Plans for 2014:Read about Plymouth Chamber’s top priorities

for the next yearPages 16-17

Investment tips for 2014:Brewin Dolphin share their investment

insights for the year ahead Page 20

What’s in a name?Read all about our Crunchy Breakfast covering

the Britain’s Ocean City brand for PlymouthPage 6

February 2014

We talk to ‘Hotel Inspector’ and business guru, Alex Polizzi about what she’s most looking forward to about returning to Plymouth. P.23

In This Month’s Issue:

Dinner with the stars

BUSINESS CREATIONWITHPLYMOUTHUNIVERSITY

Plymouth University proudly supports the GAIN innovation and enterprise ‘eco-system’ with our award-winning business incubation services

www.plymouth.ac.uk/enterprisesolutions

587028_247201_4764_Ply_PCCIChamberlinkAdvert_A3_231213_V4.indd 1 23/12/2013 15:45

Plymouth Chamber Of Commerce & Industry

Registered Office: 22 Lockyer Street, Plymouth PL1 2QW.

Tel 01752 220471 Fax 01752 600333 chamber@plymouth-chamber.co.uk.

www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk

Published by Plymouth Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Editorial copy

can be submitted directly to communications@plymouth-chamber.co.uk

Editorial policy: We publish members’ editorial according to merit and

available space, regardless of whether contributors advertise or not.

See www.plymouthchamberlink.co.uk

Advertising: Please contact Amanda Bishop on 01752 273884.

This publication © Plymouth Chamber Of Commerce 2014. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. We reserve the right to accept, reject, alter or edit any material submitted. Every effort is made to ensure that information in this publication is correct; however, Plymouth Chamber Of Commerce & Industry and/or the editor cannot be held responsible for any errors, omissions or actions taken in reliance on it, and any opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the Chamber, the publishers, or the editor.

When printed, Chamberlink is on recycled paper made from 80% de-inked post-consumer waste and 20% mill broke, meeting the requirements set by Government bodies for recycled content papers.

Plymouth Chamber Of Commerce

Contents:Business Show returns for 2014 See the plans for this year’s Plymouth Business Show and how you can be involvedPage 7 New home for Plymouth Arts CentreSee the plans for the new arts development in Plymouth Page 11

Business is Good for Young People Plymouth Chamber was praised at a national reception for its work with young people Page 12 Making progress See how Plymouth’s 1000 Club is impacting young people in the cityPage 13

Get CreativeLearn more about the Creative Employment Programme and how it could help fund a creative apprentice for your business Page 15

South West Marketing Investment increases for 2014 Fuel share their marketing insight report results with us for 2014 Pages 18-19 Words of Wisdom for Small Businesses Hilary Broadley of Broadley Speaking shares her tips for success for small businessesPage 21

How I got started David Rowe of Applied Automation shares the history of the Plymouth based technology companyPage 22

Events DiaryYour at-a-glance guide to Chamber events and training for the next month or so Page 30

Front cover image: Alex Polizzi, Hotel Inspector. TwoFour Production/Channel 5. Designed by Real Fusion | www.realfusion.co.uk

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This month we see Jeremiah the Bear relaxing at home after a hard day’s fundraising for Jeremiah’s Journey.

See your picture here by sending us your ‘I’m reading Chamberlink picture’ by email to communications@plymouth-chamber.co.uk or sharing it with us via Social Media.

Who’s reading Chamberlink this month?

CHAMBERLINK IS SpoNSoREd By

2014 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for Plymouth and the South West. Results from the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (p.25), published in January, show that businesses in the South West, and across the UK, are indicating positive sustained growth. This is a huge achievement and a point to be celebrated following a long and deep recession.

Not only do the economic figures show growth but the projects and announcements that we saw throughout 2013 show that the South West is gearing up for a prosperous 2014. You can read about the plans for the new home for Plymouth Arts Centre on p.11 and the exciting new development for a digital hub for Devonport Market Hall on p.27. Alongside these development plans the Chamber continues to be involved in the long term development for Plymouth, such as a feasibility study for a Cruise liner berth for the City.

Here at the Chamber, 2014 has already seen a number of developments, with changes to our Business Support Helpline, which is now offered by a consortium of local businesses and a decision to bring Plymouth Junior Chamber in house to aid the development of our support to young people in business. These changes, along with our new benefit offering for members, aim to offer an improved membership service for our members, helping you to grow and succeed in business.

This issue of Chamberlink covers a variety of stories focussing on the developments and investments taking place in Plymouth, as well as an overview of the Chamber’s plans for 2014. We also have an update on the progress of the 1000 Club, celebrating the achievements that the project has made to date to help young people into work.

Our lobbying will continue throughout 2014, working alongside City partners to secure improvements to our physical connectivity, our fellow Chambers in the South West to improve how international trade is conducted and the British Chambers of Commerce to reduce Business Rates for local businesses.

With the introduction of a number of new free events for members I’m looking forward to seeing many businesses throughout the next 12 months to update on Chamber activities and bring business leaders together to further the growth for our local economy.

DAVID PARLBY’S VIEW 5

Developing Plymouth for 2014

dAVId pARLByCEo, plymouth Chamber

Comron Rowe of Foot Anstey with Chief Executive of plymouth Chamber, david parlby

Premier regional law firm Foot Anstey has committed to support the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce ‘City Conversations’ for a further 12 months.

The quarterly business briefing event has been running since 2010 and is popular with Plymouth businesses leaders for its content, with regular updates on major city development and projects relevant to the business community.

Taking the sponsorship of this popular networking event into its 5th year, Foot Anstey will continue to host the City Conversations breakfasts at their offices, based in Sutton Harbour.

Comron Rowe, Partner at Foot Anstey, said: “We are delighted to renew our support of City

Conversations which offers business leaders a chance to engage on the major issues affecting Plymouth. We look forward to welcoming more opinion formers in the coming 12 months, who will gain further insight into our City’s continued development, here at Salt Quay House.”

With previous event topics including updates on the City Deal, debates around how to improve employability in the city and the Britain’s Ocean City brand for Plymouth, the City Conversations events are a major contributor to the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce events calendar.

David Parlby, Chief Executive at PlymouthChamber of Commerce, said: “The City Conversations events at Foot Anstey’s first class facilities are extremely popular with our membership so we are

delighted to renew this arrangement. Delivering these briefings on major city topics and encouraging debate and conversation between local businesses is an activity that we feel is an important role for the Chamber and we’re pleased that Foot Anstey is recognising this with their continued support.”

CRunCHy BREAkFAsT

Foot Anstey continues to fuel City Conversations

What’s in a name… Why Plymouth became Britain’s Ocean City

New year new opportunities

At January’s Crunchy Breakfast we heard from Peter Jones, the man behind the creation of the Britain’s Ocean City branding.

peter argued that “A brand is more than just a logo, in developing the brand for plymouth we had amazing raw materials to work with and investigated ways to use heritage and history to bridge through to the future. It’s about winning competitive advantage and building pride and awareness for plymouth.”

peter continued, “When approaching the new plymouth brand, we wanted to create the identity for plymouth as more than just a tourist destination, the visual language created needs to underpin everything that the City has to offer, from the obvious tourist attractions, to the educational facilities, culture, dining experiences and day to day life of residents who live and work in plymouth. The brand is more than a logo or a visual, and

the brand created for plymouth promises performance and set out our aims for the city.”

“The partners involved in the creation of the brand identity stressed a need for plymouth to start thinking global, as regional relevance is no longer enough to position a city as a destination for business or pleasure. Inspiration was drawn from brands of other cities who are seen to be getting their act together such as portsmouth ‘ the great waterfront city’ and Glasgow, with their people make Glasgow brand message.”

Arguing the reason behind the ‘Britain’s ocean City’ strapline peter said: “There’s nowhere quite like plymouth and this is a fact that we wanted to draw upon for the creation of the brand language. In a global context plymouth was the starting point for many trans-Atlantic crossings and adventures, a fact that we’re all acutely aware of, yet don’t celebrate enough.” peter went on to cover the history

of plymouth incorporated into the brand discovery. plymouth’s backstory really starts long before Francis drake’s circumnavigation of the globe in 1577, with the arrival of the Black prince in 1356 and Katharine of Aragon in 1501,

plymouth has had a leading role in many historical events, yet always allows itself to be overlooked. peter did warn however that there is always a danger, when looking at history, to get caught in the tourist element and that the plymouth brand needed to go beyond the heritage, looking at what’s happening now and what the aims for the plymouth of the future are set to be.

Rounding up the reasoning

behind the brand peter explained why plymouth is Britain’s ocean City “If we talk about plymouth being next to the English Channel we’re thinking too small. We used the term ocean to epitomise the big thinking for plymouth,

demonstrating our ambition and enthusiasm.”

See the Q&A’s from the Crunchy Breakfast on p.31

The brand guidelines for the

Britain’s Ocean City branding are now available on www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk

At Lloyds Banking group we are delighted to announce that there have been several milestones in helping Britain prosper that we achieved in 2013.

• Funding for lending scheme – net growth of £3.1 Billion of our lending to SME businesses

• In Plymouth and surrounding area we have lent £30M to SMEs in the region

• New start ups 94,000 nationally

Locally we continue to strive to support our customers growth plans for 2014 and following a recent government review of the

Funding for Lending Scheme this is now still available for commercial customers into 2014. With local highly experienced and specialist managers we can provide a range of business needs to help your business prosper in 2014.

“There’s nowhere quite like Plymouth and this is a fact that we wanted to draw upon for the creation of the brand language.”

