< Previous10Business Link www.blmforum.netNEWSXBlades confirmed asnew kit supplier forYorkshire CarnegieAs of nextseason,YorkshireCarnegie willbe sportingthe name of anew kitsupplier in theform of fellowYorkshirebusiness XBlades Sports.The five-year deal will see the Doncaster-based company design,manufacture and supply the Greene King IPA Championship RugbyUnion club with all of their home and away kits as well as leisure andtraining apparel for the forthcoming seasons.The new look playing and training wear will complement the alreadysignificant XBlades presence around Headingley Carnegie Stadium,having previously secured close links with both rugby teams – Carnegieand sister Rugby League club Leeds Rhinos with a boot deal.Lee Jenkinson, XBlades CEO said: “Although XBlades wasestablished over 25 years ago in Australia, we’ve only been trading inthe UK since 2012 and since then the brand has flourished withinternational players wearing our kit, boots and protection.“Landing the Yorkshire Carnegie contract is an amazing opportunity,we can now add the club to our impressive list of partners, whichincludes Gloucester Rugby, Leeds Rhinos, Cronulla Sharks, ParramattaEels and Castleford Tigers.”Manufacturing boss showssupport for Women inEngineering DayJoanna Robinson, Managing Directorof Bradford-based Mansfield Pollard,has expressed her support for the 2016National Women in Engineering Day(23rd June) by sharing the ways inwhich she promotes the industry to thenext generation of female engineers.Since her appointment as ManagingDirector, Ms Robinson, pictured, hasworked to build relationships with keypeople and influencers within theindustry as she feels very passionateabout introducing and promotingengineering as a worthwhile andrewarding career. Her passion wasrecognised and she became the firstfemale member and Vice-Chair of theBESA Ductwork Executive Committee. As one of the few women in the industry, Ms Robinson believesthat she has a responsibility to promote career opportunities for bothsexes and hopes that her example inspires other women to choose topursue careers within the industry. Ms Robinson said: “The extreme shortage of women engineers inthe UK, less than 9% shows that engineering is still a male dominatedcareer with little diversity. A major part of my role is to educate andinspire young women, and to break down gender barriers byencouraging and supporting them to consider engineering as aprofession.”Times get easier forSMEs, says the CBIConditions for theUK’s small andmedium-sizedbusinesses stabilisedover the past quarter,according to the latestCBI Quarterly SMEtrends survey, afterdeteriorating in theprevious quarter.The survey of 441firms reported that totalnew orders and newdomestic orders edged up slightly in the three months to April, while exportorders fell again.But optimism about demand for exports over the year ahead also rosefor the second quarter, with SMEs expressing greater confidence thanlarger firms.Meanwhile, output was flat among small and medium-sizedmanufacturers, in line with the performance of the rest of the manufacturingsector, following a quarter in which they outperformed the sector as awhole. Expectations for the quarter ahead remained strong.Rain Newton-Smith, pictured, CBI Director for Economics, said: “Higherspending on training is often a sign that skills shortages are biting again.This further underlines the need for business and government to worktogether in the coming months and make sure we get the design of theapprenticeship levy right, so it can deliver the quality skills training thatfirms need.”Tel: 0800 012 6656 Email: workforceskills@grimsby.ac.uk workforceskills.co.ukIS THEFORCEWITH YOU?Workforce Skills offers qualitytraining solutions for your business. Whether you're looking for an Apprentice, Trainee or to upskill your staff we can createinnovative solutions in: Engineering & ConstructionProfessional ServicesHealth & Social Care Manufacturing & DistributionRetail Enterprises06-12_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:28 Page 5Promote and maintain good health in the workplaceOur Professional Team can help!How Can We Help You?Promoting Occupational Health canprovide important benefits including;Improved Staff MotivationOccupational Health is a pro – activeapproach that many companies arenow adopting to actively maintain andpromote good health in the workplaceand thus safeguard its most valuableasset – its employees. Staffmotivation will be improved becauseemployees feel they are valued bytheir employer.Reduced Sickness AbsenceLevelsWith our highly qualified OccupationalHealth team we can help yourcompany reduce sickness absencelevels. You can obtain a referralappointment almost immediately and adetailed report will be issued 3 workingdays following the appointment.Reduced Stress LevelsProblems at work? Stress, anxiety and loss ofworking hours? You can minimize the impact byreferring your employees for an immediatecounselling