KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees22, March, 2011

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HELEN CULLODEN KAREN WYNARDFlower power

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Feel ing the benefi t

Co lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

TrainingtriumphA COMPANY inHuddersfield hasprovided training formore than 650employees of anorganisation whichmanages more than18,000 council homes.Juice Learning, basedat Brooke’s Mill,Armitage Bridge, waspreferred supplier ofequality and diversitytraining at SouthTyneside Homes.

Open daysuccessAN open day held byKirklees ConstructionSkills Academy drewabout 180 parents andyoungsters – despiteconcerns about theindustry’s prospects.

FTSE 100+67.96

5786.09

Warning as taxman targets poor book-keepingKIRKLEES firms have been warnedabout a crackdown on poorbook-keeping.

A Huddersfield accountant saidHM Revenue & Customs was under-taking a Business Record Checkscampaign, targeting small andmedium-sized businesses across WestYorkshire.

Nick Brook, who runs Tax AssistAccountants at Lockwood, said busi-nesses with poor book-keepingrecords – where tax is likely to havebeen underpaid – were at a higher riskof investigation.

Mr Brook also urged small firmsacross West Yorkshire to sign up foronline Corporation Tax filing ahead

of an expected rush.Although the compulsory change

to online filing does not come intoforce until April, small firms shouldapply now rather than risk unneces-sary fines for filing late, he said.

“As well as limited companies, thechanges will affect other organisa-tions that pay corporation tax,

including clubs, societies, associ-ations, co-operatives, charities andother unincorporated bodies,” saidMr Brook.

From April, all company taxreturns, accounts and payments foraccounting periods ending March 31,2010, have to be filed online in aspecified format.

Dortech embarkson efficiency driveA COMPANY providing glazing forsome of Huddersfield’s most innov-ative buildings has launched a newdivision to meet rising concernsabout energy-efficiency.

Dortech Architectural SystemsLtd, based at Fieldhouse BusinessPark in Huddersfield, has set upDortech Maintenance to providerefurbishment and maintenance ser-vices for a variety of window anddoor products.

The company, which has suppliedproducts for schemes includingHuddersfield University’s creativearts building and business school,hopes to create more jobs as a resultof the launch of the division.

And it is expected to prove attract-ive to customers keen to ensure theirproperties are as energy-efficient aspossible at a time of rising fuel costsand the need to go “green”.

Dortech maintenance servicesmanager Darren Grubb said: “Thisexciting new business venture wasset-up in acknowledgement of theimportance of maintaining a build-ing’s ‘envelope’ – the barrier that

ideally retains heat energy in winteror keeps it out in summer.

“In poorly functioning envelopes,heating and cooling energy will belost to the atmosphere at a higherrate than the loss from efficient

envelopes. Over time, if a building’senvelope is not maintained, significantreductions in its performance will beobserved.

“Additionally, the cost of energy isgoing through the roof due to rising

levels of demand, reliance upon fuelsupplied from overseas, planned decom-missioning of coal fired power stationsover the next few years and nuclearreplacements which are not due to beonline until 2016.

“The UK has been targeted withreducing its carbon emissions by at least80% from 1990 levels by 2050.

“Maintaining and improving a build-ing envelope, therefore, represents anincreasingly important way of helpingus get there.”

Dortech, which employs 60 peopledirectly and up to 200 sub-contractors,said its maintenance operations alreadyhad a proven track record in the com-mercial glazing industry.

Dortech has been designing, makingand installing windows, doors, rooflights and curtain walling for more than18 years. It works in a variety of sectors,including education, health, retail, com-mercial, residential, hotel and leisure.

During this time, the company hasmanufactured and installed more than£90m worth of windows and win-dow-related products.

■ GLASS ACT: Dortech will help firms improve their energy efficiency

www.chadwicklawrence.co.ukHuddersfield | Wakefield | Halifax | Leeds

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

Local shares

FTSE closed at

5786.09Up 67.96

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.53 dollarsBangladesh................. 110.10 takaBrazil.............................. 2.42 realsCanada....................... 1.52 dollarsChina ............................. 9.52 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.66 korunasDenmark....................... 8.13 kroneEuro............................... 1.09 euroHong Kong................ 12.01 dollarsHungary ................... 278.04 forintsIndia.......................... 64.47 rupeesJapan........................... 122.08 yenMexico ....................... 17.39 pesosNew Zealand .............. 2.06 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.61 kronePakistan.................. 130.63 rupeesPhilippines ................. 60.54 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.56 randSouth Korea.............. 1591.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 169.07 rupeesSweden......................... 9.72 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.40 francsTaiwan ...................... 41.92 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.40 new liraUSA ............................ 1.55 dollars

Carclo 2761/4 -133/4Marshalls 1141/2 +1/2National Grid 578 +1Weir Gp 1708 +73

Regus set for UK upturnOFFICE rental firm Regus said itexpects its UK business to return toprofit this year after it found £15m ofcost savings.

Regus blamed “extremely challen-ging conditions” in 2010 for a 7%drop in UK sales to £178.9m – despiteopening 23 new centres and the trans-fer of 700 sales consultants to itsoffices from Yell.

The UK business made operatinglosses of £12.2m in the year, but Regusis confident it can return to profitafter making cost savings by closingthree centres and renegotiating leaseswith landlords.

The group, which operates in 87

countries, said total revenues fell by1% to £1bn while underlying profitsplunged by 67% to £23.8m after itinvested £70m in opening 125 newcentres. Bottom-line pre-tax profitsplunged by 91% to £7.8m due torestructuring costs.

Regus reported little upturn so farfrom the global economic recovery,but shares rose by 16% or 16.1p to116.6p after it said the business hademerged stronger from the recessionand it raised its full-year dividend by8% to 2.6p.

