No. 142 MAY/JUNE 2010 Established 1994

THEBUSINESSTHE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR DORSET, WEST HANTS AND SALISBURY

Fo r t h e l a t e s t n e w s v i s i t t h e n e w w e b s i t e a t w w w. b i z m a g . c o . u k

Opinions expressed within this publication are those of the contributors and not necessarily of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of The Business, but legal responsibility cannot be accepted for errors, omissions or misleading statements. The Business is fully protected by copyright. Nothing contained within this magazine may be reprinted or reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

© The Business (Dorset) Ltd 2010All rights reserved ISSN 1354-3806

Editor: Gill Bevis

Tel: 01425471500Fax:01425475600

E-mail: mail@bizmag.co.uk Website: www.bizmag.co.uk

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The Business (Dorset) Ltd9 Gainsborough Road,

Ashley Heath, Ringwood BH24 2HY

The Business magazine is mailed free-of-charge to named business people within Dorset, West Hampshire and South Wiltshire. Recipients are occasionally contacted to maintain correct mailing details and to provide information regarding special features. Contact us if you would like to receive the magazine or have your name removed from the mailing list on 01425 471500.

ContentsSpecial FeatureSkills shortage, despite millions unemployed. See page 13.

people on the move

2 peopleonthemove

4 businessnews

8 moneymatters-Act Now to Secure Commercial Lending

12 technotimes

13 specialfeature - Employment Experts

18 lawlines - Changes to Legislation

19 catering&eatingout - New Jobs Created

21 company profile - Black Label Events

22 trainingupdate - Bank Executives Enroll for Combat Training

23 manufacturing&engineering

24 networknews - 20,000 People Expected for Bournemouth Sevens

26 property&development

28 transport&travel - Costs of Volcanic Eruption Escalate

www.realpeoplehr.com • Tel: 0845 094 6242

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Promotion to Propagation

The Garden Doctor is pioneering a new concept in the gardening sector - a ‘garden sitting’ service which caters for people while they are on holiday. Phil Broomfield also provides an all-year-round garden maintenance service. Contact Phil on 07810 646123.

Hearty Work

Bournemouthtown.co.uk celebrated its third birthday by hosting a red themed fundraising evening recently and raised nearly £300 for the British Heart Foundation.

Environmentalist

Lauren Tinker, of Bournemouth-based planning, design and environmental consultancy Terence O’Rourke Ltd, has achieved full membership of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) and CharteredEnvironmentalist status.

Ferry Master

Leading European logistics provider P&O Ferrymasters has appointed Phillip Jones from Bournemouth as its new Commercial Director. Phillip graduated from Bournemouth University with a Masters degree in Business Administration in 2004

Triumph Over Adversity

The Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst has promoted Kara Birrell to General Manager of the Hotel. What is remarkable about this young lady is that she suffers from the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis. It is only nine months since she was appointed as Commercial Manager at the Hotel.

Remarkable Power

Chris Wotton, PR Director at Remarkable has been listed in the Power Book – the definitive guide to the most influential people in public relations in the country.

Pucker Job

Polo player Jonathan Stewart has landed a new job with Dorset organics recycling firm Eco Sustainable Solutions.He has been appointed National Sales Adviser for Eco’s equestrian products including the company’s ComfyRide riding surface and ComfyBed horse bedding.

New Chairman

Synergy Housing’s search for a new Chairman is at an end following the appointment of Mel Cook JP.

BAFTA Winner

For the second year running, a BA (Hons) Animation Production graduate from the Arts University College at Bournemouth is celebrating success at the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards.James Norman, who graduated in 1998 and is now lead motion capture animator on the development team at Rocksteady Studios Ltd, won the Best Game and Gameplay awards for Batman: Arkham Asylum. At last year’s awards ceremony, Francis Pang, another Animation graduate from the University College, won the BAFTA for Artistic Achievement for his work on Little Big Planet.

Extra Wisdom

Cre8ive Wisdom, a Dorset based strategic and creative marketing agency, welcomes the newest edition to its growing team. Stephanie Brown joins the company as Account Executive.

Promotion

Debbie Cohen, HR Superhero at R.E.A.L. People Solutions, has been promoted to HR Director and will lead the team of outsourced HR advisers in the company’s exciting growth plans.

Menswear for All OccasionsGibb Menswear is a well established firm in Bournemouth and Ringwood specialising in formal hirewear for all occasions. Gibb stocks up-to-date looks for wedding wear, for example brown and charcoal grey tailcoats as well as traditional black. Also available are the latest colours in cravats and rouche ties. Gibb will also tailor-make items in colours to suit your requirements.If you have a last minute invitation to a formal function/party Gibb has dinner suits to hand - off the peg. And with school proms just around the corner, bookings are already being taken.Gibb not only provides hirewear but it is also a retailer. Whether it’s a new suit or jacket for work or casualwear, the summer collections are now in. Stock brands include Melka, Gabicci, Barutti, Loake and Padders Shoes and a wide selection of hats/panamas available.

Thinking Power

Digital Team

Marketing Matters, the Poole-based integrated creative agency, has appointed Samuel Adams as Digital Project Manager.

Gellan Watt, Managing Director / Creative Director of Thinking Juice, the award-winning advertising agency based in Bournemouth, has been ranked ‘36’ in this year’s Marketing Services Power 100.

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business news

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The Secret of Success is not to be a SecretTel 01202 874079 • gareth@wordcaster.net

WPR Wordcaster Public Relations Business News

More Gold Recycled than MinedFor the first time on record more gold was recycled than mined in the first quarter of last year.

According to London-based precious metal consultancy GFMS, the amount of gold recycled through companies like Ounces2Pounds rose by 27.2% to 1,674 tonnes last year.

‘The price of gold is on another steep increase,’ said Ounces2Pounds CEO Krista Waddell. ‘We are predicting that gold could reach $1,300 an ounce this year. That is a very attractive price to our customers who are seeking respite from the recession.’

Krista Waddell

Dorset Art Weeks29th May – 13th JuneThe ARThouse Gallery situated in Bourne Avenue, just off the Square in the centre of Bournemouth will be giving over the whole of its gallery space to the work of five well known and highly regarded artists for the two weeks duration of this extremely popular art trail which is now in its 20th year.

Abi Kremer, Martyn Brewster, Teresa Lawton, Brian Bishop and Bonnie Brown who have paintings hanging in collections worldwide will be exhibiting a handpicked selection of original abstract artwork.Curator and gallery proprietor Paul Watts looks forward to welcoming you to view this unique collection.

theARThouse gallery

We hold one of the finest selections of original contemporary art in the area.

Friendly relaxed atmosphere with no pressure.No obligation home approval / consultation service.

BOURNE AVENUE, THE SQUARE, BOURNEMOUTHwww.thearthousegallery.org

David Kelly Oils on board 36 x 24 ins.

Dorset Business Awards LaunchBusinesses from all over the county will congregate for the official launch of the Daily Echo-backed Dorset Business Awards at Kingston Country Courtyard near Corfe Castle on Thursday 17th June at 12pm, when the 2010 categories will be revealed.

For the past 16 years, the Dorset Business Awards has uncovered hundreds of examples of outstanding organisations, business leaders and entrepreneurs who have taken a

unique approach to overcome major challenges and achieve success. Organised by Dorset Business (the Chamber of Commerce & Industry) since 2006, and backed by the south’s leading radio station Wave 105 for the second year running, the launch event will be free and open to all businesses across the county. Details of the 2010 award categories will be revealed at the launch and businesses will then be able to enter via www.dorsetbusinessawards.co.uk shortly after.

The awards’ campaign will culminate in a prestigious gala dinner ceremony on Thursday 9th December at Lighthouse Poole.

Companies interested in finding out more about the launch event or award categories should contact Shirley Ewart on 01202 714812.

Planning Approval for New Arrivals HallChristchurch Borough Council has approved Bournemouth Airport’s planning application for a new arrivals hall.

Commenting on the news, Rob Goldsmith, Airport Managing Director said, ‘We are delighted that the council has approved the design of the new arrivals building. This will be an innovative structure, with 70% less CO2 emissions than the previous design and is, we believe, the first airport building of its type in the UK.’

He continued, ‘It should be ready for use by summer 2011 and will provide a fitting welcome to visitors to the region.’

Poole Audi Kicks Off Football Fusion

L-r: Poole Audi Operations Director Steve Russell; Katie Street, Football Fusion; David Kelly, MD, Poole Audi and Matt Le Tissier

Poole Audi, Dorset’s only new and approved used Audi Centre, adopted the pivotal position of event host as Football Fusion kicked off its official launch at the Ringwood Road showroom.

Poole Audi became part of the team when it offered two of its vehicles to event organisers to assist in team acquisition and event promotion across the country.

The launch spectacular saw England’s attacking midfielder of the 1990s Matt Le Tissier who is Football Fusion’s official event ambassador, accept keys to the A3 and Q7 from Poole Audi Managing Director David Kelly.

Football Fusion will host over 360 football teams in a three-day festival of fun, football and live music, between 6th-8th August, at Bournemouth’s Chapel Gate. Highlights will include appearances from the remaining members of the 1966 English World Cup team and a host of ex-professionals.

Organisers expect attendance figures to top 45,000 over the three days and welcome families, friends, teams and music fans to camp or visit daily. Visitors can expect to see some top football action by day and music entertainment at night from Brit acts along with the Hoosiers, Ms Dynamite and Boney M.

Visit www.footballfusion.co.uk

South West ‘Super Dealer’The two largest independent print providers in the south west, Portrayal Ltd and Peninsula Business Systems Ltd have combined to create a single ‘super dealer’ for the region. The transaction has resulted in the formation of a market leader across the south west with a turnover of £11m.

In addition, leading South African office automation company, ITEC has invested in the combined business in its first major UK investment, ensuring the enlarged company remains debt free. Bristol accountants and business advisers, Baker Tilly undertook the acquisition due diligence process.

Media Bus Takes ControlBournemouth-based Pixelfish has recently launched the new website for the Media Bus, who provides state-of-the-art digital media training, to disadvantaged, disconnected and rural communities.

Utilising Pixelfish’s Content Management System, the website allows the Media Bus to regularly update the latest courses and events, as well as pushing out their latest blog articles.

The site is part of a new breed of websites that are feature rich in content and allow users to update their content at will, giving complete control back to their business.

Visit www.themediabus.co.uk

Top Ten RecognitionRemovals and storage experts, Maidman’s, based at Bournemouth Airport has been recognised for the second consecutive year as one of the top ten domestic removers in the UK.

Judged by the British Association of Removers (BAR), the initiative is recognised for outstanding performance, commitment and leadership in the domestic removals market. BAR encourage the highest standards and reward those who lead by example.

Maidman’s commitment to quality and standards was recognised

in 2009 by the council as one of the UK’s finalists and was re-emphasised in spring 2010 as one of the top removers in Britain.

business news

Microsoft Exchange 2010 Returns to PooleIn response to customer demand from businesses across the south, IT specialist Blue Chip is repeating its free Microsoft Exchange 2010 demonstration on Thursday 20th May 2010, 1.45pm- 4.30pm.

More than 250 businesses nationally have already attended the demonstrations, held at Blue Chip’s offices in Poole, Southampton, Leeds and Bedford. Those who missed the previous demonstrations at Poole and Southampton are invited to attend the free event at Blue Chip’s head office on the Nuffield Industrial Estate, Poole.

