★★★★

BUSINESS SurviveStart

ThriveECH

O

Plumbing firmaiminghigh

Homeiswheretheheart isPAGES2&3 PAGES4&5

WAVERTREETOWNHALLONMARKETAN HISTORIC south Liverpoolbuilding is to go under the hammer atauction with a guide price of £100,000.

Wavertree Town Hall was built in1872 and was originally used as theheadquarters for the Wavertree Boardof Health, an organisation responsiblefor paving, lighting, providing sewersand cleaning the streets in thetownship.

In 1895, Wavertree was absorbed by

Liverpool City Council, along withneighbouring townships West Derbyand Walton.

Following the takeover, the buildingserved as centre for local rate collection

and as a registry office.A period of disuse almost resulted in

the building’s demolition, but wasprevented when local businessman EricRooke refurbished it for use as a publichouse.

Some of the Victorian decorativefeatures included in the original design,which was created by local architectJohn Elliot Reeves, still remain.

The two-storey Grade II-listedbuilding is situated within a designatedconservation area and is close to PictonClock.

Wavertree Town Hall will be lot

number two in the next Sutton KershLiverpool property auction being heldin the Hilton Liverpool on May 25.

Cathy Holt of Kersh said: “This is afantastic auction lot.

“It has quirky appeal, a long standinghistory and carries a very reasonableguide price.”■ ANOTHER Liverpool auction house,Venmore, will hold its latest event today,also at the Hilton Hotel in the citycentre.

The firm is putting 47 lots up for saleand the auction is being filmed by BBCTV’s Homes Under the Hammer show.

Historic city siteis givenprice tagof£100,00

● EEF, themanufacturers’

organisation, reactedwith disappointment tothe Government’sdecision to sign up tosignificantly moreambitious targets toreduce carbon emissions.Its north west director,David Ost, said: “On itsown this is a baddecision formanufacturing so thegovernment must movequickly to address thecompetitivenessconcerns faced acrossmanufacturing, as wellas energy-intensiveindustries.”

● PROFESSIONALLIVERPOOL has

appointed the formermanaging partner of lawfirm Bermans as its chiefexecutive. John Hall willtake on the role forthree days a week at thelobby group, which aimsto promote Liverpool asa centre of excellence forprofessional services.

● SPEKE-BASEDChoice Online has

teamed up with ClearerThoughts to run a secondfree social mediamarketing workshop.The event is at ClearerThoughts, in Bridle Way,Netherton, tomorrow.For details see www.choiceonline.co.uk

● DAVID MURRAY, ofLiverpool’s Murray

Consultancy, will belooking at the value ofmarket research forbusinesses in a seminaron Friday. The event isthe latest in LiverpoolChamber ofCommerce’s 60 ReallyUseful Minutes series. Itis free to members and£5 for non-members andruns from 9am-10am. Tobook, visit www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk

UNDER THE HAMMER:Wavertree Town hall datesback to 1872

by TONYMcDONOUGHDeputy Business Editor

When exceptional people cometogether, great things happen.When Weightmans and Mace & Jones merged to become onefirm on 1 May something special developed.Weightmans and Mace & Jones. Together we are stronger.Find out more at www.weightmans.com

NEWS Wednesday, May 18, 20112 ★★★★

There’snoplace likeHomeforthecafébarcouple

BUSINESSSMALL

of the Week

Tony McDonough talksto Ben Harrison, directorof cafe bar operator Home

ROADSHOWHIGHLIGHTSSAFETY ONBUILD SITESHEALTH and safetyexperts will arrive inLiverpool later thisweek as part of atwo-week tour ofcolleges andconstruction sites inthe north west.

This year’s WhiteVan Roadshow isfocusing on preventingworkplace falls aftersix workers were killedand there were morethan 500 majorinjuries in the regionin 2009/10.

They included twodeaths and 100 majorinjuries in Merseyside.

Specialists from theconstruction industryand the Health andSafety Executive(HSE) will visit theCentral Libraryconstruction site inWilliam Brown Streetin Liverpool onThursday, May 19,during a tour of sevenbuilding sites and twocolleges in the northwest.

They are spending aday at each location tomeet as manyconstruction workers,apprentices andstudents as possible.

As well as warningof the dangers ofworking at height,other topics willinclude power toolvibration injuries,asbestos and otherdust-related diseases.

HSE staff haveteamed up withrepresentatives fromleading companies inthe constructionindustry to offer thelatest health andsafety advice. Thoseattending the eventswill also get thechance to take part indemonstrations.

BUSINESS

THERE has been a big push inLiverpool over recent yearstowards a morecontinental-style café cultureand now the idea is spreading

across the Mersey.Wirral café bar operator home has

two outlets – Oxton Village and at theWoodside ferry terminal.

