunning your company, or a pilot of thefranchise, successfully for at least 12months so you are able to assess theseasonal fluctuations that may affect yourbusiness. Another thing to consider iswhether there is a national demand foryour service or product, and whether thatdemand can be sustained in the longterm. It's also important that the skillsneeded to run the business aretransferable and you are able trainthe franchisee.

As the franchisor it's important that youhave a clear understanding of what youwill expect from your franchisees bothduring the start-up process and longterm.

You need to be committed tosupporting the franchisee, and you needto ensure that anyone who starts up afranchise of your business has thesupport and training necessary to succeedand achieve the financial rewards you arepromising them.

Tom Endean, Marketing Manager at theBritish Franchise Association (BFA),warned: "If you don’t set realistic targetsand support your franchisees you willhave some very despondent franchiseeswhen no one is able to meet the targetsor expectations."

Franchising out your business is potentially the best business formatthere is – providing it works! But before you can start down the roadof franchising your business there are many things to consider,including assessing costs and viability.

Franchisingyourbusiness

Zara MacAlisterlooks at how tofranchise asuccessful business

Island company Animals at Homesuccessfully franchised their business

This could have implications on theattitude of your other franchisees too,and in the long term could affect thesuccess of the whole franchise networkso it's important to set reasonable goalsand make sure both you and thefranchisee are comfortable with thetargets you set.

Once you are sure that the franchisemodel is right for your business and youcan meet all the basic criteria you canbegin to put together the franchisepackage, or an operations manual. Thiswill detail the work the franchisee will do,how they will do it, and the standard youwill expect of them. The manual shouldinclude everything the franchisee needsto know about the setting up phase aswell as the continued operation of thebusiness.

You can get specialist advice to helpwith this initial phase and although it'sextra costs at a time when your business'cash flow might be struggling – it isworth investing early on to avoid makingmistakes and facing big bills later.

The BFA have a list of affiliatedmembers who can help with the differentaspects of the franchising process andTom Endean said: "You will need legaladvice and services from a franchisespecialist, plus production ofall supporting documents and supportstructures. All of this comes at a cost ifyou do it properly, but do yourhomework and don’t cut corners, as itwill only come back to haunt you later."

Richard Holden, Head of Franchising atLloyds TSB echoed Tom's comments and

said: "Don’t be tempted to franchise yourbusiness on the cheap because you willpay for it in the end."

The franchise agreementThe franchise agreement is the legalcontract between you and the franchiseeand sets out all the obligations and legalrights of both parties.

There is no UK law governingfranchising and franchisees are set upunder a commercial contract through thefranchise agreement. Your agreementneeds to observe competition law and EUregulations otherwise it's useless. Thinkabout any laws or regulations that may bespecific to your industry e.g. food safetylaws if it is a fast food business.

Emily Frampton from Warner GoodmanCommercial said: "Franchising is currentlya largely unregulated industry. There is nospecific franchise legislation in place,instead the franchisor-franchiseerelationship is governed solely bycontractual principles, i.e. the terms ofthe franchise agreement which is whythis is such an important and often verylengthy document."

It is vital to get the necessary legaladvice to help construct the franchiseagreement and the BFA have a list ofaffiliated solicitors. A lot of the workdone on a franchise agreement can bedone over the phone and via email solocation is not a crucial factor to considerwhen choosing a franchise lawyer.

This is another area where it's stronglyrecommended you get professionaladvice: "The franchise agreement is avital part of a successful franchise.Cutting corners or trying to do thisyourself may mean that the franchiseswon’t be run correctly and you businesswill suffer as a result," advised Tom.

The franchise agreement will be one-sided because you need to regulate yourfranchisees in order to protect yourbusiness. However, there will be someobligations on you as the franchisor andthe agreement will set out the regulationsthat will affect you as well as thoseimposed on the franchisee. In time, onceyou have built up a network offranchisees, it might be that you will needto act against the interests of anindividual for the greater good of thefranchise network so having all theseregulations detailed in the franchiseagreement is crucial to avoid problemsfurther down the line.

JUNE 2010

21

SPECIAL REPORT


The franchiseagreement shouldcover:Intellectual propertyEnsure any intellectual property,logos, or trademarks that thefranchisee will use in the running ofthe business are protected, and detailhow they may use them.

FeesStart-up costs and ongoing feesshould be explained; what do theyget for their money? Includedetails on the consequencesof non-payment.

Obligations on the franchisorExplain how you will assist thefranchisee with regards to trainingand support, both during the start-upprocess and long term.

TrainingInclude information on how muchtraining is needed, both for the start-up phase and ongoing. Will therebe additional costs for anycompulsory training?

TerritoryExplain what you will do to protectyour franchisees against rivalcompanies in the area. Detail wherethey are allowed to trade, and wherethey are allowed to advertisetheir business.

DurationHow long is the initial contract, andwhat are the conditions for renewingit? Most franchise agreements runfor five years, but it varies so takeadvice for what's best foryour business.

Post terminationMake sure you include informationabout what happens at the end ofthe contract. Also include informationabout what happens if you want toterminate before the end.

