★★★★

BUSINESS SurviveStart

ThriveECH

O

Notonlyproperty,butalsopeople

Amagnet forUKthrillseekersPAGES2&3 PAGES4&5

WORKCENTRESTOCUTJOBLESSRATESUP TO three warehouse-sized trainingcentres will be created on Merseyside toget long-term unemployed back intowork if a training provider gets thego-ahead from the Government.

Welfare-to-work provider FourstaREmployment & Skills, a Dutch-USventure, is bidding to operate the northwest programme for the Government’sback-to-work initiative.

It says it is unique compared with

rivals in offering hands-on workexperience at its Employment TrainingCentres (ETCs) which can include fullyfunctional commercial kitchens,professionally equipped gyms,manufacturing floors and office

simulation areas with real workactivities from local employers.

The company currently runs twoETCs in the midlands and managingdirector Aaron Henricksen said: “Ourachievements in Birmingham andSolihull has proved that our uniqueapproach and business model works inthe UK market and we feel we can makea real difference to the lives of theunemployed in the north west.”

Each centre costs £1m to set up andwill employ about 50: “We will employseveral hundred staff should we besuccessful for the north west.”

ETCs would be located in areas with

available warehousing units and highjobless counts and Birkenhead andEverton have initially been identifiedas possible sites.

Mr Henricksen said they would be an“evolution and improvement” of themidlands model and he expects morethan 40% of clients to find jobs.

If the bid is successful in March hesaid facilities could be up and runningin Merseyside by July next year.

He denied employer involvementcould reduce vacancies: “There’salways been a work experience elementof welfare-to-work. We’re not talkinglarge numbers, just additionality.”

Warehouseswilloffer hands-onjobexperience

‘Becky’addsfizzto launchKATHERINE Kelly, TVsoap Coronation Street’sbrazen barmaid BeckyMcDonald, provided thetonic to open a £250,000third production line atthe Warrington gin andvodka distillery of G&JGreenall.

Chief executiveChristian Rose said: “Weare proud to launch thethird production line. Itrepresents the truegrowth and developmentwe have achieved overthe past 250 years.”

CHEERS: Christian Rose and Katherine Kellytoast the new production line

● BOOTLEpromotional goods

provider Wild Thang haslanded three contracts,including Mathew StreetFestival merchandise forLiverpool council,promotional goods forthe Charity MinesAdvisory Group, and amerchandise frameworkfor the MerseysideCollaborative groupwhich covers six localauthorities and transportauthority Merseytraveland could be worth morethan £200,000. Thebusiness has alsoinstalled £50,000 worth ofdigital printingequipment to keep pacewith increasingworkloads.

● THE Southportoffice of north west

accountancy groupChampion has recruitedJonathan Comber, 22, ofBurscough, as a newtrainee to its expandingaudit and accountsdepartment.

● ACTUARIES andconsultants Barnett

Waddingham is staging afree breakfast seminar atits Liverpool office onthe changing marketconditions of 2010 andhow it could impact onthe way pensions arereported withinaccounts. It starts at8.15am next Thursday,December 16. ContactMelanie Shelley on 0207-776 0520 for details.

● SIX new jobs havebeen created with

the opening of a CostaCoffee outlet in LondonRoad in the formerSeldons Amusementssite. It is the 10th Costato be opened underlicence by Liverpool-based firm OptimumCoffee which nowemploys 103 staff.

byNEIL HODGSONIndustry Reporter

0151 600 5353 bruntwood.co.uk/lpooloffer * terms and conditions apply

RENT FREE offices and 20%OFF meeting rooms*

NEWS Wednesday, December 8, 20102 ★★★★

Rampworxprovidingmorethanjustthrillsandspills

BUSINESSSMALL

of the Week

Neil Hodgson hearshow extreme sports helppoint kids to the right path

FIRMS SEERISE INORDERS ANDINFLATIONORDERS haveincreased, butprofitability hasslipped, according tothe latest survey bysmall firms’ lobbygroup the Forum ofPrivate Business.

