IoD Suffolk Magazine | Autumn 2013

suffolkAUTUMN 2013 | www.iod-suffolk.co.uk

education and skills

Patents

Trademarks

Licensing

Design Rights

Litigation

Portfolio Management

IP Valuation

IP Budgeting

A specialist Intellectual Property company that

moves with the times

Tel: +44 (0) 1603 457008 Norwich

Tel: +44 (0) 2033 271310 London

www.ip21.co.uk

At ip21 we pride ourselves on offering a full range of IP services, as well

as IP advice and support tailored to the commercial benefit of our clients.

CONTENTS

Welcome.

As we return to work after the summer break wecongratulate Suffolk' s students on their strong examresults. It's good news for our region, but will it resolve theskills shortage?

In our annual education and skills issue we investigate what'sbeing done to close the skills gap and check out MOOCs (thenext big thing in online education). And we find out whethersome of our region's cities and big towns are more equal thanothers from a small business's perspective.

We also take a sneak preview of the IOD Suffolk AnnualDinner, test drive a stylish car with that is hot on economyand meet IOD Suffolk's very own jolly sailor John Haresnape.

Have a great autumn!

Email us at [email protected] or write to usat the address below. Jane Chittenden – Editor

Published by:Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited141 Norwich Road, Ipswich IP1 [email protected]

Designed by:Toni Escriche

Image of students on contents page andp17 used by kind permission of WestSuffolk College, Bury St. Edmunds

All rights reserved. Reproduction, in part or inwhole, without the prior consent of thepublisher is strictly prohibited. The content ofthis magazine is based on the best knowledgeand information available at the time ofpublication. All times, prices and details ofevents were correct at time of going to press.The views expressed by the contributors arenot necessarily those of the publishers,proprietors, the Institute of Directors or others associated with this production.

© Tilston Phillips Magazines Limited 2013

4

16

32

Contents 1

From the Chair 3

IoD Annual Dinner 4

Forthcoming autumn events 5

Conferencing | Stoke Park 6

Across the region 8

Protecting the Director 11

PR and Marketing 13

Previous IoD Suffolk Events 14

Skills 16

A word from the accountants 18

International trade 19

MOOCs 21

Social Media 22

Motoring review | Volvo V60 23

Sartorial style | Coes of Ipswich 25

Urban Small Business 26

Leisure 28

Business books 31

Member profile | John Haresnape 32

From our solutionscomes your certainty01473 346046www.poundgates.com

Pound Gates & Co Ltd, trading as Pound Gates, is authorised and regulated by theFinancial Conduct Authority, and is an ISO and Investor in People accredited company.

Pound GatesSt Vincent House, 1 Cutler Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 1UQ

His statements seem to boil down

(admittedly in a heavily qualified way) to

three more years of the same. So in

essence this is just making explicit what

the Bank has been doing for years now:

concerning itself with growth and

employment, rather than its official

mandate of inflation. Creditors will feel a

boost to their disposable income; savers

will see their income and capital contract.

One group gains, the other loses. The net

result is “unchanged”.

The reality of course is that the

Government needs to deal with the

fundamentals: improving

competitiveness, facilitating export, more

radical supply-side reform, dealing with

unsustainable welfare spending, cutting

red-tape, simplifying our overly-complex

tax system, getting on with infrastructure

projects and spending on training and

education. The issue is “Juncker’s curse”

(after the Luxembourg prime minister

who articulated it): “We know what needs

to be done, we just don’t know how to get

re-elected after doing it”. IoD Chief

Economist Graeme Leach is joining us at

Ickworth on 25 September and will no

doubt have some thoughts to add.

The IoD Suffolk committee has been

focussing on our priority areas of

improving member connectivity and

working closer with our county’s

educational institutions.

I recently reflected on the connectivity

point, having been asked to comment on

some export survey results for the EADT.

The piece that doesn't come through

clearly enough for me in what the various

development agencies say is that

international business is a global

competition and we are in a race, like it or

not. Exporting is a particular area where

real-life, boots on the ground, got the

t-shirt experience shared between

members is invaluable in providing a leg-

up in this competition.

Finally, I want to mention our Annual

Dinner, which we’re excited to be able to

give details of in this issue. This is the

County’s business social event of the year.

I won’t spoil the surprise but will say this:

make sure that 17 October is marked in

your diary. We’re in for a treat!

Hope to see you soon.

Luke MorrisSeptember 2013

WELCOME

IoD suffolk | autumn 2013 | 3

In his recent first outing, Mark Carney, new Governor of the Bank ofEngland, talked about “forward guidance” and blasted the “sociallyuseless” banks. He seems to have made an impression, but what doesit all actually mean for us?

New members to Suffolk branch

Alfie ButlerBournemouth University

Rod DurbinCommunique Creative MarketingLtd

James LairdHaven Marine Ship ManagementLtd

Jane GarrardPersonal Career Management Ltd

Stuart Richard SmithPWE Recruitment Group Ltd

Khalit KhabibullinStiletto Systems Ltd

Alan WhittakerSuffolk One

Aaron AshtonT E S Prime

Ed FarrellThe Duck Truck Company Ltd

Joanna RobinsonThe Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn

Caroline FosterThe Write Impression LLP

Grant Lockhart-White

IoD Suffolk membership benefits

For a complete list of the current

affinity member benefits, please see

www.iod.com/speciallynegotiated

To find out more about joining

IoD Suffolk branch please contact:

Caroline Kearney

Suffolk Branch Administrator

07917 699 [email protected]

Institute of Directors Suffolk Branch

25 Wilding Drive, Grange Farm,

Kesgrave Ipswich IP5 2AE

www.iod-suffolk.co.uk

Follow @SuffolkIoD

• IoD Travel Services• IoD Car Rental• IoD Director’s Liability Insurance• IoD Professional Indemnity Insurance• IoD Home and Contents Insurance• IoD Health Plans

From the Chair

4 | IoD suffolk | autumn 2013

AUTUMN EVENTS

Bob Champion MBE with Aldaniti, winner of

the 1981 Grand National

The IoD Suffolk Annual Dinner is the County’s premierblack-tie business event. It’s your chance to entertain teammembers, clients or other guests, make new contacts anddraw inspiration from a world-class speaker.

IoD Annual Dinner kindly sponsored by:

We are very pleased to be able to

announce that this year our guest is Bob

Champion MBE. For most of us, Bob

needs little introduction. We remember

him guiding Aldaniti to a fairytale win in

the 1981 Grand National. Two years

before, Bob had been diagnosed with

testicular cancer and had gone through

debilitating treatment and a life-

threatening bout of septicaemia. At one

stage, he had been given just eight

months to live.

The victory was watched by an estimated

750 million people worldwide. The

following day Bob put out a statement

saying he’d ridden the race for all the

patients and staff at the Royal Marsden in

London, where he had been treated: “My

only wish is that my winning shows them

that there is always hope and that all

battles can be won. I just hope it will

encourage others to face their illness

with fresh spirit.”

The win earned Bob and Aldaniti the BBC

Sports Personality of the Year Team Award

and Channel 4 named it one of the 100

Greatest Sporting Moments. The story

was made into a film starring John Hurt.

After his retirement from racing in 1983,

Bob formed the Bob Champion Cancer

Trust. He has raised millions of pounds

for research into the treatment and

prevention of male cancers, much of it

now undertaken at the Royal Marsden.

Bob lives in Newmarket and also works

to encourage young people to go into

racing as a career. His is a great story and

he tells it with all the drive and style that

were typical of his time in the saddle.

This year’s IoD Suffolk Dinner marks the

start of what we hope will be a long and

mutually beneficial association with

Milsom Hotels and Restaurants. The

Marquee at Le Talbooth provides a

quintessential English setting in idyllic

gardens beside the River Stour.

You can make a night of it by staying at

the nearby Maison Talbooth. This won

Pride of Britain hotel of the year in 2010.

There are 12 deluxe suites. Guests can

enjoy the Day Spa, heated outdoor pool,

hot tub and tennis court.

In 2014, we plan to hold the Dinner at the

newly refurbished Hangar at Milsoms

Kesgrave Hall.

The day was sponsored by Ensors, Barker

Gotelee, Pound Gates and Crafted. One

delegate’s verdict: “Great keynote

speakers, great conversations with fellow

delegates, all round inspiring.”

IoD Suffolk Annual Dinner

17 OCTOBER 2013 7.00pm – 11.30pm

Le Talbooth, Gun Hill, Dedham, CO7 6HP

in association with Milsom Hotels and Restaurants

IoD Members and their guests £60.00 (ex VAT)Non-members £65.00 (ex VAT) and £540.00 (ex VAT) for a table of 10.

Christmas Drinks Party

5 DECEMBER 20135.30pm – 7.00pm

The Cookhouse Restaurant, The Suffolk

Food Hall, Wherstead, IP9 2AB

Free for IoD members and their guests. £10 (ex VAT) for non-members.

