KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees19, Apr i l , 2011

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RICHARD SHAW CLARE QUARTERMAINEKitchen to conservatory

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Socia l media ’s message

Co lumn - Page 4

An EXAMINER publication

CrimefiguresKIRKLEES firms havebeen urged to protectthemselves against therising risk of cybercrime as new researchshows the true cost ofthis 21st centuryeconomic threat.The alert followsresearch showing that75% of the economicimpact of cyber crimein the UK is felt bybusinesses at a cost of£21bn a year.

Joiningthe teamCHAMBER bosses havehit a huge six by addingYorkshire CountyCricket Club and ITFarm to theLockwood-basedorganisation’s list ofpatrons.

FTSE 100-125 .93

5870.08

£50m fund targetsenterprising firms

Campaign puts workplace ageism on agenda

A SPECIALIST finance business withoperations in Birstall has almostdoubled profits during its first full fin-ancial year as part of the new Britishbank.

The invoice finance division of Alder-more – formerly known as AbsoluteInvoice Finance – was part of Cattlesplc before being acquired in November,2009, by Aldermore Bank plc.

The 200-strong team now forms theinvoice finance division of Aldermore,working closely with the bank’s othersmall and medium-sized business divi-sions, which specialise in providingasset finance facilities and commercialmortgages.

Last year, the invoice finance arm ofAldermore almost doubled its profit to£4.7m from £2.4m in 2009. This profitlevel was recorded against a turnover of£23.82m, up from £20.9m in 2009.

The invoice finance division also sawan increase in new business volumes of40%, taking its total loan book to£110m and breaking the £100m barrier

for the first time in its 17-year history.To mark the milestone, Aldermore

has launched a £50m fund aimed atsupporting larger SMEs that continueto see their growth ambitions stifled as aresult of the ongoing credit crunch.

The Aldermore Growth Fund aimsto encourage expansion among theUK’s larger SMEs and is open to busi-nesses with an annual turnover ofbetween £2.5m and £25m.

The fund will provide medium-sizedbusinesses, which struggle to raise fundsthrough corporate bonds or rightsissues, with an alternative option totraditional bank funding.

Dave Jones, regional managing dir-ector of invoice finance at Aldermore inYorkshire, said: “As part of Aldermore– and thanks to the continued hardwork and dedication of our people – ourinvoice finance division has achieved arecord level of growth and continues tothrive despite challenging economicconditions.

“This has reinforced to us the import-

ance of supporting the growth ambi-tions of other medium-sized businessesacross the UK.”

Said Mr Jones: “While the term‘credit crunch’ has been used less andless over recent months as the economyhas begun to move out of recession, thereality is that lending to SMEs is con-tinuing to fall.

“Alongside the dramatic decline infunding through government-backedschemes, such as the Enterprise FinanceGuarantee Scheme, many of the majorhigh street banks have remained reluct-ant to lend to viable businesses despitesignificant improvements to their ownbalance sheet strength. And for manylarger SMEs, that means being starvedof vital funding for growth.

“By ringfencing £50m of our capitalin the form of the Aldermore GrowthFund, we’re making it clear to busi-nesses that there are funding optionsavailable that could enable them to fulfiltheir growth.

THE Government may be encour-aging older people to work longer –but Britain’s young adults want themoff the agenda.

New findings from older people’shousing and care provider Anchorreveal that ageist attitudes are endemicin the workplace – with 41% of youngBritons aged 18 to 24 years sayingthere aren’t enough jobs for olderpeople to be in work and 14% claiming

older people should retire to make wayfor younger blood.

The findings are especially discon-certing for the 57,000 people aged 65and over who are part of the Yorkshireand the Humber workforce.

Despite the default retirement age of65 ending this year, as far as youngpeople are concerned you hit the oldage mark when you reach 62.

A fifth of those surveyed believe the

over-60s are slower and are less pro-ductive than their junior counterparts– with one in 20 claiming they shouldbe paid less because they work at aslower pace.

To counter the misconceptions,Anchor is launching Grey Pride, anationwide petition to 10 DowningStreet calling for Britain to follow thelead of Ireland and Canada and have adedicated older people’s minister to

champion the over-60s at the highestlevel.

Anchor chief executive Jane Ash-croft said: “Casual ageism has no placein society and the negative perceptionsbear no reality to the lives of theover-60s in England today who areactive, energetic and contribute hugelyto many of the most successful busi-nesses and organisations in the coun-try.”

■ SUPPORT: David Jones,regional director for Aldermore’sinvoice finance division, saidSMEs needed funds for growth

www.chadwicklawrence.co.ukHuddersfield | Wakefield | Halifax | Leeds

Solicitors for business inYorkshire

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5870.08Down 125.93

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.46 dollarsBangladesh................. 111.73 takaBrazil.............................. 2.29 realsCanada....................... 1.49 dollarsChina ............................. 9.49 yuanCzech Republic ...... 25.18 korunasDenmark....................... 8.04 kroneEuro............................... 1.08 euroHong Kong................ 12.00 dollarsHungary ................... 271.12 forintsIndia.......................... 63.54 rupeesJapan........................... 128.39 yenMexico ....................... 16.93 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.91 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.37 kronePakistan.................. 128.97 rupeesPhilippines ................. 60.27 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.41 randSouth Korea.............. 1543.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 169.37 rupeesSweden......................... 9.65 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.39 francsTaiwan ...................... 41.32 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.35 new liraUSA ............................ 1.55 dollars

Carclo 2981/4 -3/4Marshalls 120 -1/2National Grid 589 -141/2Weir Gp 1711 -33

ASOS name change rowFASHION website ASOS is fightingattempts by a rival retailer to make itchange its name in Germany.

Anson’s – which does not sell online– believes their names are too similarand has mounted a legal challenge toprevent the use of ASOS for clothingsales in Germany.

A court hearing will be held on May3 in Hamburg to determine whetherthere is a danger of customer confu-sion, which could result in ASOSbeing forced to operate under a differ-ent name in Germany.

ASOS has rejected the claims andhit out at Anson’s for being “oppor-tunistic”.