It shows 30% of itsmembers reportedbigger order booksand better turnoverlast month, while only16% suffered adecrease.

But many businessowners also reporteda sharp drop inprofitability asincreases in fuel costs,energy prices and rawmaterials hit home.

At 46%, almost halfof the firms surveyedsaid they had seen arecent increase in thecost of doing business,with only 1% reportingthat costs had fallen.

FPB spokesman PhilMcCabe said: “Thisinflationary pressure isa real concern – itbasically means moremoney is being suckedout of small firms andtransferred overseas,or over to multi-national businesses inthe utility and oilindustries.

“It’s something thegovernment reallyneeds to tackle if itwants smallerbusinesses to driveeconomic growth andcreate jobs in themonths and yearsahead.”

Other key findingsfrom the latest surveyshowed thatbusinesses confidenceis slightly higher thanit was in October,while employmentamong small firms isexpected to increaseby around 3% in 2011.

BANK HONOURFOR GEMMABANKING groupSantander hashonoured Liverpoolworker Gemma Quineas its best fund raiserin a national awardsvoted for bycolleagues.

Gemma, who worksat Santander’s Bootlebanking head office,received a specialedition plaque, £100 invouchers and £1,000to donate to herchosen charity.

She was recognisedfor her efforts inhelping local charityand communityinitiatives.

BUSINESS

ABUSINESS proposal that

local authorities shunned ashaving had its day is now aninternational success andattracting its second

generation of enthusiasts.Rampworx Skatepark in Aintree is

the creation of BMXing kids-at-heartIan Robinson, 43, and Rob Godfrey, 50,who wanted to carry on “living thedream” and allow others to share theirpassion.

In 1995 they approached the councilabout setting up a small skatepark. Iansaid: “There was a lack of provision,but there were older guys like us whowere still into what we had done at ayounger age.

“The council didn’t want to getinvolved and said ‘hasn’t thathappened and gone?’”

So Ian, a retail manager, and Rob, abakery manager with Asda, raised a£15,000 personal loan and set up inHartley Avenue, Aintree in 1997.

In 18 months it was so busy kidsfrom across the north west werequeueing to get in: “We thought if wedidn’t move to a bigger site someonewill see what we have done and stealour model.”

So in 1999 they opened a skateboard,rollerblade and BMX park in LeckwithRoad after raising £50,000.

Again, the local authorities turneddown funding requests, but NatWest’sPaul Norman was highly impressed bytheir business plan.

He was unsure how to categorise theloan because nothing like it had beendone, so could only offer half thefunding, but put Ian and Rob in touchwith the embryonic MerseysideSpecial Investment Fund who made upthe balance.

“We were quite conservative withour figures because we had paid offour £15,000 loan within 12 months, sowe knew the model worked. But 12years ago £50,000 was a lot of moneyand we had to put our own houses upas capital.”

In 2003 Rampworx was grantedcharitable status. Ian explained: “Itwas never meant to be anything otherthan a hobby.”

However, a shrewd business planhas seen turnover treble in the pastthree years to £350,000 and a recentlylaunched e-commerce site is expectedto generate annual sales of £200,000within two years to underpin the park,and much, much more.

“We don’t want to stand still as anorganisation, but we know what weare. We are a skatepark in adilapidated industrial estate in themiddle of nowhere, but our draw isnational.”

Rampworx now caters for about1,000 customers a week, but can host1,000 for a single event, many of whichare televised around the world.

During the week 60% are fromwithin a six-mile radius, but atweekends 70% come from as far asBirmingham, London and Edinburgh.

Its website also highlights up andcoming young talent: “We have a hostof national and international riderswho have come out of Rampworx, like

BMXer Harry Maine from Bootle, whois 19 and who now rides for theInternational Nike team, has just donea TV advert with Ashley Cole andPaula Radcliffe, and is now earning aliving out of BMX.”

Ian attributes their success to thepassion of the Rampworx team and ahost of volunteers from among theiryoungsters who also form a youngpersons’ steering group that thetrustees consult on their plans.

