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440 sq ft, 489 per month

Exciting projectspoint way to brightfuture for our cityTHISyear is an importantyear forthe futureofNewport.

Itis theyear that will seethenew leisure andretailcentre at Friars Walk openitsdoors.

Itis theyear that couldseeNewport County beingpro-moted to DivisionOne of theFootballLeague.

Andit is theyear that willsee a number of other devel-opments getunderway inthecity centreandsee theNewport BusinessImprovement District startits work.

Friars Walk,which is beingdevelopedby QueensberryRealEstate,is oncourse toopen inthe autumnwithretailers includingDebenhams, NewLook, NextandH&M alreadysigned upto takespace.

Cineworld is alsocoming toFriarsWalk alongwitha hostof restaurants includingCosmo, Nandos andFrankieand Bennys.

Workstarted on thedevel-opmentin thespringof 2014andthe topping outceremo-nywas held just beforeChristmas. It is expectedthatfitting outof Debenhams willstartearlythis year.

Itis also expectedthatastheopeningdate getsclosermorebusinesses willget onboard thescheme.

Newport County is current-ly sitting fourthin DivisionTwo, within the play-off plac-es.

Plansare afootfor therede-velopment of Olympia Houseinthe city centreintoa selec-tionof retail,officesand resi-dential andwork isset tostartin thenearfutureon anewPremierInn oppositethecitys railwaystation.

Graham Morgan, directorof the South Wales Chamberof Commerce,said:2015 willundoubtedlybe an importantyear for the cityof Newport.

Fromthe openingof retaildevelopment,FriarsWalk,tothestart of theelectrifica-tionof therailwayandPresident Clinton addressinganaudienceat theCeltic

Manor, there is plenty to beexcited aboutin 2015.

Itis, however, crucial thatbusinessesharness thepotentialpresented bythedevelopmentof theCardiffCapital CityRegion.

Peopleacross theNewportarea need tocontinueto workwiththeir neighbours fromBridgendthroughtoMonmouthshireto ensurethat theCityRegionis a suc-cess andthattheregionbecomes an economic power-househelpingto drivethewhole of the Welsh economyforward.

Likewise, colleges andtheuniversity in Newport haveanimportant role toplayintrainingpeople to ensurethatthey are equippedwiththe right skills to support

business growth.If thepub-lic,private andacademicsec-torscan trulyworktogetherduring2015thenit will beofgenuine,long-term benefit toWales.

This yearmaywellbe themostsignificant in a verylong time forthecityofNewport,says HaydnThomas,of Hutchings&Thomas CharteredSurveyors.

Haydn said:Aftera verylongtime everythingseemstobe comingtogether forthecityof Newport withthe big-gestand mosteagerlyantici-pated of developments theopening of theFriars Walkscheme duein November.

Theretail developmentwill adda completely newdimensionto the citywiththepotentialto attract atotally new element to theoffering in thecity centre.

Addto thisto theredevel-opment of Olympia Houseinthecitycentreand theplans

fortheKings Hotelinto amix of commercial andretailandtheplace will look andindeedbe a greatdealdiffer-entat theendof this yearcomparedto nowand indeedthepast few years.

Admiral is alsoexpandingitsheadcount atthe officesinNewportand theUniversityof South Wales ispoised to exercise its optiononexpansion land inthe citycentre.

Theoccupation byWelshWaterat itsnewofficeblockon Celtic Springs BusinessPark, nearJunction 28 of theM4,willalsobring a newwave of people intothe areathat will belookingtoexplore theirnew environ-ment.Andadd tothistheveryreal chance thatNewport County could reachtheplay-offs and,who knows,getpromotedand altogether2015 couldbe a veryexcitingandsignificant yearindeedfor thecity of Newport.

Follow us on Twitter: @SWABusiness & on southwalesargus.co.uk/business

ByJoBarnes01633 777240

[email protected] @SWABusiness

DEVELOPMENT: Friars Walk is set open later this year

Fashion chain Bankgoes into administraMORE than 1,500 jobs at thehigh street fashion chainBank, which has a branch atSpytty in Newport, have beenput at risk after the loss-mak-ing business went into admin-istration yesterday.

Bury-based Bank, whichoperates 84 stores primarily inthe Midlands, North ofEngland and Scotland, waspart of JD Sports Fashion untilNovember.

Deloitte was appointed asthe administrator after areview of the business deter-mined that a solvent turna-round for the chain would not

be possible.All stores are remaining

open as normal and no redun-dancies have been made whileDeloitte considers potentialinterest in the business fromseveral parties.

Bill Dawson, a partner inDeloittes restructuring servic-es practice, said: Bank hasstruggled in a highly-competi-tive segment of the retailindustry and has been loss-

making for a numbyears.

He added that adsale discounts will mented in the storeweek.

Mr Dawson said: pany has already bapproached by sevwhich have expressinterest in the busithe administrators as a going concernto progressing thesand seeking furtheparties for some orbusiness.

Bank was founde

mer Macclesfield Tballer Andy Scott inlargely sells brandeitems aimed at the ket.

JD bought the chavate equity ownersEquity Partners andment for 18.5m in

In November it disthe business to HMHilco, a retail turnaness.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

BusinessArgus

What could

2015hold for

business?

Page 2

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The big question.

AS 2015gets under way,BusinessArgus has beenasking businessesandorganisations whattheywouldlike tosee happenthis year...

DavidDavies,managingdirector,AxiomManufact-uringServices,Newbridge

TheUK electronics sectorentered 2014with an opti-mistic outlook;the UKeconomyseemed to haveturnedthecorner andthebusinessesthat hadweath-

ered thestormwerestreamlined andready toexploit thepredicted re-shoring of manufacturingto the UK.Happily, we andmanyof our localpartnershave experienced anupsurgein newand return-ingbusiness, andour 2015order bookpromisesmoreof thesame. Re-shoringhasbeena keycomponentof our growthandweexpect thistrend to contin-ue. However, the industrysdrive to maintain 2014smomentumand convertnewopportunitiesinto realnewbusiness,must bematchedwith an equalfocuson supporting andupskilling ourlocal com-munitiesto bridge the wid-eningskillsgaps and

attractnew talent intotheindustry. It is essential forWales toensure ithas theworkforce available to cap-italise on theprogressmade in2014.

