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Gain knowledge & learn new skillswww.businesswest.co.uk

READY FOR THE NEXT LEVEL?

Businesswww.bristolpost.co.uk

Looking for a new job?Don’t miss our 8-pagesupplement – inside

FIND A NEW JOB

The Bristol idea that’s leadingthe way in alternative lendingfor SMEs – page 3

LEND A HAND

As the economic gloom lifts, companies areturning their attention back to training and staff development.

But how can companies succeed in getting their team to the next level? Pages 8&9

Find out who is in the runningfor the Women in BusinessAwards – page 5

FINALISTS REVEALED

122014MAR

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2 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

F i n a n ceRe cove r y

Economic revival ’E xc i t i n g ’ B r i sto lis leading the way, says Minister

THERE must be something inthe water in Bristol to explainwhy the city is leading theeconomic recovery, accordingto a top Cabinet minister.

Minister without portfolio andTory Party chairman, Grant Shapps,visited Bristol in a bid to promoteawareness of a new tax break forbu s i n e s s e s.

Mr Shapps told Business: “I get asense that this is a place with anewfound confidence in its step.”

He said people in the city had “sac-rificed a lot” as the Governmentworked to control the deficit.

But he said, based on his own visitsand feedback from Conservative MPfor Bristol North-West, CharlotteLeslie, “I get a clear sense that thingsare on the up here”.

He said: “Bristol is leading the wayin the recovery. What we see here isentrepreneurship and lots of techstart-ups... there’s something in theair or water in Bristol.

“When I was Minister for Housing,it was always in Bristol and the sur-rounding area where companies weredoing exciting things, so I thinkt h e re ’s a sense Bristol often occupiesthe leadership position when we talkabout economic recovery.”

He said that was the reason the cityoften seemed to be bustling with Gov-ernment ministers, although themore cynical might suggest the keyrole local seats could play in the 2015General Election was a bigger factor.

Mr Shapps said he was “passion-at e ” about business and the way itcould “transform people’s lives” withemployment and opportunity.

He said some people and “somepoliticians” tried to put businessdown and make out that “profit is anasty thing”. But he said: “My view isdiametrically opposite.”

Mr Shapps’ visit to the Bristol Postoffices in Temple Way was to promotethe employment allowance, a dis-count on employer national insur-

ance contributions that comes intoforce next month.

He said: “On April 6, your readerswill be entitled to get employmentallowance, or jobs cash back.

“T hat’s £2,000 back for every singlecompany in Bristol. All they have todo is tick the right box when doingPAYE returns as a business.”

The discount applies to firms of allsizes, to keep the administrationsimple, but is really aimed at smallerfirms for whom it might make adifference. He said the Governmenthoped it could be the differencebetween having the confidence tohire a new employee or not, and givesomeone an opportunity in life.

Exit from EU ‘would be deeply harmful’

Growth will soon passits pre-recession peak� NEARLY six years after the globalfinancial crisis first hit, the economyis finally set to grow past itspre-recession level in the secondhalf of this year, according to thelatest Business Trends report byBristol-based accountants andbusiness advisers BDO LLP.

Graham Randall, partner andhead of BDO LLP in Bristol, said:“We expect economic output tosurpass the level last reachedbefore the onset of the financialcrisis by July this year. However, asthe remaining spare capacity in theeconomy is spent, the spectre of askills shortage is likely to rear itshead again, which could become anew drag on growth.”

Engineering

Eco n o my

City among the bestlocations for business� BRISTOL is fifth in a table of UKtowns and cities offering the bestenvironment for businesses.

The Experian report took intoaccount insolvency rates, numbersof start-ups, turnover growth andfinancial strength. The surprise toptown was Northampton, followed bySouthall, south east London andA b e rd e e n .

Bristol was 10th best on firmsgoing out of business, with just 0.69per cent becoming insolvent.

Max Firth, managing director ofExperian Business InformationServices, said: “This studyhighlights that business conditionsare starting to show real signs ofrecovery. It is encouraging to seesigns of positivity from areas likeNorthampton, Bristol and Aberdeen,with a strong upward trend in thecreation of locally-formedbusinesses and the success ofthose companies.”

G row t h

Shake-up on lendingas ‘one-stop shop’opens for businessAssistant Editor (Business)

Gavin ThompsonCall 0117 934 3336

Email gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

Twitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Writer Rupert JanischEmail business@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising RobertRodgerson

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

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapmanCall 01179 343025Email jane.chapman@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising SimonCoy, Media Sales

Executive - BusinessCall 07736 900 705.

Email simon.coy@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising ShamaAbokor, RegionalBusiness AccountExecutiveCall 0117 934 3426Emailshama.abokor@b-nm.co.uk

THE boss of one of Bristol’s big employers haswarned about the dangers of Britain leavingthe EU in future.

GKN employs 1,500 people in Bristolat plants in Avonmouth and Filton.

Speaking at an engineering con-ference, chief executive Nigel Steinsaid: “The prospect of the UK talk-ing itself into an exit from the EUwould be deeply harmful to ourindustries, where we are part of aEuropean footprint, not a countryin isolation.

“In Aerospace, the UK makes all thewings for Airbus aircraft… a s s e m bl e din the European Union. In Automotive,much of the output from the car plants heregoes to the EU.

“Competition for investment is intense. Andif there is one thing investors hate it’s un-

certainty. Be sure, even now the uncer-tainty over the UK’s position in Europe

is being used against us.”He did not directly say an EU exit

could cost jobs in Bristol orthreaten a move abroad.

During the speech, Mr Steinalso called for more talentedpeople to go into engineering.

He said: “Engineering skillscommand a premium, with engin-

eering graduates second only tomedicine for average annual salary. I

have also heard that it’s more than infinancial services, too. And engineering ismuch more fun than financial services!”

THE main alternative lenders to busi-ness are joining forces to make bor-rowing easier for SMEs, in a newinitiative sparked by a Bristol busi-nessman.

Seven of the main alternative businesslenders have launched a web portal, w w w. a l -ter nati v ebusinessfunding.co.uk, to be aone-stop shop for small businesses looking forways to borrow in order to invest in theirc o m p a n i e s.

The idea was first raised by Adam Tavener,of Pill-based Clifton Asset Management, at asummit at 10 Downing Street last year.

Mr Tavener said: “We see this portal as agenuinely national disruptive influence, as itwill shake up the SME finance sector anddrive the current inefficiencies from the sys-tem.”

Faced with the number of choices of po-tential sources of funding, many businesspeople don’t know where to start.

The new portal gives access to differentkinds of funding in one place.

Collectively the seven lenders – C rowd C u b e,Funding Circle, Market Invoice, PlatformBlack, Seedrs, Zopa and pensionledfund-ing.com – account for 85 per cent of thealternative non-bank funding market andhave so far loaned more than £580 million toSMEs nationwide.

Matthew Fell, CBI director for competitivemarkets, endorsed the idea, which is another

� BUSINESSES seeking alternativefinance visit the website and answer afew simple questions about theircompany funding requirements.

� The site signposts to only thosefunding options that can meet thepotential requirements of thebusiness, using an at-a-glancered-amber-green traffic light system.

� Funders’ contact details areprovided along with a simpleexplanation of each funding option.

� The portal is not competitive, asthere is no cost to funders who join it,and no personal contact details fromthe business owners are requested, sothey can use the site in confidence asmany times as they want.

example of Bristol leading the way.He said: “There are lots of innovative al-

ternative finance products on the market inthe UK for growing firms, but the simple factis that most businesses aren’t aware of what’savailable, or how to get hold of it.

“So it’s really encouraging to see some ofthe leading providers getting together to raiseawareness of their products by launching anew one-stop shop website.”

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� EMPLOYMENT allowance meansbusinesses can get a £2,000reduction in their employer nationalinsurance contributions.

� It was announced in GeorgeOsbor ne’s Autumn Statement andcomes into force on April 6.

� If you usually pay less than£2,000 a year in employer’s NI, youwon’t pay anything at all.

� The allowance applies tobusinesses, charities andcommunity sports clubs that payclass one NI.

� There are exceptions, includingdomestic staff such as nannies andlocal councils and other publicauthorities.

� But to claim you have to actthrough your payroll software,otherwise you will miss out

� Minister Without Portfolio Grant Shapps is interviewed at the Bristol Post offices Picture: Dan Regan

� Adam Tavener came upwith the idea for a lending

web portal on a visit to10 Downing Street

THE ALLOWANCE

HOW IT WORKS

THE European commissioner re-sponsible for innovation and a£65 billion research fund visited twomajor sites in the city.

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn saw theNational Composite Centre in Emer-sons Green and Bristol University.

After the visit, Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn said: “This is clearly a regionon the move, at the cutting edge of thekind of research and innovation thatwill create the jobs of the future andtackle global issues around health,climate change, energy and muchm o re.

“We need more places in Europelike the National Composite Centre.Bringing together EU funding, na-tional and regional support, uni-versities and leading businesses, itprovides a superb platform for turn-ing today's research into tomorrow'shi-tech industrial applications.

“Visiting Bristol University, I sawexactly why it is so highly rated

nationally and globally. It won closeto £100m of funding under the last EUresearch and innovation programmeand with world-class researchers likethose I met, it is well placed to do evenbetter under the new Horizon 2020programme. “

The commissioner was visiting atthe invitation of South West Lib DemMEP Sir Graham Watson.

He said: “Attracting research fund-ing from the EU for science, tech-nology and innovation is one area theUK has been particularly successfulin and it’s been very encouraging tosee how the Bristol University is en-gaged in the process and benefitingfrom closer ties with the EU.”

The Horizon 2020 fund is a huge EUprogramme to support research andinnovation in member countries in-cluding the UK. Research and in-novation is the area where the UKbenefits most from EU money, ob-taining 15 per cent of the total funds.

Eu ro p e

Key sites impress commissioner

� European commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn visits the NationalComposite Centre, in Emersons Green. She is pictured with MP Steve Webb,Peter Chivers, Sir Graham Watson and Professor Guy Orpen

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2 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 3We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

F i n a n ceRe cove r y

Economic revival ’E xc i t i n g ’ B r i sto lis leading the way, says Minister

THERE must be something inthe water in Bristol to explainwhy the city is leading theeconomic recovery, accordingto a top Cabinet minister.

Minister without portfolio andTory Party chairman, Grant Shapps,visited Bristol in a bid to promoteawareness of a new tax break forbu s i n e s s e s.

Mr Shapps told Business: “I get asense that this is a place with anewfound confidence in its step.”

He said people in the city had “sac-rificed a lot” as the Governmentworked to control the deficit.

But he said, based on his own visitsand feedback from Conservative MPfor Bristol North-West, CharlotteLeslie, “I get a clear sense that thingsare on the up here”.

He said: “Bristol is leading the wayin the recovery. What we see here isentrepreneurship and lots of techstart-ups... there’s something in theair or water in Bristol.

“When I was Minister for Housing,it was always in Bristol and the sur-rounding area where companies weredoing exciting things, so I thinkt h e re ’s a sense Bristol often occupiesthe leadership position when we talkabout economic recovery.”

He said that was the reason the cityoften seemed to be bustling with Gov-ernment ministers, although themore cynical might suggest the keyrole local seats could play in the 2015General Election was a bigger factor.

Mr Shapps said he was “passion-at e ” about business and the way itcould “transform people’s lives” withemployment and opportunity.

He said some people and “somepoliticians” tried to put businessdown and make out that “profit is anasty thing”. But he said: “My view isdiametrically opposite.”

Mr Shapps’ visit to the Bristol Postoffices in Temple Way was to promotethe employment allowance, a dis-count on employer national insur-

ance contributions that comes intoforce next month.

He said: “On April 6, your readerswill be entitled to get employmentallowance, or jobs cash back.

“T hat’s £2,000 back for every singlecompany in Bristol. All they have todo is tick the right box when doingPAYE returns as a business.”

The discount applies to firms of allsizes, to keep the administrationsimple, but is really aimed at smallerfirms for whom it might make adifference. He said the Governmenthoped it could be the differencebetween having the confidence tohire a new employee or not, and givesomeone an opportunity in life.

Exit from EU ‘would be deeply harmful’

Growth will soon passits pre-recession peak� NEARLY six years after the globalfinancial crisis first hit, the economyis finally set to grow past itspre-recession level in the secondhalf of this year, according to thelatest Business Trends report byBristol-based accountants andbusiness advisers BDO LLP.

Graham Randall, partner andhead of BDO LLP in Bristol, said:“We expect economic output tosurpass the level last reachedbefore the onset of the financialcrisis by July this year. However, asthe remaining spare capacity in theeconomy is spent, the spectre of askills shortage is likely to rear itshead again, which could become anew drag on growth.”