Ironically, Rampworx is nowworking with local authorities to setup sister sites in Wirral and St Helens,because the organisation is now somuch more than an extreme sportsvenue.

Its profits pay for an outreachprogramme around Merseyside whichprovides bikes and coaching foryoungsters. Ian explained: “We’remarketing ourselves to the nextgeneration, but we’re also giving kidsa focus and getting them off thestreets.”

Wirral Crime Prevention Panel hasbeen taking youngsters to Rampworxfor four years and is a big supporter ofits aim to open a centre in Bidston inthe next three years.

Development funding is obviouslyan issue, but Rampworx hopes PulseRegeneration, which has beeninvolved with Vauxhall’s Eldonians,will be able to identify opportunities.

Newcareorganisationwill create40Knowsley jobsFORTY new jobs are beingcreated at a social enterprisebeing set up in Knowsley.

CASA – Care and ShareAssociates – is a homecareorganisation which alreadyoperates in four locationsacross the north and is nowopening a branch in Huyton.

Knowsley Housing Trust(KHT) is funding the new

venture through the WorkingNeighbourhoods Fund, whichit manages on behalf of thelocal strategic partnership.

The company, which isowned by its 500 employees, isestablishing Knowsley HomeCare Associates in the newyear. It has already beenawarded a contract withKnowsley council within

Knowsley Health andWellbeing services.

CASA businessdevelopment director Dr GuyTurnbull said: “We arethrilled to be setting up ournew unit in Knowsley and toextend our way of working tothe Knowsley community.

“Our CASA values arepretty simple, we believe in

putting people before profit.Therefore, CASA and all of itsfranchise units are employee-owned social enterprises.”

He added: “We put oursuccess down to one thing, astrong focus on people.

“We refuse to cut cornersand the welfare of our clientsand staff are at the heart ofour mission because they

actually own the company.”KHT chief executive Bob

Taylor said: “Socialenterprises are an incrediblyimportant tool in helpingcommunities work themselvesout of the economic downturn.

“This is the time for socialenterprises and housingassociations to come into theirown to build the “big society”.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 NEWS 3★★★★

ENTERPRISECELEBRATIONFOR LEADERSBUSINESS leaderswho have spent theyear working topromote enterprisecelebrated theirachievements lastnight.

More than 90business people metat the Village Hotel inWarrington to marktheir work forEnterprise UK.

They were taskedwith raising the profileof youngentrepreneurs, as wellas focusing on women,the over-50s andpeople from ethnicminoritycommunities.

One enterpriseambassador whoattended last nightwas Chris Arnold,founder of Liverpooltravel companiesSmaller Earth andCamp Leaders.

Mr Arnold createdglobal enterprisecompetition Your BigYear, the finals ofwhich were held inLiverpool last month.

Other Merseysideentrepreneurs whoattended last nightincluded NolaBaldwin, founder ofoven glove firmGloven, and BEEcyclefounder KennethCheung. BEEcycledesigns green wastesolutions for homesand businesses.

Pamela Hargreavesof Enterprise UK said:“The sheer diversity ofnorth westambassadors hasproven that there ishuge untapped talentof enterprisingindividuals and plentyof creative energy inthe region.”

UP THE WALL: Askateboarder in action atRampworx, Aintree

Among many other programmesRampworx offers are educationprojects on healthy eating, drugs andalcohol, and sexual health, while thepolice offer guidance on gun and knifecrime. Profits also pay for equipmentto encourage young talent: “Upstairswe do tuition in IT, video arts andphotography. We have a pool of youngpeople who have a raw talent, but noaccess to equipment or facilities.”

And Rampworx offers closed-groupsessions for girls: “Almost 90% of ourcustomers are male, but we encouragefemales because, post-16, 80% offemales drop out of sports.

“We are effectively a youth service,but we’re not, if you see what I mean.”

For a venture that the councilsbelieved had had its day, the businessis going from strength to strength,with customers ranging from fiveyears of age to more than 50 years old.

“One of our customers, BrigitteSchulz is 54. Her kids came from avery early age and have all flown thenest and gone to university, butBrigitte has now taken uprollerblading.