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MEMBERs’ nEWs In BRIEf

Ian Brooking with Gareth Bourton of Kier Group (sponsor of the Sustainable Ethos award). photographer: Jonathon Bosley

stem Group continue success into 2014 Plymouth based IT services company Stem Group celebrated a successful year in 2013 with several large contract wins. Following this success the company expanded, taking on 3 new staff and increasing their data centre to further their plans for continued growth in 2014.

new appointment for securi-Guard Securi-Guard has strengthened its senior management team with the appointment of experienced security professional Robert Truesdale as Fire and Security Systems Manager. plymouth-born Bob – who has worked in security for the past 22 years will oversee both the technical and sales side of the fire and security division of the company.

new appointment at Bluestone 360 Graduate AcademyThe South West’s first and only graduate academy has appointed Neil Bennett as Academy director. Neil, who is the former Head of New Business at Bluestone 360 will oversee the day to day running of the academy and help develop the academy into a sustainable business, separate from Bluestone 360.

Milestone Anniversary at the Moorland Garden HotelTo celebrate its 80th anniversary year, the Moorland Garden Hotel on the edge of dartmoor, has launched a packed calendar of special events for 2014, from a vintage May fete to a 1940s dinner dance, a host of themed events will help guests indulge in the nostalgia of a bygone era to mark the hotel’s founding decade. For more information please visit www.moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk or call 01822 852245

Outset Plymouth helps to create 200th new business outset plymouth started 2014 with good news as a local web design company became the 200th business started with the business support programme’s help and guidance. Since launching in 2010, outset plymouth has worked with almost 2,100 local people, helping them to explore the possibility of starting their own businesses, which have contributed around 250 additional jobs for the local economy.

Plymouth Business Show returns for 2014

Una Group wins major award for its environmental work

The celebrated Plymouth Business show is set to return this year. Taking place at Plymouth

Pavilions on Wednesday 11th June, bookings are being taken for businesses wishing to take part.

Plymouth-based Una Group has scooped a top award for its environmental work in the South

West. The group won the Sustainable Ethos category at the DEBI awards in Exeter.

Following the success of 2013’s business show the popular event is set to be bigger and better for 2014. Confirmed sponsors for the event currently include Heart Radio and Redrok.

With many stands already sold plymouth Chamber is encouraging businesses to book early to avoid disappointment.

Local businesses already booked to attend include; Extra Help, Nash & Co Solicitors, Quickstore Storage, Engage pd, CS Systems and plymouth University Enterprise Solutions.

Suzi Cumberland, Events Manager for Plymouth Chamber of Commerce said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing back the popular plymouth Business Show for 2014. We’re looking forward to building on the success of last year’s event and have utilised all of the feedback received from 2013’s show to improve the Business Show for this year. We’re confident that this year the Business Show will be even bigger and better. With so many local businesses already signed up and our current confirmed sponsors

Heart Radio on board we’re expecting demand for space to be high, so I’d urge businesses to book early if they’d like to exhibit”

Stands are available from just £299* find out more information and book your stand now at www.plymouthbusinessshow.com

If you are interested in finding out more about the various sponsorship opportunities available for the Business Show please contact Suzi Cumberland on 01752 273885 or email: events@plymouth-chamber.co.uk

Ian Brooking, Director of The Una Group, said: “It’s fantastic news. It’s great to receive recognition for the work we’ve been doing over the last few years. We’ve got a great team working on a number of exciting environmental projects across the city and beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed the DEBI Awards evening and was really inspired by the passion of all the other finalists.”

Among the Una Group’s current environmental activities are a world-leading rubber recycling plant, an award-winning waste to energy site and the largest solar panel installation on a building in Plymouth. To date, the Una Group has committed over £40m to green initiatives across its diversified range of businesses. The group was judged on this as well as its work in the community.

Andy Vickery, Chairman of DEBI, said: “As in previous years, this year’s awards covered an eclectic and impressive spectrum of businesses in Devon both small and large who are demonstrating true innovation and creativity when it comes to running their operations in an environmentally sustainable way. The shortlisting, judging and decision making processes were the source of lively debate as a result of the quality of the entrants this year. DEBI is proud that for the last 21 years it has been able to continue championing Devon’s most sustainable businesses including social enterprises and community initiatives. We hope that as a network we can continue to support their business needs from an environmental perspective and recognise the positive impact they have on our local economy.”

The Devon Environmental Business Initiative (DEBI) was set up to encourage businesses across Devon to adopt environmentally sound and profitable business policies. This is the first time the Una Group entered the awards. With plans in the pipeline for substantial investment in more environmental activities, the Group is keen to demonstrate that you can be both green and commercial at the same time.

*exclusive of VAT

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Plymouth Business_Chamber ad_final.indd 1 10/13/13 6:44 PM

Turf Cutting Ceremony to bring life and vitality back to City’s historic thoroughfareThe creation of a pioneering urban enterprise hub in historic Stonehouse officially began at a special turf cutting ceremony on Union Street on December 10th 2013. The project will create 200 new jobs in Plymouth.

Faces at the ceremony included Councillors from Plymouth City Council, representatives from LEP, ERDF and members of the local community set to benefit from the improved economic activity that the new business hub will inject into the area. The ceremony was carried out by Council Leader Tudor Evans and marks the start of work on a new £5 million building development for the Millfields Trust which will be constructed next to its thriving HQ business Centre.

The Millfields Trust, a trading social enterprise which reinvests profits back into the community of Stonehouse, has chosen Midas Construction to be the main contractor for the construction of the high quality four storey building. Mike O’Neill, divisional director of Midas Construction for Devon and Cornwall, said they are delighted to be a part of the increasing investment being injected into Plymouth.

The project will be financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, with great help and support from Plymouth City Council.

Designed to support emerging, small and medium sized enterprises and creating employment opportunities for local people, the new building will house 32 new business units and a full height atrium with glass lift. The building will provide a range of adaptable and functional workspaces when it is completed in Spring 2015. Reverend Sam Philpott, chair of the Millfields Trust, said “This is a real milestone in the process of creating what we are confident will become a long term legacy for Stonehouse, enhancing the lives of local residents, supporting fledgling businesses and creating positive change for Union Street”.

The community are excited about the development, with youngsters from seven local primary schools currently involved in an art project to decorate the hoarding which will surround the build during the construction phase.

The Rise of the Hands on Apprentice

According to the research from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills the programme has performed strongly in the production sectors, and found that some regions formed a more natural home for apprenticeships.

Responding to these results Lindsey Hall, co-Director of Devonport based Real Ideas Organisation said: “It is excellent news that apprenticeships in manufacturing are flourishing. Young people need a wide variety of training and learning routes and when done well, an apprenticeship is one of the best foundations anyone can have.

It is also interesting to ask why apprenticeships fair less well in other sectors. Our experience is

that most companies want to offer routes in for young people and love the idea of ‘growing their own’ but particularly for those in SMEs or social enterprises, it is a challenge to find the resources, to navigate the system and to find an apprenticeship framework that really reflects the job they are training a young person to do.

In the context of constantly changing job roles, we need to approach apprenticeships a bit differently. How about an entrepreneurial apprenticeship; an apprenticeship in being a freelancer or social enterprise apprenticeship? As more young people are now starting social enterprises that conventional SMEs, this last one is especially relevant.”

A study of the government’s Apprenticeship Grant scheme,

published in December 2013, showed that apprentices are

‘considerably’ more likely to be located in manufacturing and

engineering, construction and agriculture.

ADVERT

nEWs

Six Month placement for Spanish Mature student at Manpower

Voluntary Board Members Required

We ask Alvaro, a student from Basque, in Spain, how he’s finding the experience of an international student placement with Chamber member Manpower.

How did you secure your placement with manpower? I secured by placement through a grant from the Basque Government and Basque Entrepreneurship Association who are connected with the Totnes European School in Devon.

What role have you undertaken whilst with Manpower?I have taken on an Admin and HR Assistant role. Auditing, recruiting and reporting in payroll and pre-screening potential candidates for job roles.

How do you feel your placement has helped you for your future career aims? I feel this placement has been very useful and will absolutely be key for my professional targets and achievements in the future.

Martin Mosely, Manager at Manpower said: “We have during the past 3 years been involved with offering work placements to mature students. This enables us to have someone in the branch that can experience a placement

that will help them with their chosen career path. Alvaro has contributed to our team in many ways by supporting consultants with those important and legislative audit compliance that is required within the industry. Alvaro’s support also within the company helps him to understand the finer details of our industry.”

Alvaro’s six month placement started with Manpower in November 2013 and will run until the end of the Summer 2014.

Tamar Housing Society is a Plymouth based housing association, serving the needs of the community within the city and neighbouring areas. We are looking for Board Members with an expertise in the following area:

• Propertydevelopment • Legal • CommercialSector • Finance/accountancy

Tamar owns and manages over 550 general needs housing units. We have exciting and ambitious plans to

increase our stock with over 500 new affordable homes in and around plymouth over the next 5 years.

Board Members are asked to commit to around 10 Board and Committee meetings a year. The post is voluntary but reasonable expenses are paid and training is available.

Further details are available from Julie Barnett, Chief Executive at Tamar Housing Society, Mayflower House, 178 Armada Way, plymouth pL1 1Ld, telephone 01752 250902 or email julie.barnett@tamarhs.org

MEMBERs’ nEWs In BRIEf

A STEP forward for Plymouth SolicitorJonathan Hall, partner of Plymouth based law firm Gill Akaster LLP Solicitors, is one of only a

small number of people in the UK to have been awarded the STEP (Society of Trust and Estate

Practitioners) Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes.

The accreditation was launched in 2011 and is designed for experienced practitioners and addresses many of the variations involved in trust disputes, with a practical overview of the themes commonly encountered and the overarching principles. It is the first such qualification which looks at the area from a contentious angle and aims to provide an A to Z coverage of trust disputes.

