Michelle Mone visits the University of Herts

Giving away all your wealth

Are you in the right job?

Work/life balance is harder for women

November 2009

Michelle
Mone on
how to
succeed
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 This month
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Copyright: 2009 Business Independent Ltd
ISSN 1754-3096
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35 11
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 3
NEWS
Dressing up windows
East Herts Council is con-
tinuing to invest in local
town centres to encourage
shoppers and support busi-
nesses.
There are a few empty shops in
the town that can spoil the look
of the high streets. What is the
council doing about that?
We’re funding a creative
makeover to spruce up empty
shop windows. The scheme will
be piloted in Sawbridgeworth,
Ware and Hertford which have
seen some businesses fall prey
to the recession.
Local artists and community
groups including schools and
colleges are being invited to sub-
mit ideas for art displays that
they would like to show in the
windows.
As Mike Carver, Executive
Member for Planning Policy and
Transport commented: “This is a
" &%
)&$ &%
!%# & "!
'% ") # $
$ ! &%
* +
4 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
lovely scheme that will brighten
up shop fronts and make them
more attractive. It will help draw
more shoppers into the towns
and it’s also a fantastic opportu-
nity for local artists and commu-
nity groups to showcase their
work in public.”
Jan Wing, from the Ware Town
Partnership, added: "Response
from local agents and landlords
to the project has been very pos-
itive. Ware is a wonderful town
with a strong community spirit -
these displays will illustrate this
in a very innovative way." What else is going on to en- create a vibrant atmosphere in
courage shoppers into town? the town and one that would en-
Where does the council Buskers in Hertford will be pro- courage shoppers.”
find the money from? viding a tuneful background for The scheme was launched at
Funding comes via a Local Au- shoppers and pedestrians in the the Rock in the Castle festival
thority Business Growth Initiative county town. With the support of this summer. Speaking just after
grant — given to local authorities East Herts Council, the town the launch Nina told the HBI:
promoting the highest levels of eco- council applied for and was “We’ve already had lots of inter-
nomic growth in their area by allow- granted licences at five venues est, and mostly from local musi-
ing them to keep any increases in As Hertford Town Council clerk cians so it’s a good way to
revenue from business rates. Nina Villa said: “We wanted to support them too.”
New appointment at Wyboston
" # & $ %
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JULIE WHITE HAS been appointed National Sales Manager
at Northern Europe’s largest privately owned single site
conference and training centre, Wyboston Lakes based on
the Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire border.
Julie brings with her 17 years of sales and marketing experience and,
as an accomplished salesperson, will be responsible for selling Wy-
boston Lakes’ three conference and training centres to the corporate
and agency market, and increasing the profile of the company.
Julie commented: “I’m very much looking forward to being instrumen-
tal in helping Wyboston Lakes achieve its business goals through both
existing and new clients.”

Coach firm
wins top award
Family run business, White’s Coaches, was
named Minibus Operator of the year recently
as part of Route One Magazine’s Operator
Excellence Awards. The coach company was
selected for the nomination after being cho-
sen by other industry members surveyed by
the magazine.
White’s Coaches was originally founded by
Roger White almost 45 years ago. When Mr
White passed away his son Greg took up the
Business
mantle and began running the business. The
firm has always specialised in providing
coach travel for individuals with special
centre
needs, however Greg has also branched out
Give Heli some welly upgraded
Small businesses in Hertfordshire joined in with Federation of Small Businesses
members recently to raise £550 to help the fledgling Herts Air Ambulance Trust.
The registered charity relies entirely on donations to raise around £2,000 for
each life-saving flight.
NEWS
into corporate travel. They hold a great many
contracts including a very important one with
the county council.
The business is a real family affair as Greg’s
mother Maureen also works at the busy com-
pany. White’s have 25 employees and run a
fleet comprising of 15 vehicles. Their vehicles
are specially fitted with wheelchair access to
allow disabled passengers to board easily,
plus selected coaches have seating areas de-
signed to carry wheelchair users.
Greg White was very proud to receive the
award, dedicating it to his family and hard
working employees.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has
installing a new communication sys-
tem to the Weltech Business Centre in
Ridgeway, Welwyn Garden City.
The Weltech Business Centre is a well-es-
tablished, business start up centre. The site
features 50 suites and currently 33 businesses
occupy 43 of the business units. Weltech also
boasts a large number of ‘virtual’ clients who
are not based at the site but have use of the
services provided.
At a cost of approximately £160,000, the in-
stallation of a state of the art system will en-
hance the communication services offered to
all clients using Weltech.
They will benefit from a new IP based tele-
phone system that is capable of receiving text
messages and making conference calls, has a
fully integrated voice-mail facility, has a new
call-logging function, can allow for remote/off
site activation and use (tele-working), can be
twinned with mobiles and can cater for video-
conferencing.
The centre is owned by the council and for
an annual fee businesses are able to use all of
the facilities provided at the centre. Rewiring
has already taken place in preparation for the
installation of the new system.
Councillor Alan Franey, Executive Member
for Resources and Equality and Diversity, said:
“The Weltech Business Centre is vital to so
many local businesses. The council is commit-
ted to helping local businesses, especially in
these difficult economic times, and it is great
news that so many will benefit from this up-
graded facility.”
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 5
NEWS

Celebrating Herts women

There are around 680,000 majority
women-owned businesses in the UK
generating £45 billion for the UK econ-
omy.
Women’s Enterprise Day on November 18,
part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, is all
about celebrating successful female entrepre-
neurs, and inspiring more women to be the
business leaders and owners of tomorrow by
starting or growing their business.
In the East of England, women comprise ap-
proximately 29 per cent of the self-employed
population. However, with Business Link re-
porting that over half of the delegates attend-
ing their start-up workshops are female, an
entrepreneurial trait and desire to be self-em-
ployed is growing amongst females in the re-
gion.
Jill Barnes, Deputy Chief Executive of Busi-
ness Link in the East of England said: “Every
day we work with and meet outstanding fe-
male entrepreneurs. Some may have a busi-
ness idea and come to us for help to make it
happen; others are already in business and
want to grow. Days such as this are important,
both in celebrating success and highlighting
the brilliant women in our region who are con-
tributing to the growth of the local economy.”
Lesley Crisp, Business Link Adviser for
Women’s Enterprise said: “Many women
across the region have decided that setting up
a business offers them not only more control
over their work-life balance, but also an op-
portunity to use their skills, talent and knowl-
edge to their full potential. They also
appreciate that by working for themselves
they will reap the rewards of the time and ef-
fort that they put in, rather then contributing to
someone else’s profits.
“On top of that, with unemployment increas-
ing, many women have used redundancy as a
kickstart to self-employment, rather than look-
ing for another job. Although women often
face more barriers than men when setting up
a business we can help them gain the knowl-
edge and confidence that they need with
workshops, one-to-one business advice and
networking events.”

Check before you invest

in Radlett property

A different
perspective.
A BID to market plots of land in Radlett as suitable for
housing has led Hertsmere Borough Council to issue a
warning to potential buyers.
Marketing information including leaflets have been encouraging peo-
ple to buy premium plots of Green Belt land off Cobden Hill without
warning potential purchasers that they are highly unlikely to get plan-
ning permission.
Council planners are urging investors to speak to them before buy-
ing plots of land for potential housing developments because planning
www.deloitte.co.uk
approvals are not a given.
Cllr Hannah David, Hertsmere council's portfolio holder for planning,
Please contact Paul Schofield said that people needed to be on their guard.
3 Victoria Square, Victoria Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3TF. "We want to try and ensure that people are not enticed by offers that
© 2009 Deloitte LLP. All rights reserved. are too good to be true. We have strict controls over the developments
Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu we allow within the borough and planning permission would not gener-
ally be approved for building on green belt land," she said.