“She’s very good and a very ballsylady, even when she falls.

“Also, the kids who were 16 in 1997now have their own kids who theybring along. So we have twogenerations now.”

He admits their hobby has exceededall expectations, but is by no meansimmune to business pressures: “Wehaven’t escaped hard times – but wejust concertina our business modelduring those times.”

JOANNE NAMEDTOP EMPLOYEEA WIRRAL gardencentre manager hasbeen named employeeof the year at anational awards final.

Joanne Massam,floristry manager ofGordale GardenCentre at Burton,near Neston, wasnominated by hercolleagues in thecategory thatrecognises staff whohave “gone the extramile” to contribute tothe success of thebusiness.

The final of theGarden Retail Awards,in London’s GrosvenorHotel last month, sawJoanne triumph aheadof four contenders.

Do you wantto be our Business

of the Week?Contact Neil

Hodgson 0151 4722451 or emailneil.hodgson

@liverpool.com

REACHING OUT: The Rampworx team, from left,Rob Godfrey, Ian Robinson and Paul Hunter

NEWS Wednesday, December 8, 20104 ★★★★

BUSINESS

TEN years ago, the future forthe ICI headquarters inRuncorn was bleak. Thechemicals giant had put thesite up for sale and property

consultants were recommending itshould be knocked down.

Dr Peter Cook had worked for ICIfor 35 years after leaving universityand had risen to lead the firm’s SiteOperations Group (SOG).

He said: “When we realised thewriting was on the wall for the site,we realised that the people we wereresponsible for would be joining thedole queue.

“We thought the site had a lotgoing for it. There were a lot ofpositives, such as the skills basethat had been built up overgenerations in the Halton area.

“I did believe we could retain theskill base that I was responsible for.I felt – and so did some of mycolleagues – that we wanted theopportunity to do something.”

The plan was to take over the site,which was a mix of laboratory andoffice space, in an area with aheritage of a scientific workforce,and attract firms to create a hub ofinnovation and commerciality.

After a struggle the managementgroup succeeded in takingownership. The idea has sinceproven to be so successful – 1,900people are employed at the site,more than in ICI’s heyday – that DrCook is now leading a project,called Fusion, to replicate TheHeath across the country.

To be clear, the idea is not tocreate hubs of scientific expertiseas such, but to retain the skills andfacilities that had been in theownership of a large company thatis planning to leave.

He said: “Fusion has a four stageprocess. We start with a quick,sharp scouting study to look atwhat options are viable.

“From that we can identify apreferred option and move on to afeasibility study of that.

“Third is the planning stage,where we work up a business planin great detail with the client. Thenthe final stage is theimplementation stage.”

Dr Cook and his team are in talkswith “six or seven organisations”around the country which aresubject to confidentiality clauses.But one scheme, the Sanofi-Aventissite in Dagenham, has gone public.

“We have just completed stagethree with Sanofi and we areawaiting their final decision as towhether they want to implementit,” he said.

“That’s very significant, it’s a100-acre site, nearly twice as big asThe Heath.

“The solution there is likely to bea polyclinic, that will be the core.That’s a nice synergy as Sanofimanufactured cancer medicine onthat site.

“It builds on their heritage. Theidea is there would bepharamceutical businesses.

“It’s about retaining the skillsand the facilities rather thanlooking at it as just real estate.”

Fusion doesn’t just work whencompanies want to pull out, but alsowhen they are looking to downsize.

He said: “Fusion can come alongand provide a solution to a partiallyclosed site. That can help the maincore business.

“You can keep a source of supportskills and make sure they have asufficient critical mass of businessso it supports the originaldownsized business.

He is also passionate about theuse of public money, which is oftenfunnelled into developing greenfieldsites rather than utilising existingsites.

Dr Cook said: “There’s little pointin putting public money into newscience facilities when excellentfacilities already exist in the handsof private companies.

“We are talking about facilitiesthat today would be extremelycostly to develop but actuallyalready exist in the private sector.

