FEBRUARY 2017EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS E-MAG2017 PREDICTIONSBusiness leaders speakFOOD & DRINKMichelin-trainedbakeryDRAGON BOATCHALLENGEJoin in the fun!www.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKTHE GIGECONOMY:EXPLOITATIONOR FLEXIBILITY?THE GIGECONOMY:EXPLOITATIONOR FLEXIBILITY?Sunday 6 August 2017River Trent, Victoria EmbankmentAct now!Form a crew and enter the challenge!Tel 01780 470718www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/nottinghamBoat sponsorship opportunities available! StaoB 6yaydanunSuopihsrosnops 2tsusguuAseitinutroppo 7102!elbaliavavs wwwwontAcviRS eftaobnogard.w8710leTeercramrmoFo!wciV,tnerTrev6yaydanunSu on/ku.oc.slavitse1707408tretnednawenabmEairotc2tsusguuA mahgnitto81egnellahchehthtnemkn7102 !e g g www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 3EDITOR’S NOTESHow’s 2017 been for you so far? I was hoping we might enter aperiod of calm in the New Year, but turbulence has remained the orderof the day. Theresa May says we’re leaving the single market, but will itactually happen? Answers on a postcard, please. And the less saidabout Donald Trump the better…In this month’s issue we run the rule over the gig economy; EricaManderfield from Streets Chartered Accountants talks inheritance tax;regular columnist Greg Simpson discusses the perils of “fake news”; wemeet Michelin-trained chef Craig Poynter of Nottingham’s TheBakehouse; and a host of East Midlands professionals offer theirpredictions for the year ahead. We are also delighted to announce our media partnership with theNottingham Riverside Festival Dragon Boat Challenge, organised byGable Events in aid of Rainbows Hospice for Children and YoungPeople, which returns to the city on Sunday 6th August. Sign up toenter your team today! Ian EvansEditorNew Year, sameold storyContentsFebruary 2017Latest News6The latest news from the regionDeals8The latest news from the dealmakers around the regionProperty News 10All the latest from the property sectorAppointments12Who’s moving whereManufacturing News14News and views from around the East MidlandsDragon Boat Challenge16The much-loved charity event returns to Nottingham! The Gig Economy18Exploitation or flexibility?Creative Industries20Q&A with Mark Robinson of Enderby-based Creative62Tax22The latest advice from Erica Manderfield of StreetsChartered Accountants2017 Predictions24A host of East Midlands professionals gaze into the crystalball...Public Relations30Press for Attention PR founder Greg Simpson has his sayFunerals32Q&A with Joanne Hutsby of Gillotts Funeral DirectorsInventories & Technology34Inventory Genius founder Rachel Hudson on her recentlylaunched businessFood & Drink36Meet Michelin-trained chef Craig Poynter of TheBakehouse2017 Predictions – Part 238More predictions from the East Midlands businesscommunityProperty44EMBL meets James Roys from David James Estate AgentsOut of Office Special46Kaiser Chiefs, skate plazas and virtual realityAutolink48The UK new car market is off to a flying start in 2017 afteranother record year for sales 30EditorIan Evansi.evans@blmgroup.co.ukAccounts & SubscriptionsAngela Sharmanaccounts@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310301 Fax: (01472) 310311Design & ProductionGary Jorgensen, Mark Cassonstudio@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310304Fax: (01472) 310314E-Mail:eastmidlands@blmgroup.co.ukPublisherHaychart Ltd, t/a Business Link Magazine Group,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N.E. Lincs., DN31 2QE.All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied,recorded or otherwise without expresspermission of the copyright holder, for whichapplication should be addressed first to thepublisher. While every reasonable care is taken,neither the publisher nor its participating agentsaccept liability for loss or damage to prints,colour transparencies, negatives or othermaterial of whatever nature submitted to thispublication. The views expressed in thispublication are not necessarily the views of thoseheld by the publisher.@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlands16East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk6Positive Outcomes’ CEOsteps downThe CEO of one of the UK’s leading providers ofapprenticeships and work-based training is steppingdown after 8 years in post, having seen theorganisation grow from a regional enterprise of 30employees with a turnover of £1 million to a nationalcompany of over 200 employees with a turnover inexcess of £10.5 million.Chris Longmate is stepping down as CEO of PositiveOutcomes following 8 years of continuous companygrowth and development.During his time at the helm Longmate has overseenthe complete restructuring of the business.When he first stepped into the role in 2009 PositiveOutcomes was a regional, East Midlands-based outfit.Under his guidance, the company has rapidlyexpanded, with head offices in Derbyshire nowsupplemented by offices in Nottingham andManchester along with dozens of field-based operativesworking across the country to deliver PositiveOutcomes’ apprenticeship vision.He said: “It’s been a fantastic eight years and PositiveOutcomes has evolved beyond all recognition in thattime. I’m extremely proud of the organisation it’sbecome