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New look for team as major

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Seven deadly sins of communication

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A culture of innovation

Building one willbenefit business

Far off? Far out!It’s never too early toplan a long-haul trip to somewhere special

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ESSENTIAL READING FOR LOCAL EXECUTIVE LEADERS

Serving 5,000 deciSion-makerS in and around Peterborough

Inside this issue

News – Banks should share branches,to stave off closures, says Phil Orford

Legal Eagle – There are seven deadly sins of communication, says Patrick Jelly, and one is actually illegal. PLUS columnist Nick Ash summarises the latest Budget

Drive – Motor man Tim Barnes-Clayreports on his week behind the wheel of the elegant and sporty Maserati GranCabrio

Clicks & Mortar – Will the mobile phone replace the PC? Stace Hipperson has strong views

Webwise – Get to know more about SEO, says our digital expert, Stan Nyokas

Workforce – Colin Nottage,our health and safety guru, answers your H&S questions

Skillset – Build a culture of innovation: Patrick Sim tells how. PLUS set realistic goals, says our skills coach David Grundy

Off Duty – Our tour guide Tamara Taylor says it’s never too early to plan ahead: now is the ideal time to book a long-haul Christmas treat!

What’s On – Dates for your diary, PLUS the lakeside business which has splashed out on new shores

Headlines – Charitable giving should be a business ‘must’, says Elizabeth Inman

Publisher Heidi SempleEditor Sally HootonSub editor Carol RandallDesign Jim CounsellAdvertising Charlotte Charlesworth

Address: Old School House, Great North Road,Wittering, Peterborough, PE8 6BX

Telephone: +44 (0)1780 783613Email: info@scenepublishing.co.ukwww.thescenemagazine.co.uk

Serving 5,000executives inand aroundPeterborough

ESSENTIAL READING FOR LOCAL EXECUTIVE LEADERS SCENE

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TheBusiness SceneTeam

20Prof Sai Gu brings‘green’ learning to Peterborough

Bill Marshall is busytaking care of the city’s print business

24Hollie Ward and FelicityAdams model Arena’srebranded new look

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Welcome

07Alison Toomey sayscharity at work canboost staff morale

CONTENTSAPRIL 2012 03

The effects of the latest Budget take a while tobe fully assessed, but there are many

company chiefs currently wondering whether anyGovernment has truly helped businesses (page 4).The last four years have been an uphill slog andthe notion of making money seems to have lostground to making ends meet.

Noted and oft-quoted scientist Steven Wrightsays, if you want the rainbow, you’ve got to putup with the rain – and that principle is echoed byskills coach David Grundy, who advises today’sentrepreneurs to set themselves realistic goals.Meanwhile, business strategist Patrick Sim tellshow to achieve those goals by adopting a cultureof innovation (page 21).

The latest technological innovation, ofsmartphones/tablet devices, is given credit fordriving up retail sales made via the Internet,despite this age of austerity – or perhaps becauseof it, as shoppers search the web for bargains. InFebruary, reports the Office of National Statistics,retail sales showed an increase of 3.2 per cent,year-on-year – and 10.7 per cent of all retail salestook place online. Does this steady climb foretellthe death of the high street, or merely show thecustomer is out shopping again – via clicks orbricks or, most likely, both?

Perhaps Spring is working her magic,drugging us with optimism – but, tentatively,confidence is rising.

Growth is anticipated by the majority ofsupporters of the new Get Britain Trading 2012campaign, by the Forum of Private Business: 95per cent are already exploring ways ofdeveloping their businesses. The mood is similaramong members of the Federation of SmallBusinesses – see page 6.

With nearly £30 billion of sales coming via e-commerce over the past year, the UK hasbecome a global leader in online shopping.

And to think, Napoleon meant to be scornfulwhen he called Britain: “A nation of shopkeepers.”

09

04 APRIL 2012NEWS

Agency with a royal brief

The Chancellor could havedone more to help boostbusiness confidence and powergrowth in the UK, theCambridgeshire Chambers ofCommerce has said.

John Bridge, chief executiveof the chamber, said: “There hasnever been a more importantmoment for the Government tofocus on the long-term,sustainable growth of Britishbusiness. The commitment toreducing corporation tax will be

warmly received bysome businesses.However, manysmall and

medium-sized companies willnot benefit and feel theChancellor did not do enough inhis Budget to support confidenceand growth.

“Companies will be hit witha 5.6 per cent rise in businessrates from April, lowerallowances for new plant andmachinery investment, no furtherincentive to create employment,particularly for young peopleand fuel duty increases inAugust. While welcoming theone per cent cut in CorporationTax and reduced borrowingcosts for some businesses, theproblems companies have,particularly when it comes to

accessing finance, will remain areal barrier to growth.

“Businesses need to seeradical and meaningful deliveryof the promises of reforminginfrastructure, planning andemployment law to provide somereassurances. It is pleasing tosee the Chancellor did reiteratepromises to carry out thereforms, along the overhaul oftransport and broadbandnetworks plus helping firmsenter new overseas markets. Ihope the Chancellor’s actionsspeak louder than words overthe coming weeks to show theGovernment’s real commitmentto business growth.”

NEWSCity rankshighly in bidto site bankPeterborough was placed

fourth out of 32 bids in the racefor the siting of the GreenInvestment Bank (GIB). TheSecretary of State said the newbank’s headquarters will belocated in Edinburgh, with themain transaction team based in aLondon office. Second to theEdinburgh-London joint solutionwas Manchester, followed closelyby Peterborough.Being shortlisted in the top six

cities demonstrates that theGovernment recognisesPeterborough would have offereda successful base for the GIB. A spokesman for Opportunity

Peterborough – the economicdevelopment company based atStuart House, St John’s Street,Peterborough, and which wasdriving the city’s bid – said theteam was pleased the city’sstrengths had been recognised byGovernment officials.

Budget: ‘not enough of a boost’

Jubilee honourhopes dashedPeterborough has not been

chosen in its bid for theprestigious civic honour ofbecoming a Lord Mayoralty. Aspart of the celebrationssurrounding the 60th year sinceher accession to the throne, theQueen had announced she wouldgrant the position of Lord Mayorto one town or city – andPeterborough was on the short list.

CouncillorMarco Cereste(right), leader ofPeterboroughCity Council,said: “We aredisappointed notto have beenchosen to appoint a Lord Mayoras part of the Queen’s DiamondJubilee celebrations. Peterboroughwas one of 12 locations biddingfor the honour (among them,Cambridge) and unfortunatelythere could only be one winner.Congratulations to Armagh inNorthern Ireland which has beenbestowed the civic honour.

“I am, however, delightedthat the letter from the CabinetOffice announcing its decisionincluded praise from judges for our ‘forward-looking, historic city that is undergoing much redevelopment’.”

Left: John Bridge.

It’s not every day a company getsthe opportunity to design for HerMajesty the Queen. But for MastersAllen, a creative design andmarketing agency based inSwithland, Leicestershire, that’sexactly the challenge they were setrecently by De Montfort University Leicester (DMU).

The Queen, the Duke ofEdinburgh and the Duchess ofCambridge visited DMU last monthas part of the UK Diamond Jubileetour – so Masters Allen was briefedto create a range of materials tocommemorate the occasion.

Sean Masters, creative directorof Masters Allen, said: “It certainlywasn’t a brief we expected toreceive when DMU got in touch.However, we were reallyhonoured and saw this as

a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity toshowcase what we could do, whileensuring we did DMU justice.”

He added: “We embraced ourBritish heritage with the covers andproduced a set of three brochuresin the iconic Union Flag trio ofcolours – red, white and blue,which were finished with a silverfoil to add a regal feel.

“The brochure included anintroduction to the Royal party, aprogramme of events and a profileon DMU; its history, faculties,students and partnerships.

“DMU was keen for this not tobe just another brochure, but moreof a keepsake of the day that wasfit for the Queen.

“The majority of copies wereprinted in redand blue, but wealso produced a

limited edition white version for theRoyal family and other VIPs.”

With a gala dinner being heldthe evening before for localdignities, Masters Allen alsocreated a suite of menus, tablenumbers, lyric cards andsupporting materials, using thesame evocative design.

Elise Bethancourt, head ofmarketing operations at DeMontfort University, said: “We werehonoured to host the start of the UKDiamond Jubilee tour and had toget every last detail right.

“We had every confidence thatMasters Allen would deliver andthe materials produced not onlycaptured the spirit of the Jubilee,but our commemorative brochuresgave people something special tokeep as a permanent reminder ofthe day the Queen visited DMU.”

Pictured: The brochurecreated by Masters Allen to commemorate the day the royal party visited De Montfort University in Leicesterat the start of the UK Diamond Jubilee tour.

NEWSAPRIL 2012 05

Searching for larger premises,a company which supplies

rubber mouldings to theautomotive industry is thelatest to tread the path to oneof Peterborough’s newestbusiness parks.

A E Rubber (UK) – which hasbeen based in Orton Southgate– moved to Eagle Business Parkin Yaxley last month.

From the company’s newoffice and warehouse base in thepark’s Talon Court, co-director Karl Snitch will directUK and overseas operations,including the supply of rubberand plastic mouldings to first-tier

automotive customers, who buildthe components into the vehiclesystems of various motor brandsassembled across Europe.