6 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
 NEWS

From Welwyn with love

figleaves.com to Herts
Luxury lingerie, fashion and gifting e-tailer,
figleaves.com, is on the move and will be relocating
to a newly refurbished HQ building in Welwyn Garden
City.
Having been based in North London since inception,
figleaves.com has now ventured into new territory, literally, with
101 employees taking up residence at 29 Broadwater Road,
Welwyn Garden City.
Founded in 1998 as a lingerie e-tailer, figleaves.com has or-
ganically expanded to become one of the leading lingerie, fash-
ion and gifting destinations, catering for men, women and
children. Autumn will see the launch of several new brands on
the site, ranging from men’s fashion labels to women’s jewellery
and home accessories, with a recent website revamp further
corroborating this successful transition and more premium po-
sitioning.
“The office move is a natural next step for the figleaves.com
brand,” comments Chief Executive, Julia Reynolds, “not only to
accommodate our growing workforce and new category areas,
but also to provide an inspiring, creative and dynamic environ-
ment for an ever-evolving fashion and lingerie brand. As a
growing business this additional space is crucial and we’re re-
ally excited about putting our own stamp on what’s essentially
been our very own blank canvas.”
Covering nearly 15,000 square feet, the increased space at
Pleased with the move: Figleaves Chief Executive Julia Reynolds
Welwyn has allowed figleaves.com to be truly creative in terms
of design and layout. A centrally placed, photographic studio
(large enough to house a fashion catwalk) and a glass walled,
high aspect sample room are just two of the aesthetically, as Our own Willy Wonka
well as professionally, pleasing creations and are the main focal
AN enterprising Dunmow sixth started to work on making that
points of the open-plan, uniquely circular floor area. Designed
former is well on the way to becom- dream a reality.
to encourage team and individual interaction, the new office will
ing a real-life Willy Wonka after Listening to his friends chat about
generate a fun, fast-paced and exciting environment, with
opening his own online sweet shop. their favourite sugar-coated snacks
streams of natural light in abundance from wall-to-wall windows
While his classmates are weigh- from childhood, he realised there
along all exteriors.
ing up their university options, most was a gap in the market and set
Having employed local organisations to create its bespoke of-
of 18-year-old Matt Appleton’s about filling it.
fice space from the onset, the brand will continue to do so,
spare time will be spent running The only child, who lives in High
thereby boosting local economy and supporting the regional
Forever Scrumptious. Meadow, has had plenty of support
business sector. On a speedy rail link from London’s Kings
The football-mad teenager, right, from mum Sue and dad Ricky, but
Cross and within walking distance of many of the area’s local
funded the website with money to keep his costs low he has carried
amenities, the new site has come as a welcome change to em-
raised from summer work as a out the bulk of the work.
ployees.
coach with sports project Chelsea For the past few weeks he has
“I’m really looking forward to the move” explains Lisa Hender-
In The Community. been painstakingly photographing
son, figleaves.com’s Marketing Executive. “From a marketing
The site was set to go live this all his stock and uploading the pic-
perspective it’ll be fantastic as the new photographic studio will
week, selling more than 400 types tures to the site. He has been meet-
offer so many more creative and visual opportunities.”
of confectionery, from cheap and ing suppliers and web designers to
With an already enviable incentives package in existence,
cheerful treats to high-quality Italian get the project up and running on
figleaves.com really is the employer that everyone wants to
and Belgian chocolates. schedule.
work for! In addition to the exciting prospect of moving to plush
Matt has also built links with a top Matt, a former pupil of Gosfield
new premises, employees will also be offered additional bene-
fudge maker, which will be supplying School, Halstead, who now studies
fits to celebrate the move, including an extra two days holiday
a range of flavours – including a at a college in Chelmsford, told the
for all staff members and the introduction of childcare vouchers.
Christmas pudding variety which will Observer: “I’ve had the idea since I
Always on the look-out for bright new individuals,
be on sale during the festive season. was about 16, but back then I had
figleaves.com also offers a generous staff discount, a contribu-
Although he always wanted to be my GCSEs to sit and the timing
tory pension scheme, life assurance and income protection. So
his own boss, it wasn’t until he got wasn’t right. Now, I feel ready to
now might be the time for all Welwyn lingerie and fashion lovers
his GCSEs out of the way that Matt make a go of it.
to update their CVs ... figleaves.com has come to town!

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 7
NEWS

Train improvements
THE Government has promised im-
proved services on a key rail route
through Stevenage.
Business - East Coast Main LineThere will
be £12 million of station improvements on the
East Coast Main Line, which runs from Lon-
don to Scotland and is being handed back to
the Department for Transport by cash-
strapped franchise holder National Express
from midnight (Friday Novemner 13).
There will also be improved catering and the
abolition of reservation charges on the line,
which will be run for the next two years by a
public company - East Coast.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said: "East
Coast will remain in public hands for two
years and there will be full continuity of serv-
ice. But this is not a care and maintenance
job. I want to see real improvements in the
service and better value for money.
"This is a profitable railway - it needs to be
the pride of its passengers and staff too and
that's my aim for East Coast."
Saddled with huge £1.3 billion premiums it
had to pay to the Government over the life-
time of the franchise, National Express an-
will be scrapped in order to maintain the exist- chise system.
nounced last July that it would only fund its
ing through access for non-passengers, while There have also been calls for National Ex-
East Coast operation for a few more months.
the completion of gating at King's Cross will press to be forced to give up its other two rail
Other planned improvements and changes
be accelerated to deter fare-dodgers. franchises - East Anglia and the London to
include a new Saturday evening service from
Opposition MPs and rail unions have said Tilbury and Southend franchise c2c. National
King's Cross to Leeds, and an additional Sun-
the East Coast situation demonstrates what Express has said it will resist attempts to end
day morning service from Leeds to King's In
they describe as the weakness of the rail fran- the two franchises.
addition, the planned gating of York station

Clydesdale boosts Herts business joins the short-listed

local team structure
Clydesdale Bank, has recruited a new senior
partner to its team in St Albans.
Roger Lewin, a former regional senior credit
manager and local relationship manager with
Barclays, brings more than three decades of
personal and business experience to the bank’s
Verulam Point Financial Solutions Centre.
The bank’s specialist business banking cen-
tre, which opened in 2005, now boasts a team In the hotly contested category of New Business of the Year, Blackbird Com-
of 24 partners and associates who provide a munications is one of five shortlisted companies that has been selected for
wide range of local services to businesses and
the Hertfordshire business community's answer to the Oscars.
Private Banking members including asset fi-
Now in its thirteenth year, the Hertfordshire Business Awards, which recognise individuals
nance, invoice finance, treasury and interna-
and companies that have made a significant impact on business in the county over the past
tional finance.
12 months. More than 25 recently launched businesses across Hertfordshire entered this
Commenting on his appointment, Roger
year's New Business of the Year category.
said: “Having spent the vast majority of my ca-
Stuart Brooks, Managing Director of Blackbird Communications said: "To make the shortlist
reer working throughout the region, I am able
of such a long-standing and prestigious competition is an incredible achievement in only our
to bring my experience of working with local
first year of trading and we're thrilled to have been recognised in this way. Being a finalist will
businesses to an already knowledgeable team.
add a great deal of credibility to our proposition to local businesses which are looking to raise
“Clydesdale Bank’s FSC proposition is
their profile and we look forward to the ceremony with much anticipation."
unique in UK banking, and I look forward to in-
The awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony at Knebworth Barns on 26 Novem-
troducing customers to our service.
ber, which will be hosted by BBC personality, Bill Turnbull.