It also continued to expand over-seas, having opened offices in Oman,Ghana and Lithuania in the year.

Picture ‘improving’for regional firmsTHE West Yorkshire economy is improv-ing on the back of private sector activity,according to a survey by a Huddersfieldlaw firm.

Private sector law practice BaxterCaulfield has published an evaluation ofWest Yorkshire’s business deals.

The data documents 8,000 new jobsannounced and £750m of new investmentin the first two months of 2011.

The Station Street firm conducted anevaluation of announcements publishedby companies relating to jobs, investmentand new contracts.

Baxter Caulfield said the figuresprovided strong evidence of new innova-tion, private sector investment and newprivate sector jobs throughout theregion.

It said the findings balanced the diffi-

cult news of job losses in the publicsector.

It said: “The most interesting statistic isthat the rate of job creation in the privatesector is already in excess of the rate of joblosses predicted in the public sector.”

The research records 8,000 private sec-tor jobs announced in the first twomonths of 2011, some £758.33m of newinvestment by private sector business inthe region and more than £185.61m worthof new contract wins.

West Yorkshire councils recently pre-dicted 5,000 job cuts.

Kirklees Council said 1,500 jobs couldgo, Leeds Council expects more than1,400 posts to be axed and BradfordCouncil could cut 1,000 posts.

Stephen Newman, senior partner atBaxter Caulfield said: “There is no doubt

that the region has been through sometough economic times.

“However, our research clearly indic-ates that, led by the private sector, thingsare improving.

“The years since autumn, 2008, werebereft of investment.

“Now companies are spending some ofthe money they accumulated as a result ofcost reduction and an investment pause.

“This is filtering through but is nothitting the headlines. The process isgradual, but discernible.”

The findings follow a survey in Januaryby the Huddersfield-based Mid YorkshireChamber of Commerce, which said localcompanies were feeling more optimisticabout their prospects – despite concernsover government cutbacks and unstableinternational markets

Travelex reports rise in earningsFOREIGN currency giant Travelexsaid it overcame last year’s volcanicash cloud and difficult travel marketto post the second best annual earn-ings performance in its history.

The group reported a 9% rise inunderlying earnings to £130.6m for2010 after investing another £30m innew products and services.

Travelex, which lifted sales by 16%to £739.7m, added another 139stores and more than 100 cashmachines last year – taking its totalto 950 stores across 24 countries.

It launched its pre-paid card –- analternative to travellers cheques – infive new markets and said a total of£1bn was loaded on to the cards.

Chief executive Peter Jacksonsaid the group’s 2010 performancecame despite “challenging globalmarket conditions” which last yearincluded the impact of the ash cloud,exceptional bad weather acrossEurope and the tough economicbackdrop.

Travelex plans to continueexpanding in 2011 across Asia andSouth America.

It has 51 stores in Japan and ajoint venture business paymentspartnership with Rakuten Bank.

The group pledged to continuegrowth in Japan in the long-termdespite the country’s nuclear andearthquake crisis.

Break-up‘too costly’FORCING banks to splittheir investment andretail arms could cost asmuch as £15bn a yearand encourage them tomove their headquartersoverseas, it is claimed.

A report bymanagement consultantsOliver Wyman, whichwas ordered by thebanks and submitted tothe IndependentCommission on Banking,says splitting retail andinvestment banking couldcost the big five banksbetween £12bn and£15bn a year.

It said banks would notbe able to move capitaleasily between differentdivisions and would haveto use multiple sourcesof funding instead.

FounderreturnsTHE founder of highstreet fashion chain NewLook has made asurprise return to thehelm of the companyfollowing a managementclear-out.

Tom Singh, who has a22.4% stake in the firm,will become interimexecutive chairmanfollowing the resignationof its chief executive CarlMcPhail andnon-executive chairmanJohn Gildersleeve.

The changes come asthe group battles againsttough trading conditions.It recently ruled outreviving its plans for astock market flotationlater this year.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £27.21 +0.12Gannett 952.23 +17.78Hess Corp £50.23 +1.43Microsoft 1554.66 +34.03Motors Liquidation 45.99Wal-Mart Stores £31.85 +0.26

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 216 +21/2BAE Systems 3251/8 +63/4Rolls-Royce Gp 5981/2 +20

AIMBrady Plc 73Dawson Intl 13/4Man Brnze 50 +2

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1961/2 +35/8

BANKSBarclays 2891/2 +73/8HSBC 6333/4 +103/4Lloyds Banking Gp 603/4 +1Ryl Scotland 413/8 +5/8Stan Chart 1622 +29

BEVERAGESDiageo 1150 +7SABMiller £201/8 +1/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1624 +24Elementis 98 1591/2 -1/8Johnsn Mat 1884 +29

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3423/4 +43/8Costain 247 -8

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 4153/8 -45/8Intl Power 313 -11/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1235 +1

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1493/4 +3/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 350 +53/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1813/8 +41/4Cable & WirelessComm

501/2 +21/4

Cable & WirelessWwide

637/8 +13/8

Colt Group 147 +1KCOM 611/2 +11/4Talktalk Telecom 1323/4 -1/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 278 +1Sainsbury 3571/2 +61/2Tesco 3843/8 +11/8

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 969 +21/2Nth Foods 723/4 +1/4Tate Lyle 5471/2 +101/2Unilever 1839 +19Uniq 61/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3273/4 -3/4National Grid 578 +1Pennon Grp 625 +5Severn 1437 +17United Utils 5791/2 +11

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 300 +13/4

ICAP 5071/2 +5London StockExch 8481/2 +9Man Group 2451/2 +3/8Provident Financial 9651/2 +51/2Schroders 1736 +13Schroders NV 1360 +22

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 673 +16REXAM 3647/8 +47/8Smiths Grp 1333 +19