Come and share some Christmas spirit

with the Suffolk IoD committee and fellow

IoD members at a beautiful new venue on

the banks of the River Orwell. Arrive early

and you could do a little Christmas

shopping, too!


EconomicOutlook25 SEPTEMBER 20137.30am – 9.30am

The West Wing at Ickworth House,

IP29 5QE

IoD Members and their guests £27.50 (ex VAT)Non-members £41.50 (ex VAT)

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Or

is that a locomotive heading in our

direction? Graeme Leach, Chief

Economist at the IoD will offer his

perspective on the political and

economic outlook. As well as being one

of the country’s most respected

economic gurus, Graeme can offer

insights based on exclusive access to IoD

survey findings. After a full English

breakfast, there will be an interactive

session and questions will be welcome.

TECHNOLOGYCHANGE

significant benefits. He lives in Suffolk, is a

keen runner and sings in a local choir.

This is a rare opportunity to see more of

what happens at BT Martlesham – a

national centre of technological innovation

in the heart of Suffolk.

BOOK YOUR EVENTSTo book any of our events you have the following options:

Book online at www.iod.com/suffolkevents

Contact our Suffolk IoD branch administrator Caroline KearneyTelephone 07971 699498 or email [email protected] will take credit card bookings or invoice your business.

Use our booking form – Each of our events has a marketing leaflet with a

booking form you can return by post. If you have not received a leaflet and

would like to receive one please contact Caroline Kearney.

20TH NOVEMBER 20137.30am – 9.30am

Innovation Martlesham, Adastral Park,

Martlesham, IP5 3RE

IoD Members and their guests £27.50 (ex VAT)Non-members £41.50 (ex VAT)

Chris Bilton, Director of Research and

Technology at BT Martlesham will talk

about technology change and its impact

on business. He’ll also introduce

Innovation Martlesham and explain how it

fits within Adastral Park and its role in

growing start-up businesses.

Chris has been an IT professional for over

30 years, primarily in the Service Provider

and Telecommunications sectors. He has a

technical background and has led a

number of large, international projects.

He’s also managed business change

programmes that have delivered

Our events programme is kindlysponsored by:


OUT OF COUNTY CONFERENCING

Stoke Park, conferencingwith character...

Suffolk provides businesses with a range

of fantastic conferencing venues, but

occasionally it’s necessary to go farther

afield to host key events. One such venue

of note is Stoke Park Country Club, Spa

and Hotel, which offers first-class

facilities across the board.

Its history is fascinating, situated as it is

within sight of Windsor Castle, the

estate’s recorded history dates back over

1,000 years to before the 1086 Domesday

Book. It was Britain’s first country club –

opening in 1908 and now boasts a

membership of more than 4,000.

Encircling the club's 300-acre parkland

estate is the famous 27-hole

championship golf course, indisputedly

one of the finest courses in the country.

Created by eminent golf architect Harry

Colt, the course has been the inspiration

for many of the world’s most famous

holes, including Augusta’s infamous 16th.

The course itself has seen many

impressive rounds in its history,

including the first PGA Matchplay

tournament in 1910 and James Bond's

epic golfing duel in 'Goldfinger'!

The facilities of the hotel are no less

impressive with rooms divided between

the traditional sumptuously decorated

Mansion – the original building that was

created between 1790-1813 – and the

modern Pavilion built in 2002, which

houses the spa (11 treatment rooms),

gymnasium and swimming pool together

with the adjacent 13 tennis courts (six

grass, four all-weather and three indoor!).

All the bedrooms and suites have

unbroken views over the estate and it’s

this sense of privacy that really sets this

venue apart.

It’s difficult to describe the sense of space

this venue offers; the positioning within

its grounds afford much seclusion,

making it perfect for meetings and

corporate events.

Stoke Park’s event management skills are

second to none and the hotel can cater

for everything from small and very

private meetings to large training

seminars and conferences, all set against

a breathtaking backdrop. There are

numerous options with each room

offering a different style – from the

extremely ornate to the modern. There

are many options here, ranging from the

grand Fountain Room (7.5m x 24.5m),

which has spectacular views of the

terrace fountain and the gardens, to the

intimate wood-panelled Chapel (7.2m x

4.6m). As you would expect, each room

provides a professional, five-star

atmosphere although pricing is sensibly

structured with day delegate rates as little

as £105 per person.

Three restaurants provide the dining

options with the 3AA Rosette Humphry’s

being, without doubt, the most

impressive with its floor-to-ceiling

windows offering panoramic views of the

lake. The deliciously crafted dishes by

head chef Chris Wheeler are made all the

better by first-class attentive, but not

over-bearing, service.

In short, Stoke Park makes an

impression. It manages that difficult

thing – to take a beautiful country house

venue and, with courteous efficiency,

imbue it with an ambiance of luxury that

doesn’t feel oppressive or outdated.

A fantastic venue that every business

should consider.

Contact Stoke Park directly on

Tel: 01753 717171

[email protected]

Less than two hours from Ipswich – if the M25 is congestion-free – Stoke Park has long beenrecognised as one of the country’s leading locations for sport and hospitality.

John Penn (1760–1834), soldier, scholar and poet, is responsible for most of what canbe seen at Stoke Park today. He created it using a large proportion of the £130,000 thenew United States Government paid for his family's 26-million acre plot in Pennsylvania.

Bury St Edmunds I Cambridge I Huntingdon I Ipswich I London I Saxmundham www.ensors.co.uk

At Ensors, we have the right people who can provide you with the right answers. To us, our clients are more than just a number.

That’s why clients choose to partner with Ensors Chartered Accountants.Talk to us, we have all the answers to your questions.

Budding entrepreneurs across the East of

England will be able to gain first-hand

advice from business experts at a special

event in September.

It is being presented courtesy of Virgin

Media Pioneers, the Federation of Small

Businesses (FSB) and digital marketing

agency High Position at the Weston

Homes Stadium, Colchester, on

September 18. The event is designed to

chart a business from conception

through development and into

successful sales with everything a

budding entrepreneur needs to know

being covered in a relaxed, informative

and interactive atmosphere.

David Miles, Essex FSB chairman, said:

"If you've got a good idea, whether

you're

starting out or have an existing business,

this event is for you."

Experts will offer one-to-one advice as

well as workshops and on-stage

interviews to inspire the next generation

of entrepreneurship. Topics include

financing a business, how to get online

and get noticed, PR and social media and

getting the right professional support.

ACROSS THE REGION


Get your businessoff to a good start

All aboard the ‘Brecks’ special

Barker Gotelee Solicitors will be

sponsoring the Eastern Angles Christmas

Show 2013 in conjunction with chartered

accountants Ensors – regular supporters

of the theatre company.

The popular regional touring theatre

company has blazed a trail across the East

of England with its annual programme,

including community tours of shows and

plays to village halls and theatres.

This year The Brontes of Dunwich Heath

(& Cliff), a unique comic extravaganza,

will be at the Sir John Mills and Seckford

theatres over Christmas. Combining

literature with laughs, the show is written

and directed by Ivan Cutting, with music

and lyrics by Simon Egerton. Complete

with Mad Cath, Plain Jane and a panoply

of off-the-wall characters, this is a musical

Christmas caper you won’t want to miss.

James Skellorn, senior partner at Barker

Gotelee, said: “We know the production

will be of the highest calibre, as always. We

are keen to support and work with local

talent and we look forward to supporting

this festive performance.”

Robert Hatch, senior partner at Ensors,

added: “This will be Ensors’ 15th year

supporting the Eastern Angles Christmas

Show and we are really pleased to be

welcoming Barker Gotelee to the ‘cast’. I

am sure 2013 will be another sell-out year.”

A newly decorated ‘Brecks’ train has been

launched by Dame Stella Rimington,

former director general of MI5 and

Brecks resident.

Greater Anglia and The Brecks

Partnership have ‘wrapped’ a class 170

train used on the Norwich to Cambridge

route in enticing images to promote this

little known, but fascinating area

covering more than 1,000 sq km.

Thousands of rail and car passengers

pass through Breckland to better-known

destinations, such as the Norfolk and

Suffolk Coasts, Norwich and the Broads,

not knowing what they are missing. The

area extends from Castle Acre in the

north to just above Bury St Edmunds and

Newmarket in the south and includes

Thetford Forest with its miles of quiet

tracks and paths to walk, cycle or ride a

horse.

Dame Stella said: “I first discovered the

Brecks more than 20 years ago as a calm,

friendly and beautiful place to relax at

weekends and escape from the stress and

hurly-burly of my job. Now I'm retired, I

live here all the time and find it a great

place to dream up plots for my novels.

I've had to buy a bigger house to

accommodate visitors – friends, children

and grandchildren, who all love the

walks, the history and, of course, the

great food.”