When Talon Court launchedas a speculative development inspring 2010, A E Rubber (UK)was a fledgling firm, founded inFebruary of that year bydirectors who havebetween them morethan 80 years’experience of theautomotive componentsupply chain.

Eagle Business Parkdeveloper R & HEstates, and joint

agents Carter Jonas and BarkerStorey Matthews, were convincedTalon Court would appeal to newfirms, started by entrepreneurs,who would quickly outgrow theirfirst set of premises. This is thecase with AE Rubber (UK),which has seen turnover reach

£1million intwo years.

Karl Snitchexplained: “Asour business hastaken off, sowe’ve outgrownour first building.At Talon Court,we will have ourown stand-alone

premises in a brand new,purpose-built business park.

“It means we can warehouseand deliver more from one site,and also it’s a base from whichwe can plan for the future growthof the company.

“We currently employ fourpermanent members of staff,supplemented with temporarypositions to meet the needs ofcustomers in the UK and onmainland Europe.

“Growth plans will see usexpand in to new markets, takingproducts we develop and engineerin the UK and produce with ourpartners in Malaysia, back out tothe Far East, with new marketsopening up to us in China.”

For details about availabilityat Eagle Business Park, contactGraham Bunnett at Carter Jonas(tel: 01733 588678), or RichardJones at Barker Storey Matthewson 01733 897722.

Company treads path to Yaxley

Bringing communicators togetherAn organisation for

communicators such as PRand marketing professionals hasbeen relaunched.

After several successful years,The Peterborough Communicators’Network is changing its name toThe Communicators’ Network(TCN) so it can expand to servethe whole county. Its aim is tobuild and develop strong workingrelationships between thoseworking in marketing, PR andjournalism. The network holds anannual series of awards and hosts

events such as debates, invitingkey industry speakers to the area.

A new e-newsletter will givecontributors the chance to shareexpertise via case studies andcommentary on industry issues.

TCN is run by city-based PRand marketing specialists, AtheneCommunications.

A relaunch event took placelast month, but the second eventof the year is on Wednesday June6 (5-6.30pm) when TCN, Atheneand Peterborough EnvironmentCity Trust will host a debate on

how businesses should respond tothe green agenda in times ofausterity. The debate, at the city’sKey Theatre, is supported byVivacity Culture & Leisure andwill be part of Peterborough’sGreen Festival 2012. To book,email: caroline.sheffield@athene-communications.co.uk

Steve Titman from AtheneCommunications and TCN, said:“Cambridgeshire has an excitingfuture and we hope TCN will playa part in bringing communicationprofessionals together.”

David Woods, head ofthe Corporate and

Commercial Departmentat Greenwoods Solicitorsin Peterborough, hasbeen a solicitor for some30 years. Now he hasadded a new qualificationand office to his portfolioof services by becominga Notary Public.

There are only around 900Notaries in England and Wales. Inorder to be admitted as a Notary,David completed the CambridgeUniversity Post-Graduate Diplomain Notarial Studies – and is thoughtto be one of only two people in thePeterborough area to gain thisDiploma. He will be providing hisservices as a Notary fromGreenwoods’ Peterborough officein City Road, while continuing hisrole at Greenwoods.

The office of NotaryPublic is a long-standingand respected branch ofthe legal profession. Thework carried out byNotaries relates totransactions and othermatters taking placeabroad – for example,you may need theservices of a Notary if

you wish to:l Buy or sell a property overseasl Establish a branch of yourbusiness overseasl Emigrate, and you need todemonstrate that you are properlyqualified to work in your chosen professionl Respond to an invitation totender for business overseasl Get married overseas.

Email David here:dvwoods@greenwoods.co.uk

New Notary Public for area

Talon Court at the EagleBusiness Park in Yaxley.

David Woods.

Women get on board atFTSE firms

Strong growthfor recruiter

The number of women on the topboards of FTSE 100 companies

in the UK has risen from 12.5 percent last March to 15.6 per centnow, says a new report. From the190 appointments made in theFTSE 100 boards, 47 newappointments were female.

The report, authored by ProfSusan Vinnicombe and Dr RuthSealy of the Cranfield School ofManagement, brings an update onhow companies are performingagainst the targets set by LordDavies of Abersoch, the formertrade minister, who last yearbegan an inquiry into maledominance of UK boardrooms. Herecommended thatthe proportion ofwomen on FTSE 100companies’ topboards be increasedto a minimum of 25per cent by 2015.

Lord Davies said: “We arefinally seeing a culture change atthe very heart of British business inrelation to how women are seenwithin the workforce. However, Imust also emphasise that effortsneed to be ramped up and thespeed of change accelerated toavoid Government interference.”

Local recruitment firm, The OneGroup, reports it finished 2011

with its best ever year since 2004 – and is on target to repeat thatsuccess in 2012, with January beingthe strongest trading month incompany history.

A boost inturnover last year by£500,000 and a 30per cent rise in grossprofit compared to2010, coupled with a 28 per centincrease in headcount, points tostrong growth across itsPeterborough and Cambridgeoffices, providing levels of businessfirst matching and then surpassingthose last seen in 2008.

Managing director, TristanDrane, said the last few years hadbeen economically challenging,but added: “We have bucked thetrend and taken a proactiveapproach by retaining our people,forging stronger relationships withclients, broadening our range ofservices and recruiting new talent.”

Lord Davies.

Tristan Drane.

06 APRIL 2012NEWS

Confidence risesin first quarter

Avoid increasing price of stamps

Branch sharing is a solution tospiralling bank closures, say

industry bodies which are urgingthe Government to take action.

Analysis shows that more than7,500 branches have closed since1990. The Forum of Private Businessand Campaign for CommunityBanking Services (CCBS) believethe Government should pressurethe UK’s big banks to share localbranches as a solution.

Both organisations arewarning that the impact of branchclosures on communities andbusinesses is in danger of beingoverlooked. The CCBS data showsthat 44 per cent of local brancheshave closed across the UK.

The Forum’s chief executive,Phil Orford, said: “There is aserious risk that the impact of thealarming decline in local bankbranches is being missed.

“It is a race to the bottom andsmall businesses are reportingpoor levels of service, often

including difficulties evencontacting their bankrepresentatives, who can appearcompletely ignorant and uncaringabout them.

“The Government should actwithout delay to address thesituation and pressure banks togenuinely think locally andconsider branch sharing as anoption. It works elsewhere so whynot in the UK?

“Competition between banks isclearly important, but it is difficultto see how reducing local servicescan possibly make a businessmore competitive.”

According to the CCBS’s latest‘Last Bank in Town’ analysis, 414rural communities in the UK havejust one bank left, with 190 of thesecompletely unprotected by banks’questionable ‘non closure’ pledges.

In addition, 466 urbancommunities now have a singlebranch to serve them. While manyare within one mile of an

alternative bank,there is stillwidespreadinconveniencecaused tomembers of thepublic and localbusinesses, saysthe CCBS, includingretailers struggling as a result ofdeclining footfall. CCBS director,Derek French, said: “Branches invulnerable urban and ruralcommunities are disappearing asthe banks interpret Governmentsilence on the issue as a licence toescalate closures. A proven andcost-effective sharing model isavailable and action to implementis needed now before it is too late.”

The Forum is lobbying for bankinfrastructures to be improved aspart of its Get Britain TradingCampaign (www.getbritaintrading.co.uk).It is also calling for more localautonomy for branch managers tomake lending decisions.

Small business confidence hasimproved despite rising

overheads and problems accessingfinance, according to the lobbyinggroup, the Federation of SmallBusinesses (FSB).

The FSB’s Voice of SmallBusiness Index of 3,000 membersshows business confidence hasbounced back from an index scoreof -24.5 in Q4 2011 to +2.2 in Q12012. Overall, the study showsconfidence rising for the first time ina year, with more than half of thosesurveyed aiming to grow in the 12months ahead, and a third ofcompanies looking to increasecapital investment plans.

However, the findings also showthese plans to expand could beunder threat from rising overheads,weak customer demand and concernover the cost and availability offinance. Demand factors and weakdomestic conditions are the majorconcerns cited in the survey.

Postal regulator Ofcom isproposing that Royal Mail willbe allowed to set its own pricesfor first class post, although theprice of second class will remainregulated. This may result in asignificant increase in the priceof a first class stamp from this month.

Recently, Business, Innovationand Skills Select CommitteeMPs announced an inquiry intothe changes.

Adrian Bailey, committeechairman, said: “We will bequestioning whether a potential53 per cent increase in thesecond class stamp and anuncapped increase in the firstclass stamp will have anythingother than a disastrous impact ontraffic. The people who will be hitwill be the elderly, the vulnerableand those on low incomes, butalso small businesses.”

Royal Mail processes 59million pieces of post a day, 88per cent of which are sent by UKbusinesses. The cost of sendingmail has increased – last April,the price of a first class stamprose 5p and second class 4p.

For small and medium-sizedbusinesses (SMEs) still usingstamps on their mail, there is analternative – franked or meteredmail, reports mailroom

solutions provider, Neopost. Franking machine users

currently receive a discount onevery item of mail sent, saving atleast 7p on every first class letter,8p on every second class.

A spokesman for Neopostsaid: “By keeping the price offranked mail low, smallerbusinesses are able to afford tosend out more post and helpgenerate much needed business.Royal Mail recognised this sevenyears ago and introduced thefirst franked mail discount of 1pon first class postage.

“From that humble beginning,small businesses now benefitfrom franked mail discounts onfirst class, second class, specialdelivery and internationalpostage. Currently, for a businesssending 15 items of mail a day, afranking machine is anaffordable option, as the postalsavings will offset the rentaland running costs of thefranking machine. With RoyalMail’s ongoing commitment tosmall businesses, this numbermay very well go lower.”

Find out more aboutswitching from stamps to frankedmail, visit: www.neopost.co.ukand key into its search facility:Reasons to Choose aFranking Machine.

Phil Orford.

‘Banks should share branches’

07COVER STORYAPRIL 2012

Charity begins at workLike businesses, charitableorganisations operate in avery competitive market. Everyyear, thousands of charitieslaunch new campaigns andfind innovative solutions tosecure donors’ support.

Times are difficult. Businesses need to come

up with new products and newways to engage with theirclients. The challenges thatboth the charity and thebusiness sector face are verysimilar. There are areas ofsynergy where workingtogether can bring mutualbenefits. Despite the day-to-day challenges manycompanies are currentlyfacing, support from the localbusiness community tocharitable organisations isstronger now than ever.

True, the traditionalmethods of donating to charityhave changed. It is very rare

that a business will just openits cheque book and make aone-off donation.

Mutually beneficialHowever, there are ways ofcreating long-termrelationships with businessesthat are proving to be morebeneficial for both parties.

By encouraging businessesto form longer-termpartnerships, their staff as wellas their customers get to knowmore about the good causethey are raising money for.

For instance, our Sue Ryderhospice at Thorpe Hall inPeterborough, is a local charityproviding end of life andlong-term care services for thelocal community coveringPeterborough, Lincolnshire,Rutland, Leicestershire,Northamptonshire and as faras Norfolk. The money raisedis used to fund the careprovided to those sufferingfrom life-limiting conditionssuch as cancer, multiplesclerosis, motor neuronedisease, Parkinson’s disease

and Huntingdon’s disease.We have been working

successfully with businessesfor the last 20 years. However,with economic pressures andthe constant increase inregistered charitable causes in this area, it is even morevital to recognise theimportance of creating mutually beneficialrelationships with localbusinesses. No two companiesare alike – it is important towork with your partnerorganisation to establish clearoutcomes that will meet thecompany’s specific businessneeds: such as to maintainand increase their reputationwithin the local community;increase staff morale andretention; or boost theircorporate socialresponsibility credentials.

Charity of the yearpartnerships often offer theperfect model to establish along-term and valuablerelationship between a charityand a local business.

For a charity, being able to

The staff just wanted to give something backto the people who cared for their loved ones.

Martha Keenan, Royal Sun Alliance.

Corporate fundraising is a two-wayrelationship, which benefits bothbusiness and charity, says Alison Toomey.

Continued on page 8 >

❝ ❞

AlisonToomey.

08 APRIL 2012COVER STORY

Continued from page 7

work closely with a businessfor a year – preferably longer – provides the opportunity toengage staff and customers inthe work the charity does.Engaging staff in charitableactivities has proved to help boost morale, create a sense of community and re-generate energies.

Positive outcomesA great example of this is anew partnership the Sue RyderThorpe Hall Hospice hasrecently made with BarclaysBank in the city’s ChurchStreet. Barclays Bankencourages every branch towork with a local charity toraise money in their localcommunity. From the verybeginning, you need to workwith your corporate partner toset up a clear business planthat can ensure mutuallypositive outcomes. With Barclays, this helped

to create a calendar ofactivities ranging fromvolunteering opportunities forstaff to fundraising activities,such as taking part in theThree Peaks Challenge. Thishelped to plan activitiesthroughout the year in order tomeet some agreed objectives,such as staff development andincreasing their profile withinthe community.

Jenny Daw, manager ofBarclays Bank in ChurchStreet, said: “Supporting alocal charity has helpedeveryone focus on somethingother than just businesstargets. The charity was chosenby the staff here and I’ve beenreally pleased with the wayeveryone has got behind thefundraising. It has been a real

boost for morale and forteamwork here, and theinteraction all the staff havewith the team from the hospicehas been a real bonus.”

Many businesses are usingvolunteering opportunities inplace of traditional teambuilding days.

Local business Royal SunAlliance (RSA), for example,dedicates one week a year tovolunteering staff out in thecommunity. Over the last threeyears, they have spent theirweek volunteering at the SueRyder Thorpe Hall Hospice.One of the projects they wereable to deliver through thisscheme was to create agarden area for Hospice DayCentre members. Thisincluded clearing an area ofthe garden, building raisedflower beds so members would

be able togarden atwheelchairheight, andcreate suitableground cover to enablewheelchairs tobe pushed overthe gravel.

This was afantastic project

and, without the support ofstaff at RSA, it would not havebeen possible. At the sametime, staff at RSA gained agreat sense of achievementknowing they had made aneverlasting difference,enabling wheelchair users toaccess and work in the garden.

Martha Keenan from RSAsaid: “Many of the staff whovolunteer to support ThorpeHall have been touched by afamily member or friend whohas needed this charity’s helpeither present or past. Theyjust want to give somethingback to the people who caredfor their loved ones. They alsoenjoy the challenge ofcompleting somethingrewarding within that weekand, of course, can see thefinished results by workingtogether as one team.“

Networking opportunitiesGifts in Kind are another greatway for a business to getinvolved and they can helpsave cost and raise money fortheir chosen charity.

This is an area whereSycamore MINI supports thehospice in a huge way. Eachyear the company donates the use of a new Sue

Ryder-branded Mini to thefundraising team. The car isused by the team when theyare going to fundraisingevents, to collect donationsand to meet supporters. Notonly does it save the charitymoney through staff not usingtheir own cars, but it is afantastic way to get the charity’s name seen aroundthe local community.

Working with a charity canalso offer a companynetworking opportunities withother businesses the charityworks with.

Recent research has shownthat, if facing a life-changingillness, 46 per cent of peoplesurveyed in Peterboroughwould turn to a charity forsupport. However, just four percent of people in Peterboroughactually took part in afundraising event for ahealth-related charity last year.

So there couldn’t be abetter time to get involved.

l Alison Toomey is corporatefundraiser at health andsocial care charity, SueRyder. Call her for moreinformation about workingwith Sue Ryder Thorpe HallHospice on 01733 330060.

Getting behind local charity fundraising has been a real boost for morale and for teamwork here.

Jane Daw, Barclays Bank, Church Street.❞❝

Above: The Barclays team gets set to support the SueRyder charity by taking up the Three Peaks Challenge.

09APRIL 2012

BUSINESS BREAK

BUSINESS BREAK

When Bill Marshall qualifiedwith an HND in printing in

1989, he didn’t realise he wouldbe running his own thriving city centre print business oneday: Printmarshall.

Part of the Printmarshall logois the strapline, ‘taking care ofbusiness’, because Bill has nowbeen taking care of print businessfor more than 25 years!

He has enjoyed an extensivecareer, working for a variety oflarge print companies, but aboutnine years ago decided what hereally wanted was to run his ownbusiness. He was working for aprinter in the Midlands when anopportunity came up to take overthe Peterborough Prontaprintfranchise. Together with his wifeTracy, Bill grabbed the chance.The franchise provided a freshchallenge – Bill loves dealingwith customers, something he’salways excelled at, and thefranchise business would enablehim to use that client expertise toits full potential.

Working closely with Tracy,he grew turnover at the franchiseyear-on-year and won the NewFranchisee of the Year accoladeat Prontaprint’s annual Europeanawards in 2004.

Bill said: “When we took overthe business, there were anumber of changes we wanted tomake, moving the business awayfrom the ‘copyshop’ days whereyou would see a bank ofphotocopiers, to a high-tech

one-stop-shop. In 2004, wecompletely refurbished thepremises and invested in newequipment and technology.”

When Bill reached his 25-yearmilestone in the world of print, the nextnatural step was tomove awayfrom theProntaprintbrand toindependentstatus. Thus,he establishedPrintmarshall inDecember 2011.

Bill said: “I’m reallyexcited by the change of brand.With our new independentstatus, we have been able topush forward with our ownidentity and invest in newfinishing equipment for ourcustomers. We are now fullyequipped to provide a variety ofprint, design and copy solutionsfor businesses, but our specialityis our ability to print and finishdocuments – fast! We are veryflexible and can often completeprint projects with complicatedfinishing requirements at veryshort notice.”

Bill and his team arededicated to providing a greatprint and design service for theircustomers. He said: “I get a realbuzz from working with mycustomers, to ensure they’rehappy with all aspects of theirdesign and print projects.”

There are three staffworking alongside Bill in thebusiness: Steven Timbers isassistant manager, seeing tothe day-to-day running of thebusiness and often the first

point of contact forcustomers; TonyKellas is thefirm’s graphicdesigner,overseeingproductionand ensuringcustomers’

artworks are suitable forprinting; and Ron Owen is incharge of all print finishing,such as glueing, stapling,wirobinding, punching andbooklet creation.

Bill added: “I’ve got a greatteam working for me whocollectively have more than 50years’ experience in the printingindustry. Tony and Ron areexperts in their field and oftenhelp customers with technicalquestions they may have.

He summed up: “2011 was a very busy year for me – rebranding the business and

Get your enterprise featured on our Business Break page. Email your details to: info@businessscene.co.uk

sorting out my own printing forthe new business. I even foundtime to move house, too!

“I’m really looking forward topushing forward my plans for thebusiness into the future.”

Pictured: Bill Marshall outsidehis print business in Broadway,

Peterborough, and above, frontinghis team (back, from left), printfinisher Ron Owen, assistantmanager Steven Timbers andgraphic designer Tony Kellas.

Taking care of print

New Government plans to controlimmigration levels mean

skilled migrants will have to earnat least £35,000 a year in order toreside permanently in the UK.

Immigration Minister DamianGreen said the minimum salarythreshold would also prevent

temporary routes intothe country beingabused: “Settling inthe UK is a privilege.We are sweepingaside the idea thateveryone who comes

here can settle and insteadreserving this important right onlyfor the brightest and best. Ourreforms will ensure we are moreselective about those who comehere and those who stay.”

Scientists and researchers inPhD level roles, as well as thoseemployed in jobs where there is ashortage of skills will be exemptfrom the threshold, as willinvestors, entrepreneurs and‘exceptionally talented migrants’.

‘Only room forthe brightest’

10 APRIL 2012LEGAL EAGLES

LEGALEAGLES

Last month’s Budget washeralded by some as good for

business, but slated for taxingpensioners. Below is a summary:

BusinessCorporation tax cut to 24 per centfrom April. By 2014 it will fall to22 per cent. Consultation onsimplifying the tax system forsmall firms with a turnover of upto £77,000. ‘Above-the-line’ taxcredit – a credit against acompany’s corporation tax – fromnext year for firms conductingresearch and development.Relaxation of Sunday tradinglaws on eight Sundays duringOlympics and Paralympics,starting July 22. Enterprisefinance guarantee, in which theGovernment guarantees bankloans to small business, to beexpanded. Governmentconsidering enterprise loans foryoung people to start their ownbusiness. Extra £270m for the

Growing Places fund, whichaims to boost local economicgrowth and job creation.

The economyIndependent Office for BudgetResponsibility revised the UKgrowth forecast for 2012 to 0.8per cent, from 0.7 per cent. Itsforecast for 2013 is two per cent,for 2014 is 2.7 per cent and threeper cent in each of the two yearsfollowing. UK inflation is forecastto fall from 2.8 per cent this yearto 1.9 per cent next year.

Income taxPersonal income tax allowanceraised to £9,205 from April 2013,a move the Government says willmake 24 million people £220 ayear better off. But 300,000 morepeople will fall into the 40 percent tax band from 2013/14 as thethreshold reduces from £42,475 to£41,450. From next April, the 50ptop tax rate falls to 45p.

PensionersPensioners will no longer receivea larger personal income taxallowance than those of workingage. At present, the over 65s canearn £10,500 before tax, whilethose over 75 can earn 10,660,but those age-related allowanceswill be removed for newpensioners from April 2013.Allowances for those already ofpension age will be frozen untilthe personal allowance for therest of the population catches up.

Child benefitWill be reduced incrementallywhen someone in a householdhas an income of more than£50,000. It will fall by one per

cent for every £100 earned over£50,000. It will mean thoseaffected will have to fill out self-assessment tax forms.Anyone earning more than£60,000 will lose the benefitcompletely.

Fuel, cigarettes, alcohol No change to existing plans onfuel duty – a 3.02p per litreincrease will go ahead onAugust 1. Vehicle excise duty is torise with inflation, but frozen forroad hauliers. A packet ofcigarettes rose 37p. As planned,alcohol duty will rise two percent above inflation rate, puttingmore than 5p on the price ofa pint.

Nick Ash is director, will and probate services, Tancreds. Email: nick.ash@tancreds.co.ukor call: 01778 341490. Details here: www.tancreds.co.uk

Financial expertise from Nick Ash

Asurvey to discover whatbusinesses think of the EU

cookie law ahead of the May26 deadline for compliance,has proved the majoritybelieve it is ‘bad for the web’. Of more than 700 digital

marketers polled byEconsultancy – publisher ofdigital marketing and e-commerce best practice andinsight – 82 per cent fear theInternet will suffer as a resultof the regulation.

The EU e-Privacy Directivemakes it compulsory for webusers to consent for a websiteto use or store cookies.

Just 18 per cent of surveyrespondents think the directiveis a positive development forthe web. One said: “While I’mall for protecting privacy, thebit of this directive thatapplies to cookies has been illthought out and even morebadly applied, by someone

who doesn’t understandthe technology. Ratherthan try and analysewhich cookies areactually intrusive,they’ve just ‘banned’ thelot! The lack of adviceor guidance from theEU or Government hasmade things worse.”

Another wrote:“There’s total confusion onhow to apply it and whatshould be applied.”

While more than half thesurvey respondents said theyhad read about the newdirective and a similar amounthave carried out an audit inpreparation for the rulecoming into force, 67 per centremain unaware of the May 26UK deadline.

Respondents voiced a lackof consumer awareness ofwhat cookies are and whatthey mean. Only seven per

cent believe userswill understandwhat cookies are.

EconsultancyCEO, AshleyFriedlein, said: “Wecreated this poll togauge industrysentiment andunderstanding ofthe EU cookie law.

“A surprisingly highpercentage of respondentsknow about the directive, haveread it, read the InformationCommissioner’s Officeguidance (www.ico.gov.uk)and have done a cookie audit.Despite this, almost everyonethinks it lacks focus and webusers don’t care about cookiesand won’t understand thechanges. The feeling is thereis not enough clarity on whichcookies are ‘strictly necessary’and much less clarity on howto implement consent/opt-in.”

Was it a Budget for business?

DamianGreen.

Ashley Friedlein.

New cookie law slated by industry

LEGAL EAGLESAPRIL 201211

Not only is it illegal to send amarketing email or text

without providing an opt-out forthe recipient, it is also the mostlikely way to infuriate and solose a potential customer.

It’s number one of a list ofpet hates unearthed by PitneyBowes, which has discoveredthat British businesses riskalienating almost 90 per cent of customers through poor communications.

The customercommunications expert sayspeople are becomingincreasingly jaded as a result of excessive contact frombusinesses, especially via email.

The Pitney Bowes Report,Why Some Customers Are JustNot That Into You, asked morethan 5,000 consumers abouttheir preferences incommunications with brands,and identified the seven mostannoying communicationtechniques used by companies.

Patrick Jelly, managingdirector of Pitney Bowes UK,said: “Effective customercommunication management(CCM) is a delicate balance of

message, medium and timing.Consumers appreciate beingkept updated on their favouritecompanies; the trick is tomaintain that loyalty ratherthan lose it.”

Failing to provide an opt-outon emails and texts infuriates 89per cent of survey respondents,closely followed bysending customersadvertising emailsevery week (which irks88 per cent of thosepolled). Monthly emailswere considered to beintrusive by 53 per centof respondents, whilejust 23 per cent saidthey’d be annoyed toreceive the samemessage by post.

The next most irritatingtechniques were: beingrequested to support a brand’scharity or ethical concerns (86per cent); being addressed asthough you have never been acustomer before (86 per cent);being sent offers from thirdparties (82 per cent); beingencouraged to interact withother consumers via an onlinecommunity (77 per cent); and

being invited to attend brandedlifestyle events (76 per cent).

British businesses need totread carefully when checkingcustomer satisfaction levels, too;those companies that call theircustomers risk annoying 48 percent of them, whereas a surveyform would be acceptable to 74 per cent.

Patrick Jelly continued:“Adjusting communication

techniques to matchcustomer preferences canhave a hugely positiveimpact on success.

“Our seven deadlysins highlight commonpitfalls that manycompanies encounterand the important thing to

do is be prepared to usedifferent techniques for differentcustomers – the ‘one size fits all’ policy doesn’t work in communications.

“As our research revealed,small changes can have bigimpacts, both in terms ofcustomer satisfaction andgaining useful information forthe company.

“Email is an increasinglypopular medium for Britishbusinesses to communicatewith customers, and it’s vitalthat they get the balance right.

“As a rule-of-thumb, a multi-layered approach of email, post andtelecommunications is the best option.”Patrick Jelly.

The seven deadly sins of communication

How to risk alienating customers:1. Failing to provide an opt-out of emails and texts.2. Sending customers advertising emails every week.3. Requesting that customers support your brand’s charity or ethical concerns.

4. Addressing customers as though they have never been a customer before.

5. Sending offers from third parties.6. Encouraging customers to interact with other consumers via an online community.

7. Inviting customers to attend branded lifestyle events.

Survey reveals ways to avoid infuriatingconsumers . . . and breaking the law

12 APRIL 2012MOTORING

major dynamic functions arecontrolled by switches on the driver’s side, while themost commonly usedmultimedia controls can beoperated via buttons on the steering wheel.

One of the best thingsabout the GranCabrio is thatit is a four-seater, whichallows you and three others(admittedly, the twopassengers in the back haveto be very small) to enjoy theexperience of driving withthe top down. The roof canbe opened in just 28 seconds,to put on show all of the car’sinterior beauty.

Of course, the Maseratisounds as good as you mightexpect. Better, in fact. That’sbecause, controlled by

Some say cars are nothingspecial; they’re only for

getting you from A to B. It’strue in a way, although a bitlike saying any old home willdo as long there’s a roof overyour head.

The Maserati GranCabriois definitely somethingdifferent – and special.Getting behind its wheel for a

week is like moving fromyour bungalow inBirmingham to a villa inValencia for seven days.

Looks-wise, the Italiansports car’s headlights blendperfectly into the contours ofthe nose section, while at thecentre of its oval grille isMaserati’s legendary Tridentsymbol in chrome. The rear

end of the GranCabrioemphasises its high-techcharacter, with triangulartaillights that use 96 LEDs toensure maximum night-timevisibility, and a wide rearvalence is framed at thesides by two pairs of largechrome exhaust tailpipes.The car is then finished offby impressive 20-inch

Trident-design alloy wheels,which fit tightly into thewheel-arches, creating apowerful stance.

Inside, the GranCabrioboasts a combination ofelegance and sportiness. Allthe materials are in leatherand wood and the driver’scontrols are located to give afeeling of total command. The

DRIVE

Pros ’n’ consl Sound √l Speed √l Looks √l Comfort √l Fuel consumpti

on X

Motoring columnist TIM BARNES-CLAYreports that he was privileged to drive the Maserati GranCabrio for a whole week.

On display: the interior beautyof the Maserati GranCabrio,with room for four.

MOTORINGAPRIL 2012 13

Leather and wood: the wheeland dashboard detail of the Maserati GranCabrio are pure elegance and style.

The Maserati GranCabrio: a car to behold, with a smile-inducing growl.

The Italian stallion

pneumatic valves, theGranCabrio’s exhaustsystem has two distinctcharacters – discreet andinspiring. In ‘Normal’ modethe valves are closed toensure a low rumble.However, pressing the ‘Sport’button not only changes thecar’s performance andhandling, but also opens theexhaust valves – enabling theengine to deliver maximumpower with a smile-inducinggrowl. At the heart of all thisthrobs the most powerful ofthe Italian car-maker’sengines – the glorious 4.7litre V8, delivering 434 bhp. It means the car can sprintfrom 0-62 mph in just 5.3seconds and will go on to

a top speed of 175 mph.The Maserati GranCabrio

is indeed a car to behold.Yes, it will get you from A toB like any other car – but,believe me, you won’t wantto stop at B once you get inthe driver’s seat, drop theroof, gun the engine andhear the crackling roar of the V8.

Fast facts l Max speed: 175

mph

l 0-62 mph: 5.3 secs

l Combined mpg: 18.3

l Engine: 4691cc V8 petrol

l Max power (bhp): 434 at 7000

rpm

l Max torque (Ib/ft): 360 at 4750

rpm

l CO2: 358 g/km

l Price: £98,250 on the road

Tim Barnes-Clay

The Italian stallion

16 APRIL 2012CLICKS&MORTAR

CLICKS&MORTARSearch activitycontinues to rise Have you branded your dot?

Time is ticking furiously forpersonalised web spaces.

January marked the openingof the ‘dotBrand’ applicationwindow – the first chance everfor businesses to own andmanage their own branded Top Level Domain (TLD). This isperhaps the most revolutionarychange ever allowed on the webby the Internet Corporation forAssigned Names and Numbers(ICANN). By 2013, we could seewebsites such as pepsi.combecoming, simply: .pepsi

As in all things with adeadline, it looks like manycompanies have waited until thelast minute to apply. But whatmany don’t realise is that thedeadline is here!

Companies have to completetheir applications on April 12.

That means businesses needto move quickly and make adecision on their dotBrand,especially since the opportunityto get a branded top leveldomain may not come aroundfor several years, if judging by

the slow, deliberate speed withwhich ICANN has previouslyapproved new TLDs.

The potential benefits of adotBrand can be separated intotwo main categories: customerengagement and security.Having a dotBrand makes awebsite or email address

Branding your ‘dot’: domain name Companies applying for an Internet dotBrand Top Level Domain(wherein almost any characters can be used after the ‘dot’instead of .com or .net) are reminded the opportunity is closingthis month (April 12).

UK and USA figures from registry services provider Afiliasshow that 44 per cent of large companies have registered for the change. But many others are unaware that naming regulator ICANN is ending the round of applications imminentlyand the opportunity is unlikely to recur for many years.

Here, Roland LaPlante explains why the domain name change is so important for businesses.

Internet users in the UK made2.2 billion visits to search

engines in February, up by 174million visits compared with lastFebruary. The increase in searchactivity represents an 8.7 percent year-on-year increase.Google increased its dominancein the UK market in February asrival search engines Bing andYahoo! both lost market share.

In total, Google Sitesaccounted for 91.57 per cent ofall searches conducted in theUK in February, up by nearlyone per cent from January 2012.Year-on-year, Google also sawpositive growth with a 0.89 percent increase in market share ofsearches, compared to Februarylast year.

CLICKS&MORTARAPRIL 2012 17

opportunity closing

Google local search has agood role to play in the

marketing of your business, butwhat is it and how does it work?

Every second, there are newdevelopments taking place thataffect the field of business andeach of these advancements areopening up new areas ofbusiness prospects. Alongsidethis, the competition level is alsorising and, to keep abreast of thishigh level of competition, mostbusinesses are deploying thelatest methods of marketing.

Internet search engines playa massive role in all aspects ofbusiness marketing and,because marketing is whatdifferentiates successfulbusinesses from failing ones, youcan’t be successful with youronline marketing efforts if you donot embrace and work withsearch engines.

Search engines such asGoogle and Bing have valuableanalytical information about whatyour customers want, where theyare looking for products/servicesand the keywords they are usingto find this information. Today,‘Google local‘ is one of the mostused tools for local searches inthe world.

Here are few statistics to supportthis argument: l 72 per cent of UK householdsuse the Internet as aninformation source whenshopping locally for products and servicesl 75 per cent of Internet users inthe UK perform local searcheswhen looking for local servicesl One in three people use ‘local’in their search criterial There has been a 365 per centincrease in just two years (from2008 to 2010) in the amount spenton advertising for local searchl Only five per cent of UKbusinesses have claimed theirGoogle local listingl Only nine per cent of businesshave optimised their Googlelocal page in Peterborough.

For anybusiness, thefirst task is to gainpeople’sattention andget them tonotice yourcompany. The best way to start is to workon their local searches, to try toget to the top of Google listings – to be on the first, not the secondpage. In this fast-paced world,people increasingly refer to theweb when looking for somethingspecific in their local area, whichis why companies must try to finda place high up the Google localsearch – the place where yourcompany can gain a lot of localbusiness. It is primarily thecombination of Google maps andGoogle business data, whichcreates a database for everybusiness in the developed worldand their location.

A place high up the Googlelocal search list of results meanspeople will find you quicklywhenever they search for aproduct/service in your area.

Appearing high in Google localsearch results is slightly differentfrom search engine optimisation: l Selecting the best keywords isimportant, as is mentioning thecategories your business relatesto: keywords you use on yourwebsite will connect you to thosesearching for something specificl Provide the complete addressof your business to help pinpointyour location more easily. Provideall business details when settingup in Google places – specificsreally help to spot you in Googlelocal search l Important – get a citation fromsome of the best data providersin the field. We use providerssuch as Yelp, Merchant Circle,Freeindex, DMOZ, to put togethera description of a business;Google trusts these sites andtherefore this will help to boostyour business rankings.

Raise your websearch status

‘Mobile as PC by 2020’

By IT expertStan Nyokas.

ACambridge-based company ispredicting that, by 2020, the

mobile phone will replace the PC.Stace Hipperson, chief

technical officer and co-founder ofIT and data software company,Real Status, believes mobiles willbe so connected they will becomeprimary personal computingdevices – enabling everythingfrom making purchase paymentsto accessing health services to filesharing, without use of a USBmemory stick.

He says mobile hardwaremay become thinner and lighter,but the software will store so muchdata gathered from a cloudinterface, that each individual’sidentity will be completely boundup in their phones.

The basic software

functionality to dothis alreadyexists, but Stacebelieves there aretwo issues stillneeding to beresolved: batterylife and security.Battery life on mobile phones willneed to be extended considerablyto make it viable to store so muchdata and security will increasinglyrely on biometric authentification,such as iris, voice, facial orpalm-print recognition to accessdata, in place of passwords.

He said: “Mobiles will notbecome exact replicas of personalcomputers, but they will developinto very useful mobile computingdevices that offer some of thefunctions of today’s PCs.”

Stanislas Nyokas is founder of iTotalMarketing, Peterscourt, City Road,Peterborough. Call 01733 294551. www.itotalmarketing.co.uk

instantly more memorable. Forexample, consumers would onlyhave to remember .pepsi to findthe legitimate PepsiCo website.

A dotBrand also offers newpromotional opportunities andopens up further possibilities forcustomer engagement.

With brands increasinglyfocused on multichannel andintegrated marketing strategies,they now can personalise theonline experience for theircustomers. This might beachieved, for example, bycreating unique customer pagessuch as joebloggs.tesco makingthe Internet as personal amedium as the mobile phone.

Also, the security benefitsoffered by dotBrands areparticularly relevant for retailerswith e-commerce sites,especially luxury goods brands.Any brand with an e-commercefunction is susceptible tocounterfeiting over the Internet,with imitation sites regularlyappearing on the net – sites overwhich brands have no control orregulation. However, with adotBrand, no-one else couldown, say, .rolex except for Rolexand consumers visiting the.rolex websites will know theyare buying a legitimate product.

Rolex would be the only businessable to offer franchisees thegenuine extension, finallycementing consumer confidencewhen buying online.

Costs for adotBrand aresignificant, withthe applicationcost alonecoming in atUS$185,000, soa dotBrandmay not be for everyone.

Moreover, ICANN will onlyapprove applications frombusinesses that have thetechnical expertise to managetheir TLD without jeopardisingthe security and stability of the Internet.

The ICANN applicationprocess gives an indication ofthis; it involves 50 questions, 22of which are very technical innature. For the best chance ofsuccess, businesses should workwith an experienced registryoperator to help turnapplications around if there istime in the remaining windowof opportunity.

l More details here:www.afilias.info/dotbrand/application

Roland LaPlante,

CMO, Afilias.

Stace Hipperson.

18 APRIL 2012

WORKFORCE

College principle Carl Smithhad a few home truths to tell

as the main speaker at the latestmeeting of the Rutland andStamford Business Network (RSBN).

Head of the Rutland CountyCollege, he presented afascinating business feature. Andif you are wondering what thecollege has to do with a businessnetwork, read on.

Collaboration is the wayforward for small businesses and,as a founding member of the

RSBN, Carl is forginglinks with the businesscommunity for thebenefit of the youngpeople at his college.Already, membershave joined in careersevents at Rutland CC

and Casterton CommunityCollege. Carl pointed out that,surprisingly, the UK’s top fivegrowing employment sectors are: 1 Sales assistant2 Care assistant3 Office assistant4 Teaching assistant5 Cleaner.

We were also shocked to learnthat the total number of jobsadvertised per year for which adegree is required has notincreased since 1980!

Fascinating statistics – but thiswas not the sole purpose of Carl’stalk. He wanted to highlight thatnew apprenticeships areavailable. In Rutland, the councilis offering 50 apprenticeships overthe course of 2012, the idea beingthat people aged 18 to 25 are

trained while atwork in a skillthat will lead topermanent jobs.

Director ofRSBN, BenCallaghan,commented: “Wemay be only small businesses working in asmall county, but by forging linksand discussing such topics we canhope to improve the situation, onestudent at a time, and onebusiness at a time.”

RSBN founding memberDawn Lees, local businessmanager at HSBC, added: “Carl’sfeature was excellent – highlyrelevant to all the people aroundthe table.” For more informationabout RSBN, visit: www.rsbn.biz

Warning overdigital profileAlmost one-in-five executives

in the technology industrysay a candidate’s social mediaprofile has caused them not tohire that person. This isrevealed in the 2012 annualtechnology market surveyconducted by EurocomWorldwide (eurocompr.com)and UK PR agency, SixDegrees (sixdegreespr.com). The annual study has

previously found that almost40 per cent of companiescheck potential employees’profiles on social media sites. Mads Christensen,

Eurocom Worldwide networkdirector, said the figures werea warning for job-seekers: “The21st century human is learningthat every action leaves anindelible digital trail.”

Deborah King.E: deb@rsbn.biz

Carl Smith.

WORKFORCE

College chief tells of students’ jobprospects Deborah King reports from the latest meeting of the

Rutland and Stamford Business Network

WORKFORCEAPRIL 2012 19

Businesses should investin more bilingual staff,

as 79 per cent of companiesnow regard languagelearning as a main focus intheir workplace development.So says research from

international online trainingcompany Speexx, whichinterviewed more than 100senior learning anddevelopment managers,human resource managersand business education staffacross Europe.

President of Speexx,Armin Hopp, said: “Acompany that operates witha vision for culturalopenness and mutualunderstanding will createopportunities for morebusiness and export.Languages provide the keyto communicating withclients and operating withinmultiple jurisdictions. One

language is nolonger enough tosatisfy everycommunicationneed. Companieswhich want togain competitiveadvantage willneed to upskill

staff and, in doing so, will befar better placed to reachout to new target marketsand to build lasting,strategic relationships.”

Almost three-quarters ofparticipants cite English andChinese as the mostimportant languages tolearn, followed by German,French, then Spanish.

The study also found theway staff are trained isexpected to change by 2014.The data showed that 71 percent of respondents statedthat ‘blended learning’ – amix of e-learning, mobilelearning and virtual learning– will be the primary methodof delivering training (anoverall increase of 21 percent from what is deliverednow). Classroom trainingwill fall to only 17 per cent(from 44 per cent). The dataalso found that one in fiveorganisations expects‘social and informallearning’ to play a greaterrole in staff development.

Armin added: “The trendfor blended learning willcontinue to grow over thenext two to three years andorganisations will increasetheir reliance on technologydelivering flexible and costeffective training to theirworkforce. Expectations ofwhat trainers and HRmanagers can deliver willalso be much higher fromemployees who are likely tobe dispersed in more thanone location.”

English languageno longer enough

ArminHopp.

Every six months, in April andOctober, changes in health and

safety legislation come into force.Often, the changes are minor andonly affect small sectors of industry(such as offshore work or thenuclear industry). But this time, thereare two significant changes that willaffect all places of work. The details of these changes can

be found on the HSE’s website, buthere is my brief outline:

Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous OccurrencesRegulations (RIDDOR)Hopefully, you won’t have to worryabout this, but RIDDOR’s ‘over threeday’ injury reporting requirementwill change. From April 6, the triggerpoint will increase from over threedays to over seven days’incapacitation (not counting the dayon which the accident happened).

Incapacitation means the workeris absent or unable to work as theywould reasonably be expected to aspart of their normal job.

You will still keep a record of all‘over three day’ injuries – if you keepan accident book, then this record

will be enough. Also, the deadlineby which the ‘over seven day’ injurymust be reported will increase from ten to 15 days from the day ofthe accident.

Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations 2012These regulations are also known asFee For Intervention or FFI. They willput a duty on HSE to recover itscosts for carrying out its regulatoryfunctions from those found to be inbreach of health and safety law.This will shift some of the cost ofhealth and safety regulation fromthe taxpayer to businesses andorganisations that break the law.

The trigger for FFI will be aformal intervention that leads to aletter, email or instant visit report.

The basis of cost recovery isexpected to be an hourly rate of£124 multiplied by the time spent onthe intervention.

If you would like a revisedRIDDOR reporting procedure or youwish to discuss how these changescould affect you, call or email me – my details are below.

Changes in the rulesColin Nottage has practical Healthand Safety advice and information

With a background in engineering and manufacturing, Colin Nottage runs Stamford and Bristol-based consultancy Safety Horizon: colin.nottage@safetyhorizon.com or Freephone 0845 689 0075. www.safetyhorizon.com

20 APRIL 2012SKILLSET

SKILLSETSMEs choosenon-graduatesAstudy of 20,000 small

business owners has foundthat a majority think schoolleavers and non-graduates arebetter value for money thantheir graduate counterparts.

The survey, conducted bymoney-saving websiteDealJungle.com found that 77per cent of SMEs had elected tohire non-graduates, saying thatthey required less on-the-jobtraining than their moreeducated equivalents, andwere more willing to ‘get theirhands dirty’ on tasks thatgraduates can sometimesperceive as beneath them.

DealJungle.com founder,Tom Michaels, said: “Thepicture we are getting is thatgraduates often turn up forwork with lofty ideas about aglamorous career.”

Aleading academic has beenappointed by Cranfield

University to launch a centre ofexcellence in Peterborough,aiming to put the city on themap as a national centre forrenewable energy.

Professor Sai Gu will lead a£5 million bid to establish theCentre for Renewable Energyand Biofuels in the city. Theprofessor will also co-ordinate aseries of sustainability courses.He said: “I believe Peterborough,with its large number of greensector companies, is the perfectplace for Cranfield University toset up this centre.”

Prof Gu will lead the bid forfunding from the ResearchCouncils UK. If successful, themoney will be used to carry outa wide range of researchprojects to reduce energy use in

building, transport andmanufacturing. Funding will alsobe used to employ researchers,retain world-class academics andsupport research projects.

Prof Gu will work with thecouncil and PeterboroughRenewable Energies Limited(PREL) to set up a series ofprofessional training courses.

For people already involvedin the green sector, the courseswill offer the chance to gain arecognised qualification inrenewable energy and businessmanagement from CranfieldUniversity, a post-graduateinstitution which has its maincampus in Bedfordshire.

Courses, starting soon, willbe held at the Eco InnovationCentre, Peterscourt, City Road.Prof Gu added: “It could bepossible to offer a Masters

degree in bio-fueltechnologylocally. It wouldinvolvecandidatesattending eightteaching modulesand undertakinga three-monthresearch project. To be able tooffer this in Peterborough wouldbe great.”

Prof Gu brings with him awealth of experience in thegreen sector, having researchedbiofuel technology previously atSouthampton University and atAston University in Birmingham.

After coming to study in theUK from China in 1996, hegained a PhD from the Universityof Nottingham and then becamea post doctorate researcher atthe University of Cambridge.

‘Green’ learning comes to city

Prof Sai Gu.

SKILLSETAPRIL 2012 21

Everyone wants their businessor organisation to be more

innovative. But how can peopleachieve this?

The first crucial step is forsenior management to acceptthe long-term commitmentrequired to shift to an innovativeculture. The most innovativeorganisations have a culture thatpermeates work structures andprocesses – and this state ofaffairs takes time to develop,encouraged by tacit signalsfrom the top.

In its report, ‘Excellence inService Innovation’, the CBIpointed out that successfulorganisations generally followedup this long-term attitude byinvesting in ICT, training andorganisational changes thatsupport innovative working.

Agent of change In the marketplace, innovationwas leveraged to differentiateand outpace the competition, aswell as seeking to delight

customers.At theleadershiplevel, thereis a need for

clarity and both explicit andimplicit messages supporting theshift to an innovativeorganisation.Perhaps the most powerful

agent of change is anempowered champion who takeson the task of exemplifying thehabits and expectations of theinnovation agenda. Championsact both upwards and across theworkplace, having an importantcommunication role with seniormanagement when obstaclesand setbacks occur. It is ademanding role and anorganisation is lucky when itpossesses such people preparedto commit to the change.

Ideas into cash Though often associated withideas and things, which are itsproducts, innovation isfundamentally a human activity.Many confuse invention withinnovation. While the formertransforms ‘cash into ideas’,innovation is about turning‘ideas into cash, or benefit’.

The management ofinnovation should address therelationship between a person and their work.

This involves skillsand on-going learning,as well as valuesaligned to stakeholdercollaboration andweb-based teamwork.Also, the notion of a job with a set ofactivities ‘to do’ needs to be replacedby that of a role, with responsibilities to support aligned initiatives.

Alongsidedeveloping the skillsof current staffinnovation, aptitudescan also be sought inthe recruitmentprocess by examiningskills, attitudes andprevious innovationexperience.

Innovation-alignedinduction and mentoring alsohave a role to play. Highperformance workingenvironments provide a strongargument for innovative working;these tend to be very engagingand satisfying places to work, often with little need for innovation-basedrewards systems.Innovation works most

effectively when people, withcomplementary needs and skills,

find a way to work together witha shared purpose. Externalconnection is particularlyimportant; innovation is drivenby the satisfaction of needs andnone is more important than thatof your customers.

An empathetic understandingof your customers is a realcompetitive advantage, socialmedia and ‘open innovation’ hasthe potential to provide morenew customer insights.

David Grundy is managing director of Tuit Achievements and offers a free 30-minute taster session.Email: david@tuitachievements.com or telephone: O1733 210464 or 07894 705293.

Twitter: tuitdoit Facebook david@tuitachievements Web: www.tuitachievements.com

Irecently read an interestingstory about ‘Nigel’ who thought

he had a job for life in a soapopera. He enjoyed a greatlifestyle. Out of the blue, to boost

viewing figures, the producerdecided his character would meeta dramatic end! Nigel felt heneeded to maintain his publicimage and borrowed to maintainhis lifestyle.

Nigel remembered a book acolleague had loaned him aboutgoal setting. Without reference tothe book, he set himself a goal:“Six months from now, I will betotally debt-free.” Exactly sixmonths later, he was forced intobankruptcy. Goal achieved, butnot the result he had in mind!

Your business plan is your

blueprint of how you want yourbusiness to look in the future. It isyour plan, delivering what youwant, and reflects you.

Six Steps 1. Know what you want – make alist. Start with one-line statementsand build up.2. Be specific – take your one-linestatements and ask lots ofquestions to create a statement.3. Set realistic deadlines – a goalis not a goal without a realistictimescale. Group them into short,medium or long-term goals.

4. Establishmilestones – like anyjourney, thereis satisfaction inpassing each milestone. This willhelp drive your motivation; key toyour success.5. Gather resources – friends andfamily, business partners,technical support, positive people(no negatives) and funding.6. Review and act – summarisesteps one to five into a positivestatement. Repeat it out loud daily,monitor progress and act.

Secrets behind setting goals

Skills expertise with

DavidGrundy

The culture of innovation

Left: Patrick Sim, founder/MD of city-based business innovation and strategic foresightconsultancy, Leapfrog Innovation.www.leapfrog-innovation.com

The reason why most peopleface the future with apprehensioninstead of anticipation is becausethey don’t have it well designed.– Motivational author JIM ROHN.

Patrick Sim has advice on how to build your business’scapability to be innovative.

It’s not too early to plan for aluxury long-haul festive break

Mauritius

APRIL 2012TRAVEL22

OFF DUTY

Spring is upon us andthe year is gathering

speed. Don’t gasp withshock, but have you givenany thought to yourChristmas holidays?It may seem like a way

off, but the 2012 festive shut-down will likely last afortnight as Christmas andthe New Year both fallmid-week, so this will be anideal time for busy workersto completely switch off. You need to be thinking

ahead about where to goand book accordingly.At Inspirational Travel,

we specialise in thecreation of luxury holidaysfor the discerning traveller.

We can tailor a specific tripto your requirements,anywhere around the globe,and far-off shores are ourspeciality. We have first-hand knowledge of arange of destinations andknow the best places tovisit, so read on for some ofour top recommendations,or give us a call to discussyour ideal trip, whatever theseason or the budget!All the examples here

involve travelling out ofLondon Heathrow Airporton December 22, for sevennights. This is peak time forlong-haul holidays, soplaces and prices are at apremium. Book them now!

Sensationallandscapes

surrounding theJalousie Plantationare some of thefinest in the world,lending weight to theopinion that St Lucia is the Caribbean’smost beautiful and romantic island.

The privileged location of theJalouise Plantation provides anincredible experience. On the secludededge of a protected rainforest, the resortnestles within more than 100 acres andfeatures luxury villas complete withbutler service and private plunge pools.l From £5,200 per person, ‘all inclusive’in a Sugar Mill Luxury room, travellingBA in World Traveller Plus class.

Ideally suited to couples, each room at The Oberoi hotelfeatures a four-poster bed and a spacious sunkenmarble bath. There are four room categories, two of

which come with private pools. All 72thatched Terrace Pavilion rooms

have DVD players and state-of-the-art communicationstechnology. Wooden-slattedceilings and wall-to-wallneutral tones contribute toa feeling of relaxedgrandeur. The restaurantat The Oberoi ischaracterised by its

soaring roof of palm-thatched timbers

and panoramic bay views.Dine inside among the pillars or

outside under the stars, on a fabulous menufeaturing European, Oriental and Creole dishesthat reflect the multicultural heritage of theisland. Facilities include a beauty parlour, sauna,steam bath and individual spa suites with privateplunge pools where couples can luxuriatetogether. Traditional Mauritian treatments withnatural local oils and fresh fruit are on offeralongside conventional therapies.

An example is the blissful coconut husk bodybrush, followed by a deep massage with freshlyground coconut – the perfect skin preparation fora lasting honeyed tan.l From £6,200 per person staying half board in aLuxury Pavilion, travelling with Emirates ineconomy class.

St Lucia

Above: Beaches and sub-tropical gardenslead to well-appointed Terrace Pavilion

rooms (below left) at The Oberoi.

Above and inset right: Guestsat St Lucia’s JalousiePlantation enjoy seclusionand sensational landscapes.

Far off?

All the options shown hereare available through

local tour operator,Inspirational Travel.

For further details, or tobook, telephone: 01780 784380.Email: info@inspirational-travel.comwww.inspirational-travel.com

TRAVELAPRIL 2012

Travel columnistTAMARA TAYLORbrings advancedetails of somesensationallyspecial, seasonalsunshine trips.

23

Cape Royale LuxuryHotel is one of Cape

Town’s newest and mostluxurious five-star hotels intrendy up-and-comingGreenpoint, a mere fiveminutes’ walk from thefamous Victoria and AlfredWaterfront, amid CapeTown’s working harbour.

Almost 100 luxuriouslyappointed, butler-servicedsuites offer spacious andmodern accommodation,combining thesophistication of Europewith the vibrant spirit ofAfrica. The boutique hotelhas a rooftop pool deckand skybar withwraparound views of thewaterfront, Table Mountainand the city.

The two-bedroom, fullyensuite Family DeluxeSuites are well suited tofamilies and it’s worth noting that those agedunder 16, sharing with

parents, stay for free – including breakfast!

Facilities include 1800o,a premier grill house, andEquinox, a full-function spafacility. Cape Royale iscentrally located and agreat base from which toexperience Cape Town’stourist attractions.

Guests have access toa complimentary limotransfer service (5km radius)which includes trips to theacclaimed waterfront – ashopper’s paradise – anddinner in the city.l From £3,600 per personstaying in a one-bedroomDeluxe Suite withbreakfast, travelling withBA in World Traveller Plus.

The breathtakingZitahli Resort

and Spa is locatedin the untouched,unspoilt atoll ofNoonu in thenorthern part ofthe Maldives.Surrounded byreefs, turquoise waters and beautiful beaches, a seaplanefrom Male international airport will get you to ZitahliKuda-Funafaru in just under an hour.