John Newell,KingstonNewell EstateAgents,Newport

I predict2015willbe anoth-erstrong yearfor thehous-ingmarketin Newport.While recent researchdatashowed house prices in thecity tohave fallenby2.9 percent in2014,thereareanumber of external factorsthat will come into forcein2015 that will make a big

differenceto thepopularityof ourcityas a placeto liveandwork.NewportBID,Admiralgearingup itspresencein thecity, FriarsWalkandthe opening ofthePyeCorner trainsta-tion areallgoingto haveapositiveimpacton thehousing market.Youcouldalsopossiblyarguethatbecause housepricesfell,Newport willbecomemore

attractive andaffordable tohouse buyersin 2015 espe-cially whenyou considerthe previously mentioneddevelopmentsfor ourcity?Stamp Dutyreforms, aneconomy nowout of reces-sion andpayrises will alsogive housebuyers moreconfidence to startserious-ly considering moving

whereas before theymighthave beenput off fromcommitting dueto uncer-tainty about thesefactors.

Brian Staples,executivechairman ofSt JosephsHospital Ltd,Newport

2014wasabusyand excitingyear. Wecompletedthe acquisitionof thehospital mid-year,andimmediately starteduponour programmeofmajorinvestment in thebuildingsand theequip-mentto support an expand-ed andmore advancedrangeof services for ourpatients.St Josephs

Hospital hasa longhistoryof providing verycaringtreatmentfor its patients,whichis delivered byahighly-dedicated profes-sionalteam of staff.Ourmission isto builduponthatsolid foundationtobecome the leadingprivatehospitalin Wales andtheSouth West of England. Weareableto deliverthatmis-

sion because weare anindependentprivate hospi-talwithallof ourshare-holders involved in the daytodayrunningof thehos-pital, all sharing a passion-ate belief in thedelivery ofexcellenttreatment for ourpatients.2015 willdeliver anumber of challenges toourbusiness.Our invest-

ment projectswillnotbecompleteuntil May2015,andwe haveto ensurethatwedo notallow thoseworks to causeany disrup-tionto ourpatients. Ourexperiencein thesecondhalf of 2014 is of signifi-cantly growing patientnumbers,which willcon-tinueto rise in2015 astheknowledgeand awarenessof St JosephsHospitalwidensin 2015. This isageneral electionyear, andperformance of theWelshNHS islikely tobea hottopicin thoseelections,givingrise to furtheruncertainty for very manypeople alreadywaitingforNHStreatment. St JosephsHospitalwilldo allit cantoaccommodatepatients who

thereforechoose to payfortreatmentratherthan waitfor protracted periods on awaiting list.

Avril Lewis,managingdirector ofESTnet,thetechnologynetworkforWales

Walestechnology busi-nesses have hada success-ful2014withmanyreport-ingrecord salesand solidforward order books. Theelectronic manufacturingbusinessesofferingniche,hi-techand added valueservicesare increasinglyoptimistic provingadvancedmanufacturing

andtechnology is alive andwell inthe UK,despitetough marketconditions.We expectnextyearto con-tinue thepattern of moreon-shoring workreturningto Wales as ourbusinessesremain competitivein aglobal marketplace. Weareseeing an increasingaccel-eration of new techstart-ups andexpectthisto con-tinue in 2015.Our industryismadeup of small busi-nesses, microcompaniesandSMEs whodeveloptechnologyfor bothbusi-nessapplication andtheconsumeronline marketandthisdemandwillonlyrisenext year. WecontinuetoworkwiththeWelshGovernment andour busi-nesses to ensure we have

theright environmentfortechnologycompanies intermsof innovation,skillsand infrastructure.

ScottWaddington,WalesCommi-ssioner forEmploymentandSkills

Follow us on Twitter: @SWABusiness



What will 2015 mean for your business?

Inmanyways201verypositiveyeanot onlyhavethetiesavailable to o

peoplebeenon thtoo, itwouldseemcalibre of candidforward tofill thwhile we celebracesses, wemustathe future too.ThGovernments PoStatementon Skilaunchedin Januout a vision for eandskills policyoverthe next 10ysupporting SkillsImplementationPsetsout theactiobyall stakeholdea resilientand repost-19 skills syssustainable agaidropof ever scarresources.As suing investment inticularlyfrom em

will becriticalif news outlinedabcontinuein 2015a

Ed Gooderham,Green& CoAccountantsandTaxAdvisors,Cwmbran

Wehopeto seeour clientsbusintinueto thrive,asthemset andachgoals, bothbusinsonal.Wehave ha2014,winningIndFirm Of TheYeathe British AccouAwardsand willcworking hard in2videeffective tax

andinnovative aservices thatwillclients to growthnesses.

James Norvill,GD Environ-mental,Newport

2014wasavery inconsist-ent,yet posi-tive,year for GDEnvironmental. Dsometough marktionsfacingthe wagement andrecytry, we wereableour operations acthrough the acquwasterecyclingbWest Wales.Im h

2015 will beslighconsistentand stemphasis on theagement sector dfromtraditionallactivities intorecenergy recoveryfImoptimistic formarket growth wsector, withthe pcledgoods alreadrise.

Tuesday, Janua2 Business Argus

Out & AboutRugby charity dinnerA TRIBUTE sports dinner staged by Cwm-bran Vale Rotary Club served up a tastydonation for St Davids Hospice Care. TheTerry Richards tribute sports dinner, at TheParkway Hotel, Cwmbran with Wales rugbygreats Terry Cobner, Clive Rowlands, Clive

Norling, Dai Watkins and John Perkins,raised 10,210 and Barclays Bank match-funded the raffle up to a total of 750.

Kelly Richards, Terry Richards and EmmaWools

Terry Cobner, Clive Rowlands

Alan Lewis, Graham Price, Malcolm Lewis

Terry Cobner, Clive Rowlands, John Perkins,Clive Norling, Mostyn Richards

James Ansell, Meriel Ansell

Ian Bird, David Harrison

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Lloyd Davies

Analysing key changesto employment laws

THEREhave been some hugechanges to thelandscape ofemploymentlaw. Employers havebeen forcedto makechanges toemploymentcontracts, reviewpolicies regardingholiday payandcommission andemployeesnowhave to payEmploymentTribunal fees.