To register online for this event, which is free of charge, visitwww.bluechip.uk.com

� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 �Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/JuneV i s i t w w w . b i z m a g . c o . u k f o r t h e l a t e s t n e w s

Patrick’s Golf DayPatrick’s restaurant and bar in Ashley Cross, Lower Parkstone hosted a golf day at the Dudsbury Golf Course in aid of the breast cancer charity ‘Walk the Walk’.

Forty eight keen golfers and customers of the popular bar and restaurant played 18 holes despite somewhat inclement conditions and raised £415 for the charity.

www.brianjenner.com

business news

Only118,000newhomes were constructed in 2009, which is well short of the government’s own target of 240,000.

StudentsfromtheArtsUniversityCollege at Bournemouth are celebrating after their project ‘Time For Heroes’ received an £8,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The grant was given in order to help deliver the project, which aims to give young people in Bournemouth a better understanding of the human side of war.

Matchattendance at AFC Bournemouth is up 12% on last year and is rising.

Amajornewcontract to provide first aid training for staff at 73 care and nursing homes has been signed by St John Ambulance Commercial Training.

Celebrationsareunderwayat Salon 1336 after Natalie Cranston reached the semi finals of a Wella hairdressing contest – one of the UK’s most prestigious competitions.

GreendaleConstructionhas received the prestigious Site Managers Health and Safety award.

YouGovresearch has revealed that despite office workers efforts to be green at work they are being held back by a lack of recycling facilities, no environmental policy and cynical colleagues.

OnSaturday5thJune, multidisciplinary clinic, Lilliput Health, is holding a 1st anniversary celebration event from 1.30pm to 5pm. To book a tour of the facilities contact: katie@lizleanpr.co.uk

business news

Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: double your rate of failure. Thomas J Watson, 1874-1956, Founder of IBM

Anglo American Oil Working with Dorset Industries

Jon Walthall

Wareham-based Anglo American Oil Company Ltd (AAOC) has welcomed Technical Adviser Jon Walthall to the company. Jon’s main area of responsibility is advising AAOC’s partners on the usage of Aspen alkylate petrol and EcoPar diesel alternative, AAOC’s environmentally-friendlier fuels.

Said Jon, ‘Both fuels were developed in Sweden, a country well known for its stance on all matters environmental and employee welfare, and have been in use in many industries for 20 years.

‘Being free from sulphur, benzene and other toxic substances,’ he continued, ‘they are better for the user, the environment and the machine. It’s an exciting time to join AAOC and I look forward to assisting Dorset industries in promoting employee and environmental health.’

Jon is happy to offer advice on both Aspen and EcoPar.

Call 01929 555979.

Charitable Donations in DeclineBritain’s economy has thankfully returned to modest growth, but for many charitable organisations funding is still in perilous decline.

Government has predicted that charities could lose 25% of their funding in 2010 and the Charities Aid Foundation is reporting that four out of ten charities are already operating on less income than they budgeted for.

Bournemouth Business Wins Top Award Micro Nav Ltd, the Bournemouth based provider of air traffic control and airport simulation systems, has won the Queen‘s Award for Enterprise. The award is in recognition of the company’s outstanding performance in exporting high technology air traffic control and airport training systems throughout the world. The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious awards for business performance and are given in three categories. Micro Nav Ltd has won the award for international trade.

This is the first time that Micro Nav Ltd has won the award and follows the trebling of the company’s exports to £4.6m over three years. Its main export markets, accounting for some 85% of turnover in 2008, are in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Mike Male, CEO, with BEST 3D simulator

www.brianjenner.com

Disasters happen when the last man who can remember what happened last time has retired.Christopher Fildes, English journalist

Dorsetresourceconsultancyand research company TaylorScott has announced that it will be providing a research function for HDA, a national resource solutions company with an office in Christchurch.

Freshfoodsandwichchain Pret a Manger has outperformed all expectations for a recession-ravaged 2009 and announced a 12% increase in revenue.

BishopFleming is among just three firms short-listed for the Best General Tax Practice accolade in the 2010 national LexisNexis Taxation Awards. The winning firm will be announced at a black-tie dinner on 20th May at London’s Hilton Hotel in Park Lane.

BoscombePier is now home to an exclusive new company, Beach Golf. Invented by husband and wife team, Tim and Clare Allen, Beach Golf can be hired for special occasions and team building events.

Thevalueofresidentialconstruction projects starting on site during the three months to March 2010 was 37% higher than the same period a year ago according to the latest Glenigan Index.

DorsetandHampshire grower and garden centre group Golden Acres has reported a 20% retail sales increase. The figures are for the 12 months to December and excludes the coffee shops which improved by 35%.

DorsetPentathletes has received a cheque for £1,000 sponsorship from Humphries Kirk Solicitors to help the club buy racing strips and tracksuits for the team.

Award Winning PhotographyAward winning photographer Nick Huggins has launched his new wedding and portrait photography service in the Hampshire area. What’s more he is offering you the opportunity to have natural and beautiful photographs with a special 20% discount.

A classically trained photographer, Nick studied at Guildford College and has been taking photos for over 20 years. He has won awards from the British Institute of Professional Photography and his work has featured in some major London exhibitions.

Visit www.nickhugginsphotography.com

Britannia’s Sitting PrettyThe ultimate provider of luxury homes for the rich and famous, Britannia Property Group, has sold a five and a half million pound house in Branksome Park, Poole, and it is gearing up to sell three more.

L-r: Roger Hearn, Pat Michael and Nick Dunford

9 LEIGH ROAD WIMBORNE DORSET BH21 1AB01202 884 321 - 01202 639 366

Indian, Bengali Restaurant and Takeaway

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Meal A. For 2 Persons Was £25.00 Now £14.35Starters: Onion Bhajee (4 Portions), Samosa (Meat or Vegetable)Main Dishes: Chicken or Lamb Korma, Chicken or Lamb Bhuna

Side Dishes: Bombay Potato, Pilau Rice, NanMeal B. For 2 Persons Was £30.00 Now £19.95

Starters: Chicken or Lamb Tikka, Pakora (Chicken or Vegetable)Main Dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala or Pasanda, Chicken Tikka or Lamb Jalfrezi

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Dorset Businessmen Ride Against Cancer

L-r: Alex Foster, Paul Lovesy, Mike FarrellDorset businessmen take on the hardest mountain bike route in UK to raise funds to fight against cancer.

The Sarn Helen trail is considered to be the hardest and most gruelling mountain bike challenge in the UK. Stretching some 270 miles along an old Roman route from North to South Wales, through Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, the Ride Against Cancer Team aim to complete this off road monster in a week at the end of July, averaging 40 miles a day.

‘We are all doing this for our own personal reasons, Stephen Collins daughter has recently recovered from cancer through the care of the team at Piam Brown Ward, whilst other team members have close friends, colleagues and family who are suffering or have had their lives shortened by cancer. We all feel that if we can do something, no matter how small to help cancer sufferers then we will have achieved our goal,’ says Paul Lovesy, team member.

To support the team visit www.rideagainstcancer.co.uk/sponsorship.php

MergerAccountancy and business advisory firm Baker Tilly is to merge with Bristol and Bath-based Robson Taylor to form a combined £7.5m business.

The Drewitt GroupServing the Wessex Region

T: 01202 575757 E: jds@drewittgroup.co.uk

A: Drewitt House, 865 Ringwood Road,

Bournemouth, Dorset BH11 8LW

Drewittsince 1877

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business newsmoney matters

Where is Tax Anti-Avoidance Going? At Ward Goodman we come across many different tax schemes. This is not an area for the faint hearted.

Anyone interested in tax schemes needs to be fully aware of the governments changing approach to what they regard as tax avoidance and the potential consequences.

In 2005 the HM Revenue and Customs set up the Anti-avoidance Group (AAG). In the current climate of poor economic trading, resulting in low tax collections, and a massive public deficit, the AAG has never been more active.

There are 95 dedicated staff members running the AAG with the aim of preventing tax being avoided by early prevention of schemes, detection and counteraction, usually by advising Ministers on changing the law and/ or litigation.

For most taxpayers, organising their tax affairs to pay the right amount of tax by proactive planning is sensible. This is not the type of anti-avoidance that the AAG are interested in (at the moment!). However, there is a market in tax avoidance schemes which exploit loopholes in the law, usually arising as a result of poor drafting, and it is these that attract the most attention from the AAG.

The AAG has started highlighting ‘risk indicators’ that will certainly result in a challenge from HMRC. Every tax avoidance scheme is now required by law to be disclosed, which gives the AAG an immediate heads up and enables them to take whatever preventative action or litigation it deems fit. A consultation document was released in the Pre Budget Report in December 2009 proposing greater penalties and a widening of the information required to be disclosed on scheme promoters as well as on scheme users.

In this current climate, a scheme user must expect to be the subject of an enquiry. These enquiries can be expected to be protracted and at worst result in the user losing all the benefits of the scheme, whilst suffering the initial costs of the scheme and the costs of dealing with the enquiry. However, despite the clear risks, there are still those that can find this area attractive given the potential for significant tax savings.

Talk to an expert tax consultant for free. Call David Lapthorn on 01202 875900.

David Lapthorn

Fellowship Award Helena Urban, of Poole-based Urban Accountancy, has been awarded fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. This allows her to use the coveted letters ‘FCA’ after her name.

money matters

Collecting Your CashCash flow is the life blood of every business. It can be frustrating and time-consuming chasing people who cannot or will not pay.

DS Debt Collections is licensed by the Office of Fair Trading, and specialises in this area. The team at DS Debt Collections will politely and effectively chase your debtors, on a NO COLLECTION NO FEE basis. Therefore, it is in both parties’ interests for DS Debt Collections to achieve the best possible results on your behalf.

DS Debt Collections provides a professional, honest and transparent service to its clients, with the intention of not only recovering overdue monies owed, but also allowing you to maintain a working relationship with your customers. With a polite approach, the team achieve excellent results, whilst maximising your own customer retention.

Credit checking should be an integral part of credit control. Knowledge of a company’s financial well being can mean the difference between the survival of your company, or the survival of theirs.

Therefore, you should get all potential customers, or clients, to complete a form authorising you to get bank, credit and trade references. Pass this form to DS Debt Collections, and the team will carry out all the necessary checks and report back to you with their findings, allowing you to make a fair judgement on the credit worthiness of your new customers.

DS Debt CollectionsPO Box 1591, Gillingham, Dorset, SP8 9AF

Tel: 01747 825088Credit license number: 633517

No collection No fee debt collection

Debtor and tenant tracing

Company and director checks

Personal credit checks

Property inventories

Website: www.dsdebtcollections.co.ukEmail: info@dsdebtcollections.co.uk

Average Debt being Chased for Payment Rises by 40%Credit managers let out the reins and relaxed their commercial debt management strategies in Q1 2010, in a sign that business confidence is returning, according to debt recovery law firm Lovetts Plc.

In Q1 2010, the average commercial debt being chased for payment rose by almost 40%* compared to Q4 2009 suggesting that businesses are prioritising bigger and more significant debts. In addition, the length of time it is taking for companies to chase payments has increased. Late payers are getting an extra five days to pay, compared to the previous quarter, before an LBA is issued and an extra seven days after the LBA has been issued, before a claim is made.