A spokesman for ASOS said:“There is zero evidence of confusionbetween Anson’s and ASOS. Theclaims are being fought vigorouslyand ASOS remains confident of itsposition.”

The challenge comes shortly afterthe group posted strong growth in itsinternational business, which nowaccounts for 52% of all turnover.

Anson’s, which was formed in 1989and has 21 stores in 17 German cities,said it had brought the case due to theoral and written similarities aroundthe two brand names. Anson’s hasalready succeeded in gaining two pre-liminary injunctions against ASOS.

Oil company bosshits out at tax hikeOIL giant Chevron warned theremay be “unintended consequences”from the Government’s £2bn raid onprofits of North Sea oil and gascompanies.

John Watson, chairman and chiefexecutive of Chevron, America’ssecond-largest oil company, calledthe move to raise the levy on firms inorder to fund a cut in fuel duty“disappointing”.

Signalling that it could hit thefirm’s North Sea plans, he said:“When you increase taxes every fewyears, particularly without consult-ing with industry, there will be unin-tended consequences of that in termsof where we choose to invest.”

He said: “Chevron produces oiland gas in 26 different countries. We

choose venues that have the rightgeologic and fiscal terms.”

George Osborne’s Budget decisionto increase the supplementary oil andgas levy by 12% has drawn a furiousresponse from the industry, whichcomplained there had been no con-sultation.

MPs on the Commons TreasuryCommittee recently cautioned itcould undermine the Government’scredibility, coming less than a yearafter Mr Osborne promised the oiland gas industry a stable taxregime.

Mr Watson, who was speakingduring a visit to London, said hewould meet government representat-ives to air concerns over the impacton its North Sea projects.

Chevron is considering a £5bninvestment at its Rosebank discoveryoff the Shetland Islands.

He said it was not just the level oftax – increased from 20% to 32% –but also the unpredictability of Bri-tain’s tax regime, which added to therisk of drilling exploration wells.

“It was very disappointing to seethe tax hike,” he said.

“It was done without consultationwith the industry, it’s the third taxhike in 10 years, making the UK oneof the more unstable investment cli-mates for our business.”

Cancellation of investment pro-jects would be a major blow to UKemployment, particularly in Aber-deen where many North Sea oil com-panies and suppliers are based.

Falklands firm dealt fresh blowAN exploration firm has seen itshopes of finding oil off the FalklandsIslands dashed once again as itrevealed another well had failed todeliver.

Falkland Islands-focused DesirePetroleum saw its shares slump bynearly 70% at one stage after it saidits Ninky Well in the North FalklandBasin would be shut down and aban-doned.

Stephen Phipps, Desire chairman,said after shutting down the well, theAIM-listed company would be leftwith about £22m, which was insuffi-cient to drill further wells and furtherfinancing would be sought.

Desire has been exploring the

Falklands since 1998 and has so farfailed to find any significantreserves of oil or gas. This latestdisappointment follows failure tofind oil at its Rachel North andJacinta Prospect wells at the end oflast year.

Desire shares have fallen by about90% since the start of December.

Earlier this year, rival oil firm Rock-hopper raised hopes after it dis-covered an estimated 242m barrelsin recoverable reserves at its SeaLion well in the Falklands.

Desire and Rockhopper are con-ducting a joint seismic survey of thebasin near the Sea Lion well in a bidto identify new prospects.

SharesslumpTHE FTSE 100 Indexslumped more than 2%after markets across theglobe were shocked by adowngrade of the USgovernment’s debtoutlook.

Key credit ratingsagency Standard &Poor’s (S&P) cut the USoutlook to negative fromstable following concernsthat the Government willnot be able to agree aplan to reduce thegrowing national deficit.

The shock reportraised fears the world’sbiggest economy couldlose its AAA credit ratingand helped push theFTSE down 125.9 pointsto 5870.

ChannelhoppingEUROTUNNEL isenjoying a spring-timesurge in bookings as theroyal wedding draws invisitors and Britons takeadvantage of the extrabank holiday.

The operator of theChannel Tunnel, whichruns its own car, coachand truck passengerservices, described therecent uplift in demandas substantial.

As well as continentalvisitors, the extra bankholiday on Friday April 29means that people canhave 11 days off work bytaking just three days ofleave.

The update came asEurotunnel reported a24% rise in revenues to£157.8m in the firstquarter of 2010.

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £28.01 -0.48Gannett 909.99 -1.85Hess Corp £47.66 -0.94Microsoft 1529.15 -33.91Motors Liquidation 46.21Wal-Mart Stores £33.00 +0.01

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 2471/2 -71/2BAE Systems 329 -5Rolls-Royce Gp 626 -12

AIMBrady Plc 77 -5Dawson Intl 2Man Brnze 48 -3/4Uniq 74

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1951/2 -33/8

BANKSBarclays 2903/4 -11HSBC 6433/4 -95/8Lloyds Banking Gp 587/8 -11/4Ryl Scotland 413/4 -7/8Stan Chart 1616 -311/2

BEVERAGESDiageo 1179 -30SABMiller £217/8 -5/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1700 -39Elementis 98 1535/8 -51/4Johnsn Mat 1832 -42

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3233/4 -61/4Costain 2301/2 -3

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 4353/4 -63/8Intl Power 3183/4 -11/4Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1307 -8

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1277/8 -5

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 371 -55/8

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1891/2 -21/2Cable & WirelessComm

461/8 +1/8

Cable & WirelessWwide

505/8 -11/8

Colt Group 1461/4 -35/8KCOM 611/4 -1/2Talktalk Telecom 140 -1

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2841/2 -33/4Sainsbury 3387/8 -3Tesco 400 -71/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1022 -25Nth Foods 723/4 -1/4Tate Lyle 5921/2 -141/2Unilever 1922 -48

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3201/4 -91/8National Grid 589 -141/2Pennon Grp 624 -15Severn 1428 -33United Utils 6041/2 -10

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2617/8 -61/8ICAP 4981/8 -117/8