appointment.Health SurveillanceWe conduct health surveillance to meet anystatutory requirements. Examples are preplacement, OGUK, ENG1, Confined Space,HGV, Aviation, Diving, Asbestos, Lead, HAV’s Robinson Road, Immingham Dock, Immingham, DN40 2QN Tel: 01469 571030 • ohsnurses@oh-services.co.uk United House, King George Dock, Hull, HU9 5PRTel: 01482 712113 • ohsnurseshull@oh-services.co.uk www.oh-services.co.ukPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/AYZEK/YEVHEN VITTEOther ServicesVaccinations, Drugs & Alcohol Testing, BloodSamples & ECGs06-12_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:28 Page 612Business Link www.blmforum.netINTRAPRENEURDoes your businesshave an intrapreneuror could it benefitfrom one?James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner StreetsChartered AccountantsWhilst you shouldn’t answer a questionwith a question, it is probably the startingpoint here in that perhaps it would behelpful to answer what is anintrapreneur? A simple definition is ‘theemployee of an existing business andsomeone that has not founded or is anowner of the business itself but who, toall intents and purposes, has thecharacteristics and behaviour of anentrepreneur.’Typically an intrapreneur has many ofthe characteristics of their entrepreneurial counterparts, in thesense that they welcome a challenge, seek solutions to problems,take calculated risks and are often creative, innovative, highlymotivated and self driven. High levels of integrity, loyalty andpersistence, equally synonymous with the business owners, areoften part of their DNA, with a work ethic not limited to thenormal working day.In contrast to an entrepreneur whose focus is on the businessas a whole their internal counterparts are more likely to befocused on undertaking project or task driven initiatives. This mayinclude developing a new product or market, a new businessopportunity or introducing a new process.Whilst the entrepreneur often operates alone, or in isolation,our insider often benefits from being able to draw on theexpertise of their colleagues and the resources of the organisationto achieve their goal along with those of the organisation.Success is measured in terms of their ability to deliver theproject or task in line with objectives, on time and profitably.Often the completion of one project leads on to another one.Intraprenuers are often more motivated by the desire to achieveor deliver as opposed a pure monetary reward. There is,however, the possibility that they are approached by anotherbusiness and offered enhanced remuneration attracting themaway. Therefore ensuring your business provides recognitionand a conducive environment is key to their retention.The ability of the business to capitalise on the skills of theirintrapreneur are to a great extent dependent on themanagement’s ability to allow such individuals to have thefreedom to deliver but also control and support them to achieveshared aspirations.For those with their own in-house intrapreneur, hopefully thepoints hit a chord. Others may now recognise the traits of suchpeople amongst their employees, and others may now beconsidering what an intrapreneur might do for them. Certainlythey can make a significant impact on the bottom line, but thechallenge like finding any good staff is exactly that, finding one.James Pinchbeck, is Marketing Partner with StreetsChartered Accountants a top 40 UK accountancy firm.Email info@streetsweb.co.uk or visit www.streetsweb.co.ukBUSINESSLINKMULTI-PLATFORM MARKETINGIN PRINTBusiness Link is theregion’s leadingbusinesspublication,reaching decisionmakersthroughout the region.Often imitated but never equalled.ON LINEWith over 200,000visitors per monthvisiting our website,Business Link gets youradvertising message infront of the peoplethat count.FACE TO FACEBusiness Link hostsmany corporateevents bringingtogether theregion’s topbusinesses todiscuss hot topicsand provide valuablenetwork opportunities.GAIN AN UNRIVALLED ADVANTAGEThe region’s leading companies and mostprestigious brands promote themselvesthrough Business Link.You can too, just call Angela Cooper orSam Trott on 01472 310310 foran informal chat.www.blmforum.netLinkingbusinesstogether06-12_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:28 Page 7Business Link 13www.blmforum.netSomething to say? Write to: Business Link Magazine, Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby,North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE or email: letters@blmgroup.co.ukReaders’LETTERSReaders’LETTERSWhat onEarth?Dear Editor,Always enjoy readingFrazer’s latest offerings onthe weird and wacky goingon in the business world. Itlooks like there’s been a lotof unusual productsreleased onto the marketlately, including somedownright unusual B2Bapps. I suppose that mostthings we take for grantedin life already have servicesattached to them, so whensomeone wants to come upwith something completelyinnovative, it means a lot ofrandom chaff