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Opinions expressed within this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of The Business, but legal responsibility cannot be accepted for errors, omissions or misleading statements. The Business is fully protected by copyright. Nothing contained within this magazine may be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

© The Business (Dorset) Ltd 2009All rights reserved ISSN 1354-3806

Editor: Gill Bevis

Tel: 01425471500Fax:01425475600

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bizmag.co.uk

Published by

The Business (Dorset) Ltd9 Gainsborough Road,

Ashley Heath, Ringwood BH24 2HY

The Business magazine is mailed free-of-charge to named business people within Dorset, West Hampshire and South Wiltshire. Recipients are occasionally contacted to maintain correct mailing details and to provide information regarding special features. Contact us if you would like to receive the magazine or have your name removed from the mailing list on 01425 471500.

Contents

Special FeatureManaging E-Waste See page 16

people on the move

2 peopleonthemove

5 businessnews

12 moneydigest-Getting Access to Money

16 specialfeature-IT Talk

18 technotimes-Silent Calls Clampdown

19 lawlines-Employers Warned About Discriminating Against Women

21 celebratingsuccess

26 transporttopics-Private Vehicles Hurting British Business

31 eatingout

34 property&development-Hotel Plans Approved

35 trainingupdate-Urban Workshops

36 networknews-Events & Business Clubs

38 manufacturing&engineering - South West Sees Increase in Export Growth

www.realpeoplehr.com • Tel: 0845 094 6242

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Six members of the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel Executive Team took part in a fund-raising Halloween Abseil from one of the tallest points in Poole, Tower Park Water Tower. The team raised £1,000 for Dorset’s charity, Julia’s House.

Hotel High Jump

Weymouth College has appointed Sally Anne Butters as the Head of Marketing & Communications.

Spreading the Word

Good FellowEdwin Bessant CEO of Bournemouth based, Ceuta Healthcare, Europe’s leading outsourcing company in the health and beauty industry, has become a Fellow of the Institute of Directors.

Senior ManagerThe Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst has appointed Kara Birrell to the post of Commercial Manager.

Following the recent launch of the PV3000 solar metallization line, DEK Solar has extended its team even further with the addition of Solar Project Manager, George Foot.

Solar Man

Specialist insurer RIAS has appointed Sarah Howe to the position of Marketing Director at a pivotal time for the over 50s brand.

Brand Development

Sue Burden has joined property consultants Bartle Pye Residential in Dorchester.

New Home

Mail your leaflet with this magazine for £250 + VAT (A4 Flyer)

Based on a physical weight of 10 grammes or less.Other prices/weights available on request.

PluS have 100 words with a photograph or graphic included in the magazine.

All in theName of Charity

Digital OfferingAward-winning recruitment communications agency, LawtonWare, has recruited Richard Smith as Digital Project Manager and Danielle McLaren as Client Services Manager.

Former rugby player Jim Mason is tackling a new challenge for one of the UK’s top organics recycling firms.The ex-Salisbury and Swindon fly-half has been appointed Hampshire Sales Manager by Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd.

Great Catch

Eleanor Jane Storey has raised over £300 for Breast Cancer Care by changing her middle name for charity. The resulting name is Eleanor Toy Storey.

Banking the FundsWessex Cancer Trust has recently appointed Karen Rhys as a Fundraising Manager covering the South West of the Wessex region. Karen has 26 years corporate banking and event management experience and will be responsible for fundraising primarily in the Dorset and Wiltshire area.

Steve Walker, Project Manager for CG Fry & Son Ltd has received the Seal of Excellence Award from Jim Lyons, Regional Director and Sandra Kelly, Finance Director of the National House-Building Council.

Seal of Excellence

Sue Hopson of Martin & Co UK Ltd is one of only 15 lettings practitioners across the country to be awarded the National Federation of Property Professionals Diploma in Residential Letting and Management.

Elite Club

Tip Top Trainee

Local lady and LighterLife Counsellor, Sarah Baker from Christchurch, has beaten over 320 Counsellors to scoop a top award at the LighterLife Annual Conference.Sarah was presented with the prestigious ‘Outstanding contribution to Cohort Training award’ at the Sofitel London Heathrow.

Eily Coghlan has joined the rapidly growing Diva Publishing Team as Digital Lead. Eily originates from Ireland where she achieved an MSc in Cyberpsychology and Consumer Psychology and has come to the UK to broaden her commercial experience. Eily will be responsible for the digital presence of BOOM! - Diva Publishing’s first business product.

Another New Diva!

Poole-based first aid supplier CMUK Visual Safety Ltd is working with Jobshop UK for the supply of both permanent and temporary staff. Also known as Eureka, the company is enjoying substantial growth.

Eureka Expands


Call: 01425 471500or e-mail: [email protected]

Christmas BreakNew research released by Abbey and Alliance & Leicester Business Banking reveals one in three (34%) small business owners say that they are now working longer hours than they were just one year ago. One in six small business owners are working 65 hours a weekWith this in mind, I wish you a well deserved Christmas break and a prosperous New Year.

The Business magazine will be closed from 21st December until 4th January 2010.

Please e-mail correspondence to [email protected]

Gill Bevis, Editor

� BusinessThe December / January 2010 �BusinessThe2010 December / January

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Having a BOOMing TimeDorset-based entrepreneur Emma Wimhurst’s new book is receiving rave reviews as an easy to read self-help business manual. BOOM! scored a ‘high 5’ book review in the November issue of Start Your Business Magazine. This comes in the same week that Emma, an international motivational speaker and business turnaround expert, presents at the everywoman national conference, keynotes at Start Ups Live, presents at the International Enterprise Convention and was featured in The Times on How to Manage Growth.

This is no nonsense, straightforward book that is loaded with powerful tips and includes Emma’s 7 business disciplines to take control, grow and add impact to your business.

Visit www.BOOMpreneur.co.uk

Groceries Added to Home Meals Service Elderly people throughout Dorset and Wiltshire can now have basic groceries delivered along with their home meals, thanks to a ground-breaking new service from provider Oakhouse Foods. The company currently offers a range of over 300 frozen meals and desserts with free home delivery throughout the area.

Visit oakhousefoods.co.uk

Tanner & Tilley launch Event SuccessA very successful event was held at Dudsbury Golf Club where Tanner & Tilley Planning Ltd, specialist town planning consultants, invited guests

to hear how they had re-structured to meet their clients changing development needs in the current economic climate.

The event was held at the golf club where they had recently secured planning permission for a 25 bedroom hotel in the green belt area.L-r: Nick Couling of Trident Homes with

Roger Tilley, Managing Director

Tasty Triple ClientsTasty marketing, a local Bournemouth and Poole-based agency, has overcome the current climate crisis by achieving substantial growth over the past five months.

The company was set up by Emma James, the Business Director, in July 2007 and since then has grown from her living room to a busy, friendly office joined by Emily, the Creative Executive, Eleanor, the Client Director and Nick, the Finance Director. With such a fast growing workload, the trio have recruited another tasty team member who specialises in events management, and three part time helpers who study advertising and marketing at Bournemouth University.

Over the past six months, the tasty team have tripled their clients and are now proud to be working with Tanner and Tilley, Forest Holme and CG Pitcher & Son.

�BusinessThe2010 December / January

business news

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.Ernestine Ulmer, 1925-, US writer

www.brianjenner.com

www.brianjenner.com

business news

When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap. Cynthia Heimel, 1947-, US columnist

Fearlessstaffmembersfrom Thomas Eggar LLP have helped to raise a staggering £5,500 for the charity The Rose Road Association by taking part in a skydive.

TheUSMilitaryCloseCombattraining technique called Target Focus Training has become extremely popular with Investment bankers who are travelling to emerging economies. Visit www.targetfocustraining.com

BournemouthUniversity has successfully maintained its status as a Fairtrade University for another year.

Octoberhasseenthisyear’s biggest monthly increase in new car registrations with the successful scrappage scheme accounting for over 20% of them. The vehicle scrappage scheme is due to finish February 2010.

www.EmployerInformation.co.uk,is a new website which allows companies to find out what their employees really think of them.

RingwoodBrewery picked up a silver award for Old Thumper at this year’s highly prestigious International Beer Challenge.

GunwharfQuays has been awarded the title of ‘National Retail Recycler of the Year’ at this year’s National Recycling Awards.

PWBusinessSolutions is celebrating its 20th birthday. The New Milton firm provides accounting and payroll services to more than 200 companies worldwide.

BathTravelhas taken over the bureau de change operation at Bournemouth Airport and will also be providing a travel agency service both landside and airside.

Oneinthreeorganisations have slashed customer service training this year according to a UK-wide survey by The Institute of Customer Service.

JobServeLive!Southampton,the region’s premier careers exhibition, will be coming to Southampton on 13th May 2010.Visit www.jobserve.com/live

www.ASuitThatFits.com offers a revolutionary new approach to tailoring, allowing anyone to custom design their own individually tailor-made suit.

FreightoperatorRHGroup, which has a branch at Tower Park in Poole, is looking for fresh, talented recruits to add to its sales team, as part of a nationwide recruitment drive.

Over25%ofyoungpeople in the south west believe there is a lack of inspirational green entrepreneurs for them to look up to, according to research released by Make Your Mark.

InsegniSolutions, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of online training solutions, has announced a new range of online training ‘gift cards’ for businesses. Visit www.insegnisolutions.com

Nearly 4,000 firms across Hampshire & the Isle of Wight have benefited from a Business Link ‘health check’.

ShoeDoctorinPoole is celebrating 75 years as a cobblers shop. The shop at 20 Wimborne Road is thought to be the oldest surviving cobblers shop in Poole.

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Firewalk for Charity

Adrian Carter

Adrian Carter, Managing Director of Ace Office Supplies, has recently completed a walk over hot coals to raise over £400 for the Jubilee Sailing Trust and Wessex Cancer Trust.

The event was organised by UK Firewalk and was run by Scott Bell, the World Record Holder.

John Browns Garden Centre at Three Legged Cross has won a top award for its innovative refurbishment at the national Garden Retail Awards. It won the ‘Best Concession’ award for the First Class Hair salon, which operates from its site, and was ‘highly commended’ in two sections: ‘Best Garden Centre Under £3m turnover’ and ‘Best Business Development’.

Best Award

L-r: Golden Acres Group MD Paul Richards and Operations Director Simon Edwards.

South West Reports GrowthThe South West PMI® signalled further growth of the region’s economy during October. The rise in output accelerated since September, as new order volumes returned to growth. There were also signs that excess capacity at south west firms was easing. The reduction in backlogs was slower than that indicated by the historical average for the series, and the pace of job cuts was at its lowest in a year.

Companies operating within the south west reported a robust rise in new order volumes during October. This was the second-highest rate of growth in new business recorded over the last nineteen months, and represented a rebound from the fall in new orders reported in September.

A sixth successive rise in output was posted in October, stimulated by new order growth which resulted from an upturn in demand. The pace at which activity increased continued to outstrip the rise in new orders and was the fastest in 25 months.

Christmas lights lit by InflationTo set Christmas parties aglow this season and really get guests talking, the festive party essential has arrived.

This year’s new Christmas must buy, illooms, the world’s first illuminated balloons, has hit stores and are guaranteed to light up any night time party.

illooms are available in packs of five in a range of party colours and are stocked in over 2,000 Tesco stores. Other stockists include Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Spar, EH Booths, Hawkins Bazaar and online from the UK’s leading gadget retailer, Firebox.com.

illooms are easy to inflate; children love to ‘pull’ the tab which activates the light in the balloon. Once they are inflated they stay alight for up to 15 hours.

Romsey RelocationArtemis Refurbishments and Interiors has relocated its business from Southampton to Crown House, Winchester Road, in Romsey.

Susan Collins, the Managing Director, set up this company in 2005 after her original company, Spacex Ltd, part of the group owned by Country and Metropolitan Plc, where she was also Managing Director, was acquired by Gladedale Plc for £76m.

Brits Opting to Stay in the UK for HolidaysIndependent travel insurance provider, InsureandGo has seen an 18% increase in people seeking travel insurance for UK based travel.

Policies for overseas travel insurance have declined by 6%.

Top Flight GiftThe official DVD of the now annual Bournemouth Air Festival, produced by Hallmark Productions, is now available from selected retailers locally and from www.hallmarkproductions.com for £14.99. The DVD is packed with extraordinary footage of the aerobatic displays over the beach front, plus on-board and in-cockpit action. Festival highlights, display highlights along with exclusive display commentary, pilot interviews, and a photographic gallery are some of the special features included. A look ahead at the 2010 Air Festival is also included.

Preview the Bournemouth Air Festiva DVD by visiting www.YouTube.com/user/BournemouthAirFest or www.hallmarkproductions.com

Century Aims to Clean Up in New YearCentury Group has reported a very positive result for 2009. The introduction of new services has increased its ability to provide a more comprehensive service to all types of clients. The Century Group is now truly a ‘one stop solution’.

The directors and staff of Century would like to thank all of their customers for their business during 2009 and wish them a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.

New HomeAldridge Brownlee Solicitors LLP is hosting an open day on Saturday 12th December, to celebrate the launch of its new offices at 277 Lymington Road, Highcliffe.

The new, purpose-built, modern premises will be home to six permanent staff and are in addition to the existing offices, also on Lymington Road, where some staff will remain.


business news

One of the government’s key aims in passing the Companies Act 2006was to simplify the regulation of private companies. To a large extent it

has achieved this aim but companies need to take action (includingalterations to their memorandum and articles of association) to obtain thefull benefit of the relaxations. In addition, this Act has introduced some newadministrative and procedural requirements with which private companiesneed to comply. A large amount of the provisions of this Act came into forceon 1 October 2009.Some advantages of which companies can take advantage include :

■ There is no requirement for companies to have a company secretary

■ There is no requirement for companies to have an annual general meeting

■ The minimum statutory notice period for all unlisted private companyshareholder meetings is now 14 days, even if a special resolution isproposed

■ The concept of authorised share capital has been abolished under the2006 Act but will continue to operate as a restriction on the power of anexisting company to allot shares until the statement of authorised sharecapital from the memorandum is removed from the articles

■ A single director is able to execute a deed on behalf of a companyprovided that his signature is witnessed by an independent adult

■ Electronic participation in company board minutes is possible

There are also manynew CompaniesHouse formsreplacing theprevious oneswhich must beused when makingsubmissions toCompanies House.

Is your company benefitingfrom the changes on the1 October 2009?

For more information contactSam Freeman [email protected] telephone 01202 557256

www.laceyssolicitors.co.uk

business news

I joined a health club last year and spent about £400, but I didn’t lose a pound. Apparently you have to turn up.Jo Brand, 1957-, Comedian

www.brianjenner.com

Fudges,the family-run bakery, has chosen Wyvern Cargo to deliver its biscuits to various distributors.

The first CastlepointSponsoredFunRun with local marathon runner, double Olympian and Commonwealth medallist Liz Yelling, attracted over 200 amateur runners at the event held at Bournemouth’s Littledown Centre. Over £1,500 was raised for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance by runners and supporters.

