CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION businesscornwall.co.uk
JULY / AUGUST 2017 / ISSUE 112 / £4.25
FIFTEEN CORNWALL CEO MATTHEW THOMSON
BATT MAN MASKED BALL FOUNDER KELVIN BATT
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JULY AUGUST 2017
ISSUE 112
WELCOME EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nick Eyriey nick@businesscornwall.co.uk PUBLISHER Toni Eyriey toni@businesscornwall.co.uk BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Morveth Ward morveth@businesscornwall.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Caroline Hill caroline@businesscornwall.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS PFA Research, Kelvin Batt DESIGN Hutch Agency - hutchagency.co.uk Printed in Cornwall by Deltor BUSINESS CORNWALL is published 10 times a year by: Tonick Business Publishing Pool Innovation Centre Trevenson Road Redruth TR15 3PL Tel: 01209 718688
ON THE COVER Fifteen Cornwall chief executive, Matthew Thomson CORNWALL'S PREMIER BUSINESS RESOURCE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND OPINION businesscornwall.co.uk
JULY / AUGUST 2017 / ISSUE 112 / £4.25
A year after the UK (and Cornwall) voted to leave the European Union, exactly what post-Brexit Britain (or Cornwall) will look like is still anyone’s guess. The uncertainty caused by last month’s General Election is unlikely to make negotiations any easier, although perversely, perhaps it will soften some previously hard Brexit ambitions and ideals. Brexit is one of the issues that Fifteen Cornwall chief executive, Matthew Thomson, discusses with us in this month’s feature interview. Like Cornwall, Fifteen has benefitted from European funding and Thomson is unashamedly pro-Europe. He fears Cornwall’s economic wellbeing will take a hit from Brexit and says it is more important than ever that we make the most out of ‘exotic niches’, as he puts it. One of those niches is Cornwall’s fastgrowing digital sector. Dubbed in some quarters as the ‘California of the UK’, there has been an average of 22 tech start-ups a year from 2013 and 2015. In this issue we take a closer look at the industry and discover while there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful, some key challenges remain, not least of all attracting skilled digital workers to Cornwall, something the implications of Brexit and clamp down on migration is unlikely to help.
Like Cornwall, Fifteen has benefitted from European
funding and Thomson is unashamedly pro-Europe
FIFTEEN CORNWALL CEO MATTHEW THOMSON
BATT MAN MASKED BALL FOUNDER KELVIN BATT
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CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE. TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS.
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INCOMING
THE CONVERSATION
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The big question The Council has decided, after all, not to proceed with a bid for Truro to be European Capital of Culture. Do you think Cornwall sometimes lacks in ambition and should be bolder in pursuing such projects? Join the conversation @biz_cornwall
/businesscornwall
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EVERY PENNY COUNTS
We all want to save a few pennies without pain, says CSR consultant Gill Pipkin, so where can we look to make easy savings?
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THE CONVERSATION
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INCOMING
MIKE JORDAN
Cornish Stairways
KIM CONCHIE
Cornwall Chamber
ROB MISSELBROOK
Mylor Ventures
“These are tough questions, particularly at a time when European matters are so current. Our view at Mylor Ventures is that we do, perhaps, lack ambition but think these ambitions should focus on our strengths. The costs for this project seems to be significant compared to the likelihood of winning it, so we think on balance it was probably the right decision.”
CHARLIE SNELL
Rethink Marketing
Although Council Leader Paynter’s decision to drop the bid, based on the shortness of time to mount a viable challenge, is understandable and perhaps sensible, it was saddening to see so many disparage the idea of the bid and display a lack of ambition and confidence in the city’s delights. Truro and Cornwall offer more than many might think, and setting ourselves adrift from Europe as we are, makes marketing ourselves by all means all the more important.
eating and lighting are expensive and carbon hungry, so reducing their use makes financial and environmental sense. Around 38% of CO2 emissions relate to heating, ventilation, lighting and cooking, with over 50% generated in the commercial sector. How can we reduce our heating and lighting demand? Lighting accounts for about 19% of energy use and is often the one least controlled. So switch lighting off when it’s not needed.
The Cornwall Chamber of Commerce supports any initiative by private or public sector bodies that makes it easier to do business in Cornwall & Scilly; and the European City of Culture bid looked like a plan to give our creative and cultural businesses something really exciting to plan towards. However, I now believe the decision to withdraw from that particular bid is the right one. We are too late in the day to genuinely enthuse the people of Cornwall about the value of the exercise; although the City of Culture is not related to the EU, distractions around Brexit could prove offputting; and even among cultural groups there was some uncertainty as to how it would benefit the whole of The Duchy. I believe the ambitious plan now is to work towards a UK Region of Culture bid. If we work with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport we can construct a bid for something which will benefit the whole of Cornwall & Scilly having had time to bring everybody along on what could be a really exciting and collaborative journey. There are already so many amazing cultural activities that could pack a year of events and to focus on a bid like this would give the impetus to revive and create so many other community and artistic projects.
Occupancy sensors with some personal control are ideal for offices and can save up to 32% of costs. Daylighting devices collect, transmit and emit daylight into a building providing a natural alternative to electric lights, even in rooms with no windows. There is an initial installation cost, but once up and running, you should see your bills drop dramatically as you rely more on natural light. There is also the benefit on our mental health –energy, wellbeing and motivation are all improved by sunlight. Differential switching turns off unnecessary electric lighting automatically when the levels of the available daylight are sufficient. When it comes to heating and cooling, we are still reliant on thermostats designed 25
I need to be persuaded that someone has done there market research first before I invested good hard earned money on bidding for this European Capital of Culture for us here in Cornwall. I would also like to know who else is bidding. For those doing a presentation to me if I was on the county panel vetting such a bid I would be interested to see tabulated a list of our strengths here in Cornwall that justifies us believing we could win. If we already have world class history of the topics chosen which means we are in front of all others bidding, yes then I would consider investing in such a bid. I’m personally worried that County Council Officers have had a life of just spending budgets available to them. The question has to be asked which all industrialists ask, would you invest your salary, pension, deeds of your house and your career in this bid, putting your family at risk and then hand on heart can you prove to yourself and others that if you win the bid that you can get a real return on your investment which can be measured. Anyone can spend other people’s money! Cornwall does well in attracting visitors to our county on so many fronts, coastal scenery, beaches, gardens, beaches, our history all sold to them through the efforts of Visit Cornwall and Malcolm Bell’s efforts, do you think the county can double these numbers on promoting other angles of our culture not already promoted. I think not! I would rather spend those funds on promoting economic development for companies that currently exist here in Cornwall, but them I’m an industrialist!
years ago which don’t account for the outside temperature or our living habits. A new generation of thermostats have been developed which monitor temperature inside and out; motion; light; pressure and humidity. With this data, it works out the number of people and activity levels and adjusts the temperature accordingly. This technology is being used in social housing, but the commercial and domestic opportunities are huge. Sustainability is about making use of all the tools at our disposal to make our environment healthier, improve our life and ensure we can continue to live into the future. Gill Pipkin Consulting www.gillpipkin.co.uk
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CORNWALL
BUSINESS NEWS
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TEDX GOES BEYOND BARRIERS
Tickets have gone on sale for TEDxTruro 2017. The event will take place on Friday, October 27 at Truro & Penwith College’s Truro campus. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural TEDxTruro, the theme for 2017 is ‘Beyond Barriers’. TEDxTruro 2017 will focus on inclusion, optimism and connection and its speakers will challenge the audience to think about difference and what connects us, examining ways we can “transcend our restrictions and go beyond barriers”. Tickets cost £50 each (plus an admin fee of £3.69) and are available from www.tedxtruro.com
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STRONG AND STABLE?
Businesses need certainty, says PKF Francis Clark tax director, Daniel Sladen 6
Four weeks ago, few people would have predicted that Britain would be waking up on June 9 to a hung Parliament. By the time this article is published, another four weeks will have gone by, and the only certainty is that it’s not a good idea to make further predictions. Almost anything could happen. Even before the election campaign policy U-turns, self-employed people had watched the Chancellor use the 2017 Budget to announce an increase in their national insurance contributions which was then abandoned within days. It was widely expected
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BUSINESS NEWS
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NEWS IN BRIEF The Camborne Business Improvement District (BID) has revealed its board for its second term. Sharron Lipscombe- Manley is the new chair, Nigel Bawden vice-chair while directors are Alan Brookland, manager for Swinton Group; Shaun Dalley, director of Sands of Cornwall; and Phil Weaver, partner in Nalders Solicitors. 57% of businesses voted for a second term of the BID, which will run through until 2021.
CORNWALL
MORRISONS, NATURALLY A fast-growing Cornish food start-up has just clinched a contract to supply Morrisons supermarkets across the south west Redruth-based Coconuts Naturally, which makes a range of organic dairy-free ice creams, was launched two years ago by Cecily Mills and is now stocked in a number of independent stores across the UK & Ireland. It has just started exporting to the UAE and will also begin doing so in Hong Kong shortly. The
launch with Morrisons marks its first foray into the all-important domestic supermarket sector. Coconuts Naturally was selected as part of Morrisons’ search for the ‘The Nation’s Local Food Makers’. Commenting on the development, Mills said: “We had such a fantastic year in 2016. But launching in Morrisons is a really significant step for us, and one that we’re really excited about.”
Nominations have opened for the third annual Cornwall Apprenticeship Awards. Host Truro and Penwith College is again on the hunt for both apprentices and employers that are demonstrating “outstanding achievement and commitment” to apprenticeships. Nominations close on September 11. www.truro-penwith.ac.uk/ CornwallApprenticeshipAwards.
The National Trust has been commemorating the 30th anniversary of Heinz buying Cape Cornwall for the nation. As part of its centenary celebrations in 1987, Heinz purchased Cape Cornwall for the nation and presented it to the National Trust to look after.
Heinz purchased Cape Cornwall for the nation and presented it to the National Trust
that this measure would reappear following the election – and indeed the Conservative manifesto made no repeat of their prior pledge not to raise income tax, NICs and VAT. However, the Government now finds itself in a weakened position, forced to seek broader political agreement and support for any measures they wish to introduce, which makes it hard to imagine any significant changes to the taxation of small businesses and the selfemployed being agreed.
A SMART MOVE
A new commercial property consultancy has opened in Truro. Smart Commercial Property (SCP) is a new commercial agent for Cornwall, Devon and Somerset led by Tim Smart, formally of Stratton Creber Commercial, CRBE and Colliers Erdman Lewis. Smart has almost 40 years’ experience in the industry and is chairman of the RICS Local
as to which fiscal measures could plausibly be enacted. The swathe of tax proposals that were cut from the Finance Act passed hurriedly before the election may now be seen as too contentious to reintroduce, meaning a period of uncertainty about issues ranging from Making Tax Digital to the reform of the taxation of nondomiciled individuals and the extension of the tax exemption applying to some sales of shares by companies.
Cornwall Association. SCP provides the full suite of commercial property services, including sales and lettings, acquisitions, development, planning, property management, expert witness and building consultancy. Smart said: “I am thrilled to be embarking on this new challenge and look forward to delivering future growth and development in the region.”
