Business 09 April 2014

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Delivering IT Security Solutions, Managed Services,Cloud Computing,Telephony and Mobile Computing.Voted One Of The “1000 Companies To Inspire Britain”By The Daily Telegraph.

www.bristolpost.co.ukBusinessMeet the inspiring winnersfrom our inaugural awards– see pullout inside

WOMEN IN BUSINESSThe pitfalls and potential ofproperty leasing andpurchasing – see pages 6&7

RENT OR BUY DESIRE FOR SUCCESS

Online boutique makes moveto bricks and mortar withCilfton Village store, page 8

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Lawyer quits career to follow his dream andlaunch mobile discount voucher company – p3

LET’S GET AWRIGGLE ON

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MORE THAN 300 JOBS GUARANTEED.REAL JOBS AVAILABLE NOW.

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2 We d n e s d a y, April 9, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, April 9, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� From left, Ben Reynhart, Rob Hall, Zamira Drew, Yasmin Amarante and Mike Jackson Photographer: Evelyna Karbowiak BREK20140328B-013

AFORMER lawyer has set up anew venture helping to fillbars and restaurants in Bris-tol. Rob Hall, 28, has createdWriggle, a phone app that

offers those looking to eat or drinkout in the city a list of places to go at adiscounted rate.

The app, which will be available todownload later this month, hasalready attracted 25 businesses totake part.

It tells people of venues where theycould eat or drink that night for acheaper price. Bars and restaurantsbenefit because they can fill theirpremises, instead of having emptyt abl e s.

Rob formed Wriggle with the helpof WebStart Bristol, a hub based atEngine Shed by Temple Meads Sta-tion and which supports newstar t-ups.

Rob, of Clifton, said: “When I wasworking as a lawyer, my friend and Ihad a hare-brained idea about dis-

count vouchers. But we found it toodifficult. I later had an idea to makelast-minute offers, to cut food wastefor venues. Bristol has this envir-onmental and sustainable edge andworks well with independents. It’s(WebStart Bristol) been amazing.

“As a young entrepreneur with noexperience, I’ve had guidance andhelp on concepts and a team workingon copyright. It’s unbelievably help-ful.”

Rob has three staff on board, in-cluding full-time designer YasminAmarante and two interns from Bris-tol University, where he graduatedwith a degree in English literature in2009.

He moved back to Bristol afterworking as a lawyer, which saw himbased in London and Brazil.

Frustrated with the profession, heexplored his options and developedthe app idea. It took more than twomonths to design and three weeks tobuild, with the help of a creative teamand an investor.

The business has been testing theconcept for a month, with emails sentout to more than 700 people who havealready signed up to the company’swebsite w w w. ge t aw r i ggl e o n . c o m .

Rob added that he was achieving alifetime goal by launching the busi-ness and thought it offered a uniques e r v i c e.

“I’ve always wanted to run my ownbu s i n e s s, ” he said. “We don’t feelanyone else is doing this. There are afew others in the area, but I don’tthink they are doing it in the same

C o n st r u c t i o n Mobile phones

Green qualitiesof new businesspark win praiseA BUSINESS park being built in thecity had its environmental creden-tials boosted by praise from thedeputy leader of the Green Party.

Filwood Green Business Park isbeing created by Bristol City Councilto kick-start the city’s status asEuropean Green Capital in 2015, andhas attracted international attention.

Will Duckworth, deputy leader ofthe Green Party of England andWales, paid a visit to the site alongwith Molly Scott-Cato, the party’snational spokesperson on financeand lead South West candidate for theEuropean elections, and BristolGreen Party candidate Tony Dyer.

Bristol-based firm Midas Con-struction began work last month onthe business park in Knowle.

Mr Duckworth said: “It is fantasticto see genuine, sustainable construc-tion work in progress. Sustainabilityis at the heart of everything that isbeing done and everything is beingconsidered for the whole life of thebu i l d i n g .

“There is especially interestingwork being done on green jobs and upto 100 jobs are going to local peopleduring this build. Bristol is leadingthe way in the UK.”

The £11.6 million project is beingfunded by Bristol City Council, theEuropean Regional DevelopmentFund and the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership.

Re cove r y City ready to take full advantage

C o n st r u c t i o n

Base creations to besold in South America

bClear Communications‘proud award sponsor’� bClear Communications is aspecialist PR and communicationsagency specialising in financialservices, property and construction.

It provides clients withmeasurable results deliveredthrough a clear strategic plan ofaction combined with creative flairand exceptional attention to detail.

As a female-run company workingin such male dominated industries,it understands the exceptionallyhigh levels that women need todeliver in order to be successful.

The company is a proud sponsorof the Young Entrepreneur categoryin the inaugural Bristol and BathWomen in Business Awards.

Managing director, DebbieStaveley, said: “bClear’s core goal isto add value to every individual andbusiness with which it works andsponsoring the Young Entrepreneuraward is yet another way ofachieving this.

“We hope that awards such asthese will help further the careers ofother young women starting out inbusiness.”

In the awards programme weprinted incorrect details for bClear,which we are happy to put right.

See today’s four-page pull-out forcoverage of the awards.

Getting it right

Appy hour Discover the cheapestbars in town… with a little Wriggle

A BRISTOL company that hasworked on projects including Heath-row ’s Terminal 5, the sky walkwayover London’s 02 arena and theMound Stand at Lord’s cricketground is exporting its talents toSouth America.

Base Structures, which specialisesin tensile fabrics, is partnering withBrazilian subcontractor RemasterBR and its Colombian counterpart tosell its complex architectural struc-t u re s.

The alliance will see Base offeringdesign, manufacture and installationof technically challenging tensile fab-ric structures in both countries.

Remaster will act as the SouthAmerican face of the British firm,while Base will offer the technical

expertise, specialist training andmanufacturing, which is in shortsupply in the designated countries.

Both Brazil and Colombia have re-cognised demand for these light-weight, architectural structures,which can be installed quickly tosupport major infrastructurethrough cladding, link walkways, en-trance canopies or otherwise forstandalone temporary venues.

Andy Traynor, head of installationsand overseas development, said: “T hekey to this relationship is the mutualvalues our companies share.

“Remaster is a recognised innov-ator, offering high-quality productsand great customer service, which isan excellent match for Base. We seethis as a long-term strategic rela-

tionship and look forward to buildinga solid Anglo-South American arm.”

Base will be hoping to take tech-nically advanced membranes toSouth America – materials that lastlonger, are more fire resistant and areself-cleaning. The membrane weld-ing will be done at the firm’s Feeder

Road headquarters, then shipped outas and when needed.

Typical projects will be in the sportand leisure sector, such as temporaryvenues and shelters as well as majorinfrastructure with entrance canop-ies, facade cladding, link walkways,shelters, shades and covered atriums.

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Writer Rupert JanischEmail [email protected]

Advertising RobertRodgerson

Call07828 941469Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o n

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapmanCall 01179 343025Email [email protected]

Advertising ShamaAbokor, RegionalBusiness AccountExecutiveCall 0117 934 [email protected]

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)[email protected]

Paulo Jubilut, managing directorat Remaster BR, said: “We under-stand the demands of our market-place and can draw on Base’sexpertise and manufacturing whilewe gain the technical skills to be ableto realise these beautiful structuresin our own continent.”

BRISTOL is one of thebest-placed cities in thecountry outside London andthe South East to take fulladvantage of the economy’s

return to growth, according to newre s e a rch .

The Cities in Recovery report, put

together by property firm CBRE,looks at a number of factors that willaffect 20 major regional UK cities,including educational levels, thegrowth of new businesses and thepotential for economic growth fol-lowing five years of recession.

The findings indicate that Bristol isone of the best educated cities in theUK and is fifth behind only majoruniversity locations such as Oxford,Cambridge and Edinburgh in termsof the number of people with a highlevel of academic qualifications.

This is significant because academ-

ic attainment is often seen as akey factor when it comes toeconomic growth and interms of the number ofnew businesseslaunched each year.

The report also re-veals that in 2011Bristol was secondonly to Manchester interms of the number ofbusinesses launched.More than 600 firms wereset up in the city in one year.

Philip Morton, p i c t u re d , head of

office agency and development atCBRE Bristol, was pleased but

not surprised by the find-i n g s.

He said: “It comes as nosurprise that Bristol isone of the cities best setup to benefit most fromthe economic recovery.

