Business Brief Spring 2012

Tamworth & Lichfield

1

WelcomeThis is the 13th quarterly edition ofthe Business Brief since its inceptionin January 2008. It has grown overthe years from 4 to 8 pages and haswithout doubt become a successfulpublication aimed at business forbusiness in Tamworth and Lichfield.

Unfortunately, success is not the onlyingredient for longevity and withtimes of austerity the funding of theBusiness Brief newsletter has beenrevisited. This has resulted in the BEPInterim Board looking at differentways of continuing with the hardcopy for the rest of 2012. At thismoment in time no firm conclusionhas been reached as to what thefuture holds, although an electronicversion has been discussed as apossibility.

My personal opinion is that the lossof the hard copy version would bedetrimental to the businesscommunity. I welcome your thoughtsabout this so please email me [email protected] and let meknow your views and opinions aboutthe Business Brief.

The Interim BEP Board has nowcompleted the exercise in agreeingthe formation of the new Boardmembers for 2012 and this will beconfirmed at the next Board meeting.Communication of this will be in thenext edition of the Business Brief.

Let us hope that it isn’t the last.

Peter Farmer(Chair of theBusiness andEconomicPartnership)

Pop-Up or just Pop In toNo-Frills Business ShowWith austerity measures starting to bite and the economy stillshowing little growth here at the Business Brief we are notcontent to sit back and wait in the hope that the business climatewill get better.

There is a thriving businesscommunity in Tamworth and Lichfieldand to promote local businesses theBusiness Brief is putting on a no-frillsexhibition at Drayton Manor on 17thApril 2012.

The idea was put forward by aTamworth business and we urgeevery local business to get involvedas an exhibitor or visitor. Costing just£75 plus VAT for space for a singlepop-up banner stand simply bringyour business cards and marketingliterature. We’re aiming for an eventthat all businesses can attend and itwill be a simple, honest opportunityfor local businesses to network andtrade with one-another.

This low cost event will be open from10am to 4pm and is for all localbusinesses. Whether you’re in thebusiness to business or business toconsumer sector you need to bethere. With just 40 exhibitor spacesand all exhibitors featured in a twopage special in the next issue of theBusiness Brief, we’re expectingdemand to be high. But, if you’re notexhibiting we still need you, youremployees and business contacts topop-in for a few minutes or a coupleof hours to network and do businesswith other local businesses. To comealong as a visitor is completely free.To book your stand space contactMatt Fletcher at Tamworth BoroughCouncil on 01827 709 382 or [email protected]

13th Quarterly Issue

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Business news in brief

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Bar designers appoint PR professionalTwo Staffordshire companies involved in international design and fit out for theleisure industry have appointed Lichfield based Ian Strachan Communications Ltdto handle their press relations. Rugeley based GMP Design and Kribensis LeisureContracts have brought Ian Strachan Communications on board to raise theirprofile and help promote forthcoming product launches and contract wins. Bothcompanies, based on the Towers Business Park, were established by Neil Morten.He set up GMP Design 20 years ago and it has become one of the leading bar,restaurant and club interior design companies, with major contracts throughout theUK and Europe. Kribensis was set up 10 years ago to carry out interior fit out workin the leisure market. Morten said, “Although we have had some tremendoussuccesses, designing and fitting out high profile venues all over the world, wehaven’t blown our own trumpets. However, we believe that people should knowabout the exciting work we do from our offices in Rugeley, and there are few PRagencies in Staffordshire to rival Ian Strachan Communications in terms of raisingawareness.” www.ianstrachancommunications.co.uk

Professionals support rare disease charity

Professional Services Group based at Cathedral House, Lichfield haspresented a cheque to the Cystinosis Foundation UK. David Benford, Trusteeand whose young daughter is a sufferer explained “Cystinosis prevents bodycells from functioning correctly leading initially to kidney problems andprogressing to the thyroid gland, eyes and liver. Impaired growth is anothersymptom and in the past it was rare for Cystinotics to survive into adulthood.I would like to thank the Professional Services Group. Your donation willassist in funding research into improving treatment for sufferers and toultimately try and discover a cure.”