Jonathan Hall has more than 20 years of experience and specialises in inheritance tax and trust planning, complex estate administration, care home funding and contentious trust and estate matters. On completing the advanced certificate he said “I am delighted. The legal arena is an ever evolving one and all solicitors must continually develop their expertise and knowledge to be able to provide the best possible service to their clients.”

Bartercard Business Consultancy run by you Bartercard, the UK’s largest business-

to-business trade exchange, are

looking to set up around 200

Business Consultancy franchises

in Cornwall & devon. This is an

opportunity for business people

to gain 365 day a year income

potential and greater control of

their professional lives by running

these Consultancies themselves,

tasked primarily with recruiting new

members. More information can be

found at www.bartercard.co.uk/

About/Franchising

Wild Futures win sustainability Awards At the awards ceremony held in

december the leading primate

charity, Wild Futures, won the best

medium business and resource

management categories. Hayley

dann, from the charity said “we

are very proud to win highly

commended”. The carbon footprint

project they undertook this year has

enabled them to reduce electrical

consumption by 50% and they plan

to implement further actions.

Puzzlebox Learning Digital Practitioner of the year AwardSimon pearson of puzzlebox

Learning was awarded NIACE

digital practitioner of the year at a

ceremony on 11th december, which

recognises people that go beyond the

call of duty. Simon recently worked

with Apt Awards which enables

people to support their learning with

the use of assistive technologies. on

winning the award Simon said “It was

an honour”.

Happy Birthday West Financial Management Co Ltd West Financial Management

celebrated its 10th birthday on 5th

december at St Elizabeth House. This

was also the team Christmas dinner

with cheer all round. Helen West said

she looks forward to what the next

10 years have to bring.

(L-R) Alvaro with Martin Mosely, Samantha Tomlin and Lorissa Shepard of Manpower

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Local business consortium set to give free advice to Chamber members

‘Godsend’ sports test makes football debut

Nash & Co Solicitors LLp, Riley and ManSys have joined forces to provide the Business Support Helpline, which is a benefit to all plymouth Chamber members and their employees.

David Parlby, Chief Executive of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce said: “The Business support helpline is a tangible benefit for Chamber members providing access to quality professional advice offered by each of the consortium businesses. plymouth Chamber aims to make plymouth a great place to do business, and by providing this advice and support helpline free of charge to Chamber members and their employees we’re giving businesses the tools they need to grow and succeed.“

The support helpline offers free Tax, VAT, pAyE, payroll, Employment, Health and Safety and Commercial Legal advice by telephone to all businesses who are Chamber members.

Karen Bussell, Partner at Nash & Co Solicitors LLP said: “We are delighted to be able to provide local advice to local businesses. As professionals we can provide expertise but as business owners with management experience, we are also able to give real solutions to real world problems.”

For more information on the Business Support Helpline or any of the benefits available to you as a member of plymouth Chamber of Commerce please call 01752 220471. Full details of how to access the Business Support Helpline can be found on the Chamber member extranet.

The ABEL-Sport test, developed in Plymouth by Knight Scientific, can help predict overtraining, a dangerous condition in which a player might train too hard without giving the body enough chance to recover, resulting in illness or injury.

Mr Harbin is working hand-in-glove with Dr Jan Knight of Knight Scientific, using the test results to monitor individual players’ health and performance. Mr Harbin has explained that this scientific evidence is a vital link to their own assumptions and observations as “the tests also show me things I couldn’t possibly have known, such as when a player has an infection but isn’t yet showing symptoms” and this can prevent it becoming a problem for him or even for the whole team.

Dr Knight, a scientist with a worldwide reputation in the field of bioluminescence and oxidative stress research, says she’s not in the least surprised that the tests have proven to be so accurate. Knight Scientific’s test is already attracting interest from several Premiership clubs, but Plymouth Argyle is the first football team to use it over a sustained period with support and feedback from the laboratory that invented it in Plymouth.

“We’re confident the ABEL-Sport test will become the gold standard for footballers around the world,” says Dr Knight. “It’s reliable, it’s scientifically proven, and it gives teams invaluable information in minutes that can make a real, practical difference.”

following a local procurement procedure carried out by Plymouth Chamber of

Commerce a local business consortium has been appointed to provide business support

to Chamber members. As of 1st January 2014 Plymouth Chamber’s Business Support

Helpline has been delivered by three well-respected local businesses who will deliver a

full range of VAT, PAYE, Tax, Employment law, Health and Safety and Commercial Legal

advice to Chamber member businesses, free of charge, via the telephone helpline.

Plymouth Argyle may not be quite as well known around the world as Manchester United or Arsenal, but the League Two team

now has a secret weapon that Premiership clubs will envy. The Devon side is using science to reduce sickness and prevent

injury – and it’s proving so successful that Plymouth Argyle’s Performance Manager, John Harbin, describes it as “a Godsend”.

dr Jan Knight and John Harbin

nEWs

Job Centre Plus helping young people into work

New home for Plymouth Arts Centre a step closer

Thanks to working with the Jobcentre Plus the Oasis Care Home in Plymstock recently agreed to offer good quality work experience placements to young people looking for work in the care sector. Their first placement Niall, was offered work experience in an Admin Assistant role.

Tui Shirley, Registered Provider of The Oasis Care Home said “At the time when Niall came to us on work experience we had not formalised a vacancy for a Trainee Admin Assistant. Niall came to interview smartly dressed in a suit demonstrating he was serious about the opportunity he was being offered. His attitude, energy and happy personality combined with IT knowledge and skills (to be expected of someone of his age group) brought tangible benefits with the Registered Manager referring to him as a ‘God Send’.”

Niall very quickly became a real asset in his Admin Assistant role and the employer in discussion with Jobcentre Plus looked at ways they could offer him paid employment. As a result Niall was offered an apprenticeship as a Trainee Admin Assistant, and the employer took

advantage of the Wage Incentive on offer via Jobcentre Plus, making a real difference to a small company taking on a young person.

Niall commented “My days were full of nothing until the offer of work experience came along. I was getting a lot of ‘thanks but no thanks’ from employers when applying for jobs, often being told my lack of work experience was an issue. I quickly started to feel valued whilst doing my placement and I realised if I went out of my way to complete tasks above and beyond what was expected of me it was my chance to impress an employer. Nicola, my advisor at the jobcentre helped me with expenses to catch two buses to get to the care home and also arranged for me to buy a suit to go to the interview. I felt overwhelmed when I was offered an apprenticeship and my mum is over the moon as I am now a much happier person. It also really helped having a free bus pass for the first months travel to my new job, provided by Plymouth City Bus as their commitment to the Plymouth 1000 club.”

The Oasis Care Home is now a member of the 1000 club, in recognition of their support to helping young people into work.

A new £6m home for art and film in Plymouth came a step closer in December following the submission of a bid to Arts Council England.

The bid, for £1.5 million, has been

put forward to Arts Council England (ACE) by Plymouth Arts Centre, who are working in partnership with Akkeron to create new arts and creative facilities as part of a redevelopment of the Civic Centre site in the city centre. Located adjacent to the Theatre Royal, it will create a vibrant cultural quarter, offering international contemporary art, mainstream and independent film, large and mid-scale theatre, outdoor festival performance, spoken word, food and more. The centre will include two large art galleries, enabling Plymouth to exhibit national and international exhibitions.

Kate Sparshatt, Executive Director of Plymouth Arts Centre said that this new centre will drive forward Plymouth’s ambition to be the UK’s premier marine city as a stimulating place to live and work.

A feasibility study carried out for Plymouth Arts Centre demonstrates that visitor numbers could increase from 38,000 to 120,000, with an estimated 16 jobs safeguarded, 6 new created and opportunities for apprenticeships. Additionally there will be business innovation support for over 40 self-employed and micro enterprises per year.

Further applications for funding will be made to EU funds and trusts and foundations. Support will also be sought from local businesses and the general public. A decision from ACE on the success of the bid is expected in July 2014.

Local business consortium set to give free advice to Chamber members

Artistic impression of Arts Centre North Elevation

Niall Hernon with Tui Shirley of oasis Care Home

11

by Pollyanna Boucherat

FEATuREs

Plymouth Chamber of Commerce singled out for innovative work with young peopleAn exclusive ceremony was held at the House of Commons on 4th December 2013, celebrating the work that Chambers of Commerce from across the UK do with young people. Plymouth Chamber’s very own young apprentice Daniel Ninnim and ambassador for the 1000 Club attended the event. He tells us about his experience of the event and why Plymouth Chamber received so much praise.

daniel started out as an apprentice at the age of 19 and has now been at plymouth Chamber of Commerce for 3 years gaining valuable skills and qualifications. He has undertaken the Business Administration Level 2 and 3 and is now working towards his IT Level 3. daniel has directly benefitted from the engagement with young people that the Chamber advocates and was therefore enthusiastic to attend the event to share this.

What was the atmosphere at the ceremony?Supportive! So many successful young people were there, showing me the expanse of opportunities out there and that the work that Chambers do really is benefitting the right people. It assured me I am on the right track.

What do you feel you got out of going to the event?It was a fantastic event on a national scale and it was exciting to see something bigger than just plymouth. It gave me the chance to meet other Chambers and see what they do. This made me realise how much plymouth Chamber does with young people and this made me proud. Jobs for young people are on the rise in plymouth and this is a positive step that plymouth Chamber and the 1000 Club have helped with by recruiting apprentices like me and providing great opportunities.