8 | www.businessindependent.co.uk

St Albans web agency help
charity hit their target
Netcel, a leading digital
agency based in Grosvenor
Road, St Albans, has
launched a website to help
raise charitable donations
for a national 1000 mile
charity cycle ride.
Between 25 September and 4
October 2009, around 20 industry
leaders from the financial services
sector competed in a 10-day,
1000 mile cycle ride from Land’s
End to John O'Groats under the
name MoneySpinners. The target
was to raise £100,000 for Naomi
House Children’s Hospice and
Help The Hospices.
Tim Parfitt, Managing Director at
Netcel, said: “As keen cyclists
ourselves in and around Hertford-
shire, the team at Netcel were de-
lighted to be have been involved
in this project, and to use social
media to create an innovative web
2.0 website to support this annual
charity event.”
To encourage people to donate
while following the cyclists’
progress, Netcel has created an
interactive website, www.mon-
eyspinners.org, which allows the
cyclists to update and add con-
tent to the website throughout
each day by using their BlackBer-
rys and iPhones.
Using their camera phones, the
cyclists uploaded photos through
integration with Flickr, and video
using YouTube. Integration with
Twitter allowed the cyclists to mi-
croblog using their mobile
phones, so allowing their family,
friends and colleagues to keep in
daily contact with the highs and
lows of a cyclists’ progress.
In addition, supporters were
able to track the team’s progress
in real-time through a Google Map
which has been integrated with
the GPS of one of the cyclists. Fi-
nally, a JustGiving widget dis-
played recent donations along
with the overall amount raised so
far, all in real-time.
The result was an innovative
website updated in real-time that
provided an invaluable resource
for supporters, family and work
colleagues, which in turn will gen-
erate more charitable donations.
To pledge your support or to
view the cyclists’ progress during
the event, visit www.moneyspin-
ners.org or for further information
about Netcel, visit
www.netcel.com
NEWS
And the
winner
is...
Tewin Bury Farm Hotel, just outside
of Welwyn in Hertfordshire, was de-
lighted to be awarded ‘Outstanding
Venue 2009’ from the Federation of
Small Business’ at their awards in
October.
Although the award came as a complete
surprise, the hard work and dedication from
all of the staff in all departments made it a
well deserved accreditation. Tewin Bury
Farm’s customers always comment on the
fact that nothing is too much trouble and
that they are always prepared to go that
extra mile, this clearly proves that the cus-
tomer is always right!
Charity No 286212
Creating Opportunities that Change People Lives
Based in St Albans, for over 25 years Reach Out Projects has been
working with young people and those with disabilities & special needs.
A lot of what we do is about helping people with
disabilities to access opportunities usually
denied them. This includes running a small fleet
of fully accessible wide-beamed canal-boats
from our base at Nash Mills. We provide a
wonderful experience for those who join us on
board – and much needed respite support for
parents and carers. We are keen to expand our
services and seek funding for a new day boat.
We run development programmes for young
people at risk or significant disadvantage - from
next year we’ll also provide mentoring and
community support schemes for young people with learning needs.
If you or your company would like to partner with Reach Out by
sponsoring a weeks residential holiday, or volunteering as a skipper,
crew-member or fundraiser – or by hiring a boat for your team day or
for personal use - please get in touch. You can also join us at our
autumn fundraising dinner with our special guest Prunella Scales on
November 13th.
Please ring Ron Overton, our Director, on 01727 818162 or e-mail
ron.overton@reachoutprojects.org.uk
Please also check out the website on www.reachoutprojects.org.uk
Reach Out Projects, Holywell Lodge, 41 Holywell Hill, St Albans, Herts AL1 1HE
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 9
INTERVIEW
Passion,
determination &
focus in business
We talk to bra tycoon Michelle Mone about what
motivates her and why success is in your own hands
M
ichelle Mone always wanted
to be an entrepreneur and, at
the age of 38, she has built a
hugely successful career. She is
founder and co-owner of MJM Interna-
tional, a multi-million pound lingerie
company and is one of the top 3 fe-
male entrepreneurs in the UK, winning
countless awards.
Michelle spoke at the University of Hertford-
shire’s Spotlight event, giving an insight into
what has shaped her career and how she has
become one of the top three businesswomen
in the UK. In this article, she provides some
tips on being successful in business, creating
a work/life balance and her thoughts on being
a working Mum.
Highly-organised and focused, when
Michelle achieves one goal, whether business
or personal, she sets herself another one that
day. She says, “You have to cram as much
into your day as possible. You only live once
so you may as well do as much as you can.”
Michelle recommends setting goals for your
business and your personal life and staying fo-
10 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
cused. She comments, “Don’t blame others if
you don’t succeed in life.”
Michelle grew up in the East End of Glas-
gow; when she was 10 years of age her
brother died.At the age of 11 she got a job de-
livering papers and had 17 teenagers working
for her!
When Michelle was 15, her father was struck
down by an illness leaving him confined to a
wheelchair, so she left school with no qualifica-
tions to find full-time employment. To support
her family, Michelle took on a job at Labatt
Brewers and climbed the ranks from Office
Junior to Senior Manager, running the Sales
and Marketing team by the time she was 20.
When she joined the company, she had al-
ready set herself the goal of running it for the
whole of Scotland and her ethos has always
been to work harder, work smarter and do
what it takes.
It wasn’t until 1996 that her idea for Ultimo
was born. When attending a dinner-dance with
her husband Michael, Michelle was wearing an
uncomfortable, cleavage-enhancing bra. She
had a ‘light bulb’ moment: Michelle decided to
invent a bra that was more comfortable, more

innovative, more attractive and more cleav-
age-enhancing than any other bra on the mar-
ket.
Today, she has developed beyond the origi-
nal brand of Ultimo to encompass Ultimo A-D,
Ultimo D-G, Ultimo Black Label, Ultimo
Shapewear, Ultimo Swimwear and partner
lines including Diamond Boutique for Tesco,
Adore Moi for Debenhams and Michelle for
George for Asda.
As for the future, Michelle wants to launch
Ultimo Fashion, because this is a new industry
for her and she sees it a challenge. She wants
to see whether she can have the same impact
in the fashion business as she has in the lin-
gerie business. She comments, “I want to
launch Ultimo beauty and perfume and I have
been working for a year with the people who
created Dolce and Gabbana and Gucci per-
fume, which will launch soon. She has also
been offered lots of TV shows and reality
shows. As a businesswoman, she wants to
take her skills and use them in a business
show. “I want to do something that makes a
difference and I have a lot of networks offering
me shows. I am waiting to see which ones
‘float my boat’”.
We asked Michelle what is the best way to
achieve a balance between a personal life and
building a career?
“You have to be very, very organised. I have
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in my busi-
ness and now in my home. One day I came
home and the whole house was in chaos; from
that moment, I decided that my house was
going to be run like a business, so I set KPIs
for the gardener, nanny and housekeeper.”
What are your top points to being
successful in business?
“Top tips would be: you have to have fire in
your belly, determination, focus and you have
to know your competitors inside out. You need
to be very organised and a good leader. You
can be superb at all these things but you can-
not do it on your own, so a team is key.”
INTERVIEW
What do you think are the most impor-
tant values in business?
“Being organised and when you launch a
product or service think that day about what is
next, because before you know it your com-
petitors will be ripping you off and catching up
on you. There was a time when I thought that I
would live off one bra in two colours for the
rest of my life and I took too long to develop
the next product. So this is what I am saying:
don't have all your eggs in one basket!”
Do you have any tips for working
Mums?
“Don’t feel guilty. I am not a born Mum that
can stay at home; there is nothing wrong with
that, as it is a really hard job. Be very well or-
ganised and if you want to get to the top, un-
fortunately you will have to make sacrifices.”
What do you think the government can
do to encourage entrepreneurs?
“Less red tape and more support when it
comes to mentoring; it’s not just about money.
The biggest thing that I come across all the
time is the red tape and the cost involved. De-
sign registration and patents are a joke and
it’s unbelievable how complicated it is! The
money we spend to protect ourselves is unbe-
lievable and then, when someone rips us off,
we have to fight them in the courts. I think it is
a disgrace and it’s stopping creativity, it’s
stopping entrepreneurial ideas flowing, it’s
stopping a lot of things and it needs to be
looked at.”
What do you think is the hardest chal-
lenge for launching a business now?
“The hardest thing at the moment is obvi-
ously the banks, because they are not lending
money, and it is not just about finding the
money to get your idea up and running it’s
about having the cash to finance the busi-
ness.”
Richard Farleigh, multi-millionaire investor
who appeared on The BBC’s Dragons’ Den
programme, will be sharing his rags to riches
story with student and business entrepreneurs
at the University of Hertfordshire’s Enterprise
Spotlight. These events are a series of moti-
vational sessions designed to inspire the next
generation of would-be entrepreneurs to turn
ideas into action.
The event is on 25 November 2009 from
5.00 pm to 7.00 pm and is free of charge.
Local businesses can register by emailing en-
terprise.spotlight@herts.ac.uk.
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 11
LIFESTYLE

Giving it
all away
We look at the growing trend amongst the ubber
wealthy to give their accumulated fortune away

W
hat do Bill Gates, wealthy announce their intention
Warren Buffet, Sir to devote their time and their
Tom Hunter and money to making the world a
better place.
Duncan Ban-
natyne all have in common?
The answer, apart from consid-
So, what's driving them?
Though there are many reasons
erable success, is that they're all
for giving, the most often cited is
committed philanthropists, who
that it's an enjoyable and reward-
have pledged to give away the
ing experience. Victor Hugo once
bulk of their fortunes to good
said that "as the purse is emptied,
causes. And they're not alone as
so the heart is filled", and for
with every month that passes,
many, philanthropy does just that.
more and more of the world's

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Salad of smoked chicken with cherry tomato,
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Roasted tomato soup with basil pesto croutons
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Traditional turkey with all the trimmings
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12 | www.businessindependent.co.uk

It gives people pleasure and life
enrichment by knowing that
they're making a difference. It
also allows them to achieve a
spend/give balance. For instance,
while he has had no problem in
amassing his fortune, the hedge
fund manager Arpad Busson said
in a recent Guardian interview
that his decision to embrace phi-
lanthropy was because he found
it impossible to enjoy his wealth,
knowing there are people out
there who were much less fortu-
nate than himself.
For others, philanthropy can be
the ideal way of instilling family
values and educating their chil-
dren, as showing the next genera-
tion what a difference wealth can
make to others can help prepare
them for the responsibilities of in-
heritance. When asked what he
would leave his children, Warren
Buffet famously remarked: "A
very rich person would leave his
kids enough to do anything, but
not enough to do nothing." Wor-
ried about stifling their offsprings'
ambitions by giving them every-
LIFESTYLE
thing on a plate, entrepreneurs in
particular are increasingly leaving
the majority of their wealth to
good causes or charitable foun-
dations that they have created.
Dragon's Den star Peter Jones
has established a trust fund to re-
ward his children for the good
they do, their yearly allowance
dictated by their choice of future
career. He hopes it will encourage
them to consider professions that
make a difference to others, such
as nursing or teaching, rather
than focusing purely on those
jobs with the best salaries. Like-
wise, his co-star, Duncan Ban-
natyne intends to leave his entire
fortune to his Bannatyne Founda-
tion. He fears that leaving his chil-
dren hundreds of millions of
pounds would rob their lives of
any purpose.
A family affair
But as well as allowing children
to follow their own path, we have successful family business, set- of the company to work together
found amongst our clients that ting up a charitable foundation for a common goal or purpose.
philanthropy can also bring fami- can allow those relatives not in- For those that have sold their
lies closer together. If you own a volved in the day-to-day running business or are beginning to take