London StockExch 858 -121/2Man Group 2393/4 -107/8Provident Financial 9811/2 -9Schroders 1782 -47Schroders NV 1450 -37

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 634 -101/2REXAM 3733/4 -41/8Smiths Grp 1293 -7

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 193/4 -3/4Carphone Whse 3981/4 -13/4Dixons Retail 133/4 -1/8Home Retail 2161/4 +33/4Inchcape 3447/8 -6Kingfisher 2641/8 -11/4M & S 3703/4 -33/4Mothercare 4121/2 -51/2Next £213/4 -1/4WH Smith 4703/4 -1/4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6751/2 -21

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 1213/4 +1/2Barrat Dev 1001/2 -23/8Persimmon 4411/4 -73/4Reckitt Benckiser £32Taylor Wimpey 361/8 -7/8

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 741 -6I M I 9601/2 -331/2

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 4251/8 -171/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2021/4 -7/8

Forth Ports 1615 -2LIFE INSURANCE

Aviva 4143/4 -201/4Lgl & Gen 1165/8 -35/8Old Mutual 1321/2 -41/8Prudential 7151/2 -271/2Resolution 2943/4 -143/4Standard Life 2051/4 -71/4

MEDIABSkyB 831 -41/2D Mail Tst 4681/2 -55/8ITV 731/2 -1/4Johnston Press 73/4 -1/4Pearson 1091 -7Reed Elsevier 5351/2 -2STV Group 1351/2 +17/8Trinity Mirror 461/2 -13/4Utd Business 5721/2 -1/2UTV 1361/8 -37/8WPP 722 +1Yell Group 61/2 -1/4

MININGAnglo American £297/8 -11/2Antofagasta 1304 -68BHP Billiton £241/2 -5/8Eurasian NaturalRes

892 -22

Fresnillo 1514 -61Kazakhmys 1308 -51Lonmin 1575 -58Rio Tinto £42 -11/8VEDANTARESOURCES

£223/8 -3/4

Xstrata 14361/2 -371/2MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 610 -61/2Vodafone Group 1745/8 -35/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1608 -31RSA Insurance Gp 1295/8 -41/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 1470 -28BP 4515/8 -41/8Cairn Energy 4325/8 -91/8Royal Dutch Shell A £213/4 -5/8Royal Dutch Shell B £211/2 -3/4Total £355/8 -7/8Tullow Oil 1372 -30

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1138 -12Petrofac 1485 -26Wood Group 6541/2 -15

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1146 -9

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £291/2 -5/8Axis-Shield 320 +21/4GlaxoSmithK 171/2Shire 1833 -56

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 5641/2 -41/2Captl Shop Cent 383 -6DTZ Hldgs 25 -13/4Hamrsn 446 -53/4Land Secs 743 -101/2SEGRO 3071/2 -81/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1544 -33Invensys 3135/8 -73/8Logica 1271/2 +1/4Misys 3155/8 -27/8Sage Group 2745/8 -33/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 476 -95/8Bunzl 713 -81/2Capita 722 -3De La Rue 759 +1/2Electrocomp 2641/4 -51/8Experian 7731/2 -10G4S 2721/4 -3Hays 1145/8 -7/8Homeserve 458 -91/4Menzies J 535 -8Rentokil 893/4 -13/4Smiths News 931/4 +33/4Wolseley £203/8 -1/2

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 5751/2 -20Psion 99 -33/4Spirent Comms 1341/4 +1/4

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £251/4 -3/8Imperial Tobacco £201/8 -1/4

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 170 +39Carnival £24 -1/8Compass Grp 5601/2 -5easyJet 3261/8 -133/4Enterprise Inns 901/2 +3/4FirstGroup 3111/4 -51/4Go-Ahead Gp 1385 +9Greene King 4621/4 -31/4Intercontl Htls 1250 -30Intl Cons AirlinesGp

217 -81/8

Ladbrokes 1441/4 -1/8Mitchells & Butlers 3047/8 -1Natl Express 2597/8 -1/4Rank Org 1457/8 -17/8Stagecoach Group 2257/8 -37/8TUI Travel 2251/8 -41/2Whitbread 1649 -26

INDEXFTSE 100 5870.08 -125.93

INDEXFTSE 250 11490.75 -188.49

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

Richard Shaw

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: Co-ownerAge: 40Family Married to Joannewith daughters Chelsea,21, and Autumn, 14Holidays: Cruising,preferably in the MedCar: BMW CoupeFirst job: PaperboyBest thing about job:The satisfaction of a jobwell done and the thanksyou get from the customerWorst thing about job:Letting a customer downBusiness tip: Workhard. Nobody will workharder in your businessthan you

Work: Manufacturing andfitting doors, windows andconservatoriesSite: DeightonEmployees: SixPhone: 01484 429506Web: www.locahomesolutions.co.ukE-mail info@localhomesolutions.co.uk

Local HomeSolutions Ltd

Richardhas therightrecipe

CHEF Richard Shaw put achange of career on themenu – and opened up awindow of opportunity inbusiness.

After three years workingas a chef at some of theHuddersfield area’sbest-known restaurants,Richard decided he’d hadenough of the unsocialhours and moved into thewindows, doors andconservatories trade as anapprentice PVC fitter.

“I took a dramatic drop inwages,” he recalls.

“As a chef on really goodmoney for that time to beingan apprentice fitter I took awage cut from £300 a weekto £55.

“But it was just somethingI wanted to do. I’d hadenough of being a chef andI fancied a change.

“I trained for 12 monthsunder experienced fittersand then I was trusted to dothe job myself. I pickedthings up reasonablyquickly.

“I started on domesticjobs and as thingsprogressed I moved on tofitting on bigger contractsfor local councils.

“I progressed to becomea foreman and I worked inStockport for eight yearswith 10 teams of fittersworking under me.

“We were sub-contractedto an installation companybased in Telford and wewere carrying outimprovements to thousandsof council properties.

“We were fitting acousticglazing – and the closer thehouses got to ManchesterAirport, the higher thegrade of double glazing wewere fitting!”

Richard’s main roleinvolved assigning fittingteams to various locations,supervising their work andescorting the clerk of worksaround afterwards to “signoff” the completedinstallations.

He also had to deal withany problems as they aroseand ensure work wasfinished on schedule.

About eight years ago,Richard joined forces withanother former fitter, AlexFiorillo, to establish LocalHome Solutions as asub-contracting business.

Now, the company basedat Ashgrove Road, offLeeds Road, Deighton,manufactures and fitswindows, doors andconservatories.

It also carries out cellarand loft conversions as wellas fitting garage doors.

Says Richard: “Running abusiness was no big dealbecause I have alwaysbeen self-employed sinceleaving the catering trade.

“The big difference is thatwe have directly employedstaff.

“We seem to be goingfrom strength to strength,winning new tradecustomers and benefitingfrom the current housingmarket – where people arespending money to improvetheir homes rather thanlooking to sell.”

Richard says thebusiness is not immune tothe traditional peaks andtroughs of the construction

industry, but said: “We havetried to boost sales andkeep ourselves a little bitahead of the competition –by branching out intoconversions and garagedoors.

“We have been know tocarry out a fullrefurbishment of a property.”

The company has alsotaken steps to keep costsunder control as far aspossible in the currentuncertain climate – buyingits materials in bulk to get abetter price, which enables itto offer a good price to itscustomers.

It also makes everythingin-house, allowing it to keepa close eye on quality.

“It gives us that edge overthe competition,” saysRichard.

“Manufacturing andsupplying the productourselves is actuallycheaper than buying theproduct in.”

The company is alsokeeping up to speed withdevelopments inenergy-saving products with

thermal properties which canhave a major impact inreducing customers’ bills.

“Anyone who had theirwindows fitted 10 years agoand replaced them with thelatest products this weekwould notice a massive dropin their heating bills,” saysRichard.

“Installing the correctproduct will improve yourhome and save you moneyin the long run.”

Richard and Alex head asix-string team, but are onhand to tackle any taskshould it be necessary.

“If something needsselling, I sell it,” saysRichard.

“I go out surveying and Igo out delivering – but I don’tdo any of the fitting thesedays because it’s a youngman’s game. It’s hard workand my back won’t stand upto it!”

Running a business washardly Richard’s first careerchoice.

After attending RawthorpeHigh School, he followed hisbrother’s footsteps into the

catering trade.Says Richard: “He

helped me take my firststep on the ladder into theworld of work.”

Richard worked at theformer Ladbroke MercuryHotel – now the CedarCourt Hotel – at AinleyTop.

He also worked at theSole Mio in Huddersfield,the Briar Court Hotel atBirchencliffe, the HeyGreen at Marsden and atLa Scala.

Typically, being on thebreakfast shift wouldmean starting work at6.30am, while in somecases the late shift wouldmean not finishing untilmidnight.

Although he left theindustry with no regrets,Richard reckons workingin such pressuredconditions taught him theimportance ofpreparation, beingorganised – and how toprioritise.

And he’s still busy.“My phone is never

switched off,” he says.“I’m always contactableeven at the weekends fora customer to have a chator two deal with anyissues – particularly if it’sall hands to the pumps.

“I work five-and-a-halfdays a week, whichleaves little time for otherinterests.

“I do love cooking – it’sweird but true. I make avery good lasagne – Istole the recipe frommemory from the SoleMio! When I go out I enjoya curry.”

Richard’s great love indays past was motorcross.

“I have had a couple ofbikes in my time,” hesays.

“I used to go off everySunday racing atDoncaster or off-roadaround Holmfirth. But as

you get older, you getwiser.

“I began to ask myselfwhat would happen if I felloff and broke my leg? I’dbe out of action and thatwouldn’t help thebusiness!”

■ IN THE FRAME: Richard Shaw, co-owner of Local HomeSolutions, enjoys cooking despite leaving the catering trade

HowarthsHR and Employment Law

Guidingyou through

Mazethe

www.howarths-uk.com Tel: 01274 864999

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4Triple billing forbranding expertsBRANDING specialist 10 Associateshas achieved a hat-trick.The Bradley-based agency has beenplaced on the Recommended AgencyRegister for the third year running.RAR was launched to help brandowners find the right marketingsuppliers.Working with the Carnyx Group, theteam behind the RAR developed anonline research process to gathermarket insight right across thespectrum of marketing services.As well as top-line supplierinformation, this process alsocaptures ratings from clients that givea unique picture of the level ofcustomer satisfaction that eachsupplier achieves.David Worthington, managing directorof 10, said: “We’re delighted that ourclients’ appreciate the work we do andfelt strongly enough to recommend uson the Agency Register.”

Strengtheningthe batting order

MARKETINGMATTERSClare Quartermaine

Face up to Facebook

THERE is no doubt that therise of Facebook, twitter

and blogs is the mostimportant influence on ourculture for a number ofyears.

It’s not just changed how wecommunicate, it’s also changedthe culture of how much weshare.

From a marketing perspective,I’m rubbing my hands with glee –what fabulous information isthis? An insight into people’sminds and lives, giving my clientsmore information on why, howand when people buy than everbefore. The capitalist’s tool…

From a consumer’s perspect-ive, I feel slightly uneasy with thisbig brother type of society butnot ice that young peoplenowadays don’t bat an eyelid.

The safety net for us all, ofcourse, is that there’s just toomuch information to assimilateand not enough time! So I stillsleep easy…

But for many of my clients, it’ssocial media that they are reallytrying to get to grips with, hence

my tackling this subject again.Many are reluctant to take the

leap, but realise that it’s time toadd the subject into their market-ing strategies.

Here are some very brief(because I have a word limit forthis column) list of dos and don’tswith social media to get youstarted – for those ready to takethe leap.

D O e n s u r e yo u s e t u pguidelines for use – similar tohow you would for your brand.Following these ensures that youkeep your look and tone consist-ent. But remember that peoplewant to talk to “people” – soensure you engage with your net-work rather than bombard withadverts and plugs. Use this as anopportunity to reinforce yourpersonality and company corevalues.

DON’T be inactive. Remem-ber this is a commitment and youhave to keep your information upto date! Social media suits our

fast-paced life and users expectregular updates. If you don’t,your competitors will and you’llsoon be on the back foot.

DO offer value. Rather thanjust plug your products and com-pany – offer your customerssomething else. Competitions,discounts, early bird informationand “seek” their opinion. Thekey here is interaction.

DON’T ignore others. Whatgoes around comes around – ifyou mention others, they willmention you back. That’s howyou build your network.

And lastly – DO be positive.Remember that these are publicforums and what you say willstick around for a long time.

The problem with social mediais that it’s ever-changing and just,well, massive! Apparently, almost500,000 Twitter accounts are setup every day – can you believeit?

Time to join?

Companies putcustomers firstMORE than 200 organisationsacross Yorkshire and Humber havebeen given a boost in improvingtheir customer service in acampaign backed by regionaldevelopment agency YorkshireForward.Yorkshire Forward helped theorganisations by providing £108,500for them to be assessed forinternational customer servicestandard Putting The Customer Firstawarded by accreditation bodyYork-based Customer First UK.Businesses and organisationsranging from universities tomanufacturing businesses haveachieved Putting the Customer Firstas a result of the three-yearcampaign which aimed to establishYorkshire and Humber a nationalrole model for top-class customerservice.A total of 90% of organisationsaccredited through the YorkshireForward campaign say they haveexperienced tangible commercialbenefits as a result including fewercustomer complaints, better staffmorale and improved operationalperformance.Customer First chief executive FreaO’Brien said: “In spite of the tougheconomic climate, key regionalorganisations such as MorganSindall, Skipton Building Societyand the universities in York andLeeds have led the way by achievingPutting The Customer First toimprove their customer retentionand differentiate themselves in themarketplace.”As well as accrediting organisationsunder the Yorkshire Forwardcampaign, Customer First UK alsohosted a programme of 30workshops covering a widespectrum of business issuesincluding customer relationships,market awareness and personnelissues.Awarding body Customer First UK,which accredits businesses andorganisations to itsinternationally-recognised qualitystandard, Putting the CustomerFirst, was founded in 2004 and hashelped businesses in more than 40sectors throughout the UK toachieve the standard.For further information visit theCustomer First UK websitewww.customerfirst.org

A LEADING business grouphas been bowled over with itslatest patrons.

Lockwood-based Mid York-shire Chamber of Commerce hasadded Yorkshire County CricketClub and IT Farm to its list ofsupporters.

It’s a match made in heaven forthe Headingley club and thechamber – as both are keen sup-porters of the Yorkshire regionand its thriving business com-munity. Both also have long andcelebrated histories dating backto the 1800s when they were firstestablished by pioneering leadersin their field.

James Hogg, head of commer-cial partnerships at YCCC, said:“The Yorkshire County CricketClub is the only sporting organ-isation that represents themid-Yorkshire area, so it’simportant that we engage withthe area's business communityeffectively. Mid Yorkshire Cham-ber quite clearly has the ear of thebusiness community, so the clubbecoming a patron makes abso-

lute sense.”IT services company IT Farm

has been providing Cloud Solu-tions to businesses for more thanfive years.

Danny Walker, operations dir-ector, said: “IT Farm is proud tobecome a patron of the MidYorkshire chamber and we look

forward to working with theChamber and its members overthe coming year.”

Chamber director AndrewChoi said: “It’s exciting collabor-ating with new patrons becausethey bring new influences, newideas and new member bene-fits.”

Clare Quartermaine is director of QT Creative

Top of the shopA GROCERY store in Shepley hasbeen named among the finalists ina national contest.The Londis outlet at SovereignService Station, owned and run byShaws Petroleum, is in the runningfor Londis Store of the Year 2011.Paul Sykes, managing director ofShaws Petroleum, and his team willattend a prestigious awardsceremony at the Londis annualconference and gala dinner on May11 in Birmingham – when thewinner will pick up £10,000.

■ PARTNERSHIP: David Marnall (left), of IT Farm, with AndrewChoi (right) of the Mid Yorkshire chamber and Martyn Moxon,director of professional cricket at Yorkshire County Cricket Club

creative marketingsolutions

01484 483194 info@qtcreative.co.ukwww.qtcreative.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

Pilot scheme to focuson health and wealth

Heed the warnings over cyber crime

A HUDDERSFIELD organisation is at theheart of efforts to tackle the “epidemic” ofchronic back pain – and help cut the multi-bil-lion pound cost of workplace absenteeism.

Longley-based SIRPA Ltd is now seeking aYorkshire-based company to run a pilot pro-gramme aimed at demonstrating the financialsavings possible when working to reduce sick-ness absence costs and improving the health ofthe whole workforce.

SIRPA Ltd will work with employees usingits pioneering approach to address chronicpain without the need for medication, physicalinterventions or surgery.

The aim is to tackle the underlying causes ofan individual’s problem in order to resolve it,rather than treating the symptoms and justmanaging the pain.

Official statistics show that 5m peopleacross the UK suffer from chronic pain eachyear – with back pain alone estimated ascosting economy a massive £12.3bn annually.In 2008/9 nearly 30m working days were lostin the UK – most of these being due to stressand back pain.

SIRPA clinical director Georgie Oldfieldsaid: “Despite current recognised treatmentapproaches for chronic pain, the cases con-tinue to rise, resulting in huge costs to busi-

nesses, individuals and the economy.“Our treatment methods can help not only

individuals, but businesses who recognise thebenefits of looking after their staff – helping toreduce their staff sickness absence, and thehuge costs relating to this.”

Said Georgie: “Studies show that SIRPA’sunique approach to chronic conditions canproduce a recovery rate of over 70% with thosepeople for whom neither conventional norcomplementary therapies have helped.

“So far, SIRPA has demonstrated themassive cost benefits to individuals who haveunsuccessfully tried numerous other treat-ments or have had to keep returning fortreatment in order to ‘manage’ their condi-tions.

“Following recovery on the SIRPA pro-gramme, individuals are able to either returnto work if they have been absent or performbetter due to the effect this work has on notonly resolving ill health, but in improvingwellbeing.

“We are now keen to work with a localcompany in order to demonstrate how signi-ficant this unique programme could have onthe costs already being incurred for theirworkforce’s sickness absence.

“We are prepared to offer a free trial to the

first company who signs up because we knowwe can make a difference and this will provideus with results to demonstrate this.

If you are interested in taking part in thestudy, or for more details, please visit www.sir-pauk.com or call 01484 452500.

■ SAVINGS: Georgie Oldfield, SIRPA clinical director says conditions such as chronic backpain are costing companies dear

KIRKLEES firms have been urged to protectthemselves against the rising risk of cybercrime as new research shows the true cost ofthis 21st century economic threat.

The warning from West Yorkshire’s BluefinInsurance Services follows research by theCabinet Office which found that more than75% of the economic impact of cyber crime inthe UK is felt by businesses and that breachesand malicious attacks cost UK firms £21bn ayear.

According to the report, the most commonforms of cyber crime are theft of intellectualproperty, industrial espionage, extortion andtheft of customer data.

It stressed that the true cost of cyber crimeto UK businesses could be much higher asmany incidents go unreported as there is nolegal requirement to report incidents to theInformation Commissioner’s Office.

The government figures are supported byfurther research released by the PonemonInstitute, which indicates a 7% rise in the costof data breaches over a 12-month period. Itfound that 77% of UK firms suffered at leastone data breach over the past year at a cost of£112 per record lost.

One of the most serious incidents occurredin October last year when insurance companyZurich was fined £2.27m by the Financial

Services Authority after losing 46,000 of itscustomers details on an unencrypted back-uptape. In a similar incident in 2009, the RuralPayments Agency was sanctioned for losingthe personal details of more than 100,000 UKfarmers.

The government has introduced legislationto enable the Ministry of Justice to fineorganisations up to £500,000 for losing cus-tomer data.

Peter Castle, head of customer proposition,at Bluefin, said: “Cyber crime is an increas-ingly serious problem, but many traditionalinsurance policies could leave businesses vul-nerable in the event of an attack.”

He warned: “Even the smallest business canaccumulate critical information and sensitivecustomer details on its computer files and theloss of these information assets could have acatastrophic effect on the business and itscustomers.

“Historically, most policies cover againstphysical loss or damage and, as a result, won’tprotect against electronic risk exposure asdata is virtual and intangible.

“However in the past year or so, a smallnumber of insurance companies have respon-ded by developing policies that cover addi-tional areas such breach of network security,privacy liability and cyber extortion.”

Transports of delight for firmsEXPERT advisers from SouthAmerica, Asia and the Middle Eastare heading to West Yorkshire for aunique event showcasing globalopportunities relating to transportinfrastructure.

Kirklees firms have been urgedto attend The World TransportShowcase on May 17 at the MetHotel in Leeds.

The event will provideinformation and insight on majorprojects for airports, ports andrailways.

The event organised by UK Tradeand Investment will feature a teamof specialists from Brazil, Mexico,India, Turkey, Vietnam, Kuwait,Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE andOman, who will be on hand toadvise and answer queries relatingto specific markets and sectors.

The free event – the first of itskind being held outside London –will also provide access to copiesof three new reports coveringairport opportunities in Vietnam,ports opportunities in Brazil and rail

opportunities in Turkey.Detailed presentation sessions

will support the launch of thereports and there will be a generaloverview of high value transportprojects in the Middle East as wellas a networking lunch.

UKTI regional director MarkRobson said: “The event is aimedat both experienced exporters whoare looking to develop theirinternational business.

Visit www.ukti.gov.uk/event/wts orcall UKTI on 0117 933 9543.

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSKIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Major movefor engineersAN expanding engineering companyhas taken up new premises in Hud-dersfield.

Commercial Development Projectshas secured a new lease on Unit 1 atBradley Junction to Hudders-field-based VTL Group, which is tak-ing occupation of the 41,500sq ftbrand new industrial building.

Elland-based developer CDPembarked on a speculative industrialdevelopment of units at Bradley Junc-tion, a former Yorkshire Water treat-ment plant, in October, 2009.

Now just one unit remains unoccu-pied following the letting of Unit 1 toVTL, a global engineering companyspecialising in the design and highvolume manufacture of precisionparts and assemblies for the world’sleading engineering, truck and auto-motive companies.

The unit provides VTL with a stra-tegic building from which to expand anewly-acquired business. A new leasefor a term of 10 years has been enteredinto between the parties.

VTL managing director BrunoJouan said: “The acquisition of thisbuilding meets the needs of the busi-ness and allows VTL to concentrateits operation in the Huddersfield areawith further expansion envisaged.”

Joint agents Hanson CharteredSurveyors and Carter Towler acted onbehalf of the developer CDP.

Jason Metca l f e of HansonChartered Surveyors said “the lettingof Unit 1 to VTL indicates that des-pite tough economic times there arecompanies growing market share.This company required brand newindustrial facilities to allow the con-tinued expansion of their business”.

They are not the only businessperforming well in Huddersfield andother companies have significantrequirements for modern buildings inthe region.

Mr Metcalfe said: “Huddersfield is

in need of more speculative industrialdevelopment to fulfil the needs of anumber of local occupiers in seekingmodern buildings of this kind andsubstantial size. There is no supply atpresent. Without such buildings,Huddersfield is in danger of losingseveral well known names and jobs toother areas. Pump priming of devel-opment and availability of sites isrequired in the local area”.

Unit 2 remains available on lease-hold or freehold providing 23,500sq ftof modern accommodation.

New name for ArchibaldsA BUILDERS’ merchant in Hudders-field is embarking on a new era – witha change of name.

Archibalds, based at Manor Mills inKing’s Mill Lane, becomes part of thegrowing Gibbs & Dandy networkfrom March 21 – offering a completerange of building materials to localtradesmen and DIY enthusiasts.

Branch manager Andrew Ellis saidbecoming part of Gibbs & Dandyopened up new opportunities for staffand customers alike.