“All the ingredients arein place and, perhaps most

of all, Bristol is a city wherepeople want to come to live and

work. One of the biggest drivers ofemployment across the UK is pro-

fessional services, and the reportrightly highlights Bristol as a citywith a large concentration of lawfirms and accountancy practices. Asa result, we expect it to continue tobenefit from the predicted growth inthis sector.

“There is a long way to go, but it isencouraging to see we are one of thebest-placed cities to take full advant-age of the improving conditions.”

The report also highlighted Bristolis one of the cities that would mostbenefit from newfound confidence inthe financial services sector, an area

� The teamsfrom Base,based inFeeder Road,Bristol, andRemaster, inBrazil, whowill beworkingtogether toexportBase's skillsto SouthAmerica

� From left, Midas’ Jamie Harwood shows plans for Filwood Green Business Park to Green Party delegation Molly Scott-Cato, Will Duckworth and Tony Dyer

time-sensitive way. We are very muchfocused on being successful in Bris-tol. People of all ages are signing up –the app may be popular withtext-savvy younger people, but it isfor everyone.”

Rob is looking for further fundingfor the app – which doesn’t list na-tional chain restaurants or bars – todevelop it further.

Users will be able to pay for theirfood and drink discounts over theapp. It will be free to download by theend of April.

Chris [email protected]

Rob Hall

We are very muchfocused on beingsuccessful in Bristol.People of all ages aresigning up – the app maybe popular withtext-savvy youngerpeople, but it is foreveryone.

“

� Grazziella Pinto receives heraward from Debbie Staveley

Eco n o my

2014 15HOSPITALITYPACKAGES

For more information& to book please contact either:

or call the commercial team on

0117 958 1635

SUZANNE [email protected]

SARAH [email protected]

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3


� From left, Ben Reynhart, Rob Hall, Zamira Drew, Yasmin Amarante and Mike Jackson Photographer: Evelyna Karbowiak BREK20140328B-013

AFORMER lawyer has set up anew venture helping to fillbars and restaurants in Bris-tol. Rob Hall, 28, has createdWriggle, a phone app that

offers those looking to eat or drinkout in the city a list of places to go at adiscounted rate.

The app, which will be available todownload later this month, hasalready attracted 25 businesses totake part.

It tells people of venues where theycould eat or drink that night for acheaper price. Bars and restaurantsbenefit because they can fill theirpremises, instead of having emptyt abl e s.

Rob formed Wriggle with the helpof WebStart Bristol, a hub based atEngine Shed by Temple Meads Sta-tion and which supports newstar t-ups.

Rob, of Clifton, said: “When I wasworking as a lawyer, my friend and Ihad a hare-brained idea about dis-

count vouchers. But we found it toodifficult. I later had an idea to makelast-minute offers, to cut food wastefor venues. Bristol has this envir-onmental and sustainable edge andworks well with independents. It’s(WebStart Bristol) been amazing.

“As a young entrepreneur with noexperience, I’ve had guidance andhelp on concepts and a team workingon copyright. It’s unbelievably help-ful.”

Rob has three staff on board, in-cluding full-time designer YasminAmarante and two interns from Bris-tol University, where he graduatedwith a degree in English literature in2009.

He moved back to Bristol afterworking as a lawyer, which saw himbased in London and Brazil.

Frustrated with the profession, heexplored his options and developedthe app idea. It took more than twomonths to design and three weeks tobuild, with the help of a creative teamand an investor.

The business has been testing theconcept for a month, with emails sentout to more than 700 people who havealready signed up to the company’swebsite w w w. ge t aw r i ggl e o n . c o m .

Rob added that he was achieving alifetime goal by launching the busi-ness and thought it offered a uniques e r v i c e.

“I’ve always wanted to run my ownbu s i n e s s, ” he said. “We don’t feelanyone else is doing this. There are afew others in the area, but I don’tthink they are doing it in the same

C o n st r u c t i o n Mobile phones

Green qualitiesof new businesspark win praiseA BUSINESS park being built in thecity had its environmental creden-tials boosted by praise from thedeputy leader of the Green Party.

Filwood Green Business Park isbeing created by Bristol City Councilto kick-start the city’s status asEuropean Green Capital in 2015, andhas attracted international attention.

Will Duckworth, deputy leader ofthe Green Party of England andWales, paid a visit to the site alongwith Molly Scott-Cato, the party’snational spokesperson on financeand lead South West candidate for theEuropean elections, and BristolGreen Party candidate Tony Dyer.

Bristol-based firm Midas Con-struction began work last month onthe business park in Knowle.

Mr Duckworth said: “It is fantasticto see genuine, sustainable construc-tion work in progress. Sustainabilityis at the heart of everything that isbeing done and everything is beingconsidered for the whole life of thebu i l d i n g .

“There is especially interestingwork being done on green jobs and upto 100 jobs are going to local peopleduring this build. Bristol is leadingthe way in the UK.”

The £11.6 million project is beingfunded by Bristol City Council, theEuropean Regional DevelopmentFund and the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership.

Re cove r y City ready to take full advantage

C o n st r u c t i o n

Base creations to besold in South America

bClear Communications‘proud award sponsor’� bClear Communications is aspecialist PR and communicationsagency specialising in financialservices, property and construction.

It provides clients withmeasurable results deliveredthrough a clear strategic plan ofaction combined with creative flairand exceptional attention to detail.

As a female-run company workingin such male dominated industries,it understands the exceptionallyhigh levels that women need todeliver in order to be successful.

The company is a proud sponsorof the Young Entrepreneur categoryin the inaugural Bristol and BathWomen in Business Awards.

Managing director, DebbieStaveley, said: “bClear’s core goal isto add value to every individual andbusiness with which it works andsponsoring the Young Entrepreneuraward is yet another way ofachieving this.

“We hope that awards such asthese will help further the careers ofother young women starting out inbusiness.”

In the awards programme weprinted incorrect details for bClear,which we are happy to put right.

See today’s four-page pull-out forcoverage of the awards.

Getting it right

Appy hour Discover the cheapestbars in town… with a little Wriggle

A BRISTOL company that hasworked on projects including Heath-row ’s Terminal 5, the sky walkwayover London’s 02 arena and theMound Stand at Lord’s cricketground is exporting its talents toSouth America.

Base Structures, which specialisesin tensile fabrics, is partnering withBrazilian subcontractor RemasterBR and its Colombian counterpart tosell its complex architectural struc-t u re s.

The alliance will see Base offeringdesign, manufacture and installationof technically challenging tensile fab-ric structures in both countries.

Remaster will act as the SouthAmerican face of the British firm,while Base will offer the technical

expertise, specialist training andmanufacturing, which is in shortsupply in the designated countries.

Both Brazil and Colombia have re-cognised demand for these light-weight, architectural structures,which can be installed quickly tosupport major infrastructurethrough cladding, link walkways, en-trance canopies or otherwise forstandalone temporary venues.

Andy Traynor, head of installationsand overseas development, said: “T hekey to this relationship is the mutualvalues our companies share.

“Remaster is a recognised innov-ator, offering high-quality productsand great customer service, which isan excellent match for Base. We seethis as a long-term strategic rela-

tionship and look forward to buildinga solid Anglo-South American arm.”

Base will be hoping to take tech-nically advanced membranes toSouth America – materials that lastlonger, are more fire resistant and areself-cleaning. The membrane weld-ing will be done at the firm’s Feeder

Road headquarters, then shipped outas and when needed.

Typical projects will be in the sportand leisure sector, such as temporaryvenues and shelters as well as majorinfrastructure with entrance canop-ies, facade cladding, link walkways,shelters, shades and covered atriums.

Assistant Editor (Business)Gavin Thompson

Call 0117 934 3336Email gavin.thompson

@b-nm.co.ukTwitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Writer Rupert JanischEmail [email protected]

Advertising RobertRodgerson

Call07828 941469Email ro b e r t . ro d g e r s o n

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapmanCall 01179 343025Email [email protected]

Advertising ShamaAbokor, RegionalBusiness AccountExecutiveCall 0117 934 [email protected]


Paulo Jubilut, managing directorat Remaster BR, said: “We under-stand the demands of our market-place and can draw on Base’sexpertise and manufacturing whilewe gain the technical skills to be ableto realise these beautiful structuresin our own continent.”