A special day for all the family to share, with a superb, 4-

course traditional Christmas Day lunch with a gift for all!
We do all the work, so you get all the Ho, Ho, Ho!
Lunch is served from midday until 2.00pm
£49.00 per guest
£25.00 children under 12 years
includes hats, crackers, table novelties and a gift for all

Butter Bean and Chive Soup

with pancetta shavings
Fresh Vegetable Tortellini
with black olives, bell pepper and Parmesan shavings
with a herb infused olive oil
Chicken, Asparagus and Apricot Terrine
with red mustard frills and rocket salad,
cherry tomatoes and a hollandaise sauce

Plaice stuffed with Crayfish

with a lemon chervil sauce

Traditional Roast Turkey

with sausagement and morello cherry stuffing
and all the festive trimmings
A Selection of Seasonal Vegetables and Roast Potatoes

Christmas Pudding
with a dark fruit medley
Raspberry and White Chocolate Mousse filled Profiteroles
with a dark chocolate sauce
Bavarian Vanilla Cream
with a blueberry compote

Freshly Brewed Tea or Coffee

with petits fours

If you have any special dietary needs please do let us know

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 13
LIFESTYLE
a step back from their profession,
but are not quite ready to sit back
totally, philanthropy is an opportu-
nity to apply both financial capital
and life experience in order to
solve social problems. Rather
than simply writing out a cheque,
creating your own dedicated fund
or taking a hands-on approach to
the causes you support can en-
sure that your money and expert-
ise are having the greatest
impact. This can often become a
career in itself, with similar re-
wards and the same sense of
achievement. When the late Anita
Roddick sold The Body Shop, it
wasn't so that she could sit back
and enjoy the fruits of her
others of how strongly you felt
about a particular cause. For an
example look no further than Bill
Gates. At the moment he's fa-
mous for founding Microsoft, but
he hopes that after he's gone,
he'll be remembered for his com-
mitment to eradicating disease
and ending social inequality in
Africa through the Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation.
But whatever your initial moti-
vation to start giving, knowing
how, where and when can prove
challenging. With so many de-
serving causes, choosing the
right one is always going to be a
tough decision. And once that
choice is made there are further









labours, it was so she could de- difficulties. How much to give;
vote the rest of her life to her whether to make a single dona- 




 







charity foundation. tion or regular payments; how to

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during your lifetime, philanthropy
is also a way of supporting a
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ing a lasting legacy. Setting up a
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or charities in perpetuity will en-






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14 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
 BUSINESS ADVICE

Playing the FTSE...

Andrew Whiteley, Director of WKH Financial Servies
explains that when you’re looking to invest in shares or
bonds, you may think about putting your money into one
or more managed funds. Managed funds are pooled
investments that may contain dozens of different securi-
ties, reducing the risk of holding just a few individual
shares or bonds, and they can invest in a wide variety of
markets and sectors.
Wherever you invest, the fund
managers will take one of two
basic approaches to managing
your money and it’s important to
understand the difference so you
can build an investment portfolio
which truly reflects your individual
investment objectives.

Active investing
Fund managers who use an ac-
tive investment approach aim to
outperform the market by using
their individual knowledge and
skill. They use the results of their
research to purchase more of
those shares or bonds they be-
lieve show the most promise.
The return delivered by an ac-
tively managed fund depends not
only on the manager’s talent, but
also on the costs the fund incurs.
T O T A L
Helping you navigate
through life’s changes
Tel: 01462 687337 www.wkhfs.co.uk
WKH Financial Services Limited is authorised and
regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
The Nexus Building, Broadway, Letchworth Garden City, Herts SG6 9BN
Compass House, Vision Park, Chivers Way, Histon, Cambridge CB24 9AD
Higher costs (such as research,
and buying and selling securities
more frequently) will affect any
potential profit that an active
manager may aim to provide.
Passive Investing
Passive investment manage-
ment is the opposite to active
W E A L T H M A N A G E M E N T
F Investments
F Pensions
F Mortgages
F Protection
F Tax Planning
Have a free initial consultation lasting up to 1 hour with an Independent
Financial Adviser (IFA) from WKH Financial Services Limited.
To arrange your free consultat
consultation call us on 01462 687337
management. Passive managers
generally believe it is difficult to
out-think the market, so they try
market, avoiding the losses that
can follow a dramatic decline in
any one specific company or in-
dustry sector.
The passive approach can pro-
tect against falls in a particular
share, bond or sector, but it can-
not protect against broad market
declines.
A key reason for the increasing
popularity of passive investing is
that it keeps management costs
low. There is no need to research
companies or bonds, and trans-
action costs are reduced be-
cause securities are bought and
sold much less frequently.
But how do you decide which
kind of investment fund or com-
bination of funds is right for you
and how will it meet your invest-
ment aims..
At WKH Financial Services Ltd,
we strongly believe that asset al-
location is the key driver in gen-
erating returns for investors and
our unique Provisio portfolios aim
to match the performance of the
market as a whole. This approach
spreads risk more widely within a
to take the best parts of active
and passive investing;
• They make use of low-cost,
index tracking investments, and
offer razor sharp replication of up
to 16 different indices represent-
ing the main global asset classes,
thereby providing broad diversifi-
cation.
• At the same time, we use tac-
tical asset allocation to adapt the
portfolios to benefit from our
view of the prevailing economic
conditions.
These disciplines, combined
with regular portfolio rebalancing,
help to ensure that our Provisio
portfolios maximise returns whilst
minimising investment risk.
For further information on
our Provisio service and
professional independent
investment advice, please
either contact us at
info@wkhfs.co.uk or visit
www.wkhwealth.co.uk.

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 15
 Are you ready
for promotion?
Gordon Brown waited many It is this transition that can
years to step into the top job, prove to be the undoing of many
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16 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
 LEGAL

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new job and to distinguish be-
tween ‘what I like doing, and
what I should be doing’. By chal-
lenging the rationale, the coach
can bring a unique honesty to
task prioritisation, helping to clar-
ify the needs of the new role in
the broader organisational con-
text. As a neutral party the coach
can also help raise awareness of
the strengths and weaknesses
that the leader brings to the role.
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realm of competence.

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www.businessindependent.co.uk | 17
18 | www.businessindependent.co.uk

Women won’t
achieve a work/life
balance due to
stress at work
D
ue to greater pres-
sures from work
40% of women
who earn in ex-
cess of £40,000 don’t feel
equipped with the skills to
achieve a work/life balance,
according to new research.
The research is based on 237
detailed online interviews with
women from a range of back-
grounds across the UK and with
National Stress Awareness Day
taking place next week (4th No-
vember) these recent findings just
underline even further how stress
at work is affecting women in
achieving a work / life balance.
The study was designed to de-
termine to what extent women of
working age in the UK agree or
disagree with a range of attitude
statements and determine their
levels of contentment towards life,
work, relationships and future
prospects. Throughout the study
women frequently experienced
negative and stress related feel-
ings, with 39% highlighting this
fact further, by saying they are
constantly feeling anxious.
Janice Haddon, Managing Di-
rector of Morgan Redwood, who
commissioned the report says:
BUSINESS ADVICE
“With the economic climate as it
is many companies are looking to
save money, one way of doing
this is obviously to add to the
workload of their staff. However
by doing this, it is having a major
Foodwaste problem?

knock-on effect. Pressure from
work is increasing, meaning
stress levels are getting higher.
And when this is happening, par-
ticularly with women, as this sur-
vey shows, a work / life balance is
not being achieved.”
The research also identified an-
other interesting fact. For those
women who have had children, Does your business produce large quantities of food waste?
they had experienced a loss of
Do you want to reduce your costs and stop sending food waste to landfill?
confidence when returning back to
the workplace. Two fifths of women LondonWaste has built considerable experience in processing food and organic
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said they had lost confidence as a and intend to construct a state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion (AD) facility at our
result of having a family. EcoPark, to process up to 50k tonnes of commercial food waste every year.
Janice comments: “Having chil- So if your business has a food waste problem, we would be delighted to
dren is life changing. With the talk to you
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fice to prove their worth and build
their confidence up.”
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 19
 SECTION

New Year is crucial

during the month, with many
being pushed into liquidation. In-
deed, January 2009 saw a 78 per
cent surge in business failures.