Engineering

Eco n o my

City among the bestlocations for business� BRISTOL is fifth in a table of UKtowns and cities offering the bestenvironment for businesses.

The Experian report took intoaccount insolvency rates, numbersof start-ups, turnover growth andfinancial strength. The surprise toptown was Northampton, followed bySouthall, south east London andA b e rd e e n .

Bristol was 10th best on firmsgoing out of business, with just 0.69per cent becoming insolvent.

Max Firth, managing director ofExperian Business InformationServices, said: “This studyhighlights that business conditionsare starting to show real signs ofrecovery. It is encouraging to seesigns of positivity from areas likeNorthampton, Bristol and Aberdeen,with a strong upward trend in thecreation of locally-formedbusinesses and the success ofthose companies.”

G row t h

Shake-up on lendingas ‘one-stop shop’opens for businessAssistant Editor (Business)

Gavin ThompsonCall 0117 934 3336

Email gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

Twitter @gavin_thompson1

Get in touch

Writer Rupert JanischEmail business@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising RobertRodgerson

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

@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising JaneChapmanCall 01179 343025Email jane.chapman@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising SimonCoy, Media Sales

Executive - BusinessCall 07736 900 705.

Email simon.coy@b-nm.co.uk

Advertising ShamaAbokor, RegionalBusiness AccountExecutiveCall 0117 934 3426Emailshama.abokor@b-nm.co.uk

THE boss of one of Bristol’s big employers haswarned about the dangers of Britain leavingthe EU in future.

GKN employs 1,500 people in Bristolat plants in Avonmouth and Filton.

Speaking at an engineering con-ference, chief executive Nigel Steinsaid: “The prospect of the UK talk-ing itself into an exit from the EUwould be deeply harmful to ourindustries, where we are part of aEuropean footprint, not a countryin isolation.

“In Aerospace, the UK makes all thewings for Airbus aircraft… a s s e m bl e din the European Union. In Automotive,much of the output from the car plants heregoes to the EU.

“Competition for investment is intense. Andif there is one thing investors hate it’s un-

certainty. Be sure, even now the uncer-tainty over the UK’s position in Europe

is being used against us.”He did not directly say an EU exit

could cost jobs in Bristol orthreaten a move abroad.

During the speech, Mr Steinalso called for more talentedpeople to go into engineering.

He said: “Engineering skillscommand a premium, with engin-

eering graduates second only tomedicine for average annual salary. I

have also heard that it’s more than infinancial services, too. And engineering ismuch more fun than financial services!”

THE main alternative lenders to busi-ness are joining forces to make bor-rowing easier for SMEs, in a newinitiative sparked by a Bristol busi-nessman.

Seven of the main alternative businesslenders have launched a web portal, w w w. a l -ter nati v ebusinessfunding.co.uk, to be aone-stop shop for small businesses looking forways to borrow in order to invest in theirc o m p a n i e s.

The idea was first raised by Adam Tavener,of Pill-based Clifton Asset Management, at asummit at 10 Downing Street last year.

Mr Tavener said: “We see this portal as agenuinely national disruptive influence, as itwill shake up the SME finance sector anddrive the current inefficiencies from the sys-tem.”

Faced with the number of choices of po-tential sources of funding, many businesspeople don’t know where to start.

The new portal gives access to differentkinds of funding in one place.

Collectively the seven lenders – C rowd C u b e,Funding Circle, Market Invoice, PlatformBlack, Seedrs, Zopa and pensionledfund-ing.com – account for 85 per cent of thealternative non-bank funding market andhave so far loaned more than £580 million toSMEs nationwide.

Matthew Fell, CBI director for competitivemarkets, endorsed the idea, which is another

� BUSINESSES seeking alternativefinance visit the website and answer afew simple questions about theircompany funding requirements.

� The site signposts to only thosefunding options that can meet thepotential requirements of thebusiness, using an at-a-glancered-amber-green traffic light system.

� Funders’ contact details areprovided along with a simpleexplanation of each funding option.

� The portal is not competitive, asthere is no cost to funders who join it,and no personal contact details fromthe business owners are requested, sothey can use the site in confidence asmany times as they want.

example of Bristol leading the way.He said: “There are lots of innovative al-

ternative finance products on the market inthe UK for growing firms, but the simple factis that most businesses aren’t aware of what’savailable, or how to get hold of it.

“So it’s really encouraging to see some ofthe leading providers getting together to raiseawareness of their products by launching anew one-stop shop website.”

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� EMPLOYMENT allowance meansbusinesses can get a £2,000reduction in their employer nationalinsurance contributions.

� It was announced in GeorgeOsbor ne’s Autumn Statement andcomes into force on April 6.

� If you usually pay less than£2,000 a year in employer’s NI, youwon’t pay anything at all.

� The allowance applies tobusinesses, charities andcommunity sports clubs that payclass one NI.

� There are exceptions, includingdomestic staff such as nannies andlocal councils and other publicauthorities.

� But to claim you have to actthrough your payroll software,otherwise you will miss out

� Minister Without Portfolio Grant Shapps is interviewed at the Bristol Post offices Picture: Dan Regan

� Adam Tavener came upwith the idea for a lending

web portal on a visit to10 Downing Street

THE ALLOWANCE

HOW IT WORKS

THE European commissioner re-sponsible for innovation and a£65 billion research fund visited twomajor sites in the city.

Maire Geoghegan-Quinn saw theNational Composite Centre in Emer-sons Green and Bristol University.

After the visit, Mrs Geoghegan-Quinn said: “This is clearly a regionon the move, at the cutting edge of thekind of research and innovation thatwill create the jobs of the future andtackle global issues around health,climate change, energy and muchm o re.

“We need more places in Europelike the National Composite Centre.Bringing together EU funding, na-tional and regional support, uni-versities and leading businesses, itprovides a superb platform for turn-ing today's research into tomorrow'shi-tech industrial applications.

“Visiting Bristol University, I sawexactly why it is so highly rated

nationally and globally. It won closeto £100m of funding under the last EUresearch and innovation programmeand with world-class researchers likethose I met, it is well placed to do evenbetter under the new Horizon 2020programme. “

The commissioner was visiting atthe invitation of South West Lib DemMEP Sir Graham Watson.

He said: “Attracting research fund-ing from the EU for science, tech-nology and innovation is one area theUK has been particularly successfulin and it’s been very encouraging tosee how the Bristol University is en-gaged in the process and benefitingfrom closer ties with the EU.”

The Horizon 2020 fund is a huge EUprogramme to support research andinnovation in member countries in-cluding the UK. Research and in-novation is the area where the UKbenefits most from EU money, ob-taining 15 per cent of the total funds.

Eu ro p e

Key sites impress commissioner

� European commissioner Maire Geoghegan-Quinn visits the NationalComposite Centre, in Emersons Green. She is pictured with MP Steve Webb,Peter Chivers, Sir Graham Watson and Professor Guy Orpen

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4 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 5We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

Women in Business Awards

Decision time Shortlist drawn upafter judges face the toughest te st

THE votes are in and the fi-nalists for the inauguralBristol and Bath Women inBusiness Awards can be re-vealed today.

After more than two hours of de-bating and discussing, the judgeswhittled down the nearly 100 sub-missions into a shortlist for each ofthe categories.

Ashfords partner Helen Tuckersaid the judging was tough, but re-w a rd i n g .

She said: “It’s inspiring when you

read the things these women havedone and the obstacles they haveovercome to create really excitingnew enterprises.”

Helen added that the hardest aspect

was comparing big, established, suc-cessful firms with smaller, newerbu s i n e s s e s.

“There were so many inspiringstories that were hard to compare,”she said.

“We felt the weight of responsib-ility to do so fairly.”

Bernie Glancy, managing directorof PPC, said: “In some cases it wasquite straightforward and we allcame up with the same names.

“In other categories, other judgessuggested people I might not have putforward, but then you listen to theirpoint of view.”

She added that the longest discus-sions was around the Woman of theYear category, which PPC is spon-soring, and the outstanding contri-

� Woman of the Year, s p o n s o re dby PPC.Finalists: Romy Gill, of Romy’sKitchen, Thornbury; Susie Hewson,managing director of Natracare,Kingswood; Michelle Michael, ofWe s t o n ’s Grand Pier; RachelDemuth, of Demuth’s CookerySchool, Bath; Suzanne Baxter, groupfinance director of Mitie, EmersonsG re e n

� Young Entrepreneur of the Year,sponsored by bclearCommunications.Finalists: Rebecca Kench, ofPropertECO, Bath; AmyMcCormack, ETM Recycling, AshtonVale; Grazziella Pinto, FashionBloodhound, Longwell Green

� Mentor of the Year, sponsoredby Lloyds Banking Group.Finalists: Debs Eden, of Debs Eden& Associates, Southville; JoniFarthing, Women Outside The Box,Bristol; Emma Sparks, GeometryPR, Bath

� Business of the Year, sponsoredby City of Bristol College.Finalists: 1pm, Bath; Fabuloustrading as Pandora, Bath; Mitie,Emersons Green

� Contribution to the CommunityAw a rd , sponsored by SouthgateShopping Centre.Finalists: Low Carbon South WestCIC, Queen Square, Bristol; JennyFoster, of Bristol Fairtrade;Geometry PR, Bath

� Women in the Workplace,sponsored by Crest Nicholson.Finalists: 2S Recruitment,Bedminster; Brunelcare, Whitehall;The HR Dept, Henfield, SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re

� Female Apprentice, sponsoredby the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership.Finalists: Emma Sparks, ofGeometry PR, Bath; JessicaDocherty, PES Consulting,Rudgeway, South Gloucestershire

� Innovation Award, sponsored byA s h f o rd s .Finalists: YourStreet Ltd, AshleyDown; LiteTile Ltd, Rooksbridge; InTouch Studios, Bedminster

The finalists

� The judges for the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards meet at the Bristol Post offices to decide on the finalists. Back row, from left, MartinRacher, Lloyds area director for SME banking in Bristol and Somerset, Patricia Voaden, of UWE Bristol, Neil Ridge, HSBC deputy regional head of businessspecialists South West and Wales; front, Bernie Glancey, managing director of PPC; Joanne Van, from City of Bristol College, and Helen Tucker, of Ashford s

� ASHFORDS Solicitors aredelighted to support the Women inBusiness Awards, recognising thevital role that women play in theSouth West business community.

Our Bristol office marks its 10thbirthdaythis year.Situatedat TowerWharf,close toTe m p l eMeads station, our team thereoffers a broad range of legalexpertise, including corporate andcommercial – with a particularstrength in the technology sector –education, employment/HR,commercial property, commerciallitigation, professional negligenceand business risk.

Helen Tucker, a partner in ourBristol office and head ofeducation at Ashfords, is assistingin judging the awards. Helenadvises a number of independentschools, academies and localeducation authorities both in theSouth West and nationally, as wellas being chair of governors of aBristol school. Before joiningAshfords, Helen was a seniorlitigation associate at HerbertSmith in the City, beforespecialising in education law andbecoming head of legal for TheGirls’ Day School Trust – a largecharity group of 26 independentschools and academies.

Ashfords is recognised nationallyas a leading provider of legal andrelated professional services. Wedeliver commercially-focusedadvice to our clients across a rangeof industries and sectors. Our aimis straightforward - to help ourclients get the results they want.

Sponsor profile

bution award, with a high standard ofe n t r i e s.

Bristol News and Media managingdirector, Sarah Pullen, said: “We hadsome amazing nominees and it wasincredibly hard for the judges to nar-row it down to these very deservingf i n a l i s t s.

“Everyone who was nominatedshould be very proud, whether short-listed or not. You are all inspiring rolemodels and we hope to see all of youon the night to celebrate the achieve-ments of women in business in Bris-tol and Bath.”

The awards will be handed out at agala dinner on April 9 at the BristolCity Centre Marriott.� To book tickets or a table, visitw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t . c o . u k / w i b a .

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� New Business of the Year,sponsored by HSBC CommercialBanking.Finalists: YourStreet Ltd; Granny’sSecret, Chipping Sodbury

� Marketing Campaign of the YearFinalists: Hancock Communications,Bath; Merlin Housing Society,Chipping Sodbury; Rapport Digital,Brislington

� Outstanding Contribution toBusiness in Bristol or Bath,sponsored by UWE Bristol.Will be announced on the night.

� Overall awards sponsors: UWEBristol

Advertisement feature

AFTER 20 years working forRMC (now Cemex), Kevin Mc-Quaid returns to Wick Quarryto finish the quarrying andstart the restoration work,

which will herald the start of the site’snew life as a wildlife haven.

The restoration project is likely totake up to ten years in total.

