Sussex Business Times May 2013

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMESSBT ISSUE 369FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMESSBT No.1for business in Sussex

BRIGHTONS BEST KEPT SECRETP 01 Cover SBT May2013.indd 7 09/05/2013 16:09

6 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Call one of our retailers today on 0844 947 3649 to book a test drive in any of these models.

Business Users only. Advance payment applies. All payments subject to VAT: Finance based on a Contract Hire agreement, 10,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charges may apply. Rental includes Road Fund Licence for the contract duration (6 months+35 months for all models excluding G-Class 3 months +35 months). Guarantees and indemnities may be required. Orders/credit approved between 1 April and 30 June 2013 and registered by 30 September 2013. Subject to availability, offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. Credit provided subject to status by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services UK Limited, MK15 8BA. Based on an A-Class manual. Prices subject to change. You are receiving this e-mail as you have previously agreed to receive emails from Lookers Mercedes-Benz.

Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the Mercedes-Benz range: urban 13.0(21.7)-68.9(4.1), extra urban 23.9(11.8)-85.6(3.3), combined 19.8(14.3)-74.3(3.8). CO2 emissions 334-98 g/km.

Mercedes-Benz of EastbourneEastbourne Road, Westham, East Sussex BN24 5NH

Lookers plcMercedes-Benz of BrightonVictoria Road, Portslade, Brighton BN41 1DY

Excellence redefined with these exclusive spring offers.At Lookers Mercedes-Benz, we pride ourselves on putting you first. Its a philosophy which has seen us win awards in the past and means that we continually improve the services we offer to the public and to other local businesses.

Being part of Lookers plc, one of the largest motor retail groups in the UK with retailers spanning across the country in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has enabled us to develop our unique state of the art, 250 vehicle, pre-delivery inspection centre, so you can be assured your new purchase is of the very highest quality.

From vehicle funding through to fleet management, you will have the peace of mind that we can provide you with the most efficient and economical service in the area. We have local expertly trained Business Managers on site who strive for perfection and will tailor any financial requirements you may have specifically to meet your needs.

We are sure you can experience the luxury of a Mercedes-Benz for significantly less than what you may think this spring with Lookers Mercedes-Benz.

See overleaf for a selection of our fantastic business user offers available this spring.

When it comes to Mercedes-Benz,Lookers Mercedes-Benz are the business.

Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick County Oak Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7ST

Or simply visit www.leaseamercedesbenz.co.uk for more information.

Mercedes-Benz of Redhill 12 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 6QL www.leaseamercedesbenz.co.uk




Head turning style and luxurious comfort.The New Mercedes-Benz E-Class makes the ultimate business statement.

E-Class Saloon.

Per Month*

From just 339

New Model

E-Class Estate.

Per Month*

From just 349

New Model

E-Class

E-Class

P 04-05 welcome SBT May2013.indd 6 02/05/2013 10:30

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 7

Call one of our retailers today on 0844 947 3649 to book a test drive in any of these models.



Mercedes-Benz of EastbourneEastbourne Road, Westham, East Sussex BN24 5NH

Lookers plcMercedes-Benz of BrightonVictoria Road, Portslade, Brighton BN41 1DY

Excellence redefined with these exclusive spring offers.At Lookers Mercedes-Benz, we pride ourselves on putting you first. Its a philosophy which has seen us win awards in the past and means that we continually improve the services we offer to the public and to other local businesses.

Being part of Lookers plc, one of the largest motor retail groups in the UK with retailers spanning across the country in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, has enabled us to develop our unique state of the art, 250 vehicle, pre-delivery inspection centre, so you can be assured your new purchase is of the very highest quality.

From vehicle funding through to fleet management, you will have the peace of mind that we can provide you with the most efficient and economical service in the area. We have local expertly trained Business Managers on site who strive for perfection and will tailor any financial requirements you may have specifically to meet your needs.

We are sure you can experience the luxury of a Mercedes-Benz for significantly less than what you may think this spring with Lookers Mercedes-Benz.

See overleaf for a selection of our fantastic business user offers available this spring.


Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick County Oak Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 7ST


Mercedes-Benz of Redhill 12 Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey RH1 6QL www.leaseamercedesbenz.co.uk




Head turning style and luxurious comfort.The New Mercedes-Benz E-Class makes the ultimate business statement.

E-Class Saloon.

Per Month*

From just 339

New Model

E-Class Estate.

Per Month*

From just 349

New Model

E-Class


E-Class Estate.

Per Month*349

New Model

E-Class



SBTWelcome News that the UK has avoided the dreaded triple dip recession has been welcomed by businesses around the country. And whilst we all continue to work hard to maintain our success and indeed survival in continuing tough times, we must also turn our eyes to the exceedingly competitive marketplace and manifold opportunities left behind by the closure of weaker operations. Historically, the period immediately following a recession is one that gives life to the next generation of successful enterprises: they have already proved their worth with innovation and integrity, so as the market lifts, theyre ready to take advantage of every chance that comes their way.

Is that your business? Are you prepared for the opportunities - and challenges - that the new world following these recessions will throw at you? Of course, as the magazine that matters for business in your area we would love to hear how youve weathered the worst of the global economic crisis, and perhaps how being based in Sussex has helped! Wed love to share your stories with other Sussex businesses, so please drop a line to [email protected] to discuss whether SBT is the right platform for you to share your expertise with the countys best business minds.

Laura KnightEditor

So as the market lifts, theyre ready to take advantage of every chance that comes their way

Lee Mans eld, Managing Director/Publisher

Laura Knight, Editor

Graham Carn, Financial Editor

Maarten Hoffman, Motoring Correspondent

Luke Mould, Commercial Business Manager

Tim Cobb, Contributing Feature Writer



SBT Issue 369Contents Cover Image: front: Dave Britton, MD Gemini Brighton, 2nd Row: left Steve Cropper, MD Gemini Group with Richard Golds on the right (sales Gemini Brighton). Back row left: Mike Webb and Steve Roe Gemini Brighton

Sussex Business TimesManaging Director/Publisher: Lee Mans [email protected] Director: Simon [email protected] Business Manager: Luke [email protected]: Laura [email protected] EditorGraham [email protected] Design: Harriet [email protected] DirectorLinda [email protected]: Clare Fermor/Amelia [email protected]@lifemediagroup.co.ukPublished by LMG SE LTDPark View House19 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East SussexBN21 3YD01323 411 601

Printed byGemini Press, Shoreham-by-Sea,West Sussex, BN43 6NZ

All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of Life Media Group LTD. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright Life Media Group LTD 2013

5 WelcomeRoll up roll up for another great issue of SBT your essential guide to business brilliance in Sussex.9 Spending It!The tech and tidbits you need to make your business life easier.

12 Gemini PressBrighton based printers continue their established tradition of excellent service under a new name.

32Head in the Cloud?Is the fabled paperless of ce a dream, or a data security nightmare waiting to happen? PLUS File-Express explain your alternatives for document management in our handy guide.

24FinanceAs Sussex celebrates avoiding a triple dip recession, our nancial editor Graham Carn takes a detailed look at what this means for our businesses.

18 Working lunchSBT head to the Giggling Squid, Crawley.

42 EcoTech Yes, technology can be green! We present a preview of the EcoTechnology Show 2013.

MotoringMotoring editor, Maarten Hoffman gets up close and personal with the Mazda MG6 and the Kia Soul.28

Cover Image: front: Dave Britton, MD Gemini

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMESSBT ISSUE 369FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMESSBT No.1for business in Sussex

BRIGHTONS BEST KEPT SECRETP 01 Cover SBT May2013.indd 7 03/05/2013 15:13

54 Made in SussexWe learn how The Body Shop - a beauty business with a global presence - emerged from Brighton, East Sussex.