time for cashflow

With the countdown to the
New Year underway, new
research reveals businesses
are in for a tough time dur-
This will allow them to focus on
survival and ensure they are in
best possible shape for 2010.
Bibby Financial Services’ Busi-
ness Factors Index, which reveals
month for businesses and it can
often be make or break. With
large amounts of excess stock
from Christmas often left over, fi- really feel the pinch after Christ-
nancial liquidity can take a big hit
Edward Rimmer continued:
“During these challenging times,
it’s hardly surprising that business
owners are continually exposed
to the threat of business failure.
Although interest rates are low,
which should stimulate trading
activity to a degree, businesses
mas and many ensure they are as

year.
ADVERT PROOF - YOUR ATTENTION IS REQUIRED
ing the first quarter of next
key findings about the UK econ- as cash flow is tied up in unsold frugal as possible during the first
few months of the New Year.
omy and small businesses, shows stock, and many customer in-
Bibby Financial Services is call- “We know from our own Busi-
PLEASE READowners CAREFULLY that the final quarter of 2009 and voices are left outstanding.”
ing on business and man- - IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROOFINGness YOUR ADVERT
Factors Index that trading
the start of 2010 will see trading “We would urge small busi-
Youragers
advert has been
to ensure they produced
have their by 'printing.com @ Immediate Design', the production and design division of Sportwise Marketing Ltd.
conditions during the first quarter
conditions worsen. This compli- nesses to ensure they do not
Please check
finances your
in order advert
to help them carefully prior to the printing of the forthcoming publication (stated of 2010 are Your
below). set to advert
worsen, is now
and we ready
ments statistics published earlier build up their stock levels more
to beavoid recessionary
printed, shouldpressures
you have andany necessary alterations please highlight these clearly by marking
this year showing that slumping than is needed in anticipation of urgethem in the
businesses tospace
tightenprovided
up and
makingthe
following cutsinstructions
to their business.
below. If demand
we dofornot hear from you, we will assume the advert is correct
processes to and
ensure proceed
that invoices with
British-made goods, the Christmas rush. This will ease
With recent
printing, failureeconomic
to responddatawithin 48 hours of the date of this proof will result in the below advert being are sent out promptly
printed. We willand cor-
not accept
coupled with difficulty in access- pressure on their cash flow in
showing that Britain is still in the rectly in order to keep the cash
responsibility for any errors undetected at this
ing finance, forced stage.
38 per cent of order to ensure vital commit-
grip of a recession, and many flowing and to consider renegoti-
manufacturers to cut jobs in the ments are met, such as paying
commentators stating that signs ating terms with their suppliers to
three months to January 2009. their staff, meaning fewer busi-
of recovery won’t appear until ensure they are getting the best
Edward Rimmer, chief executive nesses will be forced into making
spring 2010 at the very earliest, deal – perhaps by negotiating
of Bibby Financial Services, the redundancies as a cost-saving.”
business owners must ensure longer credit terms or flexible
largest, non-bank provider of in- Research shows that forced re-
they have enough financial liquid- ‘sale or return’ deals that allow
voice finance to businesses in the dundancies are not the only is-
ity to keep the business afloat. unsold stock to be returned.”
UK, said: “January is a crucial sues small businesses encounter

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company conference, the King Charles Theatre is the ideal
location. This 72 seat tiered multimedia theatre is purpose
built with the latest audiovisual equipment, including daylight
back projection, DVD recording and an Induction Loop System
for the hearing impaired.
If you need a solution for your training requirements, the King
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of convenience, comfort and professionalism to suit all your
With an exceptional on site catering team and experienced
staff to ensure your day runs smoothly, Kings House offers a
complete package with a very professional approach.
Kings House also offers a number of meeting and boardrooms
of various sizes to accommodate smaller groups.
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20 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
Our
future
It’s in
our hands.

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 21
SECTION

Tap into local business

advice around the world
Alan Fullarton of East of England Interna- visits. Whether you're a first timer or a very ex- ments Ltd who has made good use of OMIS.
tional (EEI) which delivers UK Trade and In- perienced exporter, a broad range of elements As Derek Richardson, Hanwell’s Sales Direc-
vestment (UKTI) services in the region can be combined to suit your individual tor, says: “OMIS was absolutely the right serv-
needs. ice for us at this stage. We needed to find an
explains how easy it is for any company to
Typically, a business may use OMIS to first agent that could help us launch our products
tap into a world of business advice and
conduct some market analysis. This can be as in China and then assist us in rolling out sales
support to kick start overseas sales.
specific or as broad as required and will result across the country.”
To the uninitiated, selling overseas is a
in a tailored report prepared by local staff who Using OMIS is very straightforward and an
daunting prospect and, for most, the per-
are specialists in your industry sector for their EEI trade adviser will guide you on making the
ceived barriers can be simply too great to
particular country. best use of the service each step of the way.
contemplate. However, help is at hand from
If the market analysis is favourable, more As part of a government service you can trust
your local International Trade Advisors with
work can done to help identify some potential the advice to be totally impartial, open and
support additionally available from a wide
contacts such as local agents or distributors, honest to enable you to make sound decisions.
spectrum of UKTI services.
and assist in establishing a dialogue with them. Alan comments: “OMIS provides a cost ef-
One such UKTI service offered to busi-
The next step could then be to arrange a fective bespoke service that saves companies
nesses regardless of their size or sector is the
meeting with your chosen prospects. Here, time and money. It enables them to establish
Overseas Market Introduction Service or
through OMIS, the UKTI teams can help or- contacts they need and get the expert on the
‘OMIS’. This is a flexible, bespoke service that
ganise your meeting or event down to the last ground advice in both the country of their
puts your business directly in touch with UKTI
detail – even using the UK embassy or con- choice and locally in the UK.”
staff in overseas embassies who, as well as
sulate meeting facilities to provide a venue For further information about the export
providing research and contacts in your cho-
that is sure to impress! advice and support offered by UKTI
sen markets, can also provide focused busi-
Exploiting the huge potential of the market through East of England International call
ness advice and support with events and
in China is Letchworth-based Hanwell Instru- 08456 419955 or visit www.eei-online.com.

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22 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
 SECTION

Telling who you are by

the shirt on your back
G reen and Jack’s a custom shirt
maker claims to be able to
read human personality from
their choice of shirts.
There have been lots of studies linking
colour to personality. Especially the research
by Dr. Max Lûscher during the early 1900's is
very interesting. He studied the relationship
between choices of colour to human behav-
iour. Dr Lûscher’s study has been used by
large companies, doctors and psychologists
to analyse human personality.
Green and Jack’s a London based custom
shirt maker has applied colour research to
help their customers project the right image.
The colour and fit of the shirt that one chooses
gives an insight into one’s personality.

What does your shirt say about you?

Crimson – high energy, confident, passion-

ate, sensual and brave leader

White – honest, practical and natural..

Pink - confident, naughty and unconven-

tional.

Black – powerful, elegant and mysterious.

Blue – organised, warm, caring and intuitive

personality.

Yellow – original, happy and helpful.

Grey – a balanced and elegant thinker.

Brown – A conventional person who loves

the outdoors.

A well fitting shirt often conveys a structured

mind and an organised personality. Choose
the fit and colour that projects and compli-
ments ones personality by visiting the custom
shirt store.
Green and Jack’s custom shirt maker offer
free colour consultations. The perfect fit guar-
antee makes ordering custom made shirts risk
free to customers since alterations are free of
charge.