They offer light meals and snacksmade on the premises using freshingredients, and are more than coffeeshops but not quite full-on restaurants.

Fully licensed, they also cater forprivate parties in the evenings.

Both have been open for about threeyears with the Oxton Home nowhaving a well-established reputationfor a chilled out ambience.

Now the Woodside venue is alsoupping its game with a new £10,000terrace offering “spectacular” viewsacross the river.

To celebrate the opening, Homefounders, husband and wide team Benand Polly Harrison, are launching acorporate loyalty card targeted at thethousands of office workers andprofessionals in the surrounding area.

Home’s licensed café bar inWoodside opened in 2008 followingMerseytravel’s £500,000 refurbishmentof the listed building.

It is now the only restaurant inWirral that offers outdoor and indooreating and drinking with views ofLiverpool’s iconic waterfront.

The Harrisons are activelypromoting its the premises as awedding and events venue.

Ben said he hoped the terrace wouldbecome a major attraction for businesslunches, tourists and family days out.

“A huge amount of investment hastaken place at Woodside FerryTerminal and we believe we now haveone of the most stylish café bars inMerseyside,” he said.

“Certainly the views we offer dinershere are spectacular.

“Birkenhead is crying out for thiskind of venue and we want to urgelocal workers and families to visit usand see our terrific facilities includingour new terrace and sample ourwonderful menu.”

Ben added the café bar’s corporateloyalty card was aimed atBirkenhead’s public and private sectorworkers. He said: “When workerscome here they are amazed.

“And we want to spread the messagefar and wide about the newrefurbishment and the standard offood and drink we offer.

“The new loyalty card is available toindividual workers and organisations.

“It offers terrific cut-price deals onlunches, take out drinks and food andcorporate functions.

“Our aim is to bring European-stylecafé society to Birkenhead.

“Thanks to Merseytravel’s supportwe have been able to transform thecafé here and we really want thecommunity to benefit from what weare offering.

“Home is proving to be a great valuevenue for weddings, birthdays andchristenings as well as corporatenetworking events and receptions.”

Ben said the support ofMerseytravel was vital when the

venue first opened.“Mersey Ferries used to have a cafe

here in the 1990s – we used to bringthe kids here,” he added.

“Then it became neglected for atime so we offered to take it over.Merseytravel let us have it rent-freefor the first year and it has had arefurbishment.

“They have been great landlords.“I think we now have a great offer

here. I think the views are among thebest you will find in the country.

“The U-Boat attraction is now hereand we are finding that people arecoming off the ferry and saying howthey hadn’t been here for years andhow great it all is now.

“We think we could be a realcatalyst around here – we couldbecome a focal point.

“There are thousands of peoplewithin a short walking distance.

“There about 1,000 people employedby the council nearby and you haveprofessionals working just a fewminutes walk away in HamiltonSquare.”

Both Ben and Polly both spent anumber of years working in thevoluntary sector.

Ben himself was a co-founder ofWeston Spirit – the charity madefamous by Falklands veteran SimonWeston.

“Eventually, we realised we bothwanted to do something different,”

LTPrintgrouplaunchesprofessionalservicesdivisionWIRRAL print firm LT PrintGroup is launching aprofessional services division.

The Wallasey-based firm,which also has a digital printoffice in Birkenhead, says itcan offer products to meet theneeds of the region’s financial,legal, property, creative andprofessional services sectorfirms.

The professional servicesdivision will work withcompanies to identify howthey can gain added valuefrom marketing and internalliterature, creating bespokedesign and print packages tosuit each individualrequirement.

LT Print has also created anonline ordering service to

save time and costs.Business clients will be

given their own login detailsand can save time by orderingall items such as stationaryand headed paper via LTPrint’s website.

LT Print managing director,Bob McWilliams, said: “Theprofessional services sector inMerseyside and the North

West is a massive part of theregion’s economy.

“And we have been struckby the increasing amount ofbusinesses that are asking forthe highest quality print anddesign work available.

“Marketing literature is oneof the first things a potentialclient will look at so weunderstand the need for

high-end, well-made products.“However, we have found

that many businesses struggleto find a print and designcompany that matches up totheir high standards.”

Mr McWilliams said thefirm has clients from a broadrange of sectors such aseducation, hospitality andpublic health.

RIVERSIDE WINSGREEN AWARDLIVERPOOL housingassociation Riversidehas scooped theEnergy Efficiency gongat the HousingExcellence Awards.

The judges wereimpressed withRiverside’scommitment toreduce its carbonfootprint and itsenvironmentallyfriendly practices.

David Jepson,Riverside’s deputychief executive, whocollected the award,said: “We aredelighted.”