Who did you meet, any useful networking?I spoke to the Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs about what it’s like to be a young apprentice and it was good to speak positively of the Chamber and let her know the support they have given me. Events like this encourage me to work outside of my comfort zone and interact with a range of people.

What skills have you gained from your apprenticeship?Communication, confidence and even organisation! I am not the most organised person in the world but working at the Chamber has meant I’ve vastly improved and my Line Manager, Lesley has really helped me with this. I have been given my own roles and responsibilities which encourage me to push myself. I started out as a shy apprentice but the job role has brought me out of my shell and enabled me to reach my potential.

Tell us about the working environment of the Plymouth Chamber?It’s really positive. From the day I started as an apprentice I was made to feel a core part of the team, everyone is involved and all opinions are considered. It’s a relaxed and therefore productive office.

(L-R) dr Adam Marshall, director of policy and External Affairs for British Chambers of Commerce with Cate Taynton and daniel Ninnim of plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Jacki Williams of Jobcentre plus at the Business is Good for young people reception

12

by Pollyanna Boucherat

uPDATE

Helping Plymouth’s young people into employment

The key partners behind the 1000 Club project, therefore, decided to work together under a unifying brand, removing all other organisational logos, with the focus of all communication being about the business needs and providing an independent single point of contact for enquiries to help businesses engage with and employ young people.

The developed 1000 Club brand communicated the aim of recruiting 1000 local companies to help support young people into work, whether that be through full or part time employment, apprenticeships, traineeships, graduate internships, work placements, student work experiences or for those many micro businesses in the city an easy route to finding ways they can support young people, such as through mentoring, guest lecturers or ‘dragon den’ style competitions.

Given the 1000 Club was ‘home grown’ the partnership has been flexible and has developed to meet the needs of businesses as the project progressed. To begin with the 1000 Club was purely a way of communicating information, signposting and providing an independent evaluation of the various options available to businesses. However the 1000 Club soon developed into a brokerage service for both employers and agencies,

sometimes even between employers themselves. The 1000 Club now performs the following role: • Researching into the requirements of key sectors

in the city to understand the key barriers and issues experienced by businesses in the city to provide opportunities for the unemployed. • Brokerage between businesses and Plymouth

University to ensure that graduate talent is retained locally to support the growth of the South West economy. • Supporting ‘best practice projects’ such as the

Phoenix Project and Whizz Kidz. • Working strategically with Plymouth City

Council and developers to look at likely future requirements in the city, so that Job Centre Plus can work with the unemployed to ensure that they are ready and able to take opportunities as they come along. • Responding to businesses that have future

requirements and prefer a single point of contact for recruiting. October 1st 2013 saw the anniversary event with

an anniversary breakfast event. Each table at the event included involved companies and a young person seeking employment. As a result of the event 50% of the young people present have entered

employment with one of the attending businesses. Businesses have shown tremendous support

for the scheme, such as Plymouth City Bus who donated 1000 free week bus passes for a young person starting employment.

The figures for the success of the 1000 Club speak for themselves with 429 jobs created, 502 apprentices placed and 611 work placements secured.

This is only part of the work that the Chamber is co-ordinating as part of a project funded by DWP through the Flexible Support Fund and by Plymouth City Council, which aims to grow the economy and increase employment opportunities.

For example, the Plymouth International Trade Club has been set up to assist businesses looking to trade overseas and the Chamber is leading a consortium bid to provide 2 week internships with micro employers in the creative sector.

This partnership between Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, DWP and Plymouth City Council has been identified as an example of good practice which was singled out for praise at a recent event at the House of Commons celebrating the work of Chambers with young people.

For more information about the 1000 Club project please visit www.1000club.co.uk

The 1000 Club was set up through the Plymouth Growth Board – a partnership between business and senior public sector

leaders – in response to feedback from businesses indicating that many young people did not have the necessary employability

skills when they leave education and that they found the numerous government schemes and incentives confusing.

13

Armada Way, Plymouth Tel: 01752 674455

R

The Buffet Menufor Corporate Catering, Business Lunches, Office Meetings, Special Events and Parties

www.pastyhouse.co.uk

Minimum of 10 people

Sandwich Platters£3.50 per person

Silver Buffet Menu £5.75 per person

Brie, cranberry and tomato bruschettas

Handmade wraps, Mini sausage rollsFreshly handmade sandwiches

Kettle crisps

Gold Buffet Menu£6.85 per person

All of the silver buffet items, plus:Smoked salmon and cream cheese blinis

Selection of cocktail pasties

ExtrasFresh fruit platters

from £12Cakes and pastries platter

from £10

FIND OUT MORE BY CONTACTING US :

TELEPHONE: 0845 004 0400

www.parkhurst-hill.co.uk

nEWs

MORE THAN JUST ACCOUNTANTS

Following a successful Plymouth bid to the CEP to fund 13 apprenticeships in the Creative sector, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce is now leading a consortium bid which hopes to provide funding for a number of paid internships in this expanding sector during 2014.

With Plymouth’s vibrant Creative sector booming this could be the time to take on an Intern for six months at minimal cost to you or your company. In a win-win situation you gain a highly motivated Intern for 6 months and in return you provide the Intern with an invaluable insight into the Creative sector. For more information on this exciting programme and how you could get involved please give John Murrell at Jobcentre Plus a call on 01752 618137 or email him at john.murrell@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Creative Employment Programme (CEP)

New year, new format for Plymouth Junior Chamber As of 1st January 2014 Plymouth Junior Chamber became wholly managed by Plymouth Chamber of Commerce as a special

interest group.

This means that now any employee who works for a plymouth Chamber member business and sits within the Junior Chamber membership criteria will receive automatic membership to plymouth Junior Chamber as an added member benefit.

David Williams, Portfolio holder for Chamber membership said: “I’d like to thank the outgoing board of plymouth Junior Chamber for their continued commitment to the development of pJC. plymouth Chamber of Commerce has picked up the baton for the continuation and development of pJC and will be working with renewed enthusiasm on this initiative to support young people in business.”

plymouth Junior Chamber caters to those in business aged between 16 and 35, aiming to appeal and engage with young people to aid development and skills building in the work place.

Charlie Mark, Outgoing Chair of Plymouth Junior Chamber said: “We hope that Junior Chamber members will continue to attend plymouth Junior Chamber events and take advantage of the training and support services that will now be available as part of membership. I’d like to thank all members of the board for their enthusiasm and support for pJC and wish plymouth Chamber of Commerce the best of luck for the continued growth and success of pJC.”

The change of management in plymouth Junior Chamber offers the following benefits to Chamber members: • FreemembershipforallemployeesofPlymouth

Chamber of Commerce member companies • Focussedservice,fromourin-houseteam• Introductionoftrainingcoursesaimedatjunior

staff, led by the Chamber’s Training Co-ordinator • Eventscalendarincludingnetworkingandsocial

events for Junior Chamber members. For any questions or queries regarding these changes to Plymouth Junior Chamber please contact us on 01752 220471.

15

Armada Way, Plymouth Tel: 01752 674455

R

The Buffet Menufor Corporate Catering, Business Lunches, Office Meetings, Special Events and Parties

www.pastyhouse.co.uk

Minimum of 10 people

Sandwich Platters£3.50 per person

Silver Buffet Menu £5.75 per person

Brie, cranberry and tomato bruschettas

Handmade wraps, Mini sausage rollsFreshly handmade sandwiches

Kettle crisps

Gold Buffet Menu£6.85 per person

All of the silver buffet items, plus:Smoked salmon and cream cheese blinis

Selection of cocktail pasties

ExtrasFresh fruit platters

from £12Cakes and pastries platter

from £10

CHAMBER OBJECTIVES FOR 2014We wi l l c ont inue to

suppor t and h igh l ight

Suppor t research and investment

for bus iness rate re l ie f for l o ca l

bus inesses

LOBBY

oppor tun i t ie s for expor t ing bus inesses

City dealWe wi l l work with partners

on the City Deal in it iat ives

to rebalance our economic

act iv ity in favour of

investment and export

Chamber Priorities

2014 is no exception and our top five priorities for this year, illustrated here, show our commitment to work alongside national and local bodies to improve business conditions in Plymouth.

These priorities reflect the breadth of the work that the Chamber is involved in, and throughout the year we will be keeping members informed of our progress and engagement with major city projects and developments.

The Plymouth and SW Peninsula City Deal is an initiative of huge importance for Plymouth in 2014, and one in which the Chamber is heavily involved. We will be working alongside our City Deal partners to rebalance the local economy in favour of investment and exporting. The City Deal itself will focus on growing the Marine sector, investment and a drive for business support for growth and exporting. At the Chamber we will be responsible for promoting the various opportunities available for businesses to export and ensure that all growing businesses have access to the necessary business support via GAIN, Plymouth University’s Growth Acceleration and Investment Network. We will be doing this across the SW peninsula working closely with other Chambers in the area and with British Chambers of commerce to tap into their extensive overseas network. A focal point for this drive is the Plymouth International Trade

Club that we established in 2013 and will be expanded through the rest of the peninsula.

We will also continue to lobby local and national government, using our connection with British Chambers of Commerce to bring business issues to the forefront of political conversation. One of our main areas for lobbying in 2014 will be to continue to support British Chambers in their bid for a Business Rates reform to aid the growth of the economy. At the Chamber we pride ourselves with being the local voice for Plymouth business, and we will use our voice to raise issues of importance to you and your business, lobbying for change on issues that have a direct impact on your bottom line.

Alongside our lobbying activities the Chamber will continue to support research and investment within the city. Two projects for 2014 will be the feasibility study for a cruise liner berth for Plymouth and assisting in developing the City’s plans for Mayflower 400. We will ensure that we continue to be involved in, and support all relevant groups within the city looking at projects which will enhance and improve the Plymouth business environment.