The first three to five years will bespent extracting surplus quarry ma-terial, while recycling existing ma-terial and then possibly importingrestoration soil to create areas t h atwill encourage vegetation and a morenatural and less severe landscape.

Kevin and his company, WiltshireConcrete, based in Devizes have takenon this exciting project, which in-cludes recycling the remaining ma-terial left on the quarry floor andworking with landscape architects andgeologists to put together a restorationplan.

Ultimately, the aim is to create aprivate nature reserve for the newowner of the site; a natural landscapeproviding habitats for flora and faunaas well as aesthetically improving asite that was once considered a blot onthe landscape.

Part of this process will enable Wilt-shire Concrete to provide Bristol andthe surrounding area with buildingmaterials produced at the quarry aswell as a range of landscaping andbagged products.

Resto ra t i o n A new chapter for Wick QuarryProducts availableat Wick Quarry� Products include aggregatessuch as:

� limestone� gravels� sharp and soft sands� scalpings and fill materials� topsoil� bark/mulch� decorative gravels� compost

All products listed above, in-cluding cement, can be baggedtoo, and will be available for col-lection or delivery.

Wiltshire Concrete

� Wick Quarry will be transformedover the next few years into awildlife habitat with help from KevinMcQuaid, inset, and his team atWiltshire Concrete

Opening hours� Opening hours will be 7am –5pm Monday to Friday, Saturday7am-12pm. The address is WickQuarry, Wick, Bristol, BS30 5SJ.For details, call 0117 937 3129.

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4 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 5We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

Women in Business Awards

Decision time Shortlist drawn upafter judges face the toughest te st

THE votes are in and the fi-nalists for the inauguralBristol and Bath Women inBusiness Awards can be re-vealed today.

After more than two hours of de-bating and discussing, the judgeswhittled down the nearly 100 sub-missions into a shortlist for each ofthe categories.

Ashfords partner Helen Tuckersaid the judging was tough, but re-w a rd i n g .

She said: “It’s inspiring when you

read the things these women havedone and the obstacles they haveovercome to create really excitingnew enterprises.”

Helen added that the hardest aspect

was comparing big, established, suc-cessful firms with smaller, newerbu s i n e s s e s.

“There were so many inspiringstories that were hard to compare,”she said.

“We felt the weight of responsib-ility to do so fairly.”

Bernie Glancy, managing directorof PPC, said: “In some cases it wasquite straightforward and we allcame up with the same names.

“In other categories, other judgessuggested people I might not have putforward, but then you listen to theirpoint of view.”

She added that the longest discus-sions was around the Woman of theYear category, which PPC is spon-soring, and the outstanding contri-

� Woman of the Year, s p o n s o re dby PPC.Finalists: Romy Gill, of Romy’sKitchen, Thornbury; Susie Hewson,managing director of Natracare,Kingswood; Michelle Michael, ofWe s t o n ’s Grand Pier; RachelDemuth, of Demuth’s CookerySchool, Bath; Suzanne Baxter, groupfinance director of Mitie, EmersonsG re e n

� Young Entrepreneur of the Year,sponsored by bclearCommunications.Finalists: Rebecca Kench, ofPropertECO, Bath; AmyMcCormack, ETM Recycling, AshtonVale; Grazziella Pinto, FashionBloodhound, Longwell Green

� Mentor of the Year, sponsoredby Lloyds Banking Group.Finalists: Debs Eden, of Debs Eden& Associates, Southville; JoniFarthing, Women Outside The Box,Bristol; Emma Sparks, GeometryPR, Bath

� Business of the Year, sponsoredby City of Bristol College.Finalists: 1pm, Bath; Fabuloustrading as Pandora, Bath; Mitie,Emersons Green

� Contribution to the CommunityAw a rd , sponsored by SouthgateShopping Centre.Finalists: Low Carbon South WestCIC, Queen Square, Bristol; JennyFoster, of Bristol Fairtrade;Geometry PR, Bath

� Women in the Workplace,sponsored by Crest Nicholson.Finalists: 2S Recruitment,Bedminster; Brunelcare, Whitehall;The HR Dept, Henfield, SouthG l o u c e s t e r s h i re

� Female Apprentice, sponsoredby the West of England LocalEnterprise Partnership.Finalists: Emma Sparks, ofGeometry PR, Bath; JessicaDocherty, PES Consulting,Rudgeway, South Gloucestershire

� Innovation Award, sponsored byA s h f o rd s .Finalists: YourStreet Ltd, AshleyDown; LiteTile Ltd, Rooksbridge; InTouch Studios, Bedminster

The finalists

� The judges for the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards meet at the Bristol Post offices to decide on the finalists. Back row, from left, MartinRacher, Lloyds area director for SME banking in Bristol and Somerset, Patricia Voaden, of UWE Bristol, Neil Ridge, HSBC deputy regional head of businessspecialists South West and Wales; front, Bernie Glancey, managing director of PPC; Joanne Van, from City of Bristol College, and Helen Tucker, of Ashford s

� ASHFORDS Solicitors aredelighted to support the Women inBusiness Awards, recognising thevital role that women play in theSouth West business community.

Our Bristol office marks its 10thbirthdaythis year.Situatedat TowerWharf,close toTe m p l eMeads station, our team thereoffers a broad range of legalexpertise, including corporate andcommercial – with a particularstrength in the technology sector –education, employment/HR,commercial property, commerciallitigation, professional negligenceand business risk.

Helen Tucker, a partner in ourBristol office and head ofeducation at Ashfords, is assistingin judging the awards. Helenadvises a number of independentschools, academies and localeducation authorities both in theSouth West and nationally, as wellas being chair of governors of aBristol school. Before joiningAshfords, Helen was a seniorlitigation associate at HerbertSmith in the City, beforespecialising in education law andbecoming head of legal for TheGirls’ Day School Trust – a largecharity group of 26 independentschools and academies.

Ashfords is recognised nationallyas a leading provider of legal andrelated professional services. Wedeliver commercially-focusedadvice to our clients across a rangeof industries and sectors. Our aimis straightforward - to help ourclients get the results they want.

Sponsor profile

bution award, with a high standard ofe n t r i e s.

Bristol News and Media managingdirector, Sarah Pullen, said: “We hadsome amazing nominees and it wasincredibly hard for the judges to nar-row it down to these very deservingf i n a l i s t s.

“Everyone who was nominatedshould be very proud, whether short-listed or not. You are all inspiring rolemodels and we hope to see all of youon the night to celebrate the achieve-ments of women in business in Bris-tol and Bath.”

The awards will be handed out at agala dinner on April 9 at the BristolCity Centre Marriott.� To book tickets or a table, visitw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t . c o . u k / w i b a .

Gavin ThompsonAssistant Editor (Business)gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

� New Business of the Year,sponsored by HSBC CommercialBanking.Finalists: YourStreet Ltd; Granny’sSecret, Chipping Sodbury

� Marketing Campaign of the YearFinalists: Hancock Communications,Bath; Merlin Housing Society,Chipping Sodbury; Rapport Digital,Brislington

� Outstanding Contribution toBusiness in Bristol or Bath,sponsored by UWE Bristol.Will be announced on the night.

� Overall awards sponsors: UWEBristol

Advertisement feature

AFTER 20 years working forRMC (now Cemex), Kevin Mc-Quaid returns to Wick Quarryto finish the quarrying andstart the restoration work,

which will herald the start of the site’snew life as a wildlife haven.

The restoration project is likely totake up to ten years in total.

The first three to five years will bespent extracting surplus quarry ma-terial, while recycling existing ma-terial and then possibly importingrestoration soil to create areas t h atwill encourage vegetation and a morenatural and less severe landscape.

Kevin and his company, WiltshireConcrete, based in Devizes have takenon this exciting project, which in-cludes recycling the remaining ma-terial left on the quarry floor andworking with landscape architects andgeologists to put together a restorationplan.

Ultimately, the aim is to create aprivate nature reserve for the newowner of the site; a natural landscapeproviding habitats for flora and faunaas well as aesthetically improving asite that was once considered a blot onthe landscape.

Part of this process will enable Wilt-shire Concrete to provide Bristol andthe surrounding area with buildingmaterials produced at the quarry aswell as a range of landscaping andbagged products.

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Opening hours� Opening hours will be 7am –5pm Monday to Friday, Saturday7am-12pm. The address is WickQuarry, Wick, Bristol, BS30 5SJ.For details, call 0117 937 3129.

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6 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 7We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

International Women’s Day business lunch

In pictures B r i sto l ’s business community out and about� BATH Ales hosted an openingnight for its two new venues insidethe Colton Hall in Bristol.

The Warmley-based brewer hastransformed the first floor restaurantinto a charcuterie bar called Gordito,while Colston Street Bar & Kitchen,the café bar on the Colston Streetlevel, boasts a menu drawn frommodern American and Europeaninfluences.

Robin Couling, managing directorat Bath Ales, said: “Colston Hall isthe perfect setting for a newconcept for Bristol and we’ve beenable to bring our ambitious ideas tolife at this landmark location.

“With each new venue we try tooffer consumers something originaland genuinely exciting and I feelthat we’ve achieved that withGordito and the Colston Street Bar& Kitchen. Colston Hall is a centrefor music and culture, so wecouldn’t think of a better partner towork with on these new venues.”

Marguerite Jenkin, finance andcommercial director of Bristol MusicTrust, which runs the Colston Hall,said: “We ’re very excited to beworking with Bath Ales, and thenewly designed spaces lookfantastic, stylish and welcoming.

“They have a real buzz aboutthem and are a great fit with ourvibrant foyer building.”

Among those in attendance on thenight was Councillor Hibaq Jama,who represents Lawrence Hill. Shesaid: “The new venues insideBristol's Colston Hall are fantasticand very versatile. A lot of thoughthas gone into the design, lightingand menus. I'll look forward toattending many more events inColston Hall in the future.”

Bath Ales launches Colston Hall venues

� From left, Jon Craig, Aluel de Garang, Hibaq Jama,Roger Griffins and Robert Buckland

� Bath Ales staff, from left, Matt Hoskin, Rhian Abraham,Mark Sellick, Karin Ashwell

� M a rg u e r i t eJenkin,finance andc o m m e rc i a lmanager, andNick Craney,generalm a n a g e r,both fromColston Hall

Project You: Developing Female Leaders

Business diary

Email your business events togavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Advice clinics: One-hour clinicswith Business West for ambitiousmanaging directors who want tofocus on the challenges ofgrowth. Leigh Court, AbbotsLeigh, today. Emailinfo@growthsouthwest.co.uk.

The Education Agenda: WhoseBusiness Is It? The Institute ofDirectors debates therelationship between educationand business. At the EngineShed, Temple Meads, 7.30am to10am, Friday. To register, call0117 370 7785 or emailiod.southwest@iod.com.

Advice clinics: One-hour clinicswith Business West for ambitiousmanaging directors who want tofocus on the challenges ofgrowth. Rivergate BusinessCentre, Temple Quay, onTuesday, March 18. Emailinfo@growthsouthwest.co.uk.

Advice clinics: One-hour clinicswith Business West for ambitiousmanaging directors who want tofocus on the challenges ofgrowth. Leigh Court, AbbotsLeigh, on Wednesday, March 19.Email info@growthsouthwest.co.uk.

We d n e s d a y @ 6 : Institute ofDirectors informal networking atthe Radisson Blu Hotel 6-8pm,Wednesday, March 19. Nonmembers welcome. Free but toregister call 0117 3707785 oremail iod.southwest@iod.com.

The Bristol DistinguishedExecutive Address Series:Networking event andopportunity to hear from aleading business voice. Thespeaker is Air Vice Marshal JulianYoung OBE, UWE FrenchayCampus, 6pm March 19.

The Bristol DistinguishedExecutive Address Series:Networking event andopportunity to hear from aleading business voice. SimonCollins, chairman and seniorpartner at KPMG, City Hall, onMarch 20 at 6pm.

IoD Bristol & Bath YoungBusiness Forum Dinner: Aplace for ambitious directors tointeract, learn and engage withpeers and mentors. Waterhouse,Monkton Combe, Bath, 6pm to8.30pm, Thursday, March 20.Email r o g e r. p l a h a y @ s a n d l e r. c o m .

Ta s t e Te c h : Institute of Directorshosts an interactive evening atExplore@Bristol withaward-winning taste technologyexperts TasteTech. Tuesday,March 25, 6-8pm. Call 0117 3707785 or emailiod.southwest@iod.com.

Responsible Business Awards:Organised by Business in theCommunity, the awardsrecognising the responsible rolebusiness plays in society will behanded out at the BristolMuseum and Art Gallery on June17. Find out more ath t t p : / / w w w. b i t c . o r g . u k /south-west/r esponsible-business-awards.