“If private companies aredownsizing or even closing sites,

surely it is sensible to make use ofthese existing facilities, and theskilled personnel that run them,and make them available to supportthe wider scientific community.

“The skills and facilities can thenbe cross-linked across the UK todevelop a network to supportscience research and development.

“I believe this is a sensible andcost-effective solution which is atthe very heart of our Fusionconcept – but it would requiregovernment support to achieve it.

“We have been working hard toconvince the Government that

Retainingskills isattheheartofavisiontoinvigoratethreatenedeconomies

INTERVIEWBIGAlex Turnermeets SOGchairman Dr PeterCook at The Heath

‘WethoughtthesiteatTheHeathhadalotgoingfor it’

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 NEWS 5★★★★

Fusion needs to be promoted so thatlarge companies and evengovernment organisations are madefully aware of this regenerationoption when considering futureplans for their sites and staff.”

The focus that Fusion demandssaw Dr Cook step up to chairmanearlier this year with marketingdirector John Lewis becoming chiefexecutive.

While he is hands-off on theday-to-day running of SOG – whichincludes The Heath and a site atBlackley, Manchester – he retainsgreat enthusiasm for the

entrepreneurs that fill thelaboratories and offices.

“I think we need to encouragemore young people to start theirown businesses,” he said

“Natalie Beard at Love Frockshas combined her passion with herskills and set up this business,which is great.

“The Heath has got the sciencestuff, which is tremendouslyvaluable, but we have the everydaystuff – accountants, lawyers, LoveFrocks, Halton Chamber.

“That’s one of our strengths –there’s a business community.”

ENTHUSIASM:Dr Peter Cookis excited by thepotential forFusion

FLAMING BRILLIANT: Paul Le Pinnet, left, with Dr Peter Cook.centre, and North West Euro MP Sajjad Karim

OFFICIAL VISITS: Prime Minister Tony Blair, right, with Peter Cook,centre, and Chancellor Gordon Brown on a visit to The Heath in 2005

ICAEW CHIEFIN PLEA FORSUPPORTACCOUNTANTShave a duty of care tohelp encourage thebusiness recovery, saysan industry leader.

Gerald Russell,president of theInstitute of CharteredAccountants forEngland and Wales,said during a visit toLiverpool: “One of theareas that has sufferedas a result of thefinancial crisis is thatof business support. Inmy view, charteredaccountants should bethere to fill the gap.

“We must be thereto provide support,advice and guidance toindividuals andbusinesses who arelooking to takeadvantage of theeconomic recovery aswell as to those whoare struggling to stayafloat.”

Mr Russell’s linkswith Liverpool dateback to Colonel SirJames Philip Reynolds,his grandfather, whowas a successfulcotton broker in thelate 1800s and early1900s.

During his visit hemet with youngermembers at an eventheld at Ernst & Youngand attended theLiverpool Society ofCharteredAccountants’ annualdinner. The society’spresident JanMcDermott said:“Gerald is aninspiration to ourmembers.”

RETAILERS’ LINKFOR CYBERTILLCYBERTILL, theKnowsley electronicpoint of sales (EPoS)provider, has becomea preferred partner ofsports and outdoorbuying groupIntersport UK.

Cybertill will berecommended tobuying groupmembers and otherIntersport partners.

Intersport generalmanager Barry Mellissaid: “Cybertill is aunique EPoS solutionwhich is well proven inthe sports andoutdoor retail sectorand with our ownmembers. Cybertillhelps sports retailersmanage their businessmore efficiently andreduces stockholding.It is this addedadvantage of businesscontrol and ease ofuse that we want tooffer our members.”

NEWS Wednesday, December 8, 20106 ★★★★

BUSINESS

WITH a little bit of effortit is possible toremember a time whentakeaway pizza didn’timmediately conjure up

one brand name.Domino’s Pizza has set out to be

dominant since arriving in the UKin 1985.

It took 10 years to get to 100stores, another 10 years to reach 400and now, in its 25th year, has 650across the country.

The forerunner for thedomination by franchise model,McDonald’s, is still going strong.