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 231/4 -3/4Carphone Whse 3671/4 -3Dixons Retail 161/2 +1/8Home Retail 1951/8 -3/4Inchcape 3661/4 +97/8Kingfisher 244 +21/4M & S 342 +71/4Mothercare 495 +6Next 1944 +4WH Smith 4593/8 +81/4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 686 +71/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 120 -9Barrat Dev 1061/4 +33/8Persimmon 4561/2 +65/8Reckitt Benckiser £305/8 +3/8Taylor Wimpey 411/4 +13/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 7671/2 +211/2I M I 9851/2 +301/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 4021/4 -53/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 2033/4 +33/4Forth Ports 1614 +7

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 4503/4 +91/8Lgl & Gen 1133/8 +31/2Old Mutual 1301/4 +21/8Prudential 723 +13Resolution 2787/8 +7Standard Life 2053/4 +4

MEDIABSkyB 8281/2 +61/2D Mail Tst 516 +61/2ITV 865/8 -1/2Johnston Press 71/2 +3/8Pearson 1081 +24Reed Elsevier 5181/2 +31/2STV Group 1521/2Trinity Mirror 461/2 -1/4Utd Business 6041/2 +81/2UTV 130 +51/2WPP 771 +11Yell Group 6 +1/8

MININGAnglo American £305/8 +1/4Antofagasta 1367 +3BHP Billiton £23Eurasian NaturalRes

909 +6

Fresnillo 1485 +43Kazakhmys 1372 +15Lonmin 1617 +14Rio Tinto £405/8 +3/8VEDANTARESOURCES

£217/8 -1/8

Xstrata 13931/2 +11MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 584 +7

Vodafone Group 176 +6

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1575 +10RSA Insurance Gp 1321/4 +25/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 14811/2 -171/2BP 4645/8 +25/8Cairn Energy 4193/4 -4Royal Dutch Shell A £213/4 +1/4Royal Dutch Shell B £213/4 +3/8Total £361/8 +5/8Tullow Oil 1377 +15

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1142 +14Petrofac 1410 -16Wood Group 6401/2 +71/2

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1138 +32

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £281/2 +1/4Axis-Shield 3095/8 -3/8GlaxoSmithK XD 12Shire 1828 +9

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 557Captl Shop Cent 3725/8 +17/8DTZ Hldgs 31 -3Hamrsn 4471/4 +71/2Land Secs 725 +4SEGRO 3201/8 +51/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1582 +36Invensys 3531/4 +171/8Logica 130 +33/4Misys 3171/4 +81/4Sage Group 2675/8 +71/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 4753/8 +53/8Bunzl 728 +16Capita 752 +21/2De La Rue 800 -15Electrocomp 270 +41/2Experian 7591/2 +131/2G4S 2571/4 +13/4Hays 1155/8 +5/8Homeserve 444 +1Menzies J 472 -41/2Rentokil 90 +1Smiths News 81 +2Wolseley £211/8 +3/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 516 +5

Psion 911/2 -11/2Spirent Comms 1433/4 +15/8

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £233/8 +1/8Imperial Tobacco 1916 +6

LEISURE & HOTELS

Carnival £251/4 +1/2Compass Grp 5421/2 +9easyJet 3431/8 +55/8Enterprise Inns 927/8 +13/8FirstGroup 3325/8 -3/4Go-Ahead Gp 1405 +21Greene King 4493/8 +65/8Intercontl Htls 1272 -2Intl Cons AirlinesGp

2223/4 +33/4

Ladbrokes 1293/4 +1/8Mitchells & Butlers 2951/4 +51/4Natl Express 2381/4 +41/8PartyGaming 1763/8 +17/8Rank Org 1291/2 +1Stagecoach Group 2047/8 +2TUI Travel 2323/4 +5/8Whitbread 1651 +30

INDEXFTSE 100 5786.09 +67.96

INDEXFTSE 250 11511.24 +165.42

■ UPBEAT: StephenNewman, senior partner ofBaxter Caulfield Solicitors

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

HelenCulloden

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: ProprietorAge: 23Holidays: Gibraltar orcruising the MedCar: Mazda 2First job: Saturday girl ina florist shopBest thing about job:Pleasing people andexceeding their expecta-tionsWorst thing about job:Early mornings! And notbeing able to grow my nailsbecause they’re in water allthe time!Business tip: Thinkthings through, be enthusi-astic, but be realistic, too

Work: FloristSite: LinthwaitePhone: 01484 844644Web: www.four-seasons-florists.co.ukE-mail info@four-seasons-florists.co.uk

FourSeasons

HHeelleennttaakkeesstthheefflloorraallcchhaannccee

BUSINESS is blooming forHelen Culloden.

The former Colne ValleyHigh School student findsrunning her own floristshop is the perfectarrangement.

And she has ambitions togrow the business, FourSeasons, which she startedfive years ago after gettinga taste for the tradeworking in a flower shop onschool work experience.

Says Helen: “I was a bitstuck for somewhere to go.My father suggested goingto the florist. I didn’t wantthe school to sort out workexperience for me, so Iagreed.

“I didn’t think it would bemy cup of tea, but I decidedto give it a go.”

Helen, who lives atScapegoat Hill, enjoyed thework so much, she got aSaturday job there.

When she left school,she started work at theFlower Gallery, a floristshop in Moldgreen andundertook an NVQ level 2in floristry at HuddersfieldTechnical College.

After a few years, sheHelen decided it was timeto work for herself. “Myparents had their ownbusiness for almost 30years,” she says. “Being myown boss must be in myblood!

“I spotted the empty shopat Manchester Road,Linthwaite, from the bus. Itused to be a newsagentsand it was also a furnitureshop for a short while. Idecided to rent it. I thought:‘The worst that couldhappen is it doesn’t workout’.