However, Lovetts is warning that this renewed confidence could be short-lived if businesses fail to apply stringent debt management controls across the whole of their business.

*39.96% increase relates to the average value of debt being chased through Letters Before Action

Financial PlanningWith the economy returning to surer ground, it’s essential that people get a handle on their finances.

Dorset-based St Barts Finance is able to offer advice on a wide range of financial planning aspects, including mortgages, pensions, insurance and investments.

Company Director, Steve Bartholomew commented, ‘In the last few weeks we have seen a steady increase in enquiries about financial planning. It seems to us that faith is being restored in Britain’s economy, and this year may be a good time for financial investment.’

Contact Steve on 01202 520550.

Steve Bartholomew

Are you a director of a company? Are you a director of a companyyou have extremely limited involvement with? Are you a non-executive director? You may need to be advised properly of exactlyhow the Companies Act 2006 and the recent case of Lexi Holdingsplc v Luqman (Lexi) could affect you.

Adirector of a company owes certain duties to that company. Theseduties are greater than the usual duty of care and stretch to a

fiduciary duty to protect and further the interests of the company. Therecent case of Lexi highlights that even if you are a by-stander in thecompany’s affairs, but you are, or are deemed to be, a director, you couldbe equally responsible for the wrong doings of other directors.

The 2006 Companies Act also increases the burden on directors to actwith care and take responsibility even in a situation where yourinvolvement with the company is minimal. Fundamentally, your duty is to:

■ Exercise care and diligence. ■ Exercise independence.

■ Act in good faith to promote the success of the company for the benefitof the shareholders.

It seems, the impact of these obligations attaches to all directors, not justthose who have day to day control. A non-executive director is supposed toexercise a monitoring and supervisory role over the management of acompany and maynot be able to relyon their lack ofinvolvement as anexcuse to avoidliability.

"But I'm not involved!"You could still be liable…

For more information contactJames Kidner atj.kidner@laceyssolicitors.co.ukor telephone 01202 557256

www.laceyssolicitors.co.uk

Act Now to Secure Commercial LendingBusinesses who depend on working capital facilities to get through cash-strapped months may find the availability of their facility being reviewed by the bank. Andrew Baxendine, partner and Director of Corporate Finance at the Poole office of international accountants and business advisory firm, Mazars says, ‘The renewal process will be more difficult than previously with the availability of credit drying up in the SME market. Many banks are preserving lending availability to meet the demand from existing customers alone, restricting the ability of businesses to “shop around” for credit from different suppliers. This means that a strong working relationship with your current banking partner is more important than ever.’

There are a few banks still in a strong position due to conservative policies and access to strong balance sheets. There are others for whom lending is virtually impossible due to the extreme levels of asset write downs they have experienced. Andrew Baxendine advises, ‘Find out how your bank’s credit review process is working now. How are they treating existing customers? Are your facilities at risk? If so, assess your chances of obtaining new facilities elsewhere.’

He adds, ‘Many intermediaries, especially corporate finance advisers, hold a regular dialogue with commercial banking counterparts and should be in a position to give you an indication of likely options.’b Be proactive. b Assess your situation as soon as possibleb Begin discussions with your bank earlyb Be informed about the specific position in your bank.

Mazars LLP offer a comprehensive business advisory and accountancy service. Call 01202 680777 for more information.

01202 875900

* Accounts* Tax Strategies* Financial Planning* Business Growth* Trusts & Estates* Small Business Accounts

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helping you reach your goals

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FREE INITIAL APPOINTMENTS

Andrew Baxendine

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When HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) investigate the tax return of a company or individual the inadequacies of the accounting, lack of knowledge by the enquired and professionalism by the tax inspector often results in a higher tax bill. Poole-based accountancy and taxation firm, Birkett & Co, is urging the region’s businesses to be prepared for a tax investigation, under the new harsher penalty regime, at anytime as the HMRC will apply penalties where tax has been underpaid, even if the underpayment is the result of an innocent mistake.

To avoid falling into the penalty trap, Birkett & Co recommend the following top tips: Remember that prevention is better than cure,

review the company’s accounts systems to ensure these are compliant with any relevant legislation

Keep tax records accurate and up to date Keep all receipts and invoices as any claims will

be disallowed without proof of payment Be especially careful to track cash transactions

– always ensure that there is sufficient cash on hand to cover expenses and that the company records back this up

Track and record ‘benefit in kind’ payments on behalf of directors and staff (needed for P11D declarations). A dispensation can be agreed with HMRC to reduce the year end form filling. P11D’s are commonly overlooked and there are severe penalties for non-compliance, even if no tax is payable

Directors should ensure that they only draw monies by way of either PAYE salary, dividends from retained after-tax profits or from personal loans previously made to the company. Do not allow loan accounts to become ‘overdrawn’ or the company could become liable to a 25% Corporation Tax surcharge

money matters

Take Care to Avoid HMRC Penalties Warns Accountancy Firm Birkett & Co

VAT can only be claimed back on expenses if a valid VAT invoice or receipt is available. These should clearly show the supplier’s VAT number, the date of supply of the goods or services and the amount of VAT if the total charge is more than £250 including VAT

Be prepared and don’t cut corners. Paying the right amount of tax now can save substantial amounts of money compared with having incomplete records

If in doubt, check with an accountant or tax adviser. There would be a fee for advice but it will save a company considerably more money in the long run

Few tax returns are investigated by HMRC with the majority being accepted as honest and accurate, although just because a company may have never had a tax enquiry – even if it’s been established for 20 years – does not make it immune.

Tim Birkett, Managing Director of Birkett & Co, says, ‘The best advice, when the prospect of a tax investigation is imminent, is first of all to prepare solid accounting records and always respond quickly and specifically to the questions being raised. Keep the chats and answers accurate, specific, short and sweet and to the point. A company may wish to engage a specialist tax adviser to negotiate on its behalf. The best tax advisers are often either experienced tax accountants or former revenue employees who know the rules and can conduct the enquiry on behalf of the individual or company in a professional manner.’

To reinforce Tip in the list Birkett & Co is offering a Business Health Check to any businesses who would like to verify that their records comply with statutory requirements.

To discuss any of these issues, or any accounting and tax issues, please contact Tim Birkett or Andrew Ferguson at Birkett & Co on 01202 657444.

Tim Birkett

Growth in South West Economy The South West PMI® signalled an eleventh successive strengthening of business activity during March. However, the rate of improvement eased since February. The headline seasonally adjusted Business Activity Index – which measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – posted 55.9 in March, from 57.4 in February.

A solid rise in new business supported a further expansion in activity. However, a further fall in backlogs of work suggested that excess operating capacity persisted within the region’s companies. Nonetheless, employment increased for the first time since March 2008, driven by rising requirements for staff in the manufacturing sector.

Global RelationshipsHSBC Corporate Banking has appointed Nick Spong as Global Relationship Manager in its Southampton-based team covering the south region. He will provide a dedicated resource to the increasing number of customers in the region doing business internationally.

Nick Spong

NJLConsultancyConsultancy

OutwittheGrimReaper…What happens if you die or cannot work long term as a director/shareholder or partner in a company?

Would your business survive? Consider the financial burden and impossible decisions facing your family already reeling at your loss.

If you’re a sole trader and you die, have you ensured your family will still get an income, pay off their debts and keep their home? If serious illness stops you working, is your salary protected?

‘Death has devastating effects both on businesses, the people involved and their loved ones,’ said Nigel Leonard, of NJL Consultancy.

‘ Q u i t e u n d e r s t a n d a b l y businesses and sole traders don’t want to think about the “what if,” but it can and does happen. Do you want to leave your business and family’s futures to chance?

‘By being properly prepared with business protection you can avoid some of these disastrous and heart wrenching effects.’

NJLCONSULTANCY01202716250/07979522450

nigel@njlconsultancy.co.ukwww.njlconsultancy.co.uk

Independent and personal advice on all protection and

mortgage needs –personal and business

Specialists in Business and Accounting SystemsEnhanced, one of the south’s fastest growing IT specialists now offers you the opportunity to review your business and accounting systems – giving you the opportunity to grow and evolve your business.

Whether you need basic financial and project reporting or more detailed stock control, order processing or manufacturing requirements you can be assured that Enhanced has a solution, add to this integrated e-commerce and document management it is clear to see why Enhanced is quickly becoming a leading IT provider.

WhocanEnhancedhelp?Whatever the size or type of your business, you can be sure that Enhanced has a solution capable of meeting your exact needs. No matter how simple or complex your requirements, the dedicated team will

show you how to update or integrate the most up to date solutions into your existing systems, seamlessly and efficiently.

WhatcanEnhancedhelpyouachieve?Accuracy, in your reporting - automatically providing the right information to the right people at the right time. Control, real-time information with automated warnings and giving you the ability to view every area of your business from every possible prospective.Faster Processing, integrated systems remove the need to re-key information, making it instantly available for use.Growth, realise the potential in your business, by having the latest technology available with flexible, easy to use, intuitive solutions.Security, knowing that confidential information remains secure and that the systems and procedures you have in place are the most reliable and won’t let you down.

Howcanthisbeachieved?By thoroughly understanding your business Enhanced works with you to identify your needs and then establishes the solution which is right for you. Whether it is supplying an existing software package or writing a piece of bespoke software their consultants will guide you through every step of the project from implementation, to training, to after sales service - help is always on hand.

WhychooseEnhanced?b 20 years experience in business and accounting systemsb Confidence in the assurance of receiving the best professional

service availableb National award winning customer service and support teamb Proven success with many existing local and national companiesb One of the fastest growing IT companies

“As a successful sales and support organisation, Grapevine has a full picture of our operation. From management reporting to viewing key performance indicators, the required detail is to hand. This is supported by the team at Enhanced, who are always there to aid us with technical issues and on-going account management.”Brian Vockins, Managing Director, Grapevine Telecom

www.grapevinetelecom.com

Grapevine hit their targets with the help of accurate reportingfrom EnhAncED

For more information on how we could EnhAncE your company, please visit us at: www.enhanced.co.uk

Business and Accounting Systems

Simon White, Managing Director, Enhanced

To determine exactly what your needs are and to establish which solution is right for you call today on 01202 890244 or visit us at www.enhanced.co.uk

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Audrey Spencer01202 725400poole@hklaw.eu

Louise Rowsell01305 251007dorchester@hklaw.eu

If you need advice, call us today

Experts in Employment Law

Redundancy • Contracts

Statutory Employment Rights

Unfair Dismissal • Discrimination

Disciplinary & Dispute Procedures

Grievance Procedures

Equal Opportunities Policies

Sickness & Absence • TUPE

Our clients have come to rely on our experience and expertise while appreciating our straight forward and open approach.

Skills shortages remain an issue for UK companies despite millions of people being unemployed, according to the

Alliance Skills Monitor .

Companies Can’t Recruit People with Sufficient Skills Despite Millions Unemployed

A third (31%) of the 209 companies surveyed by the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils said that it is not possible to recruit people with the required skill. This, perhaps, suggests that high levels of unemployment may not have improved the supply of the type of labour that employers want to recruit.

Looking at existing staff, over two thirds of employers report that they are able to source the training and development they need for their workforces. Just under two thirds of the panel do not feel that government investment in education is well targeted on the needs of their sector.

