JULY 2018EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINELEGALIn the eye of the lawCORPORATEHOSPITALITYThe price of experienceIT &TELECOMSKeeping up to datewww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKNEWOPPORTUNITIESNEWOPPORTUNITIESSunday 5 August 2018River Trent, Victoria EmbankmentAct now!Form a crew and enter the challenge!Tel 01780 470718www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/nottingham10thAnniversary Year!www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 3EDITORS NOTESIt’s been a warm month in the East Midlands, andemployees are doubtless grateful for what airconditioning is available as temperatures soar. The heatisn’t the only thing rising, however, as reports show thatbusiness confidence in the midlands has reached itshighest level for the past few years, reflecting a surge inthe sector. The construction industry is getting back onits feet as well, much to the joy of those workingalongside it.Our July issue dives right into the thick of the region’s business. We have adedicated petrochemicals feature, highlighting the success that the industryhas found, even in trying times and with public opinion leaning toward moresustainable options. We also take a look at the health and safety industry inour spotlight this month, investigating how companies are minimising injuriesand preventing contamination.In our Design and Marketing feature we look into branding and the sciencebehind it, while our engineering feature investigates changes in one of theregion’s most prolific industries. With up-to-date news, events, insight andmore, this issue is not one to be missed.Good Reading, as always Michael FisherEditorWelcome...ContentsJuly 2018LATEST NEWS 6A round-up of the latest news from our regionAPPOINTMENTS 8East Midlands on the move.FINANCE NEWS 10The latest news from the world of finance around the regionMANUFACTURING NEWS12News and views from around the regionPROPERTY NEWS 14All the latest from the property sector.DESIGN & MARKETING 16Showing the best face of a company can increase its valueexponentially, but many neglect this aspect, hoping to rely onnothing more than word of mouth. PUBLIC RELATIONS20Why the magic bullet theory isn’t just JFK’s problemby GregSimpson, founder of Press for Attention PR and Enterprise NationChampion for Nottingham.COMMERCIAL PROPERTY22This month, East Midlands Business Link is looking at the latestlogistics and distribution developments taking place across ourregion. DRAGON BOAT RACE 26Still time to get a team together for the Nottingham RiversideFestival Dragon Boat Challenge on Sunday 5th AugustCORPORATE HOSPITALITY28If, as the old adage goes, the customer is always right then itserves to follow that businesses must orientate themselvestowards the rising appetite for experiences over commodities,something the hospitality sector is getting wise to. NETWORKING32Marketing your business - Laying the foundation by FionaDuncan-Steer, founder of RSViP Business Networking Agency,suggests 10 ways of marketing your business - at least three ofwhich should be chosen to encourage business growth.LEGAL 34The law has long existed to protect the individual, and thatcauses problems in business. It need not be a litigious nightmare,however, and there are people who can help ensure neither sideis cheated.TAX38There is cash in your business - if you know where to find it byRobert Anderson Partner, Streets Chartered Accountants26IT & TELECOMS 40Business is more digital than it has ever been before, but theplaying field is ever-changing and it can be hard to keep up.Those that don’t might struggle to compete, however. HEALTH & SAFETY44Companies lacking a robust, clearly defined health and safetystrategy risk losing out on new contracts whilst putting staff atrisk. OUT OF OFFICE48All the leisure sector news from the last monthENGINEERING 50The engineering industry is evolving as companies turnincreasingly towards automation and smart technologies toboost efficiency and meet demand. But the threat of the skillsshortage in a post-Brexit Britain has got many engineeringcompanies worried. PETROCHEMICALS 54With rising concerns over the negative impact the petrochemicalindustry has on the environment as a sector with high emissions,change is now needed, especially to remain competitive.AUTOLINK58If you’re looking for a new car, then this guide will make forinteresting reading. There is simply no doubt that the sport utilityvehicle (SUV) will continue to reign supreme this year and next,but it is not the only type of car on the hot list by any means.What is exciting is that manufacturers seem to be bringing outnew models left, right and centre, and this makes for a busymarket, with lots of choice for the consumer. EVENTS62A timely look at forthcoming business events around the EastMidlandsAND FINALLY...6434Group EditorSteve Fishers.fisher@blmgroup.co.ukEditorMichael Fisherm.fisher@blmgroup.co.ukJournalistsDominic Cuthbertd.cuthbert@blmgroup.co.ukStuart Pearcey s.pearcey@blmgroup.co.ukTess Eggintont.egginton@blmgroup.co.ukSales DirectorAngela Coopera.cooper@blmgroup.co.ukTel: (01472) 310310Accounts & 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,Huntingdon House, 278-290 Huntingdon Street, Nottingham NG1 3LYAll 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 participatingagents accept liability for loss or damage toprints, colour transparencies, negatives or othermaterial of whatever nature submitted to thispublication. The views expressed in thispublication are not necessarily the views ofthose held by the publisher.