Anewimperialglasssize,measuring two thirds of a pint, is set to be introduced in pubs and clubs under proposals to change prescribed quantities of alcohol.

Newresearchreleased by Abbey and Alliance & Leicester Business Banking reveals that one in three (34%) small business owners say that they are now working longer hours than they were just one year ago.

ChunkyChocolates from award-winning House of Dorchester, one of the country’s leading specialist chocolate makers, are being introduced in 42 Tesco stores throughout the West Country.

Equifaxdatareveals an increasing prevalence of frauds being committed against small and medium sized businesses. The Equifax Corporate Identity Fraud Guide is available free from www.equifax.co.uk

Poole-basedSOSSchoolofSwimming is celebrating a change of ownership. The swimming school is now owned and run by qualified swimming teacher Shirley Pedrick and her husband Andy.

Click with The Twins…The Twins have launched a brand new website with the help from the team at Radikls.com. Since its launch at the end of the summer the special effects consultants have reported a steady increase in enquiries generating an extra 25% of business. Take a peak at behind the scenes, check out live action, such as lightning illusions filmed by Hallmark Productions and on BBC TV’s ‘The Slammer’, and take a look at previously unseen photographs on the new website.

Visit www.theillusionists.com or www.thetwins.co.uk

Festive FirsNearly 2,500 Christmas trees will be looking for new homes at Moors Valley Country Park near Ringwood this Christmas. If you buy a tree at the Park not only will you get free parking this year you will also receive a voucher for Seasons Restaurant.

Bournemouth Council Signs Up to Support Small Businesses

Bournemouth Borough Council has signed up to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) national Small Business Engagement Accord. They join Christchurch Council as the first councils in Dorset to do so. The Accord is a new initiative which sees local councils signing up to 14 Accord Principles which promote the importance of listening to the views of small businesses. The principles include nominating business engagement champions from among the business community and within the council, as well as encouraging greater consultation with a wider range of business and community leaders. The Accord is the next step of the FSB’s Keep Trade Local Campaign.

L-r: Pam Donnellan, Chief Executive, Bournemouth Borough Council; Ken Moon, Regional Chairman, Wessex Region, Federation of Small Businesses; Councillor Stephen McLaughlin, Leader, Bournemouth Borough Council.

Have You lied on Your CV?A recent survey commissioned by Tate, specialists in office support recruitment, revealed that over 40% of people have, at some point, lied or made slight exaggerations on their CV.

With unemployment rates reaching the highest level for 14 years, job applicants are embellishing CVs in an attempt to mislead employers and secure a job in this competitive market.

Jo Edwards, Tate’s Managing Director said, ‘Increased incidences of people falsifying their CVs isn’t surprising, especially with the onset of the credit crunch. Utilising a recruitment agency’s expertise, including comprehensive assessments, behavioural interviewing and referencing, is essential when identifying anomalies in job seekers’ applications.’

£7M Investment to Transform Southampton AirportOver £7m is being invested in Southampton Airport over the next year to improve facilities. The developments aim to enhance the airport experience for the two million passengers a year who breeze through the region’s award-winning airport. Some of the developments include new restaurant and coffee facilities, improved access for rail passengers, energy saving initiatives and new toilet facilities with water and energy saving systems.

Working TogetherDorset-based HR consultancy, JGA, has announced a new working relationship with Frettens Solicitors in Christchurch.

Already advising businesses on best employee management, JGA has called on the expertise of the dedicated employment team at Frettens to support its HR offering with expert legal advice.

As well as updating JGA on the latest developments in employment law, Frettens will help draft employment contracts and handbooks, compromise, directors service and business protection agreements for existing and future clients of JGA. The solicitors will also advise on TUPE transfers.

L-r: Kate Fretten and Jane Gower

Weymouth Chippy Named in uK’s Top 10A Weymouth fish and chip shop has been named as the best in the south west* and one of the 10 best in the UK, in the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition, organised by Seafish, the authority on seafood.

Daniel’s Fish and Chips of Weymouth in Dorset will now go chip to chip against nine other ‘high-frying’ shops at the national final in a bid to win the highly coveted title of National Fish & Chip Shop of the Year.

The winner will be presented with the champion’s crown by popular TV chef, Aldo Zilli, at a ceremony on 21st January at the Riverbank Park Plaza in London.

*Judging area includes Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon, Dorset

New Business to Create 60 Jobs A national award winning home care company, Home Instead Senior Care, which recently opened an office covering the East Poole and Bournemouth area is looking to create 60 jobs over the next two years.

As the UK’s population ages, the need for care services will increase. Recent figures show that by 2025 there will be over 13 million people in the UK aged over 65, many of whom will require care. The new office of Home Instead Senior Care needs local carers, or those interested in getting involved in the sector, to help look after its growing number of clients.

The new operation, which is based in Wallisdown, has been set up by husband and wife team, Amanda and Mark Baker.

For more information call 01202 853197.

Amanda and Mark Baker

The Perfect Gift for ChristmasLooking to find something truly unique that can be treasured for a lifetime for someone special this Christmas? Problem solved.

The ARThouse Gallery in Bourne Avenue, just off The Square in Bournemouth, specialises in the sale of original fine art, contemporary and traditional by a number of highly regarded artists as well as holding an excellent range of quality designer jewellery, silverware and fine glassware. Paul Watts, the gallery proprietor would be delighted to assist anyone looking for help in making the right choice for that perfect gift.

Visit www.thearthousegallery.orgURCHIN - Barry Leighton-Jones (1965)

Retailers Free GuideResearch finds that half of all retailers were negatively affected by the recession. Of the retailers* surveyed by Business Link, 78% are confident of surviving the recession whilst 50% reported being negatively affected by the recession. Other findings included: b 24% had seen a drop in customer numbers over the past 12 months b 44% reported lower spend per customer b 53% had adopted discounting. Business Link is offering all retailers a free guide which includes practical advice on how to increase footfall, improve sales and reduce costs. Visit www.businessquestionsandanswered.co.uk/retail

*Survey of 360 small and medium sized retailers in the South East of England

Help RequiredRingwood-based Tools for Self Reliance, is urgently seeking volunteers to help clean and sharpen tools destined to be shipped to Third World countries. The tools will be used to train destitute and starving Africans in a trade enabling them to work their way out of poverty.

Anyone able to offer two hours a week to work on cleaning and sharpening the tools will be welcomed with open arms by Administrator Laurie Dormer who can be contacted on 01425 475440.


business news

StevenBeaumont,fromBournemouthaccountancy firm taylorcocks,urges

businessestoprepareforthenewVATReturns

legislation.

From 1st April 2010 you will have to submit your VAT Returns online and pay any VAT due electronically if you have an annual turnover of £100,000 or more (exclusive of VAT), or if you register or should have registered for VAT on or after 1st April 2010 (regardless of your turnover).

If either of these applies to your business, you should take the following action now:b Identify your preferred form of

electronic payment (eg Direct Debit, Internet banking) and set up the necessary arrangements

b Register and enrol for the VAT online service. (You will need to do this to submit your VAT Return online, whether you choose to use commercial software or HMRC’s free software)

b Talk to your accountant if they will be submitting your VAT Return online on your behalf and discuss what you both need to do

b Consider whether you need to change any of your business processes for checking and signing off your VAT Return

Ifyouwouldlikefurtherinformationandadvice

onthenewlegislationoradvice on how to file your

VATReturnsonline,contacttaylorcocksforadvice:

[email protected],03707708111orvisitwww.taylorcocks.co.uk

Starting a business is never easy, hence the creation of White Egret Ltd’s Business Start Up, a tailor-made package designed to empower business owners with the skills and knowledge needed to kick start their business. The package can cover aspects

such as marketing, finance, employment issues and legislation.

Having spent many years working for a large banking corporation and then as a Business Link Advisor, Julie Leigh, Managing Director of White Egret Ltd is no stranger to the type of challenges that many businesses face, particularly in today’s precarious economic climate. ‘We know that one of the hardest times is when an already established business wishes to expand and grow. With this in mind we have created a Grow Your Own Business package.’

Companies are often faced with a number of choices when deciding to expand. White Egret Ltd helps companies to really focus on what their goals are and creates an action plan with the company on how to achieve them, working with them to put this into place. ‘We encourage

New Business Consultancy Firm launchedJulie Leigh is pleased to announce the launch of her new business

consultancy, White Egret Ltd. Based in Dorset, White Egret Ltd has set its sight on becoming the number one business consultancy firm in the local area. Its goal is to guide business owners step-by-step through their most stressful periods so that the companies can achieve their full potential.

Julie Leigh

companies to look closely at what they are already undertaking, the skills of their workforce and the systems that they have in place. The important aspect is to ensure that the company itself is ready and prepared internally for these changes to enable it to go forward strongly.’ So whether it is looking for more funding or refining systems to accommodate a larger business, White Egret Ltd is on hand every step of the way.

The company also offers ad hoc consultancy for times when immediate or short term help is required and hand-picked associates can be brought in to help from specialist fields. Megan Best of White Egret Ltd commented, ‘Whatever the business needs of our clients, we feel confident that our depth of experience in the industry and wide range of expertise will be a winning combination.’

The official launch of White Egret Ltd recently took place on Tuesday 17th November at the Whitewall Galleries, Westover Road whereby over 60 local business people attended the profile raising event.

If you would like a free initial business consultation session please contact Julie or Megan on 01202 768574 or e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]

business news

Need Help Managing Your Debt? IVA Watchdog Might Just Have the AnswerDorset based Tony Carter, Compliance Manager of IVA Watchdog commented, ‘This year, with the recession still taking a hold, we have noticed that the number of people who have come to us for financial advice has risen substantially.’

It is the small business owners who are the hidden victims and feeling the hard end of the recession. Not only are they now faced with a decline in their market place but the weakening of the pound against the euro has lowered profit margins. In their bid to try and tread water through this difficult trading time, many businesses have increasingly found themselves shackled in debt, struggling to juggle their business finances with trying to maintain job security and motivation for their employees.

Many small business owners have invested a large amount of their own personal and family funds either to start up or expand their enterprise and with the pinch of the recession, business owners are looking at loosing more than just their business. The worry is that most entrepreneurs have secured loans with equity in their houses, which they stand to loose if their debt continues to spiral out of control.

Although the IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement) Watchdog’s primary aim is to advise and assist individuals on how to handle their debt, they have launched a new initiative to help struggling owners of small businesses. Tony Carter commented, ‘Business owners will go to

great lengths to keep on trading, often at great financial expense and many don’t know who to turn to for help. Crippling debt is a dangerous place to be in and it can be one of the hardest of circumstances to get out of.’

IVA Watchdog has a dedicated team of trained advisors who are

on hand to assess the financial situation of a business. They can advise with restructuring expertise to help save the business and ensure job security for employees.

Sadly, not all businesses can be saved, in these circumstances, IVA Watchdog can assist with the complex administration procedure. Depending whether a company is registered as a Limited Company or Sole Trader, they have people on hand that can help guide the company towards closure whilst ensuring minimal financial loss.

Under their new initiative, IVA Watchdog will liaise with business owners to advise on the best options that are available in order to tackle their personal debt. ‘We believe that it is important for people to feel that they have control of their own situation and understand the process of debt management. Once individuals have all the information they are able to make an informed and sound decision on the best way to process to manage their debt.’

If you are a business owner who is in financial crisis and need debt management advice, contact the IVA Watchdog today on 0800 840 1771.

In today’s economic climate, many businesses are struggling to survive and stay afloat. The High Street has been a witness to

this sad decline in trading, where even the most long established of businesses, such as Woolworths have succumbed to closure. The Red Flag alert which is a monitor of early warning signs of company distress has suggested that the worst for insolvencies is still yet to come. Worryingly, 134,000 companies are showing material designs of financial distress in the third quarter of 2009.

Thinking Juice Wins South West Company of the Year 2009Bournemouth-based

Thinking Juice has won South West Company of the Year 2009 at the Marketing Industry Network Awards on the 19th November in Manchester. The agency also took a coveted commendation and was runner-up in UK Advertising Agency of the Year and finalist in UK Integrated Agency of the Year.

It marks the end of an incredible year for the agency, having been named Advertising Agency of the Year South of England 2009, one of the UK’s Top 10 Creative Agencies to Watch and Recommended Agency 2009. Thinking Juice also cemented its reputation as a leading creative force by pitching against and beating numerous leading creative agencies to bring work out of London, along with winning a number of international creative awards.

Thinking Juice also launched ArchNemesis a joint venture agency in the Middle East and became UK agency for the global independent advertising agency network AMIN.

Gellan Watt, Creative and Managing Director said, ‘It’s been a sensational year for the agency. And while we’ve gained significant recognition, the largest achievement this year has been retaining our client list

and adding some very significant wins, in the most turbulent marketing industry conditions for years. Our team has worked incredibly hard to drive or clients businesses and brands forward - and that’s made the difference for our business.

‘We’ve invested in systems, process and talent to ensure we maintain a strong competitive advantage – and we’ve kept a fundamental focus at the heart of our business… great results for our clients.’

Significant business wins for the agency over the last 12 months include Beales Department Stores, Euronics £1.5m Christmas TV and digital campaign, Kallo Foods, Naim Audio, Vintage Roots, NBA Hall of Fame legend Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon’s retail and clothing line brand, David Beckham Academy and Richmond Group.

You can find out more about Thinking Juice online at www.thinkingjuice.co.uk

YRC on the MoveYRC Logistics, a leading provider of global logistics recently celebrated the opening of its new state of the art facility located in Totton, Southampton with an open evening. The new facility, which has 6,500 sq ft of warehouse space, marks a milestone in the development of the business that was originally based in Eastleigh.

10 BusinessThe December / January 2010 11BusinessThe2010 December / January

A Capital Idea for 2010Lee Blunden, formerly Finance & Operations Director at Britannia Parking Ltd, has left to set-up Alfred Cole Business Management. Business confidence is strengthening as we move towards the end of 2009, and most are planning growth for 2010.

Lee’s view is that, ‘Business growth is built on business capital. Managing that capital is critical, but what many fail to recognise is that capital is not just a monetary measure. Among a

company’s greatest assets are its staff, its brand (or unique selling point) and its systems for adding and delivering value.’

Lee says, ‘We are in times where funders will not reflect perspective and potential in making decisions, so a company must first look inwards and manage its own assets to their fullest potential.’

Alfred Cole Business Management is there to facilitate that asset and capital review, and deliver a statement of the key value points in the business.

For an initial conversation contact [email protected]

money digest

Poole-based tax and accountancy adviser Martin Tapley gives advice on financial matters to small businesses.

Q I understand that I can claim tax relief for using my own vehicle for work. My employer currently only reimburses me 20p per mile whilst on business travel. Can I claim more and how do I do it?