Firms get theiract together…

Terry Heffernan Commercial Director of the High PositionGroup and a Virgin Media Ambassador

Robert Hatch (Partner, Ensors), James Skellorn (SeniorPartner, Barker Gotelee), Ivan Cutting (Writer & Director,Eastern Angles)

Bespoke digital marketing that delivers resultswww.crafted.co.uk or call us on 08453 228942

117%growth in website visitors

66%increase in sales

01473 611211www.barkergotelee.co.uk

WE SEE THINGS FROM WHERE YOU’RE SITTING

For life, land and business

At Barker Gotelee, we know that you’re looking for more than just expert legal advice.

The close working relationship we forge with each of our clients ensures we understand matters from all sides.



Halesworth Volvo dealership, M R King &

Sons, joined forces with the town’s golf

club to help raise thousands of pounds for

Help for Heroes.

As part of the Volvo National Golf Club

Challenge – the UK’s largest amateur

charity golf competition – the event was

held at Halesworth Golf Club, sponsored

by M R King & Sons.

Volvo dealerships across the UK will raise

at least £21,000 towards the final amount,

which last year saw £52,000 donated to

the charity.

General manager Julian King said: “The

event has grown in stature and

participation every year and indications

already suggest 2013 will be the best year

ever. This provided us with a fantastic

opportunity to support our servicemen

and women who have been injured in

their duty as well as to remember those

who have given their lives. We very much

enjoyed the event and doing ‘our bit’ to

raise money for a truly worthwhile cause.”

Regional winners take part in the national

final at Turnberry in Scotland with

finalists travelling to the two-day event in

style in vehicles on loan from Volvo.

Branding and design consultancy Silk

Pearce is launching a two-year business

development and growth plan with a

complete corporate rebrand – the first in

its 29-year history.

The new visual identity, stationery,

website and other promotional materials

are designed to reflect better its market

profile, client list and aspirations, while

raising awareness of its three key design

services – brands, websites and graphics.

Jack Pearce, the consultancy’s creative

head and co-founder, said: “The rebrand

follows an in-depth strategic review that

will see Silk Pearce adding new design

and management roles, while

strengthening our client list in key growth

sectors such as healthcare, technology

and property development.

“Our bolder, more confident look has

been designed to remind existing clients

and prospects that we offer a far-reaching

and integrated design approach – as we

have done for many years – covering

everything from corporate and product

branding, in some cases advising on

product development through to PR and

social media.”

The new identity is centred on a

typographic logo with teal blue as a

primary colour, a pallet of eight accent

colours and new typography.

On course to help heroes

New brand for brand experts

ACROSS THE REGION

Seckford HallHotel strengthensits teamSeckford Hall Hotel has made four new

key appointments to help develop and

strengthen the hotel’s growth.

Richard Brown joins as business

development manager, Anne Musolino

as events co-ordinator and Ashley

Durrant and Liam Oakenfull are

promoted to head chefs.

Richard’s business development role is

seen as key to the hotel’s development.

He has a wealth of experience in the

hotel industry having managed 1,200

staff from 60 different countries.

Anne worked at the hotel seven years ago

before joining Otley College. She then

worked for the Milsoms group at

Kesgrave Hall before becoming weddings

and events manager at the White Lion

Hotel in Aldeburgh.

Ashley and Liam have been at Seckford

Hall for a number of years. Ipswich born

and bred, Ashley studied at Suffolk

College before working at The Moat

House, Copdock, and Hintlesham Hall. A

keen golfer, he has represented Suffolk.

Liam originally joined Seckford Hall from

The Tower and Ritz hotels in London. He

then pursued a career as a private chef

before taking on roles as sous chef at

Belstead Brook Hotel and at Ipswich

Town Football club. He also worked in

Cyprus.

Dr Cable made it clear that the

Government does not wish to punish

honest failure – as he said: “Some of thebest entrepreneurs have failures to theirname, and this is the necessary corollary ofrisk taking”. Instead, his focus is on the

“rogues” who use so-called ‘phoenix

companies’ to deceive customers.

One of his proposals concerns disqualified

directors being required to undertake

some form of education before they can

go on to run another business. It has

always struck me how easy it is for

someone to be a company director

without the need for any formal

qualifications or training. Navigating the

complex web of legislation and case law

surrounding corporate governance is not

easy, even for those whose role it is to

advise on such matters. Therefore, this

proposal must surely be welcomed.

Another proposal suggests the courts may

be given powers to make financial awards

against directors they are disqualifying to

compensate creditors who have suffered

as a result of their actions. As Dr Cable put

it: “This would hit directors where it hurts

and provide more direct accountability tothose affected by misconduct”. Currently, it

is not uncommon for administrators and

liquidators to bring civil recovery actions

against directors riding off the back of a

disqualification where the allegations in

the two sets of proceedings are the same

or similar. But arguably this proposal will

make it easier – and at less cost to the

creditors – for compensation to be

awarded against culpable directors.

His other key proposal concerns those

directors who have been disqualified in

another country or convicted of a crime

associated with managing a company

overseas. Dr Cable

argued that

there is a

legitimate

question over whether they should be

allowed to be a director in the UK. This

too seems entirely sensible.

Dr Cable recognised that these robust

powers should only be used in

appropriate cases, so that “honest directorsneed not fear sanctions where they haveacted in good faith”. He added: “Manycompanies fail for genuine reasons…andfailure in itself is not an indication ofmisconduct”.

The Government is keen right now to

promote “trust and transparency” in the

business environment. So there is little

doubt that these proposals – and maybe

others still to be conceived – will reach the

statute book in the near future. Make sure

you are aware of how they may impact

on you – and, as ever, seek advice if

you are unsure.

Kevin Sullivan specialises in actingfor directors, particularly thosefacing disqualificationproceedings.

PROTECTING THE DIRECTOR

Contact Kevin Sullivan

Birkett Long LLP

01206 [email protected]

DIRECTORS’DISQUALIFICATION:

NEW PROPOSALS UNDERCONSIDERATION

In Vince Cable’s July 2013 speech to the “Responsible Capitalism” conference hosted by thethinktank Reform, the Business Secretary announced a number of proposals being considered aspart of a major consultation on the rules surrounding delinquent company directors.


Baker Tilly, a leading national firm with a local Suffolk presence

Baker Tilly based in Bury St Edmunds offers the benefits of a national, Top 10, accounting firm with a local Suffolk presence.

Baker Tilly based in Bury St Edmunds is one of Suffolk’s leading professional services firms and possibly Suffolk’s largest firm of Chartered Accountants. We benefit from a national and international network to add to the depth and quality of the advice provided to our clients.

If you want the best of both worlds, a local service with a national and international reputation, please contact Stephen Duffety on 01284 763311 or email [email protected]

Baker Tilly, Abbotsgate House, Hollow Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 7FA

© 2011 Baker Tilly UK Group LLP, all rights reserved

Baker Tilly UK Audit LLP, Baker Tilly Tax and Advisory Services LLP, Baker Tilly Corporate Finance LLP, Baker Tilly Restructuring and Recovery LLP and Baker Tilly Tax and Accounting Limited are not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but we are able in certain circumstances to offer a limited range of investment services because we are members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. We can provide these investment services if they are an incidental part of the professional services we have been engaged to provide. Baker Tilly & Co Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority to conduct a range of investment business activities.

INFOTEX

DIGITAL STRATEGYSEO & ONLINE MARKETINGECOMMERCE SOLUTIONSWEBSITE DESIGN & BUILD

MOBILE

If you want your business to do better

business on the internet, talk to us

01394 615622 • [email protected]


PR & MARKETING

Your website - winning you new business

For the majority of us this would be

unthinkable. The same should apply to

your company’s website. It should provide

your customers with easy and clear

navigation to the information they need.

A powerful website is critical to

promoting your reputation and winning

new customers to ensure you stand out

from your competitors.

Your website is often a potential customer’s

first impression of your business. So it’s

important to make it count.

Everything sends a message – so send the

right message. Here are some guidelines

when briefing your designer:

A strong and clear message

In order to have a successful and

engaging website, it should have a strong

and clear message with a clean,

uncluttered page layout.

Clear easy-to-use navigation

Think through your web pages’ structure

so that it all makes sense in a logical flow.

That way, when customers visit your

website, they will have an easier time

navigating to the information that is

most relevant to them.

Future proof your website

Future proofing is important, going for

latest web design techniques, including

css3, html5, and j Query.

Cost

As well as gaining a competitive price for

a professional service, negotiate for

hosting service and domain names to be

included in package prices.

Say it with style

A website for a professional company

should avoid a template design and

should be unique to your business and

the customers you want to win.

Consider the qualifications of the web

designer, create a design with consistent

colour schemes and professional

branding. Engage a professional copy

writer and a professional photographer,

or if on a budget, purchase high quality

stock photography.

At Ripple, we know that every client is

different and we will work with you to

create the right website for you so that

your story is told, and told well.

To find out more contact:

Ripple Public Relations Ltd

01379 678662 or [email protected]

www.ripplepr.co.uk

Would you drive to a businessmeeting with a new clientwithout using Satnav, to findthe company’s offices?