We are also committed to maintaining our support for exporting businesses. This year we will be inaugurating a number of sector specific events and initiatives. The first of these being our Medical & Health sector event which was held on the 21st January.

Underpinning all the above is our role to connect businesses. The Chamber is at the hub of all things associated with Plymouth. We are uniquely well placed to inform businesses and third parties about what is going on in a way that no other organisation in the city does. Chamber events are the perfect way to find out what is going on and we will be augmenting this information provision function through our account management activity with all our members. New this year will be our Account Director initiative for larger businesses with senior members of the team and the board engaging directly with CEOs and directors of these organisations to help them achieve their specific objectives.

The Chamber is committed to making Plymouth a great place to do business and will ensure that we are at the forefront of all key decisions impacting business in the city.

2014 is set to be an exciting year both for Plymouth and the Chamber of Commerce and I hope that you and your business will see the benefits of these efforts reflected in your individual successes over the coming year. Find out about our progress and hear more on these priorities at our first free quarterly update event for members on Monday 24th February.

As the independent voice of local business in the South West,

Plymouth Chamber of Commerce sets out a number of objectives

each year to support the growth and success of the local economy.

David ParlbyChief Executive, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.

FEATuREs16

CHAMBER OBJECTIVES FOR 2014We wi l l c ont inue to

suppor t and h igh l ight

Suppor t research and investment

for bus iness rate re l ie f for l o ca l

bus inesses

LOBBY

oppor tun i t ie s for expor t ing bus inesses

City dealWe wi l l work with partners

on the City Deal in it iat ives

to rebalance our economic

act iv ity in favour of

investment and export

Connect : Remain involved with all key groups and projects in Plymouth

Find out more about what Plymouth Chamber does at our website: www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk

17

18 FEATuREs THE GREEn COLuMn

Confidence and conviction retu rns for South West marketers Marketing budgets in the South West are set to increase again this year in line with the national trend according to research from leading brand communications agency Fuel.

Surveying 100 regional businesses representing a range of sectors from retail to professional services Fuel created a report to gauge confidence following positive national research.

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Bellweather Report for Quarter 3 2013 confirmed that marketing confidence levels

were up for the 4th Quarter in succession and predicted a growth in spend of 2.4% in 2013 and 3.6% in 2014.

Here in the South West Fuel’s survey finds that 75% of businesses plan to increase their marketing spend in 2014, compared with 50% who budgeted for an increase in 2013. Only 4% planned to cut their budget next year, compared to 21% last year. Significantly, none of the organisations that increased spend in 2013 plan to reduce budget in 2014.

Whilst on a national level ‘growing confidence in economic conditions’ is singled out as the primary reason for the increase, the South West research goes further.

“Financial confidence is central to fuelling the continued increase that we see here, but it

Why you need to consi der content marketing AnD Pay-Pe r-Click advertising in 2014The contribution of relevant content to organic search results, brand

positioning, lead generation and social media is undisputed and

content marketing has had a profound effect on the SEO (Search Engine

Optimisation) industry.

So if content marketing is such as major contributor to organic search results why am I recommending that you should also consider pay-per-Click (ppC) advertising in your marketing plans for 2014?

Firstly, the old way of “doing” SEo has changed. It’s no longer feasible for anyone to say “I can get you ranked #1 in the Search Engine Results page (SERpS) for this term”.

Nowadays Google take into account factors such as your search history, location, sites you’ve previously visited, your Google profile and whether the searcher isconnectedtoyou/yourcompanyonGoogle+.

So we get different search results displayed when using different pC’s (or Macs) and by using different browsers. Google also ranks your website differently on a mobile device.

Secondly, when a searcher types their search terms into Google they will receive results from various sources. your online content is in a battle for space with ppC results, Google places results, Review sites and News sites.

organic search optimisation needs a medium to long term approach so it’s important to have a content marketing

strategy in place to ensure you create and publish content that’s relevant to your audience and share it across social networks.

But the only way to guarantee getting onto the first page of Google for a key phrase is through paid search (ppC advertising).

ppC advertising can give you positive results within an hour of going live. If your business is seasonal or you are looking to launch a new product and want to give it a boost or if you’re looking for immediate results then ppC can help your business.

ConclusionIt’s no longer an option to consider each

marketing tool in isolation. If you really want to succeed you need to have a marketing plan that considers all aspects and that must include content marketing and ppC advertising.

Andrew Leon WalkerRame Marketing

The Green ‘I’ Word….. by Jackie young

In 2011 the Regional Economic Development Group predicted a significant impact for Plymouth’s low carbon interests; with growth outstripping other sectors by an additional £127m GVA, 880 new jobs and related FTE employment growing from 2.9% to 6.5% by 2020.

This contribution to the green economy shouldn’t be surprising. As a city we continue to build on the experience of the sector’s leading contributors – manufacturing, marine re-fitting and education – and are planning for new initiatives in marine renewables but, in many ways, ‘investment’ in a low carbon future doesn’t have to rely on a big, financial incentives. Increasingly, the city’s business support services are creating eco-friendly management options that mirror the investment aims for a low carbon economy.

From the application of simple reviews that identify savings that can be ‘re-invested’ to the total refurbishment of sites such as the former Hovis distribution site into the carbon friendly Burrington Business park, stories of a low carbon innovation are never far from the local headlines and are clearly influencing wider interests in the city’s low carbon future. As a driver for change low carbon investment cannot be overlooked…… which is why the city’s Climate Change Commission has recently been working with the LEp’s Low Carbon Group to identify broader opportunities.

What is even more reassuring is the range of businesses benefitting from this relatively new classification; interests revealed by a recent review of the Green Economy Hub’s membership.

In addition to the energy managers you might expect, the Hub’s membership also includes bankers, accountants, solicitors, architects, builders and administrators – a clear indication that the low carbon economy is rapidly creating a service industry of its own.

The Green Economy Hub at the Chamber is there to support your ideas and needs in this sector. We’ve been a bit quiet for a while but the time has come to take stock and invest in new events and networking…but, to do this, we’ll need your ideas and support. So please let us know what would help your businesses and email me at jyoung.urbanagenda@gmail.com We’ll do our best to help.

A more in-depth version of this article can be found at www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk

Confidence and conviction retu rns for South West marketers would be a mistake to attribute the trend purely to economic factors. Organisations credit a number of reasons why they have chosen to increase spend next year, most significantly a better grasp of channels and return on investment that has led to an increased conviction to spend,” explained Nikos Lemanis, Planning & Insights Director at Fuel.

Marketing directors in the region have earmarked more budgets for internet-based channels, and specifically in online earned and owned media such as social media, search engine optimisation and email marketing. 2014 also sees significantly more companies planning to host events and seminars.

Unlike the national trend which points to a rise in spend for print advertising, the regional projection is that spend will contract slightly along with investment in direct mail activity.

Commenting on the overall findings, Managing Director Martyn King at Fuel said: “The marketing landscape has changed dramatically for the better since the recession with the introduction of new channels and greater focus on return on investment. It is great to see regional organisations investing in new strategies with both confidence and conviction.”

A full copy of the South West report can be downloaded at www.fuelcommunications.com

Why you need to consi der content marketing AnD Pay-Pe r-Click advertising in 2014

Martyn KingManaging Director, Fuel

Cheese in all its glory! Stephen Barratt, Bistro One, Ebrington Street

History tells us that as long as we have

been milking Cows, Ewes and Goats we

have been making cheese of one sort or

another. We are blessed with local cheeses

that can be found in Deli’s, specialist

Supermarket sections, and Farmers’

markets. This simple recipe is most

versatile and useful as a winter dish. Served

on its own or as an accompaniment it will

bring joy to the table on a cold rainy night!

Cheese and Mashed Potato Recipe serves 12

You will need:

• 1kg mashed potato

• 50g butter

• 1 finely chopped onion

• 225g grated smoked cheddar

• Sea salt and black pepper for seasoning

• Small amount chopped parsley

• Two eggs, separated – whites whipped

• 25g fresh breadcrumbs

Recipe:

1. Make mashed potatoes and beat in the egg yolks, grated

cheese, parsley and seasoning.

2. Fold in the whipped egg whites

3. Spray the inside of a Muffin Tin or individual similarly-sized

Ramekins with oil, or coat with melted butter, add the

breadcrumbs and coat the inside surfaces of the tin/ramekin.

4. Top up with the Mash Potato mixture, smooth the tops

5. Bake uncovered in a hot oven (425 degrees F/220 degrees C

for 25 minutes until edges are browned

6. Remove and cool for 15 minutes, using a knife release the

edges and turn out.

These lovely Cheese and Mash potato timbales will match many

dishes or as part of a lovely Vegetarian Lunch.

Bistro One is offering a Saturday morning Cheese Making Course

on 22nd February hosted by Stephen and Cheese Maker Sarah

Styles Oiwer from the Shebbear Cheese Company. For more

information visit www.bistro-one.co.uk

19RECIPE COLuMn 19

Bruton Knowles Open Plymouth Office National property consultants Bruton Knowles have opened an office in Plymouth, recruiting one of the city’s best-known commercial property specialists, Glenn Kelly, to join its team.

Founded over 150 years ago, in Gloucester, Bruton Knowles has made the move to Plymouth to help businesses in and around the city with all their property issues. Glenn, formerly with Vickery Holman, along with Bruton Knowles Partner Paul Matthews has opened the new office in Lockyer Street, Plymouth, with further recruits planned for the coming months.

