KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees3, Januar y, 2012

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SUSAN GILLESPIE

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An EXAMINER publication

Let’s getsociableBOSSES have beenurged to get to gripswith the world of socialmedia or miss out onnew contract wins.Marcus Costello, ofWright AngleMarketing, said: “Theinvention of socialmedia has meant thatanyone can talk toanyone. If companiesare not talking onlinethey are missing out ona great deal of newbusiness.

Unhappynew yearEMPLOYERS willstruggle to maintainmorale among theirworkers in the yearahead, according to anassessment ofprospects for 2012 byPeter McGee, regionalhead of employmentrelations service Acas.This year could seetensions whereemployees are lookingto make up for the payand other concessionsmade during therecession, he said,adding: “If inflationcontinues to rise, themood for industrialaction over pay claimsis also likely to rise.

NEIL WILSON

IT graduates get help to key in to new skillsYORKSHIRE Water is stepping in tohelp IT graduates get work.

The company is partnering BSC,the Chartered Institute for IT in a newinitiative called The Graduate to fosterand develop skills among ITgraduates to ensure that when itcomes to a job interview, theircommunication and presentation skillsdon’t let them down.

The move comes at a time whengraduate unemployment is at a17-year high and the jobless rate forIT graduates is 16.3%.

Research by BCS reveals thatmajor employers believe IT graduatesto be professionally competent, butlacking in important areas such aspersonal leadership, communication,presentation and team skills.

Applications for The Graduate areopen until January 30.

Selected candidates will attend anassessment centre on March 19 atYorkshire Water’s Esholt Hall learningcentre in Shipley where they will havetheir professional and personal skillstested through a series of individualand team exercises, before gettingone-to-one feedback on theirperformance and how they can furtherimprove it.

The day will conclude with anawards event where the president ofBCS The Chartered Institute for IT willdeliver advice on how to ensurecandidates give the best possibleinterview performance, provide hintsand tips on everything from what towear and how to sit through to how to

build a good rapport with anyinterviewer.

Alan Harrison, IT director atYorkshire Water, said: “Graduateunemployment is a very current issueand one that The Graduate givesindustry and academia the platform towork together to resolve within IT.

“As an award-winning ITdepartment within an organisationwith a long history of nurturinggraduates, Yorkshire Water are proudto be a founding partner of TheGraduate.”

Yorkshire Water chief technologyofficer James Lockwood said:“Yorkshire Water is not only a providerof clean water and the safe disposalof waste water to millions ofcustomers, it is also one of the largest

employers within Yorkshire.“Our organisation thrives from

having a workforce which generatesnew ideas and competitiveadvantages. University graduates helpto create such diversity andcapabilities.

“The Graduate provides a win-winopportunity whereby universitystudents gain valuable experience inpreparing for life after graduation andYorkshire Water is able to showcaseour industry-leading graduate traineeprogramme.”

The Graduate is open to all currentand soon-to-be IT graduates.

Go to www.thegraduate.bcs.org foran application form or emailemma.davids@yorkshirewater.co.uk

Firm raises profileacross the worldA PERSONAL branding website setup by the for mer head of aKirklees-based public company isp rov i n g a h i t w i t h ov e r s e a scustomers.

Profiled.com, which helps businesspeople manage their online presence,has signed up members from morethan 30 countries during its first majormarketing push.

Among those eager to control whatpeople will find when they areGoogled on the web are a sales directorfrom Nigeria, a film producer from theUSA and a fund manager fromSweden.

“We all know how importantcontrolling your online presence is toyour business life so we expected to geta good response, but membership bal-looned to cover all five continents inless than three months,” said founderSteve Wainwright, who was chiefexecutive of Birstall-based ICM Com-puter Group until 2007.

“Our services are being particularlywell received in the UK, the USA andIndia but, surprisingly, we have attrac-ted members from non-English speak-ing countries too – as diverse asFrance, Bahrain and Indonesia.”

The site has attracted a large

proportion of company directors andsenior executives.

The free-to-join website features atoolkit to help members control theironline presence and a tracking systemdesigned by its technical team to mon-itor what’s being published about themon the internet.

Mr Wainwright said “Google is stillthe first source of information about aperson, but up until now the tools tomanage your own online presencesimply haven’t been available to theordinary business person.

“I think everyone should profilethemselves properly on the internet.

“We’ve been told by personal brandexperts that this is exactly what’sneeded. We’re working on extendingboth our product and our marketpenetration and I’m confident of itssuccess.”

The toolkit helps users write theirprofessional profile to be promoted tosearch engines while a media-monitor-ing tool reports what others arepublishing about them.

Members can also blog, displayinteresting articles, track who isviewing their profile and direct users toother relevant internet locations.

The business was founded in 2009 by

Steve Wainwright. It now employs fivepeople.

Mr Wainwright, a trained charteredaccountant, joined ICM ComputerGroup in Birstall in 1991 as financedirector and became chief executive in

2005. He is credited with steering theICM through a successful LondonStock Market flotation in 1998 andwith driving its growth until its sale for£108m to rival Phoenix in 2007, whenhe left the company.

■ WORLD VIEW: Steve Wainwright, of Profiled.com, has signed upmembers from more than 30 countries during its first major marketing push

Home for the holidays!

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 2

Winter warning!

MANY Yorkshire firms are ill-preparedfor another big freeze this winter, it isclaimed.

A survey commissioned by CloseInvoice Finance showed that 56% of smalland medium-sized enterprises in theregion were worried about the impact ofarctic weather this winter.

But more than a quarter don’t have abusiness continuity plan in place to dealwith issues such as staff absenteeism andpower failures.

The British Chambers of Commerceestimated that last year the economy lost£1.2bn a day due to the cold snap.

Ian Steward, of Close Invoice Finance,said SMEs were the most vulnerable – andthose that are already struggling becauseof the economic conditions may find thatseveral days out of business due to extremeweather is the final straw.

Said Mr Steward: “All too often, people

think about massive disasters when theytalk about business continuity, but inreality it’s the more mundane factors – likebad weather – that can impact us most ofall.

“If businesses aren’t prepared for theworst, it can have a serious effect on cashflow – which everyone knows is thelifeblood of all business.

“Prevention really is better than cureand I would urge SME owners who aren’talready prepared to act now – checkingthat premises are winter-proof, insuranceis up to date and flexible working plans arein place in case staff can’t make it towork.”

Mr Steward said: “For certain sectors ofthe economy, such as transport and logist-ics, there is of course no escaping thefinancial impact of the harsh weather, butwith careful planning any disruption can

be kept to a minimum.“Our study revealed that eight in 10

businesses operating in the transport andlogistics industry are worried about theeffects of another big freeze, substantiallyhigher than the 58% average across allbusiness sectors.

“Transport grinding to a halt is prob-ably the single biggest economic blowwhen heavy snow hits the UK. For ownersof logistics and haulage companies thecost of late deliveries, extra fuel charges,and honouring strict contracts with clientscan put a devastating strain on financialresources.”

Said Mr Steward: “The key for gettingthrough one of the worst winters we’veseen for years is preparation. Failing toplan could have a serious impact on yourbusiness and result in it being unable totrade.”

■ BE PREPARED: That’sthe message from Ian Steward,of Close Invoice Finance

Dealership gears up with MitsubishiA BRIGHOUSE motor dealer todayjoins Mitsubishi’s nationwide dealernetwork.

Dews Motor Group, which datesback to 1910, is now providing sales,service and parts for the Brighousearea operating from its Bradford Roadpremises.

The business was founded byErnest Dews, the grandfather ofcurrent chairman and managingdirector David Hamer.

During this time Dews has remainedindependent and family-owned – andhas remained loyal to its local area,having grown its presence in the areato five brands across four sites andbuilding an enviable reputation with itscustomers for value, service andreliability.

Mr Hamer said: “The team at Dewsare excited to welcome customers,new and old, to our new Mitsubishidealership.

“We see the addition of Mitsubishi to

our brand portfolio as an opportunityto provide real choices for ourcustomers – and to provide athoroughbred alternative to the “allterrain” segment in Huddersfield andHalifax.”

Lance Bradley, UK managingdirector for Mitsubishi Motors, said:

“We are delighted that Dews havechosen Mitsubishi to grow theirportfolio in the West Yorkshire area.

“Huddersfield and Halifax are strongterritories for our product range andwe are confident that Dews MotorGroup will serve our customers well.”

The business move is the latest in a

series of shrewd decisions whichbegan when Ernest Dews bought hisfirst car, a six-horsepower,single-cylinder De Dion, in the early1900s.

It was only the 13th car to beregistered in Huddersfield.

In 1910 Mr Dews returned toBrighouse after working in Americaand founded the Dews GaragesGroup.

The venture was all the morespirited given that at that time therewere only half a dozen drivers inBrighouse.

Dews began as agents selling andrepairing early cars such as theArgyle, De Dion, Corre Benz andVulcan before adoptingVauxhall/Bedford in 1928.

The outbreak of the Second WorldWar in 1939 curtailed expansion, butthe group was back in the driving seatin 1945, when it opened a newdealership in Halifax.

■ DRIVINGFORCE: DavidHamer, chairmanand managingdirector ofBrighouse-basedDews MotorGroup, which hasbecome the latestbusiness to joinMitsubishi’s UKdealer networkand plans tomake inroads intothe market for “allterrain” vehicles

Morejobs onofferJOB vacancies rose inDecember, according tofigures today.

The Reed Job Indexshowed vacancies wereup by 17% duringDecember against thesame month in 2010 andmore than 20% higherthan two years ago.

Seasonal falls invacancies sawmonth-on-month Indexfigures down by 12points or 9% inDecember comparedwith November –although hospitality andpurchasing bucked thedownward trend.

This brought theDecember, 2011, Indexback to September’slevel, making it 21%higher than two yearsago when the Index wasset at 100 in December,2009.

Reed said the Indexshowed how sustainedthe growth in demand fornew staff has been in2011 when compared to2010.

Technical staff such asengineers, IT andtelecommunicationsspecialists were at theforefront of this trend,with an annual increasein job vacancies of morethan 40%. Year-on-yeardemand for staff in jobsectors as diverse asconstruction, qualifiedaccountants, sales,leisure and tourism haveall risen considerablyhigher than the average17% growth.

However, demand forpublic sector staffcontinues to collapse at15% down on Decemberlast year and a third of itslevel two years ago.Demand for financialservices staff levelled offin December to a littlebelow its level of 12months ago – althoughthe sector’s Indexreading of 104 is stillabove the 2009 level.

Martin Warnes,managing director ofreed.co.uk, whichcompiled the survey,said: “The year-on-yearincrease in demand fornew staff is particularlystriking against thebackdrop of economicturmoil of the last fewmonths.

“The traditionalseasonal drop inrecruitment activity inDecember has had itsimpact against thetwo-year highs recordedin November, but the factthat the number of newjob vacancies on offerremains 17% higher than12 months ago issignificant.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

SusanGillespie

TravelCounsellors

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: OwnerAge: 53Family: Married toStephen with childrenSarah, 25, Chris 25,Philippa, 23,and Danielle, 19Holidays: Cruiseholidays – our latestwas to the EasternMediterraneanCar: Honda CRVFirst job: Serving pieand peas on a stall atQueensgate MarketBest thing aboutjob: Flexibility ofworking from homeand contact with mycustomersWorst thing aboutjob: Being at homeon a wet January daywhen business isquiet!Business tip: Getadvice and as muchinformation as you canbefore taking theplunge in business

Work: TravelSite: NetherthongPhone: 01484680091Email: susan.gillespie@travelcounsellors.comWeb: www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/susan.gillespie

TraveltalesfromSusan

SUSAN Gillespie is always inholiday mood.

Working from home as afranchisee with the TravelCounsellors network, shehelps hundreds of customersget away to the sun, the seaor the ski slopes. And even inthese tough times, she findsher services are in demand –although holiday-buyingtrends have changed.

“People used to look forlong-haul holidays in exoticlocations,” she says, “That’snot typical this year – andprobably won’t be next year,either. People who mighthave taken two or threebreaks a year are trying toconsolidate them into one bigholiday. They are saving forsomething a bit special.

“There is also a trend toleave things to the lastminute when booking aholiday – not that there aretremendous bargains to behad because the suppliershave cut capacity. Peoplewant to get away tosomewhere they areguaranteed a bit of sun.”

Susan, who grew up inMeltham, found her way intothe travel business after anenjoyable 14 years as acommercial photographer –and a big mistake in her firstchoice of career.

As a student at HolmeValley Grammar School,Susan decided she wanted togo into hotel management.“Why, I don’t know!” sheadmits. She reckoned withoutthe unsocial hours, modestpay and sheer hard workinvolved.

“I could only see theglamorous side of standingbehind a reception desk,” shesays.”I completed the courseat Huddersfield TechnicalCollege and I did my workexperience at the GeorgeHotel, but I never worked inthe industry full-time.”

After getting married andhaving children, Susanbegan working for TempestPhotography, training as aschool photographer. “Mymum already worked for thecompany and theyencouraged people to takeon family members,” saysSusan. “Although thecompany is based in St Ives,Cornwall, the photographersworked from home.”

While the work soundsrepetitive, Susan enjoyed herspell behind the camera.“You went somewheredifferent every day and thekids were nice,” she says. “Itfitted in with school hoursand there was always thechance to do weddingphotography or other work.

“It’s also when I realisedhow important it is to lookafter the customer. If youdidn’t do a good job, parentsdidn’t buy the photos and thatwould be reflected in thecommission you earned.”

One day, Susan read anewspaper advert about afranchising opportunityselling cruise holidays. Shesays: “I was a photographeruntil my children grew up. Itwas also at the time that thephotography industry waschanging to digital – which Ifound very difficult to get togrips with after using film forso long!”

Susan ran her cruiseholidays business for five

years before deciding it wastoo limiting. “I was quitesurprised by how manypeople are not interested incruises – even though it wasa fast-growing sector.

“A friend who also had acruise franchise knew acouple of people who wereTravel Counsellors and toldme how the businessworked. It sounded so muchbetter than what I was doingin terms of back-up andsupport, so I investigatedfurther and took it from there.I had an interview and TravelCounsellors decided theywould be happy for me to jointhem.”

Susan now works from herNetherthong home, saying: “Ihave never looked back.”

Says Susan: “Everyonetravels at some point duringthe year and holidays arewhat we all work for. Now Iorganise all sorts of holidays– long-haul, package deals,ski holidays and businesstravel.”

Susan also finds peoplelike the reassurance of avoice at the end of thephone. “As the internet grew,people started to dabble in

arranging their own holidays– booking flights and hotelsthemselves,” she says. “But itis not necessarily thecheapest way or the bestway. During the volcanic ashcloud crisis, people werestranded and had no call onanyone because they wereresponsible for their holiday.If anything isn’t right, it’s yourown fault.

“It is all about customerservice – giving your clientthe best advice you can fromthe initial inquiry until theyget back home. It meansthere is someone to sortthings out.”

Although Susan worksfrom home, she recognisesthe value of meeting otherwomen in business – whichis how she hit on the idea ofsetting up a networkinggroup.

Susan has launchedLadies Who Latté and Lunchto bring togetherbusinesswomen working inthe Holme Valley once amonth. About 20 people areexpected to attend its firstmeeting at 11.30amtomorrow at the Huntsman,Holmfirth.

Susan says the idea is tooffer an alternative tonetworking groups with rigidrules where everyone has toprovide referrals and givepresentations on theirbusinesses. “The idea is tohave a group ofbusinesswomen talkingabout what they do andpromoting their ownbusiness, but in a less formalatmosphere. I think chattingto people is sometimes thebest way to promote yourbusiness.

”I think many women feelmore comfortable in thecompany of other women,especially if you have anopportunity to speak. I wassurprised how many womenthere are running their ownbusinesses. Other womenwho attend will be

employees representing theircompanies.”

Susan plans to hold themonthly lunch-time meetingsat different venues andhopes to line up WoodsomeHall at Fixby for a futureevent. That’s not entirelyunconnected to her relativelynew-found love of golf.

Susan and her husbandStephen started playing golfabout two years ago – andthe reason why takes herback to the subject ofholidays.

“We went to an auction atYorkshire County CricketClub and Stephen bid for aholiday to South Africa,” shesays. “It wasn’t until after hegot it that we discovered itwas a golfing holiday – so wetook some lessons and,surprisingly, we becamehooked!”

Susan joined Woodsometwo years ago and plays

twice a week. “There is aladies section which playsevery Tuesday and I havemade a couple of goodfriends as well,” she says.

“When you work at homethere are days when youmight not see anyone. Golf isa good way to meet peopleand talk about what they doand their families.

“I’m an ‘improving’ player. Ihave knocked two points offmy handicap, but it is a nicesocial thing as well.

“I used to drive past golfcourses and think ‘why wouldanyone do that?’ But you canget out there and forgeteverything else that’s goingon because you areconcentrating so much. It istotally absorbing.”

■ REWARDING: SusanGillespie, who has her ownTravel Counsellors franchise

On the board with

01484 538 351theboard@revellward.co.ukTwitter@RevellWard

www.revellward.co.uk

Lesley SuttonTax Director

Have a HappyTax Year!!

Avoid nasty penalties & headaches - beprepared well in advance of any tax

deadlines.Our summary below outlines some key dates

for your diary:31 January 2012 - Personal tax

returns and payments due for 2010/11.6 April 2012 – Start of 2012/13

tax year19 May 2012 – Deadline for filingemployer annual returns for 2011/12 –

P35 and P146 July 2012 - Deadline for filing P11Ds

for 2011/12For a comprehensive list of dates see

www.revellward.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

BANKER’SBLOGJill Hague

Jill Hague is HSBC area commercial director forCalderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield

Vital year formanufacturersExpansion is

key for 2012THOUGH the current

economic environment inthe UK is still provingchallenging to some, HSBChas continued to offerlending support to strong,viable enterprises that candemonstrate well-definedmanagement in conjunctionwith a considered forward-thinking business plan.

Throughout 2011, we haveprovided many businesses in ourarea with funding to expand theircurrent business reach, targetingnew markets and customers.

And looking to the year ahead,the key for businesses will be tocontinue to demonstrate consider-able planning and a strongstrategy to capitalise on futuregrowth opportunities.

With competition fierce, HSBCunderstands that creating astrong, distinct business plan anda unique product offer can be adifficult task.

But this area is home to a largenumber of energetic and diversebusinesses that are already takingadvantage of business growthopportunities on offer both in thearea and overseas.

I ’v e b e e n p ro u d t o s e e

businesses in the area tackle thechallenging economic environ-ment head on – developing newideas, products and partners,targeting new markets to spreadtheir business risk, and position-ing themselves to cope with thedifficult market outlook.

It’s interesting to note thatwhilst the domestic economyremains challenging, we have seena dramatic rise in the number ofbusinesses trading overseas, andwe have supported many compan-ies to expand their outreachinternationally.

And, as the line between“domestic” and “international”business blurs, even those thatconsider themselves to be tradingon a purely domestic level, often

st i l l have an internat ionalelement.

When thinking about the yearahead, businesses should use allthe tools at their disposal –whether it’s talking to UKTI whenthinking about international tradeor utilising the expertise on offer attheir bank to develop a compellingbusiness case. My team of relation-ship managers are well equipped towork with customers to under-stand their business model andidentify its strengths and potentialfor the future.

We’d encourage anyone inter-ested in seeking funding for newexpansion projects, whether athome or overseas, to come and talkto us whilst their plans are in adevelopment.

Tensions at workare set to worsenBOSSES will struggle to maintain moraleamong their workers in the year ahead,according to the regional head ofemployment relations service Acas.And the number of workplace disputescould escalate as economic tensionsworsen.Peter McGee, director of Acas inYorkshire and Humber, said: “Economicdifficulties continue and tensions in theworkplace in the form of the largerdisputes have by no means disappeared.“While we have seen some high-profilestrikes, we need to keep things inperspective.“The number of disputes and days lostto strikes remain at historically lowlevels. In fact, the number of work dayslost to strikes is at its lowest for 20years.“But in 2012 we could see tensionswhere employees are looking to make upfor the pay and other concessions madeduring the recession.“If inflation continues to rise, the moodfor industrial action over pay claims isalso likely to rise.“We could still be in for a bumpy 12months, although we should rememberthat the partnership approach toemployment relations arose out of therecession in the 1990s. We may see asimilar pragmatic approach toemployment relations this time around.”Mr McGee said: “The outcome of theGovernment’s resolving workplacedisputes consultation announced anumber of changes with a wider role forAcas to resolve disputes before theyreach a formal claim to an employmenttribunal.“In the coming year, this is going to helpfocus minds on the principle of resolvingdisputes within the workplace beforethey can escalate, even before Acas’wider role to achieve this comes intoeffect in 2014.”

Brewing up more sales

ONE of the most successfultraditional ale breweries in the UKhas been given a hand by aHuddersfield-based business.

Edinburgh’s CaledonianBrewery can now offer itsworldwide customers easy, onlineordering thanks to a new bespokewebsite supplied by internetmarketing firm WSI Yorkshire.

Caledonian Brewery has beenproducing and supplyingtraditional ales since 1869 – andfor the first time in it’s history cannow offer customers the ability toorder their favourite beers online.

The new website, created byWSI Yorkshire and designed byYork-based graphic designagency Creative Squeeze, offers

a number of impressive features– allowing customers to browseand purchase Caledonian Beersand merchandise in minutes.

Steve Harvey-Franklin, ownerof WSI Yorkshire, said: “We’redelighted with the new websitethat we, together with CreativeSqueeze, have created forCaledonian Brewery.

“The site looks fantastic and wereally enjoyed the challenges ofbuilding the website, integratingthe visuals with our easy to usee-commerce CMS.

“The new online shopenhances the brewery’s customerservice offering and takes themforward into a new and improveddigital era.”

Caledonian Brewery offers awide selection of award winningtraditional ales and beers such asthe Flying Scotsman, FlyingDutchman and Nectar. It is theonly surviving company from thecity’s original 40 brewers.

Holmfirth-based WSI Yorkshire,formed in 2004, provides Internetmarketing services to clientsacross the UK.

■ DELIGHT: WSI Yorkshireowner Steve Harvey-Franklin

YORKSHIREmanufacturersare pinning theirhopes for 2012on innovation,exports andsustainability.The flow of badnews from keyeconomies andmarkets and thelack of access tocapital will make2012 a very difficult year for themajority of Yorkshire manufacturersaid Jason Whitworth (pictured),partner and manufacturing specialistfor accountants and businessadvisers BDO.The balance of Yorkshire-basedfirms taking on new workers fell fr29% in the third quarter of 2011 tojust 2% in the fourth quarter.Mr Whitworth said he expected tosee little positive recruitmentthroughout 2012 – and anticipatedthat manufacturers in certain sectormay be forced to shed labour tobalance the books in 2012.Yet Government initiatives topromote innovation and exportopportunities in emerging marketsprovide some ray of hope.“After 30 years of decline, there isnow widespread consensus that astrong and vibrant manufacturingsector is fundamental to theeconomy,” said Mr Whitworth.“The task of rebuilding themanufacturing sector will not beeasy and we must accept that it matake years. However, a renewed focuson manufacturing is vital for growth.“While funding options are availablefor businesses with a robustbusiness plan and those that acceptthe need to share equity upside,access to growth capital willcontinue to be very difficult,particularly for SMEs.“In 2012, we expect that theGovernment will continue to focusattention on the rebuilding ofmanufacturing.“But in order to emphasise theimportance of this sector toeconomic recovery and to enablelong term sustained growth, theGovernment must develop a clearand more explicit medium tolong-term framework and strategyfor the sector.”Mr Whitworth said sustainability walso a key area for manufacturers. Asdemand and pricing for commoditiesand energy were expected to remainvolatile, the importance ofsustainability as a business toolwould increase.BDO is forecasting slowed growththroughout 2012 due to a continuedreduction in domestic demand,political and economic turmoil and alack of access to capital.It also said that investment andrecruitment were unlikely,particularly among SME – butinsisted that innovation and accessto government initiatives would bevital.Exports would provide a lifeline formany firms – with the focus on therapidly emerging giants of China,India and Brazil as well as thefast-developing new emergingmarkets.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

No holiday forthe employersTHERE have been a number of case

law decisions over the past coupleof years dealing with the positionrelating to holiday pay for sickworkers.

A recent decision in the EmploymentAppeals Tribunal will give some comfort tobusinesses and the position is outlinedfurther below.

Under the Working Time Regulations1998, an employee has the right to take 5.6weeks paid holiday in each leave year.

There is no provision in the Regulationsallowing leave to be carried over and apayment in lieu of unused holiday cannot bem a d e e x c e p t o n t e r m i n a t i o n o femployment.

Many businesses will therefore operate a‘use it or lose it’ policy such that holidaycannot be carried over to subsequentyears.

Case law decisions in the EuropeanCourts have recently focused on whetheremployees on long-term sick leave areentitled to carry over their unused holidayentitlement to subsequent years.

Take, for example, an employee who is offfor two years. They accrue a certain entitle-ment in one year and if it is not taken, arethey allowed to carry it over to further yearsand then be paid in lieu of that accrued leaveon termination of their employment? Theanswer, according to the European Court,was “yes”.

This could leave many employers with asignificant holiday pay bill to pick up ontermination of employment because it

meant that any leave accrued over asignificant period of time when an employeewas absent had to be paid in one lump sumwhen they left.

The employer’s argument is that if theleave has not been used at the end of theyear, the regulations kick in and it cannot becarried over.

The European Courts took a differentview arguing that employees on sick leave donot have the opportunity to take holiday soit should be allowed to be carried over.

A recent case in the Employment AppealsTribunal focused on whether a worker whoneither took nor sought to take statutoryholiday during a number of years of sicknessabsence was entitled, on the termination oftheir employment, to pay in respect of thatuntaken entitlement.

The employee was a nurse who went onlong term sick leave in November, 2005, anddid not return to work before her dismissalin October, 2008.

She was paid in lieu of her final year ofholiday entitlement as the regulations quiterightly require.

However, the employer argued that theprevious two years untaken entitlement didnot need to be paid. The employee sub-sequently brought a claim before the

Employment Tribunal.The Employment Appeals Tribunal con-

sidered the fact that under the regulations,an employee has to give notice to take leavein order to be entitled to leave.

The employee in this case did not seek totake any leave in previous years of absenceas the regulations suggested so there was noentitlement for that leave to be paid ontermination of employment.

The current position is therefore this; anemployee on long term sick leave is notentitled to a payment in respect of untakenannual leave accrued historically (except inthe last year of employment), if they do notrequest leave during the holiday year.

However, it does mean that an employee isentitled to take annual leave and be paid forit, as long as they request leave.

Warning over taxclampdown planBUSINESS ownersplanning to closetheir companies havebeen warned about atax clampdown.HM Revenue &Customs hasannounced aclampdown on taxbreaks available tocompanyshareholders when they close theircompany on a voluntary basis.David Butterworth (pictured), ofHuddersfield chartered accountantsWheawill & Sudworth, said it would bemore difficult and expensive to extractremaining company monies once the newrules are in place.“At present, it is possible forshareholders to receive distributions froma company in wind-down either tax-free orat a very low tax rate without a great dealof hassle” he said.“Under the new regime, only totaldistributions up to £25,000 can be dealtwith in this manner and larger amountswill require a more formal and costlyprocedure.”It is proposed that the new rules will beeffective for distributions made on orafter March 1, 2012.Mr Butterworth said companies in theprocess of winding up should proceed tomake distributions to shareholders beforethis date where it will be moretax-efficient to do so.

Study period for ITKIRKLEES businesses have been urged totake part in the UK’s largest IT andtelecoms study.

The state-of-the-nation reportcommissioned by TalkTalk Business isbeing conducted with independentresearch body and IT publisher IDG GlobalSolutions and aims to provide a uniqueinsight into the state of local firms’ IT andbroadband infrastructure.

Businesses of all sizes are being invitedto take part in the study via the Talk TalkBusiness website to help provide ameasure on the impact a company’s IT andnetwork service has on businessperformance and the growth of the widerUK economy.

Once the survey is complete, companieswill be able to assess their performanceagainst a national “business broadbandbarometer”. They will also have exclusiveaccess to an application that providesrecommendations and strategic advice onhow they can equip themselves with thetechnology to best future-proof theirbusiness, improve productivity and

generate growth.Andy Lockwood, transformation director

at TalkTalk Business, said: “The study isthe first of its kind and will provide us with acomprehensive view of the current state ofthe UK’s broadband and IT infrastructure.

“Efficient business communication is keyto increased productivity and improvedperformance. As the lifeblood of anyorganisation, the integration of businessgrade technology can help to supportgrowth and stimulate the economy.

“The report will enable us to really getunder the skin of UK businesses andrealise how technologically advanced theycurrently are – providing a nationalbenchmark and identifying which regionsand sectors are best equipped andconnected.

“It will also investigate how businessescan overcome their perceived IT barriers,by taking a closer look at issues such asawareness and access to hosted cloudsolutions and the importance of IT strategyat Board level.”

Go to www.talktalkbusiness.co.uk

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local Page 6KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Yorkshire firmstake optimisticstance for 2012YORKSHIRE businessesare gearing up for growthin the new year, says asurvey.The survey of more than90 finance executivesacross the North showsthat respondents arecautiously optimistic forgrowth over the next threeyears.Almost 60% are confidentthat they will grow in thenext year and more than20% are very confident ofgrowing their businessover the next three years.The survey byPricewaterhouseCoopersshowed that over the nextyear, almost 30% ofrespondents plan to targetgrowth through increasedmarket share andexporting to newgeographic markets.Almost half said theirbiggest growthopportunity in the shortterm was to develop newproducts and services.Randal Casson, partnerwith PwC in WestYorkshire, said: “Growthwill come from lookingharder for opportunities,assessing and managingrisk more effectively andhaving the right talent andcapability to exploit theseeffectively.”He said: “There will betough competition for thepeople with the right skillsbase and organisationswill need to be intelligentand flexible in theirapproach to ensureopportunities are notmissed for having a lack of

talent or succession plansin place.”Some 21% of respondentssaid access to talentedpeople would be achallenging area.However, nearly half wereexpecting to see growth inthe contingent workforcerather than full time staff.Nearly two-thirds ofrespondents expect somechange to companystrategy and the approachto managing risk, withmore than half alsoexpecting to see somechange to theirorganisational structure.While longer termconfidence for growth isevident, there are stillconcerns that the risksmay be overlooked, saidMr Casson.“An established riskmanagement agenda iscritical to address risksarising from a change ofstrategy, such as growthin new markets or newproduct or servicedevelopment,” he said.And he added: “As theshort term outlook for2012 is particularlyuncertain, businesses willneed to look for growthopportunities and this wasevident in the results ofthe survey.“The sovereign debt crisishas had a significantimpact on confidencelevels so organisationsshould also be preparedfor a potential period ofweaker economic activity.”

‘Social mediais way forward’BUSINESS bosses have been urged to get togrips with the world of social media – or missout on new contract wins.

The warning comes from Marcus Costello,who runs social media marketing courses ataward-winning Barkisland-based companyWright Angle Marketing.

Managing director Judith Wright said:“WAM is now into its 10th year and goingfrom strength to strength with new arrivals tothe team.”

She added: “It’s like anything – if you staystill you will get left behind and that’s why weare always trying to take that next step ineverything we do. Social media is a great newmarketing tool and we wanted to make ita c c e s s i b l e t o t h e e n t i r e bu s i n e s scommunity.”

Mr Costello said: “The invention of socialmedia has meant that anyone can talk toanyone and if companies are not talkingonline they are missing out on a great deal ofnew business.

“Some 41% of UK companies now usesocial media to find new business and we feeleveryone should have the opportunity tobenefit from it.”

Mr Costello said one in 13 people on theplanet were now on Facebook, adding: “Withthat many people using just one of social

media platforms out there it seems a ‘nobrainer’ that it is a great way of networkingand generating new business.

“Over the last few years, social media hasreally taken over the internet, In 2010, 110bnminutes were spent on social media sites –that’s 22% of all time spent online – and thatis set to grow again in 2011.

“In the beginning, social media was seenvery much as something for individuals toconnect with friends, but more recently busi-nesses have seen the benefits and hugeopportunities that social media brings.

“If you look at most television adverts,billboards and packaging from large com-panies there will be some reference to theirsocial media platforms and smaller busi-nesses are starting to understand the benefitsand rewards that social media can bring.

“Creating a Facebook page for a businessmeans that customers can find and contactbusinesses even if they don’t have a website. Itmeans companies can let customers knowabout the latest deals and offers and it is agreat way of improving customer service byinteracting with users.

“Once a company knows how to set up anduse different social media platforms such asTwitter and Facebook, it is a great marketingtool that has relatively no cost to it.”

■ TIME TO TWITTER: Marcus Costello, of Wright Angle Marketing

Wired upto landcontractsA SAFETY consultancyhas helped an electricalservices firm land vitalnew contracts.Bradley-based SafetyManagement andMonitoring Servicescame to the rescuewhen CoretechElectrical Services Ltddiscovered it didn’tmeet the compliancyneeded to grow anddevelop its business.The company failed itsContractors’ Health andSafety Schemeassessment – leaving itunable to tender forwork due to notmeeting the buyer’shealth and safetystandards.Ready to tender forwork and with adeadline of two weeksto submit a businesspitch, the firm called inSM&MS to turn thingsaround.Craig Brooker,managing director ofBrockholes-basedCoretech ElectricalServices, said: “Wefound ourselves in anunexpected position.“We had a track recordof working with publicand private sectorbuyer organisationsand had no reason tothink we weren’t jobready.”SM&MS, turned thefirm’s health and safetyprocesses around in amatter of weeks,enabling Coretech tobecome CHASapproved and givingthe company a workinghealth and safety policyon a par with acompany employingthousands of people.SM&MS directorRichard Edwards said:“Coretech ElectricalServices weren’t in thewrong, they justneeded to demonstratethey were compliantand document whatthey were doing.”

Business success on menuA NEW company inHuddersfield is opening thedoor on people’s eating habits –to help them improve their dietand fitness.

Nutritionist Gina Battye (left)started Quartz Services after about of irritable bowel syndromeled her to change her ownlifestyle and eating habits. Nowshe aims to improve people’shealth through better nutrition –to increase energy levels,improve eating habits and helpwith weight loss.

She also offers a one-hour

“Fridge and Cupboard Weeding”service at the client’s home,during which she will go throughtheir cupboards and examinethe good, the bad and theunhealthy.

Gina said: “People today havesuch busy lifestyles. It’s hard tofind the time to prepare regular,healthy meals and it is all tooeasy to grab a chocolate bar orstick a ready meal in themicrowave. Bad nutrition canlead to weight gain, tirednessand a wealth of health issuesfrom digestive problems and

skin complaints to more serious,even life-threatening illnesses.”

Quartz Services runsprogrammes for individuals orgroups to explore eating habitsand lifestyle, provide educationon nutrition and encouragesenergy revival, shaping up andweight loss.

“The issue of health andnutrition can be confusing,especially with the complexitiesof labelling and packagedesign,” said Gina. “In somecases, it doesn’t do what it sayson the tin.”

Sorted! Health projectwins two top awardsA PROJECT runningworkshops in Kirkleesand Calderdale has wontwo awards.Getting Sorted took silverand bronze at the Qualityin Care Diabetes Awards.The Getting Sortedprogramme wasshortlisted for two awards– winning bronze for bestinitiative supportingself-care and taking silverfor partnership working.Director Liz Webster said:“This is a fantasticachievement consideringthe business has onlybeen providing theseproducts for the last threeyears.“We are honoured to haveeven been shortlisted forthe awards and hope toreturn next year going forgold!”

Getting Sorted: Our Wayis an award-winningenterprise created byengaging and workingwith young people withlong-term healthconditions at every stageof the research process,to enable them to delivera self-care programme.The programme coversworkshops engagingyoung people in a seriesof unique, informative andactive workshopsfocusing on the impact oflong term healthconditions.Subjects covered includediabetes and asthma.Getting Sorted is alsoinvolved in research andenterprise, throughtraining and consultancyservices.

property Page 7KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

■ CLIMATE: Jeff Pearey, office agencydirector at Jones Lang LaSalle

Scheme’s in the top three

■ WINNING LINES: Towngate Homes caught theattention of judges in the Northern Design Awards for itsBroomfield Avenue scheme in Halifax

Power shifts to officetenants, claims reportA MAJOR shift is under way in thetraditional relationship betweenWest Yorkshire office landlords andtheir tenants, according to researchb y i n t e r n a t i o n a l p r o p e r t yconsultants Jones Lang LaSalle.

More than three-quarters ofproperty professionals believeoccupiers are becoming morepowerful and demanding more fromtheir landlords, says the latestOffices 2020 research issued throughthe national office agency team atJones Lang LaSalle in WestYorkshire.

Jeff Pearey, office agency directorfor the region, said: “West Yorkshireoffice occupiers recognise that theeconomic climate means that theyare in a stronger negotiatingposition than ever before and arerevisiting their property strategies toensure their workplace is workingharder for their overall business.

“This shift in the traditionalbalance of power between landlordand tenants will affect WestYorkshire’s property landscape, gen-erating greater collaborationbetween landlords and occupiers.We expect the shift of power tooccupiers will continue for a number

of years, ahead of cyclical trends.”Bill Page, director for research at

Jones Lang LaSalle, said: “A steadyshift is taking place in the officemarket, including in West Yorkshire,as it is now even more influenced bydemand.

“Occupiers have a tremendousnegotiating position and caninfluence what gets built. Their briefcan become far more detailed – fromlocation, capacity, density, sustain-ability, security and air conditioningright down to the sprinklers.

“Furthermore, flexible, long-termpartnerships with developers andout-sourced service providers willlead to better outcomes for bothparties, especially in the absence ofdebt funding.

“With careful upfront investment,all sides can benefit.

“The cut t ing edge l i es indeve lopers ’ abi l i ty to bui ldlong-term partnerships with theirclients and out-sourced serviceproviders, anticipating their needsand locating and configuring spacein a way which adds value.

“Besides, funding for office devel-opment is unlikely to return topre-2007 volumes, so inventive col-

laborations with corporate clientswill be required to fill the gap.”

Jones Lang LaSalle’s Offices 2020research says that lease lengths arealso declining as occupiers wantmore flexible workplace strategieswhich will increase occupierturnover as leases expire morequickly and more often – althoughthe actual growth in occupied stockmay fall as space is occupied moreefficiently.

Mr Pearey said: “Occupiers needefficient workplaces and are not shyin asking for what they want.Developers need high-quality occu-piers.

“Because property has risen upthe corporate agenda, landlords andtenants need to foster a true partner-ship approach as this will benefitboth parties.”

Offices 2020 covers the mainissues and challenges that occupiers,investors and developers will need toconsider over the next decade,including sustainability, location,asset management , bui ld ingobsolescence, technology, workingpractices, fit-out and finance.

T h e 1 2 - m o n t h c a m p a i g naddresses the industry’s most

significant issues and aims to helpinvestors, developers and occupiersto better understand future trendsand changes within the officessector, consequently leading tobetter decision-making on futurebusiness opportunities.

Among its findings, the reportsaid that 83% of real estateprofessionals think sustainability isthe highest priority strategic issuef a c i n g o f f i c e r e a l e s t a t edecision-makers over the next 10years while a combination ofsustainability, technology andworkplace practice will create a hugedemand for refurbishment.

The report said future technolo-gical developments would have asignificant impact on fit-out andspace requirement – but not to theextent some think. Potential gamechangers are a shift to 12 volt ratherthan 240 volt electrical technology;cloud computing and an increasinguse of mobile and collaborative tech-nology.

Funding and finance will remainc o n s t r a i n e d a n d c r e a t i v epartnerships and alternativefunding sources will be increasinglyrequired, according to the report.

A HOUSEBUILDER has proved a hit with judges in anational competition.

Brockholes-based Towngate Homes achieved atop-three spot in the category for best family new buildat the Northern Design Awards.

It follows the success of sister firm propertydeveloper Conroy Brook winning the award for mostoutstanding retirement development in the UK for itsHolme Valley Court complex in Holmfirth.

Judging for the Northern Design Awards was downto a respected panel of experts in their fields. SirTerence Conran joined the panel this year for the firsttime along with designer Wayne Hemingway andSuzanne Imre, of Livingetc magazine.

Towngate Homes was recognised for its residentialdevelopment of 16 craftsman-built, spacious, naturalstone detached homes and townhouses at BroomfieldAvenue, Halifax.

The development has previously received accoladesat the Local Authority Building Control West YorkshireBuilding Excellence Awards and the UK ResidentialProperty Awards.

City office refurbishment completeA MAJOR office refurbishment inWest Yorkshire is complete.

A £1.6m refit for Elizabeth Housein Queen Street, Leeds, provides10,600sq ft of much-needed qualityoffice space for the city.

Sheffield-based building anddevelopment company J F Finnegan,which bought the 25,000sq ftElizabeth House from Valad for anundisclosed price earlier this year,

has appointed the Leeds office ofglobal property consultancy KnightFrank to jointly market the buildingwith Bowcliffes.

Law firm Clarion has alreadyannounced plans to move itsheadquarters to Elizabeth Housefrom Oxford Place in Leeds. It hasagreed a 15-year lease for 15,000sqft on three floors and will move its100-strong team in the spring.

Elizabeth Ridler, a partner atKnight Frank in Leeds, said: “The firstand second floors of Elizabeth Houseoffer Grade A refurbished officespace with excellent natural light andare available to lease now at thecompetitive rent of £17.50 per sq ft.

“The decision by Clarion torelocate here is a ringingendorsement of the quality and thelocation of the building.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Judges praiseice cream firmICE cream producer Yummy Yorkshire iscelebrating after achieving nationalrecognition in the 2011 Food & FarmingIndustry Awards.

The Denby Dale-based producer washighly commended in the Family Businessof the Year category at a prestigious awardceremony held at the House of Commonsand hosted by Countryfile presenter AdamHenson.

The annual awards, now in their 10thyear, are held by Farm Business magazineand aim to seek out the country’s mostinnovative farmers, producers, processorsand retailers.

Some 200 businesses entered this year’sawards – with 40 making the final shortl-ist.

Judging criteria included the ability todemonstrate real growth; use of assets interms of people, products and skills to besteffect; and reinvigorate the rural economyregionally or on a national scale.

The judges praised Yummy Yorkshirefor the level of family involvement in thebusiness, which they felt gave it strength, aswell as for the “obvious creative flair” inthe product and packaging.

Jeremy Holmes, co-founder of YummyYorkshire, said: “It’s fantastic to receivesuch a prestigious award and one thatrepresents our business values and ethics.

“We have worked hard to keep the familyfarm viable in such difficult economictimes and awards like this are a nice pat onthe back.”

The commendation comes shortly after

Yummy Yorkshire scooped three awardsfor its ice cream at the 2011 National IceCream Competition run by the Ice CreamAlliance, a not-for-profit organisationdedicated to supporting the productionand sale of premium ice cream.

Yummy Yorkshire has also been namedas a regional finalist in the 2011Countryside Alliance Awards, with win-

ners due to be announced in early 2012.Regional winners will go forward to theoverall finals, which will be held atWestminster on March 7, 2012.

Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream waslaunched by Jeremy and his wife Louise in2007 to drive added value into theirexisting dairy milk and cream productionbusiness.

Batley network groupready for breakfast!BATLEY has been chosen as the home of a newregular networking breakfast meeting.

National business networking group 4Networking islaunching its latest group on January 13 at BatleyBulldogs RLFC.

The group picked Batley as its location because ofthe number of independently-owned businesses inthe town.

4Networking already has almost 300 busybreakfast groups taking place around the countryattended by more than 50,000 members,

“I’ve been doing business in and around Batley foryears and know what a strong business communitythere is here, says 4Networking area leader MichellePoole, of Virtual Hand PA.

“It just made perfect sense for us to come to thetown.

“We know there’s a vast amount of privately-ownedbusinesses here as well as in the villages andbusiness parks around and this format gives thebusiness owners the ideal opportunity to meet andpromote themselves.”

Over a relaxed and informal breakfast, membersand visitors can meet each other, hear about eachother’s businesses and have three short businessappointments – all before 10am.

Local group leader Jo Fox, of Autex UK, a businessproviding autism awareness training, said: “I wantedto promote my business, so I attended a 4Networkingmeeting in Wakefield.

“I liked the format so much that I got in touch withMichelle to ask if I could run a meeting here – nowwe launch on January 13 and there are already localbusinesses booking in.”

Contact Michelle Poole on 07789 174792; emailjofox146@yahoo.co.uk or visit www.4networking.biz

■ READY TO TALK: 4Networking local groupleader Jo Fox, of Autex UK

■ COMMONS COLD: Louise and Jeremy Holmes (centre), of Yummy Yorkshire, withCountryfile’s Adam Henson (right) and Andrew Jackson, chief executive of categorysponsor Mole Valley Farmers Kent

Home runfor charityA COMPANY providing affordable housinghas raised more than £5,000 to charity.

Southdale, which partnered KirkleesCouncil on the redevelopment of housing atBrackenhall, raised the cash for DiamondBlackfan Anaemia UK, a charity supportingresearch into a rare blood disorder.

Southdale staff took part in numerousfundraising activities to raise the money forDBA UK, including participating in theGreat North Run and the Coast to CoastBike Ride.

A cheque for £3,672.54 has beenhanded over to the charity – with a further£1,774 raised through the Just Givingwebsite as part of the Great North Runfundraising.

Other fund raising activity included aninternal football tournament, dress downdays, coffee mornings and internal raffles.

Southdale decided to support the charityupon learning that one of its site managers,Kevin Tovey, had a nephew who had beendiagnosed with the condition, which ischaracterised by an inability to produce redblood cells which are vital to transportoxygen around the body.

The condition is extremely rare, affectingapproximately 125 people in the UK andonly 600-700 worldwide. It requiresintensive therapy and there is no knowncure.

Festive fundraisers!

STAFF at a building society branch inHuddersfield raised cash for KirkwoodHospice with a Christmas event.

Branch manager Julia Barrow andher team at the Skipton BuildingSociety in Ramsden Street invitedshoppers to share festive treats ofhome-baked cakes, mince pies and aglass of sherry in exchange for a smalldonation to the hospice at Dalton.

Said Julia: “Everyone loves a glassof sherry and a mince pie at this timeof year, so we decided to hold a

special day for people to pop in andget in the festive mood!”

In March, the building society’scharitable foundation donated £2,500to Kirkwood Hospice.

The money was used to purchasean interactive smart board to enablegroup participation in art classes inKirkwood’s therapy centre.

The board also doubles up as avaluable teaching aid for health carestaff.

■ FARE DEAL: Branch manager Julia Barrow (right) with colleagues (from left)Carolyne Joyce, Sue Riley, Sarah Boyes and Peter Jennings

Blooming good showfor customer service!TWO Kirklees businesses have been recognised foroutstanding customer service.

The Flower Shop at Lindley and The Potting ShedSpa in Batley were the first winners of the Customerat the Heart initiative run by Yorkshire BusinessWoman of the Year Kate Hardcastle, of businesstransformation company Insight with Passion.

The Flower Shop was recognised for its“personable staff, incredible product offer and abilityto deliver the “wow” factor to those visiting their storeor receiving an arrangement”.

Both businesses were selected following mysteryshopper visits to their premises.

They received window badges to display – showingtheir success in the initiative, which aims toencourage and reward small and medium-sized UKbusinesses in the retail and service sectors for theirpositive attitude towards their customers.

Stephie Brook, co-owner of The Flower Shop, said:“It is a tremendous achievement for our team toreceive such a special award as we always try toensure we offer all our customers the best and it willhelp inspire us to perform to even higher levels.”

Shoppers can nominate their favourite retailer byemailing nominate@customerattheheart.co.uk