Ripple Public Relations Ltd’slatest website was designedand built for the Target CleanGroup, a Framlingham basedcommercial cleaning company

with 27 employees (www.targetclean.co.uk). Ripple’swebsite designer Andrew Howard holds a BSc (hons)degree in computer science.


PREVIOUS IOD SUFFOLK EVENTS

Energy has long been an important part of

the Suffolk business scene but now, with

plans to develop Sizewell and the growth

of offshore wind-power, it’s becoming

absolutely central. To keep members up-

to-date with developments, in July, Suffolk

IoD hosted a breakfast briefing from the

East of England Energy Group (EEEGR).

EEEGR is a non-profit, business-led group

committed to the sustained development

of the energy sector in our region.

Members operate in a range of energy

sectors including oil, gas, wind, wave and

tidal, bio-energy and nuclear plus carbon

capture and storage, distribution,

transmission and conventional generation.

EEEGR CEO Simon Gray presented the

briefing at Seckford Hall near

Woodbridge. Delegates were impressed by

the scale of the business within Suffolk

and Norfolk and the pace of its growth. Mr

Gray urged the government to do more to

help local energy businesses and warned

of the real risk of energy shortages unless

new sources were brought on-stream.

East Anglia is home to the most diverse

range of energy businesses in the UK. It

has a long heritage in offshore gas,

conventional and nuclear generation and

is leading the way on newer technologies

such as offshore wind. In total, the sector

supports over 100,000 jobs in the Eastern

Region and is responsible for more than

£13 billion pounds in turnover.

Luke Morris, IoD Suffolk Chairman and

Partner, Larking and Gowen said: “I

learned a lot. We all know energy is

important but Simon explained very

clearly just how important it now is for

Suffolk. Every business in the county

needs to be aware of the big changes

underway. This is a sector that is going to

loom large for the rest of our working

lives. We will do our best to make sure

Suffolk IoD members are kept right up-to-

date with all the key developments.”

The business was started by Thomas

Peatling, a Bury St Edmunds man, in

1826. It remained independent until 1934

when it became part of Greene King. For

a number of years it traded as Peatling

and Cawdron. Nicholas Corke led a

management buy-out in 2000, returning

the business to independent, family

ownership. It now has active plans for

expansion within Bury St Edmunds.

Bury St Edmunds wine merchants, Thos.

Peatling, were our hosts for a fascinating

evening of tutored tastings in June.

Director Nicholas Corke led the way with

an intriguing selection of personal

favourites. Mark Thompson of Moet and

Chandon talked about the differences

between vintage and non-vintage

champagne and explained the best ways

to store wine. Christina Torres of the

world-famous wine dynasty introduced

her new Californian wines.

“It was a fabulous evening,” said Luke

Morris, IoD Suffolk Chairman and

Partner, Larking and Gowen. “Everyone

enjoyed the tutorials, the networking and,

of course, the tastings. I’m very grateful to

Nicholas Corke and his team.”

Thos. Peatling specialise in importing

interesting and unusual wines from

estates worldwide. Many of their wines

are on sale for the first time in the UK. In

their substantial cellar they also hold a

number of vintage wines and can usually

supply bottles from particular years for

anniversaries. They provide special

services for external events and work with

a number of restaurateurs and hoteliers.

Fine wines please the palate

Lighting the way

Left to right are Christina Torres, Torres Family Wines; Nicholas Corke, Thos. Peatling; Luke Morris, Larking Gowen and IoDSuffolk Chairman; Dave Collins, Poundgates; Steve Schofield, Crafted; Robert Hatch, Ensors; Bernie Mills, Crafted.

Simon Gray (Left) and Luke Morris

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS

Autumn is here and soon it will be time to

think of Christmas and celebrating with

friends, family and business colleagues.

Relax, Kesgrave Hall can help and take

care of everything! For smaller parties at

lunchtime or in the evening, you can

book either The Mess or The Bunker

which are perfect for groups from 12 to

24. Both rooms have individual three

course menus to choose from, The Mess

has an extra special Showcase Menu and

yes, turkey is an option if you want it.

Don’t forget, the restaurant is also open

all day and there’s no need to book,

perfect for late lunch after Christmas

shopping or a morning in the office.

And if you’re looking for a big party with

dancing to a live band then we have the

perfect solution in The Hangar. The area

will be transformed into a winter

wonderland with Christmas trees and

twinkling lights, bar and reception area.

As you would expect from Kesgrave Hall,

head chef Stuart Oliver has devised a

delicious three course Christmas menu

(with choices) for you to enjoy.

The evening starts at 7.00pm with a glass

of sparkling wine followed by a three

course dinner and coffee before dancing

the night away to Frisky, a live band.

The dates are Saturday 7, Friday 13,

Saturday 14, Friday 20 and Saturday 21

December.

Give us a call on 01473 333741 and join us

to make Christmas 2013 the best ever!

Christmas - at milsoms Kesgrave Hall



SKILLS

Tomorrow’s workforce:where to find thetalentEvery business wants to grow and one of the best ways is by bringing in new people withfresh ideas. But with a skills shortage in the region, where are we going to find them?Iain Dunnett, New Anglia LEP’s operations manager, talks to Jane Chittenden.

JC: We’ve got lots of talented young

people in Suffolk; we’ve got excellent

colleges and universities. But so many

businesses in all sectors across the region

say they are struggling to get the skilled

people they need. Why have we got this

skills shortage?

ID: I’m working with businesses across

nine sectors – ranging from ICT to food

and farming - and there’s a really key

message from them all: that triangle

between employers, training providers

and the potential employees doesn’t add

up. The training providers are pushing

people out of the door who haven’t got

quite the skills that businesses want. The

training providers say to us: “If only

businesses would work a bit closer with

us and would invest in training and skills

a bit more.” And then you’ve got the

hapless individual – the potential

employee – who’s got the wrong skills and

doesn’t get the job.

That’s what we’re hearing across all the

sectors. Energy is the obvious one: they

need electrical and mechanical engineers

and they can’t get them. For various

reasons it’s disjointed. Colleges do what


they’re funded to do; but is that turning

out people with the right skills for local

employers? Quite often it isn’t. And

historically businesses as employers aren’t

close to education and careers advice,

although some are very good. There’s got to

be a much closer relationship.

Are things better, worse or the same as a

year ago?

We haven’t moved as far as we would like

to. Our skills summits this autumn are to

try to push the message that we must

move at a faster pace. Unless skills are

addressed now, we’re storing up problems

for the future. And this is the right time to

move forward. We’ve got the opportunity

with the City Deal (government funding)

for Greater Ipswich to give business a

much stronger voice in the workforce

skills agenda; and there’s the government’s

‘single pot’ fund. The different

mechanisms are coming together;

together we’ve got the chance to really

influence things and do things differently.

Tell me more about the skills summits.

As a LEP, we need a bit of pace in taking

the skills agenda forward. The skills

summits will create that pace, bringing

the right people together (businesses,

schools, colleges, sector specialists and

policymakers), creating a focus on what

we’re going to do and how we’re going to

do it. The Chambers of Commerce and

other business networks will be helping us

to spread the message. The aim is to get all

the partners working together; until now

it’s been quite fragmented. Making that

training/business/potential employees

triangle work will be the key focus of these

summits. Whatever the sector – energy or

agriculture or whatever – it needs to

happen fairly rapidly in the next couple of

years or we will lag behind in having a

skilled workforce. And that will ultimately

affect growth and business in this area.

SMEs are really busy; they’ll say: “We

haven’t got time. Why should we get

involved?”

Whether you’re an SME or a large

company, this is about the future

economy of our region – which we should

all be interested in. It’s good for current

business; it’s good for future business. So

everyone should get involved, whether

they come along to the skills summits or

contribute via webinars and social media.

We’re shaping the strategy for investing in

the next generation of people who will be

working for you or people who are

bringing business to you in the supply

chain. You can’t get away from the fact that

everyone’s linked up; it doesn’t matter

whether you’re a small rural business or a

global corporate operating here: it’s

important for everyone. A highly skilled,

highly motivated workforce will be our

greatest asset.

NEW ANGLIA LEP’S LOCAL SKILLS SUMMITSShaping a coordinated skills strategy:

• Jobs, innovation, growth andleading in global markets – what arethe skills that businesses require todrive success?

• Future generations – whatknowledge and skills will they needfor employability and how bestshould New Anglia LEP lead the way?

Ideas, experience and expertise arewelcomed from across the public andprivate sectors.

Suffolk: Monday 16 September 6pm – 9pm,University Campus Suffolk, Ipswich

Norfolk: Monday 23 September 6pm – 9pm,Norwich City Football Club, Norwich.

To register, please visit:www.newanglia.co.uk/Events/New-Anglia-Skills-Summits

Many employers will have, at some

point, questioned whether or not

young people are learning the skills

necessary to operate in a modern work

environment. Communication,

responsibility, initiative and teamwork

- all fundamental skills but increasing

considered to be lacking in the

employees of tomorrow.