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 NEWS 3★★★★

SMES SAYSALES ISMAIN ISSUESALES and marketingare currently the topbusiness issues facingsmall engineeringcompanies in the UK,a survey hasdiscovered.

Research carriedout by not-for-profitsmall business supportgroup, the Forum ofPrivate Business,found sales andmarketing strategy isa priority for 26.1% ofsmaller firms in theengineering industry.

The second mostcommon priorityamong smallengineering firms wasoperationsmanagement,highlighted as an issueby 14.6% ofrespondents.

HR-related issues,such as recruitment,training andemployment law, werethird at 13.4%.

Credit control wasalso a concern formany smallerengineers surveyed,with business ownersciting chasing overduepayment as a majorproblem. The financialloss small engineerssuffer when othercompanies go bustowing them moneywas also a worry.

Forum chiefexecutive Phil Orfordsaid: “Getting salesand marketing right iscrucial for smallengineeringcompanies. However,marketing often fallsoutside the skill-setthe of many smallbusiness owners.”

SPECTACULAR: Home in Woodside offers great views of Liverpool waterfront

PARTNERSHIP: Ben and PollyHarrison have firmly establishedthe Home brand in Wirral and nowwant to take it to Liverpool

Picture: JAMES MALONEY

said Ben. “We realised in Oxton thatthere wasn’t really anywhere to go tohave breakfast and just chill out.

“The Oxton outlet is more of athoroughfare and so catches peoplepassing through but Woodside hasmore of a regular clientele.

“We would like to open more outletsin similar – maybe Lark Lane or BoldStreet in Liverpool.”

Like many in the restaurant andcatering trade, Home has seen its costsrise as well as having to cope with theupping of VAT.

Ben said: “We haven’t raised ourprices and we offer good food portionsizes – it is all about offering goodvalue for money.

“The main challenge has beengetting people across the doorstep inthe first place.

“We believe that if you offer goodservice and value for money thenpeople will keep on coming back.”

Do you wantto be our Business

of the Week?Contact Neil

Hodgson 0151 4722451 or emailneil.hodgson

@liverpool.com

Your home is at risk if you fail to keep up repayments on any mortgages or loans secured against it.

Need money fast when pay day is just out of reach?➤ Pay those ‘final demand’ bills.➤ Take your partner away for romantic weekends.➤ Have extra spending money for your holiday.➤ Do anything you wish, it’s your choice!

LoansLooking for a loan? Wehave the best dealsonline! Rates from6.9% APR. Try us today.

Mortgages100% of UK lenders.Rates from1.99% APR.Free quote.

Mobile PhonesWe find you the bestmobile phone deals.See how much youcan save.

InsuranceNeed insurance?Great deals for all.Apply today and getyour free quote.

UtilitiesWe find you the bestdeals on your utilitybills. See how muchyou can save.

DebtManagementGet your debt backunder control. Act nowand contact us today!

www.activefinance4u.com0871 872 3747

LiverpoolCommercialDistrictBIDBallot29thApril–27thMay. VOTEYESFOR

AMOREVIBRANTCOMMERCIALDISTRICT.

Yourdistrict.Yoursay.www.liverpoolcdp.com/BIDVOTE

YES

NEWS Wednesday, May 18, 20114 ★★★★

BUSINESS

IT IS Royden Evans’s ambitionto grow PlumbNation into theUK’s largest online supplier ofplumbing and heatingproducts.

And if its growth so far hasanything to go by it’s not anunrealistic target.

Evans started the Wirral-basedbusiness in April 2007 and had afirst-year turnover target of £1m.

In the first 12 monthsPlumbNation actually turned over£2.2m.

Last year it was £8m and this yearthat figure is projected to grow to£11m.

“In the next three years I want togrow that to £20m,” said 38-year-oldRoyden, who is managing director.

“We are continuing to investsignificantly in our e-commerceplatform with a new-look websitedue to launch in the next few weeksaimed at further improving thecustomer experience.”

Based in Bromborough andemploying 11 people, PlumbNation isan e-commerce company whosewebsite offers around 15,000products.

Most of its customers are domestic– the “end use” as Royden puts it –with a small core of trade clientstoo.

It also employs an experiencedtrio of salespeople who take ordersover the phone and can advise ontechnical specifications.

Orders are split 50/50 between thewebsite and the telephone.

Royden said: “We want to doublethe number of products we offer.

“When we started in 2007, we verymuch specialised in heatingproducts – boilers, radiators,etcetera – basically everything thatcould heat your house and all theparts too.

“We then rolled it out intoplumbing equipment – everythingyou could need for your bathroom.”

PlumbNation stores a limitednumber of small parts which can becouriered out but mostly it uses anumber of national distributors withwhom it liaises to get the stock out tothe customers. It also arranges forgoods to be dispatched direct frommanufacturers.