The verbatim comments suggest that some employers feel that

funding is not well targeted and has affected the type of training they are able to access: A trade association in facilities management, housing and property sector said, ‘Currently, there is funding chaos, especially for apprenticeships and Train to Gain.’

There was also some call among the panel members for the government to recognise those who do train, through, for example, concessions or tax breaks.

A micro employer in the motor industry sector said, ‘The government expects too much from employers without giving any concessions to those that do invest.’

L-r: Neil and Jane Gower from JGA, with Wynn Rees

Investing in DevelopmentIncreasing its extensive portfolio of services, HR specialists, JGA, is working with Wynn Rees Consulting to offer businesses across the region advice on employee development.

At a time when achieving set objectives is vital for an organisation to satisfy customer needs, JGA has established a working relationship with expert facilitator, Wynn Rees, to help businesses ensure employees are working effectively as a team towards common goals.

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Poole Central Library Launches New Service

Mel Stephenson, MD, TDR and John Lane, Manager, PCR

Poole Central Library (PCR) has created a new partnership with Christchurch-based Total Disc Repair (TDR) to offer a disc repair service to the public.

Using a disc repair machine the library can repair any type of disc format, from CDs to DVDs and games to Blu-ray discs meaning that freezing, sticking or skipping discs aren’t necessarily destined for the bin!

RT Media Gets More from GoogleRT Media strategic brand communications agency is celebrating the qualification of Online Content Publisher, Darryl Walker, as a Google Adwords Qualified Individual. The Google Adwords Professional Exam formalises Darryl’s existing skill set and has already enhanced and honed his experience.

Darryl explains, ‘The formal qualification is an extension of the experience and knowledge I had already gained from running Adwords campaigns for our clients over the course of several months, which can

be used to demonstrate my personal knowledge of the programs. Now, with better understanding as a result of this training, I can run client and company campaigns even more effectively.’

Google Adwords is Google’s advertising program, allowing users to create simple and effective adverts online and display them to people already searching for information related to the advertiser’s business – effectively placing relevant adverts in front of the relevant people.

Darryl Walker

What Website Statistics Don’t Tell You

radiklsCall us on Freephone 0800 068 058 9 or

email on bizmag@radikls.com

4 a www with a future

Due to old ways of thinking about web stats a large majority of website owners are wasting a significant

amount of their marketing budgets by targeting the wrong areas. Every website which has been built in the last five years is likely to have some sort of website statistic tool attached to it. The most popular stats tool for SME website owners is Google Analytics. It is estimated that one in three websites have Google Analytics installed on it.

Although Google Analytics and other tools give website owners a huge amount of information about how their website is performing, they don’t tell the whole story. There are unfortunately gaps in the data provided which can mean

wrong decisions made and sales being lost. Here are the most common things that general website statistic don’t tell you which you should be aware of;b Nearly all stats packages only look at the last click before a sale.

This means that visits to your website prior to the sale are ignored and get no credit. If you have a link somewhere which doesn’t directly generate sales but is part of the buying process, you could stop it and lose sales further down the line.

b They don’t give you information about specific user visits. If you want to understand your individual users better it is a struggle.

b You don’t know where your users actually click on your page. Some tools show you which links get clicked. What you don’t know is what people are clicking on which isn’t a link. Fix problems with design and give a better user experience to increase sales.

Andy Headington, Marketing Director at Adido says, ‘As more businesses look to the internet for growth, data becomes more important to understand how to improve user experience and increase sales. While tools like Google Analytics are great for the majority of website owners, for those who are serious about online sales need better data.’

Andy continues, ‘We’ve invested in several tools to get under the skin of website users to help our clients take their sales even further online.’

The team at Adido is offering businesses a free review of their website stats.

To book a free impartial review call Adido on 0845 260 2343.

1� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 1�Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

employment expertsemployment experts

New Minimum Wage Rate The government has confirmed that it has accepted the recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC) on the new rates for the National Minimum Wage, as referred to in the Budget.

The new rates, which will come into force on 1st October 2010 will be: b £5.93 per hour for low paid

workers aged 21 and over (a 2.2% increase on the current £5.80 rate);

b £4.92 per hour for 18-20 year

olds (a 1.9% increase on the current £4.83 rate); and

b £3.64 per hour for 16-17 year olds (a 2% increase on the current £3.57 rate.

The government also announced that it had accepted the LPC’s recommendation to introduce an apprentice minimum wage of £2.50 per hour. The new rate will apply to those apprentices who are under 19 or those that are aged 19 and over but in the first year of their apprenticeship.

Two recent cases have had profound implications for employers in respect of holiday pay. Coles Miller employment expert, Michael McDonnell, explains.

In Commissioners of Inland Revenue v Ainsworth & Ors, the House of Lords made reference to the European Court of Justice, who say that workers who were off sick for all or part of the year could not be excluded from the right to payment of unused leave.

In another case in Spain, Pereda v Madrid Movilidadse, the ECJ considered the issue from a slightly different angle, and held that a worker on annual leave who fell sick during that holiday leave, could take sick leave instead and take the lost annual leave at a different time.

The key problem that the UK courts have faced is that our own Working Time Regulations specify that the basic four weeks’ annual leave may only be taken in the leave year in which it is due. There is therefore no express provision to carry over leave into a new leave year.

An Employment Tribunal, however, has recently held

that the Working Time Regulations can be interpreted in accordance with the ECJ’s decision in Pereda in a case in West Yorkshire. The tribunal found in Shah v First West Yorkshire Ltd that an employer’s refusal

to allow Mr Shah to retake his holiday, which was ruined by a broken ankle, in a new year’s leave, was unreasonable. The Tribunal decided that the real question was, whether or not to allow the employee to take the leave in the following year, was compatible with the underlying thrust of the legislation, even though it was not expressly clear. They decided that it was.

Employment Tribunal Judgments are not binding on other tribunals, and it remains to be seen whether or not this decision will in fact be appealed. However, Mike recommends employers err on the side of caution until clarification from the courts is received, and check contractual provisions that may be in place in order to prepare for situations where employees return and look to take full accrued, but untaken, annual leave.

Holiday Pay

Michael McDonnell

Graduates Struggle to Find JobsAccording to recent research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development six out of ten graduates are working in a field not related to their degree.

Is Your Recruitment Agent Missing a Trick When Sending Confidential Information?With identity theft on the rise and legislation constantly being renewed and enforced to ensure recruitment agencies protect the personal information of candidates, consultants must ensure that the methods they use for sending sensitive information are both appropriate for the cause and robust enough to

protect the data. The distribution process is especially crucial for recruitment agents and head hunters when managing high level positions.

High calibre candidates, by nature will expect their information to be treated in a confidential manner to avoid their personal details getting

into the wrong hands. It may be that they have been headhunted from a previous organisation, in which case it wouldn’t be ethical to leak the candidates details all over the internet for their current employer to see, or risk them falling into the hands of another recruiter who is likely to compete for the business. It is also in the agent’s interest to protect its intellectual property and ensure it keeps their candidates happy.

InvisiView is a cost-effective piece of sophisticated technology

that allows the sender of information to display confidential or sensitive data (whether, text, video, image or sound) in a secure format and then send it via a web link to the recipient for viewing. Visit www.InvisiViewMedia.com

Jan Gunner, Managing Director of InvisiView Media.

commercialcommercial propertybusiness disputesemployment law debt recoverylitigation, arbitration & mediation

ColesMiller

S o l i c i t o r s L L P

Delivering smartbusiness solutions

Poole: 01202 673011Bournemouth: 01202 293226

www.coles-miller.co.uk

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D. Manser All 36 1 Dorset Life Mag C 132x183 1/10 Leon 0 0 1

Probate, Wills & Powers of Attorney|Divorce/Family Law|Commercial Matters|Employment Advice|Court Representation|Accident Claims|Moving Home|Parking Available

Contact Andrew Carswell or Verne Lake at our Poole office on

01202 673071

POOLE – 5 Parkstone Road – 01202 673071

BROADSTONE – 221 The Broadway – 01202 692308

www.dickinsonmanser.co.uk

Web Based Tools Provide Employee Feedback

Sarah Hayward

The Sky’s the Limit in the R.E.A.L. World!

R.E.A.L. People Solutions is celebrating the start of its fourth year of trading with exciting growth plans.

Geoff Fordham, Operations Director, says, ‘2010 has got off to a great start helping new clients with exciting HR projects.

We have just started working with a large company in the Aviation industry helping with their people strategies and the sky really is the limit!’

Geoff goes on to say, ‘Our first few years were about building our visibility and credibility in the Dorset area, and Rebecca soon became the queen of networking, with all our clients coming to us through satisfied clients’ recommendations. This year is about spreading our reputation further afield to support some of our national clients, with R.E.A.L. offices opening in Cambridge and Manchester, to complement our teams in Poole and Oxford.’

If your business needs straight talking commercially sound advice and support about any employment issue, speak to R.E.A.L. People Solutions on 0845 094 6242.

Geoff Fordham

Sarah Hayward and the team at GlobusHR provide a range of cost effective HR and Training solutions to assist businesses in the management and development of their employees. The team has provided services to organisations across the UK and Europe since 1994.

GlobusHR offers a complete tailor made solution around your particular needs and works with entrepreneurs of SME’s through to FTSE 100 companies. Many of its clients are nominated for awards based on the work that the team do with them.

So if it is general HR or Training Advice that is required, or a fully outsourced HR or Training service with your own dedicated team of HR and training experts, GlobusHR can help.

GlobusHR has a range of exciting web-based tools to support your business including:

b Personality profiling – what is your personality and how to make the best of it

b 360 Degree Feedback – how effective is your leadership?

b Employee Engagement – how happy are your employees?

b Behavioural Safety – How safety conscious are your employees?

Contact the team on 0870 4464 360.

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employment experts

Professional Relationships Avoid Disputes

It is important to establish and formalise a professional relationship between employers and employees to avoid employment disputes arising. Aldridge Brownlee Solicitors LLP is able to assist with all matters relating to contracts of employment but in addition can assist employers in the preparation of employment contracts which are appropriate to the needs of your business.

Aldridge Brownlee can also advise on all factors of the new Equality Act 2010. On 8th April the Equality Bill received Royal Assent and became the Equality Act 2010. It is not yet in force. The act brings disability, sex, race and other grounds of discrimination within one piece of legislation, and also makes changes to the law. The government envisages that the main provisions of the act will come into force in October 2010.

For further information call Gus Cook at the Bournemouth Office on 01202 294411 or e-mail gus.cook@aldridge-brownlee.co.uk

Offices also in:Highcliffe, Moordown & Winton

Contact our Employment Lawspecialist, Gus Cook on 01202 294411

www.aldridgebrownlee.co.ukKingsway House, 13 Christchurch RoadBournemouth, BH1 3JY Tel: 01202 294411

Helping the local community for 80 years

Whether you are an employer seeking impartial and practical advice or an employee withspecific employment law issues

Unfairly dismissed or forced to resign?Been made redundant unfairly? Been discriminated against?

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

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Companies Prepare for Recovery with a Permanent Team The local employment marketplace has seen a marked improvement in activity over the last three months, according to Team Recruitment Solutions which has offices in Poole and Chichester.