BRISTOL is one of thebest-placed cities in thecountry outside London andthe South East to take fulladvantage of the economy’s

return to growth, according to newre s e a rch .

The Cities in Recovery report, put

together by property firm CBRE,looks at a number of factors that willaffect 20 major regional UK cities,including educational levels, thegrowth of new businesses and thepotential for economic growth fol-lowing five years of recession.

The findings indicate that Bristol isone of the best educated cities in theUK and is fifth behind only majoruniversity locations such as Oxford,Cambridge and Edinburgh in termsof the number of people with a highlevel of academic qualifications.

This is significant because academ-

ic attainment is often seen as akey factor when it comes toeconomic growth and interms of the number ofnew businesseslaunched each year.

The report also re-veals that in 2011Bristol was secondonly to Manchester interms of the number ofbusinesses launched.More than 600 firms wereset up in the city in one year.

Philip Morton, p i c t u re d , head of

office agency and development atCBRE Bristol, was pleased but

not surprised by the find-i n g s.

He said: “It comes as nosurprise that Bristol isone of the cities best setup to benefit most fromthe economic recovery.

“All the ingredients arein place and, perhaps most

of all, Bristol is a city wherepeople want to come to live and

work. One of the biggest drivers ofemployment across the UK is pro-

fessional services, and the reportrightly highlights Bristol as a citywith a large concentration of lawfirms and accountancy practices. Asa result, we expect it to continue tobenefit from the predicted growth inthis sector.

“There is a long way to go, but it isencouraging to see we are one of thebest-placed cities to take full advant-age of the improving conditions.”

The report also highlighted Bristolis one of the cities that would mostbenefit from newfound confidence inthe financial services sector, an area

� The teamsfrom Base,based inFeeder Road,Bristol, andRemaster, inBrazil, whowill beworkingtogether toexportBase's skillsto SouthAmerica

� From left, Midas’ Jamie Harwood shows plans for Filwood Green Business Park to Green Party delegation Molly Scott-Cato, Will Duckworth and Tony Dyer

time-sensitive way. We are very muchfocused on being successful in Bris-tol. People of all ages are signing up –the app may be popular withtext-savvy younger people, but it isfor everyone.”

Rob is looking for further fundingfor the app – which doesn’t list na-tional chain restaurants or bars – todevelop it further.

Users will be able to pay for theirfood and drink discounts over theapp. It will be free to download by theend of April.

Chris [email protected]

Rob Hall

We are very muchfocused on beingsuccessful in Bristol.People of all ages aresigning up – the app maybe popular withtext-savvy youngerpeople, but it is foreveryone.

“

� Grazziella Pinto receives heraward from Debbie Staveley

Eco n o my

2014 15HOSPITALITYPACKAGES

For more information& to book please contact either:

or call the commercial team on

0117 958 1635

SUZANNE [email protected]

SARAH [email protected]

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3


Business Showcase South West

ONE of the top directors atmobile giant EE says Bris-tol has led the 4G revolutionand will continue to do so,thanks to the skills and tal-

ent in the city.Gerry McQuade, p i c t u re d , chief

marketing officer and board memberat the Aztec West-based firm, saidBristol was the first place to get4G – with the first trans-mitter in the UK just offthe M32.

Speaking to delegatesat the Business Show-case South West, hesaid: “Being here givesus a pool of talentedgraduates better thananywhere else in the UK.

“Having the universitiesof Bristol, Bath and UWE onour doorstep gives us access to thebest young talent around.

“It is not just about graduate talent,though. We also need to be in a loc-ation where we can get mature talent.There is a plethora of media,high-tech and engineering businessgiving us access to new blood with the

necessary experience that helps keepus successful.”

Mr McQuade told the story of EE inBristol, from its origin as Rabbitnearly 25 years ago, then Orange, be-fore the latter’s merger with T-Mobileled to the creation of EE as the biggestplayer in the UK mobile market.

He said UK consumers had led theway globally in mobile internet use,but businesses had not always donethe same. However, Mr McQuade saidthe arrival of 4G was changing that,with 200,000 small businesses and5,000 large corporate firms using 4G,

which allows them to use moredata more quickly and opens

up mobile working.He added: “Mobility

will change not just theway you contact cus-tomers, but the way yourun your business.”

Mr McQuade was oneof several high-profile

speakers at the showcase,staged at Colston Hall.

Entrepreneur Ajith Jay-awickrema told delegates how hefounded the Las Iguanas chain in thecity and has since started a Carib-bean dining chain called Turtle Bay.

He said: “When I told people wewould be selling curried goat, theysaid ‘who will eat that?”

But he said starting a business was

about finding a gap in the market.“If no one else is doing it, you get to

write the story,” he said.A 30 per cent stake in the new chain

recently sold for £6.4 million.Earlier in the day, Karren Brady,

vice-chairman of West Ham UnitedFootball Club and star of The Ap-p re n t i c e television show, had told del-

Leading the way B r i sto l ’s skills and talentdriving the 4G revolution, says top director

C a te r i n g

Curry hurry Major expansion afterjust one year for street food firm

A FATHER and daughter teamwho started a south Indianstreet food business from thefamily kitchen a year ago arecelebrating their first an-

niversary with a major expansion.Trained chef Fred Balakrishna and

his stepdaughter Anna Smith, whorun The Mango Hub, have been cur-rying favour to such an extent thatthey have had to move into a farbigger premises.

The pair now create their authenticvegetarian Keralan cuisine, which isgoing down a storm at markets acrossthe region, from a 1,300 sq ft pro-duction kitchen on Bedminster Trad-ing Estate, with plans for a MangoMasala cookery school in thep i p e l i n e.

Sourcing fruit and vegetables fromBristol wholesale grocery market andauthentic ingredients from theSweetmart, Easton, the business wasborne out of Fred’s passion for re-creating the food he grew up with,combined with Congresbury-bornand bred Anna’s love for south Indian

food. Anna, aged 24, a professionalmusicianship graduate who swappedthe piano for the pakora as an al-ternative outlet for her creativity,said they were thrilled that businesswas booming.

“There has been a surge in thepopularity of street food in the UK,and the beauty of our food is that iti s n’t the stereotypical cuisine you getin the tourist traps of Mumbai orGoa,” she said.

“It is based on authentic recipesfrom the south Indian region of Ker-ala, with many of our spices sourcedfrom the local mills of Kozikhode,formerly Calicut, where Fred and hismum’s family come from.

“A huge fan of south Indian foodmyself, I bring my own Bristoliantouch to the mix.”

Helped out by Anna’s mum, Re-becca, and gran, Jo, who makesmango chutneys for the business,Fred and Anna can be found sellingeverything from vegetarian andmainly gluten-free curries and bon-das to bhajis and dips at regional

� Fred and Anna in The Mango HubIndian railway station-inspired'break-out zone’; above, one of thedishes being cooked

Half of firms say EUhas a positive effect� BUSINESSES in the West ofEngland believe being in Europe hasa positive effect.

That is according to a new surveyfrom Business West, the umbrellaorganisation for the chambers ofcommerce in the region.

In the survey of 600 businesses,50 per cent said Britain’s EUmembership was positive,compared with 16 per cent who saidit was negative.

The biggest benefit was ease ofaccess to the larger customer base,listed by 45 per cent, whileregulations and red tape were thebiggest drawback(49 per cent).

More than athird ofbusinessesin the regionwere alsoconcer nedabout theuncertainty ofthe UK’s futuremembership,showing that thereneeded to be more clarity.

Phil Smith, pictur ed, managingdirector of Business West, said:“Businesses want to stay in the EU,but they don’t want to stay at allcosts. Red tape is stifling them andreform is needed to addresscountless regulatory burdens thatact as a barrier to business growth.

“The business community feelsour politicians are letting them downby playing political football with areferendum, rather than gettingdown to business. We need a clearmessage from our political leadersabout the possible renegotiatedterms of membership, rather thanconstant talk of whether the UKshould be ‘in or out’.”

S u r vey

with a spell catering for players andfans at Worcestershire CountyCricket Club.

He spent a year working in pastryand fine dining in London, going onto specialise in contract catering for11 years, with clients includingHinkley Point power station – ca-tering for around 2,000 people at peaktimes – and Royal Mail.

The grandfather-of-three was alsoselected to be a volunteer in the kit-chens at the London 2012 Olympics,feeding up to 34,000 people a day.

Anna, meanwhile, has been singingand studying music for over a decadeand studied professional musician-ship at the University of Southamp-ton.