today. The business growth is testament to thehard work of the staff throughout the years I’ve beenhere and I feel privileged to have watched so many ofthem develop into an experienced and professionalteam who are a credit to the Positive Outcomes’brand”.Redrow acquires Radleigh HomesRedrow PLC, one of the UK’s leading residential developers of high quality family homes and a FTSE 250 listedcompany, has agreed to acquire East Midlands-based Radleigh Homes from Ark Capital Group, of which PeterGadsby is the chairman and principal shareholder.The deal will allow Redrow to expand its operations in the East Midlands and establish a new division in theregion.Radleigh Homes has been in operation for over two decades and completed around 200 new homes in 2016. Thebusiness has a pipeline of over 1,300 plots with planning and a further 1,200 plots controlled under options in itsstrategic land bank.It will be re-branded to Redrow and over time homebuyers will have access to the national housebuilder’s widerange of distinctive products, including the award-winning Heritage Collection.Radleigh Homes’ 70 employees will become part of a new Redrow Homes East Midlands division based out of theexisting offices on Pride Park, Derby.£1.7m training facility on themenu at disused former millA historic and once-popular Mansfield town centre venue that hasstood empty for years is set to reopen its doors as a pub food trainingacademy.The Old Town Mill in Bridge Street was known for miles around as alive venue, with regular entertainment being enjoyed by hundreds ofpeople from far and wide. Following consultations in 2016, plans areafoot to establish a Pub Food training academy at the site, which willprovide freshly-cooked meals for a public restaurant.The £1.7 million project will see the upper floors become a 16-roombed and breakfast facility run by students.It is hoped that the facility will employ 20 staff and train 50 studentseach year.The whole business will be run by a not-for-profit company called PubSchool Inns CIC to ensure that money is made available for the futurecare of the building.Mansfield Business Improvement District (BID) obtained a HeritageLottery Fund grant to employ the services of professionals to determinewhat restoration work was needed and the cost of such work, alongwith the costs of making the building viable for a new business. As aresult of this initial work, the Heritage Lottery Fund has now invited theowners to apply for a further grant.Heritage consultant Denis Hill, working with the BID, said: “The OldTown Mill could be a viable asset to the town and help boost theeconomy of the area.LATEST NEWS7www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link EnergySave expands intoStaffordshireA Derbyshire company which “never stopsrecruiting” has opened an office in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, creating up to 60 jobs in the process.A recruitment drive is now underway to fill thepositions at the EnergySave office in Fellgate Court,which include jobs in sales, promotions, telesales,marketing and window fitters.Craig Morris, a director at the firm, said: “We neverever stop recruiting. Two years ago fifteen peopleworked for EnergySave, now we have close to 300staff. We are constantly growing.“EnergySave is doing what EnergySave does best.We are the fastest growing home improvementcompany on the planet”.The company decided to open an office in theStoke area as its customer base there grew. It alsohas offices in Derby, Ilkeston, Leeds, Leicester andSheffield.Morris added: “Every week we are seeing aturnover of a quarter of a million pounds across thebusiness”.Millionaire owner and managing director JasonRowan began the business three years ago afterstarting out selling ironing board covers on a marketstall.Nottingham’s Cornerhousesnapped up for £65mOrchard StreetInvestmentManagement hasacquired TheCornerhouse inNottingham fromLand SecuritiesGroup on behalfof St James’sPlace UK for £65million.The 201,000 sqft leisure and entertainment complex is home to a 14-screen Cineworld aswell as 11 restaurants, two bars, a nightclub and a casino.Barney Rowe, partner at Orchard Street, said: “The Cornerhouse is astrong leisure asset with an impressive line-up of tenants, located in a citycentre that is underpinned by strong demographic trends includingurbanisation and a flourishing university population. We are very pleasedto increase our exposure to this ever more popular subsector where weare confident we can extract value over the long-term”.Polly Troughton, head of portfolio, leisure at land securities, said: “Thesale of the Cornerhouse capitalises on the increased rental value we havecreated following our asset management strategy”.Orchard Street was advised by Savills and Land Securities by JLL. KPMG research reveals upswing in insolvency numbers afterBrexit voteNew analysis from KPMG reveals that 2016 saw the reversal of a six year downward trend in levels of insolvency for Britishbusinesses, following an uptick in companies entering into administration in the second half of the year.The numbers, taken from notices in the London Gazette, show that 1,174 companies, or groups of companies, entered intoadministration across the UK during 2016, compared