KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees6, November, 2012

INSIDE

● Full story - Page 8

● Full story - Page 7

NEIL WILSON

Co lumn - Page 4

Off day for GoogleCo lumn - Page 5

An EXAMINER publication

TalkingpointsRAISING money andawareness of the workdone by local charityKirkwood Hospice wasone of the talkingpoints at aHuddersfield businessnetworking event. MariePeacock, CapitalAppeal manager for therebuilding work at theDalton hospice,attended the monthlyCoffee & CakeBusiness Networkmeeting held at CaféSociety, Byram Streetand outlinedforthcomingfundraising events.

WoefulworkloadsPROPERTY chiefs inYorkshire have calledfor urgent governmentaction to tackle“woefully low” levels ofhousebuilding in theregion. Constructionlevels for both privateand public housing inthe region fell againduring the threemonths to September,according to figuresfrom the RoyalInstitution of CharteredSurveyors – with notangible evidence ofgrowth for the past fiveyears.

ANDREW FIRTH

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uk Themosttrustednewsbrandin thebusiness

FTSE 100- 29 .495839.06

Mentoring plan to boost start-ups in KirkleesA MAJOR bank is giving a helpinghand to support new and growingenterprises across Kirklees.

L loyds Bank ing Group haspartnered with the Small Firms Enter-prise Development Initiative to launchthe High Five campaign.

The aim is to recruit and trainthousands of mentors UK-wide small ,medium and micro-businesses duringNovember.

The scheme also aims to raise£10,000 for Britain’s largest enterprisecharity, Young Enterprise, by making a

£5 donation for every aspiring businessmentor that completes fully-fundedmentor training with the Get Mentor-ing Initiative during the month.

Research from the National Federa-tion of Enterprise Agencies whichfound that 70% of small businesseswho received mentoring survived forfive years or more – double the ratecompared with non-mentored entre-preneurs. In addition, 20% of ment-ored businesses are more likely to growand expand when compared tonon-mentored companies.

Once trained, mentors will offerobjective support and guidance toaspiring entrepreneurs and growingbusinesses across the UK.

By donating £5 to Young Enterprisefor every person who completes theGet Mentoring online training, Lloydsaims to boost the number of volunteermentors available for new and growingbusinesses in the UK and nurture newentrepreneurial talent.

Jackie Jenks, mentoring manager atLloyds, said: “The UK is home to areal wealth of potential business ment-

ors who may not be aware that theskills they have developed throughouttheir own careers can easily be trans-lated into valuable guidance for otheraspiring business people.

“Our partnership with SFEDI aimsto unearth this talent by encouragingas many volunteers as possible to trainas mentors, equipping them with theskills needed to turn their own know-ledge and insight into constructiveguidance that can really benefit UKentrepreneurship.

Visit www.getmentoring.org

Creative Bubble isbursting into life!CREATIVE businesses in Kirkleeshave launched a pioneering onlineproject.

Creative Bubble has been set up tohelp small creative companies in thearea compete with the big boys – bypooling their talents to bid for largerprojects.

The Creative Bubble website hasbeen commissioned by Kirklees Coun-cil’s communities and leisure depart-ment – and it is already reapingrewards for the businesses gettinginvolved.

Web designer Dan Booth, who hasbeen an active member since its start,said he had many strands to his busi-ness that were especially helped byCreative Bubble.

“I'm in the process of setting up anew website to sell my screen printsonline,” he said. “I've been havingreally big problems taking good qual-ity photos of the prints.

“I was on Creative Bubble andstumbled across a local photographerwho provides photography tuition. SoI got in touch and arranged thetuition.

“It turned out that she was lookingfor some advice on improving herwebsite. I was able to give some advicewhich will lead to work for me in thefuture!”

Pam Lonsdale, a jewellery designerbased in Mirfield, has been an activeuser for several months. She said: “I

use Creative Bubble to publicise myprojects and it has definitely generatedinterest for events and projects.”

Pam also runs the West YorkshirePrint Workshop in Mirfield and hasbeen able to rent out workshop spaceas a result of posting on the site.

Colne Valley graphic designer JulieDavies not only designed the site logo,but has acquired work through the siteincluding a longer term relationshipwith local marketing agency QT Creat-ive.

Clare Quartermaine, managing dir-

ector of QT, said: “The site gives usaccess to so much creative talent.These days, we need a diverse range ofskills for our projects and so far wehave found a talented graphic designerin Julie as well as commissioning pho-tographers, a web developer and illus-trators.”

Now the site has been opened up tothe whole of Kirklees and anyone whohas a creative business or who is acreative professional can join.

Kirklees councillor Jean Calvertsaid: “Creative Bubble is a unique

project in that it is explicitly forKirklees-based creative businesses.

“It is an ideal opportunity to gethelp and advice from others in thecreative sector and for members to beable to share their knowledge andexperience.

“I hope creative businesses getinvolved and help to build a supportiveand well-connected creative com-munity in Kirklees.”

Go to www.creativebubble.org toregister

■ SITE PLAN: Kirklees councillor Jean Calvert (second right), who is backing the Creative Bubble project run by localbusiness entrepreneurs including Claire Quartermaine (right) and backed by local businesswomen Pam Lonsdale (left)and Julie Davies (second left)

Stake in the business?

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICES

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Local shares

FTSE