After completing her degree,however, she was unsure what shewanted to do.

Starting her own cake stall calledEarth Cakes, she became more in-terested in the food and catering in-dustry, jumping at the chance to getinvolved with her stepdad’s dreamlast April.

Neighbourly connectswith palace investors� SOCIAL network Neighbourly,which connects community projectswith companies that want to make adifference, pitched before investorsat St James’ Palace.

The event was spearheaded bythe Duke of York, who recentlyvisited the SETSquared incubator atthe Engine Shed, where Neighbourlyis based. SetSquared director, NickSturge, said the success of itscompanies in the region (two fromthe Bath centre also took part) wasa testament to the area’s innovationand e n t re p re n e u r i a l i s m .

C o m m u n i ty

A TECHNOLOGY company thatprovides IT systems to help itscustomers work smarter is mov-ing to Bristol and creating 50j o b s.

Kainos, which works mostly inhealthcare, financial services andthe public sector markets, is mov-ing into the Orega BusinessCentre in Victoria Street, theheart of the city’s professional ser-vices district.

Managing director, BrendanMooney, said: “Our move to Bris-tol reflects our growth, plus ourcommitment to our UK custom-e r s.

“Bristol is a central, well-ser-viced and business-friendly hubfor us, with a great graduate and

tech professional pool to drawon.

“We look forward to bringingour unique workplace culture toBristol, as well as our communityinitiatives around digital educa-tion.”

He noted the city’s transportinfrastructure, close to the mo-torway network, that gave easyaccess to the Midlands, the SouthWest regions and Wales.

The company also cited Bris-tol’s strong support for business,as well its strength as a source ofgraduate talent with twofirst-class local universities,which is fostering a growing com-munity of high-tech firms and di-gital agencies.

Professor Joe McGeehan, chairof Invest Bristol & Bath, whichhelped cement the opening of thenew centre, said: “We are lookingforward to welcoming the Kainosteam to Bristol and supportingthem in its ambitious growthplan.

“As a proven global technologyleader, we are hopeful Kainos willmake great contributions to ourcity and local economy, as well asto the established Bristol digitalc o m m u n i t y. ”

Following on from the digitalsolutions firm’s arrival, Kainoswill also be hosting its summerAppCamp in the city this year.

The camp is a free event whereundergraduates in computing or

related subjects are trained to de-velop apps for Apple iPhones oriPads by Kainos software de-velopers over an eight-week pro-g ramme.

Chief technology officer, TomGray, said: “The build-up to eachAppCamp is tremendously excit-ing, and this year is particularlyspecial because of the additionalevent in Bristol, where Kainos hasrecently opened a new office.

“We look forward to seeing whatemerges from this summer’sa c t iv i t i e s. ”

The camp starts on June 30 andinterested students can apply for aplace by visiting w w w. a p -p c a m p. c o. u k / s i g n - u p / or email toa p p c a m p @ k a i n o s. c o m .

50 jobs as growing Kainos opens city office

markets including Clevedon, Bath,Brent Knoll, Bridgwater, Frome andvarious markets in Bristol, whichthey hope to build on this year.

In terms of The Mango Hub’s her-itage, Fred, aged 54, was classicallytrained in European and Britishcuisine 15 years ago, going on to workin UK hotels, restaurants and pubs,

Anna Smith

There has been asurge in the popularityof street food in the UK,and the beauty of ourfood is that it isn’t thestereotypical cuisineyou get in the touristtraps of Mumbai or Goa

“

BRISTOLis an area famous for its en-gineering excellence, from Brunel tothe aerospace industry, but it is in-creasingly known as a hub forhigh-tech and creative industries.

Last Thursday, I was lucky enough to visitseveral of these high-growth, high-techstart-ups within the SETsquared hub and Per-vasive Media Studios at Watershed. They havea brilliant story to tell – for example, SET-squared has helped its member ventures raisenearly £83 million of debt, grant and equityfunding in just six years.

I spend a lot of my time talking about theimportance of boosting growth outside of Lon-don. I met with the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership about plans for thecity and surrounding area. In reality, we haveone simple objective: to create and supporthighly skilled, long-term jobs like those atRedcliffe Precision Ltd – that has benefitedfrom finance from the LEP’s Growth Fund –and within Bristol’s growing Temple Quarter.

For too long, the engine of Britain’s economyhave been the bankers who led us into disaster.Some areas have been marginalised in ob-taining finance for investment. Getting thecountry’s finances in order still means that wesimply can’t do that anymore. That’s where theindustrial strategy that I’ve been championingin Government comes in.

Our industrial strategy is a long-term part-nership between Government and business,which plans beyond the usual five-year polit-ical timetable. We aim to show the UK is openfor business, and the right place for companiesto build factories or research centres.

The march of technology means new op-portunities for new and expanding businesses,including those in Bristol. We are supporting‘eight great technologies’ like new advancedmaterial and robotics (such as Bristol RoboticsLab or OC Robotics), where the UK could takea world lead. Potentially these mean we will beworld leaders in technology that helps us doeverything from stopping people rejectingdonated organs to creating food replicatorslike on Star Trek.

If we want to create these jobs and supportthese technologies we need to make sure thatcompanies can get access to the finances theyneed to build new factories, export to newcountries and employ more people.

The Government is doing that, by puttingpressure on the banks to lend more, creatingour own British Business Bank, and providinggrants through the Regional Growth Fund andthe Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chaini n i t i at ive.

Our industrial strategy is helping compan-ies across Bristol create jobs now, and it islaying the foundations to keep creating jobslike this in future so that young people canhave long, exciting and rewarding careers.

Industrial strategy creatingjobs now… and in the future

� Vince Cable with Rob Laird (ops director),during his visit to Redcliffe Precision Jon Kent


egates how ambition, determinationand positivity were the key tools forsuccess in business.

As well as speakers there wereexhibitors, with stands spreadaround the venue. Among them wasDerek Ahmedzai, co-founder ofcrowdfunding platform Fundsurfer.

He said: “Mostly we are looking for

people who are going to put fundingprojects onto the platform. We havehad quite a lot of leads.”

Another exhibitor was title spon-sor Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Regionalbusiness sales manager, Luke Le-Sauteur, was full of praise for theeve n t ’s organisation, saying therewas a “quality feel throughout”.

� Sara Cottrell, of High Growth Knowledge Company, at the Showcase Pics: Barbara Evripidou BRBE20140408B-8

Opinion

Vince CableSecretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

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Business Showcase South West

ONE of the top directors atmobile giant EE says Bris-tol has led the 4G revolutionand will continue to do so,thanks to the skills and tal-

ent in the city.Gerry McQuade, p i c t u re d , chief

marketing officer and board memberat the Aztec West-based firm, saidBristol was the first place to get4G – with the first trans-mitter in the UK just offthe M32.

Speaking to delegatesat the Business Show-case South West, hesaid: “Being here givesus a pool of talentedgraduates better thananywhere else in the UK.

“Having the universitiesof Bristol, Bath and UWE onour doorstep gives us access to thebest young talent around.

“It is not just about graduate talent,though. We also need to be in a loc-ation where we can get mature talent.There is a plethora of media,high-tech and engineering businessgiving us access to new blood with the

necessary experience that helps keepus successful.”

Mr McQuade told the story of EE inBristol, from its origin as Rabbitnearly 25 years ago, then Orange, be-fore the latter’s merger with T-Mobileled to the creation of EE as the biggestplayer in the UK mobile market.

He said UK consumers had led theway globally in mobile internet use,but businesses had not always donethe same. However, Mr McQuade saidthe arrival of 4G was changing that,with 200,000 small businesses and5,000 large corporate firms using 4G,

which allows them to use moredata more quickly and opens

up mobile working.He added: “Mobility

will change not just theway you contact cus-tomers, but the way yourun your business.”

Mr McQuade was oneof several high-profile

speakers at the showcase,staged at Colston Hall.

Entrepreneur Ajith Jay-awickrema told delegates how hefounded the Las Iguanas chain in thecity and has since started a Carib-bean dining chain called Turtle Bay.

He said: “When I told people wewould be selling curried goat, theysaid ‘who will eat that?”

