The Business Scene

Inside this issue

Latest news and views, including:

East Midlandsboom for younger

entrepreneursTheir success is boosted by older partners

Rooted in historyFen farming family grows into organics

Holiday like a kingTake a trip to the Turquoise Coast

HEADlines Up close and personal with

the man behind Peterborough’s Willow Festival

SCENEFREE!

ESSENTIAL READING FOR LOCAL EXECUTIVE LEADERS

Serving 5,000 deciSion-makerS in and around Peterborough

Look east to breathe fire into a bravenew year and put China in your hand

Enter the dragon!Enter the dragon!Look east to breathe fire into a bravenew year and put China in your hand

News – Old heads and young shouldersteam up for entrepreneurial success in the region, reports Simon Streat

Cover story – Enter the dragon and lookeast to China to boost your business, says Jeff Kim, leading a way throughthe obstacles

Finance – Columnist Nick Ash has asensible solution for staff sickness costs

Drive – Tim Barnes-Clay says the ’wow’ factors of the Mazda6 estate car are size and value

Webwise – The importance of goodwebsite design is explained by digital expert, Stan Nyokas

Clicks & Mortar – Our H&S guru Colin Nottage has a new year health and safety check-list

Workforce – Give networking a sportingchance, says Bryan Moore PLUS: HR expert David Neal advises on how to reduce workplace stress

Skillset – Will your customers embrace the mobile wallet? Antony Jones and Simon Atkinson examine the evidence

‘Commit to success’ in 2012says skills coach David Grundy

Off Duty – Jane Price talks Turkey and the Turquoise Coast – ideal for livinglike a king, despite the financial climate.

What’s On – Dates for your diaryPLUS: online marketing – is it right for your business? Karen McNulty has advice

Publisher Heidi SempleEditor Sally HootonSub editor Carol RandallDesign Jim CounsellAdvertising Charlotte Charlesworth

Address: Old School House, Great North Road,Wittering, Peterborough, PE8 6BX

Telephone: +44 (0)1780 783613Email: [email protected]

Serving 5,000executives inand aroundPeterborough

ESSENTIAL READING FOR LOCAL EXECUTIVE LEADERS SCENE

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TheBusiness SceneTeam

09An old Fenland family firm tells how it grewinto organic produce

Consumers are now multi-channel masters, says Andy Wood

26Meet Mark Ringer – the man behind the city’s Willow Festival 2012

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Welcome

11Stephen Collinsexplains the business of family succession

CONTENTSJANUARY 2012 03

Aside from being spent-out, most people find Januarytiresome; a bit of a let-down after the excitement ofthe previous month. Yet, there is much to look forwardto – the nights begin to draw out, the promise ofspring is a few short (but cold) weeks away and 2012is, according to Chinese legend, predicted to be alucky year. The Year of the Dragon symbolises innovation,

dynamism and power – dragon children are deemedto be feisty, gifted souls; think Martin Luther King,John Lennon, Salvador Dali. We also label business leaders ‘dragons’, the

movers and shakers of the commercial world. It’s aworld which has been under much financial strainsince 2008, although many believe forthcomingevents will be a boost for UK businesses this year. Forexample, in Peterborough in May, The Willow Festivalwill be drawing the crowds to the area (see page 6);then the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations willprovide us with an extra bank holiday in early Juneand the London Olympics 2012 will certainly attractvisitors to the capital and beyond in July and August(see page 5). So, with any luck, we are just a few months away

from a busy business time locally and around the UK.But the ambitious dragons among you can make yourown luck, says Jeff Kim on page 7; he suggests welook to the Far East to boost business. The Chineseconsumer is fast becoming a devotee of westernproduce, welcoming foreign brands over domesticones. Perhaps their Year of the Dragon really will be a boon for business, both home and away.

All the best,Sally Hooton. 14

04 JANUARY 2012NEWS

After 25 years in the printbusiness, Bill Marshall has

rebranded his Prontaprint franchiseon Broadway, Peterborough, tobecome Printmarshall. There may be a new name, but

it’s the same team at the sameplace. He said: “I’m really excitedby the change of brand. With ournew independent status we will

be able to push forward withdeveloping our own identity andinvest in new machinery andfinishing equipment.”

The new business provides afull design and print service and theteam has a range of print andfinishing expertise.

Visit www.printmarshall.co.uk orcall 01733 551110 for more details.

New era for print shop

a further 22 per cent fail between two-and-a-half and three years.

But the survival rate forstart-ups increases if there is anolder director on board: when ayoung director, aged between 16and 25, teams up with someoneaged 26 or older, 39 per cent ofbusinesses survive beyond threeyears (compared to just a thirdwhen started by a sole youngdirector). Survival rates soar to48 per cent when a youngdirector joins forces with morethan one older director,demonstrating the clearadvantages for youngentrepreneurs to tap into theexperience, industry knowledgeand expertise that exists amongmore experienced directors.

Simon Streat, managingdirector of Experian’s UK SMEbusiness, said: “Such a strongentrepreneurial appetite amongyoung people is exciting andencouraging to see, yet just onethird of business start-ups with ayoung sole director survives formore than three years. Withyoung directors often lacking theexperience, capital and contactsneeded to survive those first fewtricky years, our research showsthey shouldn’t underestimate the

value in partnering with an olderdirector. The reality is that start-ups comprising both youngand older talent have a greaterchance of survival than thosebusinesses that start up with justyoung directors aged between16 and 25.”

The analysis also showsyoung directors are 57 per centmore likely to start up a businessin sectors defined as ‘vulnerable’by Experian than those sectorsdefined as resilient.

Vulnerable sectors includeretail and hotel/catering andconstruction – sectors whereshort-term operating conditionsremain challenging and failureis often higher than in resilientsectors. Overall start-up growthhas been higher withinknowledge intensive and hightech industries, a positive signfor future growth.

Before starting a business: l Know your sector: there aremany successful firms even invulnerable sectors, butunderstanding challenges andrisks of the target sector is vital.l Know your area: make sure ofdemand for the service/product iftargeting a specific region.l Investigate business coursesand formal qualifications: skillsplay a key role as insolvenciesare higher among directors withno qualifications.l Seek independent advice: trybusiness support networks andschemes such as the Prince’sTrust New Business programme.l Experience matters: youngentrepreneurs should considerpartnering with an older director. l Check suppliers or customers: young directors in particularmay not consider the financialposition of suppliers until one

NEWSA record result forelectoralregister Next year’s elections

are likely to seerecord numbers turn up tovote, as more householdsthan before have signed thePeterborough City Council’s (PCC)annual register of electors. Of the78,410 households in the PCC area,responses were received from75,478 properties – 96.26 per cent.

Diane Baker, head ofGovernance for PCC, said: “I amdelighted that more householdsthan ever before have safeguardedtheir right to vote. People who arenot on the register are not able tovote in local and national elections.They may also find that they arerefused credit on purchases ascredit agencies use the electoralregister to determine applications.”

Electors can opt out of theedited register – which can bepurchased by commercialconcerns for marketing and otherpurposes. Of the 134,674 electorson the register, 69,360 opted out ofthe edited register – 51.5 per cent.

The rest will appear on theedited register.

Old hands steer region’s youngentrepreneurs towards success

DianeBaker.

Chancellor tellsof loan schemeChancellor of the Exchequer

George Osborne has said theGovernment will guarantee£20billion of loans to smallcompanies to jumpstart the Britisheconomy – and that figure couldrise to £40bn. The National Loan Guarantee

Scheme means banks will havepart of their lending guaranteedand should thereby be able tooffer lending to small businessesat a lower rate, thus stimulatingsmall firms’ borrowing and easingtheir cash flow. As an example, asmall firm with a £5m businessloan at a typical interest rate offive per cent might instead have afour per cent repayment rate,saving the company £50,000 ayear in interest repayments. The loan underwriting deal is

the first of three proposals fromthe Chancellor – in another, theGovernment would take a stake in an investment fund to mediumsized businesses and, in the third,businesses would sell bonds, orcompany IOUs, to the market.

Left: Simon Streat. Above: The table shows the increasein all start-ups 2008-2010 versus the number of firmsstarted up by young directors, by region. The EastMidlands saw the highest increase in young directorssetting up their own businesses – perhaps influencedby the success of programmes aimed at specificallyhelping young people set up their own companies.

The East Midlands has seen the highestincrease in numbers of young directors

setting up their own businesses – with start-up survival rates boosted when theywork in partnership with older directors.

Across the UK, the number of youthfulentrepreneurs going it alone increased bynearly a quarter (22 per cent) in the pastthree years, according to research by globalinformation services company,Experian. However, almost half of thesebusinesses (45 per cent) are wound upwithin two-and-a-half years and

has become insolvent.l Investigate all finance options:banks loans are not the only form of funding.

Streat added: “It is crucial totap into business supportnetworks for advice and considerundertaking formal qualificationsto boost marketing, sales andfinance nous.