The burger giant has been busyreinventing itself, which has seen£110m spent on refurbishing itsstores – £8m of which has beenspent in Merseyside – to accompanyits evolving menu that has seen itpromote its salads, coffee andporridge.

For independent, oftenfamily-run, takeaways, thecompetition from Domino’smulti-million pound marketingbudget and McDonald’s massiveinvestment programme is just onethreat.

They are also under pressurefrom a range of other factors, fromthe decline in discretionaryspending to the increase inattention being paid to healthyeating.

Steve’s Fish Bar has beenproviding fish and chips to Anfieldresidents and football supportersfor 40 years from its Breck Roadlocation.

The family-owned business hasbeen passed down and is now runby husband-and-wife team Terryand Fitoulla Paraskeva.

Terry shrugged off thecompetition from global chains.

“We don’t compete really,” hesaid. “We are a family business,and against big brands suchas McDonald’s, or Domino’s,we are a mere minnow inthe market.

“We are also greatlyaffected by supermarketsbeing built up the road.”

Hard work and givingthe customer what theywant are the ingredientsthey use in their businessrecipe.

He said: “We aim tomake the customersfeel very welcome and feelvery happy to get our food.

“Every morning, the

food is cooked fresh – I ampreparing food, every day, from7.30am.

“Because a lot of us are affectedfrom recession, even myself, I havelowered the prices of the mostpopular foods – our large piedinners were £3.50, but now theyare £2.”

Customer service is alsoimportant at Khaja, an Indian

takeaway in Woolton. Its owner, JayMiah, always asks customers forhonest feedback, so if there isanything negative, he can improveit as much as he can.

Jay said: “I’ve been verythoughtful towards the customers,and asked them if they have anyallergies before I processed theirorders.

“I’ve not had any complaints –that’s good!

“My award for excellentcustomer service proves that.”

He has been open for a yearand attributes Khaja’spopularity to its openkitchen, which enables

customers to watch thefood getting cooked

while they wait.Jay Miah is

optimistic he cancontinue to

thrive despitethe economic

climate.“Competition

keeps me on mytoes,” he said.“Without the

customers coming, I would not be inthe position I am.

“Recession has obviously affectedeveryone, and not just those withbusinesses, but as long as I providequality to the highest standards inmy food, I will be fine.”

Although McDonald’s is a globalphenomenom, it is still dependenton the endeavours of local businesspeople.

Paul Griffiths has just invested£190,000 in the refurbishment of hisBirkenhead restaurant, following£530,000 spent on his Bromboroughand Wallasey restaurants last year.

Paul said: “Since refurbishing myother two restaurants in the Wirralin 2009, we’ve increased ourcustomer base by around 10%.

“The new-look restaurants havebenefitted both our loyal and newcustomers, as well as improvingfacilities for my staff.

“This final refurbishment for mytrio of restaurants is set to create atleast five new jobs straight awayand possibly more in the future,demonstrating our ongoingcommitment to invest in the localcommunity.”

TIMEFORFASTFOCUS. . . on fast food

Alex Turner onhow the fast foodsector is faringwhile the heat is on

DINNER IS SERVED: Terry Paraskeva from Steve's Fish Bar in Breck Road, Anfield Picture: PAUL HEAPS

THE healthy eating agenda hastaken on momentum in recentyears, aided by celebrity chefand food campaigner JamieOliver, among others.

It increases the pressure onfast food outlets which haveoften been the target ofcampaigners’ ire.

In June a London schoolsucceeded in blocking theopening of a takeaway becausethe council’s planningcommittee had failed to takeinto account how close theschool was to the proposedsite.

Three months later, at theCardiovascular DiseasePrevention Showcase inLiverpool, a leading health bosscalled for councils to have

Planningtotakeaway?

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 NEWS 7★★★★

FOOD MONEY

more power to blocktakeaways opening.

Robin Ireland, chief executiveof Heart Of Mersey said: “It isa very complicated area andour planning laws will have tochange, but councils need to

have the power to say ‘we havetoo many takeaways here, thatis enough’ and be able to refuseplanning permission.