But he said starting a business was

about finding a gap in the market.“If no one else is doing it, you get to

write the story,” he said.A 30 per cent stake in the new chain

recently sold for £6.4 million.Earlier in the day, Karren Brady,

vice-chairman of West Ham UnitedFootball Club and star of The Ap-p re n t i c e television show, had told del-

Leading the way B r i sto l ’s skills and talentdriving the 4G revolution, says top director

C a te r i n g

Curry hurry Major expansion afterjust one year for street food firm

A FATHER and daughter teamwho started a south Indianstreet food business from thefamily kitchen a year ago arecelebrating their first an-

niversary with a major expansion.Trained chef Fred Balakrishna and

his stepdaughter Anna Smith, whorun The Mango Hub, have been cur-rying favour to such an extent thatthey have had to move into a farbigger premises.

The pair now create their authenticvegetarian Keralan cuisine, which isgoing down a storm at markets acrossthe region, from a 1,300 sq ft pro-duction kitchen on Bedminster Trad-ing Estate, with plans for a MangoMasala cookery school in thep i p e l i n e.

Sourcing fruit and vegetables fromBristol wholesale grocery market andauthentic ingredients from theSweetmart, Easton, the business wasborne out of Fred’s passion for re-creating the food he grew up with,combined with Congresbury-bornand bred Anna’s love for south Indian

food. Anna, aged 24, a professionalmusicianship graduate who swappedthe piano for the pakora as an al-ternative outlet for her creativity,said they were thrilled that businesswas booming.

“There has been a surge in thepopularity of street food in the UK,and the beauty of our food is that iti s n’t the stereotypical cuisine you getin the tourist traps of Mumbai orGoa,” she said.

“It is based on authentic recipesfrom the south Indian region of Ker-ala, with many of our spices sourcedfrom the local mills of Kozikhode,formerly Calicut, where Fred and hismum’s family come from.

“A huge fan of south Indian foodmyself, I bring my own Bristoliantouch to the mix.”

Helped out by Anna’s mum, Re-becca, and gran, Jo, who makesmango chutneys for the business,Fred and Anna can be found sellingeverything from vegetarian andmainly gluten-free curries and bon-das to bhajis and dips at regional

� Fred and Anna in The Mango HubIndian railway station-inspired'break-out zone’; above, one of thedishes being cooked

Half of firms say EUhas a positive effect� BUSINESSES in the West ofEngland believe being in Europe hasa positive effect.

That is according to a new surveyfrom Business West, the umbrellaorganisation for the chambers ofcommerce in the region.

In the survey of 600 businesses,50 per cent said Britain’s EUmembership was positive,compared with 16 per cent who saidit was negative.

The biggest benefit was ease ofaccess to the larger customer base,listed by 45 per cent, whileregulations and red tape were thebiggest drawback(49 per cent).

More than athird ofbusinessesin the regionwere alsoconcer nedabout theuncertainty ofthe UK’s futuremembership,showing that thereneeded to be more clarity.

Phil Smith, pictur ed, managingdirector of Business West, said:“Businesses want to stay in the EU,but they don’t want to stay at allcosts. Red tape is stifling them andreform is needed to addresscountless regulatory burdens thatact as a barrier to business growth.

“The business community feelsour politicians are letting them downby playing political football with areferendum, rather than gettingdown to business. We need a clearmessage from our political leadersabout the possible renegotiatedterms of membership, rather thanconstant talk of whether the UKshould be ‘in or out’.”

S u r vey

with a spell catering for players andfans at Worcestershire CountyCricket Club.

He spent a year working in pastryand fine dining in London, going onto specialise in contract catering for11 years, with clients includingHinkley Point power station – ca-tering for around 2,000 people at peaktimes – and Royal Mail.

The grandfather-of-three was alsoselected to be a volunteer in the kit-chens at the London 2012 Olympics,feeding up to 34,000 people a day.

Anna, meanwhile, has been singingand studying music for over a decadeand studied professional musician-ship at the University of Southamp-ton.

After completing her degree,however, she was unsure what shewanted to do.

Starting her own cake stall calledEarth Cakes, she became more in-terested in the food and catering in-dustry, jumping at the chance to getinvolved with her stepdad’s dreamlast April.

Neighbourly connectswith palace investors� SOCIAL network Neighbourly,which connects community projectswith companies that want to make adifference, pitched before investorsat St James’ Palace.

The event was spearheaded bythe Duke of York, who recentlyvisited the SETSquared incubator atthe Engine Shed, where Neighbourlyis based. SetSquared director, NickSturge, said the success of itscompanies in the region (two fromthe Bath centre also took part) wasa testament to the area’s innovationand e n t re p re n e u r i a l i s m .

C o m m u n i ty

A TECHNOLOGY company thatprovides IT systems to help itscustomers work smarter is mov-ing to Bristol and creating 50j o b s.

Kainos, which works mostly inhealthcare, financial services andthe public sector markets, is mov-ing into the Orega BusinessCentre in Victoria Street, theheart of the city’s professional ser-vices district.

Managing director, BrendanMooney, said: “Our move to Bris-tol reflects our growth, plus ourcommitment to our UK custom-e r s.

“Bristol is a central, well-ser-viced and business-friendly hubfor us, with a great graduate and

tech professional pool to drawon.

“We look forward to bringingour unique workplace culture toBristol, as well as our communityinitiatives around digital educa-tion.”

He noted the city’s transportinfrastructure, close to the mo-torway network, that gave easyaccess to the Midlands, the SouthWest regions and Wales.

The company also cited Bris-tol’s strong support for business,as well its strength as a source ofgraduate talent with twofirst-class local universities,which is fostering a growing com-munity of high-tech firms and di-gital agencies.

Professor Joe McGeehan, chairof Invest Bristol & Bath, whichhelped cement the opening of thenew centre, said: “We are lookingforward to welcoming the Kainosteam to Bristol and supportingthem in its ambitious growthplan.

“As a proven global technologyleader, we are hopeful Kainos willmake great contributions to ourcity and local economy, as well asto the established Bristol digitalc o m m u n i t y. ”

Following on from the digitalsolutions firm’s arrival, Kainoswill also be hosting its summerAppCamp in the city this year.

The camp is a free event whereundergraduates in computing or

related subjects are trained to de-velop apps for Apple iPhones oriPads by Kainos software de-velopers over an eight-week pro-g ramme.

Chief technology officer, TomGray, said: “The build-up to eachAppCamp is tremendously excit-ing, and this year is particularlyspecial because of the additionalevent in Bristol, where Kainos hasrecently opened a new office.

“We look forward to seeing whatemerges from this summer’sa c t iv i t i e s. ”

The camp starts on June 30 andinterested students can apply for aplace by visiting w w w. a p -p c a m p. c o. u k / s i g n - u p / or email toa p p c a m p @ k a i n o s. c o m .

50 jobs as growing Kainos opens city office

markets including Clevedon, Bath,Brent Knoll, Bridgwater, Frome andvarious markets in Bristol, whichthey hope to build on this year.

In terms of The Mango Hub’s her-itage, Fred, aged 54, was classicallytrained in European and Britishcuisine 15 years ago, going on to workin UK hotels, restaurants and pubs,

Anna Smith

There has been asurge in the popularityof street food in the UK,and the beauty of ourfood is that it isn’t thestereotypical cuisineyou get in the touristtraps of Mumbai or Goa

“

BRISTOLis an area famous for its en-gineering excellence, from Brunel tothe aerospace industry, but it is in-creasingly known as a hub forhigh-tech and creative industries.

Last Thursday, I was lucky enough to visitseveral of these high-growth, high-techstart-ups within the SETsquared hub and Per-vasive Media Studios at Watershed. They havea brilliant story to tell – for example, SET-squared has helped its member ventures raisenearly £83 million of debt, grant and equityfunding in just six years.

I spend a lot of my time talking about theimportance of boosting growth outside of Lon-don. I met with the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership about plans for thecity and surrounding area. In reality, we haveone simple objective: to create and supporthighly skilled, long-term jobs like those atRedcliffe Precision Ltd – that has benefitedfrom finance from the LEP’s Growth Fund –and within Bristol’s growing Temple Quarter.

For too long, the engine of Britain’s economyhave been the bankers who led us into disaster.Some areas have been marginalised in ob-taining finance for investment. Getting thecountry’s finances in order still means that wesimply can’t do that anymore. That’s where theindustrial strategy that I’ve been championingin Government comes in.

Our industrial strategy is a long-term part-nership between Government and business,which plans beyond the usual five-year polit-ical timetable. We aim to show the UK is openfor business, and the right place for companiesto build factories or research centres.