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 23
SALES ADVICE
Beating the objection
Why your sales people still get price objections, here leading
sales coach Andy Preston helps us look at getting those sales
W
henever I’m speak-
ing to sales man-
agers and directors,
I find that many are frus-
trated that seemingly no
matter what they say to
their sales team, the team is
still getting stumped over
price objections from their
clients!
So, here we’re going to look at
why your sales team still get price
objections and how this gets in
their way (and yours) of sales
success.
Objection handling is one of the
basic skills of sales, yet I’m often
amazed how many salespeople
are lacking in this vital area. They
might be given a little bit of train-
ing when they start in the role,
often from the manager or direc-
tor of the business, but then are
24 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
pretty much left alone after that!
Yet out there in the field or on
the phone, your salespeople are
coming up against objections day
after day – and price objections
are one of the most common
things they are likely to come up
against.
When I listen to their calls,
salespeople often fail to demon-
strate the essential skills in objec-
tion handling, “fall over” at the
first objection, get de-motivated,
then blame their company or their
product or service for their trou-
bles! But often, the objection only
arises because of the actions of
the salesperson, so let consider
the main reasons why this occurs.
Reason No 1 – They gener-
ate the price objection
themselves!
Whenever I’m delivering sales
training and listening to salespeo-
ple live on the phones, it often as-
tounds me how often salespeople
generate objections for them-
selves!
They may have been doing
quite well on the appointment or
phone call, then suddenly, some-
thing in either their voice tone or
the words that they’ve just said
generates a price objection from
the client. It sounds crazy, but
the salesperson virtually “asks”
for that price objection!
The minute the salesperson
asks any question about price,
they’re taking the conversation
towards price and guess what? A
price objection! Watch out if you
hear your salespeople utter any of
the following…..
“How much do you currently
pay for…..?”, “Can I give you a
quote for…..?”, and the very
worst one of all “what do I have
to do to win your business?!!”
They’ve just taken the conversa-
tion towards price! Is it any won-
der they then get a price
objection from the client?
Many salespeople generate
price objections for themselves,
then struggle to deal with them
when they turn up! Yet it was
their own fault for taking the con-
versation towards price in the first
place.
Reason No 2 – They’re de-
motivated and therefore
only sell on price
If your salespeople are trying to
generate new business, whether
that’s on the phones or face-to-
face, they can sometimes get de-
motivated, especially when things
aren’t going well. The longer this
goes on for, the more de-moti-
vated and despondent they get!
When they are feeling de-moti-
vated and despondent, they
struggle to believe that they’re
much different from the competi-
tion, especially when they get told
by potential customers “oh you
guys are all the same” on a regu-
lar basis!
This leads to salespeople be-
lieving that the only difference be-
tween themselves and the
competition is price! Therefore
they only sell on price. Things
like “if I can give you a better
price for ‘x’ , can I have your
business?” are uttered by the
salesperson, and if by some
stroke of luck they actually man-
age to win any business with that
awful technique, if the only rea-
son they won it was on price,
they’re not going to keep it for
very long, are they?
Reason No 3 – They don’t
position the value well
enough
Whenever they’re asking ques-
tions about the client and their
current situation, or presenting
your own product and service, it’s
vital for your salespeople to be
able to position the value in what
you do. If they can’t clearly com-
municate the value in what you
do, how on earth can you expect
the client to see it as valuable?
If your salespeople don’t give
the client any other reasons to
buy other than price, how can we
complain when the only differ-
ence they see is price – as that’s
all the team are giving them!
Therefore your salespeople
have to position the value in what
you offer before they get drawn
into a price discussion or ask the
potential client to make a buying
decision. Let’s face it, the poten-
tial client is always going to look
at what they will get in return for
their money invested, and if they
don’t see the value in going for
your solution, is it any wonder
your salespeople are getting ob-
jections on price?
So What Can We Do About
It?
As sales managers and direc-
tors, it’s important that you take a
leading role in helping your sales-
people avoid the mistakes listed
above. Here are some sugges-
tions you can put into place right
now to prevent them from hap-
pening….
 SALES ADVICE

Andy’s Tip No 1 – Focus On

What You Offer
Get your salespeople to focus
on exactly what you offer your
potential clients, apart from price!
Whenever I ask salespeople
“what makes you different?” they
often have no idea! At the very
least get your team to write a list
and get them to look at it every
day!

Andy’s Tip No 2 – Practice

Objection Handling
Most salespeople’s objection
handling skills are shocking. If
you know your team are going to
get price objections, put them to
the test by checking their objec-
tion handling skills in your team
meetings for example. Be pre-
pared to cringe at their current
skill level however!

Andy’s Tip No 3 – Keep
Their Motivation High
When things aren’t going well for
a salesperson, one of the first
things to suffer is their motivation
levels. If they keep coming up
against price objections, they’ll feel
de-motivated, despondent and like
it’s a real struggle. Staying on top
of them and their motivation levels
will be key to their success.
Follow the tips here and watch
the figures of your sales team
soar! I look forward to hearing
about how you’ve implemented
them and made them work for
you!
Andy Preston is a leading au-
thority on sales and sales man-
agement. You can see and hear
more about Andy at:
www.andy-preston.com and his
sales training company at
www.outstanding-results.co.uk.

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www.businessindependent.co.uk | 25
MARKETING

Guaranteeing your
reputation
I
n this digital age it is whether you are a global enter- situation effectively. The story that point what story would the
easier for us to dissemi- prise or a small local outfit. Re- the customer will tell is how you customers tell? They would
nate and obtain infor- taining customers, keeping them are perceived by them and, probably tell their friends and
happy and, therefore, ensuring therefore, how you will be per- colleagues of a hellish journey
mation than ever before.
you have a good reputation is ceived by others. It is this per- that would infer that they would
The Web means we have infor-
not easy. ception that is all that matters. never fly that airline again.
mation constantly at our finger-
There are a many myths spo- The customer’s perception is The next day, however, the
tips. Meanwhile we are
ken about managing customers. their reality. Whether it is right or owner of that airline called every
communicating with each other
There is, however, a simple and wrong is irrelevant. Winning the passenger personally to apolo-
all the time via email, mobiles
effective way for ensuring you customer’s heart and mind is all gize and offer them a discount
and text messaging.” Word of
are always mindful of your repu- about how they perceive you. on a future flight. The story was
Mouth” has always been power-
tation. In any situation, ask your- Let me give you an example: managed brilliantly.
ful, yet as the opportunities to
self one question, There is a story of an airline that You see, the story was now
voice our opinions increase, its
“What story will my customer launched a brand new long dis- about receiving a personal call
importance is growing rapidly.
tell?” tance route. On their maiden from such a well known and
Reputation, therefore, is more
It is this question that enables voyage the plane was stuck on busy person and the delay be-
essential for companies than it
you to decide how to handle any the runway for fourteen hours. At came incidental. Instead of the
ever has been. It doesn’t matter

26 | www.businessindependent.co.uk

airline being criticised for a poor
service, the story was all about
their excellent customer service
and how much they care.
Think ahead
If you want to ensure you man-
age your customers success-
fully; you need to be constantly
thinking about the story they are
likely to tell. Just sending them a
thank you note when they decide
to use you, will mean they will be
telling a good story. How many
companies do that and yet it is
so simple?
During the time they are en-
gaged with you, ask the same
question. For example, If you are
going to send a Christmas gift,
ask the question; “What story
will they tell if I send them the
standard calendar or diary
branded with our company logo?
There is a good chance they
won’t tell any story at all. There-
fore, what value have you ob-
tained? The answer is none.
So think of the story.
Find out what they like during
the course of working together.
Then, for example, if you know
MARKETING
they like milk chocolate, send
them a box with a note. The im-
pact will be huge and the story
they will tell will be very positive.
Managing customers does not
have to be difficult. Always think
about the story they will be re-
peating to their friends and col-
leagues. If you think it may be
negative, think about how you
can turn that around.
You don’t have to spend a lot
of money but you do have to
give it a lot of thought. Having
customers talking about you in a
positive light and ensuring you
have a good reputation in
today’s market place is invalu-
able. Quite simply, you cannot
afford not to.
Grant Leboff is Principal of
Watford based The Intelligent
Sales Club working with
companies on effective sales
and marketing strategies and
lead generation; creating a
steady stream of sales
opportunities for businesses.
For more information visit
www.intelligentsalesclub.com
call 0844 478 0044
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 27
MARKETING ADVICE

The trouble with networking

We asked networking coach Andy
Lopata the question on many peoples
lips ‘Networking events, do they work?’
There can be little doubt
that networking, whether
formal or otherwise, plays a
key role in the sustainability
and long term of success of
most businesses, particu-
larly during tough economic
times.
et, as we have already ex-
plored, people are missing out by
making the wrong choices and
adopting the wrong behavior.
So how do you make the right
decision? To which group or
events should you devote your
networking energies and how
does price reflect quality?
It all depends on what you want
to achieve. At the moment, net-
working groups seem to be de-
fined either by whether they are
online or offline or, alternatively,
by the time of day they meet.
While useful categories for identi-
fying which networks are conven-
ient for you to involve yourself
simply getting out of your ‘cave’ How many of these improve-
and meeting other business peo- ments can you place a value on?
ple. In the third column, write down
There are a wide range of rea- the difference such an improve-
sons why people network. Some ment would mean to you. Quan-
of them people recognise before- tify it where possible; if you can’t
with, and to which you can com-
hand, such as lead generation, in put it in words. What would it
mit, they don’t necessarily help
other cases, people find them- allow you to do that you can’t
you make the right business deci-
selves enjoying the benefits pas- now? What would it mean to your
sion.
sively. A proactive, considered personal life? How would it affect
To decide which networking
approach to gaining these bene- your emotional state?
group you want to join and
fits can make a huge difference. You now have a tool that will
whether membership will be ex-
Take a sheet of paper and split help you measure a network’s ef-
pensive or tremendous value for
it into four columns. In the left fectiveness for you, understand
money, you need to have a clear
hand column, write down the ten what success will look like from
vision of what success will look
major areas you need to see im- that network and, importantly,
like from your membership. What,
prove, either in your business or help you select the right network
in other words, is going to be
personally. Where do you strug- for you.
your return on investment?
gle? Where do you need help? In contrast, events which focus
Any other business purchase
Now in the second column, by around people from the same in-
tends to be accompanied by the
each area of improvement, ask dustry tend to be more focused
question, ‘what value will this add
yourself how other people can on Brain Building, whether
to the business?’. There is no
help you achieve that goal. For through learning, best practice
reason why networking should be
example, if you have written sharing or mutual support. De-
any different.
down ‘more business’ in the left spite this, my membership of the
First of all, focus on what your
hand column, you might write ‘re- Professional Speakers Associa-
goals are. What do you want to
ferrals’ alongside. tion of the UK over the last five
achieve from your membership?
You now have a clearer idea of years has provided me with some
The type of group that will suit
how networking can help you of my strongest referrals sources.
you will vary depending on
than beforehand, and that should It is, however, still primarily a
whether you are looking for peer
help you pick the right group but Brain-Building network for me.
group support, referrals, to en-
we still want to know what your
hance your industry knowledge or
return on investment will be.