You can getspecialist advice tohelp with this initialphase and althoughit's extra costs at atime when yourbusiness' cash flowmight be struggling– it is worthinvesting early on toavoid makingmistakes and facingbig bills later.

SPECIAL REPORT

22


The agreement will be non-negotiable;it needs to be this way in order to builduniformity across all your franchises. If forany reason there are additions oramendments these should be put into aside letter. The franchise agreementneeds to be a true reflection of yourbusiness, so it's worth paying for adviceand guidance at this stage. It's importantto only put obligations into the franchiseagreement that you understand andneed. If there are requirements in therethat you don't fully understand youcould end up breaching the contractwithout realising it.

Revenue streamsRevenue will come in from the fees paidto you by the franchisee. These includestart-up fees, and ongoing fees. As thefranchisor you shouldn't be looking tomake money on the initial start-up fees,but money will start to come in as thefranchise begins to make a profit.

For the ongoing fees it's common forfranchisors to take a percentage of grossturnover from their franchisees. Thebenefit of this is that it helps to buildgood relationships – if they do well,you do well.

The costs of franchising your businessare hard to quantify because it dependson the nature of your business. Averageset-up fees are around £30,000 and youwill also need to set aside around £1,500per month for your recruitment budget.

Recruiting franchisees is probably thehardest part of the whole process.However, if you are to build up anetwork of successful franchisees acrossthe country, or indeed globally, it isworth investing in this process to makesure you get the best franchisees youcan. Be aware that if you overprice your

franchise opportunity you will struggle torecruit franchisees.

There are many ways you can recruitfranchisees including; franchiseexhibitions, newspaper advertising, tradeand franchise magazines, referrals fromexisting franchisees, the BFA, andfranchise centres and brokers. Gettingspecialist advice on finding the bestcandidate can be useful and the BFA canhelp you find an affiliated advisor.

Consider becoming a member of theBFA; there are strict criteria and yourbusiness will undergo a series of checksbut the value of the membership couldmake your recruitment process a loteasier, as Tom explained: "The resultingmembership status provides a hugeamount of confidence to prospectivefranchisees. The BFA website is also oneof the most commonly used resourcesfor prospective franchisees and so thereis also the advantage of a presence onthe website."

You will also need to spend moneymarketing the franchise opportunity, butchances are you will be able to re-coupthe marketing costs from the first fewfranchisees. Your best form of marketingis via existing successful franchises, whichis another reason why it's important tokeep all your franchisees happy.

Mandy Gale from Travel Counsellorschose to start up a franchise of the travelcompany on the Isle of Wight followinga recommendation from a friend. Shehad considered it for a while and thenafter hearing good things about thefranchisors she took the plunge. She isvery happy with the franchisor and has alot of contact with them whenever sheneeds it.

Going forwardAs the franchisees grow and develop,their attitude towards you as thefranchisor will change. Experiencedfranchisors have explained the fourstages the franchisee may go through.

At first, they will want to learneverything they can from you and willlook to you for help and support. As theystart to learn how to do it themselvesyou may find they become reluctant toanswer to you. The next step down theline is that they may become comfortablein their ways and just do the minimumneeded to satisfy you.

To avoid this situation you need to buildsolid working relationships with yourfranchisees, which is crucial to thesuccess of your franchised business. Oneof the best ways to encourage yourfranchisees is to make sure that anyobligations placed on them are always intheir best interests.

You will need to commit substantialamounts of time and money before youstart to see a return on investment.However, once the franchise is up andrunning you will begin to see all yourhard work pay off.

However, the hard work is not over.You will need to constantly monitor theperformance of each of your franchisees,to ensure that quality levels aremaintained and to assist any franchiseesthat are in difficulties.

Your ongoing commitment to yourfranchisees, through training, productdevelopment and support, is vital to thesuccess of your franchise network.

More information about franchisingcan be found on the BFA websitewww.thebfa.org

You will also need tospend moneymarketing thefranchiseopportunity, butchances are you willbe able to re-coupthe marketing costsfrom the first fewfranchisees.

COMPANY PROFILE

24


D avid Yates has reached 7,200pints of beer a week, and says itstill isn’t quite enough.

That’s the current level of production atYates’ Brewery in Newchurch, a businesswhich has never stopped growing – orbrewing – since David first experimentedwith ingredients in 1999.

His breakthrough came with whatproved to be a prize-winning beer calledUndercliff Experience, which the breweryis still rolling out by the cask to pubs andother outlets all over the south.

Yates’ Brewery was born when Davidbegan supplying beer to the pub that

was his next door neighbour, what usedto be the St Lawrence Inn. In typicalIsland fashion, the word soon got round,and Undercliff Experience beganappearing at other pubs, too.

It remains the brewery’s most popularbeer, in a range that varies in strengthfrom 3.8 per cent proof, up to thelegendary 7.6 per cent Yule Be Sorry,which won CAMRA awards last year.

David caught the brewing bug when hemoved to the Island 30 years ago, withthe aim of settling down after travellingthe world as a welding inspectorspecialising in pipeline installations.