A If you use your own vehicle for business travel as an employee, you are entitled to receive tax free payments of up to 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles in the tax year and 25p thereafter. These rates have been agreed under the HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) scheme.

In order to qualify, the journeys you undertake must be made in the course of doing your job, for example delivering goods or visiting customers. Any private journeys unrelated to work, including most travel from home to work, cannot be paid tax free.

If your employer reimburses you at a rate less than the tax free amount, you are entitled to claim Mileage Allowance Relief (MAR) on the difference. In your circumstances therefore you will be entitled to claim an additional 20p per mile for the first 10,000 miles you travel for business in the tax year, and a further 5p per mile thereafter. If you pay tax at the higher rate of 40%, this equates to a tax reduction of 8p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 2p per mile thereafter. A basic rate tax payer would see reductions per mile of 4p and 1p per mile accordingly.

To claim tax relief, you can include details on the employment pages of your self assessment tax return. If you are not required to fill out a tax return, you can write to HMRC to make a claim, or complete and file a form P87. Your local TaxAssist Accountant can help with its preparation.

Martin Tapley is based at 295 Wallisdown Road and specialises in managing tax and accountancy affairs for small business owners. He can be contacted by phone or email

Tel: 01202 [email protected]

Tax Relief for Using Your Own Vehicle for Business

Lee Blunden

File Your Accounts Early to Avoid a Poor Credit RatingAccountants and business advisers, taylorcocks, is warning businesses to file their accounts within eight months of the financial year end or risk having their credit rating slashed.

Tax Director at taylorcocks, Paul Taylor, said, ‘Company credit ratings are in some cases being cut because of changes in the algorithms that are used by credit rating agencies. When a company hasn’t filed its accounts within eight months of the year end, its credit rating is removed.

‘This is because the credit agencies own statistics show that companies tend to go into liquidation a month before their accounts are due to be filed. Those that file as late as possible can be trying to hide the results. If one credit agency is doing this then it is quite plausible that others are too, or will soon follow suit.

‘Many businesses will be unaware that they only have eight months to file their accounts or risk losing their credit limit, which can have a massive impact, especially as many companies use debtor insurers who rely on the credit agencies,’ continued Paul.

‘There are many things affecting a company’s credit rating, however, only some of them are within the company’s control - filing accounts on time is one of them. Therefore, unless there is a good commercial reason for holding onto the accounts until the last moment, it is highly advisable to submit within eight months.’

Other than filing your accounts in good time, there are a few other ways in which you can help improve your business’s credit rating: b Always pay suppliers on time b Get listed in telephone directories and keep your registrations up to

date b Keep your personal finances in order b Make sure that your SIC (industry code) on your annual Companies

House return is correct b Register company growth with the credit agencies b Decrease the balance on your business credit cards

For further information and advice on credit ratings contact taylorcocks on 0370 770 8111 or visit www.taylorcocks.co.uk

Globetrotting Bankers Step Out for CharityStaff at a Bournemouth bank are stepping out for charity by attempting to travel 700 kilometres in 80 days without even crossing the Dorset county border.

A five-strong team from Handelsbanken, the major Swedish bank, is attempting to walk 10,000 steps a day or 800,000 steps in total. Each team member is equipped with a step counter to monitor their performance. Money raised is going to the Lewis-Manning Hospice’s £2.5m ‘Time to Care’ appeal in Poole.

A target of £1,000 has been set and donations are welcome.Visit www.justgiving.com/aroundtheworldwithhandelsbanken

L-r: Charlie Sutcliffe, Dave Shering, Nick Lowe, Gillian Deedman and Steve Johnson-King.

money digest

The Holiday Season is upon us…ByMarkLiddle,TenonRecoveryBournemouth

Tenon Recovery has identified business owners allowing problems to escalate over the holiday

period as the main reason for the anticipated surge in insolvencies in the New Year. This is an ideal opportunity for business owners to remember why they’re in business, to make money!!

Owners neglecting key issues, combined with the difficult economic climate could send the number of business failures spiraling to unprecedented levels in the New Year. Traditionally focus has always been on sales, however with the economy providing additional challenges, business owners need to concentrate on their core activities and ensuring their basic business foundations are solid.

Entrepreneurs who fail to deal with crucial business issues before they go on holiday could return to a nasty surprise. Ignored, these issues can escalate posing a serious threat to the viability of that business.

A checklist which addresses key issues that entrepreneurs are likely to face during the holidays and highlights actions that could be taken to minimise any threats to the business is below.

Forecastingisvital- Confirm that there will be no unexpected cashflow peaks that will not be covered by bank or ABL facilities during the holiday period. Ensure that there is sufficient contingency headroom to avoid any significant problems – speak to an external adviser at an early stage to ensure you’re not making any rash decisions

Authorisekeypaymentsinadvance- Ensure that any key payments that will need to be made during the holiday period are authorised prior to departure to retain the goodwill of creditors

Liaise with debtors to improve cashflow - Improve cashflow by informing any large or key customers of planned holidays and negotiate early settlement of large invoices

Speaktokeystakeholders- Make key stakeholders, creditors, bank managers and advisors, aware of any absence so that negotiations and decisions can be postponed

Reviewcontinuityplanning-Ensure that appropriate staffing levels are in place and those in charge are empowered to run the business effectively for a protracted period in the event of unforeseen circumstances

Considerrecentevents- Review recent performance and business actions to assess whether a holiday is realistic at the present time and will not have a negative impact on the business and will not be considered inappropriate by employees, customers and suppliers in light of poor business performance

Checkallcontactdetails-Provide emergency contact details to key staff; agree best times and means of communicating to keep in touch with any important issues that may need to be addressed

Clearthediary- Clear time before and after a holiday in order to address any potential problems and catch-up on business performance

The next few months could well define how long the economic downturn will last. There are some 4.5 million SMEs in the UK, making up a significant proportion of the UK economy, a considerable increase in the number of small business insolvencies would be hugely detrimental and could prolong what has already been a very painful recession. By developing a pre-holiday checklist, I hope to impress on business owners the need to plan, a proactive approach is vital in this climate. It could be the difference between survival and collapse.

Mark Liddle

MarkLiddle,TenonRecoveryBournemouthTel:01202554456E-mail:[email protected]

The Naked lease!Loans available on short leasehold retail businesses without additional freehold securityIf you are buying a business occupying leasehold premises Henley Business Finance (HBF) could help you finance the purchase without additional freehold security.

There are over 5 million retail businesses in the UK and about 20% change ownership every year.

HBF can consider loans for the purchase of most types of leasehold businesses such as restaurants, fish and chip shops, take-aways, supermarkets, newsagents etc.

There are NO FEES charged to clients. Minimum loan £50,000.For more information contact David Chalcraft on 01929 422210.

For a fast, friendly response call David Chalcraft on 01929 422210or email: [email protected]

www.henleybusinessfinance.com

Henleybusiness finance

we really can help yourbusiness grow

Banking on Cyclists to Raise Funds for Charity

A cheque totalling £17,366 was presented by triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie to The Ellen MacArthur Trust (The Trust) CEO, Frank Fletcher, at the J.P. Morgan Bournemouth campus recently. This fantastic amount was raised during the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island race – one of the world’s largest and most famous yacht races.

As 1,779 boats and 16,000 sailors crossed the start line to compete in the 55 mile yacht race, 100 yellow jersey

wearing cyclists from the J.P. Morgan Bournemouth office, (including some colleagues from London), started their own 65 mile course around the island. Their challenge was to beat the fastest of the boats in the race including 48 of their colleagues who were racing around the Island on four Clipper yachts.

It was the fourth year running that J.P.Morgan Bournemouth staff have completed the cycle challenge for The Trust, fundraising over £45,000 in the process!

L-r: Andy Graham, Dorcas Williams, Ben Ainslie, Tony Foster, Steve Moss, Sally Newell, Nigel Ball, Frank Fletcher CEO Ellen MacArthur Trust

1� BusinessThe December / January 2010 1�BusinessThe2010 December / January

Corporate Insolvencies UpdateTim Corfield of insolvency practitioners Griffin & King comments on the present position. The latest figures published by The Insolvency Service recently reveal that the number of corporate insolvencies in England and Wales has risen by 14.6% in the past year to reach 4,716 in the third quarter of 2009.

Many government initiatives designed to support businesses are due to be wound up over the coming months and this may spark an even greater number of business failures.

It appears that many companies are surviving the recession sustained only by government initiatives such as HMRC’s Time to Pay. The government is now owed over 1bn in delayed tax payments and this cannot roll on indefinitely.

There is a risk to all businesses when these initiatives are wound down. A sudden withdrawal of government support could lead to real problems. This position would be exacerbated once interest rates begin to climb again.Government initiatives due to come to an end include:b Stamp duty holiday due to end December 2010b The lower 15% rate of VAT due to end January 1st 2010b The car scrappage scheme due to end in February 2010b Enterprise Finance Guarantee Due to end March 2010

Many struggling businesses have managed to survive by cutting costs. These are now down to the bone. As the recession drags on options are beginning to run out.

More and more businesses are trying to restructure through Pre-pack Administrations. Company Voluntary Arrangements have also been growing in popularity. However, the government has just begun a crackdown on pre-packs, with HMRC demanding that six months of VAT be paid upfront before it allows companies to begin trading again.

These escape routes have kept more businesses running and secured a lot of jobs. If HMRC starts getting too tough this will lead to even more corporate failures and the job losses associated with this.

Banks are continuing to come under pressure from the government to give struggling companies some breathing space. They are also delaying liquidating businesses because low asset values are acting as a barrier to recovering the debts owed to them. Once asset values begin to recover we could see a spike in the number of insolvencies.

Griffin & King run regular seminars to help business managers through this recession.

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of your business and how to survive the present difficult trading times with Tim or Janet, please call 01202 355348 for free advice.

Grab a Chunk of £18m Businesses that have a clever idea for a new product that will reduce greenhouse gases should apply for money from a new green investment fund.

Environmental expert Simon de Grey, from one of the leading training and environmental companies Pivotal Performance, says the Carbon Trust has just made £18m available. And it is willing to invest in the development of new ideas that will help the environment.

‘The only snag is that you have to prove that your idea is commercially viable,’ explained Simon. ‘You must submit a business plan demonstrating how investment would lead to CO2 emissions savings, while also generating a commercial return.

‘The Carbon Trust will provide up to 50% of the investment your business requires, so you will also need to source other private investors to make up the remaining funds.’

Business plans must also show evidence of innovation. The fund is only open to UK companies.

Tickled PinkStaff at the Poole office of international accountancy and business advisory firm Mazars, recently all got ‘pretty in pink’ to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness.

The fancy dress event raised £133.

Prepare to be ‘Wow’ed by the Launch of a New Service

Finance Manager Adam Dunney (centre) with The Wow Company teamAndover-based accountancy and business advice firm, The Wow Company has launched a brand new service, Wow Finance due to market demand. This new service offers companies expert advice and guidance in buying and selling businesses from valuations right through to helping clients to raise finance, even in the current tricky lending climate.

The Wow Company’s new service provides an integrated service managed by a dedicated team by pooling together all its resources, contacts and experience from its accountancy, business advice and financial planning services.

For further information go to www.thewowcompany.com

money digest

Getting Access To Money: The $64,000 QuestionBy Mark Newman, Lloyds TSB

QBanksaren’tlendingmoneysowhyshouldIexpandmybusinessnow?

There has been much in the media in 2009 about the Chancellor urging the big banks to lend more money to the business community. As a result, many businesses in the South West are understandably asking the question “How can we get access to money?”

For all the continued talk of green shoots, there is no doubt that our region still faces some turbulent times in 2010. But banks are still willing to write cheques in tougher times as well as good, and there are still opportunities for ambitious, well-run firms.

As The Business highlighted recently, Morrish Builders, based in Poole and one of the main developers on Prince Charles’s Poundbury village project, is one such local firm. With Lloyds since it started 50 years ago, we provided a £10m package as a long-term commitment earlier this year, giving them great certainty and flexibility with their finances.

QSowhatcanIdotomakemybusinesslookmoreattractivetoabank?

There are a number of straightforward actions any business can take to put themselves in the best possible position to secure funding:

1.Banksarelookingforwell-runbusinesseswithaclearstrategicdirection.

Before committing to lending, banks want to take time to get to know the management team and develop a real understanding of what you are trying to achieve. Companies need to be clear about this and have a solid business plan in place setting out how they are going to get there.

Firms need to consider their own strengths and weaknesses, predict

likely obstacles and the resources needed: all of which your bank can help you do. As a result, they can offer the best financial package that properly reflects the nature and needs of your particular business.

2.Bothbankandbusinessneedtodevelopandmaintainacloseworkingrelationship.

Great relationships are the basis on which successful businesses are built, and the one with your bank is no different.

This may sound simple, and doesn’t mean you have to invite your bank to the Christmas party. But it is essential that companies communicate with their banks regularly and this becomes even more important in challenging times. It is important for banks to understand the issues and challenges their customers face, so that they can support businesses as trusted advisors.

Your accountant, your lawyer and of course your banker are able to give you an independent view of your business, because they see it from an external perspective. They work with scores of businesses, and can bring that experience to bear for you. Good ones pride themselves on the relationships they build and maintain with their business clients.

3.Firmsthatcandemonstrateaprudentmanagementofcostsandworkingcapitalarelikelytosucceed.

As well as knowing that companies have a good understanding of their working capital position and cost structure, banks are keen to see that management teams are able to take considered but decisive action. This could be anything from working more closely with suppliers to negotiate terms, considering outsourcing and vehicle contract hire, to restricting overtime.

4.Theattitudeandskillsofthemanagementareall-important.Management teams should have a breadth and depth of experience

with clearly defined responsibilities, including non-executive directors challenging the board’s decisions.

It’s no surprise that those companies led by management teams who have survived previous downturns are the best prepared for these current times. These are also likely to be the people and businesses who will eventually lead the UK out of the current recession.

QButshouldn’tweconcentrateonsurvivingratherthangrowthatthemoment?

Funding is not just about aggressive expansion plans. But for many companies, there will come a point when people will start looking to the recovery and it will be those taking advantage of the opportunities available now, and positioning themselves for future growth, that will perform well in the future. Around 60% of the companies that emerge as leaders from a recession are not the leaders going into it.

QSoifIthinkwehaveallthesethingsinplace,andwearelookingtorenew,extendorapplyforfunding,shouldIspeaktomybank?

Yes, the earlier you speak to your bank about your plans the better. We want all our customers in the south west to thrive, not just survive, in 2010 and beyond: after all, the long-term success of our business depends on yours too.

Lloyds TSB has been voted Bank of the Year five years in a row by UK finance directors at the CBI FD Excellence Awards.

Mark Newman

14 BusinessThe December / January 2010 1�BusinessThe2010 December / January

IT creates e-waste, consisting of broken or unwanted electrical and electronic items. Such is the speed of technological

advancement, that a great deal of equipment is consigned to rubbish bins, even though it is still working perfectly. In most cases it is possible to redeploy or recycle the equipment, but it’s often considered more trouble than it’s worth.