Helen Stacey, Head of Operations & Business Development, comments, ‘The surprising factor has been that a lot of our clients have started recruiting staff on a permanent basis rather than on a temp one. The reason this is surprising is that in my experience, companies

coming out of a recession typically tend to recruit for temps, or on a temp to perm basis to test the water and see if the growth in the economy that has made them decide to recruit in the first place is going to be a long term situation. However, what this does show is that companies locally have confidence in the marketplace and are prepared to recruit people in a more permanent role which is great both for us and for the local economy generally.’

Helen Stacey

Storm Clouds Gather for Public Sector Employees Official GDP figures published recently may confirm the UK has continued its climb out of recession, however the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) quarterly Employee Outlook survey suggests that things will get worse for public sector workers before they get better. The findings follow hot on the heels of new CIPD predictions that 500,000 public sector jobs will be lost over the next five years, whoever wins the elections.

A copy of the Employee Outlook is available to download from the CIPD website www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/empreltns/general/_employee_outlook

Challenging Validity of Compromise AgreementsThere has previously been uncertainty as to the extent of the jurisdiction of the Employment Tribunal to consider the validity of Compromise Agreements. Some earlier decisions of the Employment Appeal Tribunal affirmed the view that Employment Tribunals were limited to dealing with challenges as to whether the statutory requirements for Compromise Agreements had been complied with, the most important being that the employee must be advised by an insured independent advisor. However, a recent decision of the Employment Appeals Tribunal has confirmed that tribunals may consider challenges based

on, for example, mistake or misrepresentation.

This is an important decision because it means that challenges based on such reasons may therefore now be brought in an employment tribunal rather than pursuing the more expensive and slower procedure through the courts. It remains to be seen whether the decision will result in yet a further increase in the number of claims being pursued in the Employment Tribunals.

For advice on employment matters contact Graham Evans at Dibbens 01202 882456.

Contact our Careerline now on 01202 863219 or email careers@bistech.co.uk

distinctly different

employeeprofileMike FryClient Management

b2b Telemarketing£16-22k + sales bonusYou will be responsible for bookingbusiness meetings through rapportbuilding and identifying commercialopportunities. It is essential that you havesolid communication skills, are highlymotivated and tenacious with a positiveattitude.

Trainee Communications Technician£16-18kYou must have a keen interest intechnology, developed through educationor experience and ideally have worked ina customer facing environment. You willbe part of a team, initially shadowing anexperienced team member, responding toservice incidents and customer queries.

Bistech Group plc is aleading provider of flexiblevoice, data and videosolutions to businessesthroughout the UK.An independent, privatelyowned company established in 1988, Bistech helpscustomers achieve theirbusiness objectives throughthe intelligent use of businesstechnologies.

Services include;• Traditional and

IP telephone systems• Contact centre solutions

and technologies• Bespoke, flexible voice

and data networks• Internet provision, security

services and DR solutions

PA to Sales Team£20-25k + sales bonusYou will maximise your time, prioritisingthe responsibilities of your team whilstworking at pace. You will have experienceof communicating at board level and ofbuilding relationships with multiplepeople within an organisation.Commercial awareness with a resultsfocused attitude is essential.

current opportunities

Five years ago, working in abusiness technology environmentwas the last thing on Mike's mind.His work was more on the wildside as he dealt with primate careat the local tourist attraction,Monkey World.However, IT was always a hobbyand in July 2005 he decided topursue it full time with a role in thebusiness team at Bistech. “Bistech wasn't concerned that Ihad no direct experience. Theycould see my potential andoffered me extensive training andsupport together with an excitingcareer path.”Mike's new found skills enabledhim to move his career forwardsand he is now an essentialmember of the Client Managementteam.“Ongoing support andcommitment to training means Ican build a hugely rewardingcareer,” says Mike. “In fact, there'sonly one thing that limits how far Ican go at Bistech: me!”

Bournemouth basedbusiness technologycompany, the BistechGroup, has demonstratedthat you can combineambition with principles.

Working in the highly competitivebusiness communications market,this growing company's straight-forward and open approach toboth clients and each other hasbeen a proven success.“Over the past 22 years, Bistechhas grown because our clientsenjoy working with us. Respectingour customers and understandingtheir business needs has resultedin many close, long-term businesspartnerships,” says MD, JocelynBrown."We're different because of theway we work - we don’t ‘do’politics - which means we getmore done in less time.

And when people aren'tdistracted by irrelevant issuesthey achieve more and developfaster. Everyone wins."

Honest approach to success It seems this honest, peoplecentric approach pays dividendsall round. Clients are happybecause they receive a firstclass, personal service.Employees thrive in a culture thatcombines an open, positiveworking environment withexcellent career prospects. AndBistech goes from strength tostrength with consistent year onyear performance showingimpressive growth and results.

Recruitment and trainingTraining and on-going supporthelp staff develop successful,rewarding careers and make sureBistech offers the best possibleservice to its clients.

Using specialist teams of talentedand dedicated people, Bistechcontinually sets new standards ofservice in the voice, data andvideo communications markets.

“We work in a complex field,”says Bistech's recruitmentspecialist, Dawn Gold. “However,our recruitment policy is basedlargely on our applicant's attituderather than experience - you canalways teach someone the skillsthey need, but you can't teachenthusiasm and a hunger tosucceed.”

To find out how your organisation can benefit from working with ustelephone 01202 863200 email review@bistech.co.uk web bistech.co.uk

SD3629.BtechAdvertorial.qxd 28/4/10 4:10 PM Page 1

1� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 1�Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

New Face for Family at Frettens Frettens Solicitors has appointed a new Head of Department to lead its thriving family team. Julie-Ann Harris joins Frettens as an Associate, arriving at the firm with many years experience and a reputation built at prominent law firms based in Southampton and, more recently, Bournemouth.

Ian Fretten, Senior Partner, says, ‘We are delighted to have attracted such a high calibre lawyer who has been recommended in the Legal 500 directory. Julie-Ann has ideal credentials to enable the firm to continue to offer the excellent service which our clients have enjoyed historically. We are confident that, as Head of the Family Team, Julie-Ann will bring a fresh, dynamic approach and further strengthen the existing department.’

Julie-Ann says, ‘I look forward to developing the strong reputation that Frettens already has and working with their knowledgeable and approachable family solicitors. With my expertise in all aspects of divorce, finances and complex children cases, including proceedings before the High Court and Court of Appeal, the team will continue to offer a full range of family services for clients in Dorset and the New Forest.’ Julie-Ann also has wide ranging experience in handling disputes between cohabitants and civil partners in addition to advising on pre-nuptial and pre-registration agreements.

Frettens provides a full range of specialised legal services to private and commercial clients, with a modern, common sense approach.

For further information visit www.frettens.co.uk

New Jobs Created at Eastleigh Bar Site The REL Pub Company has a number of new sites completing in the coming months across the UK operating under Break Bar, The Loft and Coffee Republic brands.

£750,000 is to be spent on the new units in the next two months and a total of 25 jobs will be created. REL’s Break Bar + Restaurant’s aim is to be a home from home environment for relaxation and will include an open fire and a classic British food menu with special dishes created each day from breakfast to dinner. The foods will all be sourced using local ingredients all of which are in season.

Above Break Bar will be The Loft, this will offer a late night lounge which will be open until 2am. It will also be available for private functions, parties and business events. Next to Break Bar will be a coffee republic unit with a large outside terrace for seating and dining.

REL is backed by London-based REL Capital and is looking to acquire 20 sites in the next two years. Chief Executive Andy Scott says, ‘We are very pleased to back the new management team for the roll out of Break Bar and will be working with Coffee Republic within all of our new units.’

Contact General Manager Dom Lamy at dom@relpubco.com

Launch of New Events Catering CompanyWith an influx of events on the horizon for this season, we see the successful launch of Dorset-based Spring Cottage Catering.

Spring Cottage Catering is an enthusiastic mother and daughter partnership that specialise in providing catering for events of all sizes; from informal celebrations to corporate hospitality. They combine their inspiration of traditional home cooking fused with Middle Eastern culture to present an assortment of mouth-watering cuisine of both the sweet and savoury kind.

Visit www.springcottagecatering.co.uk

catering & eating out

Set over 3 floors The Italian Villa is the ideal venue for conferences, seminars and special events.

Venue hire from £400 + vat (refreshments included with venue hire*), light finger buffet lunches available from £8.00 pp. *restrictions apply

Exclusive catering by resident caterers BEALES GOURMET

The Italian Villa Business Venue at Compton Acres

For more information or to request a Delegate Package please call: 01202 816074 email: info@the-italian-villa.co.uk or visit our website: www.the-italian-villa.co.uk

Cheese Maker to Receive The Queen’s Award for EnterpriseFord Farm, a Dorset-based cheese maker has been selected from an elite group of companies from all industries across the UK to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise. An official presentation of the award will be made by the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset later this summer.

The award is in recognition of Ford Farm’s commitment to its export business which has grown every year in line with its home business and now accounts for one third of the company’s turnover.

This prestigious Queen’s Award follows several other accolades in recognition of Ford Farm’s success. The company received the Dorset Business Award for Export at the end of last year and several others, both for its cheese making at the country’s premier cheese and agricultural shows and for its business performance.

L-r: Danuta and Emma

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striking a balance

01202 499255employment@frettens.co.uk

www.frettens.co.uk

Employment Law

Employment law is increasingly complex and getting things wrong can

be costly. Employers need the right advice at the right time, from

experts who take a pragmatic and commercial approach.

Our Employment Team specialises in all aspects of contentious and

non-contentious employment law, offering practical, common-sense

advice to balance the commercial realities of running a business with

the ever-changing legal requirements.

Julie-Ann Harris

17 Years Old!Dibbens has been sent a special certificate celebrating the fact that the firm has been recognised as Investors in People for over 10 years.

In fact Dibbens first achieved the accreditation in 1993, 17 years ago! At that time they were only the second law firm in the country to be awarded Investors in People status.

Rachel Fleet, Partner, Dibbens

Updating Documentation Understandably, over the past 18 months, employers have been concentrating on how to keep their businesses afloat. This has meant that in some cases, the fundamentals have slipped down the priority list. But with the country emerging from recession, it is now time for a spring clean to ensure that contracts of employment, procedures and policies are up-to-date.

A Tribunal will award up to four weeks’ gross pay where an employee has not been given a written statement of their main terms of employment. This statement should contain or refer to disciplinary and grievance procedures and must be given within two months of employment starting.

It is now over one year since the ACAS code of practice was introduced, placing an obligation on employers to carry out workplace investigations and hearings. Failure to comply could mean an extra 25% in compensation to the employee.

If you have five or more employees, by law you must have a written health and safety policy and you must also record the details of risk assessments. These will require constant updating and consultation with your employees. A risk assessment should not be over-complicated and must be tailored to your individual business. A comprehensive health and safety policy will not only head off tribunal claims, but also avoid personal injury, maintain your reputation and keep the cost of your insurance down.

In order to ensure a reliable, effective workforce and avoid costly tribunal claims, you must ensure that your documentation is up-to-date. Ellis Jones has both human resource specialists and employment lawyers who can provide a tailor made service.

For further information visit www.ellisjones.co.uk or e-mail employment@ellisjones.co.uk

Changes to Legislation Business Link is encouraging businesses from every sector to check the Business Link website for any recent legislative changes that may affect them.

Visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/ccd

1� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 1�Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

catering & eating out

Tasty Results at Regional Cookery Competition

Southampton City College students are celebrating after sweeping the board at this year’s Wessex Salon Culinaire competition.