16 Paying FairThe city of Brighton and Hove leads the way as more and more businesses sign up to pay their staff a Living Wage for the area.

SBT Q&As Our sponsored section of expert insights covers a wide range of important business matters.44

P 06-07 Contents SBT May2013.indd 6 09/05/2013 15:59


Issue 369Contents

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P 8-11 Spending SBT May2013.indd 8 09/05/2013 16:02


Gadgets & AccessoriesOur selection this month is packed full of top gadgets and accessories for the of ce

Spending It!

BLADELESS FAN Dysons new bladeless fan heater

heats the room fast and evenly in the winter and high-velocity air cooling in

summer - the perfect desk accessory for all year round. Dyson, 349.99.

www.dyson.co.uk

BACKPACK TROLLEYThis lightweight backpack trolley is suitable for laptops of 14 to

15.4.It has a clever combination of backpack or trolley and various

useful storage pockets - Great solution to carrying a load over a fair

distance. Ergocube, 89.99. www.ergocube.net

CAR SPEAKER

HD-VOICE is a multi-languages Bluetooth in car speakerphone.

User-friendliness is at its maximum as it is equipped with voice features

available in 12 languages and is compatible with all smartphones boasting Bluetooth technology.

SuperTooth HD, 59. www.amazon.co.uk

IPHONE CASEKeep your phone protected

with a colourful moc-croc leather case. Individually made and lined

with cotton. GiliNix, 35.www.gilinix.co.uk



INVERTERThe best solution to keeping gadgets

powered while on the move is an inverter and the MP:120 compact

inverter from Ring Automotive is the best one for the job. The compact design allows the inverter to be

positioned in a variety of places thatare convenient, safe and discreet.

Ring Automative, 34.99.www.ringautomative.co.uk

TIEWith a slimmer cut and unique

pattern, this West End by Simon Carter tie will reinvigorate your

workwear wardrobe. Bring a little of this look to your workwear by

combining this tie with a black suit and white shirt. Simon Carter, 35.

www.simoncarter.net

LAPTOP BAGThe Ciello laptop bag is stylish and practical in a stunning design. Carry it by the short handles or attach the adjustable leather shoulder strap for a hands-free option. You can tote it around day-after-day with comfort

and ease. Ciello, 223.00.www.thevelvetlab.com

LADIES WATCHClassic-look ladies Rotary

dress watch in stainless steel, set around a white dial with black Roman numeral hour

markers. The watch is water-resistant and fastens with a

fold-over clasp. Rotary, 125.www.rotarywatches.com

SOLAR POWERED KEYBOARD

The solar-powered wireless keyboard that makes battery hassles a thing of the past in a streamlined, comfortable design. Logitech, 69.99.

www.logitech.com



Spending It!

DESK COASTERJot is a colourful desk accessory

which allows you to bring probably the two most essential things on

anyones desk; your drink and your beloved pens! J-me Design, 10

www.j-me.com

LADIES JACKETTeam this glamorous Joseph

Ribkoff taffeta jacket with simple pieces in your existing wardrobe for

an effortlessly chic evening look. Joseph Ripkoff, 270

www.ribkoff.com

MOBILE PHONEA new basic feature phone thats simple to use and doesnt have expensive monthly fees, could be the best gift youll ever give. An easy to use mobile with, text messaging, Loud ringtones and calls that can be super ampli ed with a longer lasting battery life is all that is required for most over

65s. Amplicomms, 79.99.www.bootshearingcare.com

CUFFLINKSThese cuf inks are made with genuine Haematite. They are

plated with white bronze which is used for its durability and the fact that it does not tarnish or discolour. Simon Carter, 40

www.simoncarter.net

LEATHER PURSESmart, elegant, classic and practical. An

everyday essential. The simple design of the Blair collection is brought to life with contrasting

coloured edging and interior. Radley, 65.www.radley.co.uk



The rebrand is part of the business strategy to rmly position the brand within the Gemini group of expert printers. The new name is part of a

continuing campaign to help spread the word that the facility, based in Brighton, can fully cater for a local business printing needs with an impressively comprehensive service offering in litho and digital print, as well as web development and graphic design.

The 2 million business, that has always been part of the Gemini Group, has timed the launch of the new brand to coincide with May Day, the of cial start to summer and will also be exhibiting at the Lets Do Business exhibition at Brighton Racecourse this month.

Dave Britton, managing director, Gemini Brighton (formerly Andus Print) commented: We are proud that Gemini Brighton is the leading on site printers in Brighton. Our Crowhurst Road operation was originally established in 1989 and has enjoyed an enviable reputation in the Brighton market ever since.

Our rebrand to Gemini Brighton will maintain our Brighton focus while also help communicate our extended service offerings as part of the larger Gemini Group, which is well known throughout Sussex.

As well as being the favoured location of the owners, who were born and raised locally, Gemini Brightons purpose-built location in Hollingbury (near the Amex stadium) is the prefect place for the business to offer ecologically-conscious print services to the forward-thinking Brighton market.

Dave Britton explained: We are right for Brighton, and Brighton is right for us. The local business community thrives with creative companies who want to do business the local way ethically. There are fewer and fewer printers in the area, and fewer still who can offer what we do in terms of service or green credentials.

Gemini Press is one of the leading eco friendly printers in the UK. As a business, they take their corporate responsibilities extremely seriously and made the decision to provide environmentally friendly green printing services, backed by a series of environmental credentials that a

Pro le

Brightons Best Kept SecretEstablished more than 25 years ago, Brighton-based Andus print are part of the Gemini group of printers. As of May 1st, the business name will be changed to Gemini Brighton, to better re ect its position as Brightons local printers

Business Pro le

P 12-15 Gemini SBT May2013.indd 12 02/05/2013 15:44


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Jim

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Left to Right: Mike Webb (sales) Richards Golds (sales) and Steve Row, (production) at Gemini Brighton



llow them to work under the Green Printing Label.

Its not cheap for us to operate in this way, but we believe its the right thing to do, explained Steve Cropper, managing director of Gemini Group. Printing has something of a reputation for being insensitive to the environment, which may discourage some people from using it even when it is the best media for what theyre doing. However, we have worked hard to make our offering one that is ethically and environmentally conscious, for our own peace of mind and for that of our customers who want to keep their supply chain green and ethical. Of course, being able to provide the ecologically-certi ed printing that green businesses demand is also a sensible business decision for us, as it allows us to ful l a need that other printers cant.

Gemini Press is an ISO 14001 certi ed printer. This international standard speci es the actual requirements for an EMS Environmental Management System.

It applies to those environmental aspects over which the organisation has control and can be expected to have in uence. The ISO 14001 environmental management standards exist to help organisations minimise how their operations negatively affect the environment and cause adverse changes to air, water or land.

Gemini Press is one of a small number of FSC and ISO 14001 certi ed eco printers in the UK that has invested time and capital in becoming a certi ed green printer. All businesses within the Gemini Group have been registered for FSC & PEF and con rm their dedication to using only paper from sustainable forests. Gemini Press is also a corporate partner of the Sussex Wildlife Trust; a sponsor of the Woodland Trust the UKs leading woodland conservation charity and a member of the Ride2Work Scheme. We are more than happy to discuss our environmental policies and these accreditations in more detail with any customers, says Steve.

But its not just about being green.

Its about being in total control of your business printing, which is why Gemini dont outsource any of their services. All printing is done within Gemini truly local.