But times are changing. Suffolk County

Council’s Raising the Bar programme –

launched to improve educational

attainment and employability in the

county – has teamed up with business

leaders to create stronger links between

the workplace and the classroom so

that young people gain a better

understanding from an earlier age.

In particular, a new framework has been

drawn up by employers and education

leaders that spells out clearly what skills

and attitudes are needed in today’s

employment market. As a pilot, schools in

four areas of Suffolk will be teaching these

skills, supported by employers in the

classroom. If successful, the programme

could be rolled out across Suffolk.

Alongside this, the county council is

working to broker new relationships

between businesses of all sizes and

schools – connections that are often

desired on both sides but are too

frequently difficult to create.

Employers are able to promote working

in their industries while young people

get to learn from great new role models.

To learn more about the framework,

how your business can become more

involved or how you could become a

role model yourself, email Andrea

Davies at [email protected]

Do schools understandbusiness needs?


A WORD FROM THE ACCOUNTANTS

This article is designed for the information of readers. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, information contained in this article may not be comprehensive and recipients shouldnot act upon it without seeking professional advice. Larking Gowen is registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England andWales. Regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. ©Larking Gowen.

Reporting greenhouse gases—burden or benefit?Carbon reporting is set to become mandatory for all UKcompanies listed on the main market of the London StockExchange with effect from October 2013.

The reporting will come into force for

years ending on or after 30 September

2013 and is being driven by a requirement

from the Climate Change Act 2008, which

targets reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions by 80% by 2050.

What will need reporting?

The GHG protocol splits emissions into

‘scopes’ for reporting purposes:

• Scope 1 accounts for direct GHG

emissions which result from activities that

are owned or controlled by the

organisation (e.g. the production of

electricity, transportation); and

• Scope 2 accounts for indirect GHG

emissions which result from the import

(purchase) of electricity, heat or steam.

The GHG protocol extends to a third

scope which covers all other indirect GHG

emissions that result from sources not

owned or controlled by the organisation

(e.g. employee business travel, outsourced

activities). The legislation will, however,

only require that scopes 1 and 2 of

emissions are reported on.

What does this actually mean for those

companies?

Some companies will see a significant

increase in the information to be reported

in the Director’s Report; in fact, a

significant proportion of quoted

companies do not currently report on

carbon to any extent.

Organisations are expected to benefit

from “lower energy and resource costs;

gain a better understanding of exposure

to the risks of climate change; and

demonstrate leadership.” In reality, whilst

those that already measure GHG as a

management tool will see some benefit to

the new legislation, other, perhaps

smaller quoted companies, will see this as

nothing more than red tape, adding little

benefit and creating a burden on key

resources such as time and finances.

Who else might be affected?

Whilst there is currently no requirement

for privately owned businesses to report

on their carbon footprint, this might be

something that the Government looks at

changing at some point in the future.

We are currently working with clients on

this legislation. More awareness of GHG

emissions will certainly be required if

government targets are to be met.

For more information on how we can

help, please contact Steven Burgess on

01473 833411 or at

[email protected]

Steven Burgess

Guaranteed to improve your business...or we waive our feeWe are Business Improvement Specialists based in East Anglia and can help you to:

vropm Issenis Bu areeWtsEa len had cna ailgnA

desa bsstialicep Stemenv:ou top y yo


Beatons Group, York House, 2/4 York Road Felixstowe, Suffolk, IP11 7QG

AUDITINGSERVICESA measured approach

Registered Auditor regulated by the ICAEWReg. No. C009193698

Call 01394 279692E-mail [email protected]/audit

A consistent, professional and friendly service at a competitive price.

UKGAAP and IFRS financial statements audited

Member of and regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

01473 343490 www.ryan-group.co.ukRyan Insurance Group Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

01473 730090 www.claydens.comClayden Financial is a trading name of Clayden Financial Planning Ltdwhich is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

Insurance Solutions including:

Public Liability•

Professional Indemnity•

Directors & Officers •

Premises & Property•

Motor Vehicles•

Shareholder Agreements•

Key Person Protection•

Life and Pension Schemes for Company Directors •and Employees

Working together to provide expertadvice for you and your business

Financial Planning including:


ONLINE LEARNING

MOOCs cover a huge range of subjects,

from the classic academic topics through

to business and technology, which can be

accessed by thousands of participants at

the same time – so they’re massive.

Anyone can join in, for free, without

entry qualifications, so they’re open.

They’re delivered online over the Internet

and use social media to connect

participants online. And they’re proper

university courses, presented in lectures,

online seminars and assignments.

The great advantage of MOOCs, apart

from their top quality course content and

nil cost, is their convenience. Students can

fit learning around their working lives and

learn at a pace to suit their individual

learning style. These are not just for

university students; they provide

opportunities to improve a CV, develop

career prospects, expand knowledge or

learn more about a topic that is of interest

to an individual.

Could this concept change the way we

access higher education as much as MP3

for music and Amazon for books, but free

of charge?

That’s what the pioneers of MOOCS hope.

Their vision is that anyone in the world

can have access to the best professors

from the best universities, all for free.

The idea for MOOCs started in the top US

universities, which have been

collaborating to make their courses

available to everyone.

Coursera is an education company set up

by Stanford University computer science

professors Andrew Ng and Daphne

Koller. They say: “The technology that

allows one professor to teach not just one

student but 100,000 really changes the

economics of higher education… we can

afford to connect everyone in the world

to a great education.”

They offer courses in the humanities,

medicine, sciences, maths, business and

IT. The courses are free; there are plans to

charge for providing certificates as proof

of study to employers.

Udacity is another MOOC offer

originating in Stanford, which actively

seeks corporate involvement and

sponsorship. It’s already collaborating

with companies such as Google and

AT&T. Udacity’s founder and CEO

Sebastian Thrun explains: “We are

reinventing education for the 21st

century by bridging the gap between

real-world skills, relevant education, and

employment. … By keeping education

meaningful and modern with the latest

technologies and skills, we hope to

advance both education and career

opportunities for our students.”

Udacity’s main offers are computer

programming and software design.

Course materials are free; students pay

for tuition.

EdX is a not-for-profit platform

established by Harvard and

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(MIT), bringing together universities

worldwide. It offers MOOCs in subjects

including history, law, science,

engineering, IT and business.

In the UK, the Open University is building

on its 40-plus years of experience in

distance learning to collaborate with 21 UK

universities, two international partners

and the expertise of the British Library, the

British Museum and the British Council.

They’re offering MOOCs through

FutureLearn, starting this autumn.

According to the FT: “The way to

understand this revolution is to think

about MOOC platforms – such as

Coursera and edX in the US, and the UK’s

FutureLearn – as the iTunes of higher

education.”

Will the MOOC revolution catch on?

There’s no doubt about the quality of the

course content, but there are some doubts

about whether the business models can

be sustained. It looks as if all providers are

agreed on providing course material for

free; some have plans for charging for

certificates or tuition; and some are

starting to license their material to other

universities, to enhance their

conventional courses. Whatever the future

of MOOCs, there are some great

opportunities for everyone to dip in and

learn for free.

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) could bring the world’s best university teachingto everyone, anywhere, any time - for free. But will the concept catch on? We investigatehow higher education is being transformed.

MOOCs – the onlinerevolution in highereducation

WHAT IS A MOOC?MOOC stands for massive openonline course.

It is an online course aimed at large-scale participation and open access viathe Internet

They are similar to university courses, butdo not tend to offer academic credits

A number of web-based platformssupported by top universities andcolleges offer MOOCs in a wide rangeof subjects.

Coursera: www.coursera.orgUdacity: www.udacity.comEdX: www.edx.orgFutureLearn: www.futurelearn.com


Research by Hubspot found that from

2009 to 2011 the percentage of businesses

with a blog grew from 48% to 65%. In

reality, if your business does not have a

blog that is frequently updated you are

missing an opportunity to increase your

online presence.

Gone are the days when the company

blog was seen as a ‘nice to have’. They now

form a crucial element of a business’s

social media and search optimisation

strategy. In order to drive traffic to your

website – and to increase sales – your

online presence must be more powerful

than that of your competitors. When a

potential customer searches for a

professional or business in your industry

you want your name to come near the top

of the list not at the bottom of page 10.

This is done through effective search

engine optimisation.

Google and other search engines such as

Yahoo no longer solely use keywords to

determine where your company should

appear on their search pages. They now

use advanced algorithms to assess how

frequently you post and update your

website and the quality of the content you

post. This may seem daunting but a blog

linked to your website is an excellent way

to add relevant content quickly and easily.

What to include

Your blog should include some, if not all,

of the following essential elements:

● Descriptive titles – make sure your

posts come up in readers’ searches by

using keywords that are as descriptive

and direct as possible.

● About section – gives readers the

opportunity to learn more about your

business.

● Contact information – email and

physical addresses give readers multiple

ways to contact you and will provide

legitimacy to your blog.

● Links to social media pages – your blog

must be a key part of your digital strategy.