must bethrown aside first.I just wish they wouldstop emailing me offers tobuy their chaff.E Reynolds Boston Difficult choicesDear Editor,The time has come where we’re expected to vote on the BREXIT, one of the biggestdecisions we might have to make in our lifetime. A shame then, that the entire thing seems tohave fallen into some kind of farce. As it stands I have MPs and Academics telling me that thecountry will fall to pieces if we should vote to leave, but go back a few months – did they notalso tell us that our country would fall behind if things did not change? It doesn’t seem to belike we can have both of those things.I wonder if there is actually some economic risk should we leave, or if that risk is just thedreaded uncertainty, that just about every business owner is whimpering over? Does notuncertainty also lead to opportunity – to change and adaptation that might be beneficial for us?Sadly I’m not sure how to vote – and what should have been a momentous occasion hasinstead turned into me deciding which way to vote based on which MP I like the least. And thatis a difficult choice indeed.R BannsLeedsTarred and featheredDear Business Link,One doesn’t have to look far to see another example in the media of a business owner doingdodgy deals. First it was just about everybody of importance with the Panama leaks and now it isSports Direct’s owner, who has been running a warehouse with all sorts of problems at hisemployee’s expense. After the banking crisis and the economic crash, it feels like the media is having a field day at theexpense of just about anyone with the ambition and determination to run their own business. Itdoesn’t matter what the figures are or how well your staff are being treated, it doesn’t matter aboutthe success stories or the wonderful places to work. All that matters is finding those businesses whoare rogue traders, who are the worst of what we can offer – and then painting every other businessowner with the same brush.I’m genuinely concerned for the future. We’ve already seen racial and religious hatred in ourcountry, will the newspapers now turn people against businesses too? M SimmsYork13_Layout 1 07/06/2016 11:55 Page 114Business Link www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYRelocating a business either fromexisting premises or, as is often thecase with start-ups, moving out of agarage or back bedroom, and into anew property is a typically costlyendeavour. The reasons behind aremotivated by expansion, and thebusiness will be in a financial positionto be able to afford the largeroverheads. But rented commercialproperty can entail a number of hiddencosts that might not have been madeapparent or were never madeexplicably available, especially when itcomes to the cost of utilities. Be that asit may, there are solutions arising tohelp educate businesses and steerthem clear of financial pitfalls andhurdles that might otherwise hamstringits profits. It’s proving especiallyfortuitous as research has found thatconfidence is returning to the nationalcommercial property market. Phil Foster, Managing Director ofcommercial energy price comparisoncompany, Love Energy Savings, isurging business owners who rent theirpremises to take greater control overtheir finances. He believes that manyrenters could be paying over the oddsfor their gas and electricity because itisn’t crystal clear in the terms of theirtenancy as to who supplies theirenergy.His comments follow a report fromthe British Chambers of Commercewhich showed that 27% of businessowners who rent a space feel they haveno influence over energy-efficiencyimprovements in their building,meaning they are stuck footing the costdespite numerous solutions to helpbring expenditure down and establish amore efficient workplace. “With commercial property rentsrising again, it’s crucial that businessesfind ways to trim their outgoings,” saysMr Foster. “Communication is key. Talkto your landlord, building manager andenergy supplier at the earliestopportunity, and make sure you’re notAs confidence returns to the UK’s commercial propertymarket, now’s the time to educate businesses to avoid thepitfalls of hidden costs. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ROMAKOMA Cutting keysand cost14-17_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:25 Page 1tenant.”As confidence has returned to thenational commercial property lendingmarket, educating business andlandlords will be key to sustaining thepost-crisis spike with a two prongedapproach in nurturing the rise whilstalso ensuring businesses don’t getlumbered with unnecessarily highutilities costs. The recently published De MontfortCommercial Property Lending Reportfound that £53.7 billion in new loanswere made during 2015, compared to£45.2 billion the previous year. And thewww.blmforum.netBusiness Link 15getting a raw deal. Ask them if you canmake energy-efficiency changes, and ifthey say no, find out why.”It’s not just inefficient buildings thatare causing businesses to lose moneyunnecessarily. Many commercialtenants assume they will be on thecheapest energy tariff when they moveinto a property by default, but this israrely the case. Making this assumptioncan lead to business being met with asignificant bill, one which could havebeen avoided. Suppliers will generallyroll over the previous tenant’s contractand it’s highly unlikely that this will bethe best deal.Mr Foster advises that businessowners familiarise themselves with theterms of their tenancy agreementstraight away, adding: “If the tenant isresponsible for the meter they candictate the supplier. However, in aserviced office environment thelandlord agrees the contracts andrecharges the cost to the tenants.