“Without these core skills,start-ups will struggle to fulfileven the most innovativebusiness ideas.”

NEWSJANUARY 2012 05

Olympics: plan route roundLondon with hotspot detailsTransport for London (TfL) is

looking ahead to the summer,aiming to keep the capital openfor business throughout theOlympic Games, by offering‘hotspot’ informationand transport advice.

TfL says around70 per cent of roadtraffic in GreaterLondon will beunaffected and two-thirds of Tube andDLR (Docklands LightRailway) stations willsee no impact, interms of additional time taken to board a train.

However, on the busiest days,there will an additional threemillion journeys in London aspeople watch the Games andattend cultural events, so roadand public transport networks willbe much busier than usual incertain locations.

Thus, businesses and thosewho work in the capital areadvised to plan their transportcarefully. TfL has published

details which show that,rather than requiring ablanket reduction intravel by 30 per centacross London as awhole, the transportchallenge is focused at

certain times, in certain locations,generally in central London andaround Games venues.

Transport Secretary JustineGreening, said: “Around £6.5bnhas been invested in upgradingand increasing capacity on ourtransport networks, delivering anearly legacy of transportimprovements which will benefitmillions for generations to come.

“However, on the busiestdays of the Games, with anadditional three million journeys

in the capital, it is only sensiblethat businesses plan ahead,particularly those in and aroundtravel ‘hotspots’. I welcome thepublication of this information andthe co-operation of everyoneinvolved in organising the London2012 Games. This should give usall confidence that we are puttingin the necessary steps that willkeep the country, and especiallyour capital, moving whiledelivering the best Games ever.”

Mayor of London BorisJohnson, added: “My message isclear – prepare to profit duringthe Games. By planning aheadusing the information published,we will not only keep Londonmoving and open for business,but London will benefit financially

from the Games and for manyyears to come through increasedinvestment and visitors.”

The ‘hotspot’ travel advice isbased on latest data and willshow the impact for each day ofthe Games and on the daysimmediately preceding.Alongside the road ‘hotspot’maps, TfL has developed anonline road journey planning tool,(www.tfl.gov.uk/2012) which showsadditional journey times for thoseroad trips that really must beundertaken, such as delivery ofperishables, at the busiest timesand in busiest locations,.

On the Tube and DLR,detailed station descriptions havebeen produced, showing theimpact at 30 of the affectedstations, day-by-day and at half-hour intervals. They show theimpact at stations if nothing wasdone to manage the demand fromGames spectators and regularcustomers, taking into accountseasonal demand patterns. Theyalso show how the impact isalleviated when an anticipatedreduction of 20 per cent in thetotal number of journeys isachieved as a result of changedtravel patterns at these times andlocations. The results demonstratethat much of the impact can bealleviated, aside from a few hourslate afternoon and early evening.

The 109-mile Olympic RouteNetwork (ORN) will come intooperation a couple of days beforethe Games begin (the openingceremony is at Olympic Park onJuly 27, 7.30pm) and will beremoved once the Olympics areover – closing ceremony: August12, 7.30pm. It will not be inoperation again until a couple ofdays ahead of the ParalympicGames, August 29-September 9and will be removed soon afterthe Paralympics have finished.

More details are availablehere: www.london2012.com

Apublic awareness campaignhas launched alerting

people to fraudulent collections– a problem costing charities upto £50million annually.

The Bogus Bags campaignseeks to help people distinguishbetween legitimate andfraudulent charity collections,encouraging them to give withconfidence to genuine charities.

The campaign is led by theFundraising Standards Board(FRSB), supported by theInstitute of Fundraising, CharityRetail Association and TextileRecycling Association.

Charity collections are animportant way of reducing wasteand preserving the environment,as well as being vital fundingfor good causes. Collectors

deliver branded bags askingpeople to fill them with clothesand goods for a set collectiondate. Whether collected goodsare passed on for resale atcharity shops, sold overseas, orrecycled – they can generate asolid income stream for charities.

But fraudulent collectionshave increased considerably.The National Fraud IntelligenceBureau says bogus collectorshave links to money laundering,human trafficking and violentoffences, with such gangstransporting goods to EasternEurope for profit.

Alistair McLean, CEO of theFRSB, said: “Charities reallyneed support, so it’s simply acase of ensuring goods goexactly where you want them togo. By making a few simplechecks, you can give withconfidence to charities. And, ifyou have suspicions that acollection is not legitimate,make sure you report it.”

The campaign advises residents to make the following checksbefore donating goods through a household collection:

l Check – Legitimate charity collection bags will clearly state what organisation(s) funds are being raised for and feature a registered charity number. Check these details with the Charity Commission: www.charitycommission.gov.uk

l Look for the tick – As with any fundraising appeal, you can look for the FRSB tick logo indicating that the charity is signed up to fundraising regulation and to industry standards. See the website: www.givewithconfidence.org.uk

l Call – A legitimate collection should include a working landline telephone number for you to call. Call this or your local council to query the collection.

l Report – After making these checks, if you think a collection is not legitimate, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or visit: www.actionfraud.org.uk

Beware the bogus charity bags

l “Plan ahead and prepare to profit during the Games”, Mayor of London Boris Johnson (pictured right) tells businesses.

l The website: www.tfl.gov.uk/2012 will provide detailed, day-by-day road, Tube and DLR station ‘hotspot’ information and travel advice at various times and locations.

l £6.5bn has been spent on upgrading transport networks.

The London 2012mascots: Wenlock and Mandeville.

06 JANUARY 2012NEWS

Help raise fundsfor new memorial

Think ahead to warmer days,time off and music alongside

the river . . . these delights arebeing planned now by festivalorganisers and a city firm whichhas been open for business since 1820.

The region’s well-knownsupplier of temporary eventinfrastructure, GL EventsSnowdens, has announced it willbe one of The Willow Festival’smain sponsors for 2012.

The Willow Festival (TWF) isreturning after a nine-year hiatusand will be held over the lastweekend of May. The three-dayevent will showcase 120 live bandsand aims to attract in excess of50,000 visitors to the PeterboroughEmbankment, .

TWF became the largest freelive music festival in Europe back in2003 and organisers intend toregain that accolade for the citythis year.

GL Events Snowdens

sponsored TWF from its humblebeginnings and has been a strongsupporter throughout.

The company suppliesmarquees and supportingtemporary event infrastructure to avariety of events throughout thecountry, including the BurghleyHorse Trials, the Newmarketracecourse, Hay Literature Festival,and the East of England Show, andworks closely with local events andrespective organisers.

Keith Bishop, director atSnowdens, said: “As aPeterborough-based company, wealways endeavour to do what wecan to support local events. We didnot hesitate when the opportunitycame up to work closely with MarkRinger and his team again.

“The festival is free foreverybody to attend, it’s run entirelyby volunteers, provides a boost forthe local economy and prestige forthe city. We applaud this and aredelighted to show

our continued support.”The Willow Festival

organiser, Mark Ringer,said: “Snowdens hasyet again showed itsgenerous support andit’s much appreciated,especially when takinginto account the current financialclimate. The festival cannot existwithout this type of sponsorshipand it is a credit to Peterboroughcompanies that they understandthe value of the festival to the areaand get behind it.

“Snowdens is a leader in itsfield and to be able to rely on itsexpertise and professionalism is a great help to us as event organisers.“

Sponsorship opportunities areavailable for The Willow Festival2012 event. For full details, callMark Ringer, tel: 01733 751864.l Find out more about TWF’s Mark Ringer on page 26, in ourHEADlines feature.

KeithBishop.

Snowdens has festival time covered

Local businesses are beingurged to make donations

towards a new war memorial, to be built in Peterborough’s BridgeStreet, close to the Town Hall.

Fundraising for the city’s newmemorial – the design of which isbeing based on the Armed ForcesMemorial at the NationalMemorial Arboretum in Alrewas,Staffordshire – is continuing inearnest and so far £24,116 hasbeen raised.

There will be steps leading upto the obelisk, which will carry thewords: ‘Lest We Forget’.

Members of the PeterboroughWar Memorial steering group areurging local people to help thefundraising appeal – chequesmade payable to the ‘PeterboroughWar Memorial Fund – RBL’ can besent to George Ware, 206 EasternAvenue, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough,PE1 4PX.

JANUARY 2012 COVER STORY

Look east to China to expand yourbusiness, says Jeff Kim, showing

a way round the obstacles.

They tend to focus initially on marketing-orientated websites with the aim of building brand awareness, on retail

websites offering e-commerce solutions, or ongaming websites. Whichever way they enterthe market, they inevitably run into barriers ofeither a regulatory or technical nature whichcan delay their progress. Pre-empting and

managing these likely hurdlescan prevent your company fromfacing a mountain of stress andunnecessary costs.