High Profile Companies Need High Performance IT

Charities and community organisations set limits on the specifications of the equipment they will accept but Remploy e-cycle guarantees full, secure data cleansing and responsible disposal of end-of-life IT and telecoms equipment, whether it is recycled, remarketed/resold, redeployed back into the organisation concerned or donated to a worthy charity.

If e-waste is consigned to landfill, there is loss of rare and valuable materials and pollution of the land for hundreds of years as toxic compounds leach into the soil. Alternatively, where the waste is illegally shipped to developing countries for

primitive forms of disassembly, this creates huge issues of land pollution and poisoning of the workers.

Malcolm Watson, General Manager for Remploy e-cycle, a government-supported business specialising in the refurbishment, recycling and ethical disposal of IT equipment, explains, ‘Despite legislation, thousands of computers from businesses in the UK and Europe are still finding their way to landfill, are incinerated or are simply dumped outside of the EU in places like West Africa. Not only is this dangerous, it’s also illegal. If it is not viable to refurbish computer equipment for redeployment,

donation or sale, Remploy e-cycle will recycle every single component, all that is left is a tiny amount of dust.

‘The average lifecycle of a computer in the workplace is around three years, and an estimated 6.6 million tons of e-waste from the EU is not accounted for every year*, and stories regarding the criminal use of data extracted from end-of-life IT equipment are rife.

‘E-cycle operates to the highest data destruction standards in the world, using specialised BLANCCO software which has been approved for both UK government and US Federal Government data cleansing.

‘Equipment can often be refurbished to a high standard and then sold on or donated to suitable organisations, which helps to reduce the amount of

e-waste produced each year.‘Alternatively, our recycling

process managed in the UK, is so thorough that every component of every computer is accounted for. In addition, because e-cycle is part of Remploy, the UK’s largest provider of employment for disabled people, we can help the companies we work with to meet their corporate social responsibility as well as equal opportunities objectives.’

Ultimately, e-waste cannot be avoided, at least not until manufacturers build the equipment with recycled or recyclable parts.

For more information on Remploy’s e-cycle services or to find out how to dispose of old IT equipment safely and securely visit www.remployecycle.co.uk

* Source: Greenpeace

Blue Chip, one of the south’s leading IT specialists has managed to scoop yet another IT industry award. The Channel Network Awards held recently

at Hilton Park Lane, awarded Blue Chip with ‘Marketing Campaign of the Year’ for its technology education campaign, ‘High Profile Companies Need High Performance IT’.

The aim of the campaign was to educate businesses and demonstrate how technology can help their businesses be successful, while offering advice on best practices, staff training

and reducing operational spend to survive the recession.

The campaign focussed on the high performance IT solutions that Blue Chip has delivered for some notable customers, such as

Suzuki and Jet2.com and how any business can take advantage of these technologies, cost effectively. This message was communicated through advertisements, e-communications, website animations, PR and large-scale ads in Southampton Airport’s departure lounge.

The campaign was a significant financial commitment for Blue Chip and key partners VMware, Citrix, Dell and EMC; however, the message and objectives were ones in which all parties believed in and the campaign has subsequently proved to be extremely successful.

In the current economic climate it was noted that Blue Chip’s dedication and investment to marketing and educating its customers was particularly prevalent. IT resellers across the south have either dramatically reined in their marketing expenditure, or cut the cost completely; while Poole-bred

brand Blue Chip has not only continued with its marketing, but has increased activity by 22%. The firm’s investment and subsequent growth can be seen company-wide from the employment of additional staff to the recently announced ‘end of year’ financial figures that demonstrate yet another year of dramatic growth.

For further information on Blue Chip’s solution and services call 0845 034 7400.

IT talk

Start 2010 with a Competitive Edge

John Clough

The technology division within Enhanced (EnhancedIT) is evolving thanks to its new Technical Director, John Clough.

John is focussing on ensuring that businesses are making the most of their information, whether that is providing the tools to manage that information, or the computer network to store it.

In 2005 Butler Group concluded that 80% of information within an organisation is unstructured. At the same time Korn Ferry stated that 90% of learned information within organisations is not shared. Since then data has continued to grow exponentially while in most organisations the information issues haven’t been addressed:b paper documents are difficult

to find and expensive to storeb information is only available

to the person who is in possession of that document or file and only from the location that the document is stored.

b there is no back up if the document goes missing

EnhancedIT use Enterprise Content Management (ECM) tools so that you can capture, manage, store, preserve, collaborate, and deliver content and documents related to organisational processes. And back that up by delivering network solutions that keep all your information secure.

ECM has been successfully employed by many large companies to resolve information

issues. Previously this technology has been unattainable by small and medium organisations due to the cost of storage and communications. With data storage becoming ever cheaper, the barrier is no longer costs but more the challenge of changing attitudes to the use of existing processes.

But even change can be made easy. Consider a simple process; registration of a purchase invoice. At the moment these are likely to be received entered on to your business software, a unique reference hand written and the document filed. With

just one small change, sticking a printed bar code instead of hand writing a reference number that document can be stored electronically. The benefits include:b It’s easy to find by a simple

search on the computerb It can be accessed by

everyone who has authority to do so irrespective of their location

b It is backed up on a daily basis

b The document can be the start of a managed process (for example authorisation of that purchase invoice).

Looking to the Skies or Under a Cloud?

To start 2010 with a competitive edge, and for further information call John on 01202 890245.

Cloud computing makes it possible to harness the power of up-to-the-minute applications without any financial outlay upfront – and your access to them can be scaled up or down as your business needs dictate.

At a small manufacturing business in Ferndown, let’s call it Machinery Focus Ltd (MFL) – the management team faces a dilemma. Like many other companies of its size, MFL has capitalised on its relative agility and flexibility to get one step ahead of its larger competitors in the economic downturn. But its customer relationship management (CRM) system is feeling the strain and now struggles to support the

company’s sales and marketing team. The management team has two options. Either invest in new software licences and a bigger server to relieve the pressure on the current CRM, but if economic conditions change and the firm has to contract, that could be money wasted.

The other option is to adopt a cloud computing approach. This means that the CRM applications are accessed over the internet from a hosted applications provider, in return for a monthly per user subscription fee. When extra resources are required, the total fee rises. When they are not, they can be ‘switched off ’ and the fee falls. This approach could work well for MFL and

countless other small to medium businesses.

With that in mind, BT Local Business now offers a range of world-class applications on a cloud computing basis, including CRM suites from Salesforce, NetSuite and SugarCRM. Plus it provides business finance software from Xero, BT Smart Marketing (to measure and improve response rates to e-mail campaigns), BT eSignature (to handle electronic sign off of contracts) and Ribbit which converts mobile voicemail into text.

To find out more about how BT Local Business can help you make the leap to cloud computing, call 01202 868869.


Saving you time and money

01202 479999 www.time-business.co.uk

Printers Faxes Scanners Multifunctional Software

techno times

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‘Frustrated’ Mum launches Armchair ExpertsMost of us think we’re an expert on something. Now a Dorset businesswoman and mother of two has launched a website aimed at helping internet users find relevant answers to specific questions.

Armchair Experts has been designed to cut out the frustration of trawling through what Julie Standen calls ‘the baffling blizzard of information’ in cyberspace.

Julie, 44, from Poole, explained, ‘A couple of years ago, I realised I was wasting hours using search engines to find specific information and getting really frustrated.

‘I knew there had to be a better and easier way

of getting a straight answer to a specific question and I came up with the idea for Armchair Experts.’

Anyone can post a question on the site and anyone registered can offer an answer, drawing on their own experiences of life and work or general or professional knowledge.

The answers are graded on a points system by the recipient for their usefulness and value, to give a guide to others about the quality of the answers and to reward individual armchair experts for taking the time and trouble to offer their opinion. The grading system will be based on bronze, silver, gold and platinum for quality of advice. Trophies are awarded for best answers and as people work their way up the levels within the site.

Visit www.armchairexperts.com

The Standen family

Silent Calls Clampdown Firms which cause nuisance and distress to consumers through silent and abandoned calls could face fines of up to £2m under new government proposals. The current maximum penalty stands at £50,000.

Silent calls are generated when call centres that use automated calling systems (ACS) dial more numbers than there are staff available to speak to the person who picks up the phone.

In a recently published consultation, the government will seek views on plans to raise the current maximum penalty for persistent misuse to either £250,000, £500,000, £1m or £2m. This work follows commitments in the Digital Britain and Consumer White Papers to increase the penalties for companies making excessive silent calls and causing unnecessary annoyance to many people across the UK.

Research carried out by Ofcom this year found that 49% of adults felt ‘very inconvenienced’ by silent calls and 35% of over 65’s had received silent calls within the six months prior to June 2009.

Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan said, ‘It’s important that consumers can have confidence that they are protected. These fines will act as a clear deterrent to companies – if they don’t change their ways they face a hefty fine.

‘As well as causing untold anxiety, silent calls are potentially damaging to the good name of the firms which make them. Firms that eliminate them could see increased customer loyalty and reduced operational costs from handling complaints.’

Consumers can register their wish not to receive unsolicited marketing phone calls with the Telephone Preference System (TPS) – a free service which can also reduce silent calls. It is a legal requirement that companies do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS.

Call TPS registration line on 0845 070 0707.

Energy Efficient ITSteps are being taken by south coast based IT, solutions and training provider Deverill, to offer a range of ‘Green’ solutions for businesses following a recommendation adopted by the European Commission which wants to see IT companies help firms to reduce their carbon footprint. The recommendation also calls on the IT industry to become 20% more energy efficient by 2015.

One solution offered by Deverill is a ‘Green Audit Initiative’. The initiative encourages businesses to consider how to use IT in order to save money, reduce overheads, improve business efficiency and help save the environment. After an on-site consultation, Deverill will review a company’s IT and suggest a number of strategies which are designed to be implemented at different stages of a company’s growth. The long-term benefits of this

include reducing IT costs and making efficient use of IT systems and infrastructure.

Gold Standard Continues at Taylor MadeIT and training specialist Taylor Made Computer Solutions is celebrating after receiving the Investors in People Gold standard.According to the stringent criteria met by Taylor Made, the Investors in People Gold standard represents achievement of world class best practice. As at July 2009 less than 1 in 1,000 of IIP recognised organisations in the UK has achieved this standard.

radiklsCall us on Freephone 0800 068 058 9 or

email on [email protected]

4 a www with a future

lawlines

sponsored by:

The Difference is Our PeopleFrettens’ Commercial Lawyers:

Matthew Fretten - Business & Commercial PartnerKate Fretten - Employment PartnerOonagh McKinney - Commercial Property Partner Michelle Hayter - Litigation AssociateCarl Geary - Commercial Trainee Solicitor

Amy Muncer - Commercial SolicitorPaul Burton - Employment Solicitor

Ian Fretten - Property PartnerKaren Worth - Litigation Trainee Solicitor

Lee Young - Tax Partner

www.frettens.co.ukChristchurch & the New Forest

01202 499255

Frettens under the Spotlight!Frettens held its first ever Mock Employment Tribunal this year which was greeted with a very pleasing turnout of over 110 people. The event was held on the 20th October and was ‘staged’ at the historical Regent Centre in Christchurch.

The event gave an opportunity to those involved with employment issues to view and experience a short employment tribunal hearing first hand. The attendees also had the chance to vote on the outcome of the hearing.

Kate Fretten, Head of the Employment Team at Frettens, comments, ‘We are very pleased with the number of attendees at this event and with the positive feedback we have been receiving ever since. We would certainly consider doing something similar in future.’

Deverill’s CEO Joel Jervis

Employers tempted to discriminate against women on the grounds that they could fall pregnant are being warned they could face huge penalties.

Lord Sugar, the government’s ‘enterprise champion’, sparked controversy when he suggested he would not give a permanent job to a pregnant woman because she would be on maternity leave in a few months.

During a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Lord Sugar also suggested that women are the biggest discriminators against other women.

According to Lesley Walford, an employment solicitor with Dorset law firm Ellis Jones, the peer is not alone in his views on pregnancy.

A survey last year by Employment Law Advisory Services revealed that 76% of employers would not take on a new recruit if they knew that they were going to fall pregnant within six months of starting.

But Lesley warned, ‘Employers who have personal views similar to those expressed by Lord Sugar would do well to keep them to themselves.

‘Putting a woman at a disadvantage due to pregnancy or childbirth is almost always likely to be considered sex discrimination. Where a woman is dismissed as a result of her pregnancy it is highly likely that she would succeed in her claim for unfair dismissal.’

Lesley pointed out that the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 imposed on employers a duty not to treat women less favourably than men and vice versa.

She added, ‘The Act was put in place to ensure both sexes are provided with the opportunity to bring their abilities to the workplace without being disadvantaged because of their gender.

‘The views expressed by Lord Sugar are very much at odds with that aim and it is likely that if he were faced with an accusation of sex discrimination, a tribunal would agree with the employee.’

Lesley said compensation in discrimination claims is unlimited so, in order to avoid facing costly penalties, employers should ensure that their policies and practices reflect a culture of equality between the sexes.In particular employers should ensure that:b They have an up to date equal opportunities policy, which their

employees are aware of.b They train their managers to spot any potential discrimination and

act accordingly.b Their staff are aware that discrimination will not be tolerated and a

proper investigative/disciplinary process is in place and adhered to where discriminatory conduct is suspected.

b They have a grievance procedure that is followed where a complaint of discrimination is made and that all complaints are dealt with in a timely and sensitive manner.

b They exercise care when imposing a particular practice or provision that it does not inadvertently favour one sex over another.

b They are aware of the rights that parents have with regard to paternity and maternity entitlements.

Lesley added, ‘This can be a potential minefield for employers so, as always, the best advice is to get professional guidance.’

Visit www.ellisjones.co.uk

Employers Warned About Discriminating Against Women

Lesley Walford


b Ensure that all staff understand your policy on ‘the day after the night before’. Health and safety should always be paramount and driving and operating machinery with alcohol still in the bloodstream are areas of particular concern. Even if employees have been warned beforehand, it is not acceptable to encourage employees to carry on unless they are fit to do so.

b If the worst happens and there is an HR issue – whether it be allegations of discrimination, violence or disorderly behaviour, ensure you investigate and promptly.

If you need further advice on this, or any other HR issues, contact the team at www.realpeoplehr.com in strictest confidence. Oh...and have a fabulous time!

lawlines

Company Law • Joint Ventures • Employment Data Protection • Banking Law • Litigation International Law • Business Sales & Purchases Partnership Law • Copyright & TrademarksCommercial Property • Construction & EngineeringDebt Recovery • Licensing

From Start-Ups to LLPs, from Limited Companies to PLCs, we apply expert legal solutions to any legal problem.

Our clients appreciate our open and straight forward approach. We provide specialist advice on a wide range of commercial transactions and agreements.