In the interests of stability, our hope is that the current Parliamentary arithmetic will lead to parties working together on key issues to provide certainty of policy which will help business plan for post-Brexit Britain. By the time you read this it should be a little clearer whether this hope is realistic or optimistic! E: Daniel.sladen@pkf-francisclark.co.uk
The next Budget is likely to be a slimmeddown version of those we have seen in recent years, and the bargaining is already underway
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CORNWALL
BUSINESS NEWS
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BUSINESS AND WARGAMING A Cornwall-based management consultancy has signed a new 12-month contract with supermarket chain, Waitrose, to use ‘wargaming’ for future strategy planning. Wargaming is a tool that the military developed to stress test and evaluate plans before committing resources into action. Callington-based Quirk Solutions has adapted the military model into a successful commercial version and has worked with a number of large organisation including Shell, BUPA, Heineken, Standard Life Investments, as well as a wide range of SME businesses. MD, Chris Paton, who is a former lieutenant colonel in the Royal Marines and former advisor to Cabinet and the National Security Council, said the latest contract with Waitrose will help to build on the previous 12 months of collaboration between the two companies. He said: “Wargaming is all about identifying risks and opportunities within company strategies and ensuring that the success of such plans are maximised.”
DELAY HITS HELICOPTER PLANS A legal challenge has thrown fresh doubt into the planned return of a helicopter link between Penzance and the Isles of Scilly. The pause button has been hit after a High Court judge gave the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company permission to pursue a judicial review of Cornwall Council’s decision to grant planning permission to Penzance Heliport Ltd back in February. Tresco Estate owner, Robert Dorrien-Smith, who is spearheading proposals to reinstate a helicopter service, blasted the intervention, calling it an “attack” on the islands and
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islanders. However, the Steamship Company claims Cornwall Council’s decision was flawed in a number of areas. Chairman, Andrew May, said: “The judge’s decision to grant leave to pursue a judicial review is recognition that the original planning decision is worthy of further scrutiny.” “We support a return of a helicopter service, but we believe it is in the best long-term interests of the islands and its transport system to use Land’s End Airport rather than duplicate existing facilities at Penzance.”
In a statement, Penzance Heliport Ltd said: “This is just a formality and signals nothing more than the Judge’s agreement that elements of the case may proceed to court. It is not a judgment on the worthiness of either the Steamship Company or Cornwall Council’s case. “We remain disappointed that the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company has taken this move but are absolutely convinced that Cornwall Council’s decision was the right one and that this will be reflected in the outcome of the case.”
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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BUSINESS NEWS
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INNOVATION COLLABORATION A leading business coaching provider has announced details of a new collaboration with Cornwall’s three innovation centres. The new arrangement will see Oxford Innovation providing Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) in each of Cornwall Innovation’s three innovation centres at
Treliske, Tremough and Pool. Experienced coaches with specialist backgrounds in developing early stage businesses, each EIR will be available to tenants of the innovation centres to provide a range of guidance and support. Cornwall Innovation director, Bernard Curren,
said: “This agreement will ensure that our tenants benefit from a consistent onsite presence, with coaches dedicated to each centre, and available to provide specialist support as they drive their businesses forwards.”
HARBOURS JOIN FORCES
NEW DALES SHOWROOM Work has started on the new Dales Vauxhall showroom at Scorrier, with a ceremonial turf cutting by directors Carolyn Peters and Dominic Cadge. The site will now be cleared
and prepared for the construction work to begin on the new state of the art showroom, which will be on the opposite side of the A30 to the current Renault, Dacia and SEAT sites.
Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC) and Fowey Harbour Commissioners have signed an agreement which will see the two harbour authorities share pilot boat resources. The formal arrangement marks the first official partnership between the neighbouring ports. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), both ports will offer emergency cover for each other’s pilot vessels which transport marine pilots between the shore and incoming ships. In order to reduce operating costs, Falmouth has made the decision to operate the pilot service with a single pilot boat, Arrow. The LK Mitchell, which has served as a pilot vessel in Falmouth for 40 years, is being offered for sale. The MOU will allow Fowey to be supported by Arrow and Falmouth Pilot Services will have access to Fowey’s two pilot cutters, Gribbin and Gallant.
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VENUE
GUIDE
ADVERTORIAL
Venue Guide
Bedruthan
Where better to do business? And eat, drink, play, unwind, shop, explore and sleep…
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GUIDE
VENUE
THERE IS MORE TO BEDRUTHAN THAN MEETS THE EYE. AS WELL AS A UNIQUE COLLECTION OF MEETING PLACES WITHIN THE HOTEL OFFERING COSY, INTIMATE SPACES, BEDRUTHAN HAS A SELF-CONTAINED VENUE WITH A BAR AND BALCONY OVERLOOKING BEAUTIFUL MAWGAN PORTH BEACH – OFFERING SPACES FOR ANY AND EVERY OCCASION. The main Venue can be divided into different spaces to seat one to 150 people, with smaller, more informal rooms dotted about the hotel – from a sea view bar terrace to a garden room and lounge - to suit a whole host of events. Past events have included week long medical conferences, art and design exhibitions and even a fashion show! Based on the cliffs on the stunning north Cornish coast, each of the spaces host spectacular sea views. And with the extensive Bedruthan gardens and the cliff path only a short stroll away – there are plenty of opportunities to get some fresh air during your business meeting. The hotel is just a five minutes’ drive from Newquay Airport and 25 minutes from Bodmin train station making it really well connected to major transport routes. There are also complimentary car parking spaces and up to date electric charge points at the hotel. The delegate rates include room hire, access to projection equipment and screens, WiFi throughout the hotel and a choice of refreshments: fresh tea and coffee, homemade biscuits and cakes, wholesome salads, savouries and hot lunch options. Even breakfast for early morning meetings. The hotel is committed to being as sustainable as possible to protect its local natural environment engaging in a number of sustainability initiatives from green roofs to using renewable energy sources. If you’re looking to stay the night and make the most of Bedruthan’s facilities during your visit, they offer competitive corporate room rates guaranteed to beat comparison websites. All rates include hearty Cornish breakfasts in the restaurant and unlimited time in the sea view spa.
SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT… Looking for a teambuilding experience? There is a dedicated craft room with pottery kiln, a teaching kitchen, surf school and yoga instructors on site. Plus the hotel has an array of contacts with local foodie, adventure and nature experience providers so Bedruthan can offer a variety of activities for a really unique experience
CHRISTMAS PARTIES
guests an evening of rustic elegance, magical atmosphere and fabulous food. Private parties are offered for small, medium and large groups, as well as the opportunity to join a larger festive celebration. Bedruthan feasts include live music, welcome drinks, three-course feasting menus, tea and coffee. There are also exclusive room rates available, so you can really make a night of it and enjoy a Cornish breakfast and reviving spa experience the following day.
BUSINESS CLUB Join the Business Club where members receive exclusive discounts and event invitations throughout the year.
www.bedruthan.com/business-cornwall
FREE COFFEE Come and have a tour of Bedruthan hotel and enjoy a complimentary tea or coffee. Simply fill out the online form to receive your voucher.
www.bedruthan.com/business-cornwall
Not just a conference centre…
• A choice of meeting rooms and break-out spaces • 100 beautiful bedrooms for overnight stays • Two restaurants, a cocktail bar, shop and gallery • Spa facilities, indoor and outdoor pool and gym • Outdoor spaces to explore • Fire pit to enjoy the sunsets
CONTACT Call the friendly events team to arrange a tour of the stunning hotel and its meeting spaces and discuss your requirements. www.bedruthan.com/businesscornwall events@bedruthan.com 01637 861 227
Celebrate the festive season with a Bedruthan Christmas Feast, offering you and your
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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Matthew Business Cornwall catches up with Fifteen Cornwall chief executive Matthew Thomson and talks everything from being a roadie for Chris De Burgh, the success of the Fifteen apprenticeship programme through to the economy and Brexit
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ew
INTERVIEW
MATTHEW THOMSON
Along with fellow joint MD, Henk Wiekens, Mike Carr has developed Pendennis into one of the foremost custom-build and refit superyacht businesses in the world. We meet Mike down at Pendennis’ state-of-the-art facilities in Falmouth. PHOTO BY: TOBY WELLER BUSINESS CORNWALL
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Business Cornwall: Has Brexit had an impact? Matthew Thomson: There is a sense that people are making different choices. Immediately after the referendum we did experience a lot of cancelations; someone said famously they were worried about ‘the racist mobs’. People said they were changing their whole holiday plans. The referendum weekend itself was empty. No one wanted to do anything, people just cancelled. That was not the weekend to go out celebrating. Then over the next few weeks we had cancellations of some long bookings, not a large number but enough for it to become a topic of conversation among the team. We hope the staycations compensate. I’m very much on record as a remainer as was Jamie, which perhaps didn’t do us many favours going out so strongly in the messaging, as obviously some customers favoured Brexit. Were you surprised by the result?
The campaign to remain was crap and badly led by Cameron. As an experiment in democracy, it was a total fail
The campaign to leave got away with so many lies. And with the strong media backing from the Murdoch press and the Daily Mail in particular, it was clear that was the way the story was going. The campaign to remain was crap and badly led by Cameron. As an experiment in democracy, it was a total fail. But Fifteen wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for European funding, so of course we’re pro Europe. And I think Cornwall is kidding itself if it thinks it’s going to get anything like the same level of investment that it did under the past three European programmes.
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INTERVIEW
You don’t think the Government will pick up the slack? Why would it? There’s just half a million people here, 230,000 workers, it’s just not a priority. We will have to make the most of, if you like, our ‘exotic niches’. This fantastic software community that we are building up; this fantastic gastro community; the marine industries. There’s a few niches where we will be world class but that won’t be enough to support a strong Council in a world where the Council is being funded more and more by business rates and business tax. And it won’t deliver the high volumes of highvalue jobs, that’s not going to happen; it will deliver low volumes of high- value jobs. So I’m not optimistic about a future outside Europe for Cornwall, but we’ll see. The big question now becomes, fine, take back control from Brussels to London, where does devolution sit? And of course Mrs May isn’t for devolving, she’s a centrist controller. Where do we go with devolution, not just in Cornwall?
Communities Minister, Sajid Javed, not long ago alluded to a mayor for the south west. What are your thoughts on that? I don’t think he was suggesting a mayor for the south west, he made that really clear when I met him in December, more a mayor for Cornwall. The Cornish national slogan, For One and All, belies a will to collaborate. You do get collaborations in Cornwall, and I’m lucky to work with some really collaborative people, but we make it really complicated and convoluted. There is a bunch of people who talk about the River Tamar as if it is the Berlin Wall. I was lucky enough to be over there when I was 21 or whatever, with a hammer knocking down the Berlin Wall and I would like to do the same here. So you think Cornwall can be too inwardly looking? I’m a proud Cornishman and I think the obsession with the boundary and the insularity is borne of insecurity and fear, not confidence and pride. The confident and proud Cornish are the ones who took our name and culture all over the world and
MATTHEW THOMSON
went out there with their skills and dug gold and tin and took technologies all over the world. It’s astonishing how well Cornwall is known all over the world and I’ve travelled a lot. I think we’re the leaders of the south west, and Plymouth is our city!
(laughs) Devon will like that! Devon let it go! Plymouth is its own place. The fact is Plymouth is our gateway, and employs tens of thousands of Cornish. It is a proper city, has a good vision of itself and is going forward. I’m no fan of Devonwall and we can’t homogenise, Cornwall is special and different, but I think we repel outsiders at our peril. That’s all powered by an innate insecurity. Here at Fifteen what we’re trying to do is build people’s confidence and self-esteem whether that is the apprentices or the suppliers, celebrating and showcasing their Cornish food and boosting that Cornish pride. We need to find ways to collaborate more creatively with our regional partners and what Javid was asking for was that – clearer collaboration. Personally, I think having a mayor for Cornwall would be a good idea. BUSINESS CORNWALL
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MATTHEW THOMSON
INTERVIEW
You’ve been at Fifteen for five years now. How did that come about? Going back to the very beginning, I come from Polgooth, just outside St Austell. My first proper job was a lawnmower repairer in a St Austell garden centre! I then gravitated to the Coliseum in Carlyon Bay, which was in the Guinness Book of Records for having the longest bar in England. So I worked in the bar and in the nightclub, worked the grill in the kitchen, worked in the restaurant. It was a big local employer. Many bands would stay in the nearby Carlyon Bay Hotel so use the venue to do their sound checks and set themselves up for their tour. Sometimes they would stay there for a couple of weeks getting ready, so those of us doing the catering for the bands would get to know the crew pretty well. So in the summer of ‘86, the head roadie on a tour said to me ‘you can cook, you can make drinks, why not come away with us’? So I did, as a roadie. Rock and roll! Well actually it was for Chris De Burgh, so not quite so rock and roll! The Lady in Red!, but maybe I shouldn’t tell that bit! I got off the tour when it hit London and the same roadie looped me into a start-up in London, Stage Miracles, which is now a massive
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company, doing all the PAs and lighting for the venues. So I worked as ground crew for all the tours coming in; that was brilliant for a couple of years. Loads of events, loads of big names. I had a ball.
That took me overseas as well, lived in Paris, came back to do a Masters in urban design, because I felt that my future lay in helping cities be better, because if cities were better the countryside would be protected.
Often I would find myself on a night bus going back to wherever I was staying and would see chefs wondering around in their whites at four in the morning. I would get talking to them, ‘there’s a slot in the corporate kitchen cooking for the city traders’ or whatever, so I started doing that.
After I finished the Masters, I was a bit broke. I had just helped set up a brasserie on Frith Street in Soho, café Emm all very cool and lovely. And the very same thing happened to me that happened in that Mayfair pub. A customer said to me I think you would be really good at giving away lottery money; we’re in ‘94 or ‘95 now. Everyone was talking about the lottery in the mid ‘90s. She had the contract to hire the first people to set up the new quango to give out lottery money, the National Lottery Charities Board, now known as the Big Lottery Fund. That was another moment of, if you like, serendipity.
I would leave an event at Wembley Arena at 2 or 3am, get on a night bus and then do a shift in a morning kitchen, have a mid-morning siesta, and then maybe squeeze in another job. So I went from roadie and events into catering. That then led me into becoming bar manager in a Mayfair pub. I was about 20, when a banker, a regular in the pub, told me I was charming, talked well, was numerate, why not come and work in my bank? So I did, a posh boutique bank overlooking the Thames, where I was information manager. It only lasted six or seven months, a bit too posh for me, but I learned a huge amount in a short time. I left and went to college and did an anthropology degree, doing odd jobs on the side, trying anything as long as I was learning. I have always believed in learning by doing.
I didn’t quite believe it, so initially stayed at the bar as well. So I went to work by day setting up this quango, the minister was Michael Howard and special advisor David Cameron, and working in the brasserie at night. But after a few months I severed my ties with the brassiere and for the next five years worked there as an operations manager. From there I went to the charity, TimeBank. But I was never at the pure ‘give me money’ end, more the enterprise end, how to make the money work for good.
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INTERVIEW
Then I got a cartilage cancer, so took some time out for a couple of years, travelling with my wife and getting better. Then I came back to run the School for Social Entrepreneurs which had been set up by Michael Young, who started the Open University. An amazing man. I did that for a year, then got to the job before this one, setting up my own social enterprise, which I did for six years – the London Community Recycling Network, which I turned into the London Community Resource Network, where I helped Boris Johnson set up the London Waste and Recycling Board. I built this network of 100 social enterprise across London working with waste to minimise and educate about waste, particularly around furniture reuse and white goods reuse and training with that, and that’s the link really, working with people to provide training. And then this job came and the timing was right to return to Cornwall. What do you consider yourself to be, a social entrepreneur or a restaurateur? I’m a social entrepreneur before I’m a restaurateur, but I’m not entirely convinced by the term. I think it can sound a bit rubbish, that’s all. Another rubbish label I’m thinking about is I often describe myself as a serial specialist. You know they talk about specialists and generalists; you could call me a generalist, but when I do something, I really go into it.
At Fifteen, what’s most important. Running a great restaurant or putting the apprentices through their training? How do you marry the two together? That’s the core social enterprise question. Fifteen is a very successful commercial business; a £3 million turnover restaurant, making a 10% profit each year. It has a fantastic team but it is 11 years old and it’s still a constant challenge to fill tables. So it’s not an either or, it can’t be an either or. I was brought in to diversify what we do. The restaurant is brilliant; I’m not saying it takes care of itself, but has an amazing team and really strong culture. The brand is not our brand, we license it from Jamie. The condition of the brand is that we do the training, so they’re indivisible. You have to train disadvantaged young people in that kitchen to be a Jamie Oliver Fifteen. The secret of the success of the Fifteen kitchen is the combination of professional skills with personal development. And Jamie sets a superb example. He says be kind, be generous, work with a smile on your face, turn up early, leave late. He’s very passionate and a great leader and it’s a real privilege to work with him.
MATTHEW THOMSON
Are there any other Fifteens in Britain? Just the one in London. I keep on talking to them about opening others, maybe they will, but it’s a hard model to get right. The profit goes into the charity, but it’s never quite enough to do what the charity wants to do. So there’s fundraising on the side, but fundraising is hard, because everyone thinks Jamie Oliver is a billionaire. We pay for the licence and the money Jamie gets he puts into his global charity. And he does things for us, we do get our money’s worth. What my journey has been over the last five years is trying to do more than just the apprentice training. It’s one thing to train entry level chefs, but hardly anyone in Cornwall is training higher level hospitality, helping them evolve. Training seems to stop. Hospitality is seen as a low value skill, but I say rubbish, it’s an undervalued skill. And as my career demonstrates, by using hospitality skills well, you can demonstrate you are ready to go work in a bank, or a quango for instance. Hospitality skills are relevant to many industries. And in an economy like Cornwall’s, we need to unlock the power of hospitably to add more value for the economy.
I was brought in to diversify what we do. The restaurant is brilliant; I’m not saying it takes
care of itself, but has an amazing team and really strong culture
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MATTHEW THOMSON
INTERVIEW
We’re forming a hospitality skills network. Our ops director has developed a whole training and progression programme for front of house. Together we’ve got to reposition hospitality so that it’s an attractive profession and a good choice for local people, not all going to be low pay and that there are progression routes. We haven’t joined in with his campaigns too much, such as school dinners, but I’m thinking maybe it’s time to blow the dust off that sort of thing. We’re involved in a community cooking project at the moment called FoodWorks. It’s the same formula of personal development and skills training but instead of 15 months in the kitchen, they do 30 hours in the community. We’ve only been running it a year but have had job outcomes you wouldn’t believe, taking a bunch of economically inactive people and helping them get off the benefits wagon. Now we’re taking that into food banks and community kitchens with a new ESF-funded project, Food for Change. I love that, passionate people trying to make a difference in their community. With the apprentice programme, you can only help people who want to be helped. What percentage tend to drop out? You’re absolutely right. We have quite a long runway and start engaging with them early, and helping them get into mindset that they can do it. If we never touched the people who thought they couldn’t do it, we wouldn’t be touching the people who need us. So there’s a 3-4 month process where we take them to college, spend time with them, get to a point where we make a decision on who stands a chance of making it, who really needs a second chance and make a selection. We like to try and take 15, but this year only took on ten. We took 28 to college, ten of whom made it to the Fifteen kitchen and hopefully we’ll
get most of those through. Looking back, one third of those who start in the kitchen drop out. But even having only done a few months with us is good on the cv and I’m really proud to say that the six that dropped out last year, four are now working in good kitchens. But the two thirds that have made it through, 80% are still chefs and these are people who were long-term unemployed. And the ones that make it through have some astonishing stories. Sam Lounds is running his own catering businesses in Plymouth. At one point he was a drug dealer in Newquay, got locked up, got out, came to Fifteen and has now set up his own apprenticeship scheme, taking former prisoners direct from HM Portland where he was a prisoner. What attracts customers to Fifteen now? Is it the food or its charitable work? We did some work with PFA Research and the majority of people who come here don’t know we’re charity owned, they come because they’ve heard about the food, the location, Jamie’s connection but the same people when asked what they think is important about what we do, they say the social stuff is important and matters to them. As you say, the positioning of it is hard. Our competition is the Steins, the Outalws, and people will say sometimes how can we justify the prices we charge, which actually aren’t outlandish in line with these other places, when we have apprentices doing the cooking. But what people don’t always get is I’ve got the same amount of professional chefs working whether the apprentices are in or not, it’s oneto-one training we offer. Some businesses make a saving on the cash side having an apprentice, we don’t.
Do any of the apprentices stay on? Yes, sometimes. We encourage them to go away first and not get trapped in the Fifteen bubble. Take Jack Bristow. He left us to go to Paul Ainsworth and helped get him his Michelin star, came back and brought some of that Michelin magic into the kitchen and rose up to become a sous chef. Now he’s running the kitchen Nancarrow. Right now we’ve got three ex-apprentices in the brigade. Is Fifteen quite a seasonal business? We shut down for two weeks in January, can do any maintenance or refit work then. But otherwise we are a year-round business, have to cope with the fact that we lose money in the winter and start making it again in March. Will Ashworth, my landlord and who is on my board, just doesn’t believe in seasonality and with that powerful belief, look what he’s done, 90% occupancy at Watergate Bay all year round. So we are trying to follow that. Being so close to the airport must help, people being able to fly in for a weekend, stay at Watergate Bay, eat here. Some people fly down just for lunch and go back again! Overall, would you say the culinary offering in Cornwall is better than ever? Definitely. It makes our job harder, but there is a synergy, in that people can come to Cornwall now for a gastro tour. It also raises expectations and we’ve set that bar high ourselves. But then it becomes really easy to disappoint. But one thing we would never do is blame the apprentice programme, even if it is something to do with that. We have to show we can deliver excellence; remember when I said about learning while doing things, that’s the culture I want to instil.
18 BUSINESS CORNWALL
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LIST
CREATIVE PRACTICAL KNOW-HOW Falmouth-based signage and design specialist 20/20 is doing great things on a national and international stage t has been a challenging past couple of years for the 20/20’s owner, Jaimie Sibert. Two years ago he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, incorrectly as it has since turned out, and had no choice other than to take a step back from a business he had nurtured and built into one of the leading design and manufacturing companies in the south west. Fortunately, he had built a strong team around him that helped keep the business moving forward, but now he’s back with a clean bill of health and keener than ever to push the business forward to new heights. Over the years 20/20 has developed into a real Cornish success story, working with a diverse range of clients across the UK and beyond. Jaimie hates the term ‘one-stop shop’, but when it comes to signage, display and interior design requirements, 20/20 pretty much has it covered, from the design stage, through to manufacturing and installation. Whether it be navigating you around a busy hospital, or portraying the company’s brand values through an exhibition stand at a trade show, 20/20 caters for a wide range of industries and needs. While to the uninitiated signs and interior design may sound very different, Jaimie says they share one common element – brand application. For 20/20, everything starts with listening to the clients and moving on from there.