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 BUSINESS ADVICE

Companies still think of less

fortunate during recession
Despite the downturn, more
than half of small firms in
the UK are providing sup-
port to charities, according
to new research.
The research, conducted by
Barclays One Step programme,
reveals for the first time the size
and scope of local business sup-
port for the charity sector, with
over two million firms across the
UK helping good causes through
donations, volunteering and pro
bono work.
Steve Cooper, Managing Direc-
tor of Barclays Local Business,
said: “The recession provided a
powerful incentive to take an axe
to the non-essentials – but that
hasn’t happened with support for
charities. The research shows
that over half of local businesses
see their charity work as a re- ever support for good causes re-
sponsibility to the community, not mained constant across both
a result of boom time generosity, groups. In either recovery or re-
and they can’t and won’t walk cession, a third (36%) of all small
away from it. At a grassroots level firms said the amount they give
they are an army working to bet- has stayed the same.
ter our society. Nearly half (42%) said that
“In this one area the recession small businesses have a respon-
hasn’t had a huge impact. The sibility to their local area and
amount of money donated by should contribute where they can.
local businesses has remained Despite the belief amongst these
pretty constant, whether the busi- smaller firms that big businesses
ness feels it’s recovering from the had more resources to support
recession or not. One of the in- charity (51%), almost as many
dustries with the toughest image, said that charities have felt the re-
construction, is also one of the
l iiquid
quidbbubbl
u b bl
be
cession as well and deserve sup-
most generous, with around 61%

20% OFF
port (44%).
helping local charities.” Some small firms even think
Stuart Etherington, CEO of the they are the best people to help
National Council for Voluntary Or-
EEVERY
V E R Y THING
THING
out good causes: one in five
ganisations, said: “It is imperative (18%) said small businesses can
that companies across the coun- be more focussed in their support L I M I T E D P E R I O D O N LY
try are responsible and play a role for charity than bigger firms and a
in their local community. It is third (31%) claimed businesses Webdesign
Webdesign
therefore good to see that, de- should support good causes,
spite the recession, they continue
E-Commerce
E-Commer ce W
Websites
ebsites
even when times are tough. Look-
to recognise the vital contribution ing ahead, 16% said they would
CD/DVD Duplication
that voluntary and community or- give more to charity after the re- Creative
Creative Design
ganisations make across the UK cession as they would have more T h i r d FFloor
Third loor
in transforming local areas.” UUnit
n i t 2244
Print Management
money to give. Almost three quar-
The research found that while a
quarter of UK businesses said
ters (71%) claim that in 2010 they
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www.liquidbubble.com
they currently were in recovery, charity. HA9
H A 9 00LH LH TTerms apply..
erms & conditions apply
more than half (53%) said they
had yet to see any upturn. How-

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 29
SECTION

Managers avoid difficult

conversations with us
British managers lack the
ability to handle poor per-
formance and give feed-
back, according to over
13,000 employees in both
the public and private sec-
tors.
Results from a recent survey
show managers’ behaviours are
rated consistently low when hold-
ing difficult conversations with
employees.
Over 3,900 individual man-
agers have been assessed in the
last year by Shine Feedback
(break down of public vs private
sector approximately 1:3.). The
data tends to be confirmed in
their employee surveys too,
where a high percentage of staff
(1 in 3) say they don’t have regu-
lar performance reviews.
Andy Clare, manag-
ing partner of Shine
Feedback, explains,
“It's much like the
stereotypical problem
of Brits complaining in
restaurants – we can
grumble to our compan-
ions, but we
couldn’t possibly
tell the waiter.
Most of us simply
don’t know how
to express dissat-
isfaction effec-
tively and it
means we avoid
difficult conversations at work
too.
“There are many reasons
why managers are unable
to handle poor perform-
ance or give feedback.
It’s sensitive, can get
emotional, they might
have other priorities, per-
haps they don’t have
enough evidence. Also,
when jobs are at risk
during a recession,
managers can be in-
clined to overlook
poor performance,
giving underachieve-
ment the benefit of
the doubt. After all,
who wants to be re-
sponsible for someone losing
their job when there aren’t too
many around?
“Yet our research and observa-
tions tell us managers simply lack
the practical skills and under-
standing of how to give challeng-
ing feedback.
“At the most basic level, it’s im-
portant to remember that instead
of moaning or complaining, it’s
better to state that poor perform-
ance is unacceptable and provide
constructive feedback to help
people learn. The target of the
complaint will be far more recep-
tive. Complaining shouldn’t be
mixed up with expressing dissat-
isfaction. There is a difference
that we need to work on.”

Company, Charity, Club Accounts and Audit

Flat Management Company Administration

Small Business and Self Employed Accounts

Company and Business Taxation and VAT

Company Formation and Secretarial Service

Self Assessment and Personal Taxation

Tel: 01582 712836 ∙ Fax: 01582 461169

Email: linda.wiggetts@btclick.com
Gainsborough House, 15 High Street
Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2RT

Regulated by the ICAEW for a range of Investment Business Activities

30 | www.businessindependent.co.uk

To spend or not on training?
As all great business owners know,
before we employ a member of staff
we always ensure they have the right
skills, knowledge and understanding
to do the job. So why is it that many
businesses refrain from providing any
ongoing training, learning and knowl-
edge once they have employed their
staff?
We have all read lots of statistics on how
staff training and organisational development
support the growth of the business, but the
decision to train or not to train can be based
on two reasons; cash and time.
So what is the answer?
Starting with the cash problem...
There is money that can help you. Working
with Regional Development Agencies and
Sector Skills Councils, training organisations
such as the People Development Team, will
work with you to build targeted training plans
that can deliver a return on investment and
utilise local, regional or national funding op-
portunities to support part or all of the train-
ing costs.
Security Systems
DDesign
esign - IInstallation
nstallation - M
Maintenance
aintenance
Office: 014
01442
42 38889
3888988
Fax
Fax:: 014 42 394885
01442 394885
EE-mail:
-mail: info@quantumsecurit y.co.uk
info@quantumsecurity.co.uk
BUSINESS ADVICE
Here at the People Development Team, we
have been able to access many pots of fund-
ing including the £1,000 from the National
Leadership & Management fund which every
company with up to 250 employees is entitled
to and funding of up to 50% of training costs
subsidised through Beyond 2010 in the East
of England. Whilst women who are working in
leadership or team leader positions, may also
access funding through the Women and Work
project that some of the Sector Skills Councils
across England have available.
It can be used on its own or to support a
And now for the time problem... training programme. The People Develop-
One solution is accessing an e-learning por- ment Team is currently offering a free 7 day
tal which is a great way of giving your people trail so that you can see how the academy can
the learning they want at a time you want to work for you.
give to them.
To take up our offer of a 7 day free trial on our
For one, two or up to fifty of your staff the
academy or to learn more about the funding
PDT Academy provides a unique individual
opportunities that you can use to access our
learning platform that enables and empowers
the individual and the organisation with ongo- award-winning leadership and management
ing 24/7 access to information, material and training, please call Adam Tucker or Heidi
experiences to improve their knowledge and Turnbull on 01920 485569 and we would be
skills. pleased to work with you and your teams.
For as little as £17 per month, this provides
you with a huge range of leadership training.
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www.businessindependent.co.uk | 31
TECHNOLOGY

Showing at events
Guy Clapperton shows you what you need to create the right impression first
time when presenting and attending expo’s and exhibitions

If Spring is the season of mellow fruitfulness then the Autumn is

when the exhibitions start up in earnest.
A whole new raft of kit is required to make a company’s exhibition presence fly;
this magazine runs t’s own events programme, with the next one planned for De-
cember 2 at Knebworth House, and locking everything down with security hard-
ware from Kensington so it doesn’t go walkies; meanwhile you’ll need something
for a good display, equipment to help people interact with you in seminars and
keep everything charged

Papershow
You have an auditorium of people, you’re adminis-
tering death by PowerPoint and you know you need
to do something to engage them.
So someone in the audience has an idea and you ask them
if they could sketch it as a diagram. You take a pad over and a
peculiarly thick pen, they scrawl on the paper – and it appears
on screen, in real time, as they draw it.
This is because the pen – and the USB key you’ve put into
your computer – comprise PaperShow, a system that takes
whatever is drawn onto the special paper they provide and
puts it onto your laptop screen, and by extension wherever
your laptop display is focused. It’s straightforward to use after
a slightly fiddly set-up, in which you have to deactivate your
computer’s Bluetooth and set up the key as a Bluetooth
receiver instead; once you’re over that it’s a breeze and audi-
ences love it. One user we spoke to said it turned his presen-
tation into a conversation, which is exactly as he wanted it.
Auditorium and keynote speech settings are of course only
one possible use of this gadget. Any setting in which you want
extra participation will make this work. The interface is a paper
pad, so you can pass it around – and unlike a whiteboard with
multiple inputs from tablet computers, which could also do the
job, this costs £115 per unit. Mac users will have to wait a few
months for their release unless they install Bootcamp or one of
the other PC emulators and install a copy of Windows, at
which point it starts to work beautifully. You can also use the
memory/Bluetooth key for storage – for example, storing your
presentation.