with the 15-year low of 1,111 in the previous year. The picture in the Midlandsshows a similar trend, with insolvencies in the region increasing in the year from 163 to 169.Chris Pole, restructuring partner at KPMG in the Midlands, believes ongoing uncertainty in the geo-political and economicenvironment, coupled with the depreciation of sterling, is now starting to be felt more keenly by the region’s businesses.He said: “Although the numbers have risen, the failure rate of region’s businesses following the Brexit vote was lower than initialpredictions. However, while businesses may have adapted well to Brexit, it’s likely that they will face ongoing financial pressures as aresult of the uncertainty in the market”.Qdos Contractor announces partnership with HiredByMeThurmaston-based business insurance firm Qdos Contractor has announced a partnership withthe contractor onboarding specialists HiredByMe in an initiative which could see thousands ofindependent workers begin their work placements quicker.Built specifically for UK contractors, HiredByMe’s Document Hub helps them share legallyrequired documents in seconds with employers and agencies to ensure the recruitment process isshortened.Contractors purchasing insurance from Qdos Contractor will have their documents automaticallyuploaded into a Document Hub account.Seb Maley, CEO of Qdos Contractor, said: “The average hiring time for a role in the UK is 4 weeks– which is too long.“To truly reap the benefits of hiring contractors and to plug skills gaps, employers need to be ableto get contractors through the door and working.“With so much uncertainty around the status of contractors in the work place, it’s more importantthan ever to make sure all documents required are at hand and verified.“We are delighted to join forces with HiredByMe”.Simon Bichara, founder of HiredByMe, added: “For contractors, employers and agencies,onboarding can be painful, the contractor may have been hired but the process of providing the correct documentation can be onerous and effectivelyprevent the contractor getting on with the role he or she has been recruited to do. HiredByMe’s Document hub cuts through the red tape enabling aspeedy and satisfactory outcome for both the contractor and hirer”.East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk8Fifteen acquires Attitude DesignAward-winning digital agency Fifteen has acquired branding and graphic designfirm Attitude Design for an undisclosed sum.The acquisition was completed following a three month negotiationprocess. Fifteen now owns Attitude Design’s brand, domain name and thecompany assets.Fifteen – which was formed 13 years ago by Ollie Piddubriwnyj – has alsotaken on staff from Attitude Design, who will move from its Nottingham office toFifteen’s office space at Armstrongs Mill on Middleton Street in Ilkeston.The office has been extended to cater for the extra employees, who will add toFifteen’s existing 23-strong workforce.Matt Davies, who was managing director at Attitude Design, has taken on a keyposition in the senior leadership team at Fifteen and will work withOllie Piddubriwnyj and Kate Crowther, Fifteen’s client services director, toenhance the company’s offering to both Fifteen and Attitude Design’s clients.Piddubriwnyj said: “As part of solidifying the Fifteen brand and as part of our growth strategy, we decided to acquire key businesses that can addto our skill set.“We are looking for other businesses with synergy that we can work with and which can align themselves with us to offer our clients an even betterservice”.The acquisition also means that Fifteen will now be working with well-known brands such as Experian and Specsavers, adding strength to analready record year for the company which has seen its turnover way in excess of a £1 million.Cleaning firm expands with key acquisitionDerby-based Clean Slate, one of the Midlands’ largest independent commercial cleaning companies, has expandedwith the acquisition of Trojan Commercial Cleaning East Anglia.Clean Slate has been operating in the region for 60 years and has more than 230 staff working at a range ofcustomer sites across the region, from GP surgeries and schools to offices and factories.The company has now acquired Trojan Commercial Cleaning, based in Soham, Cambridgeshire, with the help offunding from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. Trojan is a family-owned company which has been established since1985, employing 90 people with contracts across East Anglia.Clean Slate managing director Mike Armitage said: “Having grown organically in recent years, we have been lookingat further expansion through acquisition for some time. We were however keen to find a company with a similarpedigree and ethos in an area that would widen our geographical customer base. “Both Clean Slate and Trojan are family-owned and share a particular expertise in the healthcare and educationsectors. By coming together, we will now be able to offer a seamless service across the Midlands and East Anglia.