On the opening, Glenn Kelly said: “I am delighted to be involved with the opening of our Plymouth office. It is a vote of confidence in the City and reinforces its appeal as a business location. Our aim is to combine the depth of experience that Bruton Knowles has of both urban and rural property in the region with my extensive knowledge of the Plymouth market.”

FEATuREs

Top investment thoughts for 2014

Chamber Member, Bright Solicitors expands to welcome three new employees

Brewin Dolphin, one of the leading wealth managers in the UK with over £28 billion of funds under management for more than 100,000 clients offers thoughts and tips for investment in 2014.

• david Nicol – Chief Executive foresees a tight race over Scottish Independence and warns about complacency. • Stephen Ford – Group Head of Investment

Management said that Gold is likely to drift lower, and he expects it to trade through $1000 per ounce over the next 12-18 months. • Europe remains cheap, unloved and underowned,

and for those with ambition and a huge appetite for risk, you may want to look at Greek equities in 2014. For a more measured approach, the enforced consolidation within the banking industry makes Europe generally look particularly interesting. • Rob Burgeman – director Investment Management

says “If 2008 was the perfect storm for investors,

with just about every asset class falling, 2014 is shaping up to be its antithesis – the perfect calm.” • The economic environment looks stable and

improving, central banks seem reluctant to choke off any nascent recovery, leading to a continuation of the ultra-low interest rate world and the fifth anniversary of base rates below 0.5%. With a general election in the UK looming it makes any major negative fiscal changes unlikely in the short term. • Guy Foster, Head of portfolio Strategy forecasts

that the FTSE total return could deliver 17% • Make your grandchildren millionaires. Nick oliver,

director of Financial planning recommends “putting £300 a month into a (grand) child pension could not only turn them into pension millionaires when they retire, but during their working careers, they can use the fund for commercial property, even if it is linked to their business. This will be good for future entrepreneurs, lawyers, vets, plumbers and

farmers. A fantastic legacy for a potentially debt-laden generation.” • Emerging markets will have their time – but

it is not now advises Guy Foster “rising transportation costs, deteriorating energy competitiveness and general institutional malaise makes the recent events in Thailand and the Ukraine be likely themes for insecure countries this year.• Nick oliver advises “April 2014 brings another

fall in the Life Time Allowance for pensions, from £1.5million to £1.25 million.” • Elaine Coverley says “Capital appreciation” –

the watch words for 2014 with investors starting to shift their attention to capital appreciation over yield.”• Iain Armstrong – oil and Gas Analyst adds

“Fuelled by a new sense of prudence in capital spending plans and supported by relatively strong oil and gas demand, we think that investor confidence in the sector will return in 2014.”

Bright Solicitors based in Plymouth City Centre specialise in advising SME’s, start-ups and owner-managed businesses across Devon and Cornwall. In addition they have an exceptionally strong property offer dealing with both commercial and residential buyers and sellers.

Currently employing 24 people Bright has recently expanded to bolster their nationally recognised residential conveyancing team and to develop their Employment Law offer.

Bright are members of both Lexcel and the Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) Law Society Accreditation schemes and in October 2013 won the CQS Excellence Award in Conveyancing Practice, one of the categories in the annual, and national, Law Society Excellence Awards.

Bright were the only winners west of Bristol in this national awards scheme and gained this recognition, in great part,

by working in partnership with fellow Chamber member Maitlands Estate Agents to develop and speed up the conveyancing process to better serve clients.

In December 2013 Bright expanded, adding three new employees to their team. New additions include:

• HenryLowson:a paralegal with seven years experience has joined the Residential Conveyencing team • LouiseWansell:who recently

completed an apprenticeship with Insight Legal has joined the Residential Conveyancing team as a full time Legal Assistant. • MelDavies:Mel previously worked

with Foot Anstey in plymouth before starting her own firm, Insight Legal, approximately two years ago. She has joined Bright as a Consultant Solicitor specialising in Employment Law with a view to further developing that area of law for the firm.

Rob Burgeman Guy Foster Elaine Coverley Stephen Ford

20

www.taxassist.co.uk/plymouth01752 551 888

sMALL BusInEss

WHAT ABOUT YOUR OWN TIPS? If you’d like to share your advice here email communications@plymouth-chamber.co.uk

Paul Trueman, Fire Safety Consultant, JTP Associates

Words of wisdom for small businessesHilary Broadley, of Broadley Speaking shares her words of wisdom for small businesses in 2014.

Unlike most other safety concerns, fire has the potential to destroy a business and injure or kill people very quickly. And yes it can happen you!

So my obvious tip is – ‘Don’t Have a Fire’.

Perhaps the most common cause of fires in the workplace is human error. Knocking drinks onto electrical equipment, burning food in a kitchen area, spilling flammable chemicals; all can lead to dangerous blazes.

General negligence and irresponsible behavior around the workplace can result in fires that could have been easily avoided. Stacks of paper left on top of hot machinery can easily ignite and a build-up of rubbish will not only provide fuel for a fire, but can also block essential escape routes.

Ensure your staff are fully aware of potential fire hazards, how to avoid creating them and are trained so they know the actions to take in the event of a fire.

Think about it. ‘Safe Staff – Makes for a Safe Business’.

For further information visit www.jtpassociates.co.uk.

Think about your business as a house you live in and will one day want to sell; imagine that you want people to visit your business and say “I’d love to own this”.

• Don’t write a mission statement, hang it on a wall and then never refer to again. Instead think about your business values-how do we do things around here? Get your team to contribute to the discussion including ideas as to how everyday behaviour can support these values. • Don’t compromise on your values when you’re

recruiting. Be thorough in your recruitment process, be able to describe the type of person and personality you are looking for. Apart from having the appropriate skill set make sure everyone you recruit is in tune with your values and culture.

• Pass down ownership and responsibility wherever possible. • Set stretching goals and back your team to

achieve them. By showing your confidence in individuals you will inspire them to achieve far more than they may have thought possible. This is incredibly empowering and has a tremendously positive effect on your business as a whole. • Treat your people as a very valuable commodity,

they are the lifeblood of your business. They deserve to be supported, and receive regular training and reviews.• Catch people doing things right. Recognise and

celebrate good work publicly as well as privately. Say thank you, this takes seconds and goes a long, long way. • Be aware of “mood hoovers” or “bad apples”. If

you have created the right culture the chances of having one of these in the team will be greatly reduced. However occasionally it happens and when it does it will be very obvious very quickly allowing you to act fast. • Clearly define your sales proposition and your

target customer. Put your target customer at the heart of everything you do. It’s all about

understanding what’s important to your customer not what’s important to you. In the words of Simon and Garfunkel it’s about keeping the customer satisfied. Aim to fulfil your customers’ needs and exceed their expectations wherever possible. If you are doing this they will come back for more AND they will recommend you to others. • Get your pricing model right. We often

underestimate the value of the services and products that we sell. We also give away far too much for free. In the current economic climate it’s easy to think that we need to keep prices low in order to remain competitive but this isn’t necessarily so. Customers are looking for great value not the lowest price. Make sure your sales team is trained to defend price and are confident in selling the business benefits of your product or service. • From a financial perspective don’t imagine

that your bank is the only source of support or lending. In order to help with cash flow consider factoring or invoice discounting; there are many benefits to taking this route for a small business.

21

Some years ago someone said to me that it wasn’t possible to develop a company centred around the design and manufacture

of automation equipment in the agricultural south west and that we needed to be located in the Midlands which was/is

considered the engineering heartland of the UK.

As I had served my apprenticeship for a plymouth manufacturing company that had recently relocated to Cannock in Staffordshire, I guess I could see some sense in that statement. But my opportunity came in plymouth, and candidly this is a really nice place to live and work, so that piece of advice was duly ignored.

Applied Automation was formed circa 1984, I joined during 1986 and assumed full control during 1990. our early life was based in a small, council owned starter unit (600 sq ft) underneath the plymouth ski slope, with a staff of just three and very limited funds. What we lacked in resources we made up for with energy, enthusiasm and ambition.

It would be wonderful to say that the progression chart detailing the growth to our current position, where we employ 120 staff and operate from two manufacturing sites in plymouth, was a straight line at a 45 degree angle, but life isn’t that kind. It has been, at times, a bumpy road and we are all acutely aware of the effects of the most recent and very deep recession.

However, we can officially confirm that it is possible to develop an automation company in the south west and that location need not restrict the ability of a business to grow and prosper.

The south west breeds and attracts talented, hard-working engineers for the quality of life it offers. It has a reasonably good infrastructure and we have a nicely balanced mix of industry types (medical devices, food, marine, electronic, agriculture) which we should all be very proud of and mindful that this diversity helps to protect us during periods of recession.

For sure the road, railway, airport and internet facilities could be better but that needn’t hold anyone back and, as proof of that point, we have secured contracts during the last year for the supply of equipment to companies based in China, Hungary, Italy, USA, Czech Republic, Spain and Ireland.

We have recently appointed a technical sales engineer in Ireland, have plans to open another regional sales office in the UK during this year and we are due to launch a new Home Automation business during the first quarter, all of which is geared towards feeding more work to the plymouth mother ship. With a small drop of entrepreneurism and a large amount of energy, the sky is truly the limit and we certainly don’t believe that we have yet realised all of our ambitions.

How I got started: David Rowe Managing Director

Applied Automation (UK) Ltd

“What we lacked in resources we made up for with energy, enthusiasm and ambition.”

david Rowe (centre right) with some of the team at Applied Automation

PERsOnALITIEs22

AHEAD Of HER APPEARAnCE AT OUR AnnUAL BUSInESS DInnER On 3RD APRIL WE TALK TO ‘HOTEL InSPECTOR’ AnD BUSInESS

GURU, ALEx POLIzzI ABOUT HER ExPERIEnCES AnD WHAT SHE’S MOST LOOKInG fORWARD TO ABOUT RETURnInG TO PLYMOUTH.