People want to do business locally, and we are Brightons local printer. We are local really local, in the sense that we keep all the business given to us within these very Gemini buildings. Your contacts at Gemini are technological experts who oversee your entire job we dont process your printing and then send it off to Leeds or Wales for the actual manufacturing to happen, as a print management company might. Our all-in-house service cuts down the miles your product has to travel, thus reducing your carbon footprint and the overall impact of your printed product, especially when using our eco-certi ed materials.

Keeping our business so local also means we employ local people and contribute to the local economy. The creative skillset of Brighton is ideal for us, and we employ 15 people at Gemini

Quality print, speed and reliability of Gemini Brighton



Business Pro le

Brighton, who are all Sussex based.By realigning within the brand and

using the Gemini name, it is Steve Croppers hope that a wider audience will understand that the out t formerly known as Andus is truly a part of Gemini, and as such has the strengths and ideology of the Gemini business behind it. No job is too large for our network of printing facilities, and no job is too small for our dedicated teams, who work personally with our customers to assess their needs and see each job through to delivery.

The rebrand of Andus to Gemini Brighton changes nothing for existing customers or employees. It is simply the company making some aesthetic tweaks to logos and the like to proudly con rm that they are in fact Gemini Brighton: green, local, and not the areas best kept secret for much longer!

The Gemini group of printers includes: Gemini Press, Gemini Digital, Gemini West (located in Bristol) and now Gemini Brighton (formerly known as Andus Print)

Keeping our business so local also means we employ local people and contribute to the local economy

Pho

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Jim

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One of the multi coloured highspeed print machines at Gemini: Heidelberg Speedmaster the benchmark in terms of

production speed, print stability, and output

Steve Cropper, MD, Gemini Group

Gemini would like to invite you to the rebranded Gemini Brightons launch party at Bohemia, Brighton, on July 25th. The choice of venue is relevant, says Dave, because its right in the heart of Brighton, which is what we are! If youd like to attend, please email Dave [email protected] to have your name put on the guest list.



Paying FairLaunched in 2012, the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign aims to encourage local businesses to voluntarily pay all employees from April 2013 at least 7.45 per hour

By April 1st, the campaign had amassed 41 businesses pledging to pay the wage, and the all party parliamentary support.

The Living Wage was calculated by Mr. Donald Hirsch and is set according to the basic cost of living in the UK and is the amount that allows a person to live, rather than just survive. It takes into account certain basic costs of living in accordance with in ation and the uctuation of goods prices, based roughly on the costs of an acceptable basket of goods, the cost of housing for families and those without children, and childcare costs.

The concept of a living wage is a voluntary commitment by Brighton and Hove employers and is separate from the National Minimum Wage which employers are obliged to pay by law, and its implementation can have a positive impact for individuals and businesses.

A living wage can improve the quality of employment for the individual and, by doing so increases that individuals relative productivity for the business. Companies that pay the Living Wage

report not only an increase in retention but also a more positive attitude among employees which in turn bene ts the companys brand image.

Of course paying a living wage is considered a moral decision for a company rst and foremost, paying a wage that will be primarily of greatest bene t to employees, but also with some reasoned bene ts for the employer based on experience of the living wage elsewhere.

The aim for the Brighton campaign is to get the rst 100 businesses on board and promote Brighton as a great place to live and work. Those behind the initiative have stressed that they are aware of the challenges in certain sectors that might limit them from signing up, but want to support as many businesses as possible. They are currently in the process of researching the subject, with an online survey at www.livingwagebrighton.co.uk .

Equally Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove and Portslade commented: It stands to reason that businesses will thrive if their staff are motivated and happy, which means paying staff enough to live comfortably. The voluntary Living Wage campaign highlights this emotive issue with both passion and maturity. It has my support.

InsightHow Can the Living Wage Increase Pro ts?Putting up business costs by lifting wages would not seem like the most obvious route to higher pro t or ef ciency ... or would it? Here Conscious HR explains how the Living Wage helps productivity and employee loyalty.

1. FOCUS:If your employees are not earning a Living Wage then they may be a little distracted.

When you are struggling to make ends meet for you or your family then worry will be a principal issue. Worry that despite the hours of effort going in, its still not enough. When a member of staff is worrying they become distracted and the focus is elsewhere. Loyalty and quality drops.

Paying the Living Wage can make a difference. So if you want more focus, higher quality and increased sales, surely this small difference in pay is really worth it?

P 1617 Living Wage SBT May2013.indd 16 02/05/2013 09:53


Living Wage

2. LOYALTY: Showing YOU care makes you and YOUR business something YOUR employees care about.

Employee engagement is about how many of your employees will go the extra mile for you and how an employee feels about working for you. An engaged workforce will have very low absence rates, will be more productive, produce great ideas, stay around longer and generally look after the business a lot better than a disengaged workforce. An organisation that clearly and openly demonstrates that they care by being an open advocate and supporter of the Living Wage campaign reaps many rewards.

3. EMPLOYER BRAND: How attractive is your organisation to the people who work in it?

Employer brand is a recently developed concept but its fast proving to be as important as our more familiar understanding of brand. The Employer Brand is all about how attractive your organisation is to the people who work in it and the people who may want to work in it in the future. Having a great employer brand means that its easier to recruit people, its easier to retain

people and those same people want to work hard for you.Other Bene ts: Recruitment spend is less New recruits are far more likely to look for you, so you dont have to spend time and money looking for them You are ahead of the queue in competition for the same talent You will recruit passionate people who know what your organisation stands for Long-term loyalty amongst existing employees means less time and money recruiting and training new You wont lose good staff that you have spent time training. More passionate and caring staff means higher productivity, more commitment, which to your bottom line means far greater value for the money you do pay out in wages.In short:Better employer brand = lower recruitment cost + lower training cost + more productive, higher value employees, staff retention.

In 2013 there is an increasingly signi cant movement towards organisations that take a more responsible approach towards their environmental and social obligations.

More and more customers when given a choice between a company that visibly does good against one that doesnt will go with the one that does.

It is also important to remember that your Shareholders care about returns, but lately also give more thought towards sustainable business models as these happen to be the ones that best perform on the stock markets. Current thinking is suggesting that this is because greater awareness of the world is synonymous with better management the two go hand in hand. Better returns, more customers, more investment, better returns.

In other words, the return that you make on your investment in a Living Wage will outstrip that investment.

We are not saying that by simply adopting the Living Wage you will x all of your employee challenges or make you the best employer in town, but by taking this rst step and demonstrating that you do care about the lives of your staff beyond their working hours you will start to reap rewards that exceed your initial investment.

www.conscioushr.co.uk

Sarah Springford Chamber of Commerce, Geoffrey Theobald Leader of Conservatives B&H, Jason Kitcat Council Leader Green Party, Penny Thomson Chief Executive Brighton & Hove Council, Roger French Former CEO of Brighton and Hove Buses, Katy Bourne Sussex Crime Commissioner, Sally Polanski - CVSF

P 1617 Living Wage SBT May2013.indd 17 02/05/2013 09:53


Giggling SquidGiggling Squid is a Thai food sensation with rustic and fresh food of Thailand. Simon Skinner reports back from the renovated north wing of the ancient George Hotel in Crawley.

Review

This month Thai. Yes! I love Thai food, so was very happy to shuf e along to the Giggling Squid in Crawley to sample their wares.

Crawley. A Sussex market town that has always been an important link between London and Brighton remains well positioned in the county with many commuters choosing to reside there. Along with the many and varied businesses within the town Crawley boasts some impressive commercial developments and amongst its 100,000

(odd) population, it also boasts a vibrant business community.

So, these restaurants along the strip here in the centre, should all be well rehearsed at serving up a decent business lunch!