“I make some enquiriesand in the space of fourmonths I was open forbusiness.”

Helen chose the nameFour Seasons afterconsidering and rejecting anumber of awful puns onthe subject of plants.

She also selected thedecor and transformed theempty unit with help fromfamily and friends.

“I was very nervousabout it because I realisedwhat a big responsibility itwas and the sort ofproblems that could comewith it,” says Helen. “But sofar, so good!”

Helen is well aware thatfloristry is a highlycompetitive retail sector –with supermarkets andpetrol retailers undercuttingvillage flower shops.

But Helen says the ‘bigplayers’ cannot offer thepersonal service of thesmaller stores.

“The idea is to offersomething different to whateveryone else is doing,”she says. “I try to get thebest quality blooms and Itry to relate to mycustomers.”

A typical day in the shopbegins at 8.30am makingarrangements for wedding,funerals or christenings.

St Valentine’s Day andMothering Sunday providea boost for business after a“quiet” January while thereare always birthdays,anniversaries and otheroccasions to cater for.

“The first two years were

all about getting establishedand getting the word out topeople about the newshop,” says Helen.

“Now I am getting a lot ofrepeat business and peopleare coming to me throughrecommendations.

“There are times I amrushing around like an idiotand I could do with two orthree other people to helpout.

“That’s when I think itwould be a good idea tohave some staff to run theshop and go sunning myself

in Gibraltar!”Helen says: “The best part

of the job is the creativity.“I can let my imagination

run wild with some of myarrangements.

“Then there’s the fact thatyou are pleasing people.Everyone loves flowers.”

Tastes and trends canchange, says Helen. “Youhave six months whencertain combinations andtypes of flowers are popular,then six months later, no onewants them.

“However, Easter is

traditional with peoplewanting daffodils andlilies, yellows and whites.”

Helen has learned thehard way not only to spotthe trends, but make sureshe’s prepared forperiods of peak demand.

“One year, I was sobusy with Mother’s Dayorders I ran out of flowersthe day before. I didn’tfinish until about 10pm onSaturday night and I wasback at the wholesalersat one in the morning tostock up.”

With another MotheringSunday looming, Helen isgetting her paperwork inorder.

While the shop keepsHelen busy, she findstime to raise cash forcharity – and enjoyschilling out after a busyday delivering the flowers.

“I like to go walking andgoing out with friends formeals and drinks,” shesays.

“I have taken part in afew sponsored walks forcharity with PaulRobertshaw, of SMileS,for the British HeartFoundation. I also do theRace for Life.

“I also like to sit downin front of the televisionand chill out with a glassof wine after a busy day.”

■ SAY IT WITH FLOWERS: Helen Culloden, of FourSeasons florists at Linthwaite

HowarthsHR and Employment Law

Guidingyou through

Mazethe

www.howarths-uk.com Tel: 01274 864999

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

MARKETINGMATTERSClare Quartermaine

Claire Quartermaine is director of QT Creative

Lawyers makeconnectionsSECURE connections are the focusof a seminar in Huddersfield thisweek.Law firm Chadwick Lawrence hasteamed up with Paddock-based ITsolutions supplier BrighterConnections for a series of threebreakfast seminars covering IT andlegal issues over the comingmonths.The first – Securing Your IT;Securing Your Business – will beheld from 8.30am to 10am on Fridayat Chadwick Lawrence’s premises inBond Terrace, Wakefield.A spokeswoman for BrighterConnections said: “In today’s tougheconomic climate, businessescannot afford to take unnecessaryrisks which could incur extra costsand leave them exposed or evencause them to fail.“These risks may presentthemselves as IT risks – threateningcritical company data, your emails oryour website – or they could be moregeneral risks connected with thepolicies and procedures that youhave or don’t have in place.”Brighter Connections is anindependent, ISO 9001:2000accredited supplier of IT solutions.The company acts as an IT agent onbehalf of IT buyers in the areas ofdata access and management, ITInfrastructure, security and technicalservices.

Late payers putcompanies at risk

VIABLE and successful businessesare being driven towards bank-ruptcy because of late payments,says an industry expert.

Luisa Grey, a director with Dir-ect Debit processing company Eaz-ipay Ltd, said: “Many smallcompanies are being kept waitingfor longer than their stated tradingterms before their invoices arepaid.

“In some instances, the delay inreceiving payment can be as manyas 41 days longer than their normalpayment terms.

“In the current economic cli-mate, maintaining control overcash flow is essential to a business’survival and when companies arestarved of cash, regardless of howsuccessful they are, disasterlooms.”

Delayed payments very quicklycreate a vicious circle, said Luisa.

“If one company doesn’t payanother on time, then a non-pay-ment domino effect is createdwhere business after business iscaught in a cash flow trap,” shesaid.

“Cash flow problems are oftencited by companies as the mainreason why they delay paying theirsuppliers, but those problemswould be eased if the non-paymentcycle were to be broken by compan-ies paying each other on time.”

Industry figures show thata l m o s t a m i l l i o n s m a l l t omedium-sized businesses have beenhit by late payments – with a stag-gering £24bn being owed in latepayments at any one time.

Said Luisa: “The problem isn’t

confined to small companies notpaying other small companies.Large companies and even govern-ment departments are equallyguilty of sitting on their cash ratherthan paying bills on time.”

With cheques due to be phasedout in 2018, companies should beactively seeking alternative pay-ment methods, said Luisa.

Making payment through theestablished Bacs system wouldbreak the late payments cycle at astroke, she claimed.

“It is a very simple process tohave money that you are owed paiddirectly into your business bankaccount through the Direct Debitsystem,” she added.

“Running a business is toughenough without the additionalrisks that late payments create.”