He and his wife bought a health foodand grocery shop in Ventnor, which – asfate would have it – was only 100 yardsaway from the then Burts Brewery. Itwasn’t long before David got a job there,and soon after that, was pressing for thechance to get experience in brewing. Herealised he had found his vocation, onlyto be made redundant in 1998.

How plans to settle down on the Island led to the formation of a newbrewery and a business that's grown steadily over the past decade.

From pipelines tobrewing

Kevin Wilsonreports on how anIsland brewery hasmatured.

Father and son, David and David!

25Watch video reports and business profi les on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

COMPANY PROFILE

26


But less than a year later, David hadsecured a small loan to set up in StLawrence, and he estimates he has beenworking seven days a week ever since.

Now aged 67, he shows no sign ofwanting to slow down, although theappointment of his son, also calledDavid, as Co-Director, has certainlyalleviated some of the pressure.

David ‘Junior’ was brought in to buildup the wholesale side of the business,ensuring that Yates’ Brewery diversifiedto avoid total dependency on sales of thebeer it brews.

He was working as a driver for awholesaler at the time, and was able tobring his expertise into the business fromday one.

Yates’ now supplies its own beer, alongwith everything else a pub might need,in a seven days a week operation. David

'Junior' said: “We have built upcustomers who know they can rely on usto deliver anywhere on the Island withina couple of hours, every day of theweek, whether that is our beer, or softdrinks, or any of the 250 wines we carryin stock.”

Annual company turnover has nowexceeded £2 million, of which 60 percent is wholesale, and 40 per centbrewing. Turnover has increased everyyear and there is no sign of a slowdown,says David 'Senior'.

The company moved to new and largerpremises in Newchurch a year ago, and isalready using just about every squareinch of space. The brewing capacity hasdoubled as beer drinkers have latched onto David’s unique beer recipes, such asUndercliff Experience, Holy Joe, WightWinter, and Yates’ Blonde Ale.

His secret weapon for 2010 is a newsummer beer, called Yates’ Golden Bitter,which he hopes will be the brew ofchoice at some of the Island’s majorevents, as well as in the pubs.

The company has been chosen toprovide beers for the Isle of WightFestival this month; and is main supplierto the beer tent at the Old Gaffers event,as well as the Real Ale Festival at Isle ofWight Steam Railway, and the jazz eventat Ventnor Botanic Gardens.

“It’s definitely the most rewarding jobI’ve ever done,” enthused David. “Thereis something really satisfying about theprocess of converting grain into beer,and knowing that thousands of peoplewill taste it and hopefully enjoy it.”

Not surprisingly, David’s recipe book ishis prize possession. “It is a bit likebaking a cake,“ he said. “Once you havefound a recipe that works, the importantthing is to be able to reproduce it exactly.For example, moving to Newchurchmeant that we had to be very carefulabout the water we used to make sure itdidn’t alter the taste of the beer.”

It takes about one working day to brewthe beer, but ideally it should be left inthe cask for three weeks before servingto pub customers. Once it is casked,

Annual companyturnover has nowexceeded £2 million,of which 60 percent is wholesale,and 40 per centbrewing. Turnoverhas increased everyyear and there is nosign of a slowdown.David Yates (Senior)

Preparing the grain forthe next brewing process

COMPANY PROFILE

28


a secondary fermentation takes place.Drink too soon and the beer will be flat.A lot depends on the skills andexperience of pub landlords, too, whoneed to be prepared to vent the caskand allow it to clear for a day beforeserving it. Then be able to sell all thebeer in the cask within four or five days,otherwise it will be past its best.

David said: “These days, there aren’tany bad beers, but so much depends onhow it is looked after. Fortunately, theIsland is well served by its landlords, andstandards are high.”

David 'Junior' agreed, and added thatthe future looks good for Yates’ Brewery.

“We have good relationships with pubshere and on the mainland, and ourdelivery staff will always help a landlordset the beer up if it’s needed.

“We have built our business up aroundgetting the basics right – the product,the price, and the service – and we havea good name in the trade. A highnumber of our accounts use us as solesuppliers, which shows the confidencethey have in us, and we are very proudof that.”

What is more, he said the company hasreached this position without building upany debt.

“Dad took out a small loan when hefirst got the equipment for a brewery,”said David.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, though.The wholesale section of the businessgot off to an interesting start, when thetwo Davids drove over to the mainlandwith a cheque to pay for their first stock.Unfortunately, the supplier would not

accept a cheque because they werebrand new customers, so they drove allthe way back to the Island to returnimmediately with the cash.

By the time they had returned with thegoods, and before the ferry had dockedat the Island, they had sold all of it overthe mobile phone!

“We suspected that we may have madethe right decision!” David said.

Now Yates' Brewery is the supplier ofchoice to many Island pubs, and isthinking through options forfurther expansion.

David Senior said they would not behurrying into a decision.

“We have good relationships with ourcustomers and we have to be careful notto overreach."