Use your blog as a vehicle for building

fans on Facebook, connections on

LinkedIn and followers on Twitter by

including links to your social media pages

on every page of your blog.

● Email subscription – if you use email

marketing then include an email

subscription form on the blog. This will

enable you to compile a database of

readers, who you can effortlessly notify of

new blog posts and special offers.

● Search function – as you continue to

post and increase the amount of your

content you will want to make sure you

give readers a chance to find posts quickly

on specific topics by including a search

function.

● Categories and subcategories – help

readers identify all your posts regarding

specific topics.

● Relevant links – to other blogs or

websites that you think your readers will

find useful.

How to manage your blog

To manage your blog you need a content

management system (CMS). This allows

the publishing and editing of content to

your site without the need to know any

coding. There are many different options

when deciding on a CMS, with our

personal favourite being WordPress.

Adding your blog to your website rather

than having a separate site for it

benefits you by reinforcing your brand

and also helps build backlinks to

your website throughout the web from

people sharing your content. The more

backlinks you have to your website the

better it is for your search engine

rankings. Integrating your blog into your

website also keeps things simple in that

you have to maintain only one website.

Your website is the heart of your online

marketing and is a valuable asset. It

doesn’t make good business sense to send

people somewhere else to read your

articles.

Rubious is a web design and marketing

agency in Ipswich, Suffolk.

www.rubious.co.uk01473 356403www.twitter.com/rubiouswww.facebook.com/rubious

SOCIAL MEDIA

Blogging for your business:

Why blog?Blogging has been around for nearly 20 years and was originally used to provide aunique way for people to share thoughts, feelings, experiences and opinions.Things have changed, however, and companies of all sizes have realised thebusiness benefits of blogging. Organisations from FTSE 100 companies to soletraders use blogs and other digital methods, such as email marketing, to increasetheir digital presence and, consequently, their bottom line.


No need to plan the Christmas Menu

Yarmouth Road, Melton, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1QW

Book your hassle free Christmas Party and Dinner with Ufford Parkand put that extra sparkle into your Christmas.

This year’s themed Open Party Nights will transport you to themost eccentric and wonderful chocolate factory of them all! This isyour golden opportunity to embark on a mysterious and fantasticadventure this Christmas.

PPrriicceess ssttaarrtt ffrroomm aass lliittttllee aass ££4400 ppeerr ppeerrssoonn,, including a three course dinner and disco.

It’s never too early to book, so book with us now toguarantee your table.

......wwee’’vvee ddoonnee iitt ffoorr yyoouu!!

For more information please call us on0844 477 1832or visit www.uffordpark.co.uk

CCeelleebbrraattee CChhrriissttmmaass iinn

WWoonnkkaallaanndd


Versatile, dynamic andeven more elegant...

You might imagine, from the picture

above, that the Volvo V60 sports wagon

with its coupé-like design is a rather

snarly sort of thing.

Well, that's what happens if you take a

Volvo V60, put the R-Design bodykit that

includes stylish silver matt mirrors,

unique rear exhaust pipes, together with

those menacing 5-spoke Diamond Cut

18" alloy wheels on it. Festooned thus,

the V60 looks tremendous, but it's about

as snarly as a week-old kitten.

That's because it has the least powerful

engine in the range - the 115 bhp 1.6-litre

turbo diesel which Volvo designates D2.

And really, I'm not too fussed about that,

because in normal everyday driving it is

as quick as it needs to be. Moderate

application of the accelerator gives a

decent burst of acceleration, just as it

should do in a good turbo diesel. It's only

when you want more performance - if

you try to go for a quick overtake, for

example - that you may realise you're

already using nearly as much

performance as the car can offer. You

learn from this, and you plan accordingly

in future. Although, that said, Volvo offers

a host of other engine sizes all the way up

to 304 bhp for the T6 which does give you

snarl - add a Polestar software upgrade

and you add further to your experience.

I would in any case trade the lack of

overall grunt for its fantastic fuel

economy. On the EU combined cycle this

amounts to 68.9mpg, which would be

very difficult to achieve in real life, but

according to the trip computer I

managed 53mpg - an impressive figure

for a car of this size, I thought.

The excellent fuel economy and the

correspondingly low 108g/km CO2

emissions which make the car free of

road tax in the first year and £30 in

subsequent years - and it attracts a

meagre 16% BIK rate - are possibly the

best things about the car. I say "possibly"

because, in typical Volvo fashion, the V60

features a host of genuinely useful safety

systems including Pedestrian Detection

with Full Auto Brake.

Much has been made by Volvo of the car’s

load carrying capabilities, and it’s true

that, for a medium-sized estate car, it's

not extravagantly roomy – although

luggage volume of 557 litres with the rear

seats up and 1241 litres when they're

folded isn't what you might call bad. The

rear seats can be folded down in three

40/20/40 segments, so that the rear 430

litres of load space can be supplemented

quickly and easily.

In reality the V60 is more about style than

practicality, and that people even in a

business context don't carry heavy loads

as often as they used to; indeed, if you

really want more interior space there are

always the V70, XC70, XC60 or XC90

available.

With its 53mpg fuel consumption the V60

could have hung around in our business

for another week or two without any

complaint from me!

To arrange a test drive contact Adam

Noble at M.R.King & Sons,

46 Quay Street, Halesworth IP19 8EY

T: 01986 874464 E: [email protected]

www.mrking.co.uk

MOTORING REVIEW - VOLVO V60 D2

While Volvo has always had a reputation for building usefully large estates, the V60 breaks withthat tradition. It's arguably the most distinctive and sleek car Volvo has built in recent years.


A suit is not a purchase to be taken lightly

or quickly. Each body shape is entirely

unique and when trying on a suit, there

are certain elements of each component

that must be taken into account.

Let’s start with the jacket. The perfect

jacket length is just long enough to cover

the curvature of the buttocks, whilst giving

the leg as long a line as possible. It’s quite

normal for a jacket to be longer at the

front than at the back, in order to hang

properly.

The bottom of the jacket should line up

with the thumb knuckle and when the

waist button of a coat is fastened, it should

divide the body so that the torso and legs

appear at maximum length. The sleeves of

the jacket should never flap around the

wrist – not only does this lack smartness

but also gives an illusion of heft.

It is seen to be the sign of a well turned-

out man to have a shirt cuff between

jacket sleeve and hand. It used to be said

that a jacket sleeve without a bit of visible

shirt cuff below made the hand appear as

if part of it were missing!

Moving downwards, the suit trousers

should extend the line of the jacket.

Fuller-chested jackets require fuller-cut

trousers; just as more fitted jackets require

slimmer-fitting trousers. It’s imperative

that suit trousers should be worn on the

waist, not on the hip. The trouser crease

should also intersect the middle of the

knee and bisect the middle of the shoe.

The choice of a dress shirt should always

be guided first and foremost by the

appropriateness of its collar shape to that

of the wearer’s face. Think of the face as a

picture and the collar as its frame. A small

picture requires a small frame – just as a

smaller man with delicate features

requires a collar of restrained dimensions,

and vice versa.

Finishing off a suit, although not always

deemed a necessity in recent years, is the

necktie. A tie’s correct width has always

been determined by the jacket’s lapel. A

man with narrow shoulders has less chest

to drape a lapel across, therefore the

lapel’s dimensions dictates that the tie

width should follow suit (ha, pun!). A

broad-shouldered man requires a more

generous lapel and thus a larger-scaled

necktie.

And finally, when trying on a suit, it’s

generally a good idea to ensure you have

your wallet in your pocket, and your keys

and mobile phone in their normal

locations so you can see exactly how these

items will sit once the suit is purchased.

With the opening statement in mind, that

is precisely why at Coes, we offer a free

basic tailoring service on all of our suits.

So that you can feel confident that you’re

wearing the suit, the suit isn’t wearing you.

William Coe, Coes of Ipswich

t: +44 (0) 1473 256061 e: [email protected]

SARTORIAL STYLE

The Perfect Fit

o.coesc

.uk

OAD RWICH 20-28 NOR

s suits in stocer 2,000 men’Ov

FREE CUSTOMER CAR P256061TEL: 01473

TUESDA TUESDAY-NPEOH1 2NIPPSWICH IOAD

hest ck – sizes up to 60”s suits in stoc

ARK CUSTOMER CAR P PARK

Y 9AM-6PMURDAAY 9AM-6PMTAATSY-

Only one man in a hundred is likely to step into a ready madesuit and find that it needs no alterations. An old tailor oncesaid: “Compromise on quality if you must, never proportion.”


URBAN SMALL BUSINESS

SMEs (small and medium-sized

enterprises) make up 99% of all

businesses in UK cities and provide more

than half of all the private sector jobs.

They’re increasingly important for

growth across a regional economy. But

how much is an SME affected by the city

where it does business?

New research from Centre for Cities

shows that different cities have an

enormous impact on an SME’s ability to

thrive – and not always in ways that

might be expected.