Nine catering and hospitality students took part in the cookery event in Bournemouth and between them scooped 24 medals. Their haul

included 15 gold medals, six silvers and three bronze, the highest achievement of the 20 colleges who took part, and an impressive record for City College.

The competition pits catering students, as well as chefs from hotels and restaurants and the armed forces against each other in a multitude of cooking disciplines. City College winners scooped medals in areas as diverse as vegetable cuts, fish preparation and creating hot scallop starters.

All City College entrants won at least one medal, with several winning best in class as well. The winners were Minqing Zhu, David Tanner, Grace Mbotela, Brenton Watson, Faye Gillings, Samantha Gardner, Carl Clutterbuck, Adam Lowthian and Justina Jonikaite.

City College catering students will also benefit from the college’s £40m redevelopment programme. A brand new catering facility will be ready for use in September, complete with training kitchens and a restaurant that will be open to the public.

Fudges, the multi award-winning Dorset bakery is opening an online bakery shop. The new virtual bakery will stock Fudges’ savoury and sweet biscuits, cheese straws and cheese wafers, flatbreads and cakes – in fact the only thing missing will be the unmistakeable scent of baking (Fudges is still working on that bit!).

Sue Fudge (yes there really is a proper Mrs Fudge!) explained: “This is a first for us as we have never had an online shop before. Great-great-granddad Percy Fudge would be amazed to know that his little Dorset bakery, which he opened back in 1926, is now able to bake biscuits and send them out to all corners of the world within a day or two.

Visit the online bakery www.fudges.co.uk

company profile

Make it a Black Label Event

01202 726395email. blacklabelevents@afcb.co.uk

PARTIESMEETINGS CONFERENCES EXHIBITIONS WEDDINGS

PASSION, PRIDE & QUALITYAT DEAN COURT STADIUM, BOURNEMOUTH

WeddingsBirthdays

ChristeningsCocktail Parties

Product LaunchesConferences

WakesBBQ & Outside Parties

MAKE IT A BLACK LABEL EVENT

ANYTIMEANYPLACEANYWHEREFULL EVENT MANAGEMENT

www.blacklabelevents.co.uk

C

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Catering Banner 1-4 size_aw.ai 1 08/03/2010 16:05

AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Court is a versatile venue in Dorset and offers some of the best equipped conference facilities and hospitality suites, with several of the rooms providing unique views of the stadium, at unbeatable rates.

Along with extensive free car parking, Wi-fi and disabled facilities, there are seven main suites and 13 smaller rooms ideal for break out rooms. The venue is located just outside the centre of Bournemouth, with easy access from the A338 as you approach from the east. Whether you have a party of four or 400, Dean Court is an ideal venue for breakfast meetings, training sessions, exhibitions, product launches, conferences, team building and interviews.

The catering team and conferencing team at Black Label Events will ensure that your experience is second to none.BLE understands that each event is unique and tailors its packages and services to your needs to ensure that your event is a huge success.

So make your next event a BLACK LABEL EVENT!

Black Label Events (BLE) is an event management company based at AFC Bournemouth’s fantastic Dean Court Stadium in Bournemouth, and exclusive caterer to AFC Bournemouth Football Club. Events can either hosted at the Dean Court venue, which boasts seven main function rooms, or BLE can accommodate any outside event or catering requirement.

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Frettens Solicitors is one of the main sponsors of the Christchurch Food & Wine Festival. The festival runs from Friday 7th May - Sunday 16th May 2010.

The main focus of the festival is the International Food Market on 8th and 9th

May. The market takes place in the High Street, which is filled with over 100 stalls selling a wide range of food and drink.

New Online Bakery Launches

Real Italian food, cooked by Italians, the Italian way!

Bona Sera! Drop in and enjoy a home cooked Italian meal in the traditional friendly and welcoming atmosphere of an

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Confidence Coach, Derek Palmer – founder of Creative-Plane Personal Development – is launching a range of one and two day workshops to be held at Wessex Therapy Clinic in Christchurch.

Workshop themes include:b Super Confident Public

Speakingb Self-Hypnosis & Stress

Managementb Redundancy: Your Launch Pad to Success!

‘As a qualified Hypnotherapy, NLP and Meridian Energies Practitioner I have dozens of tools, techniques and strategies to share,’ says Derek, ‘and I love helping people achieve their full potential.’

Free two hour taster sessions are available and will run on Saturday mornings in New Milton.

For full details and to book a place, e-mail derek@creative-plane.co.uk or call 07798 550600.

Personal Development Workshops from Creative-Plane

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Training4per4mance LtdPoole, Dorset

Tel: 01202 605090 Fax: 01202 605090www.training4per4mance.co.uk

Email: ewa@training4per4mance.co.uk

training update

Learning Credits SchemeTo help local businesses make their training budgets go further, IT and training specialist, Deverill, has introduced a Learning Credits Scheme.

The scheme offers companies who have a training budget available, but have an unspecified timeframe or who are unsure of their training plans for the year, to transfer funds into a Deverill learning credits account to use as and when they are needed. All learning credits are valid for one

year and training can be taken on a businesses own premises or at Deverill.

Deverill’s CEO, Joel Jervis, said, ‘Deverill’s learning credits can be used for any employee in a company and are designed to be flexible to fit into any training budget. They give businesses the opportunity to pre-plan their training programmes for the year and ensure that a training budget is protected. Furthermore, the more training credits purchased, the more discount we can offer, so we hope this is seen as a cost effective way to train staff.’

Joel Jervis

Derek Palmer

Bank Executives Enrol for Combat TrainingYou may think that bankers are only interested in fat bonuses, but according to combat training expert Tim Larkin they are increasingly interested in learning how to fight!

Larkin, from Las Vegas, is the creator of ’Target Focus Training’ (TFT) and teaches entrepreneurs and bank executives how to protect themselves using ‘extreme’ violence.

‘I have senior executives from banks like Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and J. Morgan Chase enrolled on my courses,’ said Tim Larkin recently.

Corporate clients principally attend Mr Larkin’s TFT seminars, which include instruction in how to kill, for protection when they are visiting markets in emerging countries.

‘Most people feel very uncomfortable with the idea of violence because we have stigmatised it so much,’ explained Mr Larkin. ‘But I try to impress on students that violence is just another tool. You need visions in your head so you can replicate them when you try to do them.’

Tim Larkin has trained the US Navy SEALs, Scotland Yard, FBI Hostage Teams, US Border Patrol and US Treasury officers. He is the man that these agencies consult when training for a ‘kill-or-be-killed’ situation. He is co-author of the best-selling book, How to Survive The Most Critical 5 Seconds of Your Life, and the highly acclaimed online newsletter, Secrets for Staying Alive When Rules Don’t Apply.

New Management Team Workshops Management development company KJ Associates has launched a new service - practical management team workshops that focus on current issues within an organisation.The half-day programmes are run every six months with an organisation’s management teams to enable them to focus on their strengths and weaknesses in team working during real, current issues.

Visit www.bizmag.co.uk Add your business free-of-charge to the

directory section

Economic Opportunities to be Discussed at Engineering Forum

Newly formed Engineering and Manufacturing Forum

The newly launched Dorset Engineering and Manufacturing Forum has got off to a flying start with seventy three companies already registered and numbers growing. The forum, set up by the Business Enterprise Unit at The Bournemouth and Poole College, is an opportunity for sector specialists to meet on a regular basis to consider issues facing the industry, to network and share best practice and to look at means of attracting fresh young talent to choose engineering and manufacturing as a potential career pathway.

The inaugural meeting held in February attracted a good number of attendees with topics ranging from apprenticeships through to embedding the Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) qualification into the workplace.

The college’s Director of Marketing, Julie-Anne Houldey said, ‘This is all about bringing people together with a shared interest in the local and regional economy, and in helping generate new talent to come through the ranks. The college works closely with employers across many different sectors and this form of open dialogue ensures that

college education and training meets the ever changing demands of specific industries.’

The forum is a welcome occasion for engineering and manufacturing professionals to get together and has also presented viable new business opportunities. Julie-Anne added, ‘We know that several companies have negotiated business deals from making useful contacts at the forum. From a college perspective, we have also introduced at least one new company to BIT training having seen the Aish Technologies case study. We were also able to discuss higher level qualifications for those looking for continued professional development to advance their careers.’

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 25th May, 8am at the college’s North Road campus in Poole. Guest speaker will be Adrian Trevett, Economic Development Manager from the Borough of Poole, plus an engineering apprenticeship case study.

Membership to the Engineering and Manufacturing Forum is free of charge, but registration is required. For more information or to register for attendance at the next meeting contact the Business Enterprise team on 01202 205500.

Counterfeit Spares Seizure Prompts Warning to UK Industry

manufacturing & engineering

Need Hearing Protection at Work?Thousands of workers are at risk of long-term hearing damage simply because they don’t like the ear protectors their employers provide. What they may not realise is that they can have a choice.

Diversified technology company 3M is emphasising that if the standard hearing protection provided is uncomfortable, workers should raise this with their managers and ask for alternative options to be considered. For the sake of their long-term health, they should certainly not just abandon the equipment altogether.

Check out www.3Mselect.co.uk for 3M’s full hearing range of personal protective equipment.

Brammer, the UK’s leading supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) products and services, has issued a stark warning to UK manufacturers about the dangers of buying through unauthorised sources following a further major discovery of counterfeit parts in Europe.

The latest incident saw 6,500 counterfeit bearings, imported to Sweden and packaged as SKF products, seized by police.

Jeremy Salisbury of Brammer commented, ‘The probability of receiving counterfeit spares increases significantly if a company is not vigilant about where it is sourcing its products from. The only way to guarantee that genuine parts are being received is to buy through an authorised distributor.

‘Counterfeit parts may look identical to the real thing but that is where the similarities

end. They may have a lower initial purchase cost, but the potential costs that can be incurred down the line far outweigh any initial savings achieved. They are likely to fail more quickly, leading to unplanned downtime with all the costly ramifications that can create.

‘Meanwhile, extreme cases have seen counterfeit bearings cause extensive damage to machinery, with manufacturers unable to claim through either their warranty or insurance as they have not used a genuine spare part.

‘Heath and safety risks to production operatives are also increased, with companies liable for both legal and medical costs if a member of staff is injured as a result of an incident caused by a counterfeit product.

‘Quite simply, buying through unauthorised sources is a risk not worth taking for any company which is serious about maintaining plant operational effectiveness, production line integrity and, even more importantly, employee health and safety.’

To find out more about how Brammer can help guarantee your supply of genuine parts, visit www.brammer.co.uk

Jeremy Salisbury

�� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 ��Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

Described as a combination of V Festival, Dubai Sevens and Cartier Cup Polo, the Bournemouth Sevens

Festival is an action packed weekend of sport, music and entertainment.

Anyone for Tee?

Life Education Wessex’s Big Quiz Winners

The winning team from the Daily Echo being congratulated by Alan Cootes MD of the Bay Radio, with Nigel Hedges the Quiz Master at the back.

Worlds LargestRugby Festival Comes to Bournemouth

Marketing MondayNew networking event for Dorset Marketers

Austin Healey

V.VIP marquee

The Dorset Branch of the Chartered Institute of Marketing is delighted to announced that it is launching a new monthly networking event for marketers on Monday, 24th May 2010. Starting at 7pm, ‘Marketing Monday’ is taking place at the Harbour Heights Hotel in Sandbanks, Poole.