LukeWelsh, headof employmentlawat Howells Solicitors, Newport,looksat whatwerethe keychangesin2014 andwhatwe canexpectin2015.

ACAS Early Conciliation fromApril6, 2014,all potentialclaimstoan Employment Tribunalmust be

referredto ACASin anattempttoamicably settle claims before aclaimform is issued. This, coupledwiththe introduction of tribunalfees insummer 2013 hashada hugeimpact on the amount of tribunalclaims beinglodged,with numbersreported tohave droppedby inexcessof 70per cent.

Overtimeand holiday pay Thejudgment in Bear Scotland v Fultonwas given by the EmploymentAppeals Tribunalin Novembercon-cluding thatovertime should alsobeconsideredwhen calculating holi-daypay, althoughbackdatedclaimswerelimitedto thepreviousthreemonths,preventing a tidalwaveofclaims.

Tribunalfees TheoutcomeofUnisonsJudicial Review on wheth-ertribunalfeesare unfairis dueinearly 2015.

Itis also fullyexpectedthat

EmploymentTribunal feeswill beused asa politicalfootball inthe runupto theelection with some parties

claimingthey shallreviewor evenabolish thecurrent fee system.

Commission andholiday pay TheEuropeanCourtof Justicein Lock vBritish Gasruled in2014 that anemployees commissionshouldbetaken intoconsiderationwhen cal-culatingtheir holiday pay. The caseisdueto returnto the UKfortheemployment tribunalin 2015 to

applythe ECJdecision.Thismayresultin having tochange how wecalculate holiday pay, particularly if

employeesreceivecommission.Itcouldalso potentially pave thewayfor thousandsof backdated holidaypayclaims.

Family friendly legislation 2015alsosees the implementationofshared parentalleave,that increas-es theflexibilitywithwhich newparents (oradoptiveparents)cantaketheir maternity/paternity

leave for childrenborn/adoptedafterApril5, 2015.

Luke Welsh said:2015willbe

another challenging yearforemployersandthey will need toensuretheykeepup todatewithchanges to legislationas it becomeslawotherwise theycould findthem-selves beingfinancially penalisedthroughfines andcompensationpayouts.

Information is easilyaccessibleonlinebutthe trickypartcan be

implementingit correctly and mak-ingsureit is understood byallappropriate parties.




A local MDs take on property in 2015

What could changes to employment law mean to your business?

Lloyd Davies,managingdirector atNewport-based conveyancers andproperty specialists, ConveyLaw,takesa look atthe housing marketthis year.

Despite theforthcoming generalelection and thethreat of interestrate risesin 2015,we predict thehousing marketwill remain buoy-ant.

Thereis nodoubtthatthehous-ingmarketis seasonal,with trans-actions increasingfrom thestart oftheyearto a peak inMarch, AprilandMay; thesummermonths ofJune,July and Augustinevitably

see thehousingmarketflatliningduring holiday season, followed by ashortresurgence in September andOctober;Novemberand Decembersee transactions decrease by 75 percentand 50 per centrespectively,compared to theoverallmonthlyaverage, leading intoChristmas.

The Help toBuy schemehashelped to stimulatethe housingmarketin 2013-14. Thegovernmentrunscheme helped to stimulate

higher thannormal transactioncompletionfiguresat thestart of2014,which continuedthroughoutmuchof the year.Thestamp dutychanges that came into effectinDecember 2014will have an impactatthe start of 2015.The impactofthestamp dutychangesdirectlyaffectproperties under500,000andinsomecasescan halvethe amountof stampduty thatwas previouslypayable.This effectively means thatfirsttimebuyers will havea littlebitmoremoney intheirpocketstoenterthe housing marketwith moreconfidence.The general election on

May 6th2015willhave a significantimpact on the housing marketnextyear. Manyexperts believe thatthehousing marketmay be subdued atthestart of 2015,withthe spectreofa general electionon thehorizon. Itis interestingto note that most vot-ersdo notbelieve that theirfinan-cial situationwillchangeas a resultof any newgovernment, but tradi-tionallya general election doesbringuncertaintyand property

transactions do decline leading up

to a general election.Worldsportingevents, as wellas

royaloccasions and world eventssuch asthe volcanicashscenarioorextreme bad weatherall impact ontheproperty market.This yearwillseethe RugbyWorld CupcometoEngland and Wales in Septemberand October. TheRugby World Cupis notlikelyto havethe same impactasthe footballWorldCup,but foraperiodof six weeks, transactions

areexpectedto slow down.Thiscould leadto a busyendto theyear.A risein interest rateswillalmost certainlyhave a massiveimpact on theproperty market.Interest raterises willimpact onthe amount of money thatpotentialpurchasershaveavailable to themona monthly basisand will impactonthe cost of lending andhence itwill havea directimpacton thenumber of propertytransactionsin2015.We donot believe that interestrates will increase in2015.Theeconomy needsto continueto growandany rise ininterestrates will

curtail growth. The Governorof theBank of England now hasnewpow-ers to curblender borrowing,whichis a farmoreeffectiveway of slow-ing downthe housing market,asopposed to rising interest rateswhich slowsthe greater UK econo-my.

Overallwe expect transaction fig-ures toremain similar tothosein2014,which are a vastimprovementon previous years.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015 Business Argus

In brief

Joinbusine

networkingBRIDGING NewpoBusiness willbe hoJanuary meeting oThursday, January

The freenetwork

will take placeat Tin Newport citycen6pmto 8pm.

Bridging Newporis an established,srelaxed business nevent. TheorganisWe believe thatNandlocal areasneethatlocal professioattend without theof joining fees,subor compulsory refeif you fancy an absfreenetworkingevno joining fee,no oand no pressure,thalongand meetliklocalbusinesspeop

Theclubis suppoA2ZComputingLtVehicle Leasing anArchitects.

Record forLUXURY carcompRoyce has revealedestannualsalesinyear history.