“We should also be lookingat the quality of fast food andwhat is going into it.”

MATTERS with NICKYBURRIDGE, personalfinance correspondent

MANY UK pensioners arebeing forced to abandontheir dream of retiringabroad because of theweakness of sterling,research has indicated.

Specialist currencybroker currencies.co.uksaid it had seen a 28% jumpin the number of retiredexpats who were selling upand returning to the UKduring the past 12 months.

The group blamed thesituation on a combination

of the weakness of sterling,in which most retiredexpats still receive theirpension, and risinginflation.

It said duringthe past fiveyears the value ofsterling hadfluctuated by up to67% against thecurrencies inpopular retirementdestinations, having adramatic impact on the

amount of money peoplehad to live off each month.

For people who haveretired in eurozonecountries, such as

France andSpain,exchange

rates on atypical monthlytransfer of£1,175 have

varied by 49%during the past

five years,

varying from a high of 1,793euros to a low of just 589euros.

Pensioners in the UShave seen a 53% swing inthe number of dollars theyget for the same amount,while those in Australiahave been the hardest hit,seeing the number ofAustralian dollars £1,175buys vary by 67%, rangingfrom 3,112 Australiandollars to just 1,247Australian dollars.

CAMPAIGN: Jamie Oliver is promoting healthy eating

NICE AND SPICY:Jay Miah outside hisKhasa IndianTakeaway in Woolton

ADVERTORIAL

BUSINESS SUPPORTWHEN YOU NEED IT

SUPPORTING LOcAL BUSINESSES: Lloyds TSB commercial’s Leigh Taylor

EvEn the most successfulbusinesses can face difficultperiods of financial uncer-tainty, particularly in aneconomic downturn.

In the Lloyds TSB‘Business in Britain’ July2010 survey, late payments,loss of client contracts andweak UK demand were allcited as threats to businessperformance.

In fact, over half (58 percent) of businesses in thenorth West indicated thatpressure on their cashflowhad been caused by latepayments from customers. Afurther 53 per cent of respon-dents said that they hadsuffered as a result of weakUK demand.

At Lloyds TSB our aimis to work in partnershipwith businesses, helping toimplement key strategiesbefore financial difficultiesare encountered. But wealso realise that sometimesproblems are unavoidableand can rapidly occur. Inthese cases we utilise allour expertise to support ourcustomers to overcome thesechallenging periods.

Our relationship manag-ers can put business ownersin touch with a wide rangeof locally based specialistteams who offer guidanceand support to help combatthe challenges faced bybusinesses today. Withsolutions ranging frominvoice financing, whichreleases some of the cashtied up in invoices, to inter-national services that couldmake exporting easier andpotentially more profitable.

Although exporting stillseems a daunting step formany businesses, our inter-national business managersare dedicated to sharing theirexpertise to help businessestake advantage of opportu-

nities that trading abroadcan offer. In the second halfof 2009 27 per cent of Britishcompanies that export saidthey had seen levels increase,in the first half of 2010 thishad risen to 40 per cent*– showing that there reallyis a world of opportunityout there.

For those customers whofind themselves in needof additional support, wealso have dedicated local‘turnaround teams’ who lookat the unique challengesbeing faced by every businessthey deal with. Using theirexpertise they could helprestructure operations andcommitments, helping areturn back to profitable

trading. These specialistteams have already beensuccessful in helping anumber of businesses acrossthe UK.

As part of our ongoingcommitment to support-ing local businesses, weare hosting 200 businessseminars a year nationwidebetween 2010 and 2012. Atthese seminars businessowners can network andspeak to many of our special-ist teams on a wide rangeof business issues includ-ing managing finance andexploring internationalopportunities.

For more informationplease call your relationshipmanager. Alternatively visit

our website www.lloydstsb.c o m / b u s i n e s s g u i d a n c ewhere you can also registerfor a seminar in your area.

*Business in Britain SurveyJuly 2010.

Lloyds TSB Commercialis a trading name of LloydsTSB Bank plc and LloydsTSB Scotland plc and servescustomers with an annualturnover of up to £15M.