The march of technology means new op-portunities for new and expanding businesses,including those in Bristol. We are supporting‘eight great technologies’ like new advancedmaterial and robotics (such as Bristol RoboticsLab or OC Robotics), where the UK could takea world lead. Potentially these mean we will beworld leaders in technology that helps us doeverything from stopping people rejectingdonated organs to creating food replicatorslike on Star Trek.

If we want to create these jobs and supportthese technologies we need to make sure thatcompanies can get access to the finances theyneed to build new factories, export to newcountries and employ more people.

The Government is doing that, by puttingpressure on the banks to lend more, creatingour own British Business Bank, and providinggrants through the Regional Growth Fund andthe Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chaini n i t i at ive.

Our industrial strategy is helping compan-ies across Bristol create jobs now, and it islaying the foundations to keep creating jobslike this in future so that young people canhave long, exciting and rewarding careers.

Industrial strategy creatingjobs now… and in the future

� Vince Cable with Rob Laird (ops director),during his visit to Redcliffe Precision Jon Kent


egates how ambition, determinationand positivity were the key tools forsuccess in business.

As well as speakers there wereexhibitors, with stands spreadaround the venue. Among them wasDerek Ahmedzai, co-founder ofcrowdfunding platform Fundsurfer.

He said: “Mostly we are looking for

people who are going to put fundingprojects onto the platform. We havehad quite a lot of leads.”

Another exhibitor was title spon-sor Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Regionalbusiness sales manager, Luke Le-Sauteur, was full of praise for theeve n t ’s organisation, saying therewas a “quality feel throughout”.

� Sara Cottrell, of High Growth Knowledge Company, at the Showcase Pics: Barbara Evripidou BRBE20140408B-8

Opinion

Vince CableSecretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3


Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

As more firms lookeither to move office ormove into their firstpremises, RupertJanisch looks at thebenefits and the pitfallsof the various options.

Case study

Property leasing and purchasing special

MOST businesses at somepoint are faced with thedilemma of decidingwhether to lease or pur-chase commercial

premises. While every business isdifferent, there are a few commonfactors that should be taken intoconsideration when evaluating sucha decision.

Many regard leasing accommod-ation as being cheaper initially thanpurchasing. However, you need toremember that commercial prop-erty is not for the short term andthat obligations arising during alease period can sometimes lead tounplanned costs, resulting in fin-ancial liabilities being higher thana n t i c i p at e d .

When purchasing a property assetyou will have a good idea what yourlong-term fixed costs will be, such asa fixed-rate mortgage.

In contrast, when leasing, themarket will dictate your new rent,generally every five years. With thelarge outlays of cash required topurchase, the opportunity cost ofthat money needs to be considered.

What return would you expect toreceive on that money comparedwith investing back into your busi-ness or other investments?

Furthermore, the growth phase ofa business should be a major con-sideration in making the leaseversus purchase decision.

If the business is relatively newand/or in a high growth mode, leas-ing may allow more flexibility sothat capital can be used elsewhereand not tied up in assets.

However, if your company is ma-ture and stable, purchasing space isa great way to meet your futurespace needs, particularly in a spe-cialist industry such as manufac-turing, where improvements to thebusiness, including unique fit-outsand specialised machinery, are morebeneficial to own.

The answer to leasing or buyingcommercial space is not always asimple one.

It is important to decide on thespecific requirements that will meetyour business needs and objectives,as well as economic and social con-ditions, in close liaison with yourfinancial, legal, taxation and busi-ness advisers.

While the decision may seem over-whelming, there is help.

The first step is to receive adviceand assistance from a commercialproperty professional such as GVA,which knows the property marketand can understand your businessplan, providing you with the re-quired outcome and decision to helpgrow your business.

Vicci MorrisSenior surveyor, GVAVi c c i . m o r r i s @ g v a . c o . u kw w w. g v a . c o . u k

Buy or lease? Thebenefits and pitfalls

Expert eye KEY DECISION – WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE OFFICE MOVE

Paul Williams

“Seeking professionaladvice at an early stagecan help to avoid manyof the most commonpitfalls, and eliminatecostly mistakes whichmay come back to biteyou at a later date.

SOME of the South West’sbiggest businesses startedlife as tiny operations, nug-gets of inspiration run out ofhome offices, garage work-

shops or garden sheds.And every business that starts

from humble beginnings and is ser-ious about major growth will atsome point reach the landmarkstage of moving into an office.

It’s an exciting time for any busi-ness and it’s a sign to present andpotential employees, not to mentioncustomers and suppliers, that thefuture is getting serious.

Even for those companies that aremore established and are already

occupying premises, office moveswill pose a variety of questions toanswer and considerations to betaken into account.

Bristol’s size, location and trans-port links make the city highly ac-cessible for employees and visitors –to a point, at least, as the congestedheart of the city remains a problemissue for those wanting to make themost of a truly central location.

And with new commercial prop-erty springing up at developmentslike 66 Queen Square, 2 Glass Wharfand at Finzels Reach, as well as therenewal of areas such as StokesCroft, there are many new oppor-tunities available for a variety ofbudg ets.

One of the main decisions will bewhether to lease or rent, and eachoption brings with it many pros andc o n s.

Paul Williams, head of BrutonKnowles in Bristol, has some adviceto business owners looking to leasetheir first premises – a step helikens to a first day at school, orbuying a new house.

Firstly, he said, be aware of thecosts – not just the rent to be paid,but also business rates, outfittingcosts, partitioning, legal fees andmoving costs.

Secondly, give yourself enough

Bear in mind also the inflexibilityof leasing, with many landlords

looking for a minimum con-tract of anywhere

between a year andthree years, duringwhich point the busi-ness will be liable forthe rent.

Mr Williams, pic-t u re d , said: “T he

moral of the story is‘look before you leap’, or

if you prefer, ‘act in haste,repent at leisure’.

“Seeking professional advice atan early stage can help to avoid

many of the most common pitfalls,and eliminate costly mistakeswhich may come back to bite you ata later date.

“If things go wrong, the wordingof the lease is the only thing which acourt will have regard to if calledupon to settle a dispute, so it’s bestto get it right, however friendlyyour relations with the landlordmight appear to be at the outset.”

Purchasing property brings withit similarly complex considera-t i o n s.

Advantages to purchasing in-clude the freedom from rental in-creases, potential capital gains

time for the moving project fromstart to finish.

He said: “Experienceshows that people gener-ally underestimate howlong it is going to takethem to find the rightpremises and move in.Ideally you shouldallow a minimum ofsix months from start-ing the search to actu-ally receiving the keys,but in many cases anythingup to 12 months is more real-istic, depending on how specificyour requirements are.”

when the property increases in value,tax deductible interest payments, po-tential for subletting and remortga-ging, as well as freedom to make thepremises your own.

On the flip side, businesses want-ing to buy their own premises willneed substantial deposits whichcould be used for investment else-where in the business and they willbe responsible for their property’supkeep and vulnerable to mortgagepayment increases.

And with uncertainty over the fu-ture of the property market, the pos-sibility of a bubble bursting couldleave companies at risk of a major

loss of capital through the reducingvalue of their office.

Other considerations for all com-panies moving into new offices in-clude: location, as in whether to goout-of-town with good communica-tions or stay in a city centre forconvenience and brand awareness;serviced offices or empty shellpremises; size and constitution; fin-ancing, and many more.

Despite the risks and complexities,both in the rental market and forthose looking to buy, the improvingeconomy means that more and morecompanies are looking to move.

Research from global real estate

firm Jones Lang Lasalle predicts in-creasing industrial property demandthis year, with take-up across the UKset to exceed 2013 levels.

Bristol is expected to mirror thisnational trend with increasing oc-cupier confidence and demand,which puts the city in a strong po-sition to lead the economic recovery.

JLL predicts a return to rentalgrowth over the next four years andstrong investor activity in the UKmarket – a trend which is alreadyemerging in Bristol, where incentivesto entice tenants are not as prevalentas during the recession and demandfrom investors is increasing.

This is partly being driven by anactive SME market, which accountsfor 85 per cent of industrial trans-actions in the city.

At the end of 2013, availability ofunits between 1,000 and 99,999 sq ftwas 17 per cent lower than a yearb e fo re.