The Sussex-baseddelivereda recordin2014 up12 per c2013 totaland thefa rowit hasincreaLastyearsrise mehave risenfive-fold2009.The year of 20sales increase 13petheUK,40 percentasa whole,30percUSA and 20percenMiddle East.

TheRollsfiguresdaybefore statisticSociety of MotorManufacturersandare expected to revtotalnew-carsalesfor 2014will have raround2.46millionannual figure for 1

Euros newTHEeurosankto alowyesterday amiingfears abouta Gfromthe single curtheincreasing likefull-blownroundofprintingstimulusbtinents policymak

Itdippedto belowdollars ata levelnosinceDecember20recoveringslightly

Sterlingalso climingnear to six-yeaagainst theeuroseendof last week an

thespendingpoweholidaymakersprebreaksin thelikesFrance or Italy.

Thelatestfallin tcurrencycomes afin Germany saidCAngela Merkelno lbelievedit wouldbfor thetroubled19-blocshould Greece

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Construction sector reports a cooling

Dogged determinationsees target smashed

DOGGED charity fund-raisers knocked spots offthe total they had expect-ed to raise through asponsored bicycle ride.

The annual DalmatianBike Ride,in aidof StDavids Hospice Care,raised a mammoth43,500,

almost twicethe amountorganisershad expectedtocollect.

The ride, in June lastyear,saw249 riders, includingBusinessArgus editor JoBarnes and representativesfromother local businesses,tackle a challenging 45-milecourse alongthe canalbankstartingin Brecon andend-ingin Caerleon.Organisers

saythey wereoverwhelmedatthe levelof support fortheevent andthe absolute-ly fantasticamountofmoney cyclistshad raised.

OrganiserDaveRees said:

We started the ridethreeyears agofollowing thedeath of my father-in-law,John Dixon, whohad beencaredfor so magnificentlyinhis last daysat StAnnesHospice, Newport.

Wewere astoundedtoknowthat the marvellouscare hereceived wasfreeandto find outit costs500a dayto carefora patient in

the hospice.We thendecided wewantedto doourbitto help raisefundsfor thehospicewhichis how theDalmatianride cameabout.

Thename was arrivedatafterthe firstyears

staging of the event.Afterthe initial suc-

cess wewanted tomaketheridean annualeventandmake itbigger with100 riders taking partandtried tothinkof acatchy name. Oneof theriders suggestedweshould have 101 cyclistsandcallit theDalmatianbikeride.The event,in

which manyof theridersdress inblackandwhiteDalmatian costumes,raised10,300with30 rid-ersin itsfirstyear;17,300 with125 ridersthe next yearand 43,500with 249ridersin 2014,agrandtotal of 71,100 in

the three years.KrisBroome,of St

DavidsHospiceCare,said:Wereextremelygrateful to Dave,Ian,Phillipaand Robin fororganisingTheDalmatianBike Rideandprovidingsuch a fantas-tic event thatis enjoyedenormously by everyoneincludingthe Dalmatian

dogs andCruthatalwaysafinish.

Theawesoof moneytheraisedthis yethepastthreeverywelcom

helpsus tocoprovide ourves throughoumunity. Tanevent organiDavidsHospsaid:Dave Rexceptional fwith a real pathe work of SHospice Carehis committevery hard toeyears bikeria success.Thamount of mbyall who tomake such athelives whocarethe mos

Formore denextyearsevto www.dalmeride.comor

DaveReesonorKris BroomDavidsHosp01633851051

TheDalmatRide is lookinoneto beCruin2015 soif tonewhowouapply pleaseorganisersvisite.

For more on local business: southwalesargus.co.uk/business

ByJoBarnes

Survey shows a cooling in construct

AWESOME: Dalmatian Ride committee members (left to right) Robin McHugh, Phillipa Knowles, Dave Rees and Ian Humphries.Inset: Jo Barnes, with David Barnes, of Newport-based DB Public Relations, who also took part in the ride

THEUK construction sec-torpostedits lowestlevelofgrowthfor17 monthsinDecemberamid signsthatthesurge in house buildingisstartingto cool.

Figures fromthe closelywatched CIPS/Markit pur-chasing managersindexsurvey gave a readingof57.6 wherea figureof 50separatesgrowth fromcon-traction.

Itwas a fall from theprevi-ousmonths 59.4 andthethird month of slowinggrowth in a row, althoughitstillmeant thesector hasposteda figureabove 50 for

20 consecutive months.Housebuilding was thestrongestperforming area

in December, though itspace of growthslowedto itslowest level sinceJune 2013.

However, the reportpointed outthat2014wasthestrongestcalendaryearof residential build-ingsince the surveybeganin 1997.

Commercial construc-tion also increasedat asolidpace,albeit slowerthanlast month. Civilengineering activityfellslightly.

Construction firmsremainedhighlyoptimis-ticabout prospectsfortheyear aheadwith52percentof firms fore-casting a growth in activ-ity, against 13 per cent

anticipatingHoweverth

firmsexpectoverthe commonths was tsinceAugustfirmsblaminof uncertaintheMay gene

Howard ArUK andEuromist atIHS GInsight,said:cantly softerexpected,althpoints to verstruction actall.

Figuresshow risein creditchecksBEFORE the credit crunchmany people and compa-nies alike seemed not tocare about CCJs.

While the threat of obtain-ing a CCJ was always pre-sent and indeed actuallyobtaining a CCJ was com-monplace, people/compa-nies cared less about hav-ing a so-called blackmark against their credithistory. Many lendersseemed to apply littleweight to a person/compa-nys credit rating whendeciding whether to lend,meaning many debtorsobtained credit easily.

However, since the begin-ning of the recession, moreand more lenders and com-panies are carrying outdetailed credit checks priorto lending or entering intocontracts. This is to mini-mise the potential risk ofthe other contracting partynot being able to repay theloan or fulfil the contract asrequired. With this in mind,the threat of a CCJ hasnever been more powerful.

The number of CCJsagainst businesses inEngland and Wales hashalved in the five yearssince 2009, recent figureshave revealed..