Spotlight on: Alex Polizzi

As a business celebrity, we’ve seen your skills in action but can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got to where you are now?

Alex: I grew up in a family of hoteliers and was surrounded by business talk at home. At school I was very academic and my family were desperate for me not go into the hospitality industry. I read English at oxford University and my mother was hopeful that I would pursue a career as a Barrister or similar, however I left University with only one thought in my head; I wanted to be a hotelier.

I was fortunate enough to secure a place on the Mandarin oriental Hotelier Management training course in Hong Kong. This position was meant to be a 1 year course where I was to cycle throughout all of the hotel departments to learn the ropes, however I started in Food and Beverage department and loved it. Within 3 months I was Assistant Manager of The Grill Room and I stayed for another 2 years.

Since then I’ve been involved in a number of roles throughout the hospitality industry including working with Marco pierre White and opening a bakery with my then ex-boyfriend and now husband, Marcus. I’ve also opened various hotels including Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall with my mother, Hotel de Russie in Rome and Hotel Savoy in Florence for my uncle’s Rocco Forte Hotel Group. It was during my time managing Hotel Endsleigh in Milton Abbott, near Tavistock that I was approached by my production company, which is where my TV career began.

Throughout my career I’ve been used to writing business plans and being involved in the start-up and launch of businesses. Through experience I’ve learned that small businesses all tend to be more alike than different. All businesses face the same difficulties concerning finance, recruiting and retaining good staff and dealing with people.

I now live and work in London with my husband and our two beautiful babies.

You’ve had such a fantastic and varied career, what do you feel have been your most valuable experiences?

Alex: The rigour of my first two years at Mandarin oriental will always stay with me. The expectation was extremely high and the 6 day weeks and long hours equipped me well. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent manager during my time there, Wolfgang Krueger. He had a fantastic eye for detail and trained me to have the same high standards.

Another must be the running of Hotel Endsleigh. It was a huge project from redevelopment through to launch. It wasn’t just the project management of the building work, but the combination of that and the managing of the hotel which taught me how to multitask. It was a challenge, but by focussing on one thing at a time and completing tasks before moving on to the next I succeeded and the launch was a success.

Tell me, what do you enjoy most about helping businesses to improve and succeed?

Alex: Through my various TV appearances I’ve come into contact with many struggling small, family businesses.

When I get to see a family business rediscover their ‘mojo’ it’s really exciting. often by the time I get to them they’ve been worn down by the day to day grind of running a business. It’s my job to crank up their enthusiasm. I really enjoy seeing that spark reignited in their eyes.

The biggest feeling of achievement comes from when I feel I’ve made enough of a difference to help turn a business’ finances around. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does it’s fantastic.

You’re speaking at our Annual Business Dinner on 3rd April but having spent time near Plymouth, tell us what you’re most looking forward to on your return.

Alex: plymouth was the centre of my universe when I first went to devon to run Hotel Endsleigh. Having moved from London it was a huge shock to end up just outside of Tavistock where everything closed at 7pm.

Eating out in plymouth and spending time around the harbour was a huge part of my life. My production company, Two Four, has offices based in plymouth, so it is a City that has a large part to play in my life and career.

Finally, what’s your one piece of advice that you would offer to Plymouth businesses for 2014?

Alex: plymouth has had a few blows recently, particularly with the closure of the airport. despite this plymouth has so much going for it, with great universities, fantastic housing and wonderful locations. My advice for businesses across the UK, not just plymouth is to stand firm and help themselves to succeed. Try to be the best at what you do!

Alex Polizzi will be speaking at Plymouth Chamber’s Annual Business Dinner on 3rd April 2014. Tickets are still available. Call 01752 220471 or email events@plymouth-chamber.co.uk for more information.

AlexPolizzi,HotelInspector.TwoFourProduction/Channel5

23PERsOnALITIEs

As Plymouth Community Homes prepares to transform homes and communities in 2014, they pause to thanks their partners.

At Plymouth Community Homes, we will later this year mark our 5th anniversary.

Our challenging and ambitious business plan for the future will deliver impact for communities across Plymouth. As well as being a leader provider of homes we plan to: create new homes, new jobs, generate business for Plymouth, reduce impact to the environment and help our residents improve their health.

We’ll keep improving the service we offer our residents, who can come to see us at our brand new head office in Crownhill from April.

We’ll continue the transformation for the community in North

Prospect, and our craftspeople from our Manufacturing Services division will keep delivering quality products for customers across the city.

As we approach our big milestone we’d like to say thank you to those partners and contractors who have helped us deliver better homes and make a difference for communities across the city.

We look forward to sharing our plans and making more impact in 2014 and beyond.

Clive Turner , Chief Executive

sPOnsORED24

Plymouth University: Incubating the businesses of the future

One of the key health indicators of any local economy is the resilience of its start-up businesses and their ability to weather those stormy formative months. With national figures estimating that 20-25% of companies fail to see out their first year, the case for good quality incubation and innovation space to nurture and support these fledgling outfits is a clear one.

The success of Plymouth University’s Formation Zone incubation centres, therefore, is strategically important in the city’s ongoing efforts to rebalance and diversify its economy. Launched in 2007, the facility has helped to establish 73 businesses in the city, supporting nearly 60 graduates from the University and creating more than 50 jobs.

It’s an ongoing success story – 80 per cent are still thriving six years on – and one that has been identified as an exemplar of best practice by UK Business Incubation (UKBI), who bestowed their accreditation in July of last year, effectively ranking Formation Zone among the best in the world.

This was followed by an even more impressive accolade in December when it won the UKBI Achievement in Business Incubation award for 2013. In making the award, UKBI praised the investment made by Formation Zone in nurturing entrepreneurs and pre-start business ideas through a series of tried and tested events and programmes, such as student and graduate enterprise drop-ins, the Tectona Business Challenge and the One Stop Ideas Shop.

Eleanor Butland, Formation Zone Programme Manager at Plymouth University, said: “We’re very proud of the incredibly high standards that we’re

achieving in business incubation, and proud to be able to offer this service to our city.

“Formation Zone has come a long way in seven years, but we’re learning all of the time about what our clients need from us. What hasn’t changed though is the demand for space: it took just 18 months for us to reach capacity and since then we’ve continued with a healthy and vibrant eco-system of incubation as older clients move on into the city to make way for new start-ups, which demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit and appetite to start-up businesses here in the city.”

The facilities are all part of GAIN, the Growth, Acceleration and Investment Network, which aims to create a supportive environment in the South West that enables businesses to grow whatever stage they are in their journey. This means that start-ups in Formation Zone are automatically linked to contemporaries in the Innovation Centres in Cornwall, and the Tamar Science Park, and have greater visibility of funding opportunities and support programmes.

Professor Julian Beer, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Regional Enterprise at Plymouth University, said: “Formation Zone, and the wider GAIN programme, acts as an incubator for people with ideas and new business, which helps significantly in the development and survivability of new ideas. We’ve seen many businesses move on to other areas of the city like Royal William yard, and that is a sign of a healthy pipeline: businesses growing, creating jobs, and generating wealth and opportunity.”

Eleanor Butland, Formation Zone programme Manager, accepts the UKBI Award in the Roland Levinsky Building, plymouth.

sPOnsORED26

Devonport Market Hall set for exciting new future

In December a deal was struck to restore the historic Devonport Market Hall as a landmark and create a fantastic future for it as a high tech ‘play market’.

Plymouth City Council, Devonport based Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) and Plymouth University have joined forces in a pioneering project that will put digital gaming into the heart of a regenerated Devonport.

Council leader Tudor Evans received the keys to the building in December after the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) formally transferred its ownership to the council and provided a £2.5m investment to help with the cost of renovation and management of the Market Hall.

Council Leader Tudor Evans said: “This is a social enterprise city in action. It’s a risk for us to take on this building in difficult economic circumstances, but not only are we working together to bring this building back to life, an incredible future for the hall and for those who live around it is now on the horizon.

“It’s exciting, it’s a bit edgy, it’s creative and it’s helping our young people develop skills in a creative industry that globally is worth £53 billion. Devonport is changing daily. New homes are changing its landscape and this is an exciting time. Through this building and this project, we will transform lives.”

Chamber member RIO has developed the business plan for the play market, and will be responsible for the refurbishment and running of the building, following on from its success of renovating and managing Devonport Guildhall.

Once restored, Devonport Market Hall will be home to Plymouth University’s

Institute of Digital Arts (i-DAT), including a ‘hatchery’ for new businesses, a testing ground for established companies and a unique visitor attraction. The business plan, developed by RIO, for the play market aims to entice a new generation of researches and would-be designers from schools around the city as well as local and international students at the university looking to develop their work.

Plymouth University will look to create a digital innovation hub in the Market Hall, which will see i-DAT - an Arts Council England national portfolio organisation – working alongside internationally renowned groups in the School of Art and Media to build a world class public-facing research platform.

Ed Whitelaw, Lead Developer at RIO said: “This is another great example of what can be achieved with a co-operative council. Devonport has a long history of both social and technological innovation. Creating a space here for Plymouth University and i-DAT will ensure we can continue In this fine tradition of innovation, create further opportunities for people locally and ensure Devonport is better connected to the rest of the city.”

“Devonport is changing daily. New homes are changing its landscape and this is an exciting time.”

Council Leader Tudor Evans (Front Left) Receives the keys for devonport Market Hall from Steve Jackson of the Homes and Communities Agency

An artists impression of the redeveloped Market Hall

27

With over half a million new start-ups in 2013, Small / Medium Enterprises (SME) now represent 95% of all businesses

employing over seven million people in the UK alone.