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It is currently working on a number of exciting projects in and out of Cornwall, including producing a range of exhibits, audio visual and interiors displays at the new Cornucopia food and drink attraction in St Austell. Other local examples of its work can be found throughout all Royal Cornwall Hospital locations. Indeed, 20/20 has a built itself a strong reputation nationally for successfully winning and delivering large-scale wayfinding schemes in the NHS sector and is currently working on projects for major hospitals in east Lancashire and Yorkshire. Employing the same holistic approach 20/20 adopts when working with all clients, its ‘listen, design, deliver’ methodology, the 20/20 scheme helps the effective flow of patients, with the aim of cutting down missed appointments and hospital waiting times. 20/20 has worked with some of Cornwall’s most iconic brands including the Tate St Ives, where it was responsible for signage and visitor experience; Fifteen Cornwall (signage and graphics); and Ginsters, where it was tasked to design and fit out its head office in Callington, reflecting the company’s brand image. 20/20 has also increasingly become the ‘go-to’ company for Cornwall’s Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), and currently works with BIDs in Falmouth, St Ives, Newquay and Truro, where it has most recently installed a new larger signage scheme. “We also do a lot of work for hotels from The Headland and Scarlet through to Land’s End Hotel,” adds Jaimie, “where we have done interior design and signage work. It is all about that visitor experience; the whole process from the moment they arrive, from how they are shown where to park, from entering the reception.” It has also been involved in a wide range of different National Trust and English Heritage
projects across the country, including the design and fit out of the Lynmouth Pavilion in Exmoor National Park, where it appointed to project manage and deliver a ‘learning and discovery hub’ and all-year-round visitor attraction. Another new out of county client 20/20 has just started working with is Guildford Cathedral, and follows on from another similar project the company did with Salisbury Cathedral to develop a signage masterplan to complement its new brand and identity. And again as with all 20/20’s projects, ‘cost engineering’ played an important part of the process. “We understand that our clients have budgets to work to,” says Jaimie, “and because we have our production and install teams in-house, it means we can design things that are not only realistic but that fit within budgets, so there are no nasty surprises. “It’s all about building longterm relationships,” he says. “A lot of our clients have been with us for a long time, some more than 20 years, so we have got to know them very well.” In part, this quest for excellence has been instilled into the company through one of its long-standing international relationships - Japanese manufacturing giant, Yamazaki Mazak Corporation, where it has designed, manufactured and installed various large-scale stands for exhibitions across Europe. “They are very professional,” Jaimie says of Mazak. “They have a way of doing things. Everything we do for them has to be very precise, they want everything to be perfect.
PROFILE
And we try and bring that ethos back down here to Cornwall.” 20/20 currently employs a team of 23 at its studio and manufacturing facility in Falmouth with more in the pipeline. And it is investment in the staff that is Jaimie’s priority at the moment. “We talk about there being a specific type of 20/20 employee,” says Jaimie. “There are a lot of people here who think my way and would do things the way I would think they should be done. When someone new starts here, we know we will be able to mould them in the 20/20 way.” Jaimie’s health scare gave him time to reflect on priorities and what’s important when running a business. “Don’t be fearful of investing in people,” he says. “Businesses should make sure they have a good team around them, because you never know what’s around the corner. You should never be afraid of employing someone better than you. “When you have an illness, it does make you stop and think. Grab life and the opportunities that go with it. I don’t need to be here every day running the business because I have a good team of people here. But it’s a love of mine, it’s like a family. A lot has changed over the years, but I took this business over when I was 27, I’m now 46, and I won’t give it up.”
20/20 currently employs a team of 23 at its studio and manufacturing facility in Falmouth with more in the pipeline
T: 01326 372520 E: info@2020projects.co.uk www.2020projects.co.uk
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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UNITED DOWNS DEEP GEOTHERMAL IS ONE OF MORE THAN
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PROJECTS NOW LIVE THROUGH THE GROWTH PROGRAMME WITH OVER
OF EU MONEY INVESTED
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PROGRAMME
CORNWALL’S DEEP GEOTHERMAL PROJECT IS
HEATING NEW MULTI-MILLION POUND PROJECT REVEALED TO HARNESS HOT ROCKS ENERGY
or the second time in 12-months, a major investment has been announced that could place Cornwall at the forefront of deep geothermal technology. Hot on the heels of the announcement in 2016 of an award to use deep geothermal heat for a section of the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, comes this latest exciting news. A European Regional Development Fund investment of more than £10.5 million has enabled a bold new project that seeks to use deep geothermal heat to produce clean, baseload, sustainable electricity. The project, which is being led by private company Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL), is part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme and will take place at United Downs, near Redruth. The United Downs Deep Geothermal Power project, which is the first of its kind in the UK, will exploit the geothermal resource at depth with the aim of using the heat to drive a demonstration power plant at the surface to feed electricity into the grid. Geothermal energy is heat from the earth. The granite that lies beneath Cornwall is heat-producing and the rocks here are hotter than anywhere else in the UK, making it the best place to extract energy for both heat and power. To unlock the potential at the United Downs site, two boreholes will be drilled, one to a depth of 2.5km and the other
to 4.5km. The latter will be the deepest onshore borehole in the UK. Water will be circulated between the wells, collecting heat from the rocks, before being brought to surface at a temperature of about 175°C and fed into the demonstration power plant. The plant will generate at least 1MW of clean renewable electricity, which is enough to meet the electricity needs of about 1,500 households. Cornwall has a long history of developing industries to exploit the resources beneath our feet. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s Cornwall was at the forefront of research into Hot Dry Rock geothermal energy. Researchers at Rosemanowes Quarry near Penryn developed techniques for developing deep geothermal reservoirs in very hard rocks which were applied at many other sites around the world. GEL project manager, Peter Ledingham, himself a graduate of the Camborne School of Mines and a member of the Rosemanowes Quarry team, said: “Cornwall has the best geothermal resources in the country but we have yet to press home our competitive advantage. By drilling and testing the deep wells at United Downs we hope to prove the quality of the resource and
demonstrate the viability of generating renewable electricity from it.” “The project therefore offers significant potential for economic growth in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, building on its reputation as a ‘green and marine’ region.” Julian German, Deputy Leader of Cornwall Council, added “Deep geothermal heat and energy could be a game changer for energy costs to both residents and businesses and help us eliminate fuel poverty in Cornwall.” The drilling will begin in early 2018 and take about six months. Testing the wells, characterising the geothermal system and installing the power plant will take a further 18 months, with a target commissioning date in early 2020. If this pilot project is a success, it will be a catalyst for further investment in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with the potential to develop a new geothermal industry in the county.
The plant will generate at least 1MW of clean renewable electricity
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IT
DIGITAL
Future PFA Research asks what should be done to continue driving Cornwall’s tech sector forward ave you heard about Cornwall’s high-growth tech sector? A commonly cited Tech Nation report showed that Cornwall is the home to the secondfastest growing tech cluster in the UK. The report showed that Cornwall generated an average digital GVA of £39 million from 20132015, which has no doubt been a welcome addition to the local economy. Similarly, it found that the average advertised digital salary in Cornwall is £31 322, which compares favourably to the average advertised non-digital
salary of £29 767. We’ve also seen an average of 22 tech startups per year from 2013 to 2015, alongside a growth in turnover of 51% between 2011 and 2015. Therefore, it’s probably unsurprising that this local sector has been in the media so much lately. These growth statistics look very impressive, so we decided to take a closer look at Cornwall’s tech cluster and compare it to the remainder of the
top 30 tech clusters in the UK. The findings show that overall GVA and turnover is much lower in Cornwall than many of the other top-performing clusters in the UK. This means that there is still work to be done for Cornwall to reach its goal of providing a world leading digital tech sector. A key task is attracting skilled digital tech workers to Cornwall. The UK tech sector grew over 50% faster than the UK economy as a
The UK tech sector grew over 50% faster than the UK economy as a whole
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whole, so it is unsurprising that leaders of tech businesses often refer to an ongoing struggle to find skilled employees. The 2017 Tech Nation study showed that over 50% of digital tech businesses have struggled to find skilled employees within the last 12 months and an additional 25% have described this as a ‘major challenge’. It is commonly argued that this is the main challenge facing the sector. Similarly, just over 60% reported difficulty in finding highly skilled workers. This problem is set to grow in the short term as Redruth and Truro has experienced the third highest increase in digital tech jobs in the UK, with a growth of 61% between 2011 and 2015. London and Dundee were the only areas to experience greater growth. HMRC’s Business Services Database shows that there has been a 95% increase in digital tech jobs within London and a 67% increase within Dundee. Dundee and Cornwall are not the only regions from outside the southeast to feature on the growth list. Sunderland, Edinburgh and Plymouth also featured. Theresa May’s Government is working to
alleviate this skills shortage by increasing the focus on digital and STEM education within schools, so that young people have the skills to sustain a strong digital tech sector. Leaders of tech businesses in Cornwall feel that they also have a key role to play in developing skills. A PFA Research study from 2016 shows that many local tech businesses are keen to work more closely with local educational institutions to increase the level of tech education and also, to make courses more relevant. One commented: “We have to remember that technology changes so quickly… It’s incredibly challenging when we want them to teach things that didn’t exist when pupils started the course.” Encouraging more women into the sector may alleviate some of this shortage. Tech City UK recently noted that men currently outnumber women by at least 3 to 1 in 53% of digital tech businesses. This issue is likely to require a long-term solution centered upon encouraging women to use technology from a young age and also, encouraging them to consider STEM careers.
FULFILLING POTENTIAL Cornwall’s reputation in the digital and IT sector grows by the year and one business more than playing its part is the King’s Service Centre, at Quintdown Business Park near Newquay. King’s Service Centre was set up in Cornwall two years ago and supports the services of King’s College London, a global top 25 university. It brings modern, high skilled IT career opportunities to Cornwall; building success through the ongoing recruitment of local talent, as well as investing in the training and development of staff and creating graduate and apprenticeship opportunities. It also works closely with Cornwall College, local schools and businesses to make it an exciting, progressive and collaborative experience, offering personal and professional growth to local talent.
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ACCESS TO FINANCE
Overall, 40% of UK tech businesses said that access to finance poses a challenge to them. Slightly fewer businesses in Cornwall cited this as an issue - only 33%. Tech Nation has suggested that businesses seek to harness the power of universities. This may involve working collaboratively, sharing
facilities or employing knowledgeable local students and graduates. It also suggest that growing tech businesses consider the use of patient capital. The Treasury is supportive of such an approach and is currently leading a review into the barriers to accessing this form of long-term finance. Correspondingly, Philip Hammond noted the importance of the tech sector in the 2016
DIGITAL
It also suggest that growing tech businesses consider the use of patient capital
Philip Hammond noted the importance of the tech sector in the 2016 Autumn Statement and promised an additional ÂŁ400 million investment in the form of venture capital
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PREPARED FOR THE UNEXPECTED? Autumn Statement and promised an additional £400 million investment in the form of venture capital, so that fast growing tech firms are not snapped up by larger businesses and can instead grow to scale. Despite claims that superfast broadband is reducing the core-periphery divide, it is still the case that the most successful tech clusters are located in areas with good transport links. As a result, poor transport infrastructure is the second most commonly cited challenge facing tech businesses in Cornwall. A total of 53% of businesses said that this is posing a significant challenge to growth even though £132 million has been spent on rolling out superfast broadband. Businesses still like to meet suppliers faceto-face and a five or seven hour train journey can make a 10am catch-up in Cambridge or Hackney very labour intensive, and costly. This underlines the need for good road, rail and air links to places, such as London, Cambridge, Manchester and so on.
What would you do if your IT systems crashed without warning? This is This is a question British Airways found themselves answering recently, when 75,000 passengers were left stranded over the Bank Holiday weekend. While you cannot predict freak incidents, you can protect your systems by considering and creating a plan in advance. Piran Technologies has some advice.
readily available such as phone numbers of support providers.
Be pro-active – A high percentage of disasters result in the failure of an organisation permanently. A good plan and simple steps can make a difference in safeguarding your organisation. Talk to your IT resource - Sit down with an IT engineer and have a frank discussion. Are there any risks with the current setup? Can these be reduced?
Keep it simple – Typically small changes may make a big difference, like regular backups and software updates. Test and review – Remember to be realistic with recovery timescales for getting up and running. Test and improve your plan over time.
Create a disaster recovery plan – Create a list of potential risks; from staff illness, through to destruction by fire. Have key contacts and critical information
Consider the wider business – How How long can your business afford not to be operational? You need to consider anything linked to your power supply, ie phones, computers and machinery. Consider using cloud backup systems, which allow you to run everything remotely, so you can get running quickly.
Communicate - Recovering from a disaster can take much longer if overall communication isn’t managed. Create a plan, ensure everyone in your team is aware of it and your customers are communicated to in the correct way.
AGILE CONTRACTS IN AN AGILE WORLD ornwall’s annual Agile on the Beach Conference in Falmouth this month will showcase the latest thinking, methods and practices within the Agile community. Agile is a way of working that allows constant review throughout the process, resulting in a shorter, more responsive process. It undoubtedly brings many benefits, but it can also pose challenges – particularly around contracts, where traditional terms and conditions are not suitable. Working with one of Cornwall’s exciting tech companies Bluefruit, who are experts in embedded software, I developed a bespoke set of terms and conditions that are much more detailed and allow for the flexibility the business needed. They will also help with any issues over agreeing when a project is complete, or ‘done’ to use the sector terminology. Without that it is hard for software developers to draw a line under a project, and say that any additional work will
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incur extra cost The new terms and conditions have made a tangible difference to the business. Steve Forth Bluefruit’s general manager commented: “We have found that clients are much more engaged in the software development process from the start because of our new terms and conditions. They reinforce our culture and values and help to get our relationship with a client off to a great start.” Jowanna Conboye is an associate in the intellectual property and IT team at Stephens Scown LLP. She is speaking at Agile on the Beach on ‘Contracts in an Agile world’. To contact Jowanna please call 01872 265100, email corporate.cornwall@stephens-scown. co.uk or visit www.stephens-scown.co.uk
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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IT
DIGITAL
THE EMAIL MARKETING
RENAISSANCE
There’s more to the humble email than meets the eye. Sometimes derided as the noisy sibling of the marketing world when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth rom so called ‘experts’ sounding its death knell to inboxes being flooded with spam, email marketing has taken its fair share of knocks over the years. Yet, despite all of this, email marketing has proved time and again it delivers the biggest return on investment of any digital marketing channel. So much so, a study carried out in 2016 by VentureBeat found every £1 spent on email marketing generated a £38 return on average. Far from being on its knees, email marketing is stronger than ever before and powerful, affordable solutions are enabling more people to deliver the right message to the people at the right time. Cornwall’s very own email marketing expert, Jarrang, has been working at the forefront of email marketing since 2003. And according to its founder and CEO, Stafford Sumner, email marketing has never been in such good health. “The industry has changed hugely since I started Jarrang,” he says. “What’s stayed consistent is the power of delivering the right content to the right people. Getting this right
means having great data to work with and a seamless way of giving people relevant content they’ll engage with. “2017 is all about Marketing Automation. It’s been around for a few years but it’s now more powerful and accessible than ever before. Being able to automatically nurture customers through a sophisticated email marketing programme or serve up personalised responses based upon customer preferences, improves both engagement and conversion rates. “I’m now in my fifteenth year of working in the industry and I’ve never been as excited by its potential as I am now. We’re helping businesses large and small to harness the power of email marketing and turn their data into sales.” Jarrang’s focus is purely to help people send better email marketing campaigns, using them as a tool to fuel business growth and improve communication between a business and its customers. Last year their clients sent out over 70 million emails globally. That’s a lot of emails. And while they pride themselves on the quality of the email marketing they send, it still sees so many
emails being sent out by big brands and small businesses alike which fall far short when it comes to getting the basics right. Stafford adds: “It’s easy for people to send email marketing campaigns themselves. What’s harder is to apply the strategy, data, design, content and automation principles that only ever come from experience. Our aim is to help people send better email marketing campaigns so they see the best results.” The message is simple: It’s easy to send out an email, it’s much harder to send out a brilliant email that delivers results. Jarrang has been sending out brilliant email campaigns for 14 years and it wants to help you do the same. If you want to talk about supercharging your email marketing to increase sales, get in touch with one of the Client Success Managers at Jarrang who would love to help.
Jarrang.com 01326 219540
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IT &
DIGITAL
OFFICE SPACE
Co-working is important to those within the tech industry. These spaces provide an opportunity for similar businesses to group together to pool resources and requirements. Overall, 74% of businesses that have used co-working spaces found them useful. This is applicable to both large and small businesses. On a similar note, PFA Research often hears that local growth businesses struggle to find larger office space at a price they can afford. One business owner said that the closest place that could provide what he needed was Exeter Science Park, which is over an hour away from even the north of the county. Therefore, it is logical to suggest that public and private sector organisations in Cornwall seek to develop areas with high concentrations of tech businesses, such as the new Fibre Park. The public case for this is enhanced because a higher concentration of tech businesses tends to provide benefits for the local economy, as a result of their association with the creation of higher skilled and higher paid employment, alongside increased levels of GVA.
LINEDUP THINKING According to ecommerce expert, LinedUp, it is no longer relevant to distinguish ecommerce as a separate sales channel or business venture from other forms of sales. Director, Jonathan Davies, says instead we should remove the prefix and understand that selling online is now more relevant than the high street. “Software platforms such as Shopify have been partly responsible for this shift in behaviour,” he says, “by enabling businesses of all sizes to set up an online store quickly, efficiently and at a fraction of the cost of other platforms such as Magento. “We are seeing start-ups, such as Mahabis and Gymshark rapidly posting multi-million pound sales after only a
couple of years trading, primarily down to their choice of a flexible, scalable software platform. These types of business are driving online sales first and foremost, as this is where the strongest market exits today.” He says to be successful online, any store needs to be both flexible and agile and with 50% of global internet users shopping on their mobile phone, must maximise for mobile use. “You need to be able to easily and quickly respond to changes in a rapidly evolving marketplace,” Davies adds. “By using a SAAS (software as a service) provider, you are rewarded with a constant cycle of technology upgrades, at a fraction of the cost of custom development.”
END OF PRIVACY? Not really, says Foot Anstey senior associate, Jennifer Agate The Investigatory Powers Act, which came into effect in late 2016, provides the authorities with a number of powers, including the ability to gather and retain data on members of the public and to force communications providers to hand over certain data that they hold. The Act has been nicknamed the “Snoopers’ Charter” and labelled the end of privacy. Yet we do need a solution to the increasing abuse of the influential power of the Internet. The Act legitimises powers which the security services were already exercising, as we saw when the Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled in October 2016 that the collection of confidential personal data by the security services had breached human rights laws. By introducing safeguards, the Act should in theory help to ensure that the powers are used responsibly. A significant proportion of the Act is dedicated to prohibitions against unlawful interception and, importantly, exceptions for journalistic
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material. The Act represents just another example of the way law is racing (and struggling) to keep up with and effectively regulate technology. In recent years we have seen Sections 5 and 8 of the Defamation Act 2013 address Internet publication; the Digital Economy Act 2017 address copyright and online pornography; and Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 create a specific offence of disclosing private sexual photographs and films (the so called ‘revenge porn’ law). Against this backdrop of legislation, the lawful use of the Internet remains, unsurprisingly, lawful. It is only criminal or other wrongful conduct that is prohibited. However a central problem remains anonymity. Whether it is the posting of revenge porn, hate speech, or incitement to terrorism, those who abuse the opportunities provided by the Internet must be capable of being identified, in order that they can be stopped. Yet technology all too often allows
users to post damaging content without registering identifiable details, or by using software to block their IP address. The Internet creates great freedom. With that freedom must come responsibility and ultimately, accountability. T: 01872 243300 E: contact@footanstey.com
BUSINESS CORNWALL
27/06/2017 08:29
IT
DIGITAL
SETTING THE GOLD STANDARD Outsourced IT specialist Piran Technologies has achieved Microsoft Gold Status. Director Daniel Pugh explains how the accolade benefits its clients Our team aim to achieve a high level of expertise in all the technologies we recommend – this means we are able to fix problems rapidly, and implement systems in a way that follows best practice. Gold Partnership with Microsoft is a recognition of our investment in training and development. Our staff’s knowledge is always of the highest quality and our engineers are trained and certified in key technologies. We have specialists in areas that allow us to deliver more complex requirements when needed. The partnership also gives us early access to new software, specialised escalated technical support, and licensing advice. This provides
many benefits for our customers, like being able to escalate and resolve potential problems very quickly. Our Gold partnership has been achieved thanks to our customer’s positive feedback on projects we have delivered successfully. Our strategic and holistic approach, means we can deliver tried-andtested solutions to our customers that provide the best fit for their business needs. In addition to being Microsoft Gold Partners, we are the only Cisco Premier Partner in the South west, as well as certified a Google G-Suite Reseller, and Silver 3cx (VoIP/telecoms) partner. With Piran Technologies, you can rest assured you are in the best possible hands.
For more information on how Piran Technologies can help source and manage Microsoft products call 01209 340120 or visit www.pirantech.co.uk.
BRINGING THE CITY TO THE SEA
King’s IT is enabling world class researchers, educators and students to stay at the top of their game – leading the world. Play a part and make a difference right here in Cornwall
Leading Globally, Working Locally JOIN OUR INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TEAM SUPPORTING KING’S COLLEGE LONDON
IT_July17.indd 7
www.ksc.ac.uk
@KingsServCent
27/06/2017 08:29
IT &
DIGITAL
FAMILY VALUES Information technology gets ever more pervasive, but also ever more complex. That makes choosing an IT supplier who can also be your helper and guide more important than it has ever been ith bespoke solutions, skilled engineers, effective technical support on and offsite, a UK wide customer base and an excellent range of support packages to suit any type of business; Microtest is ideally suited to the job. Based in Bodmin, Microtest is an awardwinning IT solutions company that values businesses and home users equally, attaining the role of trusted advisor to a loyal customer base through excellent customer service. MD, Chris Netherton, explains: “From its base in Cornwall, Microtest has now grown to a significant company that employs over 100 people and has gained industry recognition
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across the UK as a leading innovator and pioneer.” The company is going from strength to strength, having received two major prizes at last month’s Cornwall Business Awards. Microtest was named Best Family Business and also won the category of Business Innovation of the Year. The Best Family Business Award recognises the achievements of the Netherton family in leading the company over the last 30 years. It highlights the important role that family values play in the personal service that the company provides to its customers and the way that it manages its teams. The Business Innovation Award marked the outstanding success of one of Microtest’s bespoke products, which is the most advanced of its kind in the UK. Tristan Netherton, sales and purchasing manager, says: “What makes Microtest unique
The Business Innovation Award marked the outstanding success of one of Microtest’s bespoke products, which is the most advanced of its kind in the UK
BUSINESS CORNWALL
27/06/2017 08:30
IT
DIGITAL
FOR BUSINESSES Microtest provides IT installation, support and consultancy to a wide range of industries and is capable of providing for all your IT needs. Whether you are a business, school, charity, local government or enterprise, its solutions will exceed your expectations. It works with small and large organisations with service options it can tailor to your needs. Ad-hoc chargeable support -onsite or remote support appointments Pay as you go support – customers can have a pre-paid fund of time that you can use, as and when you need it Annual support contract – Microtest’s most popular and best value support option. This can include or exclude a visit per quarter to conduct preventative maintenance tasks across all your supported IT.
FOR HOME USERS
in our field is our exceptional customer support. Our customer support experts are multi-skilled and experienced, with every customer call being handled efficiently. “We have outlined structured support procedures and developed our own integrated management systems to ensure we deal with every customer query and make sure customers’ expectations are exceeded. All our departments are in-house to ensure one point of contact. “We know how important it is for our customers to keep everything working without interruption. We feel that Microtest stands apart from the rest as not only do we provide remote support for an immediate response, we also send our engineers onsite just as much to deal with issues. “All Microtest engineers have their own van and carry loan equipment should it be required while we repair the customers own unit. We
don’t want to provide just basic support; we want to enable our customers to continue to operate their businesscritical IT when it’s needed most.” To discuss your IT needs with Microtest please contact: Dean Montgomery, Sales and Support consultant T: 01208 261600 E: sales@microtest.co.uk Alternatively, check out the Facebook pages – Microtest Business & Microtest Home.
Home user customers are as important to Microtest as its largest business customers. In the shop on 18 Normandy Way in Bodmin, it mainly deals with home users. However, it can also carry out installations at home should it be required. “We arrive with a bunch of new products in boxes and when we leave, you’ll have a working IT setup - ready to use!” says MD, Chris Netherton. It keeps a wide range of stock in the shop and aims to always have mainstream items in stock to keep up with supply and demand. However, we can order almost any item; stock can be ordered up until 5pm by email or phone (subject to availability and other factors out of our control). • PCs and Laptops installed • Home wireless improvements and range extension • Home office installations • Smart devices setup • Home automation systems • Computer security solutions
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If a customer has a bad experience ordering an item or completing a task online then it’s potentially damaging to that brand
USER EXPERIENCE A common theme in digital circles at the moment is user experience, or UX as it is widely known. “Brand and user experience have never been more closely aligned,” says John Lowdon, creative director at Falmouth agency Creative Edge. “More increasingly, digital interface is
the primary interaction between brands and their customers. If a customer has a bad experience ordering an item or completing a task online then it’s potentially damaging to that brand.” He says combined with user data, this ‘information revolution’ has transformed the digital design landscape.
“We are now basing our decisions on what we can prove works, which we find really exciting. More and more dynamic Cornish businesses have started to embrace this joined-up way of thinking and are now seeing the benefits of creating a more cohesive brand experience.”
If you thought professional market research was beyond your reach, think again! What Cornwall Thinks is an exciting new way to gain insight from Cornish residents at a fraction of the costs of bespoke research. Ask our growing panel about your product or brand, test new ideas or create evidence based PR content. Surveys conducted fortnightly, with rapid question design, through delivery of data to results and an executive summary report.
Questions from £120. Book your space on the next survey: Call 01326 375 705, or email participate@whatcornwallthinks.com
For more info www.whatcornwallthinks.com IT_July17.indd 10
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IT
COLLABORATION
A qualitative study by PFA Research showed that tech leaders in Cornwall feel that there is not yet a local industry seeking to co-innovate with local tech businesses. Cornwall is well-known for its tourism, food, drink, agriculture and fishing sectors. It also has a growing renewable energy sector. This provides a great opportunity for local innovation and collaboration, not unlike the cyber-security cluster that has developed around GCHQ in Cheltenham or the military technology sector in Israel. Cornwall’s rural location on the periphery of the UK poses a range of additional challenges to any business owner. Despite this, PFA Research’s findings show that its tech sector is experiencing high levels of growth. The region may not be home to large tech companies, such as Microsoft, Facebook or Google. However, it does offer a high standard of living and access to some of the UK’s most beautiful coastline, which local digital tech
DIGITAL
leaders feel has encouraged some skilled workers and their families to move to the county. Cornwall is no stranger to innovation. After all, it has played host to a world-class mining sector, the invention of the steam engine and also the UK’s first street lamp. Therefore, it is particularly likely that this growth is set to continue amidst government plans to place investment in the tech sector at the heart of its economic strategy.
How healthy is your business? Need more research to back up your investment plans? Call PFA Research on 01326 375705 or visit pfa-research.com
One less thing to worry about Running a business is time consuming at the best of times and you need the IT systems that underpin your organisation to function reliably and securely. Cyber security is an issue for businesses of all sizes and CF Systems will provide advice, solutions and ongoing support that will enable your company and your staff to operate securely in the face of the ever increasing threat landscape. Working with globally recognised vendors we provide security audits, provision of secure infrastructure, staff training and ongoing advice to help your business succeed. Our friendly and experienced engineers are trained to internationally recognised standards, providing high levels of support with a focus on customer service.
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Now offering a wider range of outsourcing software solutions. Building on our international success providing clients with a continuous dedicated resource for outsource software development, we are now offering a wider range of services for shorter projects including advanced e-commerce and cloud application development. Contact our Special Projects Division to find out how we can help you.
+44 (0)1209 311 150
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hello@headforwards.com
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www.headforwards.com
26/06/2017 13:13
ON THE MOVE
SPONSORED BY www.sapiencehr.co.uk
JOINING THE PELOTON
PEOPLE
LEFT: ANNA CARTHEW
Four new members of staff have joined Penryn-based chartered accountant and marketeering company, The Peloton. Anna Carthew has joined from Seasalt to head up marketing and sales, while bookkeeper, Claire Hart, and accountant, Jo Horton, have both been added to the accounts team. Additionally, Rosie Swan has been appointed office manager.
TWO MORE ON LEP BOARD
BROOME SWEEPS IN The new Cornucopia food and drink visitor attraction in St Austell has named Trevor Broome as its general manager. Broome joins Cornucopia following an extensive career in the hotel, leisure and attraction
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed two new private sector directors to its board. They are Louise Rowe, who is finance director at South West Water, and John Acornley, an experienced non-executive director. A PwC qualified chartered accountant, Acornley’s current non-executive director roles include Cornwall Care Services Limited, Cornwall’s largest care provider and Plymouth Science Park Limited. The appointments follow a recruitment drive by the LEP for new non-executive directors with finance and accountancy experience after former board director, Robert Davey of accountancy firm Bishop Fleming, stepped down earlier this year.
industry. He spent 12 years with the Merlin Entertainments Group, most recently managing the company’s Cornish Seal Sanctuary. He is also a former chairman of the Cornish Association of Tourist Attractions (CATA).
RIBA FIRST Laurence Associates has appointed its first RIBA-accredited architect. Sarah Johnson brings more than five years’ experience to the planning-led architectural practice, based at Threemilestone, just west of Truro. She is an ARB and RIBA chartered architect,
qualifying in 2012 at the Architectural Association in London before completing Parts I & II at Newcastle University and has worked at practices in London and Australia. Design director, Jason Pledger, said: “We’re very happy to have attracted someone of Sarah’s calibre to the practice.”
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OUT OF COUNTY
BUSINESS NEWS
SPONSORED BY
cornwallairportnewquay.com
AMERICA’S CUP CORNISH CONNECTION
Britain’s brave attempt to win the America’s Cup was aided by a Truro accountancy firm. The 35th America’s Cup was fought out last month in Bermuda and while Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie ultimately succumbed to Team New Zealand, he has already confirmed his intention to give it another crack in 2019. Sir Ben, who launched Land Rover BAR (Ben Ainslie Racing) two and a half years ago, is a
long-standing client of PKF Francis Clark. Scott Bentley, partner at PKF Francis Clark’s Truro office, said: “We’ve been involved financially behind the scenes from day one of Land Rover BAR with research and development (R&D), systems and VAT issues. “This is an incredibly exciting project and PKF Francis Clark is very proud to be involved in such a piece of sporting history.”
TRAIN DOCKS IN SOUTHAMPTON The first Intercity Express train bound for GWR’s London to Penzance route has arrived in the UK. From next year, a new fleet of Class 802 Intercity Express trains will connect London Paddington to the south west. A five-car test train (802 001) built at Hitachi’s factory in Japan arrived in Southampton last month. The train was welcomed onto UK soil by GWR, Hitachi (train manufacturer) and Eversholt Rail (financers of the Class 802 fleet). The train will now be made ready to begin
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testing this summer. Two further test trains will arrive in the coming weeks. The new fleet harnesses Hitachi’s pioneering Japanese bullet train technology. Passengers can expect more seats, better on-board facilities and shorter journey times. Passengers will also benefit from new onboard technology, including real-time journey updates and seat reservation screens. The Intercity Express train is also designed to withstand the region’s variable weather conditions, including routes along the Dawlish coast.
CORNWALL GLASS ACQUISITION Cornwall Glass is expanding up country following the acquisition of a business in west London. LW Architectural Glass will now be known as Cornwall Architectural Glass – London and Cornwall Glass director, Mark Mitchell, said: “Acquisitions are always interesting and it’s important for us strategically, to have a presence just outside London. “The reason that we’re most excited is because of what we can see it offers to our group and to our existing customers. “LW Architectural Glazing has worked across high profile projects in the commercial sector including supply of product into Wembley and Heathrow Airport. We very much look forward to bringing the new team into the group and building a shared knowledge base.” LW Architectural Glazing manufactures multi-laminate products, from balustrading, to canopies and floors, from its 50,000 sq ft factory in Hayes.
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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NEWS
SPONSORED BY
#FSBCONNECT
www.fsb.org.uk
MIND THE FUNDING GAP In the last issue FSB Cornwall advertised an event at the Lighthouse Cinema in Newquay to celebrate women in business. What a success that was! On a rainy day back in May, around 100 people came to the event and listened to the amazing stories of 6 women who had started their own businesses and through different journeys, issues, problems, highs and lows had become successful in their sector. An equine dentist who has become a successful and well respected lingerie expert, a creative girl with a kiln in her bedroom that has now made a glass ceiling for a cruise ship, an inspired young cook who went to India to learn how to make best-selling cuisine, a TV presenter who “was at the top of her mountain” but climbed another one because she needed to change the view. Just a flavour of the stories but all were fascinating and inspiring and the feedback from the event was phenomenally positive.
At the end of the event there was a question time panel and then a cream tea. From the conversations that started and then continued…. and continued, it soon became clear that a special interest group must be formed. The expertise and knowledge that many business so often seek, is in fact in our midst and there is enormous scope for such a group to support, inspire and nurture others and themselves right here in Cornwall. So FSB Women Cornwall has been formed. Our first meeting is this month and the group is looking to become a hub for inclusivity and help for anyone who is struggling with diversity, being included in the business community or just simply needs to know what to do next. If you are interested in lending your expertise or simply just need a bit of encouragement or know-how, email ann. vandermeulen@fsb.org.uk and Ann will put you in touch with the group.
CALL TO ACTION
prove that Cornwall is more than that pretty place to have a holiday. We have in the past been world leaders in invention and technology and we still are; we just need more voices and evidence to continually prove it! FSB Cornwall therefore issues a call to action to everyone in the business community; that includes businesses, politicians and the media. Shout much louder and be clearer about our ambition for Cornwall and also what that means to the national economy so that our own Government is compelled to sanction the
An equine dentist who has become a successful and well respected lingerie expert, a creative girl with a kiln in her bedroom that has now made a glass ceiling for a cruise ship
Cornwall is as much a force to be reckoned with as any of the more urban areas like the so called Midlands Engine and Northern Power House but we still need to make more noise and a stronger case because decision makers forget this as we are a bit different and a bit further away from London. Despite valiant efforts we still need to repeatedly
MEETING OUR RETURNED MPS Through the election process FSB Cornwall made sure that all candidates had our ‘Small Business, Big Ambition’, FSB’s manifesto for the General Election. We will use this manifesto going forward in keeping up the lobbying pressure on key issues highlighted by our members and if you have any comments or case studies to add, we would be very pleased to hear from you. Fortunately we know our six returned MPs well and have been quick off the mark to get to work. So on the day after the election, Scott Mann (MP for North Cornwall) stopped to speak to members at our Royal Cornwall Show stand and a week later, Sarah Newton (MP for Truro and Falmouth) met with members at the Business
Space in Truro. We have more meetings scheduled and members are welcome to attend. See our website events calendar for details of MP meetings in your area www.fsb.org.uk/cornwall
support we ask for. The business community in Cornwall is focussed, strong and resilient. We are well connected and more unified in voice than ever before but there is frustratingly much work to do. So at this time, in the summer, when the world sees pictures of “Cornwall the holiday destination” and at this crucial time of post-election and Brexit negotiation, please keep reminding people that we are a knowledge and technological economy, and not just a pretty face.
HOLD THIS DATE IN YOUR DIARY FSB Cornwall's 'WOW Awards' Dinner Thurs 28th September - 7pm The Pavilion at Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge. No need for posh frocks or tuxedos, this an awards event with a difference where we will be celebrating inclusivity and the down to earth ordinary who do the extraordinary. Our awards will be made by Jo Downs Glass so at least one good reason amongst many to keep a look out for more information on our website www.fsb.org.uk/cornwall
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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TOURISM
NEWS
SPONSORED BY
UK’S BEST BEACH The Sunday Times has named Lusty Glaze in Newquay as its 2017 Beach of the Year. After visiting “hundreds of beaches” around Britain, it whittled the list down to 50, with Lusty Glaze in Newquay coming out on top. Nine other beaches in Cornwall were also recognised including Carne, Kynance, Godrevy and Porthminster in St Ives Chief travel writer at the Sundays Times, Chris Haslam, said Lusty Glaze was “far enough from the town centre to feel exclusive” and brought a “distinctively Aussie vibe to Cornwall’s North Shore”.
Far enough from the town centre to feel exclusive” and brought a “distinctively Aussie vibe to Cornwall’s North Shore”
www.visitcornwall.com
MILESTONE FOR DUCHY HOLIDAYS
Duchy Holidays has passed a significant milestone after signing up its 150th property. The Perranporth-based holiday lettings company now has a total of 155 properties on its books, following the addition of several new properties in the past few months. “The addition of our 150th property [Crowjy Kernewek in Bolingey] is an important milestone for us,” said Chelsea Johnson from Duchy Holidays. “It’s a reflection of how far we’ve come since Denise Udry started the business from home in 1994 with just 12 properties.”
ASPECTS OF MEVAGISSEY Cornish holiday lettings agent, Aspects Holidays, has opened up a sixth office in the Duchy. The newly-refurbished office in Mevagissey will be managed by Michelle Frank, who joins Aspects with a background in the travel industry, and will be supported by Lizzy Brady. Aspects Holidays markets more than 500 properties throughout Cornwall, with offices in St Ives, Hayle, Penzance, Newquay, Bude, and now Mevagissey.
NEW ST IVES CRUISE SERVICE St Ives Boat Services has brought the town’s newest and largest cruising boat to the harbour with the arrival of The Four Sisters. The new vessel, which accommodates up to 43 passengers and two crew members, is the first of its kind to be seen in the Penwith harbour since the mid-1980s
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when The Cornish Belle previously offered pleasure cruises in the bay. The new passenger vessel will operate primarily as a pleasure tour vessel with three to four trips a day for visitors in high season, taking in cruises along the coastline to explore the marine life around Seal Island and Godrevy Lighthouse.
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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26/06/2017 13:24
#wearehutch
‘With laughs, love, colour and music this is a show that has the feel good factor. A sheer delight from beginning to end’ Coventry Telegraph
your new creative agency...
Tue 1 - Sat 5 August 01872 262466 hallforcornwall.co.uk
... let’s have a conversation contact@hutchagency.co.uk | www.hutchagency.co.uk
‘‘
Without this investment we wouldn’t have been able to take on the Top Trumps contract, so this funding has made a significant difference to our business.”
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Beth Mayman, Operations Manager, St Austell Printing Company
A Cornish printing company has expanded its capacity and gained new contracts following support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). St Austell Printing Company has gained funding from the BIG2 project enabling the business to purchase new machinery and take on a major new contract with the manufacturers of Top Trump Cards, Winning Moves. Telephone: 01872 322372 Email: big@cornwalldevelopmentcompany.co.uk To find out more about the BIG 2 project, visit: www.businessinvestmentforgrowth.co.uk
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CREATIVE
AND DIGITAL
SPONSORED BY
www.digitalpeninsula.org
WILD WEST HEROES Wild West Communications has won a hat-trick of industry accolades at the PRCA Dare Awards. The PR and social media agency, which has offices in Truro and Bristol, was named Best New Consultancy in the South West and Wales. Senior campaign executive, Sam Shrimpton, took home the award for Rising Star of the Year, while Wild West was also recognised for its stakeholder engagement work, taking home the Corporate Affairs Award for a recent campaign supporting the reinstatement of a passenger helicopter service to the Isles of Scilly. Wild West wasn’t the only Cornish success at the Bristol ceremony. DCA won the Low Budget Campaign category for its ‘Gull Language’ campaign in St Ives.
STRANGER IN KODACHROME A Falmouth-based content agency has produced a magazine for one of America’s most iconic brands. Issue one of Kodak’s new publication, Kodachrome, is said to have sold out in just two days when it was released in the US at the end of May. A “journal of art, film and analogue culture”, Kodachrome was put together by Cornish content studio, Stranger Collective, and features Cornish writers and illustrators alongside Hollywood directors and creatives from across the globe. Issue 02 was launched at the Cannes Film Festival.
NEXTFEST LAUNCHES A new online venture has started in Cornwall promoting the huge range of festivals that are held across the UK. The NextFest website presents a tailor-made list of events based on personal tastes, budget and requirements. Each festival has its own page containing everything you need to know about the event and also welcomes the input of both festival-goers and festival organisers. NextFest creator, Billy Curtis, said: “Our main aim is to display every music festival equally, putting small and emerging festivals alongside world famous events such as Glastonbury and Isle of Wight.”
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SUPERCHARGE YOUR EMAIL MARKETING Email marketing expert, Jarrang, is offering a free workshop - Supercharge Your Email Marketing - on Thursday, July 13 at its HQ in Falmouth. The hour-long workshop will explore how the humble email newsletter can drive sales and fuel business growth. It will cover everything from marketing automation, data manipulation and creating personalised content. Visit jarrang.com/supercharge for further information.
INDUSTRY ROLE FOR AGILE PR A Cornwall PR consultant has been elected as chair of the professional body for public relations in the south west, CIPR South West. Rachel Picken runs her own consultancy, Agile PR, through which she supports clients with communications and brand strategy, evaluation, media relations and copywriting. She is the first Cornwall-based practitioner to take the role as chair in a region that covers Land’s End to Gloucester. Picken is joined on the CIPR South West committee by fellow Cornwall PR, Rosie Bradbury, account manager at SBPR near Truro. Bradbury has been elected as Cornwall co-ordinator, and will be responsible for organising events in the county.
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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JUST A THOUGHT
Kelvin Batt, founder of the popular Masked Ball events, reflects on the growing festival culture
OPINION
WE ALL LOVE CORNWALL he Cornwall my generation grew up in mostly had to survive on seasonal tourism, yet living here and being so involved, I see a different picture emerging. I see a very diverse set of creative industries starting to blossom in the south west of England. It is an exciting time indeed, however with so much creative juice, the industry is becoming flooded with an abundance of things to do. It’s an incredible thing to see, so much creative progress in such a short time, but the sector is in serious trouble of becoming oversaturated. As such, the quest to deliver something different, something unique and exciting becomes more and more difficult, from our team’s perspective anyway. But it is a challenge we greet with open arms; it’s what keeps us moving forwards and prevents us from stagnating. The advantages of a booming events industry are huge for Cornwall; raising the local profile and putting Cornwall on the map as more than a place to take the kids for a weekend away. The creative spark attracts forward thinking individuals and businesses, increasing avenues of income for those that reside in the surrounding area. The Porthleven Food Festival is an excellent example of this, bringing some 30,000 people into the fishing village of Porthleven at a time of year that would otherwise be very quiet. Not only does this provide business opportunities for the wealth of local food and craft traders that attend, but also attracts visitors that may never have considered Porthleven; raising its profile throughout the year as a ‘go to’ Cornish destination. These events also create work for numerous local contractors that help to assemble the site, along with exposure for the local musicians and artists that help make the experience so special.
The Cornish events industry provides a fantastic opportunity for collaboration with the local businesses and contractors which are now plentiful in Cornwall. We use these businesses exclusively at our events to provide everything from toilets to tents, sound, staging and lighting, even the clean-up is provided by a local contractor. Events often give these new local businesses a leg up into the industry, providing the experience and income that is vital for progression into the wider entertainment industry. We’ve seen many small companies that started at ‘The Ball’ find their footing and progress from strength to strength. It’s been fantastic to see the local authorities make the leap also. Outdoor music events have traditionally been viewed as a hindrance by local councils, but with industry progression they are seeing the benefits (if done correctly) for both the economy and culture of Cornwall and its surrounding areas. In its early days, our events were seen by many as a nuisance, something that the community was very anxious about, but I feel that now the majority can see that the benefits outweighing the negatives and it’s great to have the full backing of the authorises. As with any large scale event, there will always be a few (usually valid) moans and groans, but we are always all ears to our community. I believe it’s because we care, because we have continued to factor in the opinions and suggestions of our locale, that we have been able to create a product which is received well. This is a fantastic achievement for our team, something that we are very proud of. My colleagues and I now look to the future with great optimism about what we can bring and provide for Cornwall. After all, we love Cornwall. That’s why we do what we do – it’s about showing off this fantastic place where we live, and the talent that thrives down here.