Im not sure that Thai would ordinarily be the rst choice for a working lunch. Perhaps the thought of heavy curries with lots of sundries might seem over the top. More an evening thing in my book but the Giggling Squid has introduced a natty solution to this issue, offering a tapas menu of Thai dishes.

All extremely tasty and very reasonably priced, you are able to pick and choose any amount of small plates of, say, tempura veg, spring rolls etc. Alternatively, you can choose from a variety of tapas sets (x4 on a divided plate). With names like The Hungry Squid or the Two Giggling Squids they are cleverly devised with fantastic combinations and all at around the 10 mark outstanding value for money.

Address: George Hotel, High Street CrawleyWebsite: www.gigglingsquid.co.ukTel: 01293 530455

Tasty and very reasonably priced, you are able to pick and choose any amount of small plates of, say, tempura veg, spring rolls...

P 18-21 Lunch SBT May2013.indd 18 09/05/2013 15:54


Working Lunch

Of course, there are more standard dishes on the daytime menu such as noodles, rice and curry dishes but I get the feeling that, whilst offering a good cross section of what you might nd on the evening menu, (classics like thegreen curry) this lunchtime menu has been devised for speed. Perfect for those who want to get on with their busy working day.

The owners at the Giggling Squid have plans to expand the chain over the next few years (see piece following this for their view on the recent budget) beyond the ve already operating. Crawley, Brighton, Tunbridge Wells, Hove & Henley with the next planned for Reigate. This expansion will make it easier for anyone to get to his or her local Giggling Squid and this has to be good news.

So the next time youre looking for somewhere interesting to entertain a client, meet with colleagues or simply slope off the M23 for some delicious scram during heavy traf c, the Giggling Squid in Crawley wont disappoint. Its my intention to try some of the others whilst on my travels so keep checking the pages here and also on our site www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk for more.

What we ordered

Hungry Squid 9.75 Chicken Green CurryJasmine RiceHandmade Juicy Chicken StayMix Vegetable Stir Fry

One Big Dish Of Lamb Massaman Curry 7.95

Tapas

Prawn Crackers 2.90Mixed Vegetable Tempura 2.90Papaya Salad (Lightly spicy) 2.90Spring Rolls 2.90Chicken Satay 3.50Handmade Ice Cream 4.95

From a local ice cream maker, using only Fresh Sussex milk and creamBlack Sesame FlavourUnique to Giggling Squid

Dish of the day Lamb Massaman Curry an absolute treat!



How much would you pay to access over a hundred businesses and ve relevant seminars?Nothing?No problem!Even with over 110 stands at the LetsDo Business Brighton & Hove show on May 16th and a series of ve highly relevant seminars, visiting Lets Do Business Brighton & Hove, the citys leading business to business show, is completely free!

In addition, every show visitor receives a free show guide and if you pre-register at www.letsdobusiness.org you will receive a free race day ticket for the October 2nd race meeting courtesy of Brighton Racecourse. What more reason do you need to come along to the citys biggest and best business show?

The one-day event will host over a hundred exhibitors and offers everyone in business, whether starting up or long established, the opportunity to source dozens of products, services and supplies from a diverse range of quality companies. Everyone, from sole traders, retailers, professional services or manufacturers up to the largest employers will bene t from a visit to the show.

We have always ensured that Lets Do Business represents excellent value for both exhibitors and visitors alike as it is a fantastic opportunity to make contact with hundreds of people. says organiser Jonathan Dolding. The Racecourse has free parking for over a thousand cars and

we also put on a free shuttle bus from Hove and the city centre. Every visitor has a free showguide, which features all the contact details of all the exhibitors and we have ve seminars presented by some of the citys best speakers. Theyre free too.

The shows series of ve short seminars are organised by Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce. This years seminars have been designed to offer businesses the chance to learn more about the phenomenon that is social

media and include how to make the most of creative and effective online marketing strategies; social media on the move; the bene ts of Google Plus explained; and using LinkedIn as an effective business tool.

Lets Do Business is organised by the Lets Do Business Group and sponsored by Identity Signage and Printing, the show is also supported by Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, Juice FM and South East Business Magazine.

Full information about the show and pre-registration can be found at www.letsdobusiness.org

ADVERTORIAL



For the Giggling Squid its vital that George Osbournes policies strengthen the pound.

Working Lunch

Andy Laurillard, Director of Giggling Restaurants Ltd tells us how he sees the latest legislation affecting a lively and expanding Sussex Business.

Giggling Squids Views on the Budget

InsightGiggling Squid plans to open 4 restaurants a year adding to the 5 we already have in the south east - the next being in Reigate, which is scheduled to

open in late April or early May - adding 100 employees to its payroll. As such, the reduction in employers National Insurance ianounced in the Budget was very welcome. Its a tax on jobs which we, as employers in a struggling economy, could do without so the reduction is a de nite step in the right direction which will be a real boost to SMEs.

The Budget will affect our growth plans in other ways, too. The reduction in corporation tax will make expansion that much easier - giving us more pro t to reinvest and making us less dependent on the bank.

The rise in the income tax threshold to 10K will bene t our many part-time workers. Hopefully, it will help to encourage people currently on bene ts to seek employment in the catering sector,

which still struggles to recruit enough good people.

The cancellation of the 3p fuel escalator duty will help suppliers keep food costs, which have been rising sharply, down, which will be to the bene t of our customers - as we will be able to hold down prices.

The scrapping of the beer escalator is welcome, but is better news for pubs and brewers, rather than restaurants. The rise in wine, cider and spirits duty is disappointing and will be the part of this legislation that has more impact on us.

If the Chancellor had really wanted to help the hospitality sector he would have cut VAT from 20% - almost 3 times the level it is in France.

The real test of the Budget is how it is viewed by the international money markets. For the Giggling Squid its vital that George Osbournes policies strengthens the pound. A fall in sterling causes food costs to rise - which is bad very bad news for the Thai restaurant trade, reliant on imported ingedrients like coconut milk, rice, lemon grass and fresh herbs not produced in the UK.



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Catherine Ellis, 25, was voted winner at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) Company Secretaries Awards.

The award recognises recent achievement and future potential in those in the early stages of their careers. The judges looked at the impact candidates had in managing tasks and activities and contributing to overall performance, and the likelihood that each candidate was destined to be a top company secretary.

Catherine said: It was a great sense of achievement winning the award and a professional accolade. More than anything it means Ive been doing my job right.

My employer is delighted too, and thinks its a great achievement it was my employer who nominated me for the award.

Catherine embarked on her career

as a company secretary while writing her dissertation in her final year at university.

She said: The best aspects of the job include all the project work that you get involved in you go to meetings and hear what all the issues are affecting the business. Anything that is of sensitive nature often goes through the company secretary so you get to see a lot of interesting items. No two days are ever the same and the workload is varied.

Company secretaries are independent and are there to advise and steer the chairman and other board members on good governance. That is the main definition, but in industry, different markets and different types of companies require different things.

Catherine obtained her Grad.ICSA qualification upon graduating from the University of Portsmouths School of Law with her Masters in LLM Corporate Governance and Commercial Law in 2010. She had

earned her LLB Law with Business degree in 2008.

She said: While writing my dissertation I started working for Computershare Investor Services plc in their company secretarial services department as an administrator. I then was offered a permanent position there and started working fulltime two weeks after handing in my dissertation. After 18 months I then moved to work for Amlin plc as a Company Secretarial Assistant, where I still work. www.port.ac.uk

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Is outsourcing a smart way for businesses to minimise their economic risk in tough times? SBT opens up the debate to two Sussex based experts within the industry.