Similarly, in the Greater Bristolarea, the number of vacant unitsstands at eight per cent, down from 11per cent 18 months ago.

Meanwhile the Office Agents So-ciety, made up of representativesfrom Bristol’s leading surveyingpractices, has released the officetake-up figures for Bristol for the first

quarter of 2014. The results show anincrease in the number of transac-tions in both city centre andout-of-town markets, although thetotal take-up is marginally down onthe same period in 2013.

In Bristol city centre, there were 31transactions totalling 115,722 sq ft inthe first quarter of 2014, compared to27 transactions totalling 145,555 sq ftbetween January and March lastye a r.

In the out-of-town market, quarterone take-up increased by 32 per centto 108,241 sq ft with 18 transactions,compared with 13 transactionstotalling 81,650 sq ft last year.

� FOR landlords who areleasing commercial propertyenergy efficiency is a growingissue. And if it isn’t already, itshould be. By 2018, it will beillegal to lease a property thatdoesn’t receive a certain ratingon its Energy PerformanceCertificate.

Ben Preece, pictur ed, seniorlegal adviser at city firm GreggLatchams, said: “There is nodoubt that there is both aglobal and a nationalmovement towardsreducing the impactof carbon on theenvironment. It hasresulted in ambitioustargets being set at anational level.

“The legislatorshave decided to focuson key areas toencourage fundamentalchanges. Buildings are thoughtto account for approximately 40per cent of the UK’s carbonemissions – too big an issue toignore and the legislators haveacted accordingly.

“On the one hand, there arecarrots, like the Green Deal and

other incentives and subsidies,to encourage people to spendmoney to change their buildings.

“However, there are alsosticks which can be found in theEnergy Act 2011, whichbasically says that you have toachieve a certain EPC rating.Until you do, you cannot legallylet your property. There have

been indications thatthis level will be an E

rating, and around aquarter ofre g i s t e re dp ro p e r t i e scurrently fallbelow this

c a t e g o r y.“There are likely

to be logistic issueswith enforcement, as

the regulations will beenforced by local authoritieswho are already stretched. Butwith a maximum penalty of£5,000 for residential landlordsand no limit for commerciallandlords, it’s important thatlandlords start preparing forthese changes now.”

Landlords must get to workon energy efficiency changes

� Green energy is a growing requirement for businesses

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3


Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

As more firms lookeither to move office ormove into their firstpremises, RupertJanisch looks at thebenefits and the pitfallsof the various options.

Case study

Property leasing and purchasing special

MOST businesses at somepoint are faced with thedilemma of decidingwhether to lease or pur-chase commercial

premises. While every business isdifferent, there are a few commonfactors that should be taken intoconsideration when evaluating sucha decision.

Many regard leasing accommod-ation as being cheaper initially thanpurchasing. However, you need toremember that commercial prop-erty is not for the short term andthat obligations arising during alease period can sometimes lead tounplanned costs, resulting in fin-ancial liabilities being higher thana n t i c i p at e d .

When purchasing a property assetyou will have a good idea what yourlong-term fixed costs will be, such asa fixed-rate mortgage.

In contrast, when leasing, themarket will dictate your new rent,generally every five years. With thelarge outlays of cash required topurchase, the opportunity cost ofthat money needs to be considered.

What return would you expect toreceive on that money comparedwith investing back into your busi-ness or other investments?

Furthermore, the growth phase ofa business should be a major con-sideration in making the leaseversus purchase decision.

If the business is relatively newand/or in a high growth mode, leas-ing may allow more flexibility sothat capital can be used elsewhereand not tied up in assets.

However, if your company is ma-ture and stable, purchasing space isa great way to meet your futurespace needs, particularly in a spe-cialist industry such as manufac-turing, where improvements to thebusiness, including unique fit-outsand specialised machinery, are morebeneficial to own.

The answer to leasing or buyingcommercial space is not always asimple one.

It is important to decide on thespecific requirements that will meetyour business needs and objectives,as well as economic and social con-ditions, in close liaison with yourfinancial, legal, taxation and busi-ness advisers.

While the decision may seem over-whelming, there is help.

The first step is to receive adviceand assistance from a commercialproperty professional such as GVA,which knows the property marketand can understand your businessplan, providing you with the re-quired outcome and decision to helpgrow your business.

Vicci MorrisSenior surveyor, GVAVi c c i . m o r r i s @ g v a . c o . u kw w w. g v a . c o . u k

Buy or lease? Thebenefits and pitfalls

Expert eye KEY DECISION – WHAT TO CONSIDER BEFORE OFFICE MOVE

Paul Williams

“Seeking professionaladvice at an early stagecan help to avoid manyof the most commonpitfalls, and eliminatecostly mistakes whichmay come back to biteyou at a later date.

SOME of the South West’sbiggest businesses startedlife as tiny operations, nug-gets of inspiration run out ofhome offices, garage work-

shops or garden sheds.And every business that starts

from humble beginnings and is ser-ious about major growth will atsome point reach the landmarkstage of moving into an office.

It’s an exciting time for any busi-ness and it’s a sign to present andpotential employees, not to mentioncustomers and suppliers, that thefuture is getting serious.

Even for those companies that aremore established and are already

occupying premises, office moveswill pose a variety of questions toanswer and considerations to betaken into account.

Bristol’s size, location and trans-port links make the city highly ac-cessible for employees and visitors –to a point, at least, as the congestedheart of the city remains a problemissue for those wanting to make themost of a truly central location.

And with new commercial prop-erty springing up at developmentslike 66 Queen Square, 2 Glass Wharfand at Finzels Reach, as well as therenewal of areas such as StokesCroft, there are many new oppor-tunities available for a variety ofbudg ets.

One of the main decisions will bewhether to lease or rent, and eachoption brings with it many pros andc o n s.

Paul Williams, head of BrutonKnowles in Bristol, has some adviceto business owners looking to leasetheir first premises – a step helikens to a first day at school, orbuying a new house.

Firstly, he said, be aware of thecosts – not just the rent to be paid,but also business rates, outfittingcosts, partitioning, legal fees andmoving costs.

Secondly, give yourself enough

Bear in mind also the inflexibilityof leasing, with many landlords

looking for a minimum con-tract of anywhere

between a year andthree years, duringwhich point the busi-ness will be liable forthe rent.

Mr Williams, pic-t u re d , said: “T he

moral of the story is‘look before you leap’, or

if you prefer, ‘act in haste,repent at leisure’.

“Seeking professional advice atan early stage can help to avoid

many of the most common pitfalls,and eliminate costly mistakeswhich may come back to bite you ata later date.

“If things go wrong, the wordingof the lease is the only thing which acourt will have regard to if calledupon to settle a dispute, so it’s bestto get it right, however friendlyyour relations with the landlordmight appear to be at the outset.”

Purchasing property brings withit similarly complex considera-t i o n s.

Advantages to purchasing in-clude the freedom from rental in-creases, potential capital gains

time for the moving project fromstart to finish.

He said: “Experienceshows that people gener-ally underestimate howlong it is going to takethem to find the rightpremises and move in.Ideally you shouldallow a minimum ofsix months from start-ing the search to actu-ally receiving the keys,but in many cases anythingup to 12 months is more real-istic, depending on how specificyour requirements are.”

when the property increases in value,tax deductible interest payments, po-tential for subletting and remortga-ging, as well as freedom to make thepremises your own.

On the flip side, businesses want-ing to buy their own premises willneed substantial deposits whichcould be used for investment else-where in the business and they willbe responsible for their property’supkeep and vulnerable to mortgagepayment increases.

And with uncertainty over the fu-ture of the property market, the pos-sibility of a bubble bursting couldleave companies at risk of a major

loss of capital through the reducingvalue of their office.

Other considerations for all com-panies moving into new offices in-clude: location, as in whether to goout-of-town with good communica-tions or stay in a city centre forconvenience and brand awareness;serviced offices or empty shellpremises; size and constitution; fin-ancing, and many more.

Despite the risks and complexities,both in the rental market and forthose looking to buy, the improvingeconomy means that more and morecompanies are looking to move.

Research from global real estate

firm Jones Lang Lasalle predicts in-creasing industrial property demandthis year, with take-up across the UKset to exceed 2013 levels.

Bristol is expected to mirror thisnational trend with increasing oc-cupier confidence and demand,which puts the city in a strong po-sition to lead the economic recovery.