Supporting new business: the importance of good design

As we begin 2014 with increased business confidence, there is a greater emphasis for SME’s to retain existing customers and increase market share. In a society that is saturated with information & imagery, considered design with planned communications activities are the differentiators that could ensure that your product is the consumers’ choice. Considered design begins with your company’s image, but be careful not to confuse branding with corporate identity. your company might be offered a full branding service, when in fact you are only getting an identity. put simply, your logo is the marque that represents you. your identity is the visual elements backing this up. your brand is all of this plus everything you say or do. Clarify what you’re after, branding will (and should) be much more expensive!

ADVICE28

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FIRE SAFETYIf you’d like to find out more about how your membership can work harder for you, or want to find out more about the variety of member benefits available to you please contact the Membership Team on 01752 220471

nEW MEMBERs: We’d like to welcome the following businesses who have recently joined Plymouth Chamber of Commerce:

Look who’s joined!Add a Little Sparkle Devon & Cornwall0777 2856903

Bruton Knowles01452 880101

Chompy Gardens07805 202045

Dash Direct01752 898191

Five Square Solutions Limited07878 007435

Haldons Limited01803 213529

Hulley & Kirkwood Consulting Engineers Limited01752 255575

Kitley House Hotel Limited01752 881555

Knowle House Surgery0844 3878895

Listers Property Consultants01752 222135

Oceana Plymouth0845 2932864

Plymouth City Centre Co.01752 304325

Positive Purchasing0845 3313312

Quality Lifestyle Limited01752 777243

Roberts Flooring Contractors Ltd01752 221177

Routeways Centre Limited01752 856707

Sams Accommodation01752 862730

Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking01392 267217

Sir Fix-a-Lock07540 998558

The Blurt Foundation07501 221914

Zuzimo01752 651300

29nEW MEMBERs OF PLyMOuTH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 29

TRAINING TRAINING

WHAT’s On: Your guide to Chamber events and training. find out more at www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk

Microsoft Excel: Beginner to brilliant!

This is a fast-paced, hands-on workshop on using

Microsoft Excel to create, modify and work with

simple spreadsheets.

Friday 24th January

09.30–13.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

NEW: Developing and building new business

How do you generate new business? How much do

you spend on marketing? Where will your business

be in 12 months? How will you get there?

Monday 27th January

09.30 – 11.30, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Microsoft Word: Expert to extraordinary!

This is a fast-paced, hands-on workshop on using

some of the advanced features of Microsoft Word to

create and work with interactive, complex, multi-part

documents.

Tuesday 28th January

09.30 – 13.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Performance Management of People

Do you care about getting the best performance

from your teams and individuals? Do you want to

deliver excellent products and service? Do you know

that to achieve and expect superb results you must

invest time in developing your people?

Wednesday 29th January

09.30 – 16.30, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Microsoft Excel: Advanced to awesome!

This is a fast-paced, hands-on workshop on using

Microsoft Excel to create, modify and work with

dynamic spreadsheets.

Thursday 30th January

09.30 – 13.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Small Business Network

Networking for businesses with 25 or less employees.

Delegates will hear from Jamie Whitford-Robson

from Plymouth City Council about the benefits of

Business Continuity planning for small to medium

enterprises.

Friday 31st January

07.30–09.45, The Business Space

Crunchy Breakfast

Add some crunch to your day with our monthly

breakfast networking event, sponsored by

Lloyds Bank.

Wednesday 5th February

07.30 – 09.00, Holiday Inn, Plymouth

Microsoft Excel: Expert to extraordinary!

This is a fast-paced, hands-on workshop on using

complex features of Microsoft Excel to minimise

repetition of data, prevent errors and work with

others on the same spreadsheet.

Friday 7th February

09.30 – 13.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

The beginnings of management

The transition to being a supervisor or manager is

probably the biggest step you’ll ever take in your

working life. This workshop will equip you with

the knowledge and skills to make the transition

smoother.

Wednesday 12th February

09.30 – 16.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Networking Plus Lunch

Plymouth’s premier structured networking lunch

provides you with the best opportunity to make new

contacts and win business – a great opportunity

to get word out about your company. This month’s

Networking Plus lunch is sponsored by Plymouth

Chiropractic Clinic.

Thursday 13th February

12.00 – 14.00, Duke of Cornwall Hotel

Assertiveness Skills

We have all encountered situations where we found

it difficult to make ourselves heard or get our point

across. We may get side tracked by another person,

rather than being able to put our requests simply

and clearly.

Thursday 13th February

09.30 – 13.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

NEW: Stress, the law and assessing risk

This course covers what stress risk assessments are

and how to complete them to help you maintain

and promote individual health and well-being in the

work place.

Friday 14th February

09.30 – 12.30, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Influencing negotiations for great results

No matter who you are there are times when being just

who you are won’t be quite enough to get your own way.

Wednesday 19th February

09.30 – 12.30, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

NEW: How to write for the web

The internet has revolutionised the way we do

business. This course will show you how best to write

to promote your business online.

Thursday 20th February

09.30 – 16.30, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

2 Hour Public Speaking course – essential hints

and tips

Do you need to be a better influencer and

negotiator? Do you need to get your point across

more effectively? Do you need to improve your

verbal communication skills? Join us for this 2 hour

bite size course.

Friday 21st February

09.30–11.30, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

What’s your Chamber doing for you and your

City?

Join us for the first of our free quarterly updates from

David Parlby, Chief Executive of Plymouth Chamber

of Commerce.

Monday 24th February

12.00 – 13.30, Devonport Guildhall

Getting to grips with twitter

Twitter can be a really effective channel for getting

your message out for free. But how can you use it

effectively for your business?

Thursday 27th February

09.00–12.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Getting to grips with Facebook and Linkedin

Facebook is the premier global social network, with

1.1 billion users, 30 million of those in the UK. There

are also 16 million local business pages. LinkedIn has

200 million users in 200 countries, 10 million in the

UK. So getting your business message out on these

networks could be very valuable.

Thursday 27th February

13.00–16.00, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce

Small Business Network

Networking for businesses with 25 or less employees.

Friday 28th February

07.30 – 09.45, National Marine Aquarium

Crunchy Breakfast

Add some crunch to your day with our monthly

breakfast networking event, sponsored by Lloyds

Bank.

Wednesday 5th March

07.30–09.00, National Marine Aquarium

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LET’s TALk

What’s on your mind? Q: Is there a logo? A: Yes, there’s a Britain’s Ocean City logo, but the brand is more than just this. The logo is used in conjunction with the other brand elements on relevant materials that are relevant and in the interest of promoting Plymouth.

Q: What does the logo itself look like? A: The logo is stripped back, and isn’t the same as the road signs. The light house design used on the signs is a result of the strict highways regulations. Amanda Lumley, Chief Executive of Destination Plymouth stressed that the Britain’s Ocean City signs mark Plymouth as a UK leader as the first city in the UK to have these style of signs as key welcome markers for the city and that Plymouth is currently the envy of other cities in the UK for being the first to achieve this signage.

Q: What is being done to change the minds of Plymouth residents? A: Destination Plymouth are working hard to achieve 275,000 brand ambassadors for the city, inspiring Plymouth people to engage with the ethos of the Plymouth brand and think positively about the city. This is being done through 3 main channels of PR, initiatives and education. The focus will be on widespread local coverage, working with local schools and universities to recruit people as Plymouth ambassadors.

Q : You say the brand is aiming global, but the plan is to spend locally working on changing the mind of Plymouth. Surely you need an International stage to attract global attention? A: The first step is to work internally within the city to build confidence, as people can’t sell Plymouth on a global scale until they believe in it’s potential. The next step will be to utilise PR and Twitter to raise Plymouth’s profile. The 2020 celebrations will also play a key part in gaining international recognition for the city as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

Q: In a Marketing role how can other Plymouth organisations engage with and utilise the brand through use or PR? A: Amanda Lumley answered that Destination Plymouth have the brand guideline information and are happy to share plans for the campaign for opportunities for local businesses to link in with the brand if they contact them directly. The brand guidelines are now also available on the Plymouth Chamber website, under City Updates.

Q: Where does the brand stand, who has ownership of it? A: The brand is owned by Plymouth City Council and Destination Plymouth, who are managing the brand on a day to day basis with a small board who will manage the running and progress of the brand success overall.

At January’s Crunchy Breakfast there were a number of questions about the new branding for Plymouth. Have a look and see

what members have been asking about the Britain’s Ocean City identity, with answers from Peter Jones, speaking at the event.

Chamberlink magazine is the only dedicated

business magazine for Plymouth and the

surrounding area. The readership is a very

targeted group made up of established

businesses and business leaders in and around

the city, including Plymouth Chamber’s 800+

member group.

Readership 3,000+Circulation 1,650 bimonthlyAlso available online

PREMIUM ADVERTISINGSizeFull page 2 (inside cover)

GENERAL DISPLAY ADVERTISINGSizeFull PageHalf PageQuarter PageBanner Advert

SMALL SPACE ADVERTISINGSizeCredit CardSmall Box

Dimensions (w x h)210 x 297mm*

Dimensions (w x h)210 x 297mm*186 x 130mm91 x 130mm186 x 26mm

Dimensions (w x h)91 x 56mm48 x 56mm

Member£300

Member£250£150£100£75

Member£37.50£25

Non-Member£900

Non-Member£750£450£300£225

Non-Member£125£100

To discuss these advertising options further or to find out more informationplease contact Amanda Bishop on 01752 273 884 or at communications@plymouth-chamber.co.uk

3131

Telephone: 01752 220471www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk