< PreviousBUSINESS SCENE10Business Link www.blmforum.netPHOTOS BY RICHARD PICKSLEYStreets raisemoney “fore” agood causeStreets’ Annual Charity Golf Day raised over five thousand pounds for charity.The hugely popular event by Streets Chartered Accountants was held atLincoln Golf Club, and competitors were able to enjoy the day and help makea difference to the work of the three local Air Ambulance charities - YorkshireAir Ambulance, Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and EastAnglian Air Ambulance.All proceeds from the day went to support these charities and localbusinesses helped in various ways by playing on the day, sponsoring anddonating a prize for the raffle.The first prize on the day went to the team from RBS, consisting of ChrisMason, Mick Manterfield and Ian Millington. The team from Mouchel finishedsecond.Sally Crawford of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire AirAmbulance with James Pinchbeck of StreetsChris Mason, MickManterfield and IanMillington from RBSErica Manderfield, Kelly Goodchild,Katie De Neise and Nikki Gray of StreetsAndy Proctor, Mark Bradshaw,Dick Leatherland and Nick Rouseof NatwestMalcolm Howsle and Jon Gibbisonfrom Hereward HomesJim Lewis, Ian Mann, Trevor Clarke andAndy McDonald of Topfield BarsGeoff Taylor, Bob Marsh, Steve Shephardand Chris Mayo from StreetsThe winning team from RBS10:Layout 1 29/7/13 09:48 Page 1Business Link 11www.blmforum.netSomething to say? Write to: Business Link Magazine,Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE oremail: letters@blmgroup.co.ukReaders’LETTERSReaders’LETTERSRisky businessDear Sir,The rise in inflation is bad news for businesses andconsumers, especially at a time when earnings growthremains weak and the government’s austerity measures arein full swing. Inflation is now at the highest point seen overthe past year, though still below the levels seen in 2010-11.The uncertainty is whether inflation will peak at its presentlevel before falling later this year, as we expect. If thishappens, it is still possible that the recovery will continue toslowly gather momentum throughout the year and into 2014.However if unexpected developments, such as renewedsurges in energy prices, push inflation up further, our growthprospects will face new risks. Given the uncertainties, theMPC should remain cautious and reject any measures thatcould delay the fall in inflation that the economy needs.D KernLondonShow your supportDear Sir,With distress levels falling at a record pace, the quarter’seconomic improvement appears to be the first real sign thatYorkshire’s economy, along with the UK economy as awhole, has turned a corner towards a sustained recovery.However we have real fears that many SMEs will haveserious financial difficulties at the time they least expect –during a recovery. Our experience has shown time and timeagain that many SMEs, which are the powerhouse of theeconomy, run out of cash during the recovery phase, asthere is a real temptation to overtrade. In Yorkshire, as in therest of the UK, we need to provide the support that thesebusinesses need to recover.J PittsLeedsSick and tiredDear Sir,There is no doubt that the cost of absence on abusiness can be crippling, particularly for start-upsand SMEs. At a time when firms in the North ofEngland are striving to grow their business, it’simportant that this absence malaise is tackled head onbefore it really hits their bottom lines. Forward-lookingbusinesses could perhaps consider investing in healthand well-being services that will have a positiveimpact on employees’ health, moral and motivation.J HardingLeedsSummit to shout aboutDear Sir,Following the Government’s announcement todevolve budgets to LEPs, we are preparing to take onmore responsibility for shaping our local economy,deciding on the areas we think our share of the fundswill be well spent. Our forthcoming summit will be anopportunity for businesses to see those details withour Growth Plan, as well as hear from some keyGovernment officials and private sector speakers. TheGreater Lincolnshire LEP is currently holding meetingswith businesses across all areas of GreaterLincolnshire to find out what they believe the barriersto growth are, and how the LEP could help supporttheir development.U LidbetterLincoln11:Layout 1 29/7/13 09:48 Page 1COMMERCIAL PROPERTY12Business Link www.blmforum.netWe hear much these days about sustainability,and when it comes to commercial property, moreand more businesses are looking to propertiesthat can help lower costs and emphasise theirenvironmental credentials. Fortunately, buildingsacross our region are allowing businesses toenjoy a more productive and attractive workingenvironment while also saving on their energybills.Take for example the new fifty-acre BridgeheadBusiness Park at Hessle, which has been heraldedas the most sustainable in the North of England.The Park is being developed by Hull propertycompany the Wykeland Group, and whencomplete, will include 612,000 sq ft of office,research and development and high tech space.The first phase of the scheme consists of aspeculative Grade A office building.The project has been designed with input fromthe Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to enhance andprotect local wildlife through a combinedbiodiversity, landscape and drainage strategy. MPAlan Johnson opened the first phase of thescheme this month, some fifteen years after theplans were first developed.Wykeland Group MD Dominic Gibbons says,“We’ve taken great care to design a scheme thatsits hand-in-hand with the local environment andour neighbours. We are going to great lengths toprotect the existing wildlife and to enhance itsfuture. Nearly eight thousand new shrubs andhedgerows, 4500 herbs and bulbs and over twohundred new trees have been planted in the lasttwelve months to enhance and supplement theexisting natural landscape. 1.2 km of pathwayshave also been created which will not only be foremployees based on Bridgehead but localresidents as well, so it will be a great local amenity.“As well as providing space for inward investingorganisations, it will provide opportunities forSpeculate toaccommodateCommercial property developers can only attract potential occupiers withbuildings that help lower costs and improve environmental credentialsDevelopers BlenheimLand and Propertyhave given a familiarSheffield office block anew name, a strikingnew black façade anda full internal update,prior to Knight Frank’sSheffield officemarketing the property12-13:Layout 1 29/7/13 10:04 Page 1Business Link 13www.blmforum.netCOMMERCIAL PROPERTYindigenous growing business and have a knock on effect to theretail, food and service suppliers in the immediate local area,therefore creating its own micro economy.”As well as new properties, existing buildings are also enjoyingmakeovers to make them more attractive to potential clients. InSheffield, the Brincliffe House offices at Banner Cross has been afamiliar sight since the sixties, but in recent years it has beensomewhat underused. That’s perhaps surprising given its primelocation in the hugely popular Ecclesall Road area of the city, but itseems that the existing building was simply unsuitable for potentialtenants.Hence the building has been comprehensively refurbished bydevelopers Blenheim Land and Property. The most immediatechanges are a new name, Blenheim Reach, and a striking new blackfaçade, while inside it has received a full internal update, including aground floor meeting space, reception area, on-site car parking andflexible floor plans.Knight Frank’s Sheffield office are marketing the property and hasalready located tenants into the fifth and sixth floors, includingDealer Management Services, who provide software systems for themotor trade. Partner Tim Bottrill says, “This building has undergonea complete refurbishment, with the end result being state-of-the-artoffice premises in an absolutely prime location. The redevelopmentof Blenheim Reach will appeal to discerning businesses from theprofessional services or CDI sectors, wanting a unique, high-profilelocation. The development enables us to split and refurbish any ofthe floors to suit individual requirements.”This kind of redevelopment is also the case elsewhere in Sheffieldas Thorncliffe Hall, part of Sheffield’s Thorncliffe Business Park, hasundergone a huge refurbishment. Previously home to YorkshireWater and British Coal, the refurbishment work will see newfeatures at the 23,824 sq ft building including open plan floor plates,an impressive new entrance and a combined heating and coolingsystem, with the work commencing later this year.Innovative schemes such as this, where investment is being madeto create a more attractive offering for potential clients, are doubtlessone reason why the commercial property sector across Yorkshireand Lincolnshire is looking up. Indeed, the Leeds Office Agents’Forum’s latest figures for quarter two show that total city centre take-up in Leeds reached 203,145 sq ft across 23 transactions – a 260%increase on the same period last year. The largest city centretransactions were completed at Highcross’ Broad Gate scheme withYorkshire Building Society taking 76,413 sq ft and CapGeminiFinancial Services agreeing terms on 25,389 sq ft of space.LOAF’s Eamon Fox, a director at DTZ in Leeds, says, “Leeds hascontinued to outperform a number of regional markets in thesecond quarter of the year. Indeed, this is the strongest quarter interms of city centre take-up volumes since the fourth quarter of2003 and would appear to be best start to the first six months ofany year in recent memory. Already, the total take-up in the first halfof this year has exceeded the five year average of 380,000 sq ft.”The good times seem to be coming back to the commercialproperty sector but it’s certainly the case that developers often haveto speculate to accumulate. Refurbishing unattractive buildings maybring about short-term expense but potential occupiers willdoubtless be easier to come by.Leeds has continued to outperform a number ofregional markets in the second quarter of the yearthanks to developments such as Greenhouse12-13:Layout 1 29/7/13 10:04 Page 2Call Armstrong House,Grimsby on 01472 310302Ground floor offices to letPrime location in Grimsby•A range of affordable office sizes available on easy in/easy out terms•Easy access to motorway, ports and town centre•Secure off street parking for staff and visitors •Virtual office services from only £15 per month WE AREHEREarmstronghouse14:Layout 1 29/7/13 09:49 Page 1Scan this code with your smartphone to visit our website01924 282 020www.whittlejones.comPremises available in over 200 locations throughout England and ScotlandManaging properties on behalf of Northern TrustOFFICESSILKWOOD PARK, WAKEFIELD, WF5 9TJSCARBOROUGHBRIDLINGTONHORNSEASTALLINGBOROUGHHULLPOCKLINGTONGAINSBOROUGHSCUNTHORPEGOOLEDONCASTER DINNINGTONTEMPLEBOROUGHDENABYMEXBOROUGHGOLDTHORPESOUTH KIRKBYBARNSLEYHUDDERSFIELDTODMORDENBRADFORDSHIPLEYUNITS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT YORKSHIRE INCLUDING HUMBERSIDE & LINCOLNSHIREINDUSTRIAL ACCOMMODATION TO LET FROM 500 SQ FT UPWARDS - FLEXIBLE LEASESwww.thegateway-wakefield.co.uk/innovateSMALL OFFICE SUITES TO LET FROM 2 PERSONS (233 SQ FT) UPWARDSwww.whittlejones.com15:Layout 1 29/7/13 09:49 Page 1OFFICE SOLUTIONS16Business Link www.blmforum.netMost businesses want a pleasing atmosphere,an office that boosts productivity and generalgood feeling within in office, but it also comesdown to cost. Getting that balance betweenenvironment and budget is always difficult butthere’s an amazing number of ways you canimprove operations without too much outlay. Cleaning, maintenance and other essentialservices like IT support often come factored inwhen using managed office space, for example,but generally finding effective professionalcontractors is not as easy as it seems. Howeverit is well worth the effort.With new builds, cleaning should be a priorityto maintain the premises’ look and feel and awell-maintained older building can bringprestige, not only to those working in it butthose visiting too. Making the most of historicalfeatures too can be a real talking point.So, why not review your cleaning proceduresand if you haven’t already - create a detaileddocument clarifying which tasks need to bedone weekly, bi weekly and monthly. Going greenGoing green can have perceived benefits too.With more people thinking along moreenvironmental lines, having an office that speaksto their ethics can work wonders. For example,the company behind the construction of one ofthe greenest office in Lincolnshire has recentlywon a coveted building excellence award. GustoConstruction was named the best small builderin the East Midlands by the national body whichcontrols building standards. The award was recognition for a host ofcutting edge green building projects around theEast of England. The company, which iscurrently building thirteen high specificationhomes in Cambridge, has recently completed anEco home in Granby near Nottingham, a housingdevelopment in Collingham and a range ofcommercial projects including a new companyHQ for Cool Milk in Langworth near Lincoln. The £400,000 Cool Milk building used the latesttechnology to ensure energy costs were halvedand carbon emissions reduced by up to 75%.The Langworth offices were designed by SGAArchitects and are one of the first in the countyto use an innovative construction material thatuses masonry on the inside of building andinsulation on the outside. The building’s energy efficiencies were furtherenhanced by a series of green technologiesincluding solar PV to generate electricity, solarwater panels to heat water for the building,mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems tokeep a flow of fresh air and pre-warm it in thewinter, rain water harvesting system for toiletflushing, air source heat pumps for heating andcooling the building and low-energy LED lightingwith movement sensors. This also means apleasant working environment for those workingin the space.Getting togetherThe ability to collaborate with other businessesis another way in which companies are makingtheir operations run smoother by creating moreopportunities. One way they are doing this isusing one of the region’s many businessincubators or hubs. BG Futures, located atBishop Grosseteste University, has justwelcomed NBV Enterprise Solutions to its fold.With several businesses already rooted there,they will now be able to approach NBV forbusiness support or advice more easily andworking side by side with businesses on site too.Richard Dearden, Chief Executive, NBV says,“History has shown that more new startHive ofactivitySometimes finding the right office space alone is not enough. If you’regoing to enjoy high levels of productivity and morale, you need to thinkabout how they are run too.16-17:Layout 1 29/7/13 10:00 Page 1Business Link 17www.blmforum.netOFFICE SOLUTIONSbusinesses and growing businessesare key to a thriving enterprisingeconomy. It will be these new startbusinesses and small enterprises thatwill create many jobs in the localarea, this is great news for the localcommunity and fantastic news forLincolnshire.”NBV are also using their newpremises to become the venue fordelivery of business skills trainingthrough its Master Classes for tradingbusinesses and business start-upseminars for budding entrepreneurs. Mark Bowen, Enterprise Development Manager, BG Futures says, “Havingthe team from NBV as tenants provides a real boost for BG Futures as the verypeople they are working with form part of our target beneficiary group. It alsoraises our profile in terms of the facilities and support on-offer which is alwaysa positive thing; and the team are also really nice people to work with and havefitted in immediately with the businesses around them.” PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DIEGO CERVOOften simply keeping anoffice spick and span willimprove moraleBG Futures, a businessincubator is an example of wherebusinesses are located togetherto encourage collaborationCleaning, maintenanceand other essentialservices like IT supportoften come factored inwhen using managedoffice space, forexample, but findingeffective professionalcontractors is essential.16-17:Layout 1 29/7/13 10:00 Page 2OFFICE SOLUTIONS18Business Link www.blmforum.netWakefield-based Clean Up Time are afamily-run cleaning company with anenviable reputation for quality. Thefamily approach is very important, asClean Up Time’s customers suggestone of the reasons they choose theirservice is the personal touch.Hence, when you contact thecompany, you’ll be speaking tosomeone who knows what they canoffer. There’s no call centre operators,and if changes need to be made, thereisn’t a long line of supervisors andmanagers to negotiate to get tosomeone who will rectify things. Basedin Wakefield, they are able to offer theirservices throughout Leeds, Dewsbury,Pontefract and the surrounding areas.They have gained a valuable reputationover the last 27 years for offering areliable and affordable service that issecond to none. They have enjoyed verylong relationships with many companies –for example, they have been working withMid-Yorkshire Chamber of Commercesince 1988. They also benefit from a greatnumber of recommendations fromsatisfied customers. Oliver Corrigan ofCarrwood Park, a prestigious servicedoffice in Leeds, has been hugelyimpressed by Clean Up Time’s servicessince they were recommended by BalfourBeatty three years ago.Clean Up Time’s customers can be safein the knowledge that they tick all theright boxes in regards to security, withcustomers including the police service,and Clean Up Time obtaining therequired security approval. They alsocomply fully with health and safetylegislation and keep up to date at alltimes with regard to employment rights.Continuing the personal approach,Clean Up Time believe in opencommunication and mutual trust, and tothis end all quotations detail exactlywhat the costs are and how much profitthey will make in terms of percentageand pounds. Such is their confidence inthe quality of their work, they don’t bindtheir customers to a written contract ofany kind.Supervision is the most important keyto long term relationships, so themanagement team visit their customers’premises to see the cleaners on aregular basis. This ensures the stocklevels and the standards of cleaning aremaintained. Each month a full report iscarried out with the customer by amember of the management team. Being a local, family-run company,without the overheads of a largenational organisation, Clean Up Time’sprices are extremely competitive andthe level of service is exceptional.Do your cleanersmatch up?Clean Up Time emphasise quality, service and valueFor more information on what Clean Up Time can offer,call them on 0845 644 4847 or visitwww.officecleanerswakefield.co.uk.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/AFRICA STUDIO18:Layout 1 29/7/13 09:57 Page 1Business Link 19www.blmforum.netTRAININGOur schools and universities are well-established, work in tandem with bothlocal and international companies andhave incredible records of achievementand feeding new generations of talent.Specific courses dealing with practicalneeds are also doing their part, butinspiring young people still remains achallenge.Projects to ensure this have beenhappening for years, but initiative areexpanding in our region to givesecondary school pupils first-handinspiration about jobs and careers theymight want to follow.Inspiring the Future is a free servicein which people from all sectors andprofessions volunteer to go into statesecondary schools and colleges to talkabout their jobs, careers,apprenticeships and the educationroutes they took. Everyone from chief executives toapprentices can volunteer for Inspiringthe Future which recently celebrated itsfirst anniversary. Nearly five thousandvolunteers are already signed up, butmore are needed and Yorkshire is oneof the first regions to benefit from thescheme’s expansion.Claire Burns is group humanresources manager at Bradford-basedSIL Holdings, the parent company of agroup of textile firms throughout WestYorkshire. She has volunteered forInspiring the Future and says, “Inspiringthe Future is a straightforward initiativethat can unite the world of work witheducation. Young people have variousideas how an industry or businessworks and how they may work within asector – Inspiring the Future can helpthem understand how they cancontribute to the success of anorganisation and how their skills gainedin education can transfer to the workplace. “As human resources manager for agroup of textile companies, I am keento share my experiences ofmanufacturing and the skills involved inproducing cloth as well as an insightinto HR.”This, combined with apprenticeshipsseeing a renewed increase in take-upshould ensure there are more optionsfor young people considering theirfuture in our region.Securing future talentOur region is known for its educational facilities, but we’re also feeding a whole new generationof young people intent on entering a vast range of emerging and recovering industriesClaire Burns and Joshua Barker-Lockwood ofInspiring the Future which aims to offer practicaladvice and insight into possible career paths foryoung students20 19-21:Layout 1 29/7/13 10:14 Page 1Next >