Experts in Business Law

Poole 01202 [email protected]

Dorchester 01305 [email protected]

celebrating success

Bridport Agency Wins Gold at PR AwardsWatershed PR brought home the bling with gold and silver awards at the recent Chartered Institute of Public Relations Wessex Region Awards.

The Bridport-based public relations consultancy won a gold award for Britain’s Smelliest Cheese Championships, an idea created and organised for the Royal Bath and West Show 2009.

Watershed also scooped a silver award for its work launching the craze for finding undated 20p pieces. Simon Mellinger. Managing Director of The London Mint Office, said, ‘Watershed did a brilliant job launching the hunt for the Undated 20p in the media. Their approach was thorough, highly creative and the results hugely exceeded our targets. We are extremely happy with what they achieved for us.’

Members of the Watershed team, l-r: Abigail Perry, Sara Hudston, James Fenton and Beth Morgan.

Re-Wire your Brain for Success The aim of Mind Chi is to assist you to build, manage and direct your mental energy. Your mental energy is expressed through every thought, action, behaviour, motivation, attitude and will power; it is very important to be in control of it and attain the direction and results you want in your life.

Local author, Vanda North’s (co-author, Richard Israel) new book will be released by Capstone/Wiley in January 2010, ready to assist you to make those New Year Resolutions actually stick.

Early orders receive a £2 reduction from Amazon.co.uk

Siemens Shines at 2009 iawardsTraffic technology company Siemens Mobility, Traffic Solutions based in Poole has been presented with the 2009 Energy and Environment iaward, the first award of its kind to be backed by the British Government. In association with QinetiQ, the awards recognise and celebrate the best British achievements in science, technology and innovation.

On behalf of The Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Chair judge, Dale Vince said, ‘Siemens was a clear winner for us. What initially appeared to be a rather simple case of putting LEDs into traffic lights actually required a great deal of innovation and focus. They clearly identified a need and developed a solution with commercial success. Siemens has produced a targeted innovation addressing a well-defined problem, which can reap significant success in the UK market.’

Best IFAThe Financial Services division at Tenon, the leading business advisers to entrepreneurs, has won the award for Best IFA at Shares magazine’s reader awards ceremony, held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on 17th November.

This is the second year in a row the financial services specialists have won the accolade, beating competition from Sesame, Skipton Financial Services, Barclays, Towry Law and HSBC.

Advertising Success for ECADuring the current economic difficulties, many companies are looking at wholesale cost cutting to survive with advertising and marketing budgets often viewed as one of the softer and easier money-saving options.

But, according to one of the region’s leading advertising agencies, the businesses that are going to pull through the recession are likely to be those who can not only adapt to the changing situation and reduce their overheads but who, at the same time, can maintain and expand their customer profile.

Rather than simply slashing their advertising and marketing spend, now is the time for companies to revise and refresh their promotional activities, advises Ralph Effemey, founder and Chairman of south coast based Effemey Cosby Advertising (ECA).

Ralph says that companies need to re-invent themselves to make them attractive to both existing and new customers and to seek out fresh, cost effective ways of bringing their products and services to the attention of the public.

This good advice is something that they have taken to heart themselves, helping them to develop an expanding customer base which now includes a growing education and training portfolio developed over the last six months as well as maintaining and growing their traditional core customer base in the automotive sector which has doubled in the past 12 months. And, in a major account gain, ECA has been awarded the national advertising campaigns for all 24 Basepoint centres across the country.

‘In a recession it’s even more important that companies advertise and it’s also vital that they use an advertising agency that produces the most cost-effective results, saves them money where possible and gives the best advice. That is what ECA has been so successful at doing, which has resulted in many new client gains and helped us beat the recession,’ comments Ralph.

As an example of its own new initiatives ECA has, this year, expanded its field of operations to include its own Public Relations Division offering clients a service to complement traditional advertising mediums.

Among those who have benefited from ECA’s advice and guidance is Andover and Salisbury’s main Vauxhall dealership Approach. Sales Manager Mark Foakes said that ECA came to their attention just as they were considering changing their advertising style.

Over the last 13 years, ECA has grown extensively and now employs nine people plus freelance artists and designers.

Tis the Season to be Jolly...Tra la la la ...The team at R.E.A.L. People Solutions love a good party at any time of year and they certainly don’t want to put a dampener on celebrations. However, Debbie Cohen, HR Manager, warns of the dangers for employers who don’t think things through before rewarding their teams for the year’s hard work. ‘The office Christmas party has come under close scrutiny in recent years, with emerging litigation around drunk and disorderly behaviour, alcohol-fuelled violence and sexual harassment hitting the headlines. A well thought out event, with guidelines, is a must to ensure the company is protected.’

Case law is clear: your office party is an extension of your normal work environment, whether you have your office party at a separate venue and outside working hours, or not. This also has the knock-on effect that employers are held responsible for their employees’ festive actions. Here are some useful tips to ensure everyone has a safe and jolly time: b Carry out a risk assessment at the venue in advance of the party,

to identify possible hazards – this should include travel to and from the event.

b If employees’ partners are invited, both opposite and same-sex should be welcomed to avoid sexual orientation discrimination claims.

b You, as an employer, may be legally liable for alcohol induced antics at the party, or even after it if you supply it or encourage its consumption. You are responsible for your employees’ welfare, so think about minimizing the amount you encourage!

b Make sure that you and your managers understand that anything discussed, like promotion or salaries, can still be contractually binding even in an informal setting, and even if you or the manager involved can’t recall the conversation! These types of conversation are best avoided.

Debbie Cohen

Legal 500 Recognition They opened their Hampshire flagship office just 12 months ago, and already Thomas Eggar’s Commercial Property and Corporate Commercial teams have secured rankings in the Legal 500 series.

Caroline Armitage, who leads the Thomas Eggar Corporate team said, ‘To be included in this prestigious list just a year after opening and at our first attempt is testament to the excellent team we have in Southampton.

‘Thomas Eggar has a very healthy inclusion in the Legal 500 series across all sectors and I am delighted that the newest office is making a significant contribution.’

Thomas Eggar has six offices across the south including; Chichester, Gatwick, London, Newbury and Worthing.

�0 BusinessThe December / January 2010 �1BusinessThe2010 December / January

National Honour for Go ApeThe National Business Awards 2009, sponsored by Orange, has announced Go Ape High Wire Forest Adventure as winner of the much sought after Santander ‘Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year’ accolade, a category peppered with first class enterprises.

Over 1,200 business leaders and guests including keynote speaker Alistair Darling, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, attended the Orange-sponsored National Business Awards, to celebrate the success of the UK’s most innovative, ethical and resilient businesses in 2009.

For all winners and finalists visit www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk

celebrating success celebrating success

Water WorksBournemouth & West Hampshire Water has been ranked as the top performing water company for service delivery by industry regulator, Ofwat.

MEET GOALS. EXCEED EXPECTATIONS.

Make the most out of your meetings when you meet at the

Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel. From large rooms to

small rooms, we’ve got fully functional spaces to fit your group

and your budget. The amenities are amazing. The service is

superb. And the expectations will be exceeded.

Book by 31st December 2009 and receive Triple Marriott Rewards Points, up to 150,000 points.

Call us on 01202 557702 or visit BournemouthHighcliffMarriott.co.uk for more special offers.

BOURNEMOUTH HIGHCLIFF MARRIOTT HOTEL St Michael s Road, Bournemouth BH2 5DU T. 01202 557 702 | F. 01202 293 155

© Marriott International 2009. Subject to availability. Event must be held by 31st March 2010. Terms & Conditions apply.

Best for TravelVerwood-based business travel agent Katharine Cane-Lewis is celebrating after Travel Counsellors was named the UK’s Best Travel Agent at the 21st annual Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited travel awards, as voted by its readers, for the second year running.

It has been an exceptional year for entries to the Daily Echo-backed Dorset Business Awards and out of more than 160 entries, finalists’ from a wide range of industry sectors based across the county have been selected for the 10 award categories.

The finalists are as follows (in alphabetical order):CreativeCompany/ProjectoftheYearAward,sponsoredbyTheArtsUniversityCollegeatBournemouthandLizLeanPRb AsOne Theatre Company b 2nd Birthday, Bournemouth b Thinking Juice, Bournemouth

DorsetExporteroftheYearAward,sponsoredbyUKTradeandInvestmentb Ford Farm, Dorchester b Haystack Dryers Ltd, Ferndown b Time and Data Systems International (TDSI), Poole

EntrepreneuroftheYearAward,sponsoredbyBournemouthUniversityb Hansatech, Poole b Merlin Equipment Ltd, Poole b R.E.A.L. People Solutions, Poole

KPMGCompanyoftheYearAwardb Ceuta Healthcare, Bournemouth b Greendale Construction Ltd, Poole b WDS Global, Poole

LinkingwithSchoolsAward,sponsoredbyTheBoroughofPooleandBournemouthBoroughCouncilb LV=, Bournemouth b Oswald Bailey, Christchurch b The Old Vicarage Care Home, Sherborne

NatWestExcellenceinCustomerServiceAwardb CG Pitcher & Son, Charlton Marshall b Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Poole b Water Babies, Poole

PrincecroftWillisFamilyBusinessAwardb Morning Data Ltd, Briantspuddle b Pineapple Group, Bridport b Raymond Brown Group Ltd, Ringwood

TeamDorset2012LegacyAward,sponsoredbyDorsetCountyCouncilb The Hive Beach Café, Burton Bradstock b Training for Results, Stratton b Weymouth College

TheDorsetTourismAward,sponsoredbyDorsetBusiness(theChamberofCommerce&Industry)andPHWarrPlcb Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Poole b Oceanarium, Bournemouth b Tank Museum, Bovington

DorsetCharityoftheYearAward,sponsoredbySunseekerInternationalLtdb Help and Care, Bournemouth b Sheltered Work Opportunities Project (SWOP) Chestnut Nursery, Poole b The Wessex Autistic Society, Christchurch

The winners will be unveiled at a prestigious gala dinner awards ceremony on Friday 11th December at the Lighthouse Poole. Find out who the winners are by visiting www.dorsetbusinessawards.co.uk

Celebrations for Dorset’s Finest

Charity Receives Major Accolade for Excellence Three Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifesavers attended the British Quality Foundation UK Excellence Awards recently to receive the Recognised for Excellence Award on behalf of the RNLI. The charity scored a five-star rating in its award category – a rare achievement for a first-time entrant.

The three RNLI lifesavers, Dave Turnbull (Swanage RNLI mechanic), Mike Grocott (Bournemouth RNLI lifeguard manager) and Janet Kelly (Tower RNLI station manager) received the award at a ceremony that was attended by HRH The Princess Royal and presided over by Alistair McGowan.

HRH The Princess Royal shakes hands with Dave Turnbull, Swanage RNLI Mechanic and Anjie Rook, RNLI Special Projects Manager, with Adam Ryder (EDF Energy) looking on.

Steve Pateman, Santander and Tristam Mayhew, Go Ape High Wire Forest Adventure

Refreshed Media Navigate Top Travel AwardBournemouth-based digital marketing agency Refreshed Media, in conjunction with Complete Cruise Solution (CCS) scooped the Trade-Facing Website Of The Year Award, at the prestigious Travel Trade Gazette awards ceremony for its work on the Complete Cruise Solution website.

The website was launched in December 2008 and proved to be an instant success with travel agents, delivering a single online aid to provide sales and marketing support for the four premier CCS cruise brands - P&O Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises and Ocean Village. Around 14,000 agents have since enrolled and the site now attracts an average of 300,000 page views a month, making it an essential sales tool for the company. Business Excellence Awards 2010

Entry to the Business Excellence Awards is now open to businesses and the closing date is the 22nd January 2010.

The Salisbury & District Chamber of Commerce and Industry annually holds a Business Excellence Awards Ceremony to celebrate business in and around Salisbury. This prestigious event is extremely important for the business community as the award ceremony is held in high regard amongst the community. The award ceremony will be held at Salisbury Arts Centre on Friday 12th February 2010.

Call the Chamber office on 01722 322708 to receive your entry form or register your interest.

�� BusinessThe December / January 2010 ��BusinessThe2010 December / January

celebrating successcelebrating success

‘Outstanding’ and ‘best ever’ areamong the accolades for TheBournemouth and Poole College asthey recently came through rigorousassessment to achieve the Investorsin People Bronze Award (IIP) and theTraining Quality Standard (TQS).Staff and students at The College

are now celebrating achievingthese two kitemarks for quality andexcellence. The Investors in PeopleBronze Award is a new standard ofrecognition for organisationsconsidered to be exceeding thebenchmark requirements.Only one per cent of businesses or

organisations across the countryhave achieved the Bronze Award todate, with the IIP assessorscommenting that The Bournemouthand Poole College ‘is the besteducational establishment we haveever reviewed.’Likewise, in recognition for high

standards in corporate trainingand supporting business andindustry, The College has justbeen acknowledged by theprestigious Training QualityStandard as ‘outstanding’ for itsservice to employers.CollegePrincipal LawrenceVincent

commented, “I feel very proudofthese twoawards. Thesearemorethan corporate kitemarks, they aretestimony to the commitment andhigh standardsof our teams, anddemonstrate that TheBournemouthandPooleCollege is a great place tobe, either as anemployeeor astudent or customer.”

College Success in Kitemarks forQuality and Excellence

The IIP Bronze Award is seen as a businessimprovement standard that helps organisations of allsectors and sizes focus on raising standards. RichardSloane, IIP assessor said, “This award is forinspirational employers, and demonstrates clearleadership. Well done to The College for attaining theBronze Award, this is a brilliant achievement.”Both the TQS and the IIP assessments are rigorous

and detailed, looking for evidence that the entirecollege community is committed to raising standardsand working with employers, and that the culture and

ethos of improvement and service is embeddedwithin the organisation.Summing up Lawrence added, “The assessors

commented that social responsibility in The College isbrilliant, and that our staff are prepared to go the extramile. We are seeking to drive this college from good tooutstanding in all areas, and as part of our ‘on the up’programme it is of paramount importance that stafffeel wedded to the vision. These two awards reinforcethe dedication of college staff and their pledgetowards ongoing improvements and excellence.”

We’re the best! Students and staff from The Bournemouth and Poole College celebrate success with IIPand TQS awards.

Train to GainGiving people better skills to improve business performanceIf you’re interested in training atwork andupdating qualifications, you or your bosscould be entitled to grants or subsidies.

Call Business Enterprise on01202 205500Contact us TODAY!