Val Culley, one of the founder members of Professional Services Group wassurprised to learn there are just 150 sufferers in the UK and all research isdependent on funds raised by families and friends of patients. ProfessionalServices Group runs an open networking group meeting at 7.15am on thesecond Tuesday of each month at Darnford Moors Golf Club. To book callSharon on 01543 421 840.

Left to Right:Lee Trubshaw -Bradin TrubshawKirwan Solicitors, ValCulley - Culley LiffordHall Accountants,Dave Benford –Trustee CystinosisFoundation UK, MarkReynolds - IFAPositive Solutions.

Welcome receptionfor industryprofessionalsOver 150 construction professionalsgathered in the region recently for theindustry’s annual Autumn Receptionevent, hosted by Tamworth basedQuantum Construction Limited.Clients and professionals includingarchitects, surveyors, builders, M&Econsultants and property agents fromaround the UK travelled to the event.Director of Quantum ConstructionLimited, Damian Gallagher says:“This annual event gives guests theopportunity to meet in an informalsetting and exchange views over thestate of the economy and prospectsfor growth in the industry. It’s also agreat opportunity for strengtheningexisting relationships, as well asfostering new.”

This is the eighth year that theAutumn Reception has been hostedby Quantum, and this annual event isnow an established tradition in theconstruction industry calendar.www.quantumconstruction.co.uk

Ian Strachan,Ian Strachan Communications Ltd


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Awards night raises£500 for local charity

Local networking group, Business First,held its first ever awards reception atSwinfen Hall Hotel in January. Over 75people, including members, businessowners and guests attended the blacktie event in the oak-panelled Edwardianballroom of the restored Georgianmansion. A raffle raised £430 for the‘We Love Lichfield’ fund and BusinessFirst contributed an additional £70,providing the charity with a £500donation to help it keep up the goodwork in giving grants to the Communityof Lichfield. (See page 6). Tracy Pound,current Chair of Business First says,“The success of Business First and itsinaugural awards ceremony is due to its

forward thinking business members who understand the benefits of workingclosely with other local companies for mutual benefit. Although congratulationsgo to the winners, everyone involved should be applauded for playing their partin creating a positive and vibrant Lichfield business community, which is muchneeded in the current climate.” The Business First Awards follows anothersuccessful year for the networking group, which has passed over £419,000 ofbusiness in the last 10 months between its members. www.business-1st.org

brokenStones are very pleased to announce anew partnership with the Diocese of Lichfield,one of the largest dioceses in the UnitedKingdom. Representing a substantial investmentby both companies the new partnership seesbrokenStones responsible for the maintenanceand upkeep of all Diocese IT systems,supporting a team of more than 100 usersspread across the midlands.

Julie Jones, CEO of the Lichfield Diocese Board ofFinance said: "We have been absolutely delightedwith the resources brokenStones have provided inboth assisting us with moving from our existingservice provider and supporting our users as wemove forward. Their robust project-management andcustomer service has already proven very popularwith our users.” Chris Blunt, Managing Director ofbrokenStones commented: “In the short space oftime we have been working with the Diocese we have

been able to fix lots of small issues that had beencausing them some pain for some time, this has wonus fantastic praise and thanks, and has been a realmorale boost to our staff. We look forward to a longand successful partnership.”

www.brokenstones.co.uk, 01543 222 444,[email protected], Bridge House, StationRoad, Lichfield, WS13 6HX

Julie Jones,CEO of the LichfieldDiocese Board of Finance

Chris Blunt, ManagingDirector, brokenStones

Business First Award Winners

Tamworth-based IT outsourcer QuissTechnology has achieved MicrosoftOffice Specialist certification. Thebusiness is now an official testingcentre, offering courses and exams inMicrosoft Office 2007 and 2010.James Smith, Training Manager atQuiss Technology explains theimportance of this certification:"Certification verifies an individual'sproficiency with the world's mostpopular commercial office suite ofinter-related desktop applications,whilst reducing the need for supportfrom helpdesks." He continued “It’stempting to cut training budgets, butresearch showsthose businesseswhich don’t traintheir workforce arealmost three timesmore likely to failthan businessesthat do.”www.quiss.co.uk

Quiss achievesspecialist trainingcertification

James Smith, Quiss Technology

Sponsored feature

brokenStones and LichfieldDiocese – Making IT Work!