32 | www.businessindependent.co.uk
 TECHNOLOGY
Some readers might have tried the PowerPoint controllers
Presenter which you can find on (for example) the iPhone. Many of
these have positive feedback and appear to work; they are
Logitech has released two new presenter tools for third party applications, however, and there is no guarantee
those auditorium moments when you’ve seen your they will work when there’s an upgrade since none are offi-
competitor dashing to and from the computer and cially sanctioned by Microsoft.
prodding away to change to the next slide, or ask- Logitech has also is-
ing a colleague to switch to the next image. sued some new
Best for larger gatherings is the Presenter R800. This has mice which are
buttons you can operate to change slides, clearly, and also a great when you can’t
timer which vibrates when you’re two minute, a minute and predict what sort of
30 seconds away from whenever you’re due to finish, and surface will be available.
when it reaches zero it starts to count the minutes so you The Performance Mouse
know how long you’re overrunning. Its reception range is 100 MX (£89.99) and the compact
ft, so you can do a lot of wandering around a pretty substan- Anywhere Mouse MX (£69.99) both
tial room without losing control of your slides, and its laser work on smooth glass surfaces, which
pointer is equally visible at a distance. This costs £69.99 and is usually death to a mouse, by detect-
has a smaller sibling, the R400, which has a 50 ft range in- ing tiny scratches and irregularities on the
stead and fewer bells and whistles, costs £44.99 and will still surface.
control your presentation without say the timing functions.
Logitech guarantees only that these devices will be com-
patible with PCs, presumably because of warranties and
suchlike; we tried one with a Mac running Powerpoint for the
Mac and it worked perfectly without any problem at all.

Laptop & Display

The temptation, when there are laptops available for

around £300 or small netbooks for under £200, is to go and
buy one of those and take that around with you when
you’re on the road showing stuff.
The problem with that option is that the displays start to let you
down – hooked up to a projector the small sub-£200 models often dis-
tort the picture and the larger cheap models are heavy and look dis-
tinctly non-businesslike.
Many people – your correspondent included – opt for Apple for
portability, but this is expensive and will require an adapter (under £20
from any Apple store but another layer of fiddling). For easy use with
most peripherals like the aforementioned pointers, mice and Paper-
show products it makes sense to stick with PC for the moment, and
MSi’s recent X600 laptop releases are a portable weight and have full
spec for a PC. They start at £599 for a model with 320 gigabytes on
the disk and no optical drive and move to £799 if you need the CD and
500 gigs of storage as part of the deal.
In terms of where to send the output, Apple sells excellent quality
large displays from its stores (try to avoid ordering these online or off
the page, if you can go and see one and check for dead pixels it’s bet-
ter than arranging a product return); many companies offer excellent
projectors and recent offerings from Toshiba and Optoma offer full
high-definition compatibility. Op-
toma also offers a pocket projec-
tor, the Pico, which fits in the
pocket and will take a feed from
a portable media player. This is
useful for impromptu presen-
tations when there are no ob-
vious facilities around, other
than a wall!

www.businessindependent.co.uk | 33
SECURITY

Spend points not

punds this Christmas
This Christmas you can
bring on the festive cheer
and reward your business
or treat your team and as
part of the Nectar Business
loyalty programme you can
cut the cost of Christmas by
spending the Nectar points
you’ve collected on your
business expenditure
throughout the year on a
range of treats and rewards.
Nectar points can be spent in
thousands of ways, whether
you’re looking to throw a Christ-
mas party for your staff, treat
them to a celebratory meal or a
team day out. Alternatively if you
want to reward the business with
the latest technology or gadgets
such as sat navs or laptops or
whether you simply want treat
yourself to a few cases of wine or
a New Year getaway.
As a Nectar Business collector,
it’s quick and easy to collect 2
Nectar points per £1 spent, with
lots of big name partners, includ-
ing Dulux Decorator Centres,
BOC, Viking Direct and AA to
name a few. So whether you’re
buying paint supplies or company
stationery you can collect lots of
points quickly and easily.
What’s more, businesses can
amass even more points through
all the Nectar consumer partners
including BP and Expedia, as well
as via online shopping at nectar-
business.com/shoponline where
there are over 400 retailers to
choose from such as Amazon,
eBay and Play.com.
Fergus Goodson and Andrew
Dangerfield’s of BlueGroup Retail,
a shop fitting and design com-
pany in Stockwell London has all
been worth it. Their consistent
determination has meant the
business is now a big success
and they also have many addi-
tional rewards on the way, thanks
to Nectar Business.
Fergus signed the company up
to the Nectar Business loyalty
programme two years ago when
he realised they could earn Nec-
tar points on the company’s
paint supplies through Dulux Dec-
orator Centres. Fergus also col-
lects regular points for the
business through buying sta-
tionery at Viking Direct and petrol
for the company vans at BP.
“Signing up to Nectar Business
was a no-brainer business deci-
sion, because we place bulk or-
ders which means we can build a
lot of points quickly and very eas-
ily. We then like to save the Nec-
tar points earn for our team
Christmas party. This year, we’re
thinking of a big party with lots of
wine, music and even a team day
out paintballing – all treats we can
pay for using our Nectar points,”
said Fergus.
Fergus continues; “The Nectar
Business programme is great, it’s
quick and easy to collect and we
can then use the points we earn
to reward the team for all their
hard work!”

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34 | www.businessindependent.co.uk

The pride of the fleet
The Lexus LS600h L is not only the world’s first four-wheel drive hybrid V8 but also the flagship
of the luxury brand’s range. It offers a discreet but strong challenge to its better known German
rivals, says Dave Sumner Smith
How comfortable is it?
The ‘basic’ models of the LS are large, well-
equipped and comfortable. Leather uphol-
stery, heated rear seats, electric sunshades
and air conditioned front seats come as stan-
dard. The range-topper gets an extra 12cm in
length, plus a specification that includes drop-
down video screens, air conditioned, electron-
ically adjustable rear seats and a cool box.
There is even an optional rear relaxation pack,
which adds a massage system to the ad-
justable Ottoman foot and thigh rest.
What is it like to drive?
It may be large in scale and traditional in
style, but the LS600h L is no slouch. Far from
it. The 375bhp power of the 5.0-litre V8 and
the rechargeable batteries generate 520Nm of
torque, delivered to all four wheels through a
continuously variable transmission. The net re-
sult is a seamless, smooth delivery of huge
power: Brains and muscles combined with
seemingly effortless ease.
Will it impress?
Despite its hybrid status, the Lexus is hardly
trendy. But it is quietly (and deservedly) win-
ning custom from high status European
MOTORING
brands. The fact its hybrid status wins exemp-
tion from London’s Congestion Charge and
gives more than 30mpg are minor benefits.
More impressive are its comfort, sophistica-
tion, space and silken refinement.
Does it make financial sense?
The LS is far from cheap. The ‘base model’
starts at £61,540 and the flagship LS600h L
cost £87,935. But that is £17k less than a
Mercedes S600L, and the Lexus retains its
value better, has a superior reputation for reli-
ability and offers superior dealer service.
Quotes on contracthireandleasing.com sug- mas-
gest leasing costs only two thirds of the Mer- sage seats and thigh and feet supports,
cedes’ price at £1300-1400pcm. it also has a 19 speaker sound system, four
zone climate control, rear parking camera,
What else should I consider? park assist and a pre-crash safety system. For
Obviously its main competitors are the hardcore gadget-lovers there’s even a Smart
BMW 7-series, Mercedes S-Class and Audi Card instead of an ignition key.
A8. The Maserati Quattroporte offers a differ-
ent flavour of glamour, while the recently an- What does it say about me?
nounced Jaguar XJ and Porsche Panamera The stretched Lexus is too restrained and
may also be worth considering. understated to be fashionable. Like a finely-
tailored suit, it isn’t glamorous. It suggests the
Any toys and gadgets? owner doesn’t need a badge to bolster their
The LS600h L is a toy-lover’s nirvana. As ego and is more interested in sophistication
well as flip down screens to watch DVDs, and comfort than appearing ‘flash’.
www.businessindependent.co.uk | 35
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