THE BIG

Do you outsource to reduce your outgoings when finances get tight?It can be a tricky decision to take. For some businesses, its a solution that can be financially effective; enabling a reduction of in-house staff and avoiding the psychological trauma of having to create redundancies when a fleet of specifically trained professionals can be called upon (and paid for) as and when needed. Yet SBT has heard of scenarios where the reality is not so straightforward. The remaining in-house staff can feel insecure, demotivated and unable to oversee external workers, lines of responsibility can become clouded and the dedication of the overall workforce diluted, when the cultures of the two businesses do not mutually collide. So, is outsourcing the best solution for businesses in tough times? SBT consults two very different local experts within the outsourcing industry to explore both sides of the argument.

David Butcher, Managing Director of FD Outsourcing, in Crawley has offered outsourcing of financial services for 19 years. Currently handling approximately 25 clients at any one time, he is a provider to all scales of businesses from start-ups through to companies with a turnover in the region of 5m.

Butcher set up his company in the last recession on recognising that finance could be outsourced in the way that IT was being offered to companies by third parties. There are economies of scale, its skilled and the reasons for companies outsourcing computer operations were the same as finance. In fact Butcher claims to have been one of the first companies to provide outsourcing for

finance. When BP announced they were going to outsource their finance department that finally convinced me that it was worth doing.

Why did you think that outsourcing finance would appeal to companies as a good concept? I knew that people would be cutting their costs, downsizing and that a finance department is generally inefficient. We therefore, could go in and offer companies an alternative.

So are you confirming that outsourcing can cut costs? In truth, I have generally not tried to sell the business as a means to cutting costs, because if you are going to try to cut costs, saying, this is a cheaper way of doing it, people arent going to necessarily take the risk to uproot and

change the way they run the financial side of their business for a marginal saving. They have got to have a problem they need to solve and we can provide them with a better solution than they could do otherwise, and we can do it cheaper. They are often trying to reduce their whole finance department, and will look to see what the alternatives are.

What about for large businesses?Offshoring, which is putting call centres out to India (for example) and where it is possible fo UK companies to employ people for a far lower cost than they can in the UK, is generally for large companies where they have a large volume of transactions that dont need to be done in the same waking hours. That can cut costs.

So how do you appeal to your market?We are in the SME market place where it isnt high volumes of transactions but a range of skills are required, where our part time staff are available five days a week. Our client might want a Finance Director half a day a week, but prefer that half days effort to be spread over five days. They can call us at any time that they need a person available, enabling

We take the view that they are enhancing control over their business- David Butcher

FOR

The Case For Outsourcing

DEBATETHE BIGDEBATETHE BIG

SBT_November11_FINAL.indd 24 03/05/2013 15:12


SBT Discusses...

THE BIGIt could be that the customer is paying for services that they dont actually need. - Ash Patel

them to have a range of skills available five days a week for a part time price.

And what if their requirements change?We can add financial people with certain skills as and when they are needed. The client has the flexibility of outsourcing without having to worry about the staff or having to expand or contract - this gives

me the problem rather than the customer. If there are new provisions coming in or changes in legislation then usually each company has the cost of implementing those changes and work out what is relevant for them - we can work it out once, and apply it to all.

How else is outsourcing cost effective? Can you offer an example?A UK branch of a US corporation needed to downsize its operations back in 2009 and one of the things that they needed to do was to make the whole of their finance department redundant. They wanted me to replicate what they already had, but I went in and said actually, although thats the brief youre giving me its not the most efficient way of doing it. So we completely streamlined, stripped out all of the things that werent necessary or added value and implemented Sage for them, which is the UKs market leading package in the SME market place, which they never could have done from the US, thousands of miles away. There is no need for clients to have software themselves if they can access it via us. They dont need their own copy of Sage (for example) if using our servers.

How did the practicality of the UK and US offices work?They were operating the system (Sage) on our servers here, so I had two people operating on the general purchase ledger side, me providing them with the technical Financial Director advice, plus two ladies (their staff) in their offices who were doing the invoicing and the stock control. That worked to ensure

that reports went to the States on a weekly basis, and that the weekly UK accountants dealt with the US tax affairs. The value for them was being able to continue their UK operation seamlessly.

How do clients feel that they are still in control when outsourcing?Thats a mindset. People can see it as abdicating control, but we take the view

that through employing the experts they have better advice and we are enhancing the control by giving them a greater understanding, rather than reducing it.

So what is the real value of outsourcing?The real value can be avoiding the hidden costs of not doing it; the costs of mistakes being made, of senior staff having to do junior work, junior staff doing senior work or give financial advice.

Ash Patel, is the Director of Managed Services for ADA Technology Services in Burgess Hill who have 20 years experience of providing co-sourced and fully managed IT services. Patel has been with the business for 10 years, in which time he has seen a 4m turnover increase to 20m. In the last five years ADA has seen a growth in outsourcing within the mid market, which they class as 30-1500 users. Based in Sussex, 95% of our business is local but at the top end of our business we work for Bloomberg and BGC in New York.

Patel says that in big business, the interest in outsourcing lies in cost control, head count reductions and

efficiency gains, and at the smaller end of business, companies are interested at getting more value and de-risking. Thus, here we focus on the pitfalls on outsourcing to small service providers. Patel speaks of how some clients find ADA Technology Services having had an unsuccessful experience of outsourcing from another IT provider first...

So where can outsourcing go wrong for the client?By not really having a clear understanding of what they are buying, thats probably no.1 in my eyes. A lot of customers very easily accept how they think service providers are going to meet their requirements. They need to spend a lot more time in the due dilligence stage, really trying to understand at a practical ground level how the service is going to operate, where the boundaries are, how their contract protects them. We come across a lot of customers who have had their fingers bunt, they are re-styling and have had false promises and have been mislead.

So is this about the service provider up-selling their product?The most common factor is the disparity between what a service provider promises and what they can really deliver. They might be selling the dream, selling way beyond the operational capabilities they can deliver. One outsourcing company discovered that they were 18 months behind what they could operationally deliver and what the sales forecast had promised.

How can this happen?If you look at a service provider they are two separate businesses; operations and sales. Sales are selling on the basis of what customers want, and operations are often reactionary and trying to play catch up, which is partly the nature of being on the floor. The customer wont necessarily see the capability operationally to match what theyre buying.

You speak of getting the wrong partnership, tell me more?Lets start with the business performance of certain outsourcing companies. If theyve built a business model around selling projects, then Im expecting to sell X many projects to pay for an operational head count. The challenge of that model is that if they are having to go out and sell projects and they havent got the financial

The pitfalls of outsourcing

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SBT Discusses...

Tips for successfully outsourcing IT

They have got to have a problem they need to solve and we can provide them with a better solution than they could do otherwise, and we can doit cheaper. - David Butcher

security within their own model to protect themselves, then one or two months down the line if they dont hit their project value or targets, the first thing they will be releasing is their technical head count, and that affects the client. The last thing the customer wants to know is that the outsourcer is losing its head count.

Can there be other problems with transparency?Not knowing the cost structure, where excess charges are, whats included and excluded in the service, that gets clients backs up. It could be that the customer is paying for services that they dont actually need.

You also speak of the importance of the customers own awareness. Can you elaborate?In the industry at the moment there is a lot of talk about cloud; public cloud, private cloud and a lot of service providers are dropping that to customers at the moment. Customers are making decisions and go wrong when they havent looked at all of the options, especially where there is jargon, sales speak or not knowing providers operational capabilities at the back end. Then there is the question of processes.