Sponsored feature


With its kitchen, bathroom,bedroom and tile showroom inFazeley, BAKK recorded recordsales in January, despite theeconomic downturn. Enthusiasticowner Lloyd Taylor, said “We’vebeen extremely fortunate to beone of the few companiesexperiencing growth in thesedifficult times.” He attributes thesuccess to a number of factors, “Itis extremely important, now morethan ever, to allow the positiveaspects of a smaller business to

shine through, that of the personal touch, and of caring for your customer.”Taylor was also very upbeat about the year ahead for the economy as a whole,saying “We’ve noticed a marked increase in the number of enquiries since thearrival of 2012.” www.bakk.co.uk

Solicitor setsup Twitterhelpline

Adam Penn of Cannock and Lichfieldlaw firm Ansons Solicitors haslaunched a free personal injuryhelpline via the social networkingwebsite Twitter. “The aim of@LegalTweetLine is to provide a placeon the internet where people, whomay have a personal injury claim, cannot only obtain free initial advice butalso ask questions safe in theknowledge that the advice theyreceive is from a qualified andexperienced personal injury solicitor,”said Adam. www.ansonsllp.com

The New SINICA Visitor &Staff Management System

The Innovative Software and Web Development Team ofTamworth based, MT Services Computer Systems, arethe creative genius behind the new SINICA Visitor &Staff Management System. Sinica offers a modern,professional visitor and employee attendancemanagement solution, which provides a feature-richvisual focal point for your reception. The creativeintelligent design can be personalised with your logo onthe home screen and badges. Instead of the inaccurate,unprofessional and impersonal paper visitors book, letyour visitors enjoy a pleasurable, simple sign-in and outexperience on the Intuitive Touchscreen Interface. Sinicathen remembers your visitor information, including animage capture, for next visit.

If you could enhance your Safeguarding & Health andSafety Policies and provide necessary Working TimeDirective Information, why wouldn’t you invest in theSinica System?

For further information or a free demonstration, do nothesitate to contact the Sinica Sales Team on 0182762155 or visit www.sinica.co.uk

BAKK looks to the future

The environmental, economic and road safety benefits ofdelivering goods out-of-hours have been demonstrated bythe results of the Quiet Delivery Demonstration Scheme(QDDS) trials, managed by Lichfield based consultants

Transport and Travel Research Ltd for a consortiumcomprising the Department for Transport, NoiseAbatement Society and Freight Transport Association.Trials were run at retail outlets across England todemonstrate that best practice in quiet deliveries couldlead to clear operational, retail and environmental benefits,while minimising the impact on local residents.www.ttr-ltd.com

Shhhh QuietDeliveries Ahead

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Ask the experts – about workplace pensionchanges and employers responsibilities.Sponsored by: Four Oaks Financial Services

Q

A

As an employer, what are my dutiesand when do they start?

All employers with at least one worker mustregister with the pension regulator to showthat they have a qualifying scheme in placewithin four months of the required start date.The start date will be sent to you by theHMRC. You then have to re-register everythree years. The date is based on the numberof employees in the PAYE scheme. Broadlyspeaking you will need to inform thoseworkers affected of your duties in writing bypost or e-mail. As an employer you will needto automatically enrol and pay minimumcontributions for any worker aged between 22and state pension age who earns more than£7,475 per annum or between 16 and 75 whoearns more than £5,035 per annum if they askyou to enrol them. All records must be kept forat least six years.

As an employer, what contributions do Ineed to make or can I avoid them?

In 2012 the minimum contribution will start at2% of a worker’s qualifying earnings. Of this,the employer will need to pay at least 1%. Theminimum contribution level will rise graduallyover time to 8%. Of this the employer willneed to pay 3% at least. Workers who havebeen automatically enrolled into a pensionscheme have the right to opt out and get arefund in the first month. After the one monthopt out period is over members can still optout but will not receive a refund. If they dothis, any contributions already paid, includingthe employers will stay in the scheme. Thereare safeguards in place to prevent employersfrom encouraging opt out amongst theirworkers. There are also substantial fines fornot meeting employer responsibilities.

A

Q

We asked Martin Ward, an Independent Financial Adviser Partner at Four Oaks Financial Services forsome advice for businesses as changes to workplace pensions come into effect.