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Crucal tps on indngthe perfect job for you

ASWORKERSacross the coun-ty prepare to returnto theirdesks afterthe Christmasbreak,chances aremanywillbewishing that they were see-

ing the yearin witha brandnewjob.The Januaryblues canhit twice

ashardif peoplearedreadingthereturn to work followingtime offbutthose looking toadd a newjobto theirlist of NewYears resolu-tionscouldbe inluck.

January is a popular monthintherecruitmentindustryand with48 percent of jobseekersturningtothe webto assistwiththeirsearch, job-hunting in theNewYearhas never beenmore popular.

Matt Southall,of Newport-basedrecruitment andtrainingcompa-ny Acorn, said:We typically seethedemandfor jobs rise inthefirstfew weeksof the newyear aspeople lookfor freshstarts.Finding a newjobis a verypopu-larNew Year resolution, duetothis, we witness a traditional risein applicationsfrom candidates.

The5th of January, otherwiseknown as MassiveMonday, is sur-prisinglypopular withjobseekers,asonceChristmas Day is overtheycan thenconcentrateon find-ingsomethingelse as quicklyaspossible.Manyprepare them-selves todo a thoroughsearch andspendthe beginningof theiryearreworking theirCVs andcoveringletters.

Uninspired workerscan findtheconceptof spendinganotheryearin theircurrentrole verydemoralising,which canlead tomanyfranticallysendingoutapplicationsin a desperatebid tofind something new.

Not only doworkers look fornewroles, butemployers alsotendtoput hiringon thebackburneruntil afterChristmas.As thedemandforjobs peakswiththearrival of a new year, competitioncanbe fiercewhichis why its soimportantto makeyourself standout.

Tips tohelpyoustandoutfromthecrowd

Be preparedMake sure yourCV andcover

letteris upto date.Ensureyourehighlightingyour strengthswhilebeing factually accurate.

Itis importantto include asmany keywordsas possibleinyour application to ensure that

yoursis picked upby the compa-nys talent management softwareandis given a fightingchance.

Being as preparedas possibleforinterviewsis alsoequallyimpor-tant.

Besureto explain why you wantthe newrole withoutbeing overlyconfident.

Take your timeAstempting asit canbe tosnapupthe firstoffer that comesyourway, it is importantthat youweighupthe pros andcons beforedecid-ingif it is theright role foryou.Dont let thepressureof wantingtofinda newjobas quicklyas pos-

siblein theNewYear cloudyourjudgement.

Consideryour suitabilityIf thereis a gapin yourskills or

experience, youmay wantto con-sideraddressingthis before apply-ingforjobs.Thebroaderyoursearch, thebetter the chances ofyou finding a newrolebutif you

arelookingfora more specificrole, youmightwant to considertakinga courseor brushingup onyour professional skills.

Althoughyou might nothaveexperiencein a certain field, thisdoesnt necessarily meanyoudont standa chance of getting the

role. Considerthe transferrableskillsyouhave andbe sure tohighlightthese in your applica-tions, usingclear examples.

Dont give upJob-huntingcan be an exhaust-

ing process,and though rejectioncanbe difficultto deal with,it isimportant you persevere.

Remainingdetermined ratherthandisheartenedis essentialandalthoughit mighttaketime, itwillbeworthit inthe long run.Understand jobhuntingcan be alongbut rewardingprocess, thiswillkeep youfocusedand ensureyou find thebestrolefor you.

Follow us on Twtter: @SWABusness

Make sure you are prepared when it comes to job hunting

Dsappontment as Brtsh manufacturngigures for December have been revealedGROWTH in Britains manufacturing sector slowed toa three-month low in December marking a dismal endto 2014, figures showed.

The pound fell a cent against the dollar as the close-ly-watched CIPS/Markit purchasing managers indexsurvey posted a worse than expected reading of 52.5 where the 50 figure separates growth from contrac-tion.

It was a fall from Novembers reading of 53.3 andgave an average performance for the fourth quarteras a whole of 53, the weakest for a year and a half.

Meanwhile separate figures showed eurozone manu-facturing also ended 2014 on a subdued note, withrates of growth remaining close to stagnation.

In the UK, the dismal performance of the manufac-turing sector will come as a disappointment amidhopes of rebalancing the economy towards industryand away from its reliance on consumer spending.

Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit, said: Thelatest survey provides further evidence of the ongoing

slowdown in the UK manufacturing sector, with outputand new order growth easing to their second-weakestrates during the past year and a half.

The main weak spot remains exports, with overseasnew order inflows stagnating amid weaker economicgrowth in key markets and the ongoing lethargy of theEuro area.

But he said positives included continued overall

growth and solid increases in workforce numbers,with the domestic market driving new contract wins.

Mr Dobson the sector still performed well over 2014as a whole, with growth averaging at its highest since2010.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist atIHS Global Insight, said manufacturing had clearlylost appreciable momentum since peak levels in2014, but added: The survey evidence still clearlypoints to manufacturing expansion and there aregrounds to hope that the sector can enjoy a decent2015.


From thechambe

WHILEthe number of busbeingbornin Wales is atarate thanin England,the nbusiness births nowoutwenumberof deathsforthe fisincethe economic downtu

Indeed,according to thelaEntrepreneursIndex reporbyBarclays andthe BusineFund, Wales is a hotbed of activity, withthe number obusinessesin Wales reachianda 5.7percentrise inthtionof high-growthcompaWales.

Creatingan environmentpeople canstart businessepositive, butthe moreambarguablydesirable,target ianenvironment inwhichwter high-growthcompanies

There arefive mainfactoneed tobe overcomeif a buto achievehigh-growth,accthe Scale-UpReporton UKGrowth.These are:

Finding employees withsaryskills.

Buildingthe companysship capabilities.

Accessingnew customein the UKor international

Accessing theright levefinance.

Overcominginfrastructers, such asplanninglawsing superfastbroadband.

It is oftenchallengingforniesto upscale andreach thtial,and itis only throughingbusinessesto attainthiwillcreate a truly sustainamy withlong-term job prosductivity andgrowth.