Customers often dont get the best from service providers because they are lacking in the internal processes that would enable them use IT efficiently. We have a customer who outsourced their IT to us and there are certain decisions that they should have made regarding the security data in their own business - we dont want to be responsible for the integrity of their data. If they are running an application for their business, they are responsible for the data that resides within that application and the service provider is aware that the data is not their responsibility. If that data corrupts because internal staff input it in the wrong way, then the service provider cant be accountable for that, thats the fault of the companys own processes.

Are there other ways of getting the wrong partnership, such as cultural incompatibility, for example?One customer came to us to say a service provider didnt have a clear understanding of how they could present information back to them in a way that they could understand. They had a monthly report which was very technically led rather than saying simply that they were at risk of exceeding capacity, might lose information as a result, or advising them around what decisions they needed to make. The customer had to tell the service provider how to relay information in a way that they could understand it!

How else is it possible to get the match wrong?For many companies IT is a reactive function based on what the company needs at a particular time, rather than part of its strategic planning. However, if a business plans to expand, then not finding a partner who is going to accomodate that scale of growth is where another problem lies. Organisations tend to outgrow their IT services. At a particular time they will have made a commercial decision that IT is a problem that needs fixing, but if they are then looking to expand quickly they can find that the service provider cant scale up or guide in a consultative way to get them where they want to be.

So to summarise, what is key?The essence is trust and communication.

www.ada.co.ukwww.fdoutsourcing.com

IT is one of the most common services to be outsourced. Ash Patel of ADA Technology Services advises on what to look for and expect from a potential service provider.

There has to be goodcultural compatibilityA good fit comes down to ethics and a personality feel. Its vital that the outsourcing company has a true understanding of your sector. We have open days, well go down the pub and have social events with our customers, so that we can experience eachother face to face.

Insist on planningIts vital to know where potential exposure is and where the excess is in a services contract. This ensures that the work is planned and you are getting value.

Check that the service provider is embracing the relevant standards and disciplinesThe provider needs to bemanaging services and cases using specific processes to get the best from their team.

The customer can reap the benefit of us training staffSmaller businesses often dont have the capability to identify gaps within their own IT teams and invest in them. Staff retention in this area can be a problem, as can growing skills, if there is not always an IT career path for in-house IT employees. If the customer employs the right service provider, they can reap the benefit from us training staff.

Ask for a fully transparent payment planAt ADA we offer a comparison of what we can do, the services on offer and what can be achieved to show and demonstrate how IT can save costs and add value.

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ReviewThis funky looking thing is called the Kia Soul and it certainly takes a bit of getting

used to is it a brick, is it a shoe box?Well no actually it is a pretty good

car, that after the slight rise of bile on rst sight, grows on you like a comfortable pair of old shoes. Lets get the looks out of the way then. A tad odd but you do get used to it and even, dare l say it, start to quite like it. As opposed to that ridiculous lump of lard from Nissan called the Cube that makes me vomit each time l see one. If South Korea has not been nuked out of existence by the time you read this, Kia have a very good range of cars on their hands and the risk with the exterior styling of the Soul just goes to prove that Kia are plucking up the courage to be adventurous in their styling. I applaud them, as it does look like it has escaped from a concept motor show and has an urban military whiff about it.

The interior is very well laid out and comfortable with adequate space for 5 but the rear load space does come with quite an annoying lip over which you are forced to lift meaning that shifting stuff in and out of the boot is more of a chore than it should be. It does offer you a high riding SUV feel to the drive but rear view is compromised by a high waist line, thick rear pillars and a narrow rear window. You have a decent sound system and a USB jack for plugging in whatever you like. The boot space is not impressive at all and you need to get the back seats down to get anything in other than a small box of SBT magazines but then it is an urban cruiser so not really meant for 5 passengers and their luggage.

The one thing that makes me feel that the interior designers were either

given too much budget or got bored half way through are the surrounds of the speakers that change colour every 5 seconds! Why? I wonder if any motorist survey ever carried out returned a majority view that their lives would be made complete if the speakers in their car changed colour.

A mad waste of money.The engine option is a 1.6 litre petrol

or diesel that has a surprising amount of oomph. It will dart around town with the best of them and then once on the motorway, really does run well with a very good reserve of torque when you press the go pedal. It is also steady enough until you encounter a gusting side wind and then you feel the drawback of the high sides but it never feels anything but safe and sure footed.

There are lots of options of colours and variants and l would go for the Inferno version that l drove if you are going to have a funky car then commit to it and go all the way mad graphics and all.

In summary, this is a cool urban cruiser that makes quite a statement, drives very well, offers great mpg, good road holding and the best warranty in the business.

Test DriveMaarten Hoffmann, SBTs Motoring Editor, reviews the Kia Soul Inferno and the MG6

KIA SOUL INFERNO

The Details

Price: From 11,700 - 18,000

Like: Concept styling; engine torque; warranty

Dislike: Silly lit speakers; lack of boot space

Alternatives: 0-62 in 10 seconds

Engines: 1.6 petrol or diesel, 138 bhp

Alternatives: Nissan Cube, Skoda Roomster, Toyota Urban Cruiser

Top Speed: 112 mphEconomy: Petrol 44.1 mpg, Diesel 54.3 mpg

Warranty: 7 years or 100,000 miles

www.kia.co.uk

P 58-59 Motoring SBT May2013.indd 28 03/05/2013 16:56


Car Review

www.mg.co.uk

ReviewMG 6Morris, Triumph, Austin, Reliant these are names of iconic British car manufacturers that

many of us grew up with and that are sadly deceased although it must be said that upon re ection, some of the models they produced were only ever destined for the dustbin of history. The Triumph Stag for example a great looking car that was as reliable as a North Korean rocket launch, as rusty as a bucket of nails with a warranty that expired as you drove out of the showroom!

But MG is a marque remembered fondly by most that owned one who of a certain age group did not own or covet an MGB-GT; or laugh hysterically as you shot up a hill climb in an MG Midget; or suddenly awoke to the enduring addiction of V8s in the MBG-GTV8? Sadly, the company founded by Cecil Kimber in 1920 ran out of puff in 1988 and was sold to British Aerospace, then to BMW in 1994 and nally went bust on April 7th 2005. The nal chapter of the story, or the rst chapter in the new story, took shape in July 2005, when the Chinese Nanjing Automobile Group purchased the rights to the MG name and all remaining assets for 53 million and created MG Motor.

So MG lives on to the joy of all British petrol heads but what of the rst new model to carry that iconic badge, the MG6. The marketing blurb calls this a sports-fastback and is in fact a rival to the Ford Focus and its kind and is currently available with a turbocharged 1.8 litre petrol engine with a ve speed manual gearbox or a 1.9 diesel with a 6 speed box. It is quite a good looking car and l especially like the front end that has quite an aggressive stance. Inside you are confronted by a well laid our interior with large clear dials and a very good colour screen that combines a sat nav and a multi-media interface. There is good legroom both front and back, considerably more than the Golf or Focus and a 60/40 split rear bench that offers plenty of load space. The boot will take 472 litres which is again far more than its rivals. The let down in the drivers seat, and l admit its a small niggle, is the daft handbrake.

Obviously a cool design feature but it is an odd shape and not at all easy to grab without pinching your ngers and theres also a silly cup holder that shoots out sideways and really takes two hands to operate design over function, me thinks!

Standard equipment includes stability control, front and side airbags, A/C, electric windows, alloy wheels, deadlocks and a fully integrated stereo that will make thieves lives a tad more dif cult.

The MG6 is quite a spirited drive and is stable in corners although it does suffer a tad from turbo lag but give it a boot and off it goes with a smooth gear change and impressive stability although a little too much wind noise for my liking. It cannot be classi ed as a hot hatch but is certainly a well sorted family hatchback. Economy is reasonable if not stunning with 37.7 mpg and a top speed limited to 120 mph. The entry price is 16,995 and thats a lot of car for the money when you consider what other full size hatchbacks cost.