Authorised and regulated bythe Financial Services Author-ity under numbers 119278 and191240 respectively.

Introductions will be madeto specific companies withinthe Lloyds Banking Group.

BY LEIGH TAYLORArea director for Lloyds TSBCommercial in the North West

NEWS Wednesday, December 8, 20108 ★★★★

BUSINESS

CAINSTOASTINGUSEXPORTDEAL

Newsupportschemeforentrepreneurs

Brewer in linkwithBostontradepartner

PULLING POWER: From left, Cliff Lusso of Win-It-Too, Cains joint MD Sudarghara Dusanj and Steven Villani of Win-It-Too

LIVERPOOL brewer Cains hasclinched its first transatlanticexport order in a deal withBoston-based Win-It-Too.

Two shipments of the Toxtethbrewery’s Cains Export Lager,Cains Bitter and Cains Mild havebeen despatched in a bid toestablish a footing in America’sgrowing market for qualitypremium lagers and beers.

The order follows a successfulpresentation by Cains, owned bybrothers Sudarghara and AjmailDusanj, at the National BeerWholesales Association tradeshow in Las Vegas earlier thisyear.

The company undertook its

“big sell” stateside with thesupport of government exportfacilitator UK Trade andInvestment, Food Northwest andthe British Beer and PubAssociation.

Joint managing directorSudarghara Dusanj andWin-It-Too’s Steven Villani andCliff Lusso celebrated theirbusiness partnership with a visitto the chain’s Doctor Duncan’spub in Liverpool city centre.

Mr Dusanj said: “Craft beers

are becoming increasinglypopular in the American market,and we’re hopeful that our award-winning beers and lagers will be ahit with US customers.

“We’re delighted that Cains canjoin the auspicious list of otherLiverpool exports that have madeit to America – now we’re justcrossing our fingers that we canmake it as big at The Beatles!”

Steven Villani, president ofWin-It-Too, said: “After asuccessful spell as the official beerof Liverpool’s Capital of CultureYear in 2008, this is anotherlandmark development for Cainsthat emphasises the brewery’sstrong links with its Liverpoolroots to the rest of the world.”

He added: “We’ve worked withCains to bring over the equivalentof 104,930 bottles for US beer

lovers to enjoy, and we’reconfident that the range of craftbeers will go down extremelywell.”

Cains is already a big hit withone particularly famousAmerican, the legendary filmdirector Quentin Tarantino, whosampled Cains Export Lagerwhile in Liverpool recently.

He said his “taste of Liverpoolin a pint” was “awesome”.

The brewery has embarked on aconcerted export drive since itsreturn from administration inSeptember, 2008, when it wasbought back by the Dusanjbrothers.

Since then they have managedto clinch several export orders fortheir range of beers in China,Denmark and the Republic ofIreland.

CONFIRMATION of a£114,000 grant hassecured a new project toincrease the number ofbusinesses setting up innorth Liverpool.

Business support groupStepclever has providedthe financial backing forthe Stepclever BusinessMentoring project whichaims to create a network

of 60 business leaders andexperts to act as mentorsfor entrepreneurs.

Mentors and menteeswill be matched by adatabase system whenthey register through theStepclever websitewww.stepclever.co.uk

The project, which isled by EverybodyOnline,a digital social enterprise

run by Liverpool-basedhousing association thePlus Dane Group, hopesto help up to 80 youngentrepreneurs.

It will also contributeto the Beautiful Northproject, a partnershipestablished by Liverpoolcouncil and led by a smallteam of councillors andcity officers to tackle

government spendingcuts.

Plus Dane enterpriseconsultant forEverybodyOnline, LucyCampbell, said: “Havingdeveloped a socialenterprise myself Icannot stress enough thebenefits of beingsurrounded by positive,successful people who can

assist you in some of themost vital businessdecisions you can make.

“The mentoringproject will provide thissort of invaluable supportto so many buddingentrepreneurs and I amlooking forward tounveiling many businesssuccesses as a result ofthis project.”

byNEIL HODGSONIndustry Reporter

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