“We work with call centres andonce we have placed an order theywould typically come back to uswithin an hour with a delivery date,”added Royden.

“We are pushing to add moreunique products to our portfolio.

“For example, we currently supplyevery make of boiler there is. Wewant to do that with every category –pad them out to the max – and we arestill some way from that.

“When we started in 2007 we didn’thave many competitors but sincethen the market has just exploded.

“However, I think what we offer is

unique in that we supply the fullbasket – not just a boiler buteverything that goes with it.

“So there are a lot more productswe want to get onto the site. We haveto work hard just to maintain thecurrent portfolio because things canbecome obsolete.

“In the coming months we areredesigning the website to make thehomepage more offer-driven.

“Now we have pushed intobathrooms we are looking to addressproducts in different ways – asking‘is this a lifestyle product?’ forexample.

“We are also going to incorporatebetter search filters so thatcustomers can filter things downusing different categories likeprice.”

Royden was born in Chester andgrowing up he “moved around a lot”,living in different parts of Wirral andCheshire. His passion for plumbingproducts came via his stepfather,who was himself a plumber.

Royden said: “I loved workingwith dad and took any chance I couldto do so – working weekends andschool holidays.

“When I was 16, I started work

with Plumb Center as a managementtrainee.

“Thanks to working with dad Ialready had a great knowledge aboutthe lot of the products they weresupplying.

“I knew how things were installedand I wanted to go into the selling ofthe products.”

The traineeship was three yearsbut Royden ended up staying withPlumb Center for nine years.

He worked in a variety of roles – onthe trade counters, a sales rep, salesmanager and eventually branchmanager.

“I learned an awful lot while I wasthere,” he said.

Royden eventually went to workfor the Travis Perkins group as a keyaccounts manager and it was herethe idea for PlumbNation first

started to germinate.He added: “I was looking after the

50 biggest accounts they had in theNorth West.

“We would have quarterly salesmeetings and I observed that anumber of my colleagues hadinternet customers on their ledgers.

“There were none in the NorthWest so I decided to delve deeper intoit. I looked at products and how muchthey were selling them for.

“I spoke to a few friends andcontracts I had in the trade too and Irealised there was a market there.

“Starting the business was quitescary at first – it was a 50/50 venturewith a guy who already owned aplumbing business.”

With the support of his wife,Emma, Royden remortgaged hishouse to help raise funds for the

Successinthepipelineassaleskeeponrising

INTERVIEWBIGTony McDonoughtalks to Royden Evans,managing director ofWirral e-commercefirm PlumbNation

‘Wehaveledthewayintermsof innovationinoursector’

AMBITIONS: RoydenEvans wants PlumbNationto be the biggest in the UK

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 NEWS 5★★★★

initial start-up of the business.“We said we would be happy if we

turned over £1m in the first year –and we turned over £2.2m,” he said.

Royden bought out his partner lastyear and is now the sole owner ofPlumbNation.

During 2010, the website attractedmore than 1.4m visitors – comparedto 772,000 the previous year – andRoyden is determined to maintainthe rapid growth.

He said: “We moved offices inDecember 2009, buying a 4,000 sq ftwarehouse.

“It had a very small office and nowwe have expanded that space. Wecurrently employ 11 people and weare looking to grow that.”

He and Emma have two children –Cerys, eight and Conor, five – andsays “my family is everything to me”.

He is a Liverpool FC supporter andlikes to get in a round of golf butadmits he puts many hours of histime into the business.

And that commitment certainlyseems to be paying dividends.

PlumbNation has been shortlistedin the Small Business of the Yearcategory in the Wirral InvestmentNetwork awards.

Royden believes creativity is a keypart of success of the business and hehas made sure that this philosophy ispart of his everyday managementapproach.

He said: “I am a creative personand that is the rule among everyonewho works here.

“Most of the people who were withus in the beginning are still here.

“We have led the way in terms ofinnovation in our sector.”

Successinthepipelineassaleskeeponrising

WORKFORCE: PlumbNation currently employs 11, butthis is projected to increase in the next 18 months

TEAM PLAYER: PlumbNation’s Karen Richards dealing witha customer at the firm’s headquarters in Bromborough

AdvertisingFeature

Networking iskey to success

IF you’ve got a new business idea, it’shard to know where to start. One wayof exploring the world of self employ-ment is to meet with other like-minded people who have been in the

same position as you: what we callnetworking.

There are many business networksaround, some formal, others informal, butwhat they do give you is access to lots ofdifferent business people, from differentwalks of life, to help you along your way.They can also become a rich source ofsupport on your journey, as well as provideyou with those vital business contacts tohelp promote yourself and your business tothe right people.