We have built ourbusiness up aroundgetting the basicsright – the product,the price, and theservice – and wehave a good namein the trade.David Yates (Junior)

Casks ready fordelivery and (right)

David and soncheck the quality


Buyonline

www.beardsalls.com

Est.1901

01983 617 [email protected]

Shops in

Rydeand

Shanklin

Beardsalls is part ofBPGI, the worlds largestreseller of OfficeSupplies. With far greaterbuying power than eventhe largest commercialand mail order stationersand a national next daydelivery service on over20,000 product lines. Plusan 'ethical' pricing policythat means your prices startremain competitive on all yo

low andur office essentials.

Delivery: Island wide

.

h

tsEEs1091

nilknahSdnaedyRnispohS

eb.www0as

srenoitatsredroliamdnalaicremmoctsegraleht

nevenahtrewopgniyubretaergrafhtWi.seilppuS

eciffffOforellesertsegralsdlroweht,IGPBfotrapsisllasdraeB

mee

oc.sllasdrae1

ii

54571639801moc.sllasdrea@besla

er diwdnalIs:yrryryvielelelDDD e

ruwol

oyllanoevititepmocniamertratssecirpruoysnaemtaht

ycilopgnicirp'lacihte'nasulP.seniltcudorp000,02revonoecivresyreviled

yadtxenlanoitanadna

.slaitnesseeciffffodnaw

I n April 1915, the Chamber wasdiscussing the damage to Islandtourism caused by military

restrictions which prevented 'aliens' fromcoming here on holiday.

Mr H W Daws, from Shanklin, hadwritten to the Chamber saying that therestrictions "were proving ruinous tovisitor resorts in the Island, as Americans,French, Russians, and every othernationality were not allowed to enterthe Island."

He pointed out that no such restrictionswere in force anywhere else andwondered why the Isle of Wight wasbeing singled out.

The County Press news reportcontinued: "It appeared that alien friendscould go into Southampton andPortsmouth without let or hindrance, but

if they wished to visit the Island, theywere not absolutely forbidden, butpermits had to be obtained, and it wasvery difficult for them to come."

Mr Arthur Andrews, presiding at themeeting, said the Chamber would makerepresentations through Douglas Hall MPand Sir Godfrey Baring MP to see if"there could be some relaxation ofthe restrictions without injuringmilitary interests."

He pointed out that "Ventnor andShanklin had been largely dependentupon German visitors, and naturally noGerman could be allowed here, but itwas difficult to understand whyAmericans, and their gallant allies, theFrench, should not be allowed."

Later in the meeting, the impact of theFirst World War was felt once more, as

Colonel Willoughby Wallace,commanding the reserve battalion I WRifles, asked the Chamber to encouragemore traders to reduce their staff ofmen eligible for call-up to theabsolute minimum.

There had been a good response, buthe told the meeting that more tradersneeded to respond and that all eligiblemen should be given the opportunity ofjoining the service, with their jobssecured until the end of the war.

The same edition of the County Press –April 17 1915 – carried a report of thebattle of Neuve Chapelle, whichannounced British casualties of morethan 12,000. Field Marshal Sir JohnFrench said the results of the battle were"wide and far reaching", and thenewspaper commented: "For thoseresults, the highest possible praise is dueto our heroic troops, whose magnificentvalour and tenacious courage nevershone more brilliantly than onthis occasion."

Looking backthrough the archivesAs the Chamber celebrates its centenary year, a look back through thearchives can sometimes be a sobering reminder of the issues the Islandhas faced, and overcome …

CHAMBER MATTERS

30


Kerstine Andrews has beenclocking up the miles as shemaintains contact with members

of the Isle of Wight Chamber ofCommerce, Tourism and Industry.

More than six months into her job asthe Chamber’s Membership Officer,Kerstine says the pace is hectic.

“There is so much interest in joiningthe Chamber that my feet have hardlytouched the ground,” she said. “I seemy job not just as helping them to maketheir minds up, but as keeping in touchwith them once they have joined.”

Kerstine’s background is in retail,training, and estate agency, and sincejoining the Chamber she has beenamazed by the range of businesseson the Island.

“I am constantly surprised anddelighted to meet so many people whoare either setting up in business, orexpanding,” she said. “I have lived here

most of my life and I thought I knew theIsland well. But the sheer scale ofbusiness activity is incredible.

“Obviously, not everyone wants to jointhe Chamber, but I find that once thebenefits are explained, many people feelit is silly not to join.”

Kerstine has a daughter at university, ason who is an apprentice engineer onthe island, and a stepson at school.

She relaxes by doing dancing exerciseclasses, and also enjoys eating out withher partner Jev. “I suppose the dancingkeeps me in shape, so the eating outdoesn’t have too much of an effect!”she said.

Members and non-members cancontact Kerstine at 01983 520777, or bysending a message [email protected].

To find out more about the Chamber,go to iwchamber.co.uk

ChamberPeople

Kerstine Andrews

JUNE 2010

31

CHAMBER MATTERS

Check the calendar of business events on www.islandbusinessonline.co.uk

NEW MEMBERSBilton Hall Ltd01983 [email protected] Lodge, Gate LaneFreshwater BayIsle of Wight PO40 9QDBrand strategy, marketing andcommunications.