@BLMEastMidlandsBLMEastMidlandsJULY 2018EAST MIDLANDS LEADING BUSINESS MAGAZINELEGALIn the eye of the lawCORPORATEHOSPITALITYThe price of experienceIT &TELECOMSKeeping up to datewww.blmgroup.co.ukWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKWWW.EASTMIDLANDSBUSINESSLINK.CO.UKNEWOPPORTUNITIESNEWOPPORTUNITIESCOVER PHOTOS: VANESSA BARTON PHOTOGRAPHYSHUTTERSTOCK.COM • BANNAFARSAI_STOCK • MILA SUPINSKAYA GLASHCHENKO • EVERYTHING POSSIBLE • STUDIO DAGDAGAZ 6East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukGENERAL NEWSUK export growth slows, whileEuropean exporters flourishUK export growth is slowing while European exporters are starting to flourish again, according to the latest EuropeanExport Index by accountants and business advisers BDO LLP.The latest findings from the quarterly index show that UK exports have fallen to their lowest level since Q1 of 2016, whenuncertainty loomed ahead of the nation’s vote to leave the EU. The UK’s Export Growth Index, which charts annual growthin total exports, fell to 96.0 from 98.2 in the first quarter of 2018, creeping closer to the point of contraction (below 95.0),and plummeting 12.1 index points from this time last year.The UK’s Export Inflation Index – which indicates the rate of year-on-year growth in export prices – has risen to 102.1from 97.6 this quarter, suggesting that the price of UK exports is continuing to increase at pace. Uncertainty about Brexitcontinues to dampen the hopes of UK exporters, while rising prices are causing foreign customers to look elsewhere.By comparison, European export growth is accelerating. BDO’s Export Growth Index for the EU has risen to 99.8 in the secondquarter of this year, up from 98.7 in Q1. The strong performance of the EU in the face of a developing global trade wardemonstrates that its exporters are proving more resilient to the threat than originally feared.Bombardier completesfirst new LondonOverground train The first new state-of-the-art London Overground train built by Derby’sBombardier has been unveiled.The trains are being built at Bombardier Transport’s UK site in Derbywhere 120 local engineering staff have worked on the design and testingof the trains. A further 170 staff have been working on manufacturing thetrains, with 50 per cent of these recruited specifically to fulfil this contract.Twenty apprentices have worked on the production of the trains.Around 50 per cent of the supply chain was with UK suppliers and worth£56m, indirectly supporting further jobs across the country.The new trains will carry almost 700 people per train and feature a highcapacity walk- through layout, Wi-Fi and USB charging points and a brandnew seat moquette.Hosting a range of new features, the first of the new trains will be inpassenger service by November. The new features of the ‘Class 710’ trainsinclude the latest intelligent lighting and temperature control for morecomfortable journeys, as well as Wi-Fi, USB charging points and digitalinformation screens giving customers higher quality real time travelinformation while on board.In total, a fleet of 54 new air-conditioned trains will transform journeysfor thousands.Jonathan Fox, TfL’s Director of Rail and Sponsored Services, said: “Ournew state-of-the-art British built London Overground trains will be anexciting addition to London’s transport network and help boost capacityon some of the most busy and popular lines.“We are very keen to see them introduced into service as soon aspossible so our patient customers can benefit from the fully air-conditioned, walk-through trains with handy USB charging points andreal-time passenger information screens.South Northamptonshirenamed number one foreconomic vibrancyOne of the world’s largest independent business accountancy firms hasidentified South Northamptonshire as the most economically vibrant district in thecounty.For the past six years, Grant Thornton has issued the Northamptonshire Limitedreport which focusses on the growth of Northamptonshire’s top 100 privatelyowned businesses.In a national league table of local authority areas, South Northamptonshirefeatures in the top 40 percent of places in the country. The ranking is a measure ofgrowth, innovation, social equality, health and happiness.Cllr Stephen Clarke, South Northamptonshire Council’s (SNC) Portfolio Holderfor Growth and Regeneration, said: “South Northamptonshire is the ideal locationfor businesses to invest in as well as being perfectly placed for businesses tosucceed.“This report shows that during a time of uncertainty the district continues to bea good place to live, work, invest and grow.”The Northamptonshire Limited report analyses the financial performance of thecounty’s leading privately owned companies to provide a yardstick against whichto measure health of the local economy.The findings of the 2018 report showed that the combined turnover of the 100companies rose by 5.6 percent to £6 billion, and employment levels rose by 9.7percent.In addition to seven of the top 100 county firms with bases registered in SouthNorthamptonshire, the district has 66 business parks and is home to over 5,000companies, including: AMG Petronas Motorsport, Faccenda, John Lewis andYusen Logistics.© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / BRIAN A JACKSON www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 7GENERAL NEWSFive-year low for newcontracts inconstruction sectorThe value of new construction contracts in May reached £4.5 billion,a decrease of almost 10% compared to April and the lowest amountfor over five years.The two largest sectors in construction – residential andinfrastructure – both saw a decline as the industry continues its slumpthis year so far.The latest edition of the Economic & Construction Market Reviewfrom industry analysts Barbour ABI highlights levels of constructioncontract values awarded across Great Britain.The largest project by value across the month was the £130 millionWembley Stadium Station housing development.The residential sector saw a dip in activity of 5.7% compared to theprevious month but still managed to claim the top spot as May’slargest project by value.Across the rest of construction, industrial and education were theonly sectors in May that produced positive growth in contract values,increasing by 2.2 and 4.6 per cent respectively compared to theprevious month.Midlands SMEs spend 12working days removingunplanned wasteOver a third of SMEs in the Midlands are wasting up to 12 days a year removingemergency, unexpected waste items from their premises, according to Biffa.Whether it’s broken furniture, unwanted items, or redundant fixtures, there aretimes when all SMEs are tasked with removing bulky, infrequent waste items.With each unscheduled incident taking up to eight working hours on average tohandle for 38% of Midlands-based businesses, companies are missing out on vitalworking time and inhibiting economic growth and productivity.The results mean that, for a business dealing with emergency waste on an averagemonthly basis, over a third are likely to lose up to 96 working hours a year – theequivalent of 12 working days – dealing with this problem.As businesses might not have enough waste or space to warrant hiring a skip,there can often be a build-up of items on premises, reducing productivity andincreasing the risk of accidents in the workplace.To tackle this issue, Biffa has launched the new 321 Gone service under theOneCall family offering following customer feedback asking the firm to deal withsmaller quantities of unplanned waste quickly and responsibly.© SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / ALEX KOSEV © SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BY SUWIN Derby’s Consumer Sector ‘One Of The Best-Performing In The UK’Derby outstripped its East Midlands rivals to be named one of the fastest growing consumer sectors in the UK at the end of last year, according to a new report byIrwin Mitchell which also hinted at a strong future for the city’s retail and leisure industries.Produced by national law firm Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), the Consumer Powerhouse special report provides anestimate of GVA growth and job creation within key cities across the UK with a specific focus on the retail, leisure, tourism and food and drink sectors.Published this month, the report revealed that Derby’s consumer sector was the fourth best-performing in the UK in Q4 2017, after it recorded GVA growth of 2.9%across the period.The city’s consumer sector employment growth of 2.6% was also the fifth highest recorded in the quarter.With the report also predicting strong GVA and employment growth rates across this year, the future is undoubtedly looking bright for Derby. However, there wasmixed news in terms of the other major cities in the East Midlands.While Leicester’s consumer sector GVA growth in Q4 2017 was in line with the national average at 1.5%, employment growth was clocked at just 0.7%. In contrast,while Nottingham’s consumer sector saw its workforce increase by 2.1% in Q4 2017, the city recorded the third worst GVA growth level across the period with a rate of-0.1%.Maber reorganisesmanagement teamto drive MidlandsgrowthArchitecture practice Maber has reorganised its topmanagement to drive growth in London and the Midlands.Managing Director Mark Hobson has becomeCEO andwill focus on the practice’s growing London office andportfolio of projects in the capital.Ian Harris, previously head of Maber’s Leicester officetakes over as Managing Director with a brief to develop thepractice’s Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Birminghamoffices.Tim Boxford, an Associate Director who has developedseveral high-profile projects in the East Midlands, hasstepped up to lead the Leicester office. Catherine Lamberthas been promoted to become an Associate.Mark Hobson commented: “We are delighted toannounce these developments in our management teamthat will position us for further growth. With some excitingprojects coming forward in the capital, I am looking forwardto focusing on growing our London office and client base.”Through longstanding client relationships, Maber hasgenerated a healthy crop of projects in London with aconstruction value around £400 million and including largescale mixed use developments, build to rent schemes, hotelsand student accommodation as well as work in the educationsector. Harris Lamb completesanother raft ofpromotionsProperty consultancy Harris Lamb has announced four key promotions acrossits Retail, Management and Lease Advisory departments.Associate David Walton has been promoted to a Director having spent fouryears with the business establishing and developing its successful Retaildepartment, securing clients including Wrapchic and Poundstretcher andidentifying and negotiating sites across the UK to aid their growth plans.Shirley Greenlees, who joined Harris Lamb’s property management team in2015 and her colleague Julie Sanders, who has been with the business for fiveyears, have been promoted to Director and Associate respectively.They will continue to represent key clients including Stenprop, Amber RealEstate and Pebworth Property Management, with Shirley heading up the 12-strong team.Finally, Abi Taylor, of the Lease Advisory team, has been promoted to SeniorSurveyor after two years with the company, which have seen her develop herspecialist knowledge of commercial lease negotiations for clients includingDignity Funerals and Eurocell Building Plastics, whilst also taking a key role in thefirm’s growing business networking and marketing initiatives.Neil Harris said: “These are four well-deserved promotions. David, Shirley, Julieand Abi have demonstrated a great deal of dedication and commitment thebusiness during their time with Harris Lamb, strengthening our offering, andthey’re all highly valued.