“The landlord would be responsiblefor any unoccupied space and thereforeit would be in everybody’s interest forthem to obtain the best possible rates.As a rule, the agreed lease says who’sdoing what with energy.“There is generally a sub clause thatstates the landlord will make the besteffort to secure a fair deal for their17 ÁPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VLADITTO14-17_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:25 Page 2ArmstronghouseOffering a prime position in Grimsby, Armstrong House onArmstrong Street is ideally located. Close to the ports ofGrimsby and Immingham, motorway links and the town centre,off-street parking is also available for all staff and visitors,meaning it’s convenient too. Our spacious, welcoming officesare located on the ground floor and are both secure and CCTV-monitored, giving you the ultimate peace of mind.At Armstrong House, the flexible in/out terms of contractmean confidence when it comes to affordability and with a rangeof office sizes there are opportunities for all types of business. Ifyou require virtual office services, prices start from just £15 permonth. For more information, or to discuss your office requirements,give Scotts Property a call today on 01472 267000 and askabout Armstrong House.Last remaining office suitesPrime location in GrimsbySuperb Location -- Close to the ports of Grimsby &Immingham- Great motorwaylinks- Close to the town centreSecure off street parkingHigh speed internet availabilityEasy in/out termsA range of affordable office sizes33333Armstrong House, Armstrong Street,Grimsby DN31 2QETel: (01472) 310301 • Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.ukwww.shutterstock.com/terekhov igorwww.shutterstock.com/Yentafern14-17_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:25 Page 3www.shutterstock.com/Yentafernwww.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYBusiness Link 17number of loans recorded as“distressed” – where lenders recordproblems repaying – has fallen byalmost 50%.Academics at De Montfort University(DMU) have been compiling the reportsince 1997, using data submitted byalmost 60 lenders such as banks,building societies and insurancecompanies. It is seen as one of themost comprehensive indicators of theproperty market worldwide and is usedby the Bank of England within itsFinancial Stability Review.The 2015 year-end report found thatthe value of commercial property hascontinued to rise and that, increasingly,insurance companies are becoming thebig lenders in commercial property.Real estate in London takes the lion’sshare of the loans, with 43% of thetotal outstanding debt secured againstproperty in the capital – the most everrecorded by the research and up from26% in 2010.The 2015 report demonstratedlenders’ continued preference for bigticket lending to both development andinvestment projects. Only fourteenbanks (30%), building societies andinsurance companies were preparedto write a loan of £5 million or less forcommercial investment projects,compared to thirty one (67%) whowould do so at above £100 million.Ian Fletcher, Director of Policy(finance) at the British PropertyFederation, says: “The fall in value ofdistressed loans to very low levelscoupled with a gradual increase in newloan originations hints at a robust andstable commercial property lendingmarket. It will be interesting to seewhether commercial real estate lendingaccelerates from here or grows in amore measured way.“Given growing investor interest inthe regions over the course of 2015and the government’s efforts todevolve greater powers to local areas,it is perhaps surprising that lendersshow such a strong preference forcentral London. Lenders also remainreluctant to lend at small ticket sizes,which raises questions about howsmaller regional projects can accessthe finance they need to succeed.”Peter Cosmetatos, Chief Executive ofthe lenders’ trade association CREFCEurope, adds: “The report confirmsthat in terms of fundamentals,sentiment and discipline, the marketwas in a good place coming into 2016and the uncertainty provoked by theEU referendum.” Continuing to nurture market growthwill need to go hand in hand withensuring quality commercial propertyis affordable to businesses across theUK. It’s as true for our region, whichboasts some of the nation’s mostinnovative and exuberant propertiesfor businesses. It would be a majorsetback if these properties wentunfulfilled and unused because notenough was done to highlight thehidden costs involved in energy andutilities. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/SYDA PRODUCTIONS14-17_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:25 Page 418Business Link www.blmforum.netPORTS & LOGISTICSWith fuel prices rising, it’s never beenmore important for businesses toensure that their logistics provision isefficient, traceable and secure. Here, weexamine some of the options availableto companies in the region – one of thebest-connected parts of the country,where firms can transport goods viaroad, rail or sea. The Yorkshire and Lincolnshire regionis something of a paradise for transportand haulage companies. Firstly, thereare our ports. Grimsby and Imminghamare the largest ports by tonnage in theUK, and with high-speed road linksfrom the M180 through to the M18 andM1, we are effectively looking at amultimodal dream. The region’s rail links also play a bigpart, with dedicated freight-only linesconnecting directly to Grimsby andImmingham allowing companies totransport large consignments of goodsto the ports quickly and efficiently.Logistics firms in the region can nowshift goods to mainland Europe within aday of leaving the warehouse. Nowhereelse in the UK offers such a strongproposition. But what about logistics vehiclesthemselves? How are companiesmaking their fleets more efficient,enabling them to take full advantage ofthe region’s quality transportinfrastructure? There are now a great many cost-effective technologies geared towardsincreasing efficiency on the market. Themost common are GPS trackers, loadmonitoring technologies and in-cabdriver interfaces, which are designed tokeep tabs on the precise location oflogistics vehicles. However, these devices don’t justensure that goods are delivered ontime. Because some of the technologyis so sophisticated it can assess theweight and bulk of a particular cargo,they can also be a vital tool in the drivefor better security. Operators now knowwithin seconds if one of their vehiclesMultimodaldreamOur region’s transport and logisticsfacilities are helping businesses tomove items quicker than ever before –but how do logistics firms maintainthe highest standards? MultimodaldreamYour worldwide freight and logistics partnerT: 01709 529709 www.daviesturner.co.ukPIONEERS IN SERVICE SINCE 187018-21_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:19 Page 1www.blmforum.netBusiness Link 19has been compromised, either illegallyor by accident. Eliminating securitybreaches is another sure-fire way tomake sure that operations are carriedout efficiently, so these technologies are20 ÁPHOTO: I4LCOCL2 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COMNew digital trade platformlaunches to boost tradeacross CommonwealthA new business andtrade platform designed topromote internationaltrade and investmentacross the Commonwealthhas been formallylaunched in London.The CommonwealthTrade Initiative, a newinitiative developed by theCommonwealth Enterpriseand Investment Council inpartnership with AMPPGroup, has been designedto bring companies fromacross the Commonwealth together on a members-only digitalplatform, in order to showcase their products and services acrossglobal markets.Supported by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and awide range of international strategic partner organisations, theinitiative has been established to help drive economic growththroughout the Commonwealth’s 53 member countries, representing1/3 of the world’s population and a combined GDP of $10.4 trillion.The interactive business platform will boost intra-Commonwealthbusiness-to-business trade by enabling companies to identify andnetwork with potential new customers, suppliers and partnerorganisations across key global industry sectors, includingprofessional and financial services, manufacturing, retail and more.The platform is free to join and members can take advantage of asophisticated business matching function which will automaticallyprovide them with targeted business leads based on their userprofile information. well worth the initial outlay – and thereare even green benefits, as less fuel isused. Indeed, energy efficiency is one of theprinciple ways in which haulage firms inthe region can save themselves somemoney. The growing trend for low-carbon fuels such as biodiesel andWE PROVIDE:3Trailer hire (commercial)3 Trailer sales(commercial)3 Trailer servicing 3 Trailer repairs & spare parts3 Trailer Pre-MOT servicing 3 On-site & off-site repairsGLCommercialscommercial trailer hireGLCommercialscommercial trailer hireEuropa Way, Grimsby, N E Lincolnshire DN41 8DSTelephone: 01469 574239 • Mobile: 07711496138Email: glcommercials@btinternet.com • www.glcommercials.co.uk18-21_Layout 1 07/06/2016 12:20 Page 2Next >