� AN Olympic silver medalist, aleading business coach and a polaradventurer were among thespeakers inspiring women at anevent in Bristol.

HSBC organised the InternationalWo m e n ’s Day celebration at theFuture Inn Hotel, near Cabot Circus.

More than 100 guests attended –a mixture of business people andthe bank’s own women workers,from personal assistants to aread i re c t o r s .

Organiser VictoriaBernard-Hayklan, area commercialdirector for Gloucestershire, saidshe was thrilled with how the dayhad gone.

She said: “It was an emotionalday with inspiring speeches fromthe likes of Miriam Luke, who tooksilver in the Sydney Olympics in thequad sculls.

“Even the speakers were tellingme they had found it inspiringlistening to the other speakers.”

Between courses, the delegates,who had travelled from across theSouth West and Wales - with onecoach leaving from Bangor at4.30am to be there - listened to ahost of successful women.

Julie Ashmore, regional director ofHSBC invoice finance, told ofovercoming challenges in and out ofwork, including skiing to the SouthPole. Clinical psychologist andcoach Ros Taylor, entrepreneur andauthor Nicola Cook and HSBC headof UK commercial banking, AmandaMurphy, rounded off the speakers.

Victoria said: “We doubled thesize of the event from last year andare under strict instructions todouble it again for next yearbecause it was such a great day.”

� Speakers Miriam Luke, Julie Ashmore, Nicola Cook and Ros TaylorPictures: Michael Lloyd BRML20140307E-001

� Amanda Murphy, HSBCBRML20140307E-014

� LOOK smart, dress appropriately,put yourself forward and find am e n t o r.

That was some of the soundadvice given to nearly 100 womenbusiness leaders of the future atBristol’s M shed museum.

Organised by the University of theWest of England’s faculty of law andbusiness, the event was entitledProject You: Developing FemaleLeaders.

Speakers included UWE’sProfessor Jane Harrington, head ofthe faculty and pro-vice chancellorof the university, PwC partnerKatherine Finn and Lloyds BankingGroup chief operating officer Sally

Jones. Sandra Forbes, partner atBristol-based law firm BurgesSalmon, told delegates: “Beadaptable – adaptable people arefuture leaders.

“Seek out support andencouragement. If your organisationhas a mentoring scheme, get on it.

“Get along with the influencersand have good communication withthem and external clients.

“Set clear objectives. If you don’tmanage your career, no one elsewill. And enjoy what you do.”

But Sandra, a mum of twins,warned of pitfalls, too. “Don’t playthe parent card,” she said. “Don’texpect special treatment.

Colleagues without children shouldnot be put upon by parents in theteam – they have lives, too.”

And dress smartly. “If you look amess, it tells everyone in yourorganisation that your life is amess.”

Fiona Jordan, director ofpostgraduate professional studies inbusiness and law at UWE, said theyhad been delighted by the responseto the event.

“People have come from a widerange of organisations aroundBristol, so it shows there is a realappetite for this,” she said. “Now wecan look at where we take it fromh e re . ”

� Kate Jennings and Ricki Critchell, both BDO LLPBRML20140306B-005

� Maria Geczy, Lloyds Banking Group, Zoe Hetherington, Mitie,Gemma Feldon, Lloyds, and Karen Betts, Lloyds BRML20140306B-017 � Jill Brown, Trigon Pensions BRML20140306B-015

� Carol Jarvis, UWE, and SallyJones-Evans, Lloyds BRML20140306B-016

� Lucy Kirk, TLT LLP, and Kate Watson,Bristol Green Doors BRML20140306B-012

� Kate Redshaw and Sarah Embleton, both of BurgessSalmon Pics: Michael Lloyd BRML20140306B-006

� Louise Dutton, PWC, and Gemma Feldon,Lloyds Banking Group BRML20140306B-009

Send us photosfrom your event,

with namesplease, tobusiness

@b-nm.co.uk

Get inthe picture

GALLERIESGALORE

FOR MORE PICTURESCheck out our

website at

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Retail81 High Street,Weston-Super-Marelot 35: Well located Goldsmiths Jewellerslet at £50,000 p.a.

34/36 the Mall, Clifton, Bristollot 95: Two well located shops and two flats.Total rent £88,080 p.a.

Unit 16 School Road,Cadbury Heath, Bristollot 106: Let to Southern Co-operative Ltdat £42,000 p.a. Expiring 2028.

3 Rosebery Road, Dursleylot 108: Let to Mid Counties Co-Opat £19,000 p.a. Lease expires 2023.

OffiCe33 West Park, Clifton, Bristollot 33: Period offices let at £100,665 p.a.

February sale - £38.35m raised 88% sold

Monday 24th March 2014The Dorchester, Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA

020 7543 6803Online auction catalogue at www.allsop.co.uk

137 auctioncommercial investmentsto include (unless previously sold or withdrawn)

Lot 33

Lot 95

Lot 35

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6 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 7We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

International Women’s Day business lunch

In pictures B r i sto l ’s business community out and about� BATH Ales hosted an openingnight for its two new venues insidethe Colton Hall in Bristol.

The Warmley-based brewer hastransformed the first floor restaurantinto a charcuterie bar called Gordito,while Colston Street Bar & Kitchen,the café bar on the Colston Streetlevel, boasts a menu drawn frommodern American and Europeaninfluences.

Robin Couling, managing directorat Bath Ales, said: “Colston Hall isthe perfect setting for a newconcept for Bristol and we’ve beenable to bring our ambitious ideas tolife at this landmark location.

“With each new venue we try tooffer consumers something originaland genuinely exciting and I feelthat we’ve achieved that withGordito and the Colston Street Bar& Kitchen. Colston Hall is a centrefor music and culture, so wecouldn’t think of a better partner towork with on these new venues.”

Marguerite Jenkin, finance andcommercial director of Bristol MusicTrust, which runs the Colston Hall,said: “We ’re very excited to beworking with Bath Ales, and thenewly designed spaces lookfantastic, stylish and welcoming.

“They have a real buzz aboutthem and are a great fit with ourvibrant foyer building.”

Among those in attendance on thenight was Councillor Hibaq Jama,who represents Lawrence Hill. Shesaid: “The new venues insideBristol's Colston Hall are fantasticand very versatile. A lot of thoughthas gone into the design, lightingand menus. I'll look forward toattending many more events inColston Hall in the future.”

Bath Ales launches Colston Hall venues

� From left, Jon Craig, Aluel de Garang, Hibaq Jama,Roger Griffins and Robert Buckland

� Bath Ales staff, from left, Matt Hoskin, Rhian Abraham,Mark Sellick, Karin Ashwell

� M a rg u e r i t eJenkin,finance andc o m m e rc i a lmanager, andNick Craney,generalm a n a g e r,both fromColston Hall

Project You: Developing Female Leaders

Business diary

Email your business events togavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.Events are sometimescancelled without us beingnotified so please check withorganisers before travelling.

Advice clinics: One-hour clinicswith Business West for ambitiousmanaging directors who want tofocus on the challenges ofgrowth. Leigh Court, AbbotsLeigh, today. Emailinfo@growthsouthwest.co.uk.

The Education Agenda: WhoseBusiness Is It? The Institute ofDirectors debates therelationship between educationand business. At the EngineShed, Temple Meads, 7.30am to10am, Friday. To register, call0117 370 7785 or emailiod.southwest@iod.com.

Advice clinics: One-hour clinicswith Business West for ambitiousmanaging directors who want tofocus on the challenges ofgrowth. Rivergate BusinessCentre, Temple Quay, onTuesday, March 18. Emailinfo@growthsouthwest.co.uk.

Advice clinics: One-hour clinicswith Business West for ambitiousmanaging directors who want tofocus on the challenges ofgrowth. Leigh Court, AbbotsLeigh, on Wednesday, March 19.Email info@growthsouthwest.co.uk.

We d n e s d a y @ 6 : Institute ofDirectors informal networking atthe Radisson Blu Hotel 6-8pm,Wednesday, March 19. Nonmembers welcome. Free but toregister call 0117 3707785 oremail iod.southwest@iod.com.

The Bristol DistinguishedExecutive Address Series:Networking event andopportunity to hear from aleading business voice. Thespeaker is Air Vice Marshal JulianYoung OBE, UWE FrenchayCampus, 6pm March 19.

The Bristol DistinguishedExecutive Address Series:Networking event andopportunity to hear from aleading business voice. SimonCollins, chairman and seniorpartner at KPMG, City Hall, onMarch 20 at 6pm.

IoD Bristol & Bath YoungBusiness Forum Dinner: Aplace for ambitious directors tointeract, learn and engage withpeers and mentors. Waterhouse,Monkton Combe, Bath, 6pm to8.30pm, Thursday, March 20.Email r o g e r. p l a h a y @ s a n d l e r. c o m .

Ta s t e Te c h : Institute of Directorshosts an interactive evening atExplore@Bristol withaward-winning taste technologyexperts TasteTech. Tuesday,March 25, 6-8pm. Call 0117 3707785 or emailiod.southwest@iod.com.

Responsible Business Awards:Organised by Business in theCommunity, the awardsrecognising the responsible rolebusiness plays in society will behanded out at the BristolMuseum and Art Gallery on June17. Find out more ath t t p : / / w w w. b i t c . o r g . u k /south-west/r esponsible-business-awards.

� AN Olympic silver medalist, aleading business coach and a polaradventurer were among thespeakers inspiring women at anevent in Bristol.

HSBC organised the InternationalWo m e n ’s Day celebration at theFuture Inn Hotel, near Cabot Circus.

More than 100 guests attended –a mixture of business people andthe bank’s own women workers,from personal assistants to aread i re c t o r s .

Organiser VictoriaBernard-Hayklan, area commercialdirector for Gloucestershire, saidshe was thrilled with how the dayhad gone.

She said: “It was an emotionalday with inspiring speeches fromthe likes of Miriam Luke, who tooksilver in the Sydney Olympics in thequad sculls.

“Even the speakers were tellingme they had found it inspiringlistening to the other speakers.”

Between courses, the delegates,who had travelled from across theSouth West and Wales - with onecoach leaving from Bangor at4.30am to be there - listened to ahost of successful women.

Julie Ashmore, regional director ofHSBC invoice finance, told ofovercoming challenges in and out ofwork, including skiing to the SouthPole. Clinical psychologist andcoach Ros Taylor, entrepreneur andauthor Nicola Cook and HSBC headof UK commercial banking, AmandaMurphy, rounded off the speakers.

Victoria said: “We doubled thesize of the event from last year andare under strict instructions todouble it again for next yearbecause it was such a great day.”

� Speakers Miriam Luke, Julie Ashmore, Nicola Cook and Ros TaylorPictures: Michael Lloyd BRML20140307E-001

� Amanda Murphy, HSBCBRML20140307E-014

� LOOK smart, dress appropriately,put yourself forward and find am e n t o r.

That was some of the soundadvice given to nearly 100 womenbusiness leaders of the future atBristol’s M shed museum.

Organised by the University of theWest of England’s faculty of law andbusiness, the event was entitledProject You: Developing FemaleLeaders.

Speakers included UWE’sProfessor Jane Harrington, head ofthe faculty and pro-vice chancellorof the university, PwC partnerKatherine Finn and Lloyds BankingGroup chief operating officer Sally

Jones. Sandra Forbes, partner atBristol-based law firm BurgesSalmon, told delegates: “Beadaptable – adaptable people arefuture leaders.

“Seek out support andencouragement. If your organisationhas a mentoring scheme, get on it.

“Get along with the influencersand have good communication withthem and external clients.

“Set clear objectives. If you don’tmanage your career, no one elsewill. And enjoy what you do.”

But Sandra, a mum of twins,warned of pitfalls, too. “Don’t playthe parent card,” she said. “Don’texpect special treatment.

Colleagues without children shouldnot be put upon by parents in theteam – they have lives, too.”

And dress smartly. “If you look amess, it tells everyone in yourorganisation that your life is amess.”

Fiona Jordan, director ofpostgraduate professional studies inbusiness and law at UWE, said theyhad been delighted by the responseto the event.

“People have come from a widerange of organisations aroundBristol, so it shows there is a realappetite for this,” she said. “Now wecan look at where we take it fromh e re . ”

� Kate Jennings and Ricki Critchell, both BDO LLPBRML20140306B-005

� Maria Geczy, Lloyds Banking Group, Zoe Hetherington, Mitie,Gemma Feldon, Lloyds, and Karen Betts, Lloyds BRML20140306B-017 � Jill Brown, Trigon Pensions BRML20140306B-015

� Carol Jarvis, UWE, and SallyJones-Evans, Lloyds BRML20140306B-016

� Lucy Kirk, TLT LLP, and Kate Watson,Bristol Green Doors BRML20140306B-012

� Kate Redshaw and Sarah Embleton, both of BurgessSalmon Pics: Michael Lloyd BRML20140306B-006

� Louise Dutton, PWC, and Gemma Feldon,Lloyds Banking Group BRML20140306B-009

Send us photosfrom your event,

with namesplease, tobusiness

@b-nm.co.uk

Get inthe picture

GALLERIESGALORE

FOR MORE PICTURESCheck out our

website at

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Retail81 High Street,Weston-Super-Marelot 35: Well located Goldsmiths Jewellerslet at £50,000 p.a.