I’m looking at what this means for the

three main cities in our region:

Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich (Centre

for Cities regards large towns such as

Ipswich as cities).

Numbers of SMEs andtheir growth rateCities provide ready access to skilled

workers, markets and suppliers, which is

why most high growth SMEs are based in

cities. A city’s prosperity depends on the

strength of its local SMEs: large numbers

of SMEs means low unemployment.

Cambridge ranks 7/64, reflecting a very

high density of knowledge-based

industries. Norwich is close behind; but

Ipswich is around the average for the UK.

New business start-ups across the UK

were acutely affected by the recession;

however, Cambridge has had more start-

ups than most cities last year. New

business start-ups in Ipswich and

Norwich were within the mid-range.

Strong performing SMEs have increased

their workforces. Cambridge’s SMEs were

second only to London; Ipswich’s SME

expansion was also very strong. Norwich

SMEs achieved average rates of

expansion. And very few of Cambridge’s

and Ipswich’s SMEs reduced their

workforces; Norwich also performed well.

Access to workforcecapacity and skills

People are essential to business: a strong

labour market locally is a key indicator of

success. And population growth means

more access to workers plus more

customers for local businesses.

Ipswich has one of the fastest-growing

populations in the UK, ranked at 4/64;

Cambridge takes the next place, whereas

Norwich – although last year among the

top ten fastest-growing cities – is now

near the average.

It’s a very different picture when looking

at the educational qualifications of local

residents. This is a significant indicator: a

more highly skilled workforce means

stronger performing SMEs.

Not surprisingly, Cambridge scores very

high indeed, taking second place after

Oxford; Norwich does well; but Ipswich’s

achievement is among the lowest: 60/64.

All SMEs report a gap between the skills

they need and the skills that are available

to them. Skills gaps don’t necessarily

reflect a city’s skills profile – they could

indicate unusually high demand for a

particular skill.

Cambridge has very few problems in

filling its skills shortages, Norwich is able

to find most of the people it needs, but

Ipswich struggles in comparison.

Affordability

Affordability of commercial premises is a

big problem nationwide. According to

the LSE (London School of Economics)

office space in the UK is in general

prohibitively expensive; business space

in Birmingham is more expensive than

New York.

Cambridge is one of the most expensive

cities in the UK for business premises,

second only to London. Norwich is

relatively expensive; Ipswich prices are

average.

High house prices indicate strong SME

economies and high demand – but this

could affect their ability to attract skilled

workers because of the impact on their

disposable income.

This is particularly problematic for

Cambridge, with very high prices and

strong demand for housing that outstrips

supply, but it’s also an issue for both

Ipswich and Norwich, with house prices

much higher than the national average.

Regional economies depend on the success of their SMEs for growth – but are somecities better placed than others? And how much does that affect an SME’s chances ofprosperity? Jane Chittenden looks at a new report from Centre for Cities: Small BusinessOutlook 2013.

City-based smallbusinesses: are somecities more equalthan others?

Barriers: red tape,connectivity anddependence on localmarket

Speed of planning decisions affects

businesses’ ability to start up and expand.

Planning decisions are much speedier than

the average in Ipswich and Norwich, but

Cambridge is one of the worst places in the

country for delays in planning decisions.

Digital connectivity (access to superfast

broadband) is an essential component of

modern business infrastructure – and a

cause of major frustration across the region.

In Cambridge, connectivity is excellent,

second only to London; Ipswich is also

well connected. But Norwich suffers one

of the lowest levels of access (it’s even

worse in rural areas, of course).

Local demand for goods and services is

important for many SMEs (over half of

them operate in their local markets), so

disposable income locally is an important

factor. If local incomes are low, SMEs need

to look for markets further afield.

Cambridge, the city with least

dependency on local markets (many of

its SMEs operate in global markets) has

residents with very high earnings but this

has to be set against its exceptionally

high housing prices. Norwich citizens

earn considerably below the national

average; Ipswich figures are even lower.

ConclusionWhat do these figures mean for our three

cities? Clearly their priorities are different

– for example, more affordable housing

and commercial property in Cambridge,

improved educational performance for

Ipswich and better access to broadband

for Norwich.

Every city is unique, but for all cities,

three factors are very important: access

to a skilled workforce, quality of place (an

attractive place to live and work), and

dealing with the barriers to progress,

such as red tape and poor connectivity.


Centre for Cities is an independent non-partisan research organisation that aims tounderstand why and how cities’ economies succeed. It focused on the 64 largest townsand cities in the UK. The latest research can be seen here:www.centreforcities.org/research/businessoutlook13.html


The recent news headlines have been

encouraging – unemployment down, the

building industry beginning to thrive,

house prices increasing – there certainly

seems to be more optimism than there

has been for a few years.

What are you or your company doing to

develop this confidence in a recovery?

There will have been casualties within

every industry but the businesses that

have been able to re-structure, downsize,

change or reduce contracts will be the

ones that are now coming out of the

recession leaner, fitter and stronger for

the process.

Within the golf industry, as with many

other leisure businesses, it has been an

extremely difficult few years as these type

of sectors are after the discretionary

spend of its customers.

It has been noticeable that those

businesses or individuals that have

continued to invest in their staff or

themselves have come through these

years in better shape. Allowing your staff

to join a gym, play a round of golf, enjoy a

golf clinic, have a pamper day at a spa are

all experiences that can help staff feel

motivated and improve their self worth.

This can have a very positive influence on

the working environment for all staff

under your employment.

I would certainly suggest that as an

employer you should find out what each

member of your staff is ‘into’ and then try

to fulfil some of their wishes by having a

bonus scheme that can help this to come

to fruition. There is certainly a better

feeling around these industries that the

worst is over and the better times will be

returning soon.

If you need help in creating hotel, golf

tuition or spa packages that may inspire

your workforce please contact me.

LEISURE

Motivating your staff

Stuart Robertson PGA Golf Professional and Director of GolfUfford Park Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 1QW

01394 382836

www.doctorgolf.co.uk

www.uffordpark.co.uk

[email protected]

#doctorgolf247

Meetings at

Hintlesham Hall

Whether you wish to hold an important

seminar, or a private banquet, Hintlesham

Hall is the perfect choice for any event.

The Hall’s four individually styled

conference rooms can comfortably

accommodate an intimate board meeting

for four delegates, up to a larger

gathering of 80 delegates theatre style.

Outdoor space for team building.

33 individually designed, luxuriously

furnished bedrooms.

Exceptional twenty-four hour and eight

hour delegate rates available.

Dining at

Hintlesham Hall

Two course lunch and coffee £18.00 per personThree course lunch and coffee £23.50 per person

Available Monday – Saturday

Sunday LunchTwo course lunch, coffee and chocolate truffles

£19.50 per personThree course lunch, coffee and

chocolate truffles £25.50 per person

A La CarteA La Carte menu available for lunch

and dinner seven days a week (excluding Sunday lunch time)

For reservations please telephone 01473 652334

www.hintleshamhall.comemail: [email protected]

•

•

• •

•


Are you looking for a newvenue to hold your officeChristmas party this year?Then look no further..!

Ipswich Sports Club is one of Suffolk’s best kept secrets;the club is set in idyllic grounds just north of the towncentre on Henley Road, in the central IP1 postcode area.

We can accommodate a range of parties and functionsfrom business meetings, corporate events, partycelebrations and much more. The club has ample freecar parking, a good sized function room (seating up to50) and fully licensed bar.

Our delicious Christmas menu has been created byHead Chef, Justin, and his team from TheCourtside Bistro and includes dishes such as:

Pan seared breast of pigeon with crisp pancettaand a raspberry dressing

Slow roasted Dingley Dell pork belly, creamedSavoy cabbage, mashed potato, apple purée,

and cider jus

We look forward to welcoming you; for further detailsand to book, contact our Functions Co-ordinator [email protected] or call 01473 251143.

Enjoy fresh air, not hot air

at Coopers CountryTeam-build, entertain clients, or simplycelebrate with staff in a discreet yetrewarding way at our interesting, ruralvenue. Our clay-shooting packages arefun and informative. For some, it’s anopportunity to try something new; forothers, the chance to improve their skills.

Business Blast packages include exclusiveuse of our venue and meeting roomfacilities as required, refreshments, tuition,use of shotguns, other equipment asnecessary and 50 clays and cartridgeseach. And you can also add lunch ordinner, at our intriguing Sporting Lodge.

• Suitable for parties from 4 to 40• From £40 per person

LOOKING GOOD AND FEELING GREAT?

��www.alanbrannandesign.co.uk

ALANBRANNANDESIGN�

A new image can rejuvenate your business andattract new customers – that’s what our clients sayabout our recent branding campaigns.

So if you’re ready for a creative fresh approach,contact Paul Newman or visit our website to findout how we can help take your business forward.

Or is your branding a little tired and in need of refreshing?


ENERGY NEWS

SABRE (Support and Advice to Businesses

around Renewable Energy) is offering

FREE renewable energy advice to small

and medium-sized enterprises in Suffolk.