Tamworth ForeverTamworth is to get its own community fund, set up bypeople in Tamworth for people in Tamworth. Businessesand individuals across the borough are being asked tocontribute to create a fund that will exist forever, and thatwill award grants to many of the borough’s communityand voluntary groups. Despite not being officiallylaunched yet, the ‘Tamworth Forever’ fund has alreadyreceived donations running into thousands of pounds.What’s more, many organisations can use the fund tohelp meet their CSR requirements in a far more costeffective way than has been available previously – not tomention the fantastic publicity opportunities that areavailable for anyone who donates. This new fund,Tamworth Forever, is the perfect way to showcommitment to Tamworth - forever.

We Love LichfieldThe We Love Lichfield Fund is a fund for the Lichfielddistrict that was started a little over 12 months ago. Itpools donations from businesses and individuals whocare about the district, to create a permanent fund thatwill benefit voluntary organisations in Lichfield. Manyorganisations and businesses are already signed up tosupport it, helping to meet their corporate socialresponsibility (CSR) policies. In addition, Lichfield DistrictCouncil has reinvigorated over £20,000 of dormantcharity funds by passing them to the We Love LichfieldFund. It has gone so well that grants have been givenout from it already. In December, 12 organisations, fromplaygroups to luncheon clubs to health support groupsbenefitted from an early Christmas present when it madeits first awards.

NHS Lifecheck does not replace the needto consult your GP or Health Professional

Some useful phone numbers

Smoking Cessation clinic

ADSIS (Alcohol) Services

CSMT Drugs

Burton Addiction Centre

NHS Lifestyle Services

Tamworth BoroughCouncil CommunityLeisure Activities

Heat (Home EnergyAdvice Tamworth)

Housing Advice team

Sir Robert Peel HospitalMinor Injuries Unit (24hrsadvice and treatment)

NHS Direct (24hrs healthadvice and information)

0345 245 0759

0844 561 7079

01827 310040

01283 537280

01827 306190

01827 709 316

0800 0432815

01827 709459

01827 263806

0845 4647

For more information on how you can getinvolved in your local fund please call SteveAdams at the Staffordshire CommunityFoundation on 01782 683000

7(Disclaimer: The Business and Economic Partnership has taken all reasonable precautions to ensure that informationcontained in this document is accurate but stresses that the content is not intended to be legally comprehensive. It isrecommended that no action be taken on matters covered in this document without taking full advice.) If you do not wish toreceive the Business Brief please contact Matt Fletcher on 01827 709 382 or email [email protected]

Over 100 businesses attended a businessengagement event held by the GreaterBirmingham and Solihull Local EnterprisePartnership (LEP) on January 6th at DraytonManor Park in Tamworth. Members of the LEPBoard, including its high profile Chair AndyStreet, Managing Director of John LewisPartnership, were on hand to explain the role ofthe LEP and the progress made since itsformation in September 2011.

LEPs have been established in local areas since theCoalition Government abolished the former regionaldevelopment agencies. They are a partnership betweenlocal businesses and local authorities formed across'natural economic areas'. They provide the vision for thelocal economy and drive the knowledge and resourcesrequired to achieve sustainable private sector job growthin their areas. Greater Birmingham and Solihull is one of38 LEPs across the country.

Attendees were informed about the aims of the LEP toincrease economic output by £8bn and generate over100,000 new jobs by 2020. The three components of theLEP's strategy to achieve these aims, business, people

and place, were also explained. Attendees then had theopportunity to provide their views about the prioritieswithin each of the 3 components of the strategy.Feedback from the event from businesses was verypositive, with the emerging priorities of the LEP beingsupported. The views expressed will also be fed into thefurther development of the LEP's strategy and it ishoped to hold similar events in the future.

For further information about the LEP, please contactJames Roberts, [email protected]

Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP reaches out toSouthern Staffordshire businesses

If you just read the headlines aboutthe demise of Business Link, thenyou could be excused for thinkingthat the world of business supporthad come to an end. However, 2012has not seen any sort ofArmageddon as yet and there is stillquite an array of initiatives designedto support business, albeit in a muchmore fragmented form. Here, weprovide a quick guide to some of themain elements of business supportthat you can still access:

• Business Link National WebPortal and Helpline: The contentof 175 government websites hasbeen consolidated into theBusiness Link site atwww.businesslink.gov.uk. This isbacked up with a national helplineavailable on 0845 600 9 006.