Essential Signs And Print01983 [email protected] 3F, Ring Road Industrial EstateRyde, Isle of Wight PO33 2LTSign manufacturers and painters.Screen printing, digital printing,signs, banners, stationery, etc. For allyour printing requirements.

Fountain Inn Cowes01983 292397fountaincowesreservations@greeneking.co.ukwww.fountaininn-cowes.comCowes, Isle of Wight PO31 7AWBar / Restaurant / Hotel.

Gavaghan Jones LLP07815 [email protected]

34 Downs View Road, BembridgeIsle of Wight PO35 5QTChartered Surveyors.

Peekaboo Design01983 [email protected] 1 Enterprise CourtNicholson Road, RydeIsle of Wight PO33 1BDWebsite Design.

Ryde Deck Chairs07717 [email protected] Pellhurst Road, RydeIsle of Wight PO33 3BWDeck chair hire including sunloungers, windbreaks and parasols.Also available for private hire forfunctions and occasions. Deliveryand collection service included.Themed parties can be arranged.

Seaview Holidays01983 612330steve.r@seaviewdevelopments.co.ukwww.seaview-holidays.co.uk

Salterns Road, SeaviewIsle of Wight PO34 5AQSelf-catering holiday operator.Holiday home developments.

Springvale Hotel01983 612533reception@springvalehotel.comwww.springvalehotel.co.ukSpringvale Road, SeaviewIsle of Wight PO34 5ANFamily hotel set on a beach near tothe sailing village of Seaview.

The Bayhouse Hotel01983 [email protected] Chine Avenue, ShanklinIsle of Wight PO37 6AGHotel.

The Boathouse01983 810616info@theboathouseiow.co.ukwww.theboathouseiow.co.ukSpringvale Road, SeaviewIsle of Wight PO34 5AVPub, restaurant and self cateringaccommodation.

The Little Gloster07900 [email protected] Marsh Road, CowesIsle of Wight PO31 8JQLicensed restaurant and bar offeringfine food with excellent views acrossthe Solent. Open 7 days a week,private functions, and wine roomavailable. Two en-suite bed andbreakfast rooms also available.

The Victorian Lodge01983 [email protected] Hill Road, RydeIsle of Wight PO33 1LSSelf-catering holiday apartment inRyde in close proximity to RydeEsplanade and beach.

Thearle Photography01983 [email protected]://www.thearleohotography.com24 York Street, CowesIsle of Wight PO31 7BSCommercial, industrial, PR, editorial

and advertising photographicbusiness based in Cowes.Photography by Steve Thearle,master photographer.

Vernon Cottage Tearooms AndTavern01983 [email protected] Eastcliff Road. ShanklinIsle of Wight PO37 6AA

Villa Rothsay Hotel01983 [email protected] Baring Road, CowesIsle of Wight PO31 8DF

Wolverton Manor01983 [email protected], Isle of Wight PO30 3JSCharitable concerts and garden fair.

T hehandmadecreams in

her Naturally Wightrange are producedwith organic oilsand can be madeto measure forpeople withspecific needs.

Sharon launchedthe business fiveyears ago after qualifying as anaromatherapist and is now lookingto expand to include a spa andmen’s ranges.

Sharon, who is based in East Cowes,also intends to target the corporateand tourism markets.

“Several hotels already carry myproducts,” she said, “and I am hopingthat more tourism-related businesseswill see the attraction of locallymade skincare which uses onlynatural products.”

As part of her plans for expansion,Sharon has also developed newbranding and supplies a number ofshops on the Island, including theGodshill and King’s Manor farm shops.For more information, go towww.naturallywight.co.uk, or call07917 135294.

T eachers and businesses joinedstudents at Cowes Yacht Haven toapplaud a string of Young

Chamber award winners.Saira Khan, who was runner up in the

first series of The Apprentice, wasspecial guest speaker.

The event, held on 13 May at CowesYacht Haven, and compared by TomStroud, was sponsored by IW Radio,PGL, Betapak, Hampshire Constabulary,Liz Earle Beauty Co, Wightlink, CowesTown Waterfront Trust, Pepper, andFinishing Touches.

Awards presented were …Most Valued Young ChamberCouncil Member at each YC school:Carisbrooke High, Jessica Kullander;Christ the King College, Matty Gough;Cowes High, Ellie Holman; MedinaHigh, Stuart Woods; Sandown High,Emma Johnson; St Catherine’s,Charlie Riley.