To celebrate the new name changeand to reward customers for theirbusiness, the branch is running a prizecompetition giving local tradesmenthe chance to win a new Ford Transitvan.

An open day was also held to showoff the changes, including the brightblue and yellow Gibbs & Dandybranding.

Mr Ellis said: “Becoming part of theGibbs & Dandy network is probablythe best thing that could havehappened to Archibalds.

“Not only has it secured our jobs,Gibbs & Dandy recognise the expert-ise we have in the local area and haveensured we can continue to service ourlocal trade professionals with theproducts they need.

“This is all supported by an exten-ded network of other builders’ mer-chants, which gives us added buying

power and superb stock availability.“To celebrate the beginning of the

new era, we held an open day, whichwas a great success and a fantasticopportunity for our customers, oldand new, to see what the new branchnow has to offer.

“It was great to see such a goodturnout. Everyone who came downwas really impressed with the branch’soffering and our regular trade custom-ers were especially pleased to see there

are no major changes to the staff orservice.

“Trade professionals and retail cus-tomers were reassured to know thatthey are still able to purchase all thematerials and equipment they need fora project under one roof.”

Archibalds traces its roots to 1840,but for the past decade the businesshas been part of St Gobain BuildingDistribution – which is also the parentcompany for Gibbs & Dandy.

Auction successes

Putting on the tileA NEW range of productsfrom a Brighouse firm haswon a national award.CP Group claimed the trophyfor Best Natural Product” inThe Tile Association Awards2011 with its Elite Stonerange..The Tile Association Awardscelebrate all that is best in thewall and floor tile industry.They recognise and rewardthe best products, people,businesses and projects inthe tile industry.CP Group was acclaimed forits Elite collection of fivedistinct natural marbleranges.The judges said: “Covering all

consumer tastes fromcontemporary to traditional,rustic to urban, Elite offersunsurpassable beauty andquality of marble that issecond to none”.The winners were announcedat the annual TTA gala dinner.The Tile Associationrepresents all aspects of thewall and floor tile industry inthe UK from manufacture toinstallation.It is dedicated to theadvancement of all sectors ofthe tile industry and deliversreal advantages to itsmembers and theircustomers.

A TWO-DAY property auctionhas realised more than £7.7m.Some 117 of 145 lots cameunder the hammer at theEddisons sale held in Leedsand Manchester.Tony Webber, of Eddisons,said: ‘This is an extremelystrong performance. Investorsare clearly attracted toproperties which havesensible reserve prices andoffer good value for money.“They want to see their hardearned cash generate strongrental returns or deliverlonger term capital growth.”Highlights included theformer Stanhope Drive YouthCentre in Horsforth, near

Leeds, offered with outlineplanning consent forresidential development onbehalf of Leeds City Council,which sold for £187,000.Two parcels of residentialdevelopment land in WestArdsley, Wakefield, alsooffered by Leeds CityCouncil, sold for £100,000.And in Selby town centre, atenanted three-storeycommercial property, whichgenerates annual rent of£16,000, sold for £156,000.The next Eddisons auctiontakes place at 12,30pm onMay 12 at Leeds UnitedFootball Club, Elland Road,Leeds.

More deals for DTZTHE industrial team at DTZ inLeeds has secured a hat-trickof deals.Belgrade Insulations, DHLand CD (UK) Ltd/AvanteBathrooms have all takenspace at Gildersome SpurIndustrial Estate near Leeds.Paul Mack, associate directorat DTZ in Leeds, said: “Thisseries of new lettings

demonstrates the demand forgood quality accommodationdespite the ongoingeconomic uncertainty.”He said: “The availability ofGrade A space in the regionand limited availability of thesame across the rest of theUK continues to makeYorkshire an attractiveprospect for companies.”

■ TAKEN UP: Unit 1 at Bradley Junction has been let to VTL Group

■ OPEN DAY: Staff at the newly-named Gibbs & Dandy trade outlet

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • AGENTS • CONSULTANT • ADVISOR

TRAFALGAR MILLS • LEEDS ROAD • HUDDERSFIELD • HD2 1YY

Caldervale Works, Brighouse

Huddersfield Road, Brighouse

Recently acquired by MB Services,newly refurbished, modern, selfcontained industrial units availablefor immediate occupation.Large secure yard and loading area.Sizes range from 4,453 to 13,195 sq ft.

From 1,117 sq ft to 2,519 sq ft.Situated in a busy town centre with a

main road location.The premises are ideal for various uses

(subject to planning)Terms available on application.

Contact: Paul Andrew Walker Singleton 01484 477 600Christine Eccleston MB Services 01484 557102

Recently refurbished officeaccommodation with parkingadjacent main A644 HuddersfieldRoad linking Mirfield with Dewsburytown centre.

George Street, OffHuddersfield Road,Ravensthorpe112 m2 (1,203 sq ft)

For more information contact Alec Michaelon 07717 870 320 or email alec@michaelsteel.co.ukwww.michaelsteel.co.uk

Offices

Strategically located highquality detached office buildingwith parking.

PRELIMINARYANNOUNCEMENTBrunswick House,33 East Street, Lindley,Huddersfield282 m2 (3,034 sq ft) Net

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Industrial

Unit 5 Sands IndustrialEstate, Off HuddersfieldRoad, Mirfield300 m2 (3,224 sq ft)

FOR SALE

Good quality single storey industrial/warehouse unit between Mirfieldand Junction 25 M62/Huddersfield

Offices

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High quality refurbished officespace with parking within walkingdistance of Huddersfieldtown centre.

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Commercial

Town Centre retail/commercialpremises with upper floor officeaccommodation near Kingsgate.

Cross Church Street,Huddersfield261m2 (2,807 sq ft)gross

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Industrial

Recently re-built industrial unitsbenefitting from large serviceyard and strategic location forJunctions 38 and 39 of the M1.

Victoria Court,off Wakefield Road,Clayton West8,000 – 16,000 sq ftwill split

TO LET

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Kevin Ludgate & Julie Devenport

Ridley & HallSOLICITOR Kevin Ludgate – a former Britishmotorcycling champion – has joinedHuddersfield law firm Ridley & Hall.