• Solutions for Business: This isthe government’s streamlinedportfolio of business support

products accessible via BusinessLink. Detailing a range of publiclyfunded products and services tohelp businesses identify andovercome key challenges as theygrow. Go to the Department forBusiness' website atwww.bis.gov.uk.

• Mentoring Support: A new webportal has been set up to helppeople starting and growing abusiness, or thinking about doingso, by enabling them to access thementoring help they need. This isavailable at www.mentorsme.co.uk.

• Coaching for Growth: A nationalprogramme to assist businesses withthe potential to achieve high growthin turnover, profit or employment.The government has just awardedthe contract to run this programmeto a consortium of providers.

• Local Enterprise Partnerships:Greater Birmingham and Solihull

and Stoke & Staffordshire LEPs areworking to develop more localprogrammes of support. Examplesinclude European funding for abusiness development programmefor existing businesses looking togrow and an Enterprise programmefor start up support for localindividuals.

• Localised organisations andinitiatives: Tamworth StrategicPartnership (TSP) is currentlyprocuring a service from a localprovider to give information, adviceand guidance to local businesseson sources of business support,which will be managed by yourBusiness and EconomicPartnership. Think Local 4 Business(www.thinklocal4business.co.uk) isanother source of valuableinformation and provides anopportunity for local businesses tonetwork online.

No 2012 Armageddon inBusiness Support!

This is just a snapshot of some of the main initiatives still out there to support local businesses. If you needany further information then please contact Matt Fletcher, [email protected].


Business news in briefStratford score at Manchester City

Lichfield based Stratford Marketing,signage and brochure specialists,has just completed two MatchAttax stands for Topps Publishingat Manchester City Football Club.Match Attax is the football cardtrading game popular withyoungsters and adults alike.Stratford Marketing has beenproviding all types of stands likethe one shown as well as all typesof marketing material to privatefirms, local authorities and thebuilding sector for over twentyyears. www.stratford-marketing.co.uk

eby design has Zeal appeal! A Tamworth design agency has been working on a prestigiousproject for manufacturers of stylish kitchenware, Zeal whomake bright, durable cookware for the modern kitchen.eby design ltd, based in Amington, secured thecontract last summer after impressing Zeal’smanagement team. “Zeal liked our pitch and asked usto take it forward,” said eby director Gavin Young.“The work included repackaging existing products,developing eye-catching new packaging for scoresof new ones, and creating a 130-page catalogue,including photography.” Young said eby’s secretin winning the work was to understand Zeal’sstrong existing identity. “We take pride not onlyon getting to the heart of our clients’ brands,but in enhancing them,” he said. “A gooddesign agency can unearth selling points youhadn’t necessarily thought of, then use greatdesign and communication to make themobvious and attractive to customers.”

Tamworth marketing consultancy, Roar Marketing Limited works in partnership with theBusiness and Economic Partnership to produce the Tamworth and Lichfield BusinessBrief. To advertise or insert leaflets and save on postage costs contact Karen Nichollsat Roar Marketing, [email protected].

Matt Fletcher’s department is the central link between the public sector and localbusinesses, so if you have any queries about any of the articles in this issue or justdon't know who to speak to on business issues please contact Matt on 01827 709 382or email [email protected]

Please send your news stories for the Business Brief (with picture or logo) to MattFletcher at Tamworth Borough Council.

The Business Brief is collated, written and designed in Tamworth and Lichfield and isprinted by Restart Print, Tamworth Tel: 01827 302 554

Matt Fletcher,Senior Economic Development Officer, Shared Service Tamworth Borough Council and Lichfield District Council

The main Max Attack stand at ManchesterCity Football Club, built into the underfloorraking of the stadium

In the middle of the Euro crisis, Mindthe Gap was asked to deliver trainingand coaching support for EuropeanCentral Bank managers through theirthree-year contract with the ECB’sLeadership and ManagementDevelopment Programme.

After ten highly successful courses in2010-11, in conflict management andmanaging change, Mind the Gap wasasked to support all EuropeanNational Central Banks (NCBs) inproject management andcommunications and has now workedwith 10 NCBs.

Local firm trainsEuropean CentralBanks

Documents

Business Brief Spring 2012