“We hope that these new roles will enable them all to further develop theirpositions within the company and help us drive forward with our plans to furthergrow the business and its service offering.”L-R: Shirley Greenlees, Abi Taylor, Julie Sanders, David Walton.8East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukSmith Cooper Group Chairman toretire after more than threedecades with the firm Accountancy firm Smith Cooper has announced that, aftermore than three decades with the firm, Group Chairman,Andy Delve, is to step down from his role at the end of June.Andy has dedicated 33 years to the firm, including almost20 years as Managing Partner, and has undoubtedly mouldedSmith Cooper into the organisation that it is today.Andy commented: “I have enjoyed the past 33 yearsworking to create a business that is synonymous with trustand integrity, and reputable in the local and national marketplace. I am leaving the Smith Cooper in the very capablehands of the Partner group, led by James Bagley as theManaging Partner.“I am confident James’ leadership, the Partners and all ofthe staff will continue to bring Smith Cooper much success inthe future.”James added: “On behalf of the entire firm, I would like toextend my sincere gratitude to Andy for his years of service and dedication to Smith Cooper, his outstandingleadership during his 20 years as Managing Partner, and the continued support and guidance he has providedas Group Chairman.Derby architectural consultancydrives ambitious growth plansforwardEKV Design, the Derby-basedarchitecturally led multi-disciplinaryconsultancy, is driving its ambitiousexpansion plans forward through twosignificant appointments and a numberof strategic promotions.Chris Holt has been appointed asthe consultancy’s first businessdevelopment manager and will bedriving its bold 2020 growth target tobecome a £1million turnover businessby expanding into the West Midlandsand supporting clients in SouthYorkshire through its recently openedSheffield office.Jon Naden, managing director ofEKV Design, said: “Chris has over 30years’ experience in managementwhich includes expertise innetworking and financial control. Hisknowledge will be invaluable inpushing our Sheffield office forwardand supporting our ambitious plans for significant growth by 2020, as well as providing the highest level ofservice possible to clients.”Jay Hawkins, a senior architectural technologist, has also been brought on board to expand theexpertise available to clients in addition to supporting the consultancy through its expected growth.Similarly, the company’s technical ability and knowledge continues to strengthen through the promotionof Andy Poole to senior architectural technologist and interior designer, Joe Gregson to senior buildingand party wall surveyor, and Jade Henshaw to senior architectural technologist.Jon added: “After winning the RICS East Midlands 2018 award for best regeneration project for MeltonMowbray Cattle Market, it was a good time to further invest in our team. This is essential to meet our boldtargets and to further develop our reputation as a practice with strengths in architecture in addition tomultiple disciplines such as building surveying.”New managerfor LLEPGrowth HubThe Growth Hub – LLEP Business Gateway hasappointed a new manager to lead the servicethat offers all businesses across Leicester andLeicestershire a single place to accessinformation and advice to support performanceand growth.Helen Miller joins the team fromNorthamptonshire, where she worked with theNorthamptonshire LEP and Growth Hub, andbrings over 20 years of experience from workingin economic development.Helen has a wealth of knowledge havingworked in a variety of settings including localauthorities, economic developmentconsultancy, further education colleges andLEPs; where she led on business support, skillsand the European strategy.Helen said: “I am delighted to join theGrowth Hub for Leicester and Leicestershire.Recently I worked in partnership with theNorthamptonshire Growth Hub to deliver amulti-million pound funded project whichprovided support to businesses at the earlystage of development and those businesseswith clear growth potential.“Leicester and Leicestershire is alreadyrecognised as a great place for businessesto thrive and grow and I am really lookingforward to working with partners and thebusiness community to ensure that wecontinue to meet the needs of thosebusinesses wanting to grow andthrive.“The Growth Hub was establishedin 2014 and so far has helped over2288 businesses to access a rangeof information and supportincluding specific sector advice,funding, performance planning,implementing innovativeideas and upskilling theworkforce.www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.ukEast Midlands Business Link 9APPOINTMENTSNext >