To kick off this new networking event Bournemouth-based company Templar Wines have agreed to do an Italian wine tasting session where attendees will taste eight different wines

on the night, and the tasting will be complemented by some light nibbles supplied by the Harbour Heights Hotel.

You do not have to be a member of the CIM, just an interest in marketing, PR and networking. The cost for attending this event will be £15.

Further information on Marketing Monday can be found on the Dorset branch web page or by contacting Nigel Williams, Dorset Branch Vice Chair, on ncw@whitesandspr.com

If you’re interested in golf, make sure you keep Saturday 26th June free. Local radio station HOPE FM is organising a ‘Carnival of Golf ’ in conjunction with The Carrington Club, one of the south’s leading business networks.

The carnival will take place at Sturminster Marshall Golf Club. Mike Dodd is the owner of the Sturminster Marshall Golf Club – and it is rapidly becoming known as one of the best golfing academies for junior golfers in the south west. However, you don’t have to be young to join in the Carnival of Golf! All age groups are invited to play, including both experienced players and beginners (and there will be lots of prizes!).

‘Pitching’ for your support…The competition will be a nine-

hole team event, four-ball, better ball - i.e. teams of four, with the best two scores counting at each hole. There will be 3/4 handicaps on the day, with a maximum handicap of 24 for men and 26 for women.

Entry to the competition costs £80 per team (Barter Card is also accepted).

There are also plenty of opportunities to support the event in other ways. So why not:b Enter a team or sponsor a holeb Showcase your company or

exhibit your products at the event

b Help to raise money for the following charities; Bournemouth YMCA/HOPE FM, Poole Hospice and St James’s Place Foundation

The emphasis of the day is on fun and the course will be laid out as a ‘greenkeeper’s revenge’. If it’s successful, it’s hopped to make the carnival an annual event.

Registration forms can be downloaded from the HOPE FM or Sturminster Marshall Golf Club websites. All payments should be made to Bournemouth YMCA/HOPE FM.

For further details contact Sheena Dayman at sheenad@hopefm.com

Twenty six local teams from Life Education Wessex’s Corporate and Community supporters battled it out for the coveted Big Quiz Trophy at a recent Big Quiz night at AFC Bournemouth, with the evening proving to be a great success for the children’s charity raising a grand total of £8,232.

It was a tough contest with only one point between the top three places. The defending champions for three years running ‘Is there an ECHO?’ from the Daily Echo won the Big Quiz trophy for a third year. They were hotly

pursued by the runners up ‘Law and Disorder’ from Humphries Kirk whilst third place went to Blandford Stour Rotary.

Held over the May Bank Holiday weekend on the 29th and 30th May; 20,000 people descend to the sunny south coast venue. Live bands and DJs will be entertaining the crowds from the festival stage and beer marquees all weekend.

England Rugby International, Austin Healey commented, ‘Bournemouth Sevens is not just a festival of rugby; it’s so much more with music, netball, camping and entertainment. I’m so impressed with the magnitude of the event which is why I keep coming back year on year.’

Healey will be joined by Lewis Moody and other sporting

legends in the exclusive V.VIP area that offers 5 star corporate entertainment.

Roger Woodall, Festival Director, realised there was a unique opportunity to create the largest sport and music event of its kind in the world. ‘There’s so much going on at the festival with live music, a parachute display, fancy dress, Pitchside Jacuzzi, beer tents and camping for 3,000 people which is why so many people come back year on year,’ comments Woodall.

The festival, that recently won the Sport Business Award for Mass Participation,

provides sporting competitions for 4,000 participants in rugby sevens and netball.

The inclusion of rugby sevens in the Rio 2016 Olympics has lead to a significant increase in the media attention of the sport.

For more information on the festival visit www.BournemouthSevens.com or call 01202 545630. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

Business Group’s Boost for Three Charities

Lyn Hudswell of Julia’s House and Tim Gallego of DOC

Three local charities are a total of £2,500 better off thanks to local business organisation Dorset Open Commerce (DOC).

The cheques were handed over at a DOC open evening at Dorchester Football Ground by DOC Chairman Wendy Barnard.

Julia’s House, the Dorset children’s hospice, received £1,500. The Grace Secondary School project, started by Dorchester couple Richard and Claire Budd to raise funds for a school in the mountains of the Sudan, received a cheque for £500. A cheque for £500 also went to Woodlands Farm Kennels, in Bridport, which cares for stray animals.

Said Wendy Barnard, ‘Dorset Open Commerce exists to help businesses work together on a day-to-day basis. Above all we enable professionals and tradespeople from all business sectors to recommend people

to each other – people that they know from professional working relationships.

‘We are a not-for-profit organisation, and at the end of each year we donate our surplus funds to charities, which is a very rewarding spin-off from our activities.’

Dorset Open Commerce holds twice-a-month meetings in Dorchester. Traders and business owners interested in joining should contact Wendy Barnard on 07927 308089.

For further information visitwww.dorsetopencommerce.com

Bournemouth Meets the City of LondonLocal businesses took the opportunity to promote

Bournemouth as a good place to do business on a visit to London during April.

Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin said, ‘This was a very successful event which gave our local businesses a significant opportunity to promote Bournemouth as a good place to do business. Supporting the Bournemouth business community through

network news

Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin

2010 and beyond is a key priority for the council and I believe that business networking events run by groups such as the Carrington Club are absolutely vital for local business prosperity. I am sure that with the new venture into London, the Carrington Club will continue to go from strength to strength.

‘As part of our strategy to assist local businesses we continue to work closely with the Carrington Club and with groups such as the Chamber of Trade, and to offer a package of measures such as the recession fund and the new ‘Face the Dragons’ project, which provides new start-up businesses the chance to pitch for a £500 grant.’

Chairman of the Carrington Club, Jonathan Rose, added, ‘We were very fortunate to have Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin join us for the launch of Carrington City, where he could represent the commercial interests of Bournemouth and emphasise the benefits of living and working in Bournemouth which await any company looking to expand or bring their back office facilities to a fantastic south coast venue.’

Members of Bournemouth’s Carrington Club, a business club aimed at building long term relationships through regular networking, were given the opportunity to attend an event to celebrate the launch of Carrington City - the expansion of the group into London. Over 100 people from businesses both in Bournemouth and London attended and the Leader of Bournemouth Borough Council, Councillor Stephen MacLoughlin, was invited to speak at the event.

THEBUSINESSTHE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE FOR DORSET, WEST HANTS AND SALISBURY

NEXT EDITION SPECIAL FEATURESJULY/AUGUST - copy by 9th JunePR & Advertising • Construction & RefurbishmentNautical Notes • Franchising News • Salisbury Focus

t: 01425 471500 f: 01425 475600e: mail@bizmag.co.uk w: www.bizmag.co.uk

Visit our new website www.bizmag.co.ukfor news, business clubs, events and business directory

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property & development

Raymond Brown Invests £2 MillionTwo 16-tonne rollers and four brand new tipper trucks were among a £2m plant and equipment delivery for Raymond Brown Group.

The award-winning group has invested in 12 brand new machines worth almost £1.5m and a further £500,000 in recycling equipment for the minerals and recycling division of the business.

Arriving at Raymond Brown’s base in Ringwood, the latest additions to its plant fleet also include tracked and wheeled excavators, loading shovels and a wood shredder.

Raymond Brown’s Managing Director Kelvin White said, ‘Our equipment is an absolutely integral part of the business so having machines using the latest technology is essential for producing the high standard of work that Raymond Brown is recognised for.

‘I’m very proud that as a company we are in a position to make this type of investment as it puts us in a strong position for the future.’

The Raymond Brown Group comprises Raymond Brown Construction, Raymond Brown Minerals & Recycling, Raymond Brown Building and Wilkins Builders and undertakes work ranging from civil engineering and waste infrastructure projects to cutting-edge inert recycling and house building.

Raymond Brown’s £2m investment arrives at its Ringwood headquarters.

property & development

Development Sold for £25mHodge Investments (Southampton) Ltd, which is an associate company of Julian Hodge Bank, has sold One Guildhall Square in Southampton to Southampton City Council for £25m.

Due to be completed this summer, the 72,000 sq ft, six-storey office block is in the city centre next to the town hall and stands on the former C & A site.

The glass-fronted building will be used as office accommodation for city council staff and as a regional centre for Capita Business Services.

Developed by Cardiff-based Atlantic Property Developments Ltd, One Guildhall Square is viewed by real estate advisers DTZ as the most important development site in the city.

An artist’s impression of Southampton City Council’s new offices.

New Appointment for Charters

Confidence is returning to the property market and the sales team at independent Winchester property specialist Charters is ready to meet the challenge.

Increasing demand for the agency’s services has led to the appointment of Gary Brown who brings a wealth of industry knowledge and management experience to his new role, having worked in property for more than 20 years.

Gary Brown

1st for Goadsby

Goadsby Commercial has reinforced its commitment to graduate recruitment by welcoming Georgina Allen into its Bournemouth Retail Agency Department which has just come first in the south west in a recent survey by the Estates Gazette.

Election Delays FHL Abolition, While Tax

Law ‘Tweaked Again’! The Finance Act 2010 gainedRoyalAssenton8thApril2010.In order to agree the FinanceAct before the dissolution ofParliament, some property taxproposalswerejettisoned;oneofthesewastheintendedabolitionof Furnished Holiday Lettings(FHLs) from 1st April 2010.FHLs now continue to operate,subjecttotheirlongestablishedcriteria, enabling owners ofholidaylettings(locatedinbothUKandEEA)tocontinueclaimingcapital allowances on both thepurchase and any subsequentrefurbishmentoftheirproperties,asmaybeapplicable.Additionally Annual Investment Allowances (AIA) were doubled to £100,000 from April 2010. AIAs provide 100% allowances on new capital expenditure by property owners, investors or occupiers that invest in their premises. Capital expenditure above this £100,000 threshold will continue to be eligible for standard capital allowances – e.g. plant and machinery or integral feature allowances and offset against taxable profits. Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) were also adjusted, adding two new sub-categories:b ‘self-driving’ magnetic motors;

andb biomass air heaters. Finally, Alistair Darling announced the government’s intention to improve the ECA website, so that all businesses can more easily understand product eligibility. In all, these changes continue the state of flux in our capital allowances regime; adding further complexity to the tax law.

To optimise your property tax savings contact E³ Consulting on healthcheck@e3consulting.co.uk or 0845 230 6450 when considering any significant property or project expenditure.

Ombudsman Calls for Greater Protection for LandlordsChristopher Hamer, the Property Ombudsman, is demanding that whichever party wins the General Election urgently legislates to improve protection for both landlords and tenants who employ letting agents.

‘LetAssured UK has been specifically set up by landlords to protect themselves and other like-minded landlords from the unscrupulous activities of some letting agents,’ said David Plaister, Managing Director of LetAssured UK.

The proportion of the Ombudsman’s workload related to lettings disputes rose from 28% to 49% of his workload last year.

Investing in PooleNettleship Sawyer and CB Richard Ellis on behalf of the landlord Clark Estates are pleased to report that they have recently arranged a letting of the fourth floor, Link House in West Street, Poole. The five-storey office building underwent extensive refurbishment in 2007/8 to create 35,555 sq ft of prestigious high specification office accommodation with good on-site car parking ratios.