■ PAY TALKS : Luisa Grey, a directorwith leading Direct Debit processingcompany Eazipay Ltd

ShowcasingKirklees firmsFIFTY small businesses are gearingup for a mini trade show inHuddersfield.Firms across Kirklees will take partin the event, which is designed toshow the diversity of smallbusinesses in the area – andencourage people to buy locallywherever possible. The show is opento the public and to private andpublic sector organisations.The event, organised by the Kirkleesbranch of the Federation of SmallBusinesses, will run from 7pm to9pm on Tuesday, May 24, at theGalpharm Stadium’s EnglishPartnership Suite. The branch hasmore than 1,200 members acrossKirklees.The trade show follows a similarevent last year when 40 localcompanies exhibited. Each firm getsa small space or table to offerinformation about their products orservices. Businesses will range fromaccountancy and complementaryhealthcare to funeral services andcomputers.Other attractions at the event willinclude a Support for Wellbeing area.Free preventative health checks –including diabetes, blood pressureand cholesterol – will be offered bynurses as part of the NHScardiovascular health checksprogramme.Evolving social media

SINCE times are stilluncertain – despite

latest reports that spendingon advertising is up dramat-ically – what about thosewith less cash? What is thesmaller business doing?

If you’re a large business withplenty of cash, marketing isabout being more prominentthan your competitors, it’s aboutstats and demographics andnumbers – resulting in a tend-ency to get too fixated on thescience of marketing, forgettingthe art (and often the heart) thattruly helps people know, like,trust and buy.

Smaller businesses have lesscash to spend, but are less“removed” from their marketingactivities because, basically, theyhave to do most of it them-selves!

They may engage an agencyfor an aspect of it – be it someinitial design or web develop-ment, but they need it to be aplatform to enable them to pro-gress it for themselves.

So when I read all the latestmarketing reports, magazinesand business news in order togather my thoughts, it occurs to

me how much of it is only relev-ant to blue chip or larger organ-isations.

If more than two thirds ofbusinesses registered in the UKare counted as SMEs, then I askwhat are they doing and why?

2010 was almost certainly theyear of social media and thescramble to get on top of it.

The big cost on Twitter andFacebook? Your time – thankGod for my smart phone or I’dnever leave a computer screen.But the smart phone is onlygoing to grow in popularity.

I’d advise all businesses toensure their website is smartphone compatible. With web onthe move, if a site won’t load dueto technology, you’re out on alimb.

So what’s it going to be for2011?

Many marketers have hailed a“back to basics” approach –going back to investment – astrong brand with the focus ongood old-fashioned customerservice (something small busi-

nesses can easily beat the bigboys over).

They will market more withan emphasis on value – helpingpeople to buy, trust and like.

If this is the case, we’ll seemore organisations being vocalabout their values and talkingmore about social responsibil-ity.

The use of social media(which is here to stay) will evolve– with SMEs developing theirpersonas in more conversationalways.

Using this forum to serve thecustomer rather than just sell tothem – using it to boost andbuild business and most import-antly, build relationships withtheir customers.

A kind of courtship if youlike!

Perhaps we’ll see a betterquality of social media content?One can only hope.

I think SMEs can stand up tothe big brands on this one.

Export supportKIRKLEES firms have been urged to findout more about the help being madeavailable to exporters.UK Trade and Investment, thegovernment’s export support arm, isstaging a series of road shows for smalland medium-sized firms acrossYorkshire.The events will explain the range of helpavailable through the Export CreditsGuarantee Department.The two-hour presentations take placefrom 4pm to 5pm tomorrow at the WorldTrade Centre in Hull; from 9am to 11amon Thursday at the Radisson Blu hotelat The Light in Leeds; and from 12.30pmto 2.30pm on Thursday at the AdvancedManufacturing Park in Rotherham. Tel0113 3949825 or emailmandy@uktiyh.org.uk.

creative marketingsolutions

01484 483194 info@qtcreative.co.ukwww.qtcreative.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Karen Wynard is head of corporate services at Eastwood & Partners (Financial Services) Ltd

FINANCIALFOCUSKaren Wynard

New name anda new eraA HUMAN resources andemployment law specialist hasundergone a brand makeover.The Howarth Partnership Limited,with offices in Cleckheaton, hasrelaunched as Howarths HR &Employment Law Ltd.The company said the move hadbeen prompted by a highlysuccessful year of development andgrowth – including a move to biggerpremises, the appointment of twonew directors in Tracey Hopkins andGavin Howarth and the expansion ofthe legal team.It said the company has refreshedits brand to reflect its current statusand to send out a clearer messageto stakeholders.Legal director Gavin Howarth said:“Though we uphold the core valuesof a family business, the companycontinues to expand. Therefore, wefelt it appropriate to refresh ourbrand image to reflect this.“We are also conscious that wewant to portray a clear message ofwho we are and what we do – andthis starts with the company name.”Howarths HR & Employment Lawoffers specialist advice, tribunalrepresentation and ILM-accreditedmanagement training to businesses.Business development directorTracey Hopkins said: “It is our aimto provide an unrivalled HR andemployment law service supporting,protecting and strengtheningbusinesses.”Howarths’ new website –www.howarths-uk.com – wasdesigned and built by The PlanetGroup, based in Birkby.

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Juice quenchesthirst for trainingA FIRM in Huddersfield has completed acontract to provide training for more than 650employees of an organisation which managesmore than 18,000 council homes.

Juice Learning, based at Brooke’s Mill,Armitage Bridge, was chosen as preferredsupplier of equality and diversity training atSouth Tyneside Homes.

The training formed a large part of SouthTyneside Homes’ winning submission inawards run by the Chartered Institute ofPersonnel and Development.

Juice Learning’s Diversity Matters pro-gramme included films shot on site in SouthTyneside Homes’ offices and workshops andat customers’ homes.