34/36 the Mall, Clifton, Bristollot 95: Two well located shops and two flats.Total rent £88,080 p.a.

Unit 16 School Road,Cadbury Heath, Bristollot 106: Let to Southern Co-operative Ltdat £42,000 p.a. Expiring 2028.

3 Rosebery Road, Dursleylot 108: Let to Mid Counties Co-Opat £19,000 p.a. Lease expires 2023.

OffiCe33 West Park, Clifton, Bristollot 33: Period offices let at £100,665 p.a.

February sale - £38.35m raised 88% sold

Monday 24th March 2014The Dorchester, Park Lane, Mayfair, London, W1K 1QA

020 7543 6803Online auction catalogue at www.allsop.co.uk

137 auctioncommercial investmentsto include (unless previously sold or withdrawn)

Lot 33

Lot 95

Lot 35

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

8 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 9We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

IT’S a universal given that themost important part of any busi-ness is its people. It thereforefollows that investment in thosepeople, whether by giving them

the skills they need to perform theirjobs properly or by making sure theywork well as a team, is important forthe ongoing health of a company.

Recent times have seen many busi-nesses in survival mode, with the keyfocus understandably on makingends meet. But as the economy gath-ers pace and business owners rebuildfor the future, it is becoming increas-ingly important to ensure staff areproperly skilled and motivated to re-main with the company.

The danger otherwise is that youhave a workforce that is not capable ofhelping the business progress orwhich, worse still, leaves your com-pany and joins a competitor.

But budgets remain tight and in-vesting in training or team-buildingexercises where goals are not clearlydefined can be a waste of valuableresources. So it’s important to getthings right.

Based in Bristol, Rachel Stone is apartner and head of the HR con-sultancy team at accountancy andinvestment management firm Smith& Williamson. She designs a varietyof team-building and training initi-atives for firms around the city, de-livered either at her offices, at thecompany itself, or off-site.

She said: “For me, the most suc-cessful type of team-building trainingis focusing on a real situation fromwork. Whether that’s done on site, ina meeting room or off-site, the im-portant thing is that people go to ateam-building event knowing whatproblem they’re trying to solve andwhat improvement they’re trying tomake. This usually starts with man-agement, but it’s also good to get thewhole team involved before the timeaway takes place, so that problemscan be identified and worked on.

“The success of these initiativescan be measured in a number of ways.On the one hand, it might be quant-itative, where the business objectiveis to speed up the production time in abusiness process. On the other hand,it might be a qualitative measure,where the aim is to think more abouthow a team communicates about in-quiries from customers, so that cus-tomer feedback scores get better.”

Of course, return on investmentand the impact of such initiatives onthe bottom line is bound to be aconcern for any business. Rachel saysthings have changed in that respect.

“In the past five years,” she said, “alot of companies made dramatic re-ductions to their training budgets, soin many businesses things like awaydays and team-building days disap-peared from the agenda for a longtime. But we are starting to see itcome back. Businesses have beenmainly in survival mode and all of asudden we are seeing economic re-covery and there are opportunities tosave money in their processes,launch a new service or to improvethe products they already offer.

“We are also seeing companiesstarting to recruit again, and clearlywhen you have a number of new teammembers coming in over a short peri-od of time you need to do something tomake them feel integrated, as well ashelping existing staff members un-derstand how their roles might

which was to get the task sent out afew days before the weekend, so thatthe more reserved types had time toconsider their approach. The man-ager also had to remember to spe-cifically ask those people for theirpoints of view, so they got a chance tobreak into the conversation.”

What other options are there forcompanies to which the idea ofteam-building away days doesn’t ne-cessarily appeal?

Many companies, says Rachel, arenow starting to engage in team-build-ing exercises that also benefit thedisadvantaged, as part of corporatesocial responsibility packa g es.

“Not only does it benefit them andtheir organisation,” she says, “but italso gives them and their team thegreat satisfaction of doing somethingto help in their community.

“We have also seen many compan-ies investing their training time in

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

As companies begin to invest to grow again, Rupert Janischlooks at the various options available to firms wanting toinvest in staff training and development

Training & team building special

AT Berwick Lodge, we under-stand that teamwork is keyto the success of any busi-ness. Our experiencedevents team works closely

with companies across the SouthWest to create tailored team-buildingactivities that will help them achievetheir business objectives.

One of the most important ele-ments for any team-building exerciseis to take employees out of theiroffice environment so they can relaxand interact with their colleagues.Although Berwick Lodge is just 10minutes from the centre of Bristoland five minutes from the M5/M4,our 18 acres of gardens and woodlandcreate a relaxing environment thattransports employees away from theday-to-day stresses of work.

We offer traditional outdoor eventslike clay pi-geon shoot-ing, archeryand quadbiking.However, inrecent yearswe haveseen a grow-ing demand for more cerebral activ-i t i e s. Some of our most popular onesare cookery courses, which aretaught by our top chefs. Employeeswork in teams or as individuals tolearn a variety of skills, frombread-baking to butchery, pasta-mak-ing to cake-decorating, wine-tastingto cheese appreciation. What’s more,they can eat and enjoy the results oftheir hard work at the end!

TV culture has played a role in ourrecent introduction of new and in-spiring activities, including singingworkshops, ‘Strictly Corporate Dan-cing’ and one of the most thrilling – acrime scene investigation (CSI)workshop. Such events take employ-ees out of their comfort zone and helpthem focus on working with theircolleagues to achieve results.

The feedback we receive from busi-nesses is that these activities workwell in the short term, with em-ployees enjoying the experience andhaving the time to get to know theircolleagues better. However, they alsohave excellent long-term benefits,helping with motivation, increasingproductivity, improving working re-lationships and, in some cases, giv-ing employees confidence to putforward new and innovative ideastowards the business. Surely this hasto be the ultimate goal of anyteam-building event?

Sarah ArikanOwner of BerwickLodge Hotelw w w. b e r w i c klodge.co.uk0117 958 1590

Exciting ways tohelp your team

Expert eyeHOW BUSINESSES CAN GET THEIR STAFF PULLING TOGETHER

www.businesswest.co.uk

Export training courses:• Introduction to export procedures• A foundation course in importing• Exporting: understanding the paperwork

Marketing training courses:• Strategic marketing• Digital marketing• Social media www.businesswest.co.uk

training the managers to be coachesor mentors to staff. It doesn’t cost alot to do and has the advantage ofupskilling the managers.”

So that’s the personal side of pro-fessional development. What aboutmore specific, skill-based training?

These days there are many pro-viders of training, from professionalbodies to private companies andbusiness support organisations.

Business West, for example, hasrecently launched a new range oftraining courses following demandfrom the local business community.

Taking on board the advice it usu-ally gives, the business support or-ganisation researched and assessedthe latest trends and developments.

A survey revealed that marketingand export were the mostsought-after subjects, with over 70per cent of businesses expressing aninterest in learning about or im-

proving their knowledge in thesea re a s.

The result? A new training pro-gramme was developed to cater forthese needs.

In the rapidly changing world ofmarketing, it is no surprise to findbusinesses want to keep abreast ofnew developments. These new mar-keting courses will enable them todo just that, strengthening theirstrategic marketing planning anddigital marketing, ensuring thattheir marketing activity supportstheir company vision and commer-cial objectives.

Phil Smith, managing director ofBusiness West, said: “We ’ve listenedto the needs of our members and thelocal business community to tailorour new training programme fromnext month to meet their needs. Theprogramme embraces the changesin marketing to encompass the

trends in digital and social media.“With more and more companies

taking our advice and choosing toexpand overseas, we have added toour extensive range of support forexporters by providing a wide rangeof courses to support them in theirexport journey. Delivered by exper-ienced professionals, the acquisi-tion of new knowledge and skillswill help any business develop andt h r ive.

“In a fast-paced and constantlychanging environment it pays tostep back, review internal workingsand assess the latest trends and de-velopment in business.”

Of course investing in the devel-opment of an existing workforce isone thing. How about those enteringemployment for the first time?

John Roddy, chief executive ofbusiness security firm The ShieldGroup, said apprenticeships wereproving a key business initiative inhis firm.

He said: “It is encouraging to seemore businesses in the Bristol re-gion taking the noble step of in-vesting in our young people.

“Apprenticeships are a great op-portunity for young talent to enterthe workforce, giving them thechance to develop vital skills fortheir chosen career.

“Schemes have been shown to mo-

tivate workforces through fosteringa culture of professional learningand training. According to the Na-tional Apprenticeship Service, some86 per cent of apprentices stay inemployment after their initial ap-prenticeship finishes, while morethan half of young people wouldchoose an apprenticeship if onewere available.

“This has a knock-on effect withinthe business – other employees aremore likely to feel more motivatedas such schemes demonstrate ane m p l oye r ’s commitment to trainingand further professional develop-ment at all levels.

“At The Shield Group, the fact thatwe pay our apprentices at the samerate as other employees helps usattract an even higher calibre ofapplicants and has demonstratedour willingness to invest in our staff,boosting morale among current em-p l oye e s.

“Apprenticeships are a two-waystreet as they give both employersand their staff the skills they need tohelp both of them succeed in theirc a re e r s. ”

So whatever your requirementand wherever you see a need for staffdevelopment, there are optionsavailable. The most important thingis to plan carefully and make surethe investment is thought through.

change as new people come in.”Other aspects of team-building

training are also changing, saysRachel. Gone is the outdated stereo-type from the 1980s and ’90s ofchest-puffing extroverts takingcharge of hands-on tasks. Things aremore inclusive these days.

“For some people – often the moreconfident ones – completing taskslike making a raft out of barrels was ahugely enjoyable process,” she said.“However, for quieter, more reservedpeople those sorts of activities oftend o n’t gel. These people often want tobe appreciated for the skills theyhave. They want time to be able toreflect and think, too. So a goodteam-building event will take all per-sonality types into account.

“I have one example of a companywhere the team-building exercisewas always kept a surprise until theteam arrived – fine for the extroverts,but the more reserved staff, whowanted time to reflect and considerhow they would tackle the task, fo u n dit quite hard to join in.

“All that approach did was polarisethe different types of people. We madea simple change to their programme,

Tracey Bentham, family

“Family businesses arethe backbone of thenation’s economy – theyare our unsung heroes –and they make amassive contribution toour GDP.

� BUSINESS West is offeringBristol Post readers an exclusive10 per cent discount on any ofits new training courses (aslisted) if booked before May 31,2014. Readers should visit thewebsite w w w. b u s i n e s s w e s t .co.uk/training and enter thepromotional code bristolpost10at checkout to claim their 10 percent discount.Courses:� Strategic marketing, April 1, 8,15; May 8, 13, 22� Social media, April 9; May 14;June 18� Digital Marketing, April 30;May 21; June 26� Introduction to Export

Procedures, June 24; October14; Feb 4, 2015� A Foundation Course inImporting, June 25� Exporting - Understanding thePaperwork, July 22; December 2� Using Documentary Letters ofCredit, Drafts and Bills, July 23;December 3� Classification of Goods -Using Commodity and TariffCodes, October 15� Incoterms, October 15� Export controls and licensing,February 5, 2015� Inward Processing Relief,February 5, 2015.

All courses take place at LeighCourt, Abbots Leigh.

TRAINING COURSES - SPECIAL OFFER

PRACTICAL tips on goodtraining, by Rachel Stone, inset,of Smith & Williamson.� How to AttractThink really clearly about whatyou have to offer somebodyand what they would gain fromtheir time in your business. Sellthe career benefits to them.Some people mightenjoy a steady job insocial surroundings,while others mightwant anopportunity to getreal breadth ofexperience or tobecome a technicalspecialist� How to RetainRetention is all aboutregularly listening to whatstaff are interested in. Whatbothers them? What can you doto help them do their best everyday? What can you move out ofthe way that is a real irritant tothem?� How to MotivatePeople are motivated when theyfeel that they are getting

recognition for doing a goodjob. Money is nice but regularfeedback and a sense that yourboss cares when you get it rightis far more powerful. Fortraining managers, it’s good torealise that most peopleunconsciously copy people who

have previously managedthem. If you’re lucky

enough to have had agood manager thenyou’ll treat your staffin the same way.However, manypeople have onlyseen very poormanagement.

� How to EngageEngagement is all

about helping peoplesolve real business

problems. What engagespeople is being asked to solveproblems and createopportunities. When the chiefexecutive asks people for theiropinions on how to change aproblem, staff’s brains fire awayand give some really valuableinput.

TRAINING TIPS

EPB-E01-S3

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8 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 9We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

IT’S a universal given that themost important part of any busi-ness is its people. It thereforefollows that investment in thosepeople, whether by giving them

the skills they need to perform theirjobs properly or by making sure theywork well as a team, is important forthe ongoing health of a company.

Recent times have seen many busi-nesses in survival mode, with the keyfocus understandably on makingends meet. But as the economy gath-ers pace and business owners rebuildfor the future, it is becoming increas-ingly important to ensure staff areproperly skilled and motivated to re-main with the company.

The danger otherwise is that youhave a workforce that is not capable ofhelping the business progress orwhich, worse still, leaves your com-pany and joins a competitor.

But budgets remain tight and in-vesting in training or team-buildingexercises where goals are not clearlydefined can be a waste of valuableresources. So it’s important to getthings right.

Based in Bristol, Rachel Stone is apartner and head of the HR con-sultancy team at accountancy andinvestment management firm Smith& Williamson. She designs a varietyof team-building and training initi-atives for firms around the city, de-livered either at her offices, at thecompany itself, or off-site.

She said: “For me, the most suc-cessful type of team-building trainingis focusing on a real situation fromwork. Whether that’s done on site, ina meeting room or off-site, the im-portant thing is that people go to ateam-building event knowing whatproblem they’re trying to solve andwhat improvement they’re trying tomake. This usually starts with man-agement, but it’s also good to get thewhole team involved before the timeaway takes place, so that problemscan be identified and worked on.

“The success of these initiativescan be measured in a number of ways.On the one hand, it might be quant-itative, where the business objectiveis to speed up the production time in abusiness process. On the other hand,it might be a qualitative measure,where the aim is to think more abouthow a team communicates about in-quiries from customers, so that cus-tomer feedback scores get better.”

Of course, return on investmentand the impact of such initiatives onthe bottom line is bound to be aconcern for any business. Rachel saysthings have changed in that respect.

“In the past five years,” she said, “alot of companies made dramatic re-ductions to their training budgets, soin many businesses things like awaydays and team-building days disap-peared from the agenda for a longtime. But we are starting to see itcome back. Businesses have beenmainly in survival mode and all of asudden we are seeing economic re-covery and there are opportunities tosave money in their processes,launch a new service or to improvethe products they already offer.

“We are also seeing companiesstarting to recruit again, and clearlywhen you have a number of new teammembers coming in over a short peri-od of time you need to do something tomake them feel integrated, as well ashelping existing staff members un-derstand how their roles might

which was to get the task sent out afew days before the weekend, so thatthe more reserved types had time toconsider their approach. The man-ager also had to remember to spe-cifically ask those people for theirpoints of view, so they got a chance tobreak into the conversation.”

What other options are there forcompanies to which the idea ofteam-building away days doesn’t ne-cessarily appeal?

Many companies, says Rachel, arenow starting to engage in team-build-ing exercises that also benefit thedisadvantaged, as part of corporatesocial responsibility packa g es.

“Not only does it benefit them andtheir organisation,” she says, “but italso gives them and their team thegreat satisfaction of doing somethingto help in their community.

“We have also seen many compan-ies investing their training time in

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

As companies begin to invest to grow again, Rupert Janischlooks at the various options available to firms wanting toinvest in staff training and development

Training & team building special

AT Berwick Lodge, we under-stand that teamwork is keyto the success of any busi-ness. Our experiencedevents team works closely

with companies across the SouthWest to create tailored team-buildingactivities that will help them achievetheir business objectives.

One of the most important ele-ments for any team-building exerciseis to take employees out of theiroffice environment so they can relaxand interact with their colleagues.Although Berwick Lodge is just 10minutes from the centre of Bristoland five minutes from the M5/M4,our 18 acres of gardens and woodlandcreate a relaxing environment thattransports employees away from theday-to-day stresses of work.

We offer traditional outdoor eventslike clay pi-geon shoot-ing, archeryand quadbiking.However, inrecent yearswe haveseen a grow-ing demand for more cerebral activ-i t i e s. Some of our most popular onesare cookery courses, which aretaught by our top chefs. Employeeswork in teams or as individuals tolearn a variety of skills, frombread-baking to butchery, pasta-mak-ing to cake-decorating, wine-tastingto cheese appreciation. What’s more,they can eat and enjoy the results oftheir hard work at the end!

TV culture has played a role in ourrecent introduction of new and in-spiring activities, including singingworkshops, ‘Strictly Corporate Dan-cing’ and one of the most thrilling – acrime scene investigation (CSI)workshop. Such events take employ-ees out of their comfort zone and helpthem focus on working with theircolleagues to achieve results.

The feedback we receive from busi-nesses is that these activities workwell in the short term, with em-ployees enjoying the experience andhaving the time to get to know theircolleagues better. However, they alsohave excellent long-term benefits,helping with motivation, increasingproductivity, improving working re-lationships and, in some cases, giv-ing employees confidence to putforward new and innovative ideastowards the business. Surely this hasto be the ultimate goal of anyteam-building event?

Sarah ArikanOwner of BerwickLodge Hotelw w w. b e r w i c klodge.co.uk0117 958 1590

Exciting ways tohelp your team

Expert eyeHOW BUSINESSES CAN GET THEIR STAFF PULLING TOGETHER

www.businesswest.co.uk

Export training courses:• Introduction to export procedures• A foundation course in importing• Exporting: understanding the paperwork

Marketing training courses:• Strategic marketing• Digital marketing• Social media www.businesswest.co.uk

training the managers to be coachesor mentors to staff. It doesn’t cost alot to do and has the advantage ofupskilling the managers.”

So that’s the personal side of pro-fessional development. What aboutmore specific, skill-based training?

These days there are many pro-viders of training, from professionalbodies to private companies andbusiness support organisations.

Business West, for example, hasrecently launched a new range oftraining courses following demandfrom the local business community.

Taking on board the advice it usu-ally gives, the business support or-ganisation researched and assessedthe latest trends and developments.

A survey revealed that marketingand export were the mostsought-after subjects, with over 70per cent of businesses expressing aninterest in learning about or im-

proving their knowledge in thesea re a s.

The result? A new training pro-gramme was developed to cater forthese needs.

In the rapidly changing world ofmarketing, it is no surprise to findbusinesses want to keep abreast ofnew developments. These new mar-keting courses will enable them todo just that, strengthening theirstrategic marketing planning anddigital marketing, ensuring thattheir marketing activity supportstheir company vision and commer-cial objectives.

Phil Smith, managing director ofBusiness West, said: “We ’ve listenedto the needs of our members and thelocal business community to tailorour new training programme fromnext month to meet their needs. Theprogramme embraces the changesin marketing to encompass the

trends in digital and social media.“With more and more companies

taking our advice and choosing toexpand overseas, we have added toour extensive range of support forexporters by providing a wide rangeof courses to support them in theirexport journey. Delivered by exper-ienced professionals, the acquisi-tion of new knowledge and skillswill help any business develop andt h r ive.

“In a fast-paced and constantlychanging environment it pays tostep back, review internal workingsand assess the latest trends and de-velopment in business.”

Of course investing in the devel-opment of an existing workforce isone thing. How about those enteringemployment for the first time?

John Roddy, chief executive ofbusiness security firm The ShieldGroup, said apprenticeships wereproving a key business initiative inhis firm.

He said: “It is encouraging to seemore businesses in the Bristol re-gion taking the noble step of in-vesting in our young people.

“Apprenticeships are a great op-portunity for young talent to enterthe workforce, giving them thechance to develop vital skills fortheir chosen career.

“Schemes have been shown to mo-

tivate workforces through fosteringa culture of professional learningand training. According to the Na-tional Apprenticeship Service, some86 per cent of apprentices stay inemployment after their initial ap-prenticeship finishes, while morethan half of young people wouldchoose an apprenticeship if onewere available.

“This has a knock-on effect withinthe business – other employees aremore likely to feel more motivatedas such schemes demonstrate ane m p l oye r ’s commitment to trainingand further professional develop-ment at all levels.

“At The Shield Group, the fact thatwe pay our apprentices at the samerate as other employees helps usattract an even higher calibre ofapplicants and has demonstratedour willingness to invest in our staff,boosting morale among current em-p l oye e s.

“Apprenticeships are a two-waystreet as they give both employersand their staff the skills they need tohelp both of them succeed in theirc a re e r s. ”

So whatever your requirementand wherever you see a need for staffdevelopment, there are optionsavailable. The most important thingis to plan carefully and make surethe investment is thought through.

change as new people come in.”Other aspects of team-building

training are also changing, saysRachel. Gone is the outdated stereo-type from the 1980s and ’90s ofchest-puffing extroverts takingcharge of hands-on tasks. Things aremore inclusive these days.

“For some people – often the moreconfident ones – completing taskslike making a raft out of barrels was ahugely enjoyable process,” she said.“However, for quieter, more reservedpeople those sorts of activities oftend o n’t gel. These people often want tobe appreciated for the skills theyhave. They want time to be able toreflect and think, too. So a goodteam-building event will take all per-sonality types into account.

“I have one example of a companywhere the team-building exercisewas always kept a surprise until theteam arrived – fine for the extroverts,but the more reserved staff, whowanted time to reflect and considerhow they would tackle the task, fo u n dit quite hard to join in.

“All that approach did was polarisethe different types of people. We madea simple change to their programme,

Tracey Bentham, family

“Family businesses arethe backbone of thenation’s economy – theyare our unsung heroes –and they make amassive contribution toour GDP.

� BUSINESS West is offeringBristol Post readers an exclusive10 per cent discount on any ofits new training courses (aslisted) if booked before May 31,2014. Readers should visit thewebsite w w w. b u s i n e s s w e s t .co.uk/training and enter thepromotional code bristolpost10at checkout to claim their 10 percent discount.Courses:� Strategic marketing, April 1, 8,15; May 8, 13, 22� Social media, April 9; May 14;June 18� Digital Marketing, April 30;May 21; June 26� Introduction to Export

Procedures, June 24; October14; Feb 4, 2015� A Foundation Course inImporting, June 25� Exporting - Understanding thePaperwork, July 22; December 2� Using Documentary Letters ofCredit, Drafts and Bills, July 23;December 3� Classification of Goods -Using Commodity and TariffCodes, October 15� Incoterms, October 15� Export controls and licensing,February 5, 2015� Inward Processing Relief,February 5, 2015.

All courses take place at LeighCourt, Abbots Leigh.

TRAINING COURSES - SPECIAL OFFER

PRACTICAL tips on goodtraining, by Rachel Stone, inset,of Smith & Williamson.� How to AttractThink really clearly about whatyou have to offer somebodyand what they would gain fromtheir time in your business. Sellthe career benefits to them.Some people mightenjoy a steady job insocial surroundings,while others mightwant anopportunity to getreal breadth ofexperience or tobecome a technicalspecialist� How to RetainRetention is all aboutregularly listening to whatstaff are interested in. Whatbothers them? What can you doto help them do their best everyday? What can you move out ofthe way that is a real irritant tothem?� How to MotivatePeople are motivated when theyfeel that they are getting

recognition for doing a goodjob. Money is nice but regularfeedback and a sense that yourboss cares when you get it rightis far more powerful. Fortraining managers, it’s good torealise that most peopleunconsciously copy people who

have previously managedthem. If you’re lucky

enough to have had agood manager thenyou’ll treat your staffin the same way.However, manypeople have onlyseen very poormanagement.

� How to EngageEngagement is all

about helping peoplesolve real business

problems. What engagespeople is being asked to solveproblems and createopportunities. When the chiefexecutive asks people for theiropinions on how to change aproblem, staff’s brains fire awayand give some really valuableinput.

TRAINING TIPS

EPB-E01-S3

EPB-

E01-

S3

10 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 11We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The Big Interview

JOHN Fontana hasn’t always car-ried a torch for candles. The manwho runs the Bristol-headquartered internationalarm of a hugely successful, andgrowing, Yankee Candle Com-pany is an enthusiastic advocate

for his aromatic offerings.But before he took his first steps

into the industry, he was less con-vinced.

John said: “I said to my wife, ‘Whobuys candles anymore?’ And she ledme round the house and counted up34 candles of different kinds and Isaid, ‘Okay, this is a real business’.”

Now the 54-year-old is full of pas-sion and pride about his products.

He said: “My favourite fragrancecandle is fresh cut rose. When we hadour eldest son, I bought roses for mywife at the hospital. I will never forgetthe smell of my wife, newborn sonand the roses, and when I burn thecandle that’s what I remember.”

John joined three years ago to headup the international division – mean-ing everything outside the US.

While the brand is well known, thefact that its non-American businessruns out of a warehouse in Avon-mouth is less so.

The business moved from a 40,000sqft site in Bradley Stoke to take 160,000square feet in Avonmouth two yearsago and is already fit to burst. Fromhere, the firm distributes the scentedcandles to Europe and Asia. But it’snot just distribution – the firm hasbeen growing in all areas, such asmarketing, sales and human re-sources and now employs about 160people on site, with 15 to 20 more outin field sales.

“We hired 53 people last year andwe are on target to hire about 60 morethis year,” said John. “We havedoubled numbers in three years.Turnover was within pence andpounds of £100 million last year.”

The firm has enjoyed double-digitgrowth year-on-year.

“I’m exceptionally proud of theteam,” added John. “The most im-portant thing we do here is under-stand the market and develop the

across the Suspension Bridge in themor nings.”

You will have to get up early if youwant to see him there, though. Be-cause the centre handles exports toAsia, he is up before dawn takingcalls. John says his working daystarts at 5.30am.

Yankee Candle is a firm with aclear idea where it sits in the market,which is somewhere in the middle.

John said: “We don’t want to be inSloane Square and we don’t want tobe in pound shops.

“There are 4,200 people in Londonwho are worth £30 million. They’renot our focus. Equally if you aretrying to buy something for a pound,you are not our customer either.”

And John is equally clear aboutwhat customers want.

“Our customers don’t buy a candle,they buy a memory,” he said. “T heyremember picking apples withgrandma and her making apple piefor the first time and when they burnour candle it reminds them of theirg randma.”

He is dismissive of some of themore expensive brands with theirexotic fragrances.

“Tahitian amber midnight dream?We don’t know what that is or what itshould smell like,” he said.

“We try to develop the themes andthe memories and stories, then work

CANDLE FIRM BOASTS THATSWEET AROMA OF SUCCESSYankee Candle international president John Fontana believeshis business is about making memories. Gavin Thompsonfollows the scent to find a fast growing firm exporting to 60countries, all from a warehouse in Avonmouth

product for it and service our cus-tomers and consumers. We do thatwith a big distribution centre.”

You might expect the reason forbeing in Avonmouth is because thecandles are shipping in. They are…but through Southampton. Plans fora deep-sea container port, one bigenough to bring in the size of vesselYankee uses, have been mooted butnever delivered at the Bristol PortC o m p a ny.

“It would be fantastic if we had thatf acility,” said John.

Thankfully, it hasn’t deterred thecompany from choosing Bristol.

“I love Bristol,” said John. “T hereare good people and the food is prettygood. I live in Clifton and love to walk

My working dayWake up:4.30am for awalk over theCliftonSuspensionBridgeB re a k f a s t ?Branflakes andsultanasStart work: 5.30am, when Asia startscallingTypical working day: Meetings withteam members, customers and far toomany emailsGo home? 5.30pmTake work home? Almost always, theUS keeps calling!

Name: John FontanaAge: 54Bor n: Burlington, Vermont,United StatesEducation: Ya l eUniversityFirst job: Started avideo game arcadeHero or inspiration:WinstonC h u rc h i l l

Vital statistics

JOHN FONTANA

� Left, John Fontana; above, the Yankee Candle warehouse inAv o n m o u t h

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wh a t ’s thebest pieceof adviceI’ve everre -ce i ve d ?Wa tc hthe videoto find outWHILE the UK eco-

nomy is looking alittle more optim-istic, it remainsch a l l e n g i n g .

Small-to-medium-sized busi-ness owners need to embrace theeconomic situation and the ac-cessibility of clients via the in-ternet and get excited by theopportunities available to themin 2014.

Smaller companies are morenimble and can react quicker tothe ever-changing world online.

However, all too often we findthey simply batten down thehatches, spend less and hope itall goes away.

It is time to “think local”. Thecurrency in this new economy istr ust.

There is a massive decline intrust in our society today, so cus-tomers are looking for compan-ies they can put their faith in,have a relationship with and buyfrom with confidence.

When we think about the on-line world, we tend to think of aglobal community.

However, for many small busi-ness owners there is more thanenough business within theirlocal community and surround-ing area.

Google has made more signi-ficant changes (where smallbusiness owners are concerned)to how it ranks websites in thepast 18 months than it has in thepast 10 years.

This has made it very difficultfor small business owners tocompete globally and to keep upwith this constantly-changingonline landscape.

However, rather than seeingthis as a problem, we should seeit as a blessing in disguise andfocus our attention on being ex-ceptional online within our owncommunity and our own localarea. Global domination can fol-low, but let’s start by being ex-ceptional on a smaller scale.

I will be writing a series ofcolumns in these pages lookingat how to help small businessowners become exceptional intheir own community and gen-erate a significant increase inrevenue from their online pres-e n c e.

I’ll be covering subjects suchas social media, Google optim-isation, content marketing,email marketing, website per-formance, lead generation andconversion marketing.

Over the coming weeks andmonths we will show all smallbusiness owners exactly whatthey need to do to be exceptionalo n l i n e.

For more details, contact CraigSheppard on c.sheppard@bathchron.co.uk or 07818517296.

John BonneyOnline marketingspecialist

Think local foronline drive

Know how

My downtimeMy perfect weekendWalking around BristolMy favouritebook/film/TV show DrZhivago - I am a romanticHobbies Poker, I enjoythe Rainbow casino

with fragrance houses. That’swhy people love what we do.”

Recently the team has beenworking on an Indian Summercollection, to go on sale in theearly autumn as people harkback to the final, often glorious,days of summer.

“We want to evoke memories ofsummertime, late in the daywhen the sun goes and you aresitting with your partner andhaving a beverage of yourch o i c e, ” he said.

John, from New Hampshire inthe United States, has an un-ashamed American enthusiasmfor his work.

“The business is fun,” he said.“We do things that make peoplevery happy.

“It’s great when you go into astore and you watch people go,‘Smell this one… oooh I like that,it reminds me of when…’ ”

He recalls a taxi ride whenthe cabbie told him his wifeburned the baby powder-smelling candle around thehouse because it reminded her ofwhen the children were youngand still at home.

John finished the story declar-ing: “I’m so damn proud of whatwe do.”

“I have been here three years.Two years ago, I started changingthe culture from sales and fin-ance and money to ‘let’s get thiswhole business behind our cul-ture, behind our products, be-hind each other and let’s havefun.

“Let’s be evangelical aroundmaking people smile with ourfragrances. We don’t make un-happy fragrances that bring backterrible memories, we makepeople happy and so we need tobe happy and we need to love itand be able to represent it in them a rke t . ”

Those values seem to runthrough the firm. When staffmembers were balloted overwhether the Unite trade unionshould have collective bargain-ing rights on their behalf, theyvoted no, Something John sees asan endorsement.

“It puts a tremendous respons-

ibility on us to do right by ourcollea gues,” he said.

Another area where the pas-sion shines through is in John’sbelief in the high street.

“Our business is the highstreet gift store,” he said. “T hat’show we built it. They are thepeople we are committed to,about 5,000 high street accountsin the UK and Ireland – t h at ’s ourbusiness, that’s how most peoplefind us.

“We are exceptionally proudwe are a major reason that a lot ofshops survive.”

But he said the high street wasin distress, for which he blamedsome “a n t i p at hy ” in British so-ciety towards business peopleand success.

“It should be a considered a

glorious thing to run a successfuls t o re, ” he said.

As for the future, Yankee wasbought out by Yardley plc lastyear, but John is enjoying histime in Bristol and running agrowing business. The firmneeds to expand, but that is morelikely to be with an additionalfacility in Europe than a biggersite here.

For John, he loves what hedoes. And, just like that momentin his own home years ago whenthe penny dropped aboutcandles, there’s alwayssomething in business to sur-prise you.

“Who would have thought afresh-cut grass scented candlewould be a huge seller inDubai?”

John Fontana

“We don’t makeunhappy fragrancesthat bring backterrible memories, wemake people happyand so we need to beh a p p y.

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10 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 11We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014 w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/businessw w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

The Big Interview

JOHN Fontana hasn’t always car-ried a torch for candles. The manwho runs the Bristol-headquartered internationalarm of a hugely successful, andgrowing, Yankee Candle Com-pany is an enthusiastic advocate

for his aromatic offerings.But before he took his first steps

into the industry, he was less con-vinced.

John said: “I said to my wife, ‘Whobuys candles anymore?’ And she ledme round the house and counted up34 candles of different kinds and Isaid, ‘Okay, this is a real business’.”

Now the 54-year-old is full of pas-sion and pride about his products.

He said: “My favourite fragrancecandle is fresh cut rose. When we hadour eldest son, I bought roses for mywife at the hospital. I will never forgetthe smell of my wife, newborn sonand the roses, and when I burn thecandle that’s what I remember.”

John joined three years ago to headup the international division – mean-ing everything outside the US.

While the brand is well known, thefact that its non-American businessruns out of a warehouse in Avon-mouth is less so.

The business moved from a 40,000sqft site in Bradley Stoke to take 160,000square feet in Avonmouth two yearsago and is already fit to burst. Fromhere, the firm distributes the scentedcandles to Europe and Asia. But it’snot just distribution – the firm hasbeen growing in all areas, such asmarketing, sales and human re-sources and now employs about 160people on site, with 15 to 20 more outin field sales.

“We hired 53 people last year andwe are on target to hire about 60 morethis year,” said John. “We havedoubled numbers in three years.Turnover was within pence andpounds of £100 million last year.”

The firm has enjoyed double-digitgrowth year-on-year.

“I’m exceptionally proud of theteam,” added John. “The most im-portant thing we do here is under-stand the market and develop the

across the Suspension Bridge in themor nings.”

You will have to get up early if youwant to see him there, though. Be-cause the centre handles exports toAsia, he is up before dawn takingcalls. John says his working daystarts at 5.30am.

Yankee Candle is a firm with aclear idea where it sits in the market,which is somewhere in the middle.

John said: “We don’t want to be inSloane Square and we don’t want tobe in pound shops.

“There are 4,200 people in Londonwho are worth £30 million. They’renot our focus. Equally if you aretrying to buy something for a pound,you are not our customer either.”

And John is equally clear aboutwhat customers want.

“Our customers don’t buy a candle,they buy a memory,” he said. “T heyremember picking apples withgrandma and her making apple piefor the first time and when they burnour candle it reminds them of theirg randma.”

He is dismissive of some of themore expensive brands with theirexotic fragrances.

“Tahitian amber midnight dream?We don’t know what that is or what itshould smell like,” he said.

“We try to develop the themes andthe memories and stories, then work

CANDLE FIRM BOASTS THATSWEET AROMA OF SUCCESSYankee Candle international president John Fontana believeshis business is about making memories. Gavin Thompsonfollows the scent to find a fast growing firm exporting to 60countries, all from a warehouse in Avonmouth

product for it and service our cus-tomers and consumers. We do thatwith a big distribution centre.”

You might expect the reason forbeing in Avonmouth is because thecandles are shipping in. They are…but through Southampton. Plans fora deep-sea container port, one bigenough to bring in the size of vesselYankee uses, have been mooted butnever delivered at the Bristol PortC o m p a ny.

“It would be fantastic if we had thatf acility,” said John.

Thankfully, it hasn’t deterred thecompany from choosing Bristol.

“I love Bristol,” said John. “T hereare good people and the food is prettygood. I live in Clifton and love to walk

My working dayWake up:4.30am for awalk over theCliftonSuspensionBridgeB re a k f a s t ?Branflakes andsultanasStart work: 5.30am, when Asia startscallingTypical working day: Meetings withteam members, customers and far toomany emailsGo home? 5.30pmTake work home? Almost always, theUS keeps calling!

Name: John FontanaAge: 54Bor n: Burlington, Vermont,United StatesEducation: Ya l eUniversityFirst job: Started avideo game arcadeHero or inspiration:WinstonC h u rc h i l l

Vital statistics

JOHN FONTANA

� Left, John Fontana; above, the Yankee Candle warehouse inAv o n m o u t h

bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wh a t ’s thebest pieceof adviceI’ve everre -ce i ve d ?Wa tc hthe videoto find outWHILE the UK eco-

nomy is looking alittle more optim-istic, it remainsch a l l e n g i n g .

Small-to-medium-sized busi-ness owners need to embrace theeconomic situation and the ac-cessibility of clients via the in-ternet and get excited by theopportunities available to themin 2014.

Smaller companies are morenimble and can react quicker tothe ever-changing world online.

However, all too often we findthey simply batten down thehatches, spend less and hope itall goes away.

It is time to “think local”. Thecurrency in this new economy istr ust.

There is a massive decline intrust in our society today, so cus-tomers are looking for compan-ies they can put their faith in,have a relationship with and buyfrom with confidence.

When we think about the on-line world, we tend to think of aglobal community.

However, for many small busi-ness owners there is more thanenough business within theirlocal community and surround-ing area.

Google has made more signi-ficant changes (where smallbusiness owners are concerned)to how it ranks websites in thepast 18 months than it has in thepast 10 years.

This has made it very difficultfor small business owners tocompete globally and to keep upwith this constantly-changingonline landscape.

However, rather than seeingthis as a problem, we should seeit as a blessing in disguise andfocus our attention on being ex-ceptional online within our owncommunity and our own localarea. Global domination can fol-low, but let’s start by being ex-ceptional on a smaller scale.

I will be writing a series ofcolumns in these pages lookingat how to help small businessowners become exceptional intheir own community and gen-erate a significant increase inrevenue from their online pres-e n c e.

I’ll be covering subjects suchas social media, Google optim-isation, content marketing,email marketing, website per-formance, lead generation andconversion marketing.

Over the coming weeks andmonths we will show all smallbusiness owners exactly whatthey need to do to be exceptionalo n l i n e.

For more details, contact CraigSheppard on c.sheppard@bathchron.co.uk or 07818517296.

John BonneyOnline marketingspecialist

Think local foronline drive

Know how

My downtimeMy perfect weekendWalking around BristolMy favouritebook/film/TV show DrZhivago - I am a romanticHobbies Poker, I enjoythe Rainbow casino

with fragrance houses. That’swhy people love what we do.”

Recently the team has beenworking on an Indian Summercollection, to go on sale in theearly autumn as people harkback to the final, often glorious,days of summer.

“We want to evoke memories ofsummertime, late in the daywhen the sun goes and you aresitting with your partner andhaving a beverage of yourch o i c e, ” he said.

John, from New Hampshire inthe United States, has an un-ashamed American enthusiasmfor his work.

“The business is fun,” he said.“We do things that make peoplevery happy.

“It’s great when you go into astore and you watch people go,‘Smell this one… oooh I like that,it reminds me of when…’ ”

He recalls a taxi ride whenthe cabbie told him his wifeburned the baby powder-smelling candle around thehouse because it reminded her ofwhen the children were youngand still at home.

John finished the story declar-ing: “I’m so damn proud of whatwe do.”

“I have been here three years.Two years ago, I started changingthe culture from sales and fin-ance and money to ‘let’s get thiswhole business behind our cul-ture, behind our products, be-hind each other and let’s havefun.

“Let’s be evangelical aroundmaking people smile with ourfragrances. We don’t make un-happy fragrances that bring backterrible memories, we makepeople happy and so we need tobe happy and we need to love itand be able to represent it in them a rke t . ”

Those values seem to runthrough the firm. When staffmembers were balloted overwhether the Unite trade unionshould have collective bargain-ing rights on their behalf, theyvoted no, Something John sees asan endorsement.

“It puts a tremendous respons-

ibility on us to do right by ourcollea gues,” he said.

Another area where the pas-sion shines through is in John’sbelief in the high street.

“Our business is the highstreet gift store,” he said. “T hat’show we built it. They are thepeople we are committed to,about 5,000 high street accountsin the UK and Ireland – t h at ’s ourbusiness, that’s how most peoplefind us.

“We are exceptionally proudwe are a major reason that a lot ofshops survive.”

But he said the high street wasin distress, for which he blamedsome “a n t i p at hy ” in British so-ciety towards business peopleand success.

“It should be a considered a

glorious thing to run a successfuls t o re, ” he said.

As for the future, Yankee wasbought out by Yardley plc lastyear, but John is enjoying histime in Bristol and running agrowing business. The firmneeds to expand, but that is morelikely to be with an additionalfacility in Europe than a biggersite here.

For John, he loves what hedoes. And, just like that momentin his own home years ago whenthe penny dropped aboutcandles, there’s alwayssomething in business to sur-prise you.

“Who would have thought afresh-cut grass scented candlewould be a huge seller inDubai?”

John Fontana

“We don’t makeunhappy fragrancesthat bring backterrible memories, wemake people happyand so we need to beh a p p y.

EPB-

E01-

S3

12 We d n e s d a y, M a rc h 12, 2014w w w. b r i s t o l p o s t .co.uk/business

Movers & shake-ups

Up and coming The future of business

The latest appointments news. Sendyour news to business@b-nm.co.uk

Motor trade

A CUSTOMER service man-ager from Nailsea who star-ted his motor trade career asa 16-year-old apprentice hasbeen declared the best in the

UK by car manufacturer SEAT.Anthony Harris, who is based at

Holders SEAT in Congresbury, haswon the Service Manager category atthe firm’s Top Service People UKaw a rd s.

Mr Harris, right, now aged33, said: “I am delighted tohave won. This is hugeconfirmation that Imust be doing the rightthings in my job. It stillreally hasn’t sunk inthat I’ve beaten compet-ition from the whole ofthe UK.

“My job is all aboutachieving the highest pos-sible standards of customer careand satisfaction. I run my departmentin a way that makes everything asstraightforward as possible for cus-tomers. I also oversee health andsafety, training and scheduling ofwork in the workshop.

“It is really good that SEAT runsthis competition. It helps boost ourdealership’s profile and it rewardsgood customer service, which is whatit is all about.”

Mr Harris lives in Nailsea with hiswife Laura, 33, and their two daugh-

ters and before joining Holders SEATtwo years ago he worked for a Skodadealership near Bristol for 11 years.

He was one of 21 finalists in thecompetition, chosen from mastertechnicians, service advisers, servicemanagers, parts managers and painttechnicians from 131 dealerships.

The UK winners were chosen fromthe finalists who scored best in apractical skills test, a theory test ontheir area of expertise and a brandknowledge test. The winners gothrough to SEAT’s international finalof Top Service People in Barcelona inAp r i l .

Holders SEAT has also beenboosted by the news that an-

other of their employees,Jennifer Gibbens, was a

runner-up in the ServiceAdvisor category.

Rex Jeffrey, managingdirector of HoldersSEAT, said: “Anthony is

a key member of ourteam and I am delighted

he has won this awardagainst fierce competition

from across the UK. Jennifer’ssuccess just demonstrates that An-thony is supported by a professionaland focused team here at Holders.You can’t win awards like thiswithout support from colleagues.”

SEAT UK’s service developmentmanager, Jim O’Donnell, said: “To pService People recognises and re-wards outstanding performers fromour dealer network’s service andparts departments and workshops,and the great work of our group paintand body dealers across the UK.”

Simply the bestSEAT managertakes UK crown

Liam dreams ofRio in contestfor electricians

Taste of success as Janis gives advice on growthTasteTech is an innovative niche

company designing and manufactur-ing encapsulated ingredients and fla-vourings for the food industry.

The company supplies some of thewo rl d ’s most recognised brands andmost recently created the flavouringsfor the first multi-sensory fireworkdisplay for London’s New Year’s Evec e l e b r at i o n .

The firm has continued growthplans and aims to double turnoverand profitability every five years.

THE entrepreneur owner of an ex-panding food flavourings companywill give a talk on how to grow yourbusiness later this month.

Janis Sinton will discuss the chal-lenges of growing her company, Bris-lington-based TasteTech, at the eventat @Bristol on March 25. She will talkabout how TasteTech has grown overthe past 21 years from six employeesworking from her home and garage to50 employees exporting from its Bris-tol factory to more than 30 countries.

� From left, competition judge Tony Cable, Liam Bennet, and Alex Jackson,Weston College lecturer

A p p re n t i ces

Fo o d

Rupert JanischBusiness@b-nm.co.uk

� EXECUTIVE Recruitment firmMoon Consulting has made threenew appointments at its Bristoloffice to take advantage of thegrowing South West job market.

Simon Quinn and SamanthaBunn join as executive searchconsultants, while Gemma Webberjoins as office administrator.

All three have previousrecruitment experience – Simon inmultiple sectors, Samantha infinancial services and Gemma onthe operations side of a trainingc o m p a n y.

Director Vanessa Moon said: “We

have seen an increase in jobmarket activity over the past twoquarters, so our new staff are hereto meet demand and ensure futurec a p a b i l i t y. ”

� HSBC has appointed JamesJordan as area commercial directorfor Bristol and Bath, withresponsibility for supportingbusinesses with a turnover ofbetween £500,000 and £30 million.

Raised in Somerset, his rolemarks a return to the region afterhe spent the past two years inLondon.

James, below, will lead a team of22 relationship managers. Theyinclude specialists whofocus on smallerbusinesses with aturnover of up to£2 million, andspecialists inoverseas trade.

James said:“Bristol and Bath arehome to strong,innovative and diverseeconomies and the areaboasts some world classbusinesses, both large and small.We are keen to grow our business

at HSBC and work with companiesfrom the region to help them meettheir domestic and internationalaspirations.”

� ULTIMATE Finance has hiredNick Smith as the company’s newgroup sales director as part of itsgrowth plans.

The Bradley Stoke-based firm isa sizeable independent in the UKinvoice finance industry and wasrecently acquired by RenovoGroup. Nick was previously aregional managing director ofAldermore Invoice Finance.

Nick said: “I see this as anexciting opportunity to join a

company with a great rangeof products and great

financial backing thatoffers terrificopportunities forg ro w t h .

“The company isstrong in the SouthWest, but with plenty of

room to grow in themajor commercial centres

of Yorkshire, the North Westand the Midlands.”

� BNP Paribas Real Estate has

appointed Richard Clark, aboveright, as head of Bristol valuationfrom Jones Lang LaSalle.Thecompany also appointed AndrewShoubridge, left, as a seniorsurveyor from DTZ.

Richard has considerableexperience in the provision ofvaluation advice for securedlending purposes, acting forclearing banks, building societies,financial institutions anddevelopers.

Head of Bristol and national headof debt advisory, Patrick Pryce,said: “These appointments followour growth strategy for the Bristoloffice. As part of this plan, we willcontinue to build our expertise atall levels of the business andensure we have the right people forthe future.”

� CHARITY Business in theCommunity has appointed DairyCrest chief executive Mark Allen,below, as chairman of its SouthWest advisory board, based inPortwall Place,Bristol.

He will focushis attentionon helpingSouth Westbusinessesof all sizesintegratere s p o n s i b l epractices intotheir operations.

He said: “I’mreally looking forward to being partof a partnership that will help tackleserious social issues in the SouthWest. Dairy Crest has alreadyachieved some great results for ourbusiness and local communities byputting doing the right thing at theheart of our business strategy.

“I want to build on this and workwith other local businesses to dothe same and make a realdifference in the South West, abeautiful area already known for itssustainable and responsiblebusiness credentials.”

AN apprentice electrician from Wes-ton College has won the regional heatof an international competition thatcould see him test his skills inBrazil.

Liam Bennet, 18, of Ebdon Road,Worle, entered against contestantsfrom nine South West colleges in theSPARKS competition, gaining 170 outof 200 points – 30 more than hisnearest rival.

Weston College building servicesand environmental technology man-ager, Christopher Simpson, said:“Liam has done brilliantly and we’rereally proud of him.

“He’s been with us since he was 16and is now a level three apprenticeworking for Weston Electrical Ser-v i c e s.

“The whole electrical team hereand at work have supported him.”

Liam is now set to compete at anational level in April at Birminghamand if he succeeds is set to fly to Rio deJaneiro later this year for the in-ternational final.

The South West Skills Campus, on

Locking Road, is undergoing an £11million investment.

In 2010, the Construction and En-gineering Centre of Excellence won aNational Training Award for theSouth West of England. It deliverstraining in a wide range of construc-tion occupations, including plumb-ing, electrical installation, carpentry,trowel trades, painting, decorating,plastering and property mainten-

ance, and provides renewable energycourses and apprenticeships.

The CECE holds specialist work-shops for training electricians, alongwith bespoke brickwork and car-pentry workshops at a re-source-based learning centre, withonline learning available.

The CECE is also a test centre forthe Construction Skills CertificationScheme and health and safety card.

The event will be an interactivenetworking meeting and will includedemonstrations and tastings, as wellas informative talks.

Organised by the Bristol branch ofthe Institute of Directors, it is openfor people to attend and bookings arebeing taken until Friday, March 21. Itruns from 6pm until 8.30pm and costs£18 to attend.

To book a place, contact DebraBaker or Sarah Roberts at the re-gional IoD office on 0117 370 7785.