There is an edge to be hadby exploiting the ground thatthe forerunners in this areahave broken. While theirprogress was slow by necessity,yours can be made all thefaster by making use of theknowledge, information andpractical expertise that nowexists on this subject. Avoiding

the impediments arising from unreliable andlow-quality network infrastructure will beinstrumental in achieving success and special

consideration should be given to:l Acquiring the correct licensingl Selecting the best infrastructure strategy available

l Choosing a suitable and reliable service provider.

Keep abreast of the rulesDifferent licences are required, depending onwhich of China’s numerous regions anorganisation plans to operate in. The rulesvary, and are in a constant state of flux, sopaying close attention to them is crucial. A newInternet observation body was created duringthe past year – illustrating that this is clearlysomething companies need to keep on top of.

Continued on page 8 >

Enter the dragon!It is a truth universally acknowledged that anorganisation in pursuit of good fortune shouldlook east, as well as forward.

Already the world’s second-largesteconomy, China is expected to overtake theUnited States by 2030, so following the dragon must become a strategic priority for European businesses.Internet access in China has exploded, with more than 450 million users, and growth expected to burgeon over the next

decade. Every day, European companies announce plans to jump into the Chinese Internet market.

Jeff Kim is COO of CDNetworks.www.cdnetworks.com

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08 JANUARY 2012COVER STORY

Continued from page 7

The Chinese CentralGovernment now permitsEuropean companies to havemuch more accessibility toconsumer markets than everbefore. Nevertheless, there stilltends to be a long wait toobtain a ‘Bei An’ licence – necessary to register anInternet domain in China;companies should expect towait up to six months for this.Acquiring the licence is aneasier process if a personal,face-to-face approach is used;it would be well worthconsidering using China-based

employees with localknowledge if you have them.

If your approach is tooutsource your data centre toChina or employ the services ofa content delivery network(with local Chinese staff), itmight be favourable to usetheir Bei An registrationservices, which have a greatdeal of experience insuccessfully steering otherclients through the people andprocess maze.

Selling via the webTo sell products over theInternet to Chinese buyers, anInternet Content Providerlicence (ICP) is required.Again, the personal touch willbe of benefit here and an effort in person is the best wayto make things happen.

However, the mainstumbling block will be themulti-province reporting youmay need to provide. TheChinese Central Governmentdemands that you supply adetailed report about thecontent you will send toChinese users from each IPaddress and the legislativerequirements vary by province,which you will need to beaware of.

An organisation which

employs many IP addressesmay come across moreobstacles owing to provinceshaving their own reportingconditions and the widedispersion of Chinese users.The effect of this can becurtailed by cutting down thenumber of IP addresses – butthis can have strongimplications for a website’sinfrastructure. Ultimately, it isimportant to understand eachprovince’s reportingrequirements before you agreeon the desired outcomes withmanagement.

Operational challengesIn the UK, a handful oftelecommunications operatorscollaborate to provide smoothdelivery of websitecontent across networksand, on the whole,seamless delivery is thenorm, not the exception.In China, the systemworks very differently.The dispersed natureof China’s Internetuser communitythrows up severaloperational challenges,which can be a bighindrance to companieslooking to come in from abroad. Peering between the

different networks thatcombine to create China’sInternet doesn’thappen in the sameeasy manner to whichorganisations havebecome accustomed in the UK – and this can compromise web-applicationperformance.

The last thing anorganisation launching into anew market needs is a poorend-product, undermining thehard work that has been doneto cement its presence there.

To counter this, IT managersneed to consider the specificarea(s) they are targeting.

If the plan is to work in asingle province, then securinga web hosting presence in alocal data centre is the bestcourse of action. However, ifconsidering a multi-provinceapproach, organisations wouldbe best served to learn fromthe mistakes of othercompanies and employ theservices of a content deliverynetwork (CDN). This willcounteract the peering issuesmentioned earlier, providingspeedy and consistent contentdelivery via a distributednetwork of servers acrossChina to any major province.

Many Europeanorganisations attempt a ‘backdoor’ approach to their Chinaentry strategy, enlisting HongKong data centre hosting to putthem within easy reach ofChina’s markets. But marketdemand has pushed

Hong Kong hosting coststhrough the roof. Organisationsstill need to pay an extra 300per cent to solve mainlandpeering issues, and, mostimportantly, remember thegreatest problem is scaling the‘Great Firewall of China’!

As you set your Internetstrategy for China, be awarethat the pricing and servicelevels that exist in Europe haveyet to proliferate China. Therecan be vast swings in pricingand service levels as well asthe time and effort required toachieve basic business andtechnological goals.

Do your homework andinterview several differentservice providers beforedetermining your tactical stepsand timeline.

This will help you to setrealistic expectations anddevelop an operationallysound China entry strategy.

The Chinese Central Government demands that yousupply a detailed report about the content you willsend to Chinese users from each IP address.

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09JANUARY 2012

BUSINESS BREAK

BUSINESS BREAK

Organic growth of firm with family roots

Above: The Produce World board, including four members of the Burgess family in the front row – brothers William,Jason and Andrew and their father David Burgess. Left: “Why wouldn’t you go organic?” asks Andrew Burgess.

and we haven’t looked back.The more I learned aboutorganic growing, the moreconvinced I became of thebenefits of organic methods andfollowing natural cycles.”

In 1999, Produce Worldfounded RB Organic, based inYaxley: a dedicated grower andsupplier of organic vegetables.

Andrew Burgess continued:“Many companies simply addorganics alongside theirconventional offering but wehad the opportunity to create acompany that was totallyfocused on this sector. At ProduceWorld RBO (as it is now known),we have integrated organicgrowers into the business andbenefited from engagementwith growers, workers and thecommunity in Yaxley. As well asgrowing and supplying organicvegetables, we have capacityfor preparing them and we areencouraging foodmanufacturers to make use oforganic vegetables in products.”

Today, Produce Worldprovides more than a third of allorganic root vegetables to theUK retail market and has inexcess of 500 acres dedicatedto growing organic vegetablessuch as potatoes, carrots,swedes and parsnips.

It’s truly a growing business,summed up Andrew Burgess:“As the gap in price betweenorganic and conventionalvegetables narrows, I think manymore people will opt for organics.After all, if you have the choiceand there is little price difference,why wouldn’t you go organic?”

Get your enterprise featured on our Business Break page. Email your details to: [email protected]

Produce World, a privatelyowned business founded by

the Burgess family in 1898, is oneof the largest expert growersand suppliers of high qualityfresh vegetables in Europe.

The Produce World Group’ssourcing is a combination ofcrops from its own farms, joint ventures and collaborativeworking with dedicated growergroups, supplying potatoes,alliums, brassicas, rootvegetables and organic produceto leading retailers, food serviceand manufacturing customers.

Over the past five years, thecompany has seen sales growmore than two-and-a-half timesto some £218 million for the year2010. Last year’s opening ofProduce World’s new head officein Lynchwood, Peterborough,was part of the continuingdevelopment of the business.

The organic sector, a hottopic in the freshproduce industry,plays an integral rolein the company’sworking ethos.

Produce World’s director ofagriculture, Andrew Burgess,sees a healthy future for theorganic category. He said:“As the largest grower oforganic vegetables in theUK, we are in an idealposition to gauge what iscurrently happening in thesector and what is likely tohappen in the future. Without adoubt, organics have beenunder pressure since 2008 andwe have seen sales volumesdecrease in potatoes andbrassicas. But we haven’t seenany significant erosion of theorganic carrots market and we are now actually seeingyear-on-year growth.

“At the same time, organicshas a significant advantageover conventional methods ofgrowing as it has notexperienced the same level ofincreased costs. Because we

don’t use herbicides,pesticides or oil-based

fertilisers, our costs haven’thad the same inflationarypressures. Also, growers andagronomists at Produce Worldhave worked on improving boththe quality of produce and the yields.”

Sustainable agricultureProduce World started growingorganic vegetables in 1996.While the company has alwaysbeen committed to sustainableagriculture, Andrew Burgessadmits they were sceptical atfirst about organics: “We havealways been big supporters of

LEAF (LinkingEnvironment AndFarming) and wereamong the first LEAFdemonstration farms,but we just weren’t sureof the benefits oforganics. Butdiscussions withcustomers convinced us there was a realopportunity in this sectorAbove and left: The Burgess family traded their

Fenland produce in Richmond and King’s Crossat the turn of the century. And later (below)Russell Burgess Ltd’s fleet took Burgee Potatoes from Yaxley all around the UK.

Cyber bullies and criminalswho commit offences online

are being banned from theInternet, as part of theGovernment’s recently announcedcyber security strategy.

In cases of hacking, fraud andonline bullying, the initiative callsfor police and courts to makemore use of existing ‘cybersanctions’ to restrict access tosocial networks and instantmessaging services. Sex offendersand those convicted ofharassment or anti-socialbehaviour also face more Internetrestrictions under the new regime.

Cyber sanctions were usedfollowing the riots last summer.