The creative spark attracts forward thinking individuals and businesses, increasing avenues of income for those that reside in the surrounding area
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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EVENTS
JULY \ AUGUST
SPONSORED BY www.jh-av.co.uk
JUL\ AUG EVENTS 4 6
BODMIN BUSINESS BREAKFAST
Westberry Hotel, Bodmin
The breakfasts are open to all and provide an opportunity for business people to network and catch up with each other over a top quality breakfast. jb@sproullllp.co.uk
FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB
Greenbank Hotel
The club meets on alternate Thursday mornings over breakfast in the Working Boat Pub at the Greenbank Hotel. falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk
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Greenbank Hotel
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COPPER & TIN NETWORKING GROUP
Headland Hotel, Newquay
Lorica Insurance, Indian Queens
Top 5 July events EventsDiary_July17.indd 2
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Westberry Hotel, Bodmin
03
Greenbank Hotel
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CHAMBER INNOVATION INVESTMENT NETWORK
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In conjunction with Plymouth University’s Innovation Centres and Mylor Ventures, free investment readiness events will take place to prepare a shortlist of companies seeking investment from Business Angels. cornwallchamber.co.uk
The club meets on alternate Thursday mornings over breakfast in the Working Boat Pub at the Greenbank Hotel. falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk
COPPER & TIN NETWORKING GROUP
Lorica Insurance, Indian Queens
Business networking group meets at the Lorica Insurance offices in Indian Queens every two weeks. sarah. garcia@smartpasupport.com
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Health & Wellbeing Innovation Centre, Truro
FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB
In this eye-opening workshop you will test the foundations of your business to develop a clear, revenue-driven business model. transformcornwall.co.uk
TRURO CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY FORUM
The Truro Construction & Property Forum meets every last Thursday of the month at Mannings in Truro. sarahgreenslade@wwasurveyors.com
The business networking breakfasts are open to all. jb@sproullllp.co.uk
Redruth
The club meets on alternate Thursday mornings over breakfast in the Working Boat Pub at the Greenbank Hotel. falmouthbusinessclub.co.uk
Lorica Insurance, Indian Queens
BODMIN BUSINESS BREAKFAST
BUILDING A VALUABLE BUSINESS MODEL
FALMOUTH BUSINESS CLUB
Business networking group meets at the Lorica Insurance offices in Indian Queens every two weeks. sarah.garcia@smartpasupport.com
COPPER & TIN NETWORKING GROUP
Business networking group meets at the Lorica Insurance offices in Indian Queens every two weeks. sarah.garcia@smartpasupport.com
HAYLE BUSINESS BREAKFAST
The Hayle Business Breakfast meets on the third Wednesday of each month at Birdies Bistro in Hayle. sarah@abodepropertyagents.co.uk
AUGUST DATES
This workshop will help you develop effective management and leadership methods. transformcornwall.co.uk
CORNWALL CHAMBER LUNCH
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The monthly breakfast networking event from the FSB, taking place every second Thursday of each month at the St Austell Conference Centre. fsb.org.uk/cornwall
Redruth
Redruth
Don’t miss out on the chance to network and connect with more than 50 businesses and listen to presenters give you a great insight into what they do. cornwallchamber.co.uk
St Austell Conference Centre
LEADING AND MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS
BUILDING A VALUABLE BUSINESS MODEL
In this eye-opening workshop you will test the foundations of your business to develop a clear, revenue-driven business model. transformcornwall.co.uk
#FSB CONNECT
#FSB CONNECT
St Austell Conference Centre
The monthly breakfast networking event from the FSB, taking place every second Thursday of each month. fsb.org.uk/cornwall
MARKETING FOR SUCCESS
Redruth
In this Strategic marketing workshop you will develop the ‘value proposition’ for your business, and plan to communicate it to the right people, through the right channels. There is no charge to attend the workshops and lunch is included. transformcornwall.co.uk
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NETWORKING Business Cornwall’s Morveth Ward keeps us up to date on the networking scene CORNISH CHAMBER LUNCH
Truro School
Don’t miss out on the chance to network and connect with more than 50 businesses. cornwallchamber.co.uk
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HAYLE BUSINESS BREAKFAST
The Hayle Business Breakfast meets on the third Wednesday of each month at Birdies Bistro in Hayle. sarah@abodepropertyagents.co.uk
CORNWALL CHAMBER BIG BREAKFAST
St Mellion International
Cornwall Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast networking meeting. cornwallchamber.co.uk
For further details of these and more networking events, visit
businesscornwall.co.uk To publicise your event here for free, email news@businesscornwall co.uk
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HFC NETWORKS CLUB
Hall for Cornwall, Truro
The next HFC Networks Club will hear about The Brand Gap, a presentation exploring the principles of creating and maintaining a brand, with Howard Miles of ABG Design. chealsean@hallforcornwall.org.uk
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This time of year the networking landscape changes with Cornwall’s framework as a lifestyle county – I’m sure I don’t speak for myself in finding networking of the typical kind less desirable at this time of year and as a result numbers can dwindle unless a boat, beach or garden is added to the mix. The Samphire Club events make the most of summer and this month will be joining in with the ‘Gin and Jazz in the Park’ event which takes place at Penlee Park, Penzance on July 29. Another key Samphire Club event is the Red Arrows display which will take place at the Greenbank hotel, Falmouth. If you’re keen on the distinctive Hawk jets and enjoy one of the world’s premier aerobatic display team then there are fewer better locations from which to enjoy the experience whilst offering the opportunity to network over tasty food and beverages. As ever, fingers crossed we have good weather and clear skies for this on August 9 (thesamphireclub.co.uk) for details. Most of the regular networking events will also be running as normal. Something else
that is worth mentioning, particularly at this time of year, is that with so many people visiting Cornwall there is more opportunity than ever to meet new connections outside of Cornwall. You never know where the opportunity may arise so keep on the ball. Aside from networking events there are also various workshops being run through the summer months courtesy of Oxford Innovation’s Transform programme. On July 6 there is a workshop being held in Redruth which focusses on building a valuable business model where you will test the foundations of your business to develop a clear, revenue-driven business model. Amongst others there is also another Transform event which focusses on ‘marketing for success’ - in this strategic marketing workshop you will develop the ‘value proposition’ for your business, and plan to communicate it to the right people, through the right channels.
Another key Samphire Club event is the Red Arrows display which will take place at the Greenbank hotel
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CORNWALL CHAMBER BIG BREAKFAST
TRURO HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Cornwall Chamber of Commerce’s monthly breakfast networking meeting typically attracts up to 180 people, depending on venue size. cornwallchamber.co.uk
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HEARTLANDS BUSINESS BREAKFAST
Red River Café, Heartlands
Heartlands presents an excellent opportunity to meet other local businesses in the area, gain contacts and establish mutually beneficial relationships. Admission cost: £10 (includes a Cornish breakfast sourced from local suppliers).
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CONNECTED
CORNWALL
SPONSORED BY
www.cioslep.co.uk
SUMMER GARDEN PARTY Wet weather did not dampen spirits at Eden Project’s annual summer garden party, with the biomes providing a perfect respite! RIGHT: LINDSAY HALL, REAL IDEAS ORGANISATION DIRECTOR; MARK OSTERFIELD, TATE ST IVES BELOW FROM LEFT: SIMON HOLBOROW MBE; CATHERINE MEAD, LYNHER DAIRIES; ALI HANNAFORD, PLYMOUTH ALBION; MATT ROBERTS, BAM; EDWARD BENTHALL, CHAIRMAN OF THE EDEN TRUST; ROB LOVE, CROWDFUNDER; KIM CONCHIE, CORNWALL CHAMBER; MARK DUDDRIDGE, CORNWALL & ISLES OF SCILLY LEP; AMBER BATTLE
SENIOR EXECUTIVES’ FORUM Director of technology and chief information officer at The Met Office, Charles Ewan, was guest speaker at SEF’s latest meeting, at the Greenbank Hotel in Falmouth FROM TOP LEFT: ALISON ELVEY, ROBINSON REED LAYTON; TREVOR LEE, TREVOR LEE MEDIA; SCOTT BENTLEY, PKF FRANCIS CLARK; MICHAEL DANES, CORBEAU CONSULTING; ROBERT RUSH, PFA RESEARCH; DAVID WINGHAM, COASTLINE HOUSING; CHARLES EWAN, THE MET OFFICE
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BUSINESS CORNWALL
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CORNWALL
CONNECTED
WOMEN'S NETWORKING GROUP PKF Francis Clark Professional Women’s Networking Group enjoyed a pleasant afternoon at Bosvigo House in Truro ABOVE: ALICE BERRYMAN AND ANNA SHARP, SAVILLS BELOW FROM LEFT: JENIFER BURDEN, STEPHENS SCOWN; CHARLOTTE WELLS AND JESSICA MARSHALL, BOTH FRANCIS CLARK; KIMBERLEY GRAY, GRAY MATTER PR; KEIRA LATHAM-BYRNE, NO3 LASH & BROW BAR; LISA BAILEY-BROWN, URBAN PLANTERS; SASHA PARKES (WILD WEST COMMS)
FSB at Royal Cornwall The Federation of Small Businesses stand at the Royal Cornwall Show proved a popular draw RIGHT: FSB MEMBER ADVISOR SIMON NEWELL WITH BUSINESS CARD RAFFLE PRIZE AT ROYAL CORNWALL SHOW 2017 BELOW LEFT: EDWARD CHAPMAN, PAUL WAKELING & ANN VANDERMEULEN; SHANE SOLOMAN, CORNWALL CHANNEL; RUSSELL SINCLAIR, MUSICIAN
BUSINESS CORNWALL
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THE LAST
WORD
VERONA COCKS Some things you may not have known about Setfords consultant solicitor, Verona Cocks
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG? An actress/singer. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FULL TIME JOB?
Working as a legal assistant for Martin & Woodard PLC, Attorneys at Law, in Virginia in the USA, on a year’s internship.
WHAT’S IN YOUR POCKETS? Infinite
possibilities.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? When I was made the 100th
partner and head of commercial dispute resolution and insolvency in the Midlands offices of what was then a top 60 national firm, having built the department from scratch with very little support, to a department with a £3/4 of a million turnover.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER? When I was quite junior, I
went with my boss to a mediation in London and I got the time of the last train back to Birmingham wrong, necessitating everyone leaving abruptly to rush for the train, when settlement was imminent. This was an issue as our client had restricted use of one of his legs so running for a train was not easy. Once on the train it became obvious that there was a later one we could have caught.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION? The Greek Islands. IF YOU COULD INVITE ANY TWO PEOPLE FOR DINNER, WHO WOULD THEY BE AND WHY WOULD YOU INVITE THEM? David
Bowie, because not only could he provide the entertainment but also because he was well read and by all accounts a great raconteur with a good sense of humour. In addition Elizabeth I, as she is an icon for women although not always seen as such. I’d like to chat with her about how she managed in such difficult cultural circumstances to be such a great success. If she was a bit austere, Mr Bowie could maybe warm her up.
IF YOU COULD BE GOD FOR A DAY, WHAT MIRACLE WOULD YOU PERFORM? I would
awaken in everyone the ability to heal themselves on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level. That in turn would dissolve most of the world’s problems.
WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IN LIFE? I don’t believe in mistakes just
experiences.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS TIME? Managing my practice on
a larger scale.
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