The fourth floor office suite boasts panoramic views of Poole harbour, extending to 5,720 sq ft and has been taken by a private investment company. Merlin Entertainments Group and Synergy Housing Group have already been attracted to Link House leasing the second and 3rd floors with only the ground and first floor offices now remaining available to let in suites from 2,223 sq ft to 11,376 sq ft.

Link House

Upsurge in Interest at CBCContracts have recently exchanged on the sale of Unit 7 Chancerygate Business Centre (CBC) to Swift Trading. Goadsby negotiated the freehold sale of the 2,625 sq ft unit, which had been fitted out with first floor offices. Quoting prices are from £110 to £115 per sq ft based on shell fit-outs. The sale of Unit 1 CBC has now also completed, to continue the upsurge in interest at this brand new Industrial scheme.

The first two units on the business park were sold in 2009 and this was followed by the first leasehold deal being completed and further units are now under offer.

Andrew Hodgkinson, Manager of Goadsby’s Southampton Agency department commented, ‘The Chancerygate scheme offers a fantastic opportunity to buy or rent a brand new unit at vastly reduced prices / rents. Its prime industrial location and fantastic communication links make them ideal business premises.’

For more information contact Andrew on 023 8022 7337.

property & development

£5.5m Castle Makeover Greendale Construction Ltd is working on a £5.5m restoration of Grade II-listed Durlston Castle, the centrepiece of Durlston Country Park and National Nature Reserve near Swanage.

EXECUTIVE GARDEN ROOMS LIMITED

Our modern and contemporary hand built garden rooms are contructed on site, tailor made to suit your individual requirements.

The versatile space can be used as an office, studio, gym, playroom, workshop or just a room to relax and enjoy your garden.

For more information call Alison Dalton on 01258 489833 or visit our website at: www.executivegardenrooms.co.uk

Designed & built for you

Georgina Allen

�� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 ��Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

transport & travel talk

We’re All Going on a Working HolidayOne in eight small business owners have had to cancel a holiday in the past year as they’ve battled to stay on top of work commitments and the struggling economy has turned up the pressure, according to new research from Santander Business Banking*.

The national study of small business bosses shows that holidays are seldom a time to get away from it all, with over three quarters (76%) saying they have had holidays disrupted by work issues.

One in eight (13%) say they’ve had to cancel holidays, while 10% haven’t been able to get away at all in the past year because of work commitments. An additional 13% have returned home early while one in five have come away from a holiday to attend a meeting.

However, holiday disruptions often pay off with almost seven in ten (69%) of small business owners say they return to work happy that they have kept up with work while on holiday and more than six in ten (63%) say they have improved client relationships by being available on holiday. In fact, a workaholic 29% say they even managed to pick up a business opportunity while on holiday and 28% concluded a deal from their sun lounger.

*Research conducted by Continental Research among 301 small businesses with an annual turnover of less than £1m between 1st March and 5th March 2010 on behalf of Santander Business Banking.

Revamped Website is Just the TicketBusinesses are set to make bigger savings on train travel in 2010 thanks to an enhanced website from thetrainline.com.

Dedicated to companies, thetrainline.com started the roll out of its revamped business site in December 2009 and customers using it are already paying on average 7.3% less per transaction*.

The roll-out will be completed by early summer 2010.

*Compared to average transaction on previous site

Intrepid Travellers Awarded for ‘Adventurous’ Success

Westbury-based adventure tour operator, Intrepid Travel has become Wiltshire’s 27th Beacon South West accredited company, having been recognised for best practice in company culture, product innovation and for successful business growth.

Aimed at travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid Travel opens up a whole new world for adventurers exploring

amazing places, discovering real people, real cultures and helping customers have real life experiences from a choice of 1,000 trips to more than 100 destinations.

Beacon status is awarded to those companies in the region displaying innovation, entrepreneurship, with a culture of best practice.

Nick Ladd of Intrepid Travel receiving the Beacon award from Sue Baker, Project Director

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The number of cars on UK roads has fallen for the first time in 64 years, bucking the upward trend which has traced a year-on-year rise in the vehicle parc since the Second World War. According to SMMT’s analysis this is the first peacetime decline since vehicle records began in 1904.

Growth in the UK parc has slowed during recent years and now sits at 31,035,791 cars, representing a 0.7% fall compared to 2008.

‘The recession is the most obvious factor impacting on the number of cars on the road,’ comments SMMT Chief Executive Paul Everitt. ‘The Scrappage Incentive Scheme has also removed a large number of older and more polluting vehicles. Alongside these economic factors, tough enforcement has helped

remove unlicenced vehicles from UK roads.‘Significant advances in technology, higher fuel costs and innovative

design are affecting the types of models within the parc, raising the appeal of more fuel-efficient vehicles and making them more accessible to buyers.

Analysis of vehicles currently in use reveals an increase in the proportion of low CO2 emitters and an average 1.7% reduction in CO2 emissions across the 2009 parc, compared with 2008. In the last three years, the number of vehicles which emit less than 120g/km of CO2 has risen dramatically, by over 90%, and now accounts for 936,117 vehicles on the road.

In terms of choice, silver cars continue to be most popular amongst

Stranded Travellers use GoToMeetingAs a result of the current worldwide travel disruption, Citrix Online has seen a dramatic increase in demand for its online web conferencing solutions which enable individuals to easily take part in virtual meetings regardless of where they are located. Usage of GoToMeeting has doubled in Europe compared to the previous week since the disruption began.

For further information and to register for a free 30 day trial, please visit www.gotomeeting.co.uk

consumers, topping the colour charts for the second consecutive year after knocking blue off the top spot.

Blue and black cars now follow closely behind in the rankings, with red falling out of favour in fourth position.

The Motorparc database is produced annually by SMMT and provides a detailed reporting service specifying make and model of every vehicle currently in use on UK roads.

Number of Cars on the Road Declines Great Start to Racing SeasonBlue Chip, the specialist IT provider and sponsor of the Worx Suzuki British Superbike (BSB) and Rizla Suzuki MotoGP teams, is delighted to congratulate both teams on momentous starts to the new motorcycle racing season.

Tommy Hill won the first race and took second position in the second race of the first BSB meeting of the season at Brands Hatch on Easter Monday, while veteran rider, Loris Capirossi celebrated his 300th race start in grand prix racing at

the first race of the MotoGP season at Losail, Qatar on 11th April, finishing in the top ten.

Richard Cook, Managing Director at Blue Chip commented, ‘This is a great start to the season. Tommy is on form and we congratulate Loris on his 300th race start, a tremendous feat in itself. We will be watching the next rounds with great interest.’

Loris Capirossi

transport & travel talk

Room With a ViewThe owner of a renowned local hotel and restaurant certainly has no reservations about becoming the first E-Class Cabriolet customer of Mercedes-Benz of Salisbury.

Mr Simon Box, proprietor of the acclaimed Lord Bute Hotel & Restaurant in Christchurch, took delivery of his spacious, four-seat Cabriolet the same day the Southampton Road retailer launched the stunning open-top model, which completes the acclaimed E-Class line-up of Saloon, Estate and Coupé body styles.

Mr Simon Box with Oliver Thurston, Sales Executive, Mercedes Benz of Salisbury

�� Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 ��Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

transport & travel talk

Not all coach operators are the same...Excelsior provides a modern comfortable and safe coach fl eet at very competitive prices and are demonstrably the

highest quality service providers in the region.

‘The highest quality service providers in the region’

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Excelsior can provide the following;

www.excelsior-coaches.com

Excelsior Coaches LimitedCentral Business Park, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 3SJ

tel 01202 652222 local call 0845 608 8488 fax 01202 652223email coaches@excelsior-coaches.com

- Confederation of Passenger Transport, Coach Marque Accredited

Bluestar’s Bus People of the YearOver 70 Bluestar bus drivers, engineering and administrative personnel were presented awards for 100% attendance or monthly ‘Goldstar’ awards for exceptional performance at work at the annual Starry Starry Night presentation held at St Mary’s Football Stadium, the home of Southampton Football Club.

Andy Holton from Totton, took the title of Star Engineer of the Year 2009, to acknowledge his success from Apprentice to Team Leader at the company’s Eastleigh depot.

This year’s prestigious Star Driver of the Year title went to Dennis Taylor from Thornhill. This recognised his hard work on the company’s New Forest Tour open-top summer service and his ongoing popularity amongst his passengers, as well as continuing to provide a high standard of customer care, safety and punctuality in his work.

The event was hosted by Alex Hornby, Operations Manager at Bluestar and Alex Carter, Managing Director of the Go Ahead Group of bus and coach companies in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight, presented the awards.

L-r: Star Engineer Andy Holton and Star Driver Dennis Taylor.

Costs of Volcanic Eruption EscalateAfter difficult times for the travel market in 2009, which saw British travellers reduce travel spend by 8.4% (from £43.8bn in 2008 to £40.2bn), a new report from Kelkoo, conducted by the CEBR, finds that the UK is expected to spend £41.1bn on travel in 2010 – a welcome increase in total travel spend of 2.4%. However, following the recent volcano eruption, the UK travel industry’s marginal recovery could be in jeopardy. b UK travel expenditure in 2010 forecast to reach £41.1bn or £669

per person, a modest 2.4% or £1bn increase on 2009, when travel sales plummeted by -8.4% or £3.7bn since pre-recession 2008*

b Travel chaos caused by volcanic ash could cost the UK economy £500m**2, jeopardising the industry’s recovery

b In 2009, British holidaymakers spent £15.6bn on travel services over the internet which accounted for 27% of the entire European online travel market – the largest share of any EU member country

b Online travel bookings set to continue recession-busting performance, having soared by 18.5% from £13bn to £15.6bn between 2008 and 2009, and to an estimated £17.6bn by the end of 2010 – a 13% rise on last year and equivalent to 42.8% of all UK travel expenditure

b This year the UK will be the third highest travel spender in Europe (£41.1bn) accounting for a 12% share of total European travel spending, behind France (£82.3n) and Germany (£76.8bn)

b Spain was the most popular destination for British tourists in 2009, accounting for one fifth (20%) of all British holidays followed by Asia (11.4%), France (9.9%) and the USA (7.6%)

b 2009 may have been dubbed the year of the ‘staycation’ but British tourists still spent almost two thirds (65.8%) of their holidays overseas

*Source: ‘Kelkoo Holiday Index’ report**Source: The Daily Telegraph

New Motorhome CentreAbacus, the Dorset-based vehicle hire company, has expanded its successful motorhome hire operation by opening a new 10,000 sq ft centre dedicated to hire, sales, repairs, servicing and valeting. The new premises adjacent to the company’s van, car, truck and mini bus facility on the Ferndown Industrial

Estate will not only provide services for the 30 strong fleet of 2, 4 and 6 birth luxury motorhomes, but will now extend their services to private motorhome owners.

Managing Director Dave Wolfenden, who launched Abacus in 1985, said that the decision to expand follows the year on year growth enjoyed since launching the motorhome hire just four years ago.

The company has launched a new website www.abacusmotorhomes.co.uk that will detail the full range of services offered following the £100,000 investment.

Dave Wolfenden (centre) and the motorhome centre team

�0 Visit www.bizmag.co.uk May/June 2010 �1Visit www.bizmag.co.uk2010 May/June

EMC Celerra Unified Storage Platform: The best storage solution for virtualisation

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