Most Valued Employer Contributionto each YC school:Carisbrooke, Plaza Ice Cream; Christ theKing, Mountjoy; Cowes, HampshireConstabulary; Medina, Moreys;Sandown, IW Fire Service; StCatherine’s, Wightlink.Highest Individual Achievement ateach YC Challenge:Minghella Challenge - BradleyMcLaughlin, Carisbrooke High;Southern Vectis - Rosie Ely, Cowes High;Into the Blue - Charlie Welman, CowesHigh; Liz Earle – Hayley Toms,Carisbrooke High; Navigate Solutions –Michael Chard, Sandown High;Hampshire Constabulary and IW Radio –Hayley Toms, Carisbrooke High.YC Challenge Winners 2009/2010,sponsored by PGL Little Canada:Hayley Toms, Carisbrooke High;Charlotte Pointing, Cowes High;Michael Chard and Sophie Moule,Sandown High; Matthew Randall,St Catherine’s.

Organic growth forNaturally WightSharon Lake is looking to growher skincare business organically.

Isle of Wight Young Chamber has made a difference to more than1,500 students this year and the organisation celebrated its year ofachievement at the Annual Awards ceremony.

Credit: Julian Winslow Photography

Taking the prize (from l to r) Hayley Toms, Carisbrooke High School; MatthewRandall, St Catherine’s School; Saira Khan, event speaker; Michael Chard,Sandown High School; Sophia Moule, Sandown High School; Rob Ashley, GeneralManager, PGL Little Canada

Celebrating Young Chamber achievement

S everal recent cases from around thecountry provide useful illustrationsof just how important this

membership benefit can be.The service represented a commercial

vehicle recovery operator, who wasprosecuted for overloading his vehicle. Theproblem occurred when the operator wascalled to tow away a broken down HGVon a busy motorway. The vehicle wascausing an obstruction and was a potentialdanger, so the driver removed it.

This meant his combined train weightwas over the legal limit. He committed anoffence because he did not get priorpermission from the police, but with helpfrom his legal expenses policy, panelsolicitors pointed out the extenuatingcircumstances which enabled the operatorto avoid a conviction or fine.

A policyholder who called the helplinewas facing a prosecution for failing to stopand report an accident after a rented vanhe was driving clipped the wing mirror ofanother vehicle.

The driver was prosecuted for drivingwithout due care and attention, and failingto stop and report an accident. He couldhave faced a prison term, a driving ban,and penalty points on his licence.

However, our legal team was able toprovide evidence about the construction ofthe van, which proved the client could nothave been aware of the collision.

The cab in which the driver was sat wasan entirely different structure to the ‘box’on the back so he was unaware the sideof his vehicle had clipped the wing mirrorof the other vehicle. He could not have feltany vibrations or heard the collision. Withthe proper legal representation, the driverwon his case and had all his costs paid.

Solicitors also recently helped a companyrecoup more than £30,000. The opponenthad denied owing the money, claiming theinvoices had been incorrectly calculatedand that the contract provided fordifferent prices. After some investigationinto the case and negotiations with theopponent, payment in full was receivedby the client without the need forcourt proceedings.For more information about all thebenefits of Chamber membership,send a message [email protected]

Chamber Legal Services is a highlyvalued benefit of membership of theIsle of Wight Chamber of Commerce.It provides quality, free advice 24/7,365 days a year, and includes freelegal expenses insurance.

CHAMBER MATTERS

32


8 JuneNetworking at NewcloseCricket ClubNewclose Cricket Club, BlackwaterRoad, Newport1830-2100 free buffet •Guest Speaker David Ball,Chairman IslandGames Association.Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

9 JuneMake marketing work for youDiscuss how you can maximisethe potential and generatebusiness for your company.Free workshop, 1600-2000,Rosebowl, Southampton •Call Business Link on:0845 600 9006

9 JuneSales Management SeminarA free seminar with a shortpresentation on the latest bestpractice in sales management andthe opportunity to network witha variety of sales andbusiness people.Organised by Solent Innovation &Growth, 1145-1500, RichmondBuilding, University of PortsmouthCall Becky Platt on:023 9284 4323 •

10 JuneExporters' SeminarChamber of CommerceBoardroom, Registration 0930Seminar: 1000-1600, £25 + vat(pre-booked reservation only) •Call 01983 520777 and ask for amember of the International TradeTeam

14 JuneWord AdvancedIsle of Wight College, 0930-1630,£110 •Call Marilyn Arnold on 01983550609 or email:[email protected]

17 JuneMake marketing work for youDiscuss how you can maximisethe potential and generatebusiness for your company.Free workshop 1600-2000,Basingstoke Country Hotel,Nateley Scures, Basingstoke. •Call Business Link on:0845 600 9006

17 JuneOutsourcing: the benefits forgrowing businessesA valuable insight intooutsourcing, how it can help yourbusiness, and all the things youneed to be aware of if you arethinking of outsourcing.

The Rose Bowl, Southampton0830-1200, Free seminar •Contact Katy Patterson on01489 889 882

23 JuneManaging Diversity:Information session forfrontline and receptionstaff membersFree seminar, Quay Arts 1500-1700In partnership with Red TieTheatre. •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

1 JulyNiche tourism eventAt the brand new VintageVacations site in Ashey, Ryde.Celebratintg AmericanIndependence Day •Call the Chamber on 01983520777 to book.