Officials are now looking intowhether ‘cyber-tag’ technologycould be used to enforce ordersand monitor offenders – thecyber-tags would be triggered byan offender breaching thesentence conditions and wouldautomatically inform the police orprobation service that the Internethas been used.

Web bulliesface e-tags

10 JANUARY 2012LEGAL EAGLES

LEGALEAGLES

Staff sickness doesn’t have to hurt

‘Act now on agency worker rules’The Agency Workers

Regulations have been partof employment law since lastOctober, but some companiesstill haven’t adopted thenecessary procedures, saysindependent Peterboroughagency Anne CorderRecruitment (ACR).

The agency has beenworking with clients for aroundtwo years to prepare for theintroduction of the regulationsbut is still aware of somebusinesses which haven’ttaken steps to ensure theycomply with the regulations.

The new rules bring equaltreatment in terms of pay andbenefits for temporaryworkers, engaged through anagency, in line withcomparable permanentmembers of staff.

In some areas, forexample, the use of collectivefacilities such as access to

a canteen, gym or childcare – that entitlementhas already kickedin. All tempsengaged fromOctober 1 musthave the samerights of access as permanent staff doing acomparable job.

Other rights,for instance holidayentitlement, kick in for tempsafter they’ve been in the samepost for 12 weeks.

While the onus is onagencies to ensure theregulations are adhered to,there is also a responsibility onfirms to supply information.

Karen Dykes, ACRrecruitment partner, said: “Wehave worked closely with a lot of companies in thePeterborough area to

make sure theyunderstand theregulations and howthey will affect boththem and the tempsand agencies theyuse. Unfortunately,as generallyhappens, there arealways some peoplewho bury theirheads in the sandhoping it’ll go away.

“These regulations won’t,and any company which usestemps – either now or is likelyto use them in the future – needs to be aware.”Anne Corder Recruitment is

offering a free impactassessment for businesses tohelp identify areas which mayneed attention to ensurecompliancy with theregulations. For more details,email: [email protected] call: 01733 319888.

We recently lost an employeeto a bad back for seven

months – she wasn’t swingingthe lead but was genuinelyunable to work. Her contractsaid we had to pay her a fullwage for six months and halfpay for the following six.

Being the generous guys thatwe are, we paid up – more than£10,000 in costs for no return. Itset us thinking . . . what would wedo if it happened again?

A recent survey found thatmore than half (52 per cent) ofemployers admitted they had notconsulted their staff abouthealthcare and incomeprotection benefits. This goes toexplain why only 11 per cent ofemployers feel their staff arehappy with the health benefitsthey are offered by their company.

So, what happens if a key

member of your staff is on sickleave for an extended period oftime? In many cases, you will becontracted to continue to paythem and, if not, they may haveto get by on statutory sick pay;currently £81.60 per week. So,either the company cash flowsuffers, or the employee suffers;neither scenario is ideal.

Safety netThere is, however, aneconomical and sensiblesolution: Group IncomeProtection Insurance. This actslike a safety net for bothemployees and the business.

The advantages of this typeof planning are clear; employeesfeel more secure and have thepeace of mind that, shouldanything happen that causes along absence from work, they

will continue to be paid. As anemployer, you can offer a realbenefit at a relatively modestcost. Being able to cover the staffmember’s wage for an extendedperiod of time means they aremore likely to return whenrecovered and the goodwill yougain from a recovered employeeis immeasurable.

You could also save the costsof recruitment and training of a

replacement. Cost, of course, isimportant and varies accordingto individual circumstances. It istherefore important that you geta quote from a suitably qualifiedindependent financial advisor.Call me for moreinformation.

Nick Ash is director, will and probate services, Tancreds. Email: [email protected] call: 01778 341490. Details here: www.tancreds.co.uk

There’s a sensible solution, says financial expert Nick Ash

Karen Dykes.

LEGAL EAGLESJANUARY 201211

Whether it’s a matter of anexisting son and heir or an

existing daughter and heiress,the issue of succession is onethat family business owners andthose with personal wealth topass on to the next generationhave to face – as much as theroyal family. That’s the advice ofthe Peterborough partners ofchartered accountants, SafferyChampness.

At a recent meeting ofCommonwealth leaders, it wasagreed – in principle and in

anticipation of the nextgeneration of the royal family – that succession arrangementsbe changed so sons should nolonger automatically takeprecedence as successors to the crown.

Saffery Champness says thekey is thinking and preparing forit well before being presentedwith an announcement or, worsestill, the event itself.

Research conducted by thefirm last year showed that thepractice of primogeniture, where

the first-born inherits (calledagnatic primogeniture when it’sthe eldest son who inherits) isstill being implemented by manylandowning families. But it has been replaced by a morerational approach based on theneed to maintain the fabric ofthe estate and the abilities oftheir heirs.

The increasingly complexnature of land ownership, estatemanagement and agriculturaldiversification, as well asprogressive attitudes to

inheritance, are leading to themodernising of the successionmodel that these most traditionalof ‘firms’ are taking. It is a modelthat those with significant assetswould do well to follow, saysSaffery Champness.

With amounts of inheritedwealth rising faster than thegrowth of the economy and whilecurrent rates of taxation are stillless of a barrier to wealthcreation than a few decadesago, Stephen Collins, a partnerbased in the firm’s Peterboroughoffice, believes there is no timelike the present to think aboutthe next generation when itcomes to matters of inheritance.

He said: “Setting aside achange in morality towardsinheritance by those with wealthto pass on, matters such asinheritance tax, capital gains taxand considerations such ascharitable trusts and theappointment of trustees are all acrucial part of inheritanceplanning for anyone in aposition of owning significantassets – whether that is property,land or business interests – orwho are in possession ofpersonal or family wealth.”

For further information, visit: www.saffery.com

An entrepreneur who is anauthority on blogging, is

advising companies to preparefor the new ‘cookie’ law.Cookies are small snippets

of code that tell the owner of awebsite what search termswere used to find the page andcan also tell if you are areturning visitor to the site or ifyou have been sent there bysomeone else. Cookies areoften used with programs likeGoogle Analytics.Sarah Arrow, founder of a

blogging website for women inbusiness – Birds On The Blog –

believes many people areunaware of the law changes. Itis designed to protect privacyand give visitors the opportunityto navigate away from a site ifthey want to avoid cookies or toblock them.She said: “It’s vital that

companies, or anyone who hasa website, complies with thislaw if their site uses cookies togather data or track howvisitors use their sites.“A warning must be

displayed stating that cookiesare being used before thewebsite loads.”

Any company or individualwith such a website mustcomply or risk a hefty fine. Thelaw came into effect in May lastyear in Europe but was delayedin the UK until the end of 2011. Sarah Arrow has developed

a simple, legal plug-in forWordPress – a commonplatform for websites – whichwill provide the warning beforea site loads. “This law couldpotentially cost businesses a lotof money adapting theirwebsites.” For her EU CookieLaw WP Plug-In (from £10), visit:cookielawwpplugin.co.uk

The business of succession reachesbeyond the royals Stephen Collins (right) says family businesses

should find out more about primogeniture.

Cookies: be aware of the changes

12 JANUARY 2012MOTORING

DRIVE

But then you lift the tailgate to see ahuge, square, load area . . . and then younotice there’s ample room for three adultsin the back seat. And it’s only at that pointthat it dawns on you: the Mazda6 Estate isdeliberately keeping a low profilebecause it has nothing to prove. It knowsit can deliver what you want from a largeestate car and it just gets on with it!

Seriously, the Mazda6’s boot can fitjust about anything into it, including thekitchen sink . . .

Oh, all right, I’m exaggerating! But it really did help me take my

bathroom sink and a massive roll ofcarpet to the tip this week. And, en route,I found out that the car, in 2.2 TS2 turbodiesel 163 ps guise, is not onlycomfortable but it has lots of power invirtually any gear you decide to slip into.The 266lb/ft of pulling power makes theestate an ideal towing vehicle, too. It’llhaul up to 1600kg, which is not bad.

I guess at this point it’s probably worthme writing a few basic words of cautionon towing.

Firstly, it’s essential you always checkyour vehicle is capable of legally towing afully laden trailer. If you don’t take notice,not only are you putting yourself andother road users at greater risk ofaccident, but you risk a fine if stoppedand found to be contravening the law. Inthe event of an accident, your insurancewill be also invalidated.

So, as a guide, the unladen weight ofyour trailer, plus the weight of your cargo,must not exceed the trailer’s maximumauthorised mass. This, in turn, should not

Fast facts l Max speed: 131 mph

l 0-62 mph: 9.2 secs

l Combined mpg: 52.3

l Engine: 2184 cc 16v turbo diesel

l Max power (bhp): 161 at 3500 rpm

l Max torque (Ib/ft): 266 at 1800 rpm

l Max towing weight (braked) 1600 kg

l CO2: 143 g/km

l Price: £22,480 on the road

Pros ’n’ consl Comfortable √

l Big load area √

l Economical √

l Pulling power √

l Dated exterior X

Plenty of room at a great price

The no-nonsensecorporate appearanceof the Mazda6 interior.