Anthony O’Hara, organisational develop-ment adviser for South Tyneside Homes, said:“The training they delivered was incrediblywell-received, due mainly to the innovativeway it was designed and to the enthusiasmwith which it was delivered.

“The training was completely bespoke andas such has allowed the organisation to meetmany of its objectives.

“Nothing was a problem for Juice Learning,going out of their way to accommodate a fulltraining needs analysis and supporting anopportunity for us to gain external funding.”

He added: “So good was the training, SouthTyneside Homes are delighted to announce itwon the 2011 CIPD North East ‘Equality andDiversity in the Workplace’ Award.”

Juice Learning provides learning, creativemulti-media and memorable live events tocover a number of areas affecting business,

including customer excellence, equality anddiversity awareness, behavioural health andsafety and leadership.

Time to meet the buyers

ea.

■ TRAIN GANG: Matt Cleve (right) with Claire Awty, Morgan Wilson (second left) and MarkKnight, of Juice Learning

Reviewing staff benefits

THE Age Regulations which came into forceon the October 1, 2006, introduced a new

default retirement age of 65.This effectively allowed employees to work beyond

their normal contractual retirement age. It meant thateffectively employers could only retire an employeeearlier if they could “objectively justify” a lowerretirement age.

However, on January 13, 2011, the Department ofBusiness Innovation and Skills confirmed the phasingout of the DRA between April 6 and October 1,2011.

The change means that from April 6, employers willnot be able to issue notifications for compulsoryretirement using the DRA procedure.

Between April 6 and October 1, 2011, only thosepeople who were told before April 6, 2011, and who aredue to retire before October 1, 2011, can be compulsor-ily retired using the DRA.

In other words, this legislation will make it illegal forfirms to forcibly retire older workers if they are stillcapable of performing, while those who want to retire

will still be allowed to do so.Interestingly, the Government has taken into consid-

eration employer concerns regarding group riskinsured benefits.

The revised draft regulations specify that it is notunlawful for an employer to bring to an endemployer-provided insurance when the employeereaches the age of 65 or the State Pension Age,whichever is highest.

T h i s e x e m p t i o n w i l l t h e r e f o r e c o v e remployer-provided group risk insured benefits such asGroup Income Protection, Group Life Assurance andGroup Private Medical Insurance.

The Government’s decision will provide employerswith the peace of mind that they can financiallysupport their staff for the long term, through theprovision of comprehensive employee benefits withintheir budget constraints.

Given the current legislation changes, now is aperfect time for all companies to review what employeebenefits they currently offer their staff and look atother ways of rewarding staff in addition to salary.

KIRKLEES companies will getthe chance to pitch for businessat two free events.

Business Link Yorkshire hasteamed up with the five localcouncils in West Yorkshire andother partners to organise theMeet the Buyer events at LeedsUnited Football Club, EllandRoad, Leeds.

It is the first time all WestYorkshire local authorities havejoined together with Business

Link to run a Meet the Buyerevent – and large numbers areexpected.

The events on Wednesday,March 30, are split into twosessions – one from 8.30am tonoon and the other from12.30pm to 4pm.

Businesses can attend at anytime during the session forwhich they book.

Phone 08456 048048 or go towww.businesslink.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Housebuilder has bigplans for Yorkshire

Building for the futureDEMAND for training in theconstruction sector remainsbuoyant – despite concerns aboutprospects for the industry in thewake of public sector spendingcuts and subdued consumerspending.

That was the message from asuccessful open day staged byKirklees Construction SkillsAcademy, based at Bridgcroft Mills,Milnsbridge.

More than180 parents andyoungsters attended the event andtried their hand at skills includingbricklaying, joinery and plastering.

They were given informationabout the opportunities on offer byClinton Stringer, head ofconstruction at the academy, whichhas about 240 trainees on itsbooks.

The accredited academy alsohas 40 Foundation Learningstudents.

The 14 to 16-year-olds come

from schools across Kirklees togainBTEC level 1 or 2qualifications. Level 1 is equivalentto three GCSEs while level 2 isequivalent to four GCSEs.

Mr Stringer said: “The open dayattracted a great deal of interestfrom parents and students.

“Despite the economic climate,construction remains a popularindustry for new entrants.

“We have a good success rate ingetting students into jobs and fullapprenticeships across Kirklees.

“During the recession, a lot ofpeople left the industry, so wecontinue to have significant skillsshortages.”

Kirklees Construction SkillsAcademy opened in December,2008, to provide training forteenagers and adults in skills suchas plastering, plumbing, joinery,brickwork, electrical installationand tiling.

■ BUILDING SIGHT: Trainees Josh Brooke (left)and Ryan White demonstrate their bricklaying skillswatched by Clinton Stringer and Helen Balfour,directors of Kirklees Construction Skills Academy,and trainees and visitors

Company setsnew standardsA FAMILY-run construction servicesfirm is even better-placed to land vitalcontracts after gaining two key perform-ance standards.

Milnsbridge-based Illingworth andGregory has achieved the internation-ally-recognised quality managementstandard ISO9001 and environmentalmanagement standard ISO14001.

The company believes that gaining thetwo top-rated standards will give it anedge when tendering for public sectorwork.

Director Jez Illingworth said accredita-tion to the two standards, which wereachieved after external audits, underlinedthe company’s commitment to quality andits customers as well as a willingness towork towards improving efficiency.

He said: “It has been a long processbecause we undertook to achieve bothstandards at the same time.

“Clients want contractors to have thesestandards and we feel it is essential to havethem in place.”

Mr Illingworth said ISO14001 was “amajor factor” in the construction industry– with companies expected to show howthey were tackling environmental issuesfrom how they avoid printing out emailsto how they segregate and dispose ofbuilding waste.