One network Stepclever has recentlybecome sponsor to is the Ladies LunchtimeGroup. In its fourth year, this group nowhas more than 500 members and over 100regular attendees, and meets every fewmonths at The Isla Gladstone Conservatoryfor an informal lunchtime meeting.

Leading this network is KathrynBurkhill, Liverpool Vision’s businesssupport area manager. Kathryn explains:“The purpose of our group is to supportand encourage women who are eitherrunning their own business or employed.

“The event provides members withlunch, and great networking opportunities.Members share ideas, best practice and ofcourse networking leading to newbusiness. This is followed by presentationsfrom guest speakers.

“A lot of women running their ownbusiness feel quite isolated, especially ifinitially they are working from home.Quite often they don’t realise there aremany other women who share the samechallenges running a business.”

Gillian Hunt from Escada LTD echoedthose comments, saying: “These regularmeetings always provide a really goodenvironment for making new businesscontacts and for exchanging news withestablished business contacts. As a smallbusiness, it is essential to be able to reacha business to business marketplace, and Ihave found the ladies group to be anoutstanding business resource.”

The next Ladies Lunchtime Group willbe held on Wednesday, June 8. EmailKathryn on kburkhill@liverpoolvision.co.uk for more details.● Stepclever has a range of services tohelp you on your way from turning an ideainto a real life business and can also helpyou access a range of networkingopportunities for both men and women.

To find out more visit Stepclever.co.uk orcall 0151 934 4672.

Karen Tate,businessstart-upadvisor atStepclever,has someadvice forreaders

Stepclever

NEWS Wednesday, May 18, 20116 ★★★★

BUSINESS

RECRUITMENT firms aregearing up for growth bylooking to take on staff oftheir own. It is a clear signthat companies across the

region are preparing for increasedbusiness levels.

GPW Recruitment is one of thelargest single-site recruiters in theUK, with 40 staff at its St Helensbase.

Managing director Mark Parishis looking forward to getting back tobuilding the business after thecompany was forced to put itsambitious plans on hold during therecession.

He said: “If the recession hadn’thit we would have been at about 70staff. We just plateaued. We nowthink it’s time to push the growthagain.

“The outlook for the next 12months is better. We are in goodshape, we have got a strategic planand we are looking for decentgrowth this year.”

“We are looking to expand overthe next 2-3 months. We are lookingto recruit five apprentices from theSt Helens Chamber scheme andfour recruitment consultants, inour technical, construction andmanufacturing divisions.”

Recruitment agency Red Rocks,which opened in Birkenhead lastJuly, opened its doors with twomembers of staff. Two became threein January, and four last month,with the company now looking torecruit its fifth employee.

Red Rocks operations managerHelen Cornah said: “From a branchpoint of view we are seeing a morepositive outlook with companies arelooking to hire.

“My consultants are workingwith about 30 companies at a timethat are looking to recruit in thenext three months.

“In the FMCG, construction andpharmaceutical industries it’sstarting to move now.”

Standing on the cusp of growth isa good time for companies toreappraise how they manage, assessand recruit staff, says KevinChappell, managing director ofAugment.

The Wirral firm is a resource andtalent management consultancy,which means they work withcompanies to ensure they have theright people in the right place at theright time, as well as planning forchanges in the future.

“Companies focus only on how

much they spend at the point oftransaction rather than the impactcost of getting it wrong,” he said.

“They have got a real opportunityto use a thought-out process butinstead they tend to limit theprocess. The whole journey needs tobe a well-thought-out process, thewhole life cycle.

“The good news is that the strongagencies that deliver value want tobe a part of that process.”

Simon Kerevan, managingdirector of Liverpool-basedassessment and coaching firmIceberg Consulting, believesemployers need to pause and thinkbefore they replace departingemployees.

He said: “The knee jerk reactionis ‘we need to replace Dave. Whatwas Dave good at? Let’s get anotherDave’.

“Once you understand what youare looking for, you have to planhow to go about finding them.”

Simon added: “It’s acandidate-rich environment outthere, so you need to understandwhat you are looking for andputting a process in place to

manage that.“How can you tell which is the

most appropriate for your company.What are you looking for? Do youknow what you are looking for? Canyou take that into the selectionprocess?

“Agencies will send you who theyhave got. You make the decision.

“Treat the interview as aperformance management review –rather than do I like the guy’s tie?Do we support the same footballteam? Has he worked for someone Iknow?”

Recruitment agencies have beenworking hard to make sure theycontinue to offer a service that addsreal value to companies.

Mark at GPW points to the speedat which they can get someone onto, for example, a building site,when a vacancy arises on anongoing project.

“They need a very quickturnaround when they have a jobon the site. They can’t fill itthemselves quickly,” he said. “Wehad our best year on theconstruction side last year, believeit or not.”

Red Rocks has also looked to addvalue by taking their involvementbeyond sourcing suitable people forthe role.