6 JulyMediation mattersSeminar for solicitors, surveyorsand all interested in DisputeResolution training or work. •Quay Arts, Newport, 1300-1600£7.50 (includes light lunch, tea &coffee). Contact Grant Vincent on07540 333 340.

6-9 JulyThe Prince’s Trust ExploreEnterprise course

Helps people to explore and testtheir business ideas, writebusiness plans, and start theirown businesses or achievealternative goals in education,training, or work. •Tel. 02380 622666 or [email protected]

23 JulyPGL Activity Event, WoottonTo include: abseiling, high ropes,zip wires and dragon boat racing,BBQ and refreshments. July 23rd.1800-2100, £6.00 per person •which PGL will donate to charityCall 01983 520777 or [email protected]

2 AugustIW Chamber Cowes WeekLunchCruise and buffet lunch leavingThetis Wharf, Cowes 1130-1500,£25.00 per person •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected]

4 AugustIW Chamber Grand CentenaryCome and celebrate the last 100years with us at Cowes YachtHaven. Special earlybird discountfor members, if booked before endof June £89 pp + VAT •Call 01983 520777 or [email protected].

EVEN

TSC

hec

ko

ur

on

line

cale

nd

arat

ww

w.is

lan

db

usi

nes

son

line.

co.u

kfo

rd

etai

lso

fal

lbu

sin

ess

even

ts

Chamber Events = Other Events = Must be pre-booked = •

CLASSIFIEDS

34


Apollo BlindsIsle of Wight, John Youle.Tel. 01983 [email protected]/isle-of-wight

Stagegear Rentals3 Quivey Cottage, Main Road,Arreton, PO30 3AG.Tel. 0870 3450352Email: [email protected]: www.stage-gear.co.uk

Our Classified section is the perfect place to advertise your products and services. It's also incredibly cost-effective with a classified ad costingfrom just £8 per column centimetre. Call 01983 245505 to book your classified advert.

Advertise here from just £8per column centimetre.Call 01983 245505 tobook your classified advert.

Boost your business!Advertise here fomjust £8 per columncentimetre

Advertise your services here from just £8 per column centimetre. Call 01983 245505 to book your space.

BLINDS / AWNINGS

CORPORATE EVENTS

CATERING

CATERING

BUSINESS SERVICES

BUSINESS UTILITIES

BUSINESS UTILITIES

friendly service local knowledge

Commercial

01983527727www.hose-rhodes-dickson.co.uk

Commercial property?We can help you.

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY

JUNE 2010

35

CLASSIFIEDS


Open Sauce Systems Ltd.Low cost, flexible phonesystems and servers. Idealfor new businesses.01983 220028www.opensaucesystems.com

Profound IT LimitedBespoke software development, consultancy,and business systems integration.01983 883000www.profound-it.co.uk

ICT

Creedence TrainingAcademy & ConsultancyFreshwater, Isle of Wightinfo@creedencetraining.co.ukwww.creedencetraining.co.uk01983 759213

TRANINGAdvertise here from just£8 per columncentimetre. Call01983 245505 to bookyour classified advert.

Place youradvert herefrom just £8

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND WEB APPLICATIONS

ICT

TRAINING

COUNSELLING / LIFE COACHING

SIGNS AND GRAPHICS

SURVEYORS AND ARCHITECTS

WORKWEAR

An emotionally intelligent workforce increasesproductivity and saves money

Help your staff to:Manage Stress, Reduce Anxiety, Increase Self ConfidenceManage Time EffectivelyNLP, CBT, HG Qualified TherapistTo find out more, call Relaxing Times07791 656 545 Email: [email protected]

UniTrain are the leading suppliers of quality managedtraining services and courses.

UniTrain specialise in tailored on-site solutions as well as offeringpublic courses UK wide.

Our main areas of training expertise are:

Microsoft Desktop Applications (including Office 2007)Sales TrainingPersonal Development & Management

Up to 30% off your first booking on selected courses with this advert. (Quote CC10)

Want to know more?Call 0845 643 1611 or Email:[email protected] visit www.unitrain.co.uk

THE BACK PAGE

36


REAL

LYUSE

FULB

USIN

ESSS

TUFF Steve Blamire is known as a

free-thinking and sometimesradical business consultantwho contributes innovationand an inventive flair.In Steve’s monthly column,here and on Island BusinessOnline, he’ll be musing on awide range of subjects.Contact Steve [email protected]

CHANGING TIMES

Cartoonist: Rupert Besley

Our RUBS section is where we pass on stuff we come across that wethink is really useful – it does what it says on the tin! If you have a tipthat you think is really useful let us know and we'll share it here.

Free agent toolkitsSix free toolkits to help agents avoidcommon errors when filing clients' returnsfor 2009/10 have been published by HMRevenue & Customs (HMRC).www.hmrc.gov.uk/agents/prereturn-support-agents.htm.