There is one thing that might propel the MG6 to the front of your mind when buying the badge. When asked what you drive, there is little pride in answering Skoda or Ford but stating that you have an MG certainly brings a little pride to the voice. For those who take an interested in the British Touring Car Championship, you will know that champion Jason Plato has a new MG6 for this year and has made astonishing progress in such a short time and is full

of praise for the car he is also leading the drivers board at the time of writing.

Its been a long time since anyone could say that they have a new MG, built and designed in the UK, and with the range comprising the MG6, Magnette and the all-new MG3 launching this week at the Shanghai Motor Show, the badge is back.

Price: 16,995 - 20,590

Like: The Badge; load space.Dislike: Handbrake; cup holder; wind noise

Warranty: 3 years or 60,000 miles

Engines: 1.8 petrol & 1.9 diesel turbo

Alternatives: Ford Focus; Mazda 6; Skoda Octavia

Fuel consumption: Petrol 37.7 mpg. Diesel 53.5 mpg

Performance: 0 62 8.4 seconds

The Details

Top Speed: 120 mph

P 58-59 Motoring SBT May2013.indd 29 03/05/2013 16:56


Head in the Cloud?A paperless of ce is a dream for many, but are we as switched on as we like to think we are about digital security, or is a logistical nightmare just around the corner?

As soon as cloud storage became a solution, it also became a problem. The Chronology of Data Breaches by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse shows that in just ve years following 2005, when cloud computing truly entered business and consumer consciousness, more than

half a BILLION sensitive records were breached, and with so many people now turning to online lesharing, its unlikely the next report will be any more reassuring. Of those breached records, including credit card details, legally priviledged information and all manner of private data, around a fth came from retailers, merchants and other types of businesses outside of the legal, nancial and insurance sectors, and many of them were SMEs.

Unfortunately, thats not the most alarming statistic that this article has to throw at you: about 80 percent of SMEs that are subject to a data breach suffer severe nancial losses or go bankrupt within two years of the incident, according to industry expert John Sileo. Thats a margin of error that we, as a business community, just cannot afford and unfortunately thats standing in the way of SMEs truly embracing digital business.

Robert Downes, policy advisor, forum of private business explains: Research carried out amongst our members earlier this year saw quite a lot of antipathy towards going digital. Many rms expressed a reluctance to invest in technologies such as 4G or cloud computing over concerns relating to costs and actual bene ts, but one of the surprise reasons for this antipathy was the fear over data security in the cloud.

This was seen as the number one disadvantage to cloud computing, with many rms saying they didnt yet feel the cloud was a secure place to store important customer or business data. However, 20% felt that they had not been given enough information on the risks and rewards of the cloud, so it could be a case that attitudes could be changed quite easily.

Frankly though, this sentiment is perhaps understandable because of the number of high pro le stories in the media about hacking and in particular, the threat from foreign countries such as China. Rightly, or wrongly, there are a lot of businesses who remain risk averse to digital data storage.

A steadily increasing number of companies are implementing bring your own device policies and embracing the convenience they provide. However, in the rush to have employees working from a number of locations on wirelessly connected phones, tablets and laptops, many businesses are

failing to implement suf cient usage policies before ploughing ahead. Theyre also allowing staff to work wirelessly without providing them with purpose-built sharing platforms, leaving staff to use services like Dropbox, iCloud and Google Drive. Such sites are ideal for casual use, leading many to presume they are safe for transmitting sensitive documents because they use encryption between the user and the service. However, the les are stored by the service provider in the middle without encryption, so If a hacker, or even a rogue employee of the storage rm were to gain access to the main drive, sensitive documents would be at risk.

Cloud storage can, when used correctly, provide unparalleled convenience for teams or individuals working from multiple locations and can offer excellent reassurance for those who are concerned about essential physical documents being lost, damaged or stolen. The key is to choose appropriate data storage solutions and ensure that all staff fully understand the importance of adhering to data saftety protocols.

The security of your digital data is an investment that should not be overlooked.

Insight

Data



Chestnut Tree House at Rolls RoyceRolls-Royce Motor Cars helps Chestnut Tree House nd new friends

Over 100 friends and supporters of Sussex childrens hospice, Chestnut Tree House, enjoyed a special evening reception as guests of Rolls-Royce on Thursday 18 April.

The Goodwood-based company chose Chestnut Tree House as its House Charity in 2012 and raised over 20,000 through various fundraising activities throughout the year. The evening was the culmination of their fundraising support and to celebrate a successful year, the company presented a nal gift of a new sign made exclusively for Chestnut Tree House by the craftsmen and women at Rolls-Royce. The sign will soon take pride of place at the entrance to the hospice.

During the evening, guests heard about the care services and new developments at the hospice from Chief Executive, Hugh Lowson, and Director of Childrens Services, Linda Perry. Chestnut Tree House Patron, Mike Holland, also took the opportunity to launch the charitys brand new initiative Friend, Find a Friend.

Explained Mike, Although funding is extremely important to Chestnut Tree House it costs nearly 3 million each year to provide all the care services, yet the hospice receives less than 8% central government funding nding new supporters and spreading the word is just as important. My idea is very simple. If everyone who currently supports Chestnut Tree House was to introduce a like-minded friend who would also pledge to support the hospice, then we would instantly double the number of supporters we have. And thats my plea help us nd new friends to support Chestnut Tree House.

Said Hugh Lowson, We are extremely grateful to Rolls-Royce for their tremendous support and for raising such a staggering amount the equivalent of providing three days of all our care services, both at the House and out in the community across East and West Sussex. I would like to thank them for their hospitality which also extended to sending one of their beautiful cars to pick up some of our

Chestnut Tree House nurses and volunteers and arranging exclusive tours of the factory where we could see for ourselves the amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail which goes into producing every single Rolls-Royce motor car.If you would like to nd out more about the hospices new Friend, Find a Friend initiative, please contact Carolyn Robinson, Appeals Development Manager on 01903 871836 or visit the website www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk.

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk



EXPLAINSFILE EXPRESSDocument Management with Fiona Marley, Managing Director

All around the UK and in particular in environmentally conscious Sussex, many businesses are striving to run paperless of ces. Some view this as

nirvana, others as a complete myth. In reality, it is somewhere in between. With the explosion of technology in the last decade, this area can quite simply be mind blowing to understand. This article will draw on our 15 years of experience in providing these types of document management services for Sussex businesses and will attempt to simplify what we have seen working well in this in between environment.

From a non paperless environment to be truly paperless, there is a need to convert existing paperwork into digital format and to eliminate the creation of new paperwork. This sounds simple but will involve changing systems, processes and in some cases company culture. It is possible and there are plenty of examples of best practice but the task should not be taken lightly the larger the organisation, the greater the task! Most businesses we come across view their existing paperwork as their headache. All businesses have records or les and each one of these has a life cycle it is created, then it is used, then stored/held/maintained and nally destroyed. Given that we are focusing on the existing paperwork, lets now look at effective records management in terms of Storage, Scanning and Shredding.

STORAGESome documents have to be kept in some form or other. If your business has already created these in paper

form, there is no bene t towards that paperless aim of scanning those pages and storing them digitally unless there is a requirement to view them regularly or there is no secure way of storing them in hard copy format. The record has already served its purpose probably soon after being created and digitising it costs time and money. In fact very often the cost of this digitisation process outweighs the cost of physical storage, especially when that storage is in a dedicated, secure offsite warehouse facility and not in a smart of ce with high square footage rental. Ideally records should be carefully stored in boxes on shelving in humidity controlled environments with alarm systems for both re and intruders.