Helen said: “In the past it wasmore about finding the person, nowit is more of a consultative process.

“We can manage the process forthem as a seamless extension oftheir HR department we have tolook at their business plan.

“Five years ago recruitment wasvery candidate-led. There were a lotof jobs out there. The clients were alittle more flexible.

“Now the clients expect the jobspecification to be matched becausethe job market is so open.

“Clients want best value formoney and they want addedservices, like testing candidates ormaybe doing inductions for them.”

The message from Augment isclear, though, that companies needto give more attention to theirrecruitment processes. Kevin said:“Bright and capable organisationslook at the process in a differentway. Many others don’t – so theyshouldn’t be surprised that they getthe same result as last time.”

RECRUITMENTFOCUS

. . . on recruitment

Alex Turner findsrecruitment firmsplanning to take onstaff of their own

JOB SEEKER: Recruitment firms are seeing demand increasing from the private sector – and arelooking for more staff to prepare for the anticipated upturn. Mark Parish, managing director of GPWRecruitment (inset) is planning to grow his business

ALTHOUGH recruitmentagency Reed benefits from itssize – it has 300 branches in theUK – it also ensures it doesn’tignore the importance of localknowledge.

“People think we are huge butwe operate on a local level,” saidCeri Hoult, business manager atReed in Liverpool city centre.

“We all know the area and thelocal market.

“We have got five differentspecialisms in Liverpool andmore than 30 across ourbranches.

“A lot of our specialisms arecompletely untouched by otheragencies because they don’t havethe resources to do that.

“It’s a massive advantage.”

Localismisaspecialism

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 NEWS 7★★★★

DRIVE

PEOPLE FOCUS: Augment’s managing director KevinChappell with his commercial director, Andrew Gibson

MONEY

She is encouraged by thecontinued demand fromcompanies who keep using theagency.

“Ultimately companies see thebenefits of using us,” Ceri added.

“They are being inundatedwith hundreds of CVs, sifting

them, checking their eligibility towork. It’s not only just aboutselecting the candidates and theinterview process, eligibility towork is a huge issue for clients aswell as verifying accreditation.

“It’s quite a lot of work if youdon’t use an agency.”

MATTERS with NICKY BURRIDGE,personal financecorrespondent

WOMEN facesignificantly lowerpensions than men, withthose retiring this yearreceiving incomes thatare a third lower thantheir male counterparts,new research hasindicated.

The typical womanwho is retiring this yearwill receive just £12,900through both the stateand private pensions,£6,500 less than the£19,400 that men are on

track to receive,according to insurerPrudential.

The study of morethan 1,000 people alsofound that 28% ofwomen planning toretire this year willnot receive anymoney from apersonal or companypension, comparedwith just 10% of men.

The only goodnews for women is thatthe gender pensions gap

has shrunk slightlycompared with last year,when women retired on£12,200 and men received£19,600 - a £7,400difference.

Women tendto have lower

pensionsthan men

becausethey areoften paidless whilethey are

working, and

they are more likely totake career breaks tolook after children orelderly relatives.

Vince Smith-Hughes,head of businessdevelopment atPrudential, said:

“There are a numberof actions that womencan take to help to boosttheir retirement income.For example, it is a goodidea to maintain pensioncontributions duringany career breaks.”

UPBEAT: Ceri Hoult from recruiters Reed in Liverpool

ADVERTORIAL

SEcuRIng nEw buSInESS In AcOmpETITIVE EnVIROnmEnT

networking can be a great source of new business leads

When public and privateorganisations cut theirspending and contracts arelost, making new contactsand opening up new businessopportunities is vital.

With 82 per cent ofbusinesses in the north Westoperating in the very compet-itive service sector, growingyour business network ismore important than ever– especially with the freshopportunities presented bydevelopments such as Media-City UK.

At Lloyds TSB Commer-cial, we understand thatwhen you’re busy with theday-to-day running of yourbusiness, you need a timeeffective way to expand yourlocal business connections.That’s why we’re running200 free events to allow SMeowners to do just that.

As well as networkingopportunities, these localevents provide an opportu-nity to explore the sustain-ability market, which by2013 is estimated to be worth£5.5 billion in the UK. Ourlocally based relationshipmanagers can also offera range of support andguidance on finance options.

Last year, we approvedeight out of ten requests forbusiness loans and over-drafts and we are happy towork closely with you toexplore the types of fundingthat are right for yourbusiness needs.

With estimated cuts of£465 million taking placeacross the public sector inthe north West, we knowthat businesses are feelingparticularly vulnerable.

Securing funding is nowmore important than everas increases in raw material

costs and decreases in publicspending put pressure onyour cashflow. The increasedfocus this demands onthe day-to-day running ofyour company only addsfurther pressures on tryingto maintain your currentturnover or expand in thiscompetitive environment.