This stunningly beautiful boutique-style resort ismodern and contemporary, but with just a twist ofMaldivian culture being evident. The tranquil and

peaceful settingprovides privacyand completerelaxation and issimply perfect forthose looking for aMaldivian resortwith a difference.

The islandcomprises just 50chic rooms, all ofwhich have beenbuilt and designedto the highest of standards.

Choose one ofthe spacious Beach

Villas, some of which have their own private pool, or oneof the over-water Aqua Villas, again, some with their veryown infinity-edge pool.

All accommodation has large, spacious private decksalong with magnificent ocean views.l From £4,300 per person staying full board in a DeluxeBeach Villa, travelling with Emirates in economy class.

Maldives

Cape Town

Far out! Sunbathing in Cape Town. Below right, the iconic Table Mountain is the backdrop

to the waterfront.

One of the super Deluxe Beach Villas,overlooking turquoise waters of theMaldives’ Noonu atoll.

The boutique-styleZitahli Spa offerscomplete privacyand relaxation.

24 APRIL 2012DIARY DATES

Anew venture by a localbusiness duo is taking

adrenaline sports to freshpremises in Lincolnshire fromthis month.158 Performance in Tallington,

run by world and European jetski champion James Bushell andbusiness partner Matt Bullock,has clinched a major deal tofurther expand their operationby running a jet ski base atTattershall Lakes.

The pair will be recruitingseveral new staff to help themrun the new venue, whichfeatures a shop, cafe and the45-acre lake itself.

158, named after James’racing number, deals in a range

of adrenaline-inducing machinessuch as jet skis, quad bikes,sports boats and Can-AmSpyders – all of which will bestocked in the new lakesideshowroom and available to hireor buy.

The new site will open from9am to 7pm each day.

Matt said: “It’s a brilliantvenue, suitable for the wholefamily, and we can’t wait to getstarted. This deal has been morethan a year in the making and adream of ours for some time.

“2011 was a fantastic yearfor 158 and securing this dealprovides us with a realopportunity to further expand thebusiness and bring adrenaline

sports to a whole new audienceas well as giving our existingcustomers somewhere great tovisit and put our range ofmachines through their paces.

“We’re really looking forwardto getting the facilities up andrunning and welcoming our firstvisitors. It’s an exciting time foreveryone at 158.”

DIARY DATES

One of the finest all-purposevenues in the East of

England has changed its nameto Peterborough Arena in amajor re-branding exercise.

The venue, formerly knownas the Peterborough EXEC, at theEast of England Showground,attracts around 800,000 visitorsthrough the Oundle Road gatesevery year for a wide range ofevents, concerts, exhibitions andconferences – including therecent high profile Holiday onIce production.

The new name went ‘live’last month and was chosen toreflect the true nature of thevenue and help place it firmly onthe UK’s events map. The sales

team fromthe Arenawere flyingthe flag forthe venue atthe recentInternationalConfex event

at London’s ExCel, helping toraise awareness of the facilityamong hundreds of eventorganisers gathered there fromaround the UK. Peterborough Arena

managing director, KeithDalton, said: “The new namemore accurately reflects thefacility and will help topromote the city as we strive tobring in a range of newconcerts, exhibitions,conferences and shows. Wewant to throw our weightbehind the Peterboroughsuccess story and be verymuch part of the city’s excitingplans for continued economicgrowth. Historically, we havebeen a hidden jewel in the city’scrown – but that will change.”

As custodians of the venue,the East of England AgriculturalSociety has welcomed thechanges. Andrew Sharpley,society chairman, said: “Thisnew look provides us with afresh platform on which topromote our established annualevents, including our flagshipEast of England Show.”

Chairman of OpportunityPeterborough, John Bridge,added: “There is potential to turnthis into one of the best venues ofits kind in the East of England.This will bring more visitors andinvestment to the city. To makethis happen, PeterboroughArena will need the support ofresidents and businesses and Iurge everyone to get behind theventure and make use of thistop-class facility.”

Matt Bullock (left) and James

Bushell, above.

From Exec to Arena: namechange for venue

Jet ski duo expands lakeside business

April 18 Peterborough, ThorpeMeadows, Ramada Hotel PE3 6GAFree, informal networking evening (6-8pm), a drop-in event hosted bythe Cambridgeshire Chambers ofCommerce. Email Helen Bosett:h.bosett@cambscci.co.uk

April 26 Huntingdon Racecourse,Thrapston Road, Huntingdon PE28 4NL Doing Business Together:business builder – an interactiveevent (3-5pm) to build relationships.Organised by The Business Club,more details are here: www.the-businessclub.org.uk/event-information

April 26 The William Cecil Hotel, St Martin’s, Stamford PE9 2LJ TheRutland and Stamford BusinessNetwork (RSBN) evening seminarseries. Nicholas Rudd-Jones, LocalLiving, ‘How to get PR published:tips for gaining attention for yourbusiness’. Coming up on May 24:Jez Allman, What and How, ‘TheHedgehog Principle – growing yourbusiness without getting run over’.The RSBN also meets every otherFriday at Barnsdale Lodge Hotel,from April 20, for breakfast (£10cash on entry): networking followedby a business feature speaker.Book by email to deb@rsbn.biz

May 10 (7.30-9.30am) Louth,Fairfield Enterprise Centre Bank ofEngland Business Panel Event,providing the latest economicinformation from the bank’s expertsthemselves, organised by theLincolnshire Chamber ofCommerce. More details fromCharlotte Robson on: 01522 523333.

June 23-24 Peterborough,Cathedral Square PeterboroughHeritage Festival 2012: a livinghistory event. More: www.vivacity-peterborough.com/festivals

June 30 Peterborough TownBridge, River Nene EmbankmentDragon Boat Festival in aid of EastAnglia’s Children’s Hospices.Companies are encouraged toenter a team: call 01780 470718 orvisit: www.dragonboatfestivals.co.uk/peterborough/

June 30 – July 8 Peterborough,various locations PeterboroughArts Festival 2012. Featuring theOlympic Torch event July 3-4. More here: www.vivacity-peterborough.com/festivals

Putting the city on the UK events map – the re-named Peterborough Arena.

Inset: MD Keith Dalton.www.peterborougharena.com

Above: Peterborough Arenaaccount managers Hollie Ward(left) and Felicity Adams sporttheir new look uniforms.

25APRIL 2012

Get into Business Scene’s CEO spotlight. Email your HEADLINES responses to: info@businessscene.co.uk

Business Scene gets up close and a little bitpersonal with executives around the region.Here, we focus on the life and times of localbusinesswoman Elizabeth Inman, director ofThe Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials.

26 PROFILE

because I had laryngitis!I hate it when: People arenegative. Our sport is aboutpositivity and ‘can-do’.I am surprisingly good at:Multi-tasking – you have to bein this job. Also, implementingnew ideas; this year we aredeveloping a Green LifestylePavilion to add to our 500retailers, with natural, organicand eco-friendly products atthe high end of the market. My dream dinner partyguests would be: Mainly asporting mix. Racingconnoisseurs Paul Nichollsand John Francome, ZaraPhillips (a regular at ourevent), Tanni Grey Thompsonand, for extra flavour

corporate hospitality, awonderful army of volunteersand tradestands from ‘BondStreet’ to a mouth-wateringfood village. I have nevercompeted in Eventing myself,but know what world classriders and their horsesrequire to perform at theirbest in dressage, crosscountry and show jumping in order to win thecompetition – one of the topinternational televised horsetrials in the world. My first job was: Here atBurghley! But my dream job would be:This job. It’s a privilege.Are you a technophobe or atechnophile? A technophile. Iblog, we increasingly usesocial networking and, lastyear, developed a Burghley i-Phone app.I like to spend my time off:With horses, but in a differentsport – racing. It’s a passion.What’s your favourite brand?Land Rover, of course!My finest hour was: My firstradio interview on the Radio 4Today programme, about myappointment as director – itwas a short-lived interview

HEADLINES

Name: Elizabeth Inman.Current business carddetails: Director, Land RoverBurghley Horse Trials.Biography: Burghley hasbeen my life. I was born andeducated locally and waslucky enough to ride in myyouth in Burghley Park. Littledid I know that I wouldeventually oversee what is, inessence, a small town thatrises from this parklandevery September: the eventwelcomes 150,000 visitorsover the four days, knownthroughout the world as theLand Rover Burghley HorseTrials. Over the yearsworking in the administrationof the event, I becamefamiliar with everydepartment, so that by thetime I took over as director,in 2005, I could handle the‘business’ of Burghley HorseTrials – extremely importantas proceeds benefit everylevel of UK Eventing. Wemuster the highest level ofemergency services, tenting,stabling, arenas, trafficmanagement, vets,competitors, sponsors, media,radio communications,

APRIL 2012

Charitable giving should be a business ‘must’, says

Elizabeth Inman.

perhaps, Boris Johnson, JudyDench and Graham Norton.And the food would be: Asimple casserole – and lotsof red wine.At my funeral: If I can beburied alongside the lake innearby Exton Park, home ofthe Gainsboroughs, I wouldlike Handel’s Water Music tobe played. I learned to ridein this beautiful park and it isa very special place for me.If I ruled the world: Charitablegiving would be a business‘must’. Our sponsored horseride around the cross countrycourse on the Sunday of theevent has raised £120,000 forcharities – that’s a seriousfeel-good factor.