The support is impartial and independent

and includes advice on the investment

opportunities created by Feed-in Tariffs

and the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Sackers Recycling, who were recently

named Business of the Year at the EADT

Business Awards, was the first business to

take advantage of the SABRE project,

successfully installing a 50kW Solar PV

system at their site in Great Blakenham at a

cost of £76,000. Payback for the installation

will be between 9-14 years, with cost

savings after payback returning £2,620 pa, as

well as CO2 savings of 21.32 tonnes CO2 pa.

Chris Oliver, Finance Director for Sackers

said “We recommend SABRE to anyone

considering installing a renewable

technology or who is trying to work out

what their resource efficiency options

are. Their information gave a lot of

comfort in knowing we were dealing with

people who knew the market, and their

impartial advice was great to receive”

John Gosden Racing of Newmarket is also

reaping the benefits of SABRE. After

opting for a 20kW solar PV system, site

wide loft insulation and LED lighting

throughout they will be making cost

savings of £5,000 pa after a 4 year payback.

Further cost savings have since paid for a

new bicycle rack to encourage sustainable

transport amongst workers. They said

“The SABRE report is a great way to start a

programme to reduce your firm’s

environmental impact and running costs”

The SABRE project is supporting 120

businesses/social enterprises in total

over three years. Everyone who takes part

in the project will receive:

• A free independent and impartial

Renewable Energy Feasibility Review

• Further free support and advice on

renewable energy

To find out more about how you qualify

for SABRE or if you would like to find out

what your renewable energy options are

contact SABRE on 01394 444584 or email

[email protected].

SABRE is impartial and independent. Itis a three-year partnership projectbetween Groundwork Suffolk andSuffolk County Council on behalf of theSuffolk Climate Change Partnership andis part-financed by the EuropeanRegional Development Fund. For moreinformation visitwww.greensuffolk.org/sabre

FREE RENEWABLE ENERGY ADVICE


BUSINESS BOOKS

Whole College

Open Morning

Saturday 12th October 2013

9.30am-12.30pm

St

Jose

ph

’s C

oll

ege

A co-educational Independent Day School

for 3-18 year olds with boarding facilities.

Scholarships and bursaries up to 100%

of fees available.

A Christian School in the Lasallian Tradition.

Belstead Road, Ipswich, England IP2 9DR

Telephone: 01473 690281

[email protected]

www.stjos.co.uk

BOOK REVIEWSThe Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates RadicallySuccessful Businesses by Eric Ries Viking £10.49

Most new businesses fail. But most of those failures are

preventable. "The Lean Startup" is a new approach to business

that's being adopted around the world. It is changing the way

companies are built and new products are launched. "The Lean

Startup" is about learning what your customers really want. It's

about testing your vision continuously, adapting and adjusting

before it's too late. Now is the time to think Lean.

Eric Ries is an entrepreneur and author of the blog Startup Lessons Learned. He co-

founded and served as CTO of IMVU, his third startup. He is a frequent speaker at

business events, has advised a number of startups, large companies, and venture

capital firms on business and product strategy, and is an entrepreneur-in-residence at

Harvard Business School.

Facebook Marketing Guide for Smart Business Ownersby Nick StevensKindle edition (amazon.co.uk) £2.00

These days, Facebook marketing is essential for any

business. This book is a quick hit packed with tons of

valuable information you can begin applying immediately!

Here is a preview of what you'll learn...

-Creating the foundation you need to be successful

-Creating your brand

-Setting up your business profile

-Knowing what content to post

-Maximizing your first fans

-Boosting your pages

-Connecting with others

-Optimizing for Google

-Timing your posts

-Promoting across different platforms

-Scheduling regular makeovers

-Assessing your progress and results

-Using metrics to take things to the next level

SMEs from the Ground Up [Paperback]by Chuck Hodell ASTD Press Kindle edition (amazon.co.uk) £25.52

Subject matter experts are at the heart of many instructional

design projects. Yet there seems to be a vacuum of best

practices and approaches to working with SMEs. Since

instructional designers and trainers thrive on getting their

content correct, there is no realistic way to do this efficiently

and productively without finding the best way to work with

SMEs.

This book will show you how to define the different SMEs and their roles for you and

your learning and development teams. Learn how to develop plans for SME selection,

communication, evaluation, and problem solving to ensure that tasks move along

smoothly. No matter your level of experience in training, this guide provides the basics

of building a productive working relationship with SMEs.

�


MEMBER PROFILE

John HaresnapeOwner, Lady Florence River Cruise RestaurantJohn Haresnape will be familiar to many IoD members –either because, along with thousands of others, they have,at some time, enjoyed a meal while cruising the River Oreon board the ex-Admiralty supply boat, the Lady Florence,or as a result of John’s regular attendance at IoD events inskipper’s uniform of branded shirt and shorts. John’s familybusiness is soon set to expand, with a second boatoperating out of Ipswich.

Join us and you’ll discover a unique mix

of opportunities to learn and be inspired

by interesting speakers; meet other

directors, senior managers and

professionals and enjoy a variety of social

occasions with a big member discount.

Many of our members take advantage of

other IoD benefits including the superb

meeting space and facilities in Pall Mall,

London, which are FREE to use; FREE

one-to-one expert advisory sessions and

FREE business information queries

answered within 24 hours.

As an IoD Suffolk member you are also

entitled to free access to a dedicated

workstation in the new e-touchdown on

the 5th floor at Eastern Enterprise Hub in

the James Hehir building on Ipswich

waterfront. See www.eehub.co.uk

For membership details email

[email protected]

Lady Florence fans will be keen to hearmore about your plans for the RiverOrwell. Can you tell us a bit more aboutthat first? We are in the process of moving the boat

we have been operating out of Durban in

South Africa to Ipswich. She’s called the

Allen Gardiner and is a 63-foot wooden

air/sea rescue launch built in 1942. She’s a

fair bit bigger than the Lady Florence; as

many as 20 can sit down for a meal

together, although she is licensed for 50.

She was based in the heart of Durban,

near the commercial district and was very

popular with corporate diners. We’re

hoping we’ll be able to do something

similar in Ipswich and that, of course, is

quite a different sort of proposition to the

Lady Florence. We do hope, however, that

the many people who’ve enjoyed a cruise

on the Lady Florence will try the Allen

Gardiner. The standard of catering and

hospitality will be every bit as good.

You were running these two businesses,one in Suffolk, your summer home andone in South Africa, your winter home.That sounds like an idyllic set up to mostof us. How did you achieve that?I used to do training in goal setting and

planning and would often tell people to

plan the rest of their lives. I realised I

wasn’t doing it myself so, in 1982, sat down

with my wife, Susan, and made such a

plan. We are English and thought Suffolk

would be the ideal place to spend our

summers but it wasn’t warm enough for

the whole year so, once apartheid was

gone, South Africa seemed the best place

for the winter. Geoffrey Ingram Smith had

started the Lady Florence River Cruise

Restaurant in 1984. We bought it from him

in 1992 and have run it with my son, Craig

and his partner, Kris ever since. She is very

popular. Some people come five times a

year. We’re confident there will be plenty

of demand for a second boat. And, with

Craig increasingly taking the lead in the

business, Susan and I will still be able to

escape to South Africa in the winter.

You have not always been in the floatingrestaurant business. What were youdoing before? I was in the computer business. I was the

UK Sales and Marketing Director for a big

American company. One of the reasons I

joined the IoD more than twenty years

ago was the chance to use the Pall Mall

facilities for entertaining clients. They

were always very impressed. My role in

the future will be to do more of the

marketing for the restaurant boat

business. Craig is a highly trained chef

and very experienced caterer.

A cruise and meal on the Lady Florencewould be quite a lot of people’s ideal dayout in Suffolk. Apart from that, whatwould be your recommendation forrelaxing in the county?We still very much enjoy being on the

boat. You might think there’s only sea and

sky to look at but I see something new

every time I go out. And when we have

customers who don’t know each other, the

way they mix and, often, become friends

is a real pleasure. Elsewhere, the thing

we’ve really enjoyed in recent years has

been the Red Rose Chain’s Theatre in the

Forest. It used to be in Rendlesham but

has now moved to Jimmy’s Farm at

Wherstead. Their productions are magical.

They are a great night out.

Are you a member of the IoD?

� ��

�" ��#$�"$�$ ��#��(��$��#%�$#��#!�"��&�" ��$��" ��)��"#

01394 615041 '''�' ��"��#%�� #��%�

A part of THE SECKFORD FOUNDATION Registered Charity No 1110964

Are you a member of the IoD?

� ��

�" ��#$�"$�$ ��#��(��$��#%�$#��#!�"��&�" ��$��" ��)��"#

01394 615041 '''�' ��"��#%�� #��%�

A part of THE SECKFORD FOUNDATION Registered Charity No 1110964

Woodbridge SchoolRE-FOUNDED IN 1662

Documents

IoD Suffolk Magazine | Autumn 2013