To ease this pressure,we offer invoice financesolutions to release thevalue of your invoices whenthey are issued to custom-ers rather than when theyare paid. We also offer thisservice on a six month trialbasis, so if the service isn’tright for you we’ll providea full refund of the servicefees paid.

As many firms in thenorth West also operatein the leisure and tourismmarkets, having access tothe right types of fundingis especially important toaccommodate key seasonalpeaks and troughs.

Our local relationshipmanagers can introduceyou to how various types offinance can help you releasecash and take advantage ofgrowth opportunities, or tokeep your current businessplans on track.

To find out more aboutour upcoming events in thenorth West, or to speak toone of our regionally basedteam who can help youplan to maximise growthopportunities to securenew business contracts,

visit: www.lloydstsb.com/business/finance

To find out about invoicefinance visit www.ltsbcf.co.uk.

Lloyds TSB Commercialis a trading name of LloydsTSB Bank plc and LloydsTSB Scotland plc and servescustomers with an annualturnover of up to £15M.

Authorised and regulatedby the Financial ServicesAuthority.

All lending is subject toa satisfactory credit assess-ment.

We subscribe to TheLending Code; copies of theCode can be obtained fromwww.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk

bY LEIgH TAYLORArea director for Lloyds TSBCommercial in the North West

NEWS Wednesday, May 18, 20118 ★★★★

BUSINESS

ELIXIRBOSSWILLSHAREINSIGHTS

Music retailersavedbypre-packdeal

Ex-addict togive talk toconference

GOOD EXAMPLE: Ben Donnelly’s business Elixir has helped hundreds of people turn their lives around

A KNOWSLEY father who battledhis way back from addiction tostart one of the region’sbest-known social enterpriseswill be sharing his story at anational conference next week.

Ben Donnelly has fought hisway back from addictions to drinkand drugs to launch Elixir Group,which offers recycling services tothe public and private sectors.

Now he is taking part in aconference in London to discusshow social enterprises cansupport the work of the publicsector.

Elixir’s main business is therecycling of PVC doors and

windows, as well as paper andcardboard. Its Elixir housing armoffers property services such asmaintenance, refurbishment andexternal improvements.

Since it was founded in 2008 ithas provided work to 500 people –many of whom are ex-offenders,people with addiction issues orpeople who have been out of workfor some time.

Ben is speaking at the

Commissioning Public Servicesconference on Thursday. He sayshe wants to tell people that socialenterprises like his can make areal difference to society bygetting people off benefits andback to work.

He said: “We are delighted tohave been invited to take part inthe conference panel at such aninteresting time for thecommissioning of public sectorcontracts.

“Our mission is to be trulycommercially sustainable inorder to be in a position to supportpeople in need of a realopportunity.

“Many of our team have beenlong term unemployed, or whosecriminal record or addictionshave so far meant that they lacked

the opportunity to find work. Theconference gives us an advisoryopportunity and we hope to havean impact by sharing some of theamazing results we have seen.”

Ben says Elixir has recycledover 5,000 tonnes of PVCu since2008, saving it from landfill andequating to a saving of 8900 tonnesof CO2.

He said: “Elixir is proving thepower of civil society – we createreal opportunities for real peopleand provide measurableenvironmental impacts forcommercial businesses andprivate sector organisations.

“By the same token we arechanging the lives of the people wework with, and that is reallyexciting from a civil society pointof view.”

MUSIC retailer Dolphinhas been bought out ofadministration byindustry rival S&T Audio.

Dolphin has an onlineoperation in Speke and ashop in Liverpool citycentre.

At its peak, it achievedan annual turnover of£10m but became avictim of the recession

and consequentdownturn in consumerspending.

S&T Audio operatesnine PMT (ProfessionalMusic Technology)superstores nationwideand PMT Online.

In the year to April2010 PMT had annualsales of £16m.

Dolphin was founded in

1999 by University ofLiverpool students RobWilliams and JasonTavaria. The companygrew from abedroom-based studententerprise into one of theleading players in its field.

It was hit by tragedytwo years ago when MrWilliams fell to his deathwhile on a snowboarding

holiday in Switzerland.Charles Macmillan,

partner atManchester-based Beeverand Struthers, wasappointed by Dolphin toact as administrator andsecured the sale of thebusiness via a pre-packadministration.

He said: “I’m obviouslydelighted to save a great

many valuable jobs byachieving this sale in whatare very difficult timesand wish S&T everysuccess in its futureendeavours with Dolphin.