He said: “We had systems in place, butthey hadn’t been documented. We havenot had to change too many of oursystems and procedures, but havingISO14001 shows we are working to thosestandards.”

Wayne Dudley, who presented theaward on behalf of external auditor ACSRegistrars, said: “Illingworth & Gregoryshould be proud of their achievement ingaining ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Thecompany demonstrated a very high levelof conformity to both standards.

“These awards, which are accredited bythe United Kingdom Accreditation Ser-vices, will assure both new and existingclients that Illingworth & Gregory are acreditable company dedicated to achiev-ing high levels of consistence in qualitywhilst looking after the environment.”

Mr Illingworth said the company had asatisfactory workload at present, despitegeneral uncertainty and caution affectingthe construction sector.

“Achieving these important accredita-tions will improve our opportunities to getmore work from new and existing clients,who are looking for higher and higher

standards,” he added.Illingworth and Gregory has completed

projects in ares including retail, offices,industrial, leisure, healthcare and educa-tion.

Recent contracts have included ones forwork on magistrates courts in Oldhamand Bolton on behalf of the Courts Ser-vice.

Previous work has included refurbish-ing council houses in Grimsby, refitting aSheffield library and refurbishing theYorkshire Museum and the CastleMuseum in York.

■ STANDARD BEARERS: Jez Illingworth (centre) and Natalie Mihill of Illingworthand Gregory, receive the quality awards from Wayne Dudley, of external auditor ACSRegistrars

Agency expects keeninterest in auction sale

Link-up helps landlord

A VACANT church, shopunits and houses featureat a forthcomingproperty auction.Property agent Eddisonshas assembled 146 lotsfor its next two-day sale.Lots include instructionsfrom LPA receivers, localcouncils and breweriesalong with a vacantchurch building, groundrents, tenanted retail andvacant and tenantedhouses.There are also a numberof lots on behalf ofYorkshire Water, some ofthem offered at declarednil reserves.Among the lots is a highyielding part-retail,part-residential propertyin Halifax. The freeholdproperty on CrownStreet, incorporating aground floor retail unitplus two flats sold offabove, is offered at aguide price of £75,000plus. Annual rentalincome is currently

£9,300, including £300ground rent giving apotential return of over12%.Tony Webber, ofEddisons, said: “This isa bumper catalogue witha wide variety of lotsproviding opportunitiesfor all types of buyers.Much of the stock ispriced to sell as vendorscontinue to react tomarket conditions,which mean thereshould be plenty ofbargains.”At the firm’s previousauction, 80% of all lotsoffered sold, generatingtotal proceeds of nearly£6.8m.The two day sale takesplace on March 31 atLeeds United FootballClub, Elland Road,Leeds and on April 5 atThe Ferguson Suite,Premier Inn, TraffordPark, Manchester. Bothsales start at 12.30pm.

THE housing market inYorkshire has beengiven a timely boost withplans by one regionalhousebuilder to open 14new sites this yearalone.David Wilson Yorkshireplans to start work on 14new developmentscomprising 1,094 newhomes before the end of2011.The company said thedevelopments – with atotal sales value of closeto £210m – providedfurther evidence that theproperty market inYorkshire was likely tooutperform some otherparts of the country.“Many househunters inYorkshire think that nowis a good time to buybecause prices are lowerthan in 2007 and interestrates are rock bottom,”said Chris Burton,managing director ofDavid Wilson Yorkshire

West.“We believe that this willhelp sustain the localhousing marketwhatever happens to thenational economy.”He added: “We wouldnot be making thissignificant commitmentto the market in this areaunless we wereconfident about itsprospects in themedium-term.“By building thesedevelopments we will bebringing new jobs toYorkshire. We will alsobe creatingwell-designed,competitively-priced newhomes which localpeople need.”Barratt Group, whichincludes the DavidWilson brand, sold11,377 homes in the lastfinancial year, making itthe biggest housebuilderby volume in Britain.

LAW firm ChadwickLawrence hasstrengthened its linkswith independentinsurance broker andrisk managementspecialist Wilby Ltd tointroduce a LandlordProtection Pack.The pack helpslandlords withinformation about thelegal issues that mayarise in a landlord’s

agreement frompre-tenancy agreementsand issues arisingduring the tenancy totermination of thetenancy. Wilby providesthe legal expensesinsurance whichcompletes the package.The pack, aimed at bothdomestic andcommercial landlords, isavailable via Wilby andChadwick Lawrence.

For more information contact Alec Michaelon 07717 870 320 or email alec@michaelsteel.co.ukwww.michaelsteel.co.uk

Industrial

Franklyn Court, OffWakefield Road, Lepton650 – 15,650 sq ft

To LeT Available from April 2011

Single storey industrial/warehousecomplex with offices underrefurbishment immediately adjacentmain Wakefield Road between M1and Town Centre.

Industrial

Modern single storey warehouse/industrial unit with good site loadingand parking. Well located for M1.Office space from only 500 sq ftalso available.

Barncliffe Business Park,Shelley, Huddersfield62 m2 – 678 m2

(667 – 7,298 sq ft)

To LeT Flexible Terms

Commercial

Folly Hall, WaterfrontQuarter, Huddersfield186 m2 (2,000 sq ft)Last remainingoffice suiteHigh quality office suite withinhugely successful new developmentwith parking within walking distanceof Huddersfield town centre.

Immediately AvailableTo LeT

Commercial

Listed Town Centre retail andoffices premises in centre of Batleyopposite Market Square. NearBatley bus station with upper floorscapable of being let separately.

9/10 Market Place, Batley260m2 (2,794 sq ft)

To LeT (MAy spLIT) /FoR sALe

Industrial

Unit B5 GledholtBusiness Park, Paddock,Huddersfield155 m2 (1,670 sq ft)

To LeT only £175 per week

High quality modern industrial/warehouse unit with excellent onsite loading & car parking beingsituated on a well maintainedsecure site.