It is vitalfor the governmpreneurs, educators,invescorporateswith experiencegrowth andbusinesssupposations acrossWalesand thwork togetherand shareknif weare togivecompaniespossible chance of scalingu

If wecan find theanswerblingcompanies todo this,ate a long-termsustainablefromwhich we can allpros

ByKeithPalmer, gCEO of the SouthW

ChamberofCommand Centre for Bus

Matt Southall, of Newport-basedAcorn

8/10/2019 SWA Business 060115

6/8

AmIleavingmy

investmentinadvertising

tochance?

Howdo youknowyouremakingtheright choices

for your business?

Why should I advertise in

that product or platform?

Marketng your busness n a

challengng economy means we

must ensure that we are nvestng our

budgets n a product or publcaton

that can prove ts clams.

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webstes are audted by the

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audence igures are true facts that

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Tel : 01633 777207 | Email : [email protected]

Quirky lots get plenty oattention from bidders

BIDDERS with a keen eyefortheunusual and thosewithan interest in a substantialinvestmentwerewellrewardedlast year.

PaulFosh,of Newport-basedPaulFosh Auctions, saidabout2014:Its fair tosaythingsstarted off fairlyslowlybutgained momentumas themonths progressedendingon apositively strong notewhich allaugurs wellfor 2015.

Interestin traditional ownerinvestment and buy-to-lettypepropertiesin theSouth WalesValleys remained strong.

But therewas also a distinctappetitefor larger commercialpropertieswhichwas illustrat-edat thelastsaleof theyearwiththe interestgeneratedinthesale of thesubstantialNewbridge Houseproperty in

Abergavenny.We arelookingto developthis

partof the business further in2015 andbeyondandwe havebolsteredour teamto concen-trate in thissector.

We willtherefore be bringinga rangeof this type of commer-cialproperty to ourauctionsalesoverthe coming months.

Onestar attraction of 2014wasthesale of a two-storey, 19thcenturyGrade II listed stone-built, sea-front watchtower.

Theunique prop-ertyin Barry,which dates from1860 andwhichhada guidepriceof1,000, eventuallysold for60 timesthatfigure achiev-ing60,000.

The watchtower

was soldafter fiercebiddingin theauc-tionroom betweensomedozen indi-vidual bidders,fouron thetelephoneanda proxybid.

PaulFosh said:Itwas a phenomenaland memorablenight. Theroomwas packed.

Theowner of thewatchtower, Vale ofGlamorgan CountyCouncil, was abso-lutely delightedwiththe priceachieved.

Thenewownerisa London-basedarchitectwho hasstrong family con-nectionswith

Barrywhois saidto have poppedinto theauctionashe was passing.

Another memora-blelotwas thesaleof a formerquarryandland amount-ingto 220 acres atTrefil, nearTredegar on theHeadsof theValleys road.

The quarry, whichused forfilmingtheWho,A HitchhikersGalaxy andLiam NeWrath of the Titansflurry of interest boandabroad.

Listedwitha guid45,000 thelandwasdiately priorto thesinvestorfor whatishave beentwice the

Meanwhilethe forantsquartersat hisRuperraCastle secrdepths of theSouthtryside wasalsoonthis year.

The building, adjaGrade II listed mocbuiltin 1626 bySirTMorgan, hada guide50,000, washowevepriorto auction foll

struck withthe prevAtthe otherend of

oneof thecheapestsale inthe Britain cauction at the starto

Listedat 8,000, thvery decent second-thetiny, dilapidateddownterracedhousmermining townofwas snappedup afteestat the auction fo

Thenewownerof Street, Brynmawr, GPorter, fromStratfoAvon,said:I amgothis house into a litt

Iexpect I will havmaybe 15-20,000doup,building an extebringingthe toilet inafterthatit will bepnicelittle home.

Commercial prope

becoming increasinamong investors anverymuchthecase

Among local propetheyear was theRivClub, at Lower DockNewport,which wa111,000 afterbeing60,000.

Another wasNewbHouse, at Tudor StrAbergavenny, a subsdetached purpose-bblock withcar parkitheedgeof thebusytre, sold for440,000guide priceof 390,0

The redbrick builthree storeys offerinislet inits entiretytSecretaryof State foCommunities andLGovernment.

Other commercial

soldduringthe yeartheformer Peacock148-150 ChepstowRosold for141,000 andchapel at Ty Cwm,RCwm,Ebbw Vale,whrecentlywas used aroom care home.Buplans suitablefor coothercommercialufor100,000 ona gui70,000.

For local business: southwalesargus.co.uk/bus

Martn Freeman n a scene from A Htchhkers Gude to the Galaxy, part of whch wasilmed at Treil Quarry. Below: The Watchtower, Barry

Recordnumber ofstart-upslast yearENTREPRENEURS n the UKcreated a record number ofnew busnesses n 2014,accordng to new fguresfrom StartUp Brtan.

Research from the naton-al enterprse campagn, runby the Centre forEntrepreneurs thnk tank,shows 581,173 busnesseswere regstered wthCompanes House, beatngthe prevous record of526,446 busnesses record-ed n 2013, and 484,224 cre-ated n 2012.

Top performers on theentrepreneural mapaccordng to post codenclude Greater Londonwth 184,671 busnessesregstered, spearheadngentrepreneural growth nBrtan followed byBrmngham wth 18,337and Manchester wth13,054.

Fgures from the Offcefor Natonal Statstcs ctedn the Sunday Tmes sug-gest that as well as the rsen start-ups, there has beena marked drop n the num-ber of busness falures,wth the number of frmsdroppng out of theCompanes House regsterfallng sx per cent, from253,000 to 238,000.


8/10/2019 SWA Business 060115

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Global economy fearsheld by business chiefs

Business leaders entered theNew Year with heightened con-cerns over the global economyand UK politics but expect tohike workers wages above infla-tion in 2015, a report has found.

About60 percentof leading chieffinancialofficers fromacross theUK includingWales, said theirfirms facednormal,highor veryhighlevelsof uncertainty,accord-ingto a Deloitte quarterlysurvey.

This compares toa lowof 49 percentamong company finance headsnine monthsago, thoughit is thesame levelas a year ago.

Fears overthe general election,

weaknessin theeurozone anda pos-siblereferendum on theUKs mem-bership of theEU were amongtheconcerns for financialofficers.