Mazda’s big estate car looks nice enough fromthe outside, but it hardly stands out from the

crowd. It even seems a little dated inside; thetraditional handbrake, the swathes of black plasticand fairly dull fabric seats don’t exactly ‘wow’ you.

MOTORINGJANUARY 2012 13

exceed the car’s maximum towing weight. Ihope I’ve made that clear!

Back inside the Mazda6, the cabinmaterials, although muted, all look durableand give the impression the car will handlebeing used as a mobile office.

The black interior surfaces have a no-nonsense corporate appearance and thedark fabric seats look as though they’ll handleyears of use. The handy rear seat releaselevers in the load area make inserting anylong items (such as my roll of carpet) anabsolute doddle and the seats are just aseasy to click back into place again once theboot is emptied. Getting a good drivingposition is easy in the load-lugging Mazdaand visibility is excellent thanks to the deepwindscreen and good height adjustmentrange of the driver’s seat.

The knobs and dials on the dashboard areall laid out in a very business-like andfunctional way and, on the road, the car eatsup the motorway miles effortlessly.

Tim Barnes-Clay

There is room for thekitchen sink in this largeestate car.

The Mazda6 2.2D Estate:low profile until you lift its tailgate.

Business Scene magazine’s motoring correspondent TIM BARNES-CLAY tries out the Mazda6 2.2D Estate and finds that, for both private andcorporate buyers, its ‘wow’ factoris its exceptional value for money.

Midway through 2010, theMazda6 range was refreshed and itsengines were all tuned to deliverbetter economy and loweremissions. With that added

knowledge mated to my few daysbehind the Mazda6’s wheel, I’d saythe Japanese estate is exceptionalvalue for money – both for privateand corporate buyers alike.

14 JANUARY 2012CLICKS&MORTAR

CLICKS&MORTARSite optimisesmobile leadsAnew site, optimised for the

mobile web, has gone live toallow precisely-targeted onlinesurveys to generate qualifiedleads from smartphone users. Norwich-based Internet

marketing specialist, Aspect Web Media, launched the site – TwoMinuteSurveys.co.uk – after figures showed that 22 per cent of mobile web userseither never or infrequently usethe desktop web, preferring toaccess the Internet via phone. Jonathan Erwin, MD of Aspect

Web Media said: “The site cantarget any mobile device and canbe tailored to any product, forany market and for anycompany’s individual needs.”

The vast majority of Britishconsumers shop via a variety

of channels – from the highstreet to cyber street.

But Leicester-based customermarketing firm, GI Insight,confirms that physical shopsremain a vital stop in thecustomer journey – even formany web purchases.

It has found that thecustomer journey – from firstmarketing contact to finalpurchase – does not usually takeplace over one channel alone,but via a multi-channelapproach to buying. And, whileBrits tend to purchase from theirfavourite brands both online andin-store, their buying habits arealso affected by the type ofproduct they are intending to purchase.

Research by GI Insight

shows that when it comes totheir favourite retailers, 63 percent purchase from both thebrand’s website and its highstreet stores. Many shoppers usephysical stores as, in effect,showrooms for examining andtrying out products beforeactually buying – even if theyintend to make the ultimatepurchase online. In particular,the findings reveal that 73 percent examine and test bulkyitems such as bicycles,playpens, garden tools andfurniture in-store first and 69 perof consumers like to try onfashion items in store.

For products that requirelittle sizing up or examination – such as CDs, DVDs, light bulbsor kitchen utensils – 68 per centof consumers will buy online.

Andy Wood, managing

director of GIInsight, said: “Thereis logic to consumerbehaviour acrossmultiple channels.Understanding this onan individual level is crucial tomanaging customers andgetting them to remain loyal,buy more with each transaction,and purchase more frequently.

“Gaining insight into howcustomers buy different productsthrough different channels, oruse multiple channels incombination as they come to apurchasing decision, enables abrand to tailor the message andthe offer for the channel whichbest reflects the product and theconsumer’s preferences. Key tothis is analysing customer datato see what trends and behaviourbest categorise that client.”

Andy Wood.

Consumers: multi-channel masters

CLICKS&MORTARJANUARY 2012 15

It’s Olympics year, so I havequoted a well-known Britishathlete (above). OK, so itdoesn’t always work out . . . itdidn’t work out for him . . . andanyway that was the winterOlympics . . . still, we areheading into a bright summerand hopefully a bright year!

But to get there, we need tolook at the here and now. Thefestivities have passed and areprobably long forgotten.January and February are oftenregarded as the months whenmorale is down and people feelunder pressure financially.Their minds can often be offtheir jobs and some don’t wantto be there at all. This is a timewhen odd things can happen,people don’t concentrate,mistakes can occur.

Not all these mistakes leadto accidents but they all canhave affect your bottom line,whether it is loss of production,faulty goods supplied or poorcustomer interface.

So what to do?I want to focus on the healthand safety side of things, butfollowing some of my tipsshould improve your overallbusiness performance.

Back to work inspections:You may have had a couple ofweeks off, or even just a day orso, but get your team togetherand as a group have a 20 or 30minute walk around the

With a background in engineering andmanufacturing, Colin Nottage runs Stamford and Bristol-based consultancy Safety Horizon. Email him:[email protected] or callFreephone 0845 689 0075. Find out more,here: www.safetyhorizon.com

Health and safetyexpert Colin Nottage

has some practical advice

Ready? Steady? No!

workplace to see what is goodand also where improvementscan be made. Re-enforce thegood practice, sort out the issues.

Plan for 2012: What do youwant to achieve? Whether it isimproved employee competence,better standards ofhousekeeping, accreditation withschemes such as CHAS orAchilles or just a greaterawareness, it works better if youhave a plan. I believe doing littleand often works best: set targetsfor Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 and stickto them.

Review: When did you lastlook at your health and safetypolicy, fire risk assessment orworkplace rules? Are they stillrelevant? And do your employeesunderstand what is expected?Consider a couple of hourshealth and safety awarenesstraining. Cover the basics, keep it simple and to the point,but give people a chance toraise issues.

Finally, empower your workcolleagues to make the right call.Introduce a fair blame process; ifpeople come to you with issuesor problems or examples of poorpractice, support them to getthings right. Encourage them tosay ‘no’ if they feel at risk or areunhappy with the health andsafety controls in place.

However, if people are doingthings badly or are puttingthemselves or their colleagues atrisk, take appropriate action.

For a monthly health andsafety checklist or business plan template, just drop me a line or call. Details below.

A year full of hope andpromise, one where I can sailahead of my competitors.

– Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards.Calgary, 1988.

Stanislas Nyokas is founder of iTotalMarketing, Peterscourt, City Road,Peterborough. Call 01733 294551. www.itotalmarketing.co.uk

I interact with many customersand have found that websitedesign and hosting are thebiggest areas where customershave an axe to grind.

At first, I didn’t understandthe concerns my prospectivecustomers had about this topic,but once I started to analysetheir websites’ performance andpage set-up, I developed abetter grasp of their grievances.

Guidelines and standardsfor designing websites can befound here: www.w3.org/standardsand are well documented.

Please always strive tofollow these guidelines with allyour website designs.

Sometimes, we found thatcustomers are at fault becausetheir requirements are not 100per cent clear. They may wanttheir developers to implementfunctionality in the websitedesign which requires theaddition of some flash codewithin the traditional HTMLcode – I am not a big supporterof using flash code, especiallyon the landing page.

Connecting with customersAt iTotalMarketing, we know thatusing ‘splash pages’ (anintroduction page which appears

while the website loads) on thelanding page can be very nice,but because we are also expertsin the field of Search EngineOptimisation, we will not adviseour customers to use that type ofdesign, because it ranks verypoorly in search engines suchas Google or Bing. We considerthem to be nice business cardsthat are hidden in the businessowner’s cupboards! Moreover, the purpose of

having a website is to connectwith the customers who arelooking for your products andservices, although they do notknow you yet.

Google offers a guideThere is a valuable resourcethat is not often used by websitedesign companies, which canbe found on Google by searching‘Google Webmaster Guidelines’.If you just follow it, you will makea website that scores well withthe search engine.

This guide also tells whereadvertisements should bepositioned on your website – forexample, please don’t useexcessive banner ads on thehome page. Not only is this is awaste of website real estate, butyour job is to give potentialcustomers visiting your websitethe best experience they can getonline, to make them come backagain and again.

We feel it is not a good ethicto use this method of creatingrevenue from your customers. Inall our website design testing,we find excessive banners loweryour conversion rate.

Areas where you do need tospend plenty of time are keywordresearch and the navigability ofyour website design.

Focus your attention onensuring that, at any time, auser visiting your website knowswhere they are – at a click.

Users can get carried awayand lost within the maze of yourwebsite, especially when the siteis large, if this issue is nottreated seriously.

The importance ofgood website design

IT expertiseby Stan Nyokas

18 JANUARY 2012WORKFORCE

WORKFORCE

British workers are putting in26 million extra hours in the

workplace each day, accordingto new research from the UK’slargest insurer, Aviva.

Its latest Health of theWorkplace report shows six inten employees regularly workbeyond their contracted hours,putting in around 1.5 hours‘overtime’ a day. Nearly one infour claim they work an extratwo to three hours daily.

The majority (79 per cent) ofthese hours are unpaid, whichmeans workers are providingaround worth £225 million of‘free’ hours each day.

As a result, the health of theUK workforce is suffering:

l 27 per cent always feel tired.l 23 per cent feel stressed.l 15 per cent eat junk food.l Nine per cent smoke/drink in order to unwind.Fewer than one in five say

they still have a good work/lifebalance, despite the extra hours,and only 18 per cent say theywork longer for the love of thejob. Most extra hours are put inbecause employees claim theyhave too much work (41 per cent)or because they want to make agood impression (20 per cent).

Staff are adopting a numberof strategies to squeeze in theseextra hours:l 37 per cent continue to worklate into the evenings.

l 28 per cent start early.l 16 per cent work weekendsl One in ten work late at night when unable to sleep.Dr Douglas Wright, head of

clinical development for Aviva,said: “Most employers makegreat efforts to ensure workersget a good work/life balance.Our study showed this is a toppriority for a third of employersthis year – so they may be verysurprised to see how someemployees are struggling tomanage their workloads. Sixper cent of workers actuallyreport they have been off sick asa result of overworking, so it’s ineveryone’s interests to nip anysuch problems in the bud.”

UK staff work 26 millionunpaid hours each day

Hunt for skilledstaff continueswithin SMEs

Almost a third of smallbusinesses have difficulty

at start-up stage with findingsuitably skilled staff, newfigures show, despite the factthat unemployment is rising.The Federation of Small

Businesses (FSB) and All-PartyParliamentary Small BusinessGroup launched an inquiry intohoentrepreneurship barrierscan be removed when statisticsrevealed the problems smallbusinesses face at start-up: thestruggle for skilled workers,onerous regulations anddifficulty securing finance.

The FSB is calling on theGovernment to increaseenterprise education and extendwork trials for jobseekers.

WORKFORCEJANUARY 2012 19

Dealing with workplace stress

Fancy a round of golf or agame of rugby on your

business meetings agenda?A service just launched

by a Cambridgeshire-basedcompany aims to put people intouch with potential businessassociates via sporting events.

The personal introductionservice offered by Golffishfacilitates business relationshipsregardless of industry sector orgeographic region.

Golffish founder, BryanMoore, explained: “This conceptwas born out of necessity, really:an existing client asked if I couldarrange a golf course introductionfor him with a specificbusinessman. With the contactsavailable to me, it was easy to doso and what better way to build arelationship than while enjoying18 holes!

“I personally research theindividual and establish what

sports interestsexist. Invitationsare then extendedand introductionsfacilitated at a suitable sportingvenue or event when quality face-to-face time is available.

“It can be anything from golfto football, rugby and beyond.We pride ourselves on providinga professional and highlyconfidential service.”

He said the service is beingwell received by localbusinesspeople, who areincreasingly frustrated byattempts to contact targetindividuals by standard methods.Modern working environmentsand high workloads make italmost impossible to contact busyexecutives by traditional means,he explained.

Contact Bryan Moore, email:[email protected] or visit thewebsite: www.golffish.co.uk

Service gives networking a sporting chance! HR expertise

from David Neal

David Neal is director,

Cirrus: humanresources

software andservices

specialists.

Cambridgeshire recruitmentspecialist The One Group

has presented a cheque for£5,744 to local medicalemergency charity, Magpas. Theamount was raised through TheOne Group’s annual golf day,auction and raffle.

Pictured at the presentationof the cheque are, from left: Dr Simon Lewis, Hilary Bremner,

MD of The One Group TristanDrane, Magpas CEO DarylBrown and Magpas volunteerparamedic Dan Cody.

It is suggested employers shouldencourage employees to taketheir full holiday entitlement,allow employees to work fromhome where appropriate,consider job shares and adoptflexible hours. While it may not bepossible for practical reasons toadhere to all of the above, it isvital steps are taken to create anopen and supportive workingenvironment for your employees.

Communicate and consultA good employer or line manageris one who effectivelycommunicates and consults withemployees and can then be in aposition to recognise thedifference between pressure andstress. Pressure, if managedproperly, can be positive,challenging and motivating, butwhen an employee exhibits signsof stress it might be due to suchbasic factors as a lack of training,unrealistic sales target or anexcessive workload.

After making the necessaryworkload adjustments or puttingin place appropriate training,stressors can be reduced or eveneradicated.

Stress can have an impact notjust personally but also on our

working lives and those of ourcolleagues. In the present economicclimate, it will be of little surprise tolearn that, according to someauthorities, stress levels havedoubled in the last four years.

The Health & Safety Executive(HSE) defines stress as: ‘Theadverse reaction people have toexcessive pressure or other types ofdemands placed upon them.’

These excessive pressures anddemands are known as ‘stressors’and a person’s reaction to them iscalled ‘stress response’.

Workplace stress isacknowledged as a seriousproblem in the UK. Mind, the mentalhealth charity, released a reportwhich estimated that Britishbusinesses were losing up to £8billion every year to workplacestress. It is estimated that up to 41 percent of workers experience stress.

Under the Health and Safety atWork Act (1974) employers have aduty to control the risk of stress-related ill health. They mustensure management of workplacestress is effective. Failure couldresult in your business losing itscompetitive edge, through chronicabsence and low morale, with thevery real prospect of costlyemployment tribunals and claimsfor personal injury.

The Government hasrecognised the problem of stressand, as part of its initiative topromote a better work-life balance,has carried out research intoflexible working and parental leave.

Bryan Moore.

Golfers’ boost for Magpas

20 JANUARY 2012SKILLSET

SKILLSETThat is the verdict of many

consumers, who claim themajority of targeted marketing isirrelevant to them.

A survey conducted by YouGovon behalf of Cambridge-based firmFeaturespace, has discovered that, even if a marketer has succeeded in targeting their communicationsappropriately, consumer attitudesmean the number of potentialconversions will still be limited.

In the study of more than 2,000consumers, 82 per cent said theyconsider at least half of all types oftargeted marketing they receive tobe spam. More than half said most

targeted marketing is actuallymistargeted; presented to them atthe wrong time with irrelevantoffers or promotions.

Most marketers now rely ontraditional sources of customerinformation to make their campaigndecisions, building marketsegments rather than focusing onthe individual. Even with a smallsegment, this aggregated approachinherently shows generic customerbehaviour, blurring any potentialinsight into what individualcustomers need or desire.

But only 42 per cent of peoplewould actually be ‘more likely’ to

buy a product after receivingtargeted marketing that is ofrelevance to them. This shows thata huge proportion of marketers’budget is being wasted on thoseunlikely to respond to promotions.

However, it also represents anopportunity for marketers; look toidentify this 42 per cent of consumersand ensure a more cost-effectivemarketing spend, said DavidExcell, CEO of Featurespace:“Businesses need to be able to actfaster on what they learn; seizingopportunities before theircompetitors do. In a digital context,marketers need to change theirperception of a campaign from afixed time, push-button activity, topersonal communications, tailoredspecifically to the needs of theindividual and delivered via thecorrect channel at exactly theoptimal moment.”

Dissatisfied customers will

shop elsewhere, but there is anopportunity for companies toenhance customer loyalty andencourage repeat business: 63 percent of respondents agree firmscould increase customer loyaltysignificantly by understanding andcommunicating the most relevantoffers in the right way and right time.

“These results are awake-up call formarketers,” said Excell.“If businesses are tominimise campaignwaste and have a realimpact they need a smarterapproach to marketing insight.

“Using detailed, accurate andreal-time intelligence of customerbehaviour, especially online, enablesthem to differentiate from theircompetitors by truly understandingwhat motivates customers to spendmore and can adapt marketingcampaigns to individuals’ needs.”

DavidExcell.

‘Targeted marketing is mostly spam’

The UK is truly a nation of small businesses. According to recent government statistics,

small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) accountfor 99.9 per cent of enterprises and employ23.4million people. The overall number of SMEshas risen by 2.1 per cent since the start of 2010.

Small isbeautifulsay Brits inbusiness

SKILLSETJANUARY 2012 21

It seems as if not a day goes bywithout the announcement of anew piece of technology to helpus stay connected – whether weare price-checking in store ortalking to our friends.

For some, change is the nextlogical step, but others remainresistant to interactions with newtechnology channels.

And when it comes tobusinesses giving out loyaltyscheme offers via media such asmobile and social networks,research by Ipsos MORI andcustomer interactions specialist,The Logic Group, 40 per cent ofthe British public don’t want toreceive offers this way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, thereis a marked difference in howopen to adoption differentgenerations are. When asked ifthey would like to receive loyaltyscheme offers via newtechnology channels, half ofconsumers aged 45-54, and 54per cent of 55-64-year-olds said‘no thanks.’ Around a third ofpeople aged under 35 are morereceptive to them.

Antony Jones, CEO of TheLogic Group, said: “When itcomes to developing loyalty

schemes that involve newtechnologies, it’s imperative toconsider your target customers.

“Those businesses offeringproducts or services used byolder consumers should perhapsbe more careful about theintroduction of new technologychannels as part of day-to-dayscheme interactions.“

The research also showedthat just under half the surveyrespondents would like to use acredit/debit card as a loyalty card.

Jones added: “They showinterest in schemes where theyonly need to use one card ordevice, pointingtowards futuretechnologies to createlinks between accountsand scheme rewards,mobile apps, NFC andcontactless technology.”

Which are the preferred media?While those surveyed recognisedthat new technology can fulfil theevolving needs of customers, noteveryone is willing or able toembrace them. For olderrespondents, the keyreservations were physicalbarriers (feeling they may be

penalised for having out-of-datedevices), knowledge barriersand fear of the unknown, datasecurity and being tracked.

Respondents were askedabout various new technologies:1. Mobile technology (SMS offers,applying points/rewards whenyou purchase using your phone,a loyalty app and receivingoffers to your phone from nearbyshops): some had seen and usedmobile apps before and saidwhen implemented correctly theywere the future of loyaltyschemes – also linking thistechnology to their desire toreduce the number of cards intheir wallets. Texts and alerts tophones while shopping, thoughcould become annoying. 2. Social media (‘liking’ orfollowing a brand to receive newoffers – schemes would be ableto see what you are looking atand send you relevant offers):some already used social mediaand were happy with it, whilesome voiced concerns aboutdata security. They liked beingable to sign up to a companyand receive offers of relevance,but there are security issues. 3. The mobile wallet: there were

mixed reactions across all agesto this concept. There are worriesabout fraudulent use and theftand negativity towards thesuggested £15 transaction limit –it was suggested this could beincreased by adding a PIN to thetransaction to make it moresecure. But people felt the mobilewallet would be convenient as aphone is always with you andcontactless technology wouldspeed up the transaction.

Simon Atkinson, assistantchief executive at Ipsos MORI,said: “There is undoubtedlyconsumer appetite for using newtechnologies when thebenefits (simplicity,immediacy) are madeclear; but uncertaintyremains about theactual user experience.New technology couldmake interacting with ascheme more convenient andmake offers and informationmore easily accessible. For thoseworried about embracingtechnology changes, and theolder generation in particular,the answer is likely to lie inoffering existing services intandem with new.”

David Grundy is managing director of Tuit Achievements and offers a free 30-minute taster session.Email: [email protected] or telephone: O1733 210464 or 07894 705293.

Twitter: tuitdoit Facebook david@tuitachievements Web: www.tuitachievements.com

The new year turns ourthoughts to the future. How

good are you at keepingresolutions? Often life and ‘stuff’takes over and you are back onthe merry-go-round again, notgetting where you want to be.Knowing it’s important and tellingyourself, you will ‘get a round tuit’just need to do this job first andthen that one and so on . . .

What can you do to ensure

you stay

you are committed to yoursuccess – in life, work or career?

Here are my top five tips:1. Stop! Get off theroundabout andcheck where you arenow and where youare headed. 2. Visualise yoursuccess. Be like allgood athletes andcreate a vision ofyour success. Createyour own visionboard: pictures, headlines frommagazines, etc. Put it where youwill see it every day.

3. Define your milestones. Beclear about what objective willtake you nearer to your goal and

write them down. What? Why? When? How?

4. Catch the TRAMS.This is about your lifenot just work. Yourobjectives should beThrill, Resonate, beAccountable,Measurable andSpecific. Working this

way instead of smart will helpyou arrive at what is ‘specific’more easily.

5. Focus andcommit. Askyourself, ‘Isthis taking me towardsmy goal oraway?’ Don’t be sapped by thesuckers of your time.

Sometimes (usually) all ittakes is a small paradigm shiftand you’re doing things you’vebeen putting off for years. If youreally want to ‘get a round tuit’and build your business, careeror work on your life balance,contact me. Here’s to yoursuccess. Happy New Year!

Skills expertise with

DavidGrundy

AntonyJones. Simon

Atkinson.

Will our customers embrace the‘mobile wallet’?It depends on their age, reveals a

survey into uptake of e-loyalty offers

2012: look where you’re going

JANUARY 2012TRAVEL22

OFF DUTY

Above:The harbour at Ephesus, viewed from the vastamphitheatre. The sea would have been only a fewmetres from the amphitheatre in Biblical times.

Below:This remarkable structure, called the Pamukkale(Cotton Castle) is entirely created by nature. Where mineral rich waters bubble out of thehillside, travertine pools are formed. Often open to the public, it is thought that bathing in this water is hugely beneficial to the skin.

Right: Mevlana,also known asWhirling Dervishes,perform theirmesmerisingceremony in Konya,the religious centreof Turkey.

Pictured below: The Library at Ephesus – just one of themagnificent buildings lovingly uncovered by archaeologists.There’s even a gents’ loo and a brothel (c 500bc!).

Talking Turkey and With the dire warnings of a

double-dip recessionringing in our ears, and theeurozone becoming ever moreunaffordable, now is the timeto think about this year’sholiday a little differently.

Many people choose all-inclusive packages inEurope and the Caribbean,as they take away the worryof how much you need totake with you to spend on

food and drink. Thedownside

is you can feel tiedto yourhotel forthewholeof your

stay and could miss out on thecultural side of your holiday.I suggest that you should

‘think outside the box’. Awayfrom the eurozone, bed andbreakfast, half board, or evenself catering are great in acountry where you can still eat and drink like a king for very little.

Turkey is one suchplace – huge andmagical, it’s the onlycountry to have one footin Asia and the other inEurope. To get the bestout of it, I recommend aholiday which willencompass a few daysin Istanbul followed bya beach stay. You willfind the peoplewelcoming and kindand, if you take thetime to explore, you will discover a wealth of history andatmosphere. Of course,

Above: The areas of the TurquoiseCoast covered by gulet cruises.

Above: The incredible Sultan Ahmet Mosque inIstanbul, also known as the Blue Mosque, has thelargest unsupported dome in the world and fantasticIslamic ceramic tiles on the inside – see the domedinterior view (circled above).

TRAVELJANUARY 2012

Travel correspondentJANE PRICE says youcan eat and drink like a king in Turkey,despite the recession.

23

traditional packages exist forTurkish holidays, but a betterway to see some of thewonderful sights is to getyour travel agent to arrangea ‘dynamically packaged’two or three-centre holiday.This involves your agentbooking flight arrangements,transfers and hotels fromdifferent sources and can beinfinitely tweaked to get thebespoke holiday to suit you.As long as you choose youragent carefully, and makesure he/she is affiliated toand covered by ABTA andAtol licences, you can stillenjoy the confidence ofknowing that your holiday isfinancially covered, as anyreputable agent will alsomake sure your

arrangements are covered bysupplier failure insurance,which will give you completepeace of mind.This is particularly

effective if you can be flexibleon your travel dates, as youragent will be able to sourcethe best priced flights – oftenmid-week – and tie them inwith accommodation and transfers.I suggest three nights in

Istanbul, followed by ten or11 nights in one of the manysmall, family-run two andthree star hotels alongTurkey’s coastline and, if youhave longer, factor in a cruiseon one of the wonderfulhand-built gulets whichcruise along the TurquoiseCoast. This way you will truly

find the real Turkey . . . takethe time to visit as manyplaces as possible while youare there – the country is vast

and you won't see it all onyour first visit. But I am willingto bet that, once you havebeen, you’ll go back again!

Below: Don’t miss the chance tohaggle foreverything fromspices todiamonds in thehuge coveredGrand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Right: The beautiful HagiaSophia, Istanbul, is thought to be the mostbeautiful ChristianChurch in the world. It isnow a museum honouringboth the Muslim andChristian faiths.

For details of thebreaks featured

here, contact: Jane Price at Hays Travel.

Tel: 08000 141 833 or01733 808330. Email: [email protected]

or visit the web page:www.hays-travel.co.uk/janeprice

the Turquoise Coast

Centre right: The most amazing part of Turkey isCapadoccia. People still live in many of the strangestructures and caves, whichhave been carved out of thelandscape by wind and rain.

The lagoon at Olu Deniz – probably one of the bestknown images of Turkey.There are many small

villages near this area, allwith hotels and pansions – an ideal place to baseyour beach-side holiday.