College Success in Kitemarks for Quality and Excellence‘Outstanding’ and ‘best ever’ are

among the accolades for TheBournemouth and Poole College asthey recently came through rigorousassessment to achieve the Investorsin People Bronze Award (IIP) and theTraining Quality Standard (TQS).Staff and students at The College

are now celebrating achievingthese two kitemarks for quality andexcellence. The Investors in PeopleBronze Award is a new standard ofrecognition for organisationsconsidered to be exceeding thebenchmark requirements.Only one per cent of businesses or

organisations across the countryhave achieved the Bronze Award todate, with the IIP assessorscommenting that The Bournemouthand Poole College ‘is the besteducational establishment we haveever reviewed.’Likewise, in recognition for high

standards in corporate trainingand supporting business andindustry, The College has justbeen acknowledged by theprestigious Training QualityStandard as ‘outstanding’ for itsservice to employers.CollegePrincipal LawrenceVincent

commented, “I feel very proudofthese twoawards. Thesearemorethan corporate kitemarks, they aretestimony to the commitment andhigh standardsof our teams, anddemonstrate that TheBournemouthandPooleCollege is a great place tobe, either as anemployeeor astudent or customer.”

College Success in Kitemarks forQuality and Excellence

The IIP Bronze Award is seen as a businessimprovement standard that helps organisations of allsectors and sizes focus on raising standards. RichardSloane, IIP assessor said, “This award is forinspirational employers, and demonstrates clearleadership. Well done to The College for attaining theBronze Award, this is a brilliant achievement.”Both the TQS and the IIP assessments are rigorous

and detailed, looking for evidence that the entirecollege community is committed to raising standardsand working with employers, and that the culture and

ethos of improvement and service is embeddedwithin the organisation.Summing up Lawrence added, “The assessors

commented that social responsibility in The College isbrilliant, and that our staff are prepared to go the extramile. We are seeking to drive this college from good tooutstanding in all areas, and as part of our ‘on the up’programme it is of paramount importance that stafffeel wedded to the vision. These two awards reinforcethe dedication of college staff and their pledgetowards ongoing improvements and excellence.”

We’re the best! Students and staff from The Bournemouth and Poole College celebrate success with IIPand TQS awards.

Train to GainGiving people better skills to improve business performanceIf you’re interested in training atwork andupdating qualifications, you or your bosscould be entitled to grants or subsidies.

Call Business Enterprise on01202 205500Contact us TODAY!

“ To exert a

stimulating

and bene cial

effect”

inspireC h a r t e r e d T a x A d v i s e r s & C h a r t e r e d

C e r t i f i e d A c c o u n t a n t s

Here at Inspire, we strive to exert a “stimulatingand benefi cial effect” on our clients’ businesses; after all, that’s what inspire means.

We do this by providing innovative services such as fi xed-fee compliance, fi nancial director on demand, proactive tax advice and outsourced fi nance functions.

If you run an entrepreneurial, owner-managed company which needs more support from your accountants, whether it’s on special projects or ongoing fi nancial reporting and tax advice, we would love to talk to you.

Call us now on 0800 077 6410 to fi nd out how Inspire can help your business.

37 Commercial Road Poole Dorset BH14 0HUT: 0800 077 6410 F: 0800 077 6411

E: [email protected]: www.inspire.uk.net

Inspire Crowns Hat Trick with Accountancy Age AwardPoole-based accountants and tax advisers Inspire Professional Services is celebrating after being crowned Accountancy Age Small Firm of the Year 2009.

Inspire - the only company ever shortlisted for this award for three years running - was awarded the title at a glittering London ceremony hosted by Rory Bremner.

Speaking of the achievement, Inspire Managing Director Warren Munson said, ‘I am delighted that we have won this award. Our entry this year not only focused on the innovative services we offer to our clients but also on the way that the Inspire team as a whole is there to support our clients through good times and bad.’

In presenting the award to Inspire, the Accountancy Age Judges said, ‘This is a firm that is big on understanding its clients and demonstrates real passion for what it does. This firm has great presentation skills and forms a great shop window for the profession.’

For more information about Inspire, contact Warren Munson or Kathryn Sutcliffe on 0800 077 6410.

Dorset Manufacturer Receives Accolade in Nationwide AwardsA Dorset manufacturer has been honoured at the first-ever EEF Future Manufacturing Awards.

Haystack Dryers, based in Ferndown, which manufacturers dryers for the health and leisure sector, was named runner-up in the Business Growth category at the EEF South West Region ceremony.

The company impressed the award judges by having won national recognition for its export achievements and for doubling turnover in just two years.

Haystack Dryers Company Secretary David Coates with category sponsor Sasha Bowman of Westfield Health.

Celebrating 20 YearsTwo long serving staff members celebrate 20 years of service each, with local law firm Coles Miller Solicitors.

Annie Winterbottom and Maggie Graham both joined Coles Miller in 1989 as legal secretaries.

�4 BusinessThe December / January 2010 ��BusinessThe2010 December / January

Not all coach operators are the same...Excelsior provides a modern comfortable and safe coach fl eet at very competitive prices and are demonstrably the

highest quality service providers in the region.

‘The highest quality service providers in the region’

✓ Corporate Events

✓ Scheduled Services

✓ Social Events

✓ Coach Tours

✓ Contract Hire

✓ Staff Transportation

✓ Up to 53 Seater

✓ Air Conditioned Executive Fleet

✓ Seat Belts Fitted

Excelsior can provide the following;

www.excelsior-coaches.com

Excelsior Coaches LimitedCentral Business Park, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 3SJ

tel 01202 652222 local call 0845 608 8488 fax 01202 652223email [email protected]

- Confederation of Passenger Transport, Coach Marque Accredited

According to figures recently released, privately owned vehicles are the number one form of transport used

by businesses. Dubbed the ‘grey fleet’, these vehicles are exposing UK employers to rising costs, safety issues and even potential legal problems.

The figures, from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, show that more than one in three workers (35%) use their own car for business purposes, making it the most common form of business transport. Forty four percent of employers reported that private vehicles were the primary form of transport used in their business.

The ‘grey fleet’ has presented a growing problem for British

business in recent years. Often older and less well maintained than leased or rented vehicles, they represent obvious safety challenges for many companies and require a great deal of time and effort to manage properly.

As the grey fleet has grown, cost and legal implications have also become more pressing. Paying reimbursement for miles done in private vehicles

represents a major cost for many employers. Options such as rental or public transport have been revealed as more cost effective for mid to long journeys. Other costs associated with the grey fleet include fines for lack of business insurance or driving unfit vehicles.

Rob Ingram, Director of Business Rental at Enterprise

transport topics

FAST, FLEXIBLE DOOR TO DOOR DELIVERY

Another Load Off Your Mind

Call John Madgewick on 01202 307500

Email: [email protected]: www.wyverncargo.com

Ashurst Company Helps Launch New Ferry Service

Tight Schedule - Tight FitPanic Parcels pulled out all the stops recently to meet the requirements of a customer who needed an aeroplane part transported at great urgency to a European airport. The deadline was extremely tight – and so was the fit!

Panic Parcels has vehicles to suit most needs: cars, a small van, two vans which can hold three UK or four Euro pallets (one of which is a chiller vehicle); a Luton bodied van and a curtain-sider. The company has the vehicles for the jobs you need

transporting - whether nationally, across the UK or to Europe.

The team at Panic Parcels will always do its best to accommodate

your needs. Panic Parcels will always use the right vehicle for your load so you can be assured that the most economical mode of transport and the most economical route is used to get your goods to where you need them to be – when you need them to be there!

Contact Jack or Karen Redman on 01202 534001 or visit www.panicparcels.co.uk

Driving Forward Future Strategy of UK Car Industry

Delivering the Goods

John Madgewick

Ashurst Marine Consultancy, based in the New Forest, was recently appointed to carry out the due diligence process to purchase two fast catamarans for a new ferry service. The service will provide a high speed commuter connection between Wales and North Devon, set to commence in spring 2010.

Severn Link will run ferries from Swansea to Ilfracombe cutting down the travelling

time by over 75%. Ashurst Marine was chosen to help manage this project - picked for its world wide expertise in the marine industry.

Following Ashurst Marine’s work, Severn Link has put an initial deposit down for these ferries, which will be refurbished and rebranded. The expected commencement of operations across the Bristol Channel is next Easter.

Wyvern Cargo is quick to respond to the changing needs of business.Manufacturing in southern England remains relatively buoyant despite the global economic downturn, believes John Madgewick, Sales Manager at Wyvern Cargo. ‘It’s part of my job to meet with people from many industries with distribution needs, from processed foods to sports goods

and hi-tec electronics, and while the business climate has got tougher, the goods produced in this region remain very much in demand both here and abroad.’

In today’s tough market, the key to success lies in an efficient and cost effective distribution service. With many traders holding less stock, the ability to deliver small quantities at short notice is now paramount and John says that Wyvern Cargo is geared-up to meet this demand with overnight deliveries of one or two pallets to destinations as far afield as Scotland.

‘Every customer wants a tailor-made despatch and delivery service, sometimes with a timed delivery on a tail-lift vehicle. We match our product to his needs through our unique partner-network, covering the whole country,’ concludes John.

Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has announced that the government is setting up a new Automotive Council to address the long term strategic

challenges facing the UK car industry. The council will be chaired jointly by Lord Mandelson and by ex-Ford boss Richard Parry-Jones.

Excelsior’s Transport Initiative

Rent-A-Car, comments, ‘Unless employers look seriously at other options and start moving people out of the grey fleet, businesses will continue to pay the bill for an outdated form of business transport. The cost implications alone should be motivation enough for organisations to take the issue seriously.’

Local coach operator Excelsior Coaches has been placed on the short-list for this year’s Bournemouth Tourism Awards under the Transport Initiative of the Year category.

The criteria for nomination concentrated on many aspects, which included company operational procedures and environmental issues, delivery of service to customers and recent innovative marketing projects.

Managing Director Kathy Tilbury said, ‘Just to be nominated for one of these prestigious awards is an achievement in its self by any organisation regardless of category, as a business we are delighted that we are being recognised for our efforts and look forward to attending the event.’

For more information on Excelsior Coaches visit www.excelsior-coaches.com

Motability AwardA local car dealership has been recognised for its outstanding customer service and commitment in helping disabled people.

Andy Laming, Assistant Sales Manager for Chevrolet and Saab based at Seward in Branksome has been given a prestigious Motability Award - winning the category of After Sales Specialist in the whole of the south west region.

Auto Express Driver SurveyRIAS, the specialist over 50s insurance provider, is celebrating after being named in the Top 2 Car Insurance Providers in the UK, as voted by 20,000 Auto Express readers in the 2009 Driver Power survey.


transport topics transport topics

It was 1999 in an Ice Bar in Kitzbühel over a Glühwein when I saw her. It was love at first sight. In the distance a

black concept car prowling through the snow – I’d never seen anything like it before – I ran (stumbled – in ski boots – you get the picture) through the streets to get a closer look. It was an Audi of course!

It’s Been a Long-TTerm Affair!By Zoe Wilson, Managing Director Resource Advertising

2000 saw an adoring test drive in a left hook 1.8 180ps TT and then the purchase of a Garnet Red 1.8 225ps TT in 2004 from Poole Audi (where else?). I was hooked!

How things have changed, with TTs that is, Garnet is now Amulet for example, and the new TT RS boasts a Driver’s Information System, Sat. Nav. and the road’s illuminated by intelligent Xenon Plus headlights.

Two things that haven’t changed though are my complete obsession with the TT and the exceptional standards delivered by David Kelly and his team at Poole Audi.

So here I am as an Audi repeat offender, (my previous has seen one TT, an A2 and two A3s), gracing the brand new TT RS Coupé for an unreasonably long test drive, a test drive that became a test weekend, and a test weekend that became a test five days – my diary, busy, busy of course!

From the hand over it became clear that I was the least necessary element of this stunning piece of engineering – there’s automatic lights, automatic wipers and automatic rear view mirror, shall I leave now?

Phew, I understand that I need to depress the clutch in order to start the ignition – thankfully it appears that this beautiful car needs me after all.

Sports seats moulded to my driving position, check (I’m only 5’2” – no problems here thanks to the electric 4-way adjustment along with the ‘flat bottomed’ steering wheel), blue tooth, check and let her go – the 2.5 TFSI Quattro simply purrs, on a ‘normal’ day I am the proud owner of an Audi A3 TFSI S-line, an automatic with Tiptronic. In contrast this bad boy TT RS has a fast-shifting manual transmission that simply brings

out the best in a driver, even the same old daily commute is like a thrilling Le Mans adventure!

This car is very, very fast and very, very responsive. There is a cheeky sport button in the centre console – it alters not only performance but also the exhaust note, now that’s a head turner!

My various excursions, in no order of importance might I add, have included demanding business journeys (urban and rural) – clients are impressed and I am relaxed, social outings – yes, three passengers can fit into the beautifully finished fine nappa

leather coupé’s interior without any discomfort at all and finally, to show off to my mother – she invited me to leave the Daytona grey TT RS outside her house for the weekend (no chance) – she said it would make the neighbours jealous. A modest £46,995 worth of jealousy!

This sexy sports car is a performer, attention seeking and habit-forming – giving her back

was the hardest thing I’ve had to do in weeks – which brings me on to fuel consumption.

A 60 litre tank offering an 450 mile getaway option, it got me thinking – would it be non-stop Paris or perhaps Glasgow - ho hum – Ringwood Road, Poole it is then, home to Poole Audi… although I think I could really push my luck for this car…

Castlepoint Staff Offered Free Bus Trial

Peter Matthews (3rd left) and Alex Carter (4th left) issue trial tickets to retail staff at Castlepoint.

EC120 Helicopter Added to Fleet

A Dorset helicopter company has invested over £830,000 to purchase a Eurocopter EC120 Colibri. Bournemouth Helicopters has introduced the five-seat, turbine engined helicopter capable of 710 km range with a cruising speed of 150 mph to enhance its fleet of two piston engined aircraft. The French manufactured aircraft was launched in 1998 and is popular with charter companies and private owners in mainland Europe. There are 30 aircraft on the UK register.

Gary Ellson, Chief Flying Instructor and Managing Director, says that the introduction of the EC120 will give their clients with private pilots licences the opportunity to gain their ratings so to self-fly and hire the state of the art aircraft. The EC120 is equipped with Vehicle and

Engine Multifunction Display (VEMD), Flight Limit Indicator (FLI), terrain guidance and auto stabilization.

‘The aircraft is a joy to fly,’ said Gary Ellson. ‘We have a growing number of pilots in the region who will relish the opportunity to venture into turbine flying and offer their passengers spacious seating and fantastic cabin views.’

Established in 1994 primarily as a helicopter training school, the company is completing the process of attaining an UK Air Operators Certificate. This will allow them to provide private charters for the big events in 2010, including the Silverstone Grand Prix, Royal Ascot, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Cowes Week along with weddings, celebrations and pleasure flights.

Call 01202 590800 or visit www.bourne2fly.co.uk

Twice-Weekly Freight-Only Service to SpainBrittany Ferries has doubled its sailings on the freight-only Poole/Santander service and since October 2009 has been operating two round-trips per week. As well as a Saturday morning sailing, the Cotentin also offers a mid-week departure, leaving Poole on a Tuesday morning and returning from Santander

on a Wednesday afternoon. This additional sailing of the Cotentin is designed to suit mid-week exports from the UK and is perfectly timed to arrive back on Thursday afternoon in Poole, for the all-important deliveries for the weekend market of produce from the Iberian peninsula.