“This acquisition is amajor boost to the PMTonline offering of S&Tand will increase itsalready impressivemarket share.”

by ALISTAIRHOUGHTONBusiness Reporter

Business to BusinessCommercial Premises

LIVERPOOL www.christie.com

E: manchester@christie.com

• Substantial detached property. 31 hostel-style bedrooms• Site approximately 0.36 acres, good development opportunity• Parking for approximately 10 vehicles15 UK Offices – Contact Manchester Office Ref 56/LP46386/J1008

FORMER HOSTEL

OIEO £350,000 Freehold

T: 0161 833 3311

INDUSTRIAL EST MAGHULLbuilders yard to be sold asseen, yard office wrkshop withwood work ing mach inery .Garage with pit and outbuild-ings. Easy access to motorways959 years remaining on lease.O f f e r s i n t h e r e g i o n o f£130,000. 0151 531 0020

INDUSTRIAL UNITS To Let.South L’pool 500 to 4000 sqft,monthly tenancy, competitiverents. From £50pw Tel: 0151427 5051

FOR SALE Large empty shopunit in Knowsley. 15yr lease,with options. Busy parade ofshops. Planning permission forhair salon, beauty & sunbeds.Call for details 07802 887588

LIVER IND EST AINTREEWarehouse units, 2,500 sqft,vgc suitable retail/wholesale/trade counter/storage. Up to 6months rent free period. Leasenegotiable 0784 3379997

LARGE SHOP & OFFICESMain Rd Maghull. Forecourtparking, newly decorated, lowrent 1,320sqft 01695 423489

L13 Workshop & Yard to let.Various uses, all utilities £85pw0151 259 2729 or 07719352556

SHOPS TO LET Smart condi-tion, very secure, roller shutters07785 562496

PRESCOT SHOPS/OFFICES 1large £110pw, & 1 smal l£70pw Tel: 07802 982037

OFFICES TO LET fr £30pwful ly inc. Easy in easy out07785 562496

WELLINGTON RD L15 Varietyof Industrial units available now0151 227 2875

L21 SHOP/OFFICE 500sqft,any use £79pw 07710 498311

Industrial Property

UNITS TO LET Bootle Area5,000−15,000 sqft. Flexibleterms 0151 486 0004

Business For Sale

LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRESmall busy Cafe, good tradeand t/o. Inc fix/fittings £40,000fqs. 07785 228408

CAFE L7 area fully licensed andequipped hugh potential for saleor lease. 07921 299984.

KHANS For Sale SmithdownRd. Licensed Est business goodt/o £250pw 07919 992132

RESTAURANT Heswall. Busyest restaurant £30,000. Goodwill & fix/fit 07776 152200

Business For Rent

THE GEORGE PUB TO LETBreck Road, Anfield, L4. PrimeLocation − Currently TradingRent: £500 per week Call 0151920 9999 or 07900 424441

BARBERS − WEST DERBYFully equipped, genuine reasonfor sale. £6,000 ONO. Rent£480pcm. 07920 152708

SHOP With permission for hottakeaway food. Aigburth, verybusy rd £200pw. May considerjoint venture 07938 877632

BusinessOpportunities

LATE NIGHT OFF LICENSETO LET Prime Location onSouth Road, L22. Licensed until1 2 a m M i d n i g h t . R e n t£950pcm. Call 0151 920 9999or 07900 424441

THE FARMERS ARMS Kirkbyfree of tie. 18 years on lease-immaculate condition up &running business, plus 3 bedflat above. All reasonable offersconsidered. 07788 906359

Taxis/Cab & Plate

PRIVATE HIRE Liverpool &Knowsley plates. Excel lentSkoda’s available from £160 incins. & lady drivers. Quarry Cars07713 368196

DANTOM SETTLE CARSSettle Cars/Settle Buy available.0151 733 5500

E L I T E S e t t l e C a r s f r o m£145pw, incl ins. Tel: 0151207 4450 or 07894 448777

CITY DAY NIGHT OR LONGCollar 07789 884399

DAYS with c/over Nights orLong Collar. 07957 636549

BOTANIC CARS Requiresowner drivers 0151 220 2020

CITY DAYS & Nights L14£125 & £200. 077151 72487

DAY COLLAR 51 TX1. Tele-phone 07865 974716

Building Trade

FRAMELINETRADE SUPPLY

COMPOSITE DOORSUPVC WINDOWS, DOORS,

CONSERVATORIES.5 Day Turnaround

Tel 0151 546 5577Fax 0151 546 5588ACCREDITED WITHBS7412 & BS7950

KITCHEN & BEDROOMFITTINGS from a hinge to a fullkitchen/bedroom. 3D plans nowavailable. Showroom & TradeCounter at 3 Rockley Street,Kirkdale, L4 0151−207 0008.www.brosna.co.uk

BUSINESS TOBUSINESS

A-K TEL: 0151 472 2746L-Z TEL: 0151 472 2573

Appears every day in your