Commercial

Town Centre retail/commercialpremises with upper floor officeaccommodation near Kingsgate.

Cross Church Street,Huddersfield261m2 (2,807 sq ft)gross

FoR sALe

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

PwCRich Hall

BUSINESS adviserPricewaterhouseCoopers has appointedRich Hall to the firm’s sustainability andclimate change practice across the North.

Mr Hall will offer PwC clients advice onclimate change strategy and investment,climate risk management and sustainablesourcing and procurement.

His most recent role was director ofdevelopment at Co2Sense Yorkshire.

James Purchon, Rosie Scott, Jacob Craven &Robert Clark

KOSO KentIntrolBRIGHOUSE valves firm KOSO KentIntrol has taken on four apprentices –giving them the chance to developspecialist skills while being supported tocomplete industry-recognisedqualifications.

James Purchon, Rosie Scott, JacobCraven and Robert Clark (above) willwork towardsNVQ Advanced Level 3 inmechanical engineering over the nextthree years – dividing their time betweenthe workplace and studying at KirkleesCollege.

James joins as apprentice engineer atthe age of 19, having studied IT atKirklees College. Rosie joins KKI astechnical apprentice, after completing aBTEC National Diploma inmanufacturing engineering.

Jacob, 17, the company’s youngestapprentice, starts his engineering careerstraight from school. Robert starts as atechnical apprentice in the research anddevelopment area of the business.

Spencer Bennett

Clough & CoACCOUNTANCY firmClough & Co hasappointed SpencerBennett to head itsfinancial services division,Chartford FinancialManagement.

Mr Bennett (pictured)has worked as anindependent financialadviser for regional and national IFA, legaland accountancy firms in Yorkshire andhas more than 25 years experience in thefield.

In his new role with Cleckheaton-basedClough & Co, he will lead a team ofqualified advisers providing advice tocorporate clients and individuals onissues ranging from financial protection toinvestment planning.

Capital move for Danielle

A HUDDERSFIELD businesswoman ishelping investors and financial adviserskeep up to date with how theirinvestments are performing.

Danielle Dacunha, who lives at BerryBrow, is operations director for PromptCapital Monitoring, which has launcheda new alert service for clients who wishto stay in control of their investments.

The service also has the capability ofhighlighting any need to re-balance aninvestor’s attitude to risk alignment –across a range of funds – according toparameters specific to each investor.

It works by alerting investors to theimpact of good and bad marketconditions and has the ability to track allUK based investment funds, includingISAs, unit trusts, bonds, and pensionproducts held with any UK provider.

Danielle said findings from a recentsurvey showed that more than 60% ofinvestors have not had theirinvestments reviewed in over a year –

with 20% admitting that more than threeyears have passed since their lastreview.

She said: “Even following a financialreview, investors are often advised thatthere is ‘no need to change anything asthe investment is performing well’ or‘make no changes as this will crystalliseany losses’.”

Prompt Capital Monitoring wasfounded by Darren Wood, who hasworked as a financial planner for morethan 10 years.

He began by marketed the newmonitoring service to key clients in hisown practice.

Now the service has been rolled outwith the help of the team led byDanielle, who has worked in a range ofmanagement roles in areas such asretail, sales, training and development,customer service, accounts andinvestment support.

Reward for RossA WORKER who quit smoking has beenrewarded by his employer.

Ross McLean, who works for Golcar-basedtelephony provider ME Consultancy Ltd –owner of the SMileS text messaging servicebrand – was presented with a cheque for£100by managing director Sara Evans to say“well done” for not smoking for three months.

Conference call!HUDDERSFIELD businesses scored asuccess at a major business event.

Huddersfield Town and text messagingspecialist SMileS were among organisa-tions exhibiting to more than 1,000 deleg-ates at the Yorkshire Mafia Conferenceheld at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Town chairman Dean Hoyle was alsoon the Billion Dollar Panel – a group ofsuccessful Yorkshire businessmen, whotook part in a Question Time debate.

He was joined by ATTIK founderJames Sommerville, Freeserve founderAjaz Ahmed, Batley-born LawrenceTomlinson, founder and chairman ofLNT Group, and Lord Kirkham, whofounded furniture chain DFS. The panelwas chaired by Gary Verity, chief execut-ive of tourism body Welcome to York-shire.

Dean said he was honoured to takepart, adding: “I believe that the Yorkshireregion is a real ‘hub’ for businesses, whichis why we are so pro-active on this side ofthe football club’s commercial operation.As such, it is fitting that HuddersfieldTown is a partner of the Yorkshire MafiaConference”

Said Tracy: “We had more than 70business take a look around our standand talk to us about what we are doing offthe field. We have picked up a number ofleads and spoken to a number of interest-ing parties which could lead to newbusiness for us.

“We also ran a competition forattendees to enter with the prize being theuse of a hospitality box at our home gameagainst Dagenham and Redbridge nextmonth.”

Andy Earnshaw, development managerat Golcar-based SMileS was joined bydirector Mark Evans and sales develop-ment manager Paul Robertshaw.

Said Andy: “The SMileS stand was oneof the busiest at the event with more than200 visitors resulting in 62 enquiries – theother visitors were people we alreadyknew, many from the Huddersfield area –so it was really good for cementing exist-ing relationships.

We are currently working through eachenquiry, but several look likely to result inbusiness.”

The conference was organised by Mir-field-based Hillrich.

■ TEAM WORK: Town representatives fromleft) Tracey Nelson, Andy Booth, Mark Jacobsand Mark Davies

To receive your entry form call01484 437702 or enter online

www.examiner.co.uk/communityawardsClosing date Friday 25th March

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