JLL predicts a return to rentalgrowth over the next four years andstrong investor activity in the UKmarket – a trend which is alreadyemerging in Bristol, where incentivesto entice tenants are not as prevalentas during the recession and demandfrom investors is increasing.

This is partly being driven by anactive SME market, which accountsfor 85 per cent of industrial trans-actions in the city.

At the end of 2013, availability ofunits between 1,000 and 99,999 sq ftwas 17 per cent lower than a yearb e fo re.

Similarly, in the Greater Bristolarea, the number of vacant unitsstands at eight per cent, down from 11per cent 18 months ago.

Meanwhile the Office Agents So-ciety, made up of representativesfrom Bristol’s leading surveyingpractices, has released the officetake-up figures for Bristol for the first

quarter of 2014. The results show anincrease in the number of transac-tions in both city centre andout-of-town markets, although thetotal take-up is marginally down onthe same period in 2013.

In Bristol city centre, there were 31transactions totalling 115,722 sq ft inthe first quarter of 2014, compared to27 transactions totalling 145,555 sq ftbetween January and March lastye a r.

In the out-of-town market, quarterone take-up increased by 32 per centto 108,241 sq ft with 18 transactions,compared with 13 transactionstotalling 81,650 sq ft last year.

� FOR landlords who areleasing commercial propertyenergy efficiency is a growingissue. And if it isn’t already, itshould be. By 2018, it will beillegal to lease a property thatdoesn’t receive a certain ratingon its Energy PerformanceCertificate.

Ben Preece, pictur ed, seniorlegal adviser at city firm GreggLatchams, said: “There is nodoubt that there is both aglobal and a nationalmovement towardsreducing the impactof carbon on theenvironment. It hasresulted in ambitioustargets being set at anational level.

“The legislatorshave decided to focuson key areas toencourage fundamentalchanges. Buildings are thoughtto account for approximately 40per cent of the UK’s carbonemissions – too big an issue toignore and the legislators haveacted accordingly.

“On the one hand, there arecarrots, like the Green Deal and

other incentives and subsidies,to encourage people to spendmoney to change their buildings.

“However, there are alsosticks which can be found in theEnergy Act 2011, whichbasically says that you have toachieve a certain EPC rating.Until you do, you cannot legallylet your property. There have

been indications thatthis level will be an E

rating, and around aquarter ofre g i s t e re dp ro p e r t i e scurrently fallbelow this

c a t e g o r y.“There are likely

to be logistic issueswith enforcement, as

the regulations will beenforced by local authoritieswho are already stretched. Butwith a maximum penalty of£5,000 for residential landlordsand no limit for commerciallandlords, it’s important thatlandlords start preparing forthese changes now.”

Landlords must get to workon energy efficiency changes

� Green energy is a growing requirement for businesses

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8 We d n e s d a y, April 9, 2014w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

� BURGES Salmon partner andbanking and transport sectorspecialist, Sandra Forbes, isleaving to begroup generalcounsel ofNationalE x p re s sand itscompanys e c re t a r y.

Sandrajoinedthe firm in1991 andhas been apartner since 1996.She established its bankingpractice and is head of thecorporate and financialinstitutions department.

Head of banking, RichardLeeming, said: “We will missworking with Sandra, butcongratulate her on this fantasticopportunity. It was Sandra'sforesight and energy in the early1990s which established oursuccessful banking practice.We thank her for that verysignificant contribution.”

Movers & shake-upsUp and comingThe latest appointments news. Sendyour news to [email protected]

� Deloitte has appointedMartyn Gregory as practicesenior partner for the firm in theSouth West and Wales. Martyn,above, is an experiencedcorporate finance partner whohas led Deloitte’s corporatefinance advisory business in theSouth West and Wales for adecade, is a member of the UKAdvisory Corporate FinanceExecutive and has played a keyrole in the growth of thebusiness as part of the seniormanagement team.

Martyn said: “I am absolutelydelighted to be appointed asthe practice senior partner,leading Deloitte in the SouthWest and Wales.”� Commercial propertyconsultant Knight Frank hasexpanded its property assetmanagement department inBristol to meet growing demandin the South West.

Jo Crofts, pictur ed, formerlyan associate in the officeagency, has joined the teamthat manages key industrial,office and retail buildings fromSwindon to Taunton and allaround Bristol onbehalf ofl a n d l o rd s .

David‘Dai’Williams,whoheadsthedepartmentin Bristol,said: “Asthe impact ofthe recessionbegins to ease, there is agrowing demand for skilledprofessional management ofcommercial property in theregion. This expansion of ourteam will enable us to satisfythis increased requirement.”

Ret a i l

The real deal Rachel pops up withher first store after online s u ccess

Award for college ‘tech geniuses’said: “CoLRiC launched these awardsas we are convinced there are manyunsung heroes in libraries making atruly magnificent difference tolearners. We have been overwhelmedby the number and quality of theentries and the commitment given bystaff to the service.”

In the last three years the college’slibrary service has invested over£1 million and now has 22 staff.

Spokeswoman Claire Bushell said:“Three years ago the college startedfrom scratch to create state-of-the-artlearning facilities on all campuseswhich are vibrant, office-free spaceswhere students study, discuss, thinkand create in a relaxed and welcom-ing environment.

“It’s wonderful our students areintegral to winning this nationalaward. The feedback we get fromlibrary users is incredibly positive.”

THE library service at Weston Col-lege has won a national award for itslevel of technical support.

The Council for Learning Servicesin College (ColRiC) judges chose Wes-ton College’s LibraryPlus-based andcost-free TechGenius service for itsservice interaction.

Technology and library team lead-er Jon Hofgartner said: “This is bril-liant news. TechGenius was set up byLearning Technologist Louise Hut-son with Foundation Degree Com-puting students gaining workexperience by helping others withcomputer, tablet, laptop, PC andphone glitches.

“Around eight TechGeniuses rotatecampuses offering general technicaladvice – from help setting up newphones to support with any comput-ing device.”

Chair of CoLRiC Margaret Phillips

Lea r n i n g

� Back row, Weston College staff Claire Bushell, Louise Hutson and JonHofgartner; front row, students Klaudia Pedzimaz and Ryan Prescott

Rupert [email protected]

THE owner of a successful on-line boutique has opened ashop in Clifton Village. Objetsde Desir has been running asa trading website since last

summer, since when owner RachelDrake has experimented with pop-upshops in Quakers Friars and CabotC i rc u s.

Following their success, Rachel de-cided to start her first permanentshop and the new boutique opened inThe Arcade in Clifton last week.

Objets de Desir sells jewellery, art,homeware, fashion items and ac-cessories, designed by up-and-com-ing, emerging artists.

Rachel, who is 27 and moved toBristol with her husband from Lon-don more than three years ago, comesfrom a creative family and her motherwas a fashion designer.

She said: “Objets de Desir gave methe opportunity to not only sourcebeautiful, handmade products, but toalso curate them in an onlineb o u t i q u e.

“Bristol seemed like a great place tostart this, as it is such a creativeenvironment and also seems to bevery good at promoting new busi-n e s s e s.

“Objets de Desir was originallystarted as an online boutique, butthrough the experience and success ofthe previous pop-ups I have done Ihave decided to turn it into a physicalshop, so it will now be both online andin a shop, too.”

The new store is self-funded, usingthe proceeds of the pop-up shop inCabot Circus before Christmas lastyear, which was in turn funded by aloan from the Prince’s Trust Enter-prise Programme.

Rachel said: “I am very excited

about opening the new shop, but ofcourse slightly nervous, too. I thinksome nerves are a good thing, though,as it spurs you on to make it a suc-c e s s.

“I am lucky that I have had someexperience through the pop-ups Ihave done and I have a bit of aninsight into how it works now andhow long things take to organise.”

Like many owner-managers,Rachel said she had learned a lotabout running a business and hadvisions of taking the business wider.

She said: “The hardest part hasbeen doing everything by myself – Ihave learned so much in the last year,about everything from tax returns tosearch engine optimisation.

Rachel Drake

Bristol seemedlike a greatplace to startthis, as it is sucha creativeenvironment andalso seems tobe very good atpromoting newbusinesses.

“

“But it’s so rewarding to see thehard work finally paying off. If in fiveye a r s ’ time I could have a successfulwebsite and shop, that would be amaz-ing. The dream scenario would be toopen another shop in London, too.”

� Some of the items on sale

Documents

Business 09 April 2014