But what happens if you do actually need to look at that hard copy record again and it is offsite? Well a dedicated Archive Storage provider should provide you with a secure web portal that allows you to view what you have in storage, where each record is at any given time, what needs to be destroyed plus audit trails, management information and a host of other functions. This online information allows you to order what you need to look at by the click of a button. The record can then be physically delivered to your of ces or scanned and emailed or uploaded to the secure client portal to view. As we have alluded to already, the cost of offsite storage and infrequent retrieval tends to always be signi cantly less than scanning.

SCANNINGAlthough, as Ive explained, scanning is not the solution in every case, there are certainly circumstances under which having an accessible, digital copy of

Explainer

your paperwork is extremely useful. Its bene cial when employees might need access to something regularly and especially so when it needs to be accessed from different locations. With even the smallest businesses now working remotely from all around the world, being able to access documents quickly and securely is very valuable but this does come at a cost.

Backing up paper documents to digital les offers a disaster recovery solution as well as requiring much less storage space than its paper counterpart. Understandably, many businesses are concerned as to how secure the digital data they hold really is, what sort of scanning equipment to buy, who will do the laborious task of preparing the paperwork and then scanning it etc which is where outsourcing this task can provide a real bene t.

A professional bureau service with trained scanning personnel allows the transfer of large quantities of information on paper to be electronically converted to digital scans. The scanned images can then be indexed to allow quick and easy access to the relevant information. The scanned images are transferred to DVD or hard disc. The relevant software is embedded in with the images, reducing the need for you to purchase expensive specialist software and install it onto your of ce system. Images can then be simply viewed, printed or emailed.

The sort of records commonly scanned are personnel records; correspondence documents; supplier invoices; insurance documentation and pension records, although with todays fast-moving businesses, the potential applications are endless.



FILE EXPRESS

We believe in close working relationships and help advice companies on the best way to manage their paper to achieve various goals; reducing paper production, best practice with exiting paper records and retention policy to reducing costs but improving ef ciency.

We provide our services to a huge number of sectors across all areas of business to name a few: Accountancy Architects Engineering Estate agents Financial services Government Healthcare Housing Insurance Legal Manufacturing

So how does it work?File Express will assess the best option for managing your paperwork and provide a total solution to your secure and con dential off-site storage, scanning or shredding service for documents, les and media.

If secure storage is the solution, we will collect your records bar code them onto our bespoke electronic document management tracking system and assigned a unique reference and location in one of our secure warehouse facilities. Flexibility is key and clients can have a le delivered back to their of ce or scanned within 3 hours using our on line ordering facility. This enables clients to easily manage their records at a touch of a button.

With a focus on con dentiality, File Express complies with and supports your compliance of the data protection legislation at all times. A comprehensive audit trail of document movement, through to certi cated destruction when the documents are no longer needed, ensures your les are in safe hands.

So, whilst your documents are out of your way, they are never out of your control. This excellent solution provides you with total peace of mind, knowing that your documents are both legally and physically secure where you and ONLY you can access them at any time.

SUMMARYIf you are truly running a paperless of ce, congratulations and well done. If you totally rely on hard copy paper, then there are probably ef ciency savings to be had with some digistisation. If you are in between, then you are in the majority not the minority! Talk to a professional Document Management provider and you never know you just may save time, money, space and have fewer headaches! Welcome to the wonderful world of Document Management.

www. le-express.co.ukenquiries@ le-express.co.uk

SHREDDINGAt the end of the Records life cycleor because you now have digital copies and wish to make progress towards a paperless workplace, the paperwork needs to be securely destroyed. For small quantities, this can be done with an of ce shredder but for larger quantities the cost, time and equipment needed is outweighed by an offsite certi ed document destruction service that provides a certi cate of destruction as proof of shredding. A business has a legal duty to responsibly destroy documents that are no longer needed in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

In support of your environmental responsibilities, the shredded material is pulped and recycled to produce new paper-based products in line with legislation on the pre-treatment of waste and reducing waste going to land ll.

ABOUT USYou shouldnt trust just anybody with your records. Established in 1997, File Express has been providing companies across England over the last 15 years, with a range of trusted document storage, scanning and shredding services. Our company ethic is underpinned by our commitment to 100% customer service through con dentiality, accuracy and ef ciency. Our proven track record of delivering on our promise, our fully trained permanent staff, continued investment in technology and expanding facilities will ensure we remain one of the leading companies in our industry.



So what are BrightonandHoveJobs.com and GatwickDiamondJobs.com?They are the rst of many local jobs boards which we are launching across the region. They advertise local jobs and provide information and guidance to job seekers and businesses in and around those areas. We also work proactively to create local jobs for local people and provide much needed support across the areas of education, employment and career advice. Working from scratch we launched in September 2010 con dent that in a short time we would become the local hub for jobs and opportunities in the area.

Why did you feel the need to set these companies up?There was a huge gap in the market for people looking to nd locally relevant careers and labour market information

and advice. Job seekers wanted a local portal for local jobs and businesses wanted a cost effective platform that provided them with the best local talent - cost effectively! The job boards now provide a key role in helping to address these issues and have improved the way the local labour market operates; bringing public, private and voluntary sector partners together for community and economic bene t; building on our pro le and excellent links that we have within the county.

What business successes have you seen since you launched in September 2010?

Over the last 3 years we have become an intrinsic logo on the landscape of Sussex business. The small team of 6 have applied and embedded their brand to every corner of the business community to support, train, educate and develop relationships & drive forwards economic growth in the city during one of the worst recessions the country has experienced.

We have been recognised in several prestigious business awards, consistently reached out to over 600,000 residents each week, become the local hubs for local jobs, helped 100s of businesses hire staff and sponsored Brighton & Hove Albion in their most successful period for years ~ and we are now based at The BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground where we are also developing community initiatives to reach out to a new Sussex wide audience.

As a signi cant employer in the Brighton & Hove, American

Express regularly looks for opportunities to actively promote its brand as a great place to work. The huge success of our partnership has inspired us to become partners with the organization and we look forward to a much longer successful relationship. Sean Wright VP, Human Resources, Northern Europe, American Express

Can you give us an example of how you are supporting out younger generations into work?Together with Brighton and Hove City Council, we set up a microsite called BEACH ~ Brighton Employability Advice and Careers Hut. It was designed for young people by young

Nationally and locally there are huge challenges and complications for businesses of all sizes when it comes to employing staff. Additionally, young people have been particularly affected by the nancial crisis and there is strong rationale for focusing resources and activity disproportionately on them to support them into the world of work. BrightonandHoveJobs.com and GatwickDiamondJobs.com were both set up to address these problems and have since become household names across the County. Gary Peters, Founder of the Job Board portfolio, explains how they have made such an impact in such a short space of time.

South East Jobs

There is no other initiative in the rest of the UK which better brings together the Public,

Private and Third Sector locally to create and inspire job seekers to nd work



people and is the result of a series of activities involving year 10 students from Brighton & Hove secondary schools and local employers. It provides all of the career advice that a young person needs to get into the world of work and its been hugely successful. We will be launching similar sites across the county and updating it regularly with the support of local school children and employers.

What makes your job boards so successful?They are the rst of their kind in the country and maybe the world uniquely servicing the region with their very own proactive jobs board. There is no other initiative in the rest of the UK which better brings together the Public, Private and Third Sector locally to create and inspire job seekers to nd work whilst also advertising the regions jobs at the most affordable prices possible.

Tell us about the charity initiative your company has started and how you support the third sector. We recently set up an annua

Sussex Business Times May 2013

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Transcript of Sussex Business Times May 2013