HSBC Start-Up Stars - UK's top awardsfor small businessesIf you know a business that deservesnational recognition then you cannominate them for the UK's premier smallbusiness awards, the HSBC Start-Up StarsAwards. HSBC is also seeking nominationsfor the best young Green andInternational businesses.Visit the HSBC Start-Up Stars website tofind out what makes a Start-Up Star, hearfrom previous winners and learn how youcan nominate a start-up business thatinspires you. www.startupstars.hsbc.co.uk

Looking for helpful advice on careersand learning?The Careers Advice Service is an impartial,careers advice, and guidance service foradults. The Careers Advice Service isinvolved with the successful "Our future.It’s in our hands" skills campaign asefforts combine to encourage adults torecognise and act on the need to maintainexisting skills and learn new ones.The Careers Advice Service can be reached

via telephone on 0800 100 900 or throughtheir website at:www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice

DHL Express are offering a prize drawto win an Apple iPadhttp://simplydhl.com/uk/banner/import-37O2-4800MW.html

Opal are offering super fast reliablebroadband from just £10 a monthwww.opal.co.uk/store/business-broadband

Business Book ReviewBusiness Book Review's brief butcomprehensive summaries of the bestbusiness books is the perfect resource fortime-starved professionals.www.businessbookreview.com

Our book reviewFree by Chris Anderson.As we see the costs associated withtechnology plummet and the digital worldis increasingly moving in the physicalrealm as people interact with new media,how do we adjust to the economics in theface of dropping online prices? ChrisAnderson explores how to turn a profit inthe face of this situation in his book Free.

Free business cardsVista print are offering 250 business cards+ business card holder absolutely free.Visit www.vistaprint.co.uk

Where are we?

Last month a client tookme on a bit of a road tripup North, taking in thesites of Slough and

Leicester en route before reachingour final destination of Yorkshire.The aim of the trip was to visit anumber of social enterprises withthe view to developing similaropportunities on the Island.

Overall the trip was verysuccessful and those that we metwere very willing to part with theirknowledge and experience, whichwill hopefully give us a significanthead start in developing similarbusinesses on the Island.

Although what really got methinking was something a littlemore abstract. We stayed the nightat a Premier Inn in Castleford, itwas identical to every Premier InnI had ever stayed in, but thatwas the reason – guaranteedwifi, comfy rooms and anedible breakfast.

The following morning wedeparted and as we walked out ofthe entrance I stopped mycompatriot and asked him thefollowing question: "look aroundyou and what do you see?" Hereplied with some puzzlement: "Agrey-clad Cineworld building, PizzaHut, Staples, a Lloyds Bar, a carpark, and a B&Q on the horizon."My next question was: "So whereare you?" He laughed, realisingmy reference to Coppins Bridge,although added: "But saying thatwe could be anywhere in the UK."

And that was my point – wecould have been three hundredmiles away on the Isle of Wight,we could have been across theborder in Lancashire, or in anothercountry such as Scotland, andsuffering the same genericbanality. So there I am inYorkshire and not a flat-capor whippet in sight.

For the remainder of the trip Ispent my time staring out of thecar window searching at everyopportunity for a sense of place.Apart from the steel mills ofSheffield the human landscapewas difficult to distinguish fromone place to the next.

I began to ponder the reasonswhy we are slowly losing ourregional identities and headingtowards an almost American un-culture. The answer is quite simpleI guess, it is the cheapest option interms of development, replicatingthe same formula, and we, theconsumer, like consistency.

It may be easy but it is quitesimply dull and the implicationsfor our communities are evenfurther reaching. Our sense ofcommunity is built around oursense of place, if we continue tolose that sense of place then itultimately undermines our senseof community. In turn, that leadsto a lack of social cohesion andthe resulting social problemswhich follow.

So are there any ways that wecan halt the relentless juggernautof blandness that is engulfing ourlittle nation? I guess we have tolook to the planning system. But inrecent years the planning systemhas allowed a number of iconicdevelopment sites on the Island tobe covered with huge retail sheds(think Cineworld, B&Q and Pets-at-PC-Carpet-Curry-land).

Would B&Q have been put off bythe demand that they build a storeof significant architectural value?Quite simply no, as the commercialopportunity was so substantial. Sonext time we roll out the redcarpet to encourage large chain-stores to our shores maybe weshould consider that they mightactually want us more than wewant them?

Pepper CreativePepper Creative offer a full range of design services for offer a full range of design services for clients large and small. From a single piece of stationery to clients large and small. From a single piece of stationery to an e-commerce website, we can provide you with creative an e-commerce website, we can provide you with creative

solutions every time - solutions every time - on time and on budget.on time and on budget.

Our services include logo design & branding, brochure design, Our services include logo design & branding, brochure design, advertising, exhibition and display graphics, printing, and advertising, exhibition and display graphics, printing, and

website design & build including e-commerce websites, website design & build including e-commerce websites, intranets & extranets and content management systems.intranets & extranets and content management systems.

NEWSITELIVENOW

Telephone 01983 529039 Email [email protected] www.peppercreative.co.ukMill Court Furrlongs, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 2AA

island business magazine, june 2010

Documents

island experts

onthe eco island vision

iw chamber ofcommerce

member benefits

newportisle of wight

company profileyates

new brewery

special reportin