Mr Ludgate, pictured (above) with managingpartner Sarah Young (left) and Alison Mason,head of property, said “I have always practicedas a solicitor in Huddersfield, working for otherfirms before forming Ludgates in 2000.

“This later became Ludgate Morrell and hasbeen a firm favourite of local residents for theirhouse moves for over a decade.

“For more than 20 years, I have specialisedin providing plain speaking face to face legaladvice in conveyancing and wills and probate.

“I am delighted to be joining Ridley & Hall asa partner.”

Mr Ludgate will continue to be assisted byLiz Wallis, a licensed conveyancer. Together,they have acted in 5,000-plus house movesduring the last 10 years.

Said Mr Ludgate: “Now that I am marriedwith two children and approaching half acentury, my passion for motorcycles isrestricted to fair weather days when thetemperature is above 20 degrees!”

Ms Young said: “I am delighted to welcomeKevin as a partner. He has an excellentreputation in Huddersfield, gaining all of hiswork by recommendation. I believe that bystrengthening our property team we can offeran even better all round service to our clients.”

Mr Ludgate is joining another motorcyclingsolicitor at Ridley & Hall. Michael George,whose firm merged with Ridley & Hall last year,has his own “big bike” and is a real enthusiast!

Ridley and Hall, based at Market Street, hasalso promoted solicitor Julie Devenport, whospecialises in commercial property law, toassociate solicitor in recognition of herexperience and ability.

College makesbig connectionKIRKLEES College hasteamed up with a text mes-saging specialist to get theword out to companies andwould-be students about itsapprenticeship courses.

Golcar-based SMileS hasset up a service for the col-lege so that anyone inter-ested in its courses can get intouch by texting KC to67777.

The college, which runsapprenticeships in 17 differ-ent areas of work, hasalready trialled the systemand it is now being rolledout to cover thousands ofcompanies across Kirklees.

Jason Taylor, team leaderfor the college’s EmployerGateway based at Batley,said: “Providing a text ser-vice is something we need tod o – a n d i t i s v e r y

cost-effective. Text is whatpeople use, especially youngpeople.

“We are also trying torespond to employers andmake the college more com-mercially aware.”

As building work on thenew college campus atChapel Hill continues, MrTaylor said college businesssupport officers SteveMarch and Helen Mahoneywere also promoting thefacilities available at theBatley centre.

“We have IT and confer-ence facilities which we canoffer to businesses,” hesaid.

“And when it comes toapprentices, we can visitcompany premises to dis-cuss their training needs.”

Roland’s going places

LOGISTICS firm The Pink Link hasrewarded one of its employees fornotching up 20 years of service withthe company.

Depot manager Roland Jacksonjoined the Netherton-based companyin 1991.

His efforts to uphold high levels ofservice for customers has broughthim respect from management, staff,customers and suppliers alike.

His contribution helped the firmgain Platinum Partner status frominternational logistics networkPalletways for achieving the highestpossible standards and service levelsacross the board – from deliverytimes to health and safetycompliance.

In recognition of his efforts, Rolandreceived a weekend break away fortwo to his favourite hotel in Cumbria.

Pictured presenting his gift is VickiDavenport, sales and commercialdirector for The Pink Link.

Said Vicki: “We wanted to thankhim for all of his hard work,commitment and loyalty over theyears so we were delighted topresent him with the vouchers for hisweekend away. Roland has been ahighly valued member of our teamfrom the day he started and we lookforward to many more years workingtogether."

Said Roland: “I'm proud to havespent 20 years working at The PinkLink, it's a great company withfantastic values and I enjoy workingwith the rest of the team.

“I’m looking forward to my weekendaway and then I'll be right back towork!"

■ TEXT BOOKED: Jason Taylor (left), team leader for KirkleesCollege Employer Gateway, Andy Earnshaw, of SMileS

Jo Haigh

Clough & CoA LEADING corporatefinance specialist hasbeen appointed to headthe corporate financeservices team atchartered accountancyfirm Clough & Co.

Jo Haigh (pictured),who lives at Denby Dale,has more than 25 yearsexperience in the corporate financesector and has written severalsuccessful business books.

She is a specialist in raising finance,acquisitions, divestments, providingnon-executive support and advising onshareholders disputes.

Ms Haigh has been named IoDAdviser of the Year twice and is listed inthe Who’s Who of Britain’s BusinessElite.

At Cleckheaton-based Clough & Co,she will work with managing partnerNigel Bullas to further develop thedepartment.

The appointment comes as part of theacquisition of the corporate financedivision of MGR, a London-basedaccountancy firm.

Said Ms Haigh: “Clough & Co isrenowned for providing a personal andprofessional service to its clients.

“The company's experienced teamprovides a safe pair of hands to guidebusinesses and individuals throughsales, mergers, acquisitions, buy-outsand much more.

“I am delighted to be heading up sucha respected and dynamic team ofadvisers.”

Said Mr Bullas: “Jo’s wealth ofexperience and knowledge willsignificantly benefit our clients and weare thrilled to have strengthened ourservice offering in this manner.”

Jamie Ryan, Lisa Shepherdson, KarolinaPiwowarczyk & Andy Gent

Millers OilsBRIGHOUSE lubricants and fueltreatments manufacturer MillersOils has made a number of keyappointments in its operationsteam.

The appointments of JamieRyan, Lisa Shepherdson, AndyGent and Karolina Piwowarczykfollow a record year of growth atthe company.

Mr Ryan (pictured) becomes operationsdirector and will oversee operational strategy,quality, engineering, production and logistics.

Mr Ryan, who has an MBA, brings a wealthof experience with previous roles includingglobal operations director at an internationalchemical manufacturer and operations directorat a UK plc.

Ms Sheperdson as quality manager and MsPiwowarczyk, operations team administrator,have both been promoted from within thecompany as part of an initiative to develop thefirm’s existing talent. The team is alsobolstered by Mr Gent’s appointment aselectrical engineer. Millers Oils employs 118staff and has annual turnover exceeding £25m.