Value for money on the edge of Europe

Above: One of the traditional woodengulets, fully crewed and sleeping nomore than 12 passengers – provides a fantastic way to see the coastline.

24 JANUARY 2012DIARY DATES

Here’s a few things you maynot have known about the

BBC’s Formula One sportspresenter, Jake Humphrey:l He was born in Peterboroughl He’s colour blindl He’s coming to the city to speak at the NSPCC’sPeterborough Business SupportGroup event on February 23. The gala dinner, at the

Holiday Inn West, will generatefunds to support vulnerableyoungsters in the city.The Peterborough Business

Support Group hasraised more than halfa million poundsthrough its charitableefforts – its recent15th AnniversaryGala Dinner, withjournalist PennySmith as guestspeaker, raised £14,000.Group chairman Chris Collier,

said: “We are very appreciativethat Jake is sparing the time toattend our event.” Tickets are £60each, email: [email protected]

DIARY DATESJanuary 13 Corby EnterpriseCentre, London Road, Priors Hall.Integrating e-commerce systems:one-day action planning workshop.Hosted by the eBusiness Club andNorthamptonshire Chamber, thisevent is for businesses in the Corbyregion that are interested in takingtheir existing business online orstating an e-commerce venture.More details by telephoning 01604 490490 or visit the website:www.ebusinessclub.biz/events

January 13 Peterborough, OrtonLongueville, Orton Hall Hotel (7.45-10am). Speed networkingbreakfast, hosted by theCambridgeshire Chambers ofCommerce. Broaden your networkof contacts. £15 for members, £22.50(plus VAT) for non-chambermembers. Book through MariaBriggs, tel: 01223 237414 or email:[email protected] or visitthe website for more details, here:www. cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk

January 17 Lincoln, Outer CircleRoad, Commerce House (8.30-4pm).Blogging for Business, one-dayaction planning workshop hostedby Lincolnshire Chamber ofCommerce. Free to attend – but callto check regional eligibility criteria,tel: 01522 523333 or email:[email protected]

February 9 Peterborough, LynchWood, Media Matters agency.Online Marketing Bootcamp. Seearticle right and contact KarenMcNulty to book your place:[email protected] ortel: 01733 371363.

February 23 Peterborough, HolidayInn West. Fundraising gala dinnerand auction, organised by thePeterborough Business SupportGroup for the NSPCC, with guestspeaker Formula One presenterJake Humphrey, see article (right).Email [email protected] to booktickets (£60 each) or find out abouta VIP upgrade – enabling you tomeet Jake Humphrey beforethe event and enjoy champagneand canapés.

February 22 and 29 Lincoln, OuterCircle Road, Commerce House(8.30-4pm). Web Development, two-day workshop by LincolnshireChamber of Commerce. Free butcall to check regional eligibilitycriteria, tel: 01522 523333 or email:[email protected]

JakeHumphrey.

Businesses can no longerafford to ignore online

marketing – that’s the advicefrom Peterborough marketingagency, Media Matters. Thechallenge in such a fast-movingworld with so many options, is topin down those platforms whichare relevant now – as well asthose that could become relevantin the future.Some online tools are fads.

Deciding which will stay andwhich won’t is vital. Then there isthe task of evaluating which ofthose with longevity will actuallybe useful for your business andwhich will serve no purpose.These rules are the same for anymarketing activity – and treatingonline marketing in the sameway will help establish whichtools are right for your particularbusiness, says the agency.

Online marketing includes:l Email marketing: e-newsletters,bulletins, event invitationsl Online advertising: searchadvertising with pay-per-click(Google, Yahoo, Bing), banneradvertising on websites, affiliateadvertising and advertising onsocial media platforms such asFacebook and Twitterl SEO (Search Engine

Optimisation): maximising thepotential of your website toappear on the first page ofsearch engines for relevantsearch termsl Social media: social networkssuch as Twitter, Facebook,Google+, YouTube and bloggingl Online PR: using newsdistribution services such as PRWeb, Google News and PR Logl Your website.Before developing an online

marketing strategy – andcertainly before setting up abusiness Facebook page,commiting to pay-per-clickadvertising or tweeting yourthoughts across the globe – askyourself the following questions:

1. What are you trying to achieve?If your main objective is togenerate sales, not all onlinemarketing will deliver thatquickly. Online advertising ishighly measurable and excellentfor e-commerce businesses, butsocial media are more aboutraising profile and awareness ofyour brand and then engagingwith your target audience.

2. Who are yourcustomers?Choosing asocial medium topromote your business ispointless if your customers arenot using it. Overlaying researchinto the demographics for usersof each medium onto yourknowledge of the behaviour andprofile of your target audiencewill help you establish the bestchannels. For example, Facebookbusiness pages are usually moreeffective with consumeraudiences than other businessesalthough there are examples ofbusiness-to-business pagesworking with some creativethought. Have a look at the RICSpage: http://www.facebook.com /ricssurveyors and Dell’s socialmedia page: www.facebook.com/dellsocialmedia

3. Do you have the resource?Online marketing can requiremajor time commitment. Onlineactivity will generally need to runin conjunction with offline activity,thus adding another layer ofwork. Plan ahead for a head start. Lynch Wood-based Media

Matters runs online marketing‘bootcamps’ for local businesses,the agency’s marketing director,Karen McNulty, explains: “Weensure we are fully versed in thenewest methods of reachingtarget audiences so we canexamine their effectiveness forbusinesses. The bootcampsenable us to share some of thatknowledge with local businessesand our clients.”To find out more or to book

your free place on the nextOnline Marketing Bootcamp – which takes place on February9, 2012 – contact Karen McNulty,email: [email protected] or call her on: 01733 371363.

Charity welcomes backFormula One anchorman

Online marketing: everyone’sdoing it, but is it right for you?

Book your place at Media Matters’ February‘bootcamp’ to boost your business’s onlinemarketing strategy, says Karen McNulty (right).

JANUARY 2012 25

Answers on page 26

Get into Business Scene’s CEO spotlight. Email your HEADLINES responses to: [email protected]

Business Scene gets up close and a little bitpersonal with executives around the region.Here, we put the life and times of Mark Ringer,organiser of this year’s re-launched WillowFestival, under the spotlight.

26 JANUARY 2012PROFILE

The Willow Festival is back atthe city’s Embankment in May

and local businesses arebeing encouraged to supportthe event. It was last staged

in 2003 (below) andattracted an audience ofmore than 50,000, making it the largest free music

festival in Europe.

back, email me for details:[email protected] first job was: Musicalinstrument demonstrator,salesman and teacher atTreasure Music in BridgeStreet, Peterborough, 1978. But my dream job would be:Exactly what I’m doing now. Are you a technophobe or atechnophile? Somewhere inthe middle. I love stuff withbuttons as long as there’s onebutton for one function.I like to spend my time off:Far too many hobbies for myown good or means. I likespending a lot of time with myfamily and we take part inmany activities togetherincluding motorsport (we

have a family drag racingteam). I play and watch livemusic, visit historical sitesand travel as much as timeand funds allow. I watch a lotof cinema as I’m a big fan ofnon-mainstream directorsand art-house movies. What’s your favourite brand?The Willow Festival!My finest hour: I helpeddeliver my second child.I hate it when: Bureaucracygets in the way of a good idea. I am surprisingly good at:Cliff diving – higher the better.My dream dinner partyguests would be: John Pilger,Kate Bush, Dario Argento,Nelson Mandela, Joan Rivers,Jim Clarke, Lyall Watson, UriGeller, William S Burroughsand Catherine Deneuve. And the food would be: 32ozTexas beef steak.At my funeral, please play:I’m not having a funeral, butat my sending off party,Kashmir by Led Zeppelinwould be fine.If I ruled the world, I would:Re-ignite state exploration of space for humancolonisation purposes.

retail salesbusiness,as well asrecording a newalbum withBurning Codes. I am currently organising

The Willow Festival, which Iwill be bringing back toPeterborough Embankmentthis year. We ran the festivalbetween 1998 and 2003,attracting some 50,000people in the final year;which made it Europe’sbiggest free music festival.We are currently looking forlocal companies andbusinesses based inPeterborough to come onboard and support TheWillow Festival, which willtake place during the finalweekend of May. If you want to support the

festival that the publicdemanded to be brought

HEADLINES

Full name: Mark Ringer.Current business carddetails: Consultant to the music industry. Biography: I was born inPeterborough and have beenvery happily un-married tomy partner for 23 years – with two daughters aged 17and 14 and a son (10). Myfamily has owned businessesin Peterborough for severalgenerations and still does.I’ve been in the musicindustry all my professionallife and have taken on manyroles, often simultaneously,including musician, TV andradio presenter, artistmanager, promoter, musicindustry products specialist,sound and lighting engineer,tour manager, eventsmanager, artist endorsementagent, record label owner,rehearsal studio proprietorand so on. I am also runninga musical instrument

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