Castlepoint, the shopping park located on the outskirts of Bournemouth, is promoting a bus trial ticket initiative offered by the region’s premier bus operator Wilts & Dorset. The bus company is offering free travel for a week to any of the 3,000 full and part time employees who work within the 41 acre shopping park.

Peter Matthews, General Manager at Castlepoint Shopping Park, says that the incentive to encourage more staff to commute by bus is a positive step to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution at peak times and increase the number of free parking spaces on the busiest shopping days of the year.

Smarter Driving with HorizonHonda has joined forces with the Energy Saving Trust to offer organisations training for their drivers at one of its Smarter Driving Events. With lower fuel consumption, leading to an average 15% reduction in fuel costs, could mean savings of up to £250 per driver*

During the course your drivers will learn how to reduce the amount of fuel used, through emphasis on techniques such as greater awareness and anticipation. The training will take place locally at Horizon Honda in Ringwood Road, Poole where, with an Energy saving trust driver, you will complete a circuit twice - once

before and once after having been advised by the instructor. Fuel consumption is measured during both circuits and then compared so the drivers can see themselves how much they can save. Each driver will then receive a certificate showing how much fuel and money they could save in a year. For your benefit all figures are calculated on an individual basis, so you get an accurate picture of potential savings for your business.

For more information or to book your session contact Horizon Honda corporate sales, on 01202 740270.

* based on a car travelling 12,000 miles per year

FW Jesty Ltd 17–18 Airfi eld Road Christchurch Dorset BH23 3TGT 01202 477468E [email protected] www.fwjesty.co.uk

Porsche Centre Bournemouth Approved Body RepairerWood BMW Approved Body RepairerKeith Motors (Ford) Approved Body RepairerApproved by major insurance companies

£50 Excess Contribution Voucher Valid until 01.06.2010 – Terms and conditions apply

Did you know?When claiming on your car insurance after an accident, you can request your preferred body repairer to carry out the work. Why not request FW Jesty for a superior repair? We’re even offering you £50 contribution towards your excess.

Call us today on 01202 477468 for further information.

PAS 125MK 540349


New Dining Out Website www.yourmealticket.co.uk Focussing on the Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch area www.yourmealticket.co.uk covers dozens of local meal deals as well as news and competitions. It also offers something for each party involved, the employers, restaurateurs and users.

Employers are being approached to pass the site on to their employees via intranets and electronic notice boards as a way of helping them save money. The site can be tailored to include their logo and create an exclusive offer from specific venues for their employees.

The restaurant operators have access to a remarkably simple series of update facilities; they can add or change new dining offers and deals, new menus, photographs, future functions, parties, themed evenings and special events

The users have weekly competitions with £30-£50 free dinners as well as other interactive elements to the site – not least customer feedback directly to the venue management.

There are already significant developments due with a ‘What’s on Soon’ page, plus an extension to expand it to cover Wimborne, Ringwood and as far east as New Milton.

Warm Up this Winter The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) welcomes visitors out of the cold this winter. Spinnakers restaurant at the WPNSA serves a delicious Sunday Carvery. There is also the chance to take in the impressive nautically themed art exhibition by artist Peri Taylor.

Gold Award at Taste of the West 2009The Riverside Restaurant, West Bay has won the Gold Award for Dorset in the Restaurant Class at the Taste of the West Awards 2009. Judging was carried out by a panel of independent judges, all experts in the food and drink and hospitality industries who assessed commitment to regional food and drink, and excellence in hospitality service.

The Riverside, representing Dorset, will now be going forward with all the other county winners from Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Gloucester and Wiltshire, to the Taste of the South West Awards 2009. The results will be announced in a ceremony later in the year.

Monkberry’s Bar and Brasserie Reaches Out to Dorset Business Community

Bournemouth’s new bar and brasserie, Monkberry’s, opened its doors to the Dorset business community by holding a networking lunch on 25th November.

Based on Poole Hill, Bournemouth, or ‘The Soho Quarter’ as it is now known, the owners of Monkberry’s have gone to great lengths to meet the needs of businesses who wish to entertain clients. Director Josh Simons says, ‘The venue has been stripped back to its bare bones and redesigned to create a classic bar and brasserie. The Long Bar is now the focal point for ambience at Monkberry’s, and we have re-designed the brasserie too, with large private dining booths offering customers intimacy whilst dining with friends and clients.’

The venue’s head chef, Russell Ellison, has worked in top London restaurants, the Berkley in Mayfair, and Home House in Portland Square, as well as 2-rosette hotels. He says, ‘We’ve designed a menu that combines contemporary British cuisine with seafood, pasta, pizza and more exotic items like Thai food.’

e a t i n g o u t

Dorset Seafood Festival Southern-based hospitality exhibition and event organisers, CEM Group, has formed a joint venture with the organisers of the Dorset Seafood Festival to find sponsorship and bring more exhibitors to the event for 2010 and beyond.

For more information contact Anna Wallis at The CEM Group on 01425 485040.

Fresh AwardTaste of the West judges have awarded Hive Beach Café a Gold Award to reflect the standard and sourcing of the food served.

INDIAN CUISINErEStAUrANt AND tAkE-AwAy

Lunch time ‘Special Offer’ 12-2 PM

ALL MAIN COURSES AND RICE

½ PRICE(excluding king prawn and fish dish)

Bookings now being taken for Christmas and New Years Eve!

S y l h e t

Creative Chef of the Year 2010Platinum Recruitment has launched its ‘Creative Chef of the year 2010’ competition. The criteria for this year’s ‘fresher’ students to achieve have been set in conjunction with Michelin star Chef Michael Wignall of the Latymer, PennyHill Park Hotel, and Bournemouth and Poole College.

The idea behind the competition is the brain child of Andrew Sinclair, elite chef recruiter for Platinum Recruitment, who himself has worked as a Sous Chef at two Michelin star standard. Andy believes that the time is right to give something back to the industry with a competition where chefs at grass root level are given the opportunity to shine amongst their peers. The winner will work under Latymer Head Chef Michael Wignall at the prestigious five red-star PennyHill Park Hotel. The Latymer Restaurant has a Michelin Star and was the only restaurant in the UK to be elevated from three to four AA Rosettes in January 2009. The restaurant also gained the title of ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in The Good Food Guide 2008. This is a stunning opportunity for the winner and forms part of an essential module from their year one syllabus.

The contending chefs will be whittled down to a final three. The final ‘cook off’ will be held in February within the kitchens of PennyHill and will be judged by Michael Wignall, Andrew Sinclair and a selection of the course tutors.

Tel: 01202 55911561 Westover Road, Bournemouth BH1 2BZ

Open 7 days a week

12noon-2pm 6pm-11pm

�1BusinessThe2010 December / January

e a t i n g o u t

The Highcliff Grill Wins a Second AA Rosette

Italian Styled Café BarA new café bar has opened on the Corner of Church Street, Christchurch. Remo is owned by the Soho Group and aims to offer something for everyone: all day coffees, sandwiches and cakes, lunch, extensive bar, Peroni on tap, lots of wine choice including by the glass, small plates for sharing or big plates too good to share.

The new Italian styled concept, brand and interior was created by Steph & Co design in Christchurch.

The equipment may have changed over the 68 years Outward Bound has been putting young people tothe test. But the cliffs are always just as sheer. The weather just as changeable. And the icy water just as,well, icy. So whatever year you set off on your Outward Bound adventure, we’d love to hear just howexhilarating it was – or how you pushed yourself to make it through. To share your Outward Bound storywith us or just reconnect with Outward Bound, call 0207 610 4218 or visit the website today.

Have your say atwww.outwardboundgenerations.org.uk

Devon, 1964

Ullswater, 2009

® Outward Bound and the Compass Rose are each registered trademarks of The Outward Bound Trust. Registered charity inEngland and Wales no: 1128090 and in Scotland no: SC040341. Company reg no: 6748835

Outward Bounders 1964 vs. 2009. Who’s tougher?

Following the recent introduction of its new à la carte menu in September 2009, the Highcliff Grill at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel has just been honoured with its second AA Rosette.

Highcliff Grill’s signature dishes include delectable pressed duck and foie gras terrine, the mouth-watering roast spiced monkfish served with bok choi and saffron mussel broth, the delicious roasted loin and confit shoulder of Cornish lamb or a simple pan fried south coast sole.

‘The AA Rosette award once again confirms our passion for culinary excellence. Our high-end location overlooking the sea, the fantastic appearance of the restaurant, great service and a menu of high quality and variety, skill fully prepared by passionate chefs are an award winning combination,’ said Michael Regenhardt, General Manager.

The second AA Rosette proves the Highcliff Grill as one of the best local restaurants, offering high standards and great consistency. Great precision is apparent in the cooking, and there is obvious attention to the quality and selection of ingredients, stated the AA inspector.

At the Highcliff Grill, you can also take advantage of the prestigious private dining room, The Signature Room, which seats up to 14 guests in elegant and atmospheric surroundings and is ideal place for private dining, meetings or family celebrations.

The Highcliff Grill is open daily for breakfast and dinner. À la carte 3 courses from £25.00. On Sundays, the Grill offers a special 3 Course Highcliff Style Carvery Sunday lunch with live music, including an aperitif and coffee for only £19.95.

The Highcliff Grill is located at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel, 105 St. Michael’s Road.

For more information or reservations, call 01202 200800 or visit HighcliffGrill.co.uk


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FEBRUARY - copy by 18th JanuaryHuman Resource Management • Fit for WorkPromote & Display (Conference/Exhibitions/Advertising)Retail Report • Purbeck Pride

MARCH - copy by 12th FebruaryPoints of Law • Time Out (Corporate Entertainment)Export Expectations • Training • Property Professionals

APRIL - copy by 12th MarchTelecommunications • Protecting the EnvironmentVehicle View • Expert Advice • Print & Design

MAY/JUNE - copy by 16th AprilEmployment Experts • Money Matters • Travel TalkManufacturing & Engineering • Catering Business

JULY/AUGUST - copy by 9th JunePR & Advertising • Construction & RefurbishmentNautical Notes • Franchising News • Salisbury Focus SEPTEMBER - copy by 11th AugustTechnology Today • Training ExpertsDirect Response (Freight/Couriers/Mailing Solutions)Tourism Talk • Rural Business News

OCTOBER - copy by 13th SeptemberHotel Hotspot • Office OptionsHealth & Safety • Online Business • Family Firm

NOVEMBER - copy by 15th OctoberCorporate Christmas • Business at HomeRecruitment Guide • Experts in Law • Charity Business

DECEMBER/JANUARY2011 - copy by 16th NovemberCelebrating Success • Air/Road/RailOlympic Plans • The Accountant • Property Perspective

training update

• Training Consultancy • Training Needs Analysis • Institute of Leadership &

Management Registered Centre • Mediation Services 4

Training4per4mance LtdPoole, Dorset

Tel: 01202 605090 Fax: 01202 605090www.training4per4mance.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

A walk in the park or tube at

rush hour? There’s no denying it – these days, customersareKing(orQueen!). Any business supplying a bespoke service– providing exactly what their customers want and when they want it, is going to succeed. If you go to McDonalds and you want a Big Mac without lettuce, extra dill and no mayonnaise – that is exactly what you are going to get. If you want a pink I-Pod with a personalised inscription on the back – that is exactly what you can buy. Long gone are the days of Henry Ford – who produced the first commercial car in just one colour. Customer commitment is vital and as business owners you need to understand the difficulties your

customers face. Ask yourself – when was the last time you

reviewed your

customers journey –

from first contact through to final purchase? Is it a walk in the park or is it more like the tube at rush hour? If you don’t know

– you need to know. Make it your business to find out. Read more about customer commitment in BOOM!7Disciplinestocontrol,growandaddimpacttoyourbusiness. To order your signed copy visit: www.BOOMpreneur.co.uk

Business Discipline No.6 Customer Commitment

Badge Scheme for Apprentice EmployersA scheme has been launched to recognise the firms in Dorset that employ apprentices.

The apprenticeship employers’ ‘badge’ can be displayed by Dorset businesses to highlight their commitment to apprenticeships and their logos will be displayed on the apprenticeship website.

Visit apprenticeships.org.uk

New Tourism Institute for BU

Professor Paul Curran, Bournemouth University (BU) Vice-Chancellor, has announced the establishment of The John Kent Institute in Tourism, through a substantial gift made to the University by one of the world’s leading tourism entrepreneurs, John Kent.

Kent, the creator and CEO of www.Youtravel.com and Aquis Hotels and Resorts, will support a series of PhD studentships with the aim of establishing an internationally significant programme of tourism research within BU’s School of Services Management.

Visiting Fellow John Kent with Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Curran

urban WorkshopsPreparations are well under way for

two new courses to be launched in early 2010 by Urban Accountancy, the Poole-based chartered accountancy firm. ‘Managing cash flow’ is a half-day workshop giving practical guidance on preparing a cash flow forecast and improving use of working capital. ‘Running a limited company’ is aimed at company directors and explains directors’ duties and statutory responsibilities as well as looking at other aspects of the new Companies Act 2006.

Both courses will be presented by Helena Urban, a chartered accountant and trainer. Helena commented, ‘We’ve been getting great feedback from the finance courses I run with Dorset Business, so it’s good to be developing two new seminars to help local businesses.’

For more information phone Helena on 01202 747901.

Helena Urban

And the BEET Goes On… BEET Language Centre is celebrating 30 years in the TEFL business and says it is looking forward to another successful three decades.

The Bournemouth language school has taught more than 40,000 students and only recently was voted as one of the top five language schools in Europe.

The school is now one of only two private schools in the UK to be fully equipped with the very latest in interactive learning technology and Promethean software, following a £50,000 upgrade.

property & development

Confidence in Bournemouth Office MarketThe Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation continues to be a favourite location for commercial property investment. This has been borne out in the recent purchase of No 2 Poole Road, Bournemouth by local investors, Troika Developments Ltd. The building, comprising approximately 25,000 sq ft, was formerly occupied by HSBC whose lease came to an end this year. Troika are now engaging a £1.5m refurbishment of the property to bring it up to the highest specification on offer. This will include air conditioning and full access raised floors.

Bill Parker of Goadsby Commercial, who acquired the building for Troika comments, ‘One of our biggest problems at the moment is the ability to offer good quality accommodation. There are few investors in a position to purchase and refurbish buildings of this size and Troika have an excellent pedigree in this sector and own a number of similar buildings in the conurbation. Troika were attracted to the property by its location, parking and layout of the internal space.’

Bill Parker is confident that 3/4 floors will be under offer in the next few weeks. Each floor comprises approximately 4,800 sq ft with space available from 2,000 sq ft.

For further information contact Bill Parker on 01202 550111.