Therewere alsofurther UK-basedworries aboutpoor productivity, thepossibilityof a housing bubble andfurther cutsin spending.

But finance directors werebroadlypositive on the domesticenviron-ment,according tothe poll of 119executives fromFTSE 100 and FTSE250listed firms aswellas otherlarge private UK companies.

CFOs were upbeatthatthelongsqueezeon realterms earningswould end,forecasting thatwages attheirfirmswouldrise2.9 percentin2015,well aheadof an expectedConsumerPrice Indexinflation rateof 1.3percentfor 2015.

Payrises have notbeen consistent-ly aheadof inflationsince 2008though latest figures for thethree

months to October showed totalpayincreasingby 1.4 per cent, nudgingaheadof CPI.

Deloitte chief economist IanStewart said:The centralchalleng-es facing theUKs largest companiesasthey enter2015 arepolicyuncer-taintyat home andeconomic andgeopolitical risks overseas.

Buthe added:CFOs expect2015tobe a yearof investmentand recover-ingrealearningsin theUK.

Corporateand consumerspend-inglooksetto lend theUK economyimportantsupport, suggesting theUK willpost decent growth through-out2015.

Meanwhile, a separate surveyfrom LloydsBankfound that busi-ness confidence hadfallenfromarecord highsix months agothoughremained wellabove average.

Expectations for salesand orderssuggestedeconomicactivity would

continueto be solid butat a moremodestpacefor thefirst half of2015,according to theBusiness inBritain pollof more than1,500firms.

Separate figures fromEEF, themanufacturersorganisation, foundthat thenumberof firms whoexpect economicconditions toimprove hadnearly halved from70percentto 37per cent.

Thepollof 166senior companyexecutivesfoundthat37 percentof

manufacturersforecastthe UKeconomy willimprovethis year,down from 70per cent 12monthsago.

Thoseexpecting UK conditionstodeterioraterose from five percentayearagoto17 per centandfor38 per

cent, global conditionslookedlikelytoworsen,up from five percentatthestart of 2014.

EEFchief executive TerryScuolersaid:Manufacturersconfidence atthebeginning of last year wasvery

high oneyearon and, whileposi-tive, it has veryevidently easedback.

Therealitiesof 2014have takentheedge off future forecastsandwhat weare nowseeingas weheadinto 2015 isa farmoremuted out-

look,temperedby a backdropof dif-ficultiesin theEU andwidergeo-political concerns.

Itcomesafterfigureslastweekshowed growth in Britains manu-facturingsectorslowed to a three-

month lowlast month markingadismalendto 2014,according totheclosely-watchedCIPS/Markit pur-chasing managers index survey.

Thereport posteda worsethanexpected reading of 52.5 wherethe50 figure separates growth fromcon-

traction.Itwas a fall from Novembersread-ingof 53.3 andgave anaverageper-formance forthefourthquarteras awholeof 53,theweakestfor a yearanda half.




Possible minimum wage risesplits opinion in commission

Businesses across the UK report a growing concern over the state of the global economy

MEMBERS of the LowPayCommission appearto be splitonwhetherto recommend a 50p-an-hourrise in the national minimumwage to7.

Withwagesset tobe oneof the

mainissues at thegeneralelectioninMay, thenextdecision bythecommissionon whatit believes thenewrateshouldbe iseagerlyawait-ed.

The commissioners,includingrepresentativesof business,unions andacademics, willmeet inthecomingweeks todecide what torecommendto theGovernment.

The adultminimum wageincreasedfrom6.31an hour to6.50lastOctoberand a newrate

will come into forcein October thisyear.

But ministersare expected todecidebefore the general electionwhatthe new statutoryminimumwillbe.

Labour has already pledged toraisethe minimum wage to8 anhour overthe courseof thenextparliament if itwins power in May,while Chancellor George Osbornehas suggestedit could increase to7thisyearas theeconomyimproves.

The biggest business group, theCBI,has said its researchshowedthat more than two outof fivefirms intended toraisepayat thesamerate as RPI inflationthis year.

Itis understood that some sec-tionsof industry would accept a7-an-hourminimum wagebut oth-ers,including retail, would beopposed.

Theminimumwage hasnot

increasedin linewith inflationinsixof theeight yearssince2006,only keeping pace with pricerisesin2009 and2014.

Analystshave calculated thatiftheminimum wage hadkeptpacewithinflationsince 2006,the adultminimum wage wouldnowbe at6.99an hour.

Ministersare expected to receivethe commissionsrecommendationin Februarybefore deciding whatthenewfigure shouldbe.


Most retai

areoptimisabout salethecomingA SNAPSHOTsurvoutby theBRChasretailersare optimtheirfortunesin 20manypredicting amentin salesand iin bothinvestmentemploymentlevelsnext12 months.

Thesurveyshowcentof respondenttheyexpectedtheirimprove in 2015.

A total67 perceners saidthat theirilevels wereset to inand78 percentsaiwerelikelyto be emmorestaff nextyea

When asked tolisconcerns for theye68per cent respondweakconsumer deriedthem most, folthecontinuing prebusiness rates (53 pandweaknessin th(47per cent).Butwwhatchanges thegmentcould bringfomake theUK a bettdo business,a sizeity of theretailers(74per cent)optedmental reformof brates proving oncthis remains a keyfor theUKs largessector employer.

HelenDickinsondirectorgeneral,sagreatto see Britishoptimisticabout th

12months.Afterayears battling agaieconomic headwinshakyconsumer coit seemsas thougharesetfor some ch

Butgiventhe tennature of therecovsumerconfidence iretailersare cautiothelongevity of thweve seen recently

Itsalsono surpfundamental reforness rateshas comtop priority for govaction. Itis anoutdpunitive tax.

Were delightedernmenthasdecidBritish retailingbytingto review the bratessystemandwwardto workingw

ment duringthecothe review.As thefigures fr

survey show, theretrywillbe doingitdrivegrowth in201investingand creabutthese effortswperedif serioussotheburden of busiare notfound.

8/10/2019 SWA Business 060115

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Digital Tuesday takes place from 5pm today at the Celtic ManorResort

Specialist training giveengineers a huge boos

A CWMBRAN-BASEDengineeringfirm has up-skilled itsstaff to usethelatest technology with sup-port fromTorfaen council.

L&JEngineering,whichwas established in 1999,investedin a new computercontrolled lathe to boostitsoutput, however, staff neededspecialisttrainingand acrashcoursein computerprogramming skills to oper-atethemachineto itsfullpotential.

Throughthe Working Skillsfor Adults programme,

whichis part financed bytheEuropeanSocial Fund,Torfaencouncilwas abletoarrange fora trainingpro-viderto deliverthe specialisttraining required.

Andrew OConnor, commer-cialmanagerfor L&JEngineering,said: L&JEngineering is a specialistinthe machining,welding/fab-rication and highspecifica-tionsteelworkmarket. Thetrainingand support wereceive fromTorfaenCountyBorough Council, is a majorfactorin helping usto main-tainour success and remaincompetitive.It ensures wecontinually develop ourworkforce,safeguardjobsandcreate newemploymentopportunities.

PaulRoberts, employerengagementofficerwithTorfaencouncil,said: Thisis an excellentexamplewherewe were able tohelpan already successfulengi-neering company to developitsstaff andaddressan iden-

tifiedskills gapin theirwork-force.

More staff fullytrainedtouse thelatest equipmentmeansless down time forL&JEngineeringand willultimately boosttheir output,helping thebusiness to grow.

Our goal is toensure thatengineering businessesinTorfaenhave theskills andthetraining they need togrow andexpand,andIwould urgeanyonewhothinkswe may beable tohelptoget intouch.




Day to promote awareness of theneed to strengthen cyber security

Staff gain the skills needed to help their company grow. Far left Paul Roberts with AndrewOConner on the far right

THEfirst Digital Tuesday of2015will explore cybersecu-rity when ittakesplace latertoday.

Theevent will look athowyoucan identify and managerisk,build resilienceagainstthreats and continueto pros-per.

It willalso investigate whatisthe reality of thethreatsyouface andwhetheryourea business leaderor technolo-gist(or both).

Most of us now usetheinternetto dobusiness, toadvertiseand sell,to findnewmarkets, customersandstaff,communicatewith cus-tomers and suppliers,andcarryout financialtransac-tions.

Theinternet brings hugeopportunities and benefitsbutwiththatcomes risk.

In the2014 InformationSecurity Breaches Survey

carried outby pwc, 81percentof largeorganisationsand60 percentof smallorganisations had experi-enceda security breach dur-ing thepreviousyear, withthe averagecost of thatbreach doubling from600k

to1.5mfora largeorganisa-tion andfrom65kto 115kfor a smallorganisation.

Speakers at theeventinclude BrianLord, manag-ingdirectorPGI Cyber, whowillbe discussingthe cur-rentinternaland external

Top awfor mocompaMOTORPOINT, bNewport, has be

the Best IndepenCar Retailer.The UKs leadin

supermarket beapetition from a nrivals to be awarhonour in the inaTradeouts Award

The Tradeouts which are run in with CAP, are voexclusively by otbers of the automindustry. All comare shortlisted aindependently no

The award fromcomes only a mamonths after Moreceived its highranking in the SuTimes Grant ThoTrack 250 on thebumper year whi

Motorpoint turnomillion.Mark Carpente

director of MotoWe are delightebeen recognisedpeers for our coninnovation withincar retail market

Motorpoint, whopened its eightWidnes, is on tar40,000 cars in 20


Waste firm isonboard togiveWalesabrighter futureWALESleadingwastemanagement firm,GDEnvironmental, which isbasedin Newport, hasbacked the Welsh

Governmentsvision ofbecoming a sustainablenationby signing upto theSustainable DevelopmentCharter.

The SustainableDevelopment Charter isWaleshighestprofile com-mitmentto becomingamoresustainable Wales.

Signing thecharteris avoluntarycommitmentaimedat improvingtheeconomic, social and envi-ronmentalwell-beingofWales.

Withmorethan260 sig-natoriesalready signed upto the charter, the networkenables companiestocome togetheras a com-munityto sharebest prac-tice, allowingindustriesacross thecountryto deliv-

er moresustainable devel-opments for the long-termfuture of our country.

Regarded asone ofWalesmost environmen-tally considerate wastemanagementcompanies,GD Environmentaloffersits clients a recycling rateof 96 percent, whileachievinga 100per centlandfill diversionrate.

GD Environmental dem-onstratesits commitmentto sustainabledevelop-ment through a numberofgreen initiatives,includ-ingthe companiesboldambitionto become firstcarbon positive wastemanagement company intheUK.

Over thelastsix months,GD Environmentalhas

investedmore than500,000 intomodifyingandreplacing itsfleetofvehiclesto operate in com-pliance with Euro 6 regu-lations.As wellas plantinginthe excessof 30trees ina quarryownedby GDtooffsetthe carbon emittedby the company.

Mathew Roderick,man-aging director of GDEnvironmental, said:Sustainable Developmentisat theheart of allouroperations.

Signingthe charterreinforcesour commit-mentto promote long-termsustainable wellbeingofthepeopleand thecommu-nitiesin whichwe oper-ate.

GD Environmental was

crownedWalesGreenChampionin theEnvironmental BestPracticeaward category atthe2014GreenAppleAwards.

The SustainableDevelopment Charter is aWelshGovernment initia-tive administered byCynnal Cymru SustainWales.

risks, steps that canbe takentoreduce these risksand theopportunities thatcan arisefromembracing the growingdemand for cybersecurityskills and expertise.

AsCybercrime andreputa-tion risksare movingup theranksof threats toUK andglobal businesses, PeterMartin, of Thomas CarrollGroupPLC,willbe discuss-ingcompanyand director lia-bilities,data and digital dis-

asterrisk management andhowbusinessescan ensurethatthey have additionalpro-tection throughthe use ofcyberand IT liability poli-cies.

Digital Tuesday takes placethiseveningat TheLodge,Celtic ManorResortwithregistration from5pm.

Forfurtherinformation ontheevent contact [email protected].

swa business 060115

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