“Trojan’s director Anita Mills will be staying on in a consultancy role and we look forward to working together tosupport existing and new customers with their commercial cleaning requirements”.Andrew Bishop, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Clean Slate is an ambitious firmwith a strong management team at the helm. Trojan Commercial Cleaning strongly complimented the business and theacquisition was a natural step in achieving its growth plans.“At Lloyds Bank we’re dedicated to supporting businesses like Clean Slate that are looking to expand, which is whywe have pledged to increase our lending to SMEs on a net basis by more than £1 billion this year, to help morebusinesses fulfil their potential”.DEALSMotor leasing specialistto expand aftercompleting £5m dealAn East Midlands motor leasing specialist is investing ina major expansion after completing a £5 million deal.xL Cars, based in Kirton in Boston, has completed afinancing deal with HWSIL Finance Co, a wholly-ownedsubsidiary of Hadrian’s Wall Secured Investments Limited(HWSIL) – a main market London Stock Exchange listedinvestment company.xL Cars specialises in the supply of short-term contracthire cars to businesses and corporate clients across theUK, usually for terms of between six and 12 months.The company is to expand its fleet of executive cars andvans significantly having completed a deal which will see itfinanced by HWSIL over the next five years.HWSIL has entered the lending market as an alternativeto the mainstream banks. The lender, which was advisedon the deal by law firm Wright Hassall, has raised an initial£80 million through a share offering to investors and has aparticular focus on financing UK SMEs which are under-served by traditional lenders.Martin Walker, director of xL Cars, said: “We’ve grownour fleet to be around 600 cars and vans and the deal withHadrian’s Wall enables us to draw down funds when weneed them to update and expand the fleet.“In the past we’ve used conventional asset finance,which has been very inflexible and very hard to get.“We were extremely impressed by Hadrian’s Wall’sapproach and can-do attitude. The investment gives usabsolute flexibility to grow the business to where we wantit to be”.Ron Miao, chief operating officer of Hadrian’s WallCapital – the investment adviser to HWSIL – added:“We’ve identified a gap in the market to lend to SMEslooking to take their businesses to the next level, throughstructured and flexible investments between £1 millionand £10 million.“xL Cars has a very viable plan to expand the businessand we’re excited to be working with them.“This is the first investment deal we’ve completed, andthe first deal we’ve worked on with Wright Hassall. Theyare a good fit for our legal needs and we look forward toworking with them again in the future”.9www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link MSV takes overat DoningtonParkUK motor racing circuit ownerMotorSport Vision (MSV) has reached anagreement to take over the circuit businessat Donington Park for an undisclosed sum. Kevin Wheatcroft, owner and operatorof Donington Park has agreed a deal whichwill also see MSV lease the DoningtonPark Estate for a 21 year term.MSV, which is owned by former F1driver Jonathan Palmer and Sir PeterOgden, already owns and operates fourUK race circuits – Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton and Cadwell Park.MSV chief executive Jonathan Palmer said: “I am thrilled that MSV has nowacquired the Donington circuit business.“Donington has incredible history, being the first permanent road circuit in thecountry and the only circuit upon which the mighty pre-war Auto Unions and MercedesGrand Prix cars raced in the 1930s. Its modern day existence is purely down to thevision and energy of Tom Wheatcroft, whom I admired enormously. I can stillremember the excitement of racing at the new Donington in my Marcos, the year itopened in 1977. However my Donington highlight was taking pole position andwinning the FIA Formula 2 Championship round in 1983, and being presented with mytrophy by Tom Wheatcroft on the podium. I was later privileged to be commentatingfor BBC TV when Ayrton Senna took his stunning F1 win at Donington in 1993.“Like many circuits in the UK, Donington has had a turbulent time over the last tenyears, though thankfully Kevin Wheatcroft and his team have now recovered thedamage done by the previous owner of the business. Donington is a good Britishcircuit that deserves further investment, energy and expertise in order to make it trulyoutstanding, and MSV will provide this. We plan a great new era for Donington, withsome exciting new events and much enhanced quality of experience for all of itscustomers, whether spectators, competitors and track day participants, together witheven better value”.Wheatcroft said: “I am particularly pleased to have finally done a deal with MSV’sJonathan Palmer in what is our 40th year since my father reopened the circuit in 1977.Since taking the circuit back under my own control in 2009, huge efforts have beenmade to bring Donington back to the forefront of British Motorsport, not to mention themany millions it’s taken to do so. It seems very fitting in this celebratory year to handover Donington’s reigns to Jonathan Palmer and his expert team, a man whosebusiness model my late father and I have admired for many years. I now look forwardto watching Donington continue to grow and prosper with fresh investment”.PHOTO: HxDBzxYNext >