RICS SurveyNationally all construction workloads fell in the third quarter according to the latest RICS survey of the sector with the exception of the non-housing public works category which is providing an important crutch for the industry (5th November 2009). Here in the south west there has been some improvement with a 14% points decrease in the number of surveyors reporting a fall rather than a rise in overall construction workloads from the previous quarter.

Winchester Basepoint Centre Construction on TargetConstruction of the new Basepoint Business Centre in Winchester is nearing completion and is already attracting reservations for the 66 office units that will be available from February 2010. Fareham-based Amiri Construction is putting the finishing touches to the exterior of the refurbished existing 4 storey building on the Winnall Valley Road site, and the 4 storey extension as part of the £2m project. The new building will offer at total of 25,000 sq ft of office space for new and relocating businesses based in the region.

When completed, the Winchester Basepoint centre will be the 26th opened in England.

L-r: Martin Miller with Grahame Pettit on the new Winchester Basepoint centre.

Rok Centre Poole has recently completed a £1.6m family-oriented site, providing a total of 15 pitches, each with full utilities, an amenity block, children’s play area and a community resource centre. The Mannings Heath project, which has been entirely funded by a government grant, provides a safe and sustainable site for gypsies and travellers living in Poole.

New Home for Travellers

L-r: Joanne Foster-Bazin, Chip Russell and Adrian Kimble, Rok; Mike Morris, Borough of Poole Property Services; Nora, Manning’s Heath Traveller and Jon Daines, Rok.

Revised plans for a proposed £4m hotel development at leading Poole attraction, Compton Acres, have been granted planning permission.

Approval of the Italianate inspired development comes after months of hard work for the attraction, which adapted plans following consultation with various interested parties. Situated at the bottom of Compton Acres’ existing car park, without compromising the provision of spaces, the development will consist of a 36 bedroom hotel and five apartments, featuring an 18 metre tower, which will be adorned with trees at its summit.

Hotel Plans Approved

Growing Employment Prospects at Osprey QuayAn agreement has been signed to build 17 new small business units at Osprey Quay on Portland, growing employment prospects by potentially creating up to 50 jobs.

Private developer Tidebank UK Ltd, based in Hayling Island, in association with Highglade Properties Ltd, based in Bognor Regis, have agreed lease terms with the South West Regional Development Agency to build 2,844m2 of work and office space.

Hotel SalesThe Hotels & Leisure Division of Goadsby report the sale of four individually different hotels in recent months. The Victorian Westover Gardens Hotel overlooking the lower pleasure gardens in Westover Road, the Westleigh and Carisbrooke Hotels both in the heart of Bournemouth’s West Cliff and the prominently located 58 bedroom Diplomat Hotel have all attracted purchasers for a variety of uses.

�4 BusinessThe December / January 2010 ��BusinessThe2010 December / January

Emma Wimhurst

Summer Event willReturn to Sandbanks The British Beach Polo Championships returns to Sandbanks, Poole for the third year next summer on 9th and 10th July. The ‘reach’ of this internationally recognised sporting event has been an extraordinary 60 million people. With the local benefits of attracting some 5,000 supporters over the weekend and the organisers Sandpolo Ltd using predominantly local suppliers the Borough of Poole is delighted to see the event growing in popularity.

The event organiser, Johnny Wheeler, explains ‘ Poole are the perfect hosts – providing we continue to attract the top polo players and the weather is kind then people will come and be part of this extremely exciting sporting and social occasion’.

This year top polo teams will be competing and the England team will make a guest appearance on both evenings. There will also be Oakley Professional Beach Volleyball and the infamous Charity Race between a 4X4 and a polo pony. The beach parties round off the day’s sport.

The details of next year’s event have now been released at www.sandpolo.com

Grapevine and the BCTC ConnectLocal mobile technology expert Grapevine has proved that networking helps generate new business. Soon after joining the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce (BCTC), Grapevine immediately assisted the organisation with its own mobile working requirements.

Supporting local businesses as a Vodafone Premier Partner, Grapevine has utilised networking activities for promotional purposes. The growth and profile of the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce suggested that membership would enhance Grapevine’s presence within its target market. Recognising the importance of responsiveness with their business communications, the BCTC consulted Grapevine about the most suitable mobile connectivity for its secretary.

Grapevine’s Business Development Manager, Paul Lappage, was pleasantly surprised by the immediate results of the company’s BCTC membership. He states, ‘Grapevine has been aware of the BCTC for sometime. The positive leadership of the president and executive team made the group appealing. Our company is delighted to be selected by the chamber as one of its suppliers so soon after joining. Networking is about building relationships and highlighting expertise in your chosen field, so this is a real feather in our cap.’

Fun, Food and Frights Henderson Green marked its 10th birthday with a Halloween-themed networking event at its new Carlton Crescent premises.

Clients, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate the success of the building services engineering consultancy in this landmark year; during which it has experienced ongoing team growth, relocated to

larger premises, appointed Russell Pitman as Managing Director, won a wealth of new prestigious contracts and has been recognised as one of the country’s best employers.

More than 100 guests attended the spooky celebrations and took part in various competitions and a raffle. £526 was raised during the evening and donated to Southampton Hospital’s The Red & White Appeal; Henderson Green’s chosen charity for 2009-2011.

Henderson Green specialises in renewable technologies and the design of engineering systems for complex buildings, both new build and refurbishments, from the smallest contracts to major capital developments up to £50m.

network news

Celebrations at New BistroWestpoint Bistro on the Westcliff, held its official opening on the 29th October. Bistro owner Gina Mackin was joined by a gathering of local dignitaries and valued guests who enjoyed a sumptuous array of canapés prepared by award winning Chef John Sanderson.

The event was a huge success, guests enjoying fillets of mackerel with provencale sauce, smoked salmon and a canapé version of the great British classic fish and chips.

Westpoint is a super informal bistro specialising in fresh fish, steaks, bistro classics and seafood specialities and really is a culinary delight. Kieran MacKerras has now been appointed to run front of house at the Bistro. Kieran’s experience comes from working in The Magnum, Chez Pierre and The Olive Branch all in Edinburgh.

Kieran’s experience will help with the rapidly growing reputation Westpoint is gaining.

Henderson Green Directors l-r: Rob Hayward, Richard Spinney, Amanda Day, Ralph Boden, Russell Pitman, Lisa Watts, Robert Pratt

Paul Lappage (centre) from Grapevine guides BCTC President Nigel Hedges and Secretary Carol Butler with the Chamber’s mobile devices.

If your event is free of charge, send details to [email protected]

networking clubsAmbassadors, Salisbury 0845 4500 581 Edward ThomasAndover Breakfast Club 01722 424424 Caroline SkuttBartercard Breakfast Meeting 0870 8015 600BMC Bourne Marketing Club 0845 6380 721 Karen JohnsonBNI Breakfast Clubs www.bni-europe.com/uk/Bournemouth Creatives 01202 419564 Elanor McBayBournemouth Business Breakfast Club www.bournemouthbreakfastclub.co.ukB’mouth Business Ladies Lunch Club 01425 472354 Jackie FletcherBRE, Breakfast Meeting 01258 820547 Richard KingB2i 01425 480631 Shirley ThompsonBusiness Network Club 01202 205282 Marion DaviesBusinessXchange 01305 837063 Laura McHarrieCoast 2 Coast Networking Club 01590 681676 Tina Quincey Cottonwood Speakers Meeting 01425 480631 Shirley ThompsonDorset Business Networking Lunches 01202 714805 Sylvie CostantiniDorset Christian Business Fellowship www.dcbf.orgDorset Junior Chamber 01425 477281 Katie WilsonDorset Music Forum www.dorsetmusic.comDorset Women in Business www.dwib.co.ukFSB Wessex Networking Club 01425 280080 Marie BradyForum Business Club 01747 821761 Val Pothecary4Networking Clubs www.4networking.bizHK Business Club 01305 251007 Barry WhiteJust Networking Breakfast Club 02380 283452 Rob DewingLloyds TSB/Weymouth & Portland 07921 548583 Anna-Maria GeareChamber Breakfast ClubMazars Business Club 01202 680777 Sandra WaringPeacock Business Networking Club 07545 806531 Janet PeacockPoole Business Women’s Lunch Club 01202 674488 Tracey WoodSalisbury Business Breakfast Club 01722 424424 Caroline SkuttSmith & Williamson Breakfast Club 01722 434880 Pamela SlaterThe Carrington Club [email protected] Jonathan RoseWallisdown Business Club 01202 519761 Debbie CorbinWeymouth Womens Network Group 01305 755606 Karenlee KnottWomen in Business (Xch) 01202 491752 Laura Martin

december12th Ben Ainslie CBE Book Signing AFC Weymouth & Portland [email protected] National Sailing Academy

13th Walk, Corfe Castle area £9 Jurassic Jaunts 07790 474478 Andy

18th Christmas Networking Lunch £37/£50 Dorset Business 01202 714805 Sylvie Costantini

16th Christmas Party AFC Bournemouth Creatives 01202 419564 Elanor McBay

17th Carol Service with a Twist Free Wessex Autistic Society 01202 703597

17th Bournemouth Coaching Support Group AFC www.coaching-support.com Clive Dupont

30th Walk Free Jurassic Jaunts 07790 474478 Andy

january3rd New Years Walk AFC Singles That Mingle 07810 544326 Alison Malaki

13th Sustainable Design £10 Dorset Business 01202 714810 Lorraine Hubbard

february10th Making the Most of Waste £10 Dorset Business 01202 714810 Lorraine Hubbard

AFC = Apply for costs

business events

ANY COMPUTERPROBLEMS SOLVED

QUICK CALL ITNO FIX / NO Fee07740 959377

Intabase Solutions ltd, 77 Shaftesbury Road, Bournemouth, Bh8 8SU

Thousands of Home Workers Flock to Networking ClubsAccording to Business Link research 19,500 SMEs have relocated to run businesses from home during the economic downturn. The main disadvantages of working from home cited by those surveyed included a difficulty in separating work from home and being self-reliant. Over a third of home-based SMEs have joined a network or membership organisation which may help to combat these issues.

Over 325,000 businesses or 44% of small and medium-sized businesses, in the south east are based from home.

AFCB Does It Again for Champion ForkliftsIt’s another good news story for local business owner Derek Martin, Managing Director of Champion Forklifts - an avid supporter of The Cherries. At half time Derek got chatting with fellow box owner Rob Rosselli of Kitchen Elegance on a series of match days. And another deal was clinched!

Rob’s luxury kitchen design business has been installing the finest English, German and Italian kitchens for over 20 years.

Rob says, ‘Derek took the time and trouble to listen to what I was looking for. I am delighted with The Doosan truck I have taken ownership of – it meets the needs of my growing business perfectly.’

Derek added, ‘Meeting and doing business with Rob from our box at Bournemouth Football Club has been a pleasure.’

He finished by saying, ‘Supporting AFCB is a wonderful way to come across great people!’

Derek Martin shows Caz Rosselli of Kitchen Elegance some of the controls on the brand new Doosan forklift truck.

Networking MadnessThe successful ladies-only networking breakfast, Dorset Women in Business, has been inundated with requests from local women wishing to attend the exclusive sessions. Due to popular demand, the organisers have decided to hold these sessions every other month.

For more information visit the new website, www.dwib.co.uk


manufacturing & engineering

Taking early professional advice is not an admittance offailure, it is taking control and stating who is the boss,making the right decisions at the right time for you and your business. Making this decision ensures you maximiseyour chances of survival during these difficult times.

Mark Liddle, Tenon Recovery

30 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH1 3PDTel: 01202 554456 E-mail: [email protected] www.tenongroup.com

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GKD Technik to RelocateGKD Technik, based at Ferndown Industrial Estate is relocating to larger re-furbished premises on the industrial estate, taking occupancy on 1st January 2010. The company has also appointed Peter Rudland as Engineering Manager. With his extensive product design and development experience Peter strengthens the engineering team in the company’s electronic control system design.

44% of South West Businesses Experience Export GrowthA significant proportion of small to medium-sized businesses in the south west have reported an increase in the export side of their business, according to new research from leading independent invoice financier Bibby Financial Services.The study revealed:b 44% of businesses in the region have experienced growth in the

export side of their business b Over a third (37%) say that the strengthening of the Euro has had a

positive impact on their business b The economic downturn has prompted 16% to refocus their efforts

towards international markets The research was compiled in order to reveal key findings about how

the recession has impacted the UK’s import and export markets.Worryingly, however:b 30% of businesses in the south west say that access to finance for

UK exporters has diminished b Over half (56%) of businesses in the region feel that the fluctuating

exchange rate is the biggest problem for businesses looking to trade overseas

b 63% say that the economic downturn has had a significant or moderate impact on their business.

Late payment is also highlighted as a major factor for exporters in the south west, with a third (33%) of all respondents finding late payment an issue when trading overseas. Interestingly, over half (56%) of these respondents feel that continental Europe is the significant problem area. This could be down to heavy regulation and differing legal systems.

Bland Group Acquires Universal EngineeringBland Group, the 200 year old family business that sold GB Airways to easyJet last year for £103m, has purchased Weymouth-based Universal Engineering (Charlestown) Ltd.

Universal Engineering employs 250 highly skilled staff and has a turnover of £25m. As a specialist manufacturing company it produces a wide range of high quality precision engineered products for customers in the civil aviation, military and oil exploration markets. Over 25% of its sales are exported to three continents.

James Gaggero, Chairman of Bland Group said, ‘This is an important step in the development of Bland Group and reinforces our presence in the UK’s highly regarded specialist engineering and manufacturing sector following our acquisitions of Griffon Hovercraft Ltd and Hoverwork Ltd to create the world’s leading manufacturer of amphibious and high performance hovercraft last year.

‘I am especially pleased that Universal’s experienced team of owners, John Runyard and Martin Lee-Bapty and its Managing Director, Bill Broome, will continue to work with us. We are delighted to have the opportunity to acquire this outstanding company and we will do all possible to assist the staff grow its current successful product portfolio but also to introduce without delay their extraordinarily competent world class Ranger armoured vehicles.’

The Face of Accountancy in Manufacturing CampaignPoole accountant Chris Tullett from Morris Lane has been selected by BIS (the Department for Business Innovation & Skills) to be the face of the UK accountancy profession featuring on a series of ‘Manufacturing for the Future’ posters displayed in secondary schools nationwide.

The BIS initiative, STEMNET (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network), aims to encourage young people into a career in manufacturing. Chris was chosen as a result of his work with Dorset entrepreneur Simon Phelps, advising on business issues in the development of the award winning Floodstop, a unique reusable plastic flood barrier, which has received international publicity.

Chris Tullett

Solent Named a ‘Capital of Industry’The Solent’s contribution to England’s economic success has been recognised with the area named a ‘New Capital of Industry’ for its success in the marine engineering market.

The Solent is an excellent example of accomplishment in the South East with its marine sector contributing £5.5bn to the local economy and providing 77,000 jobs. The south coast region has invested in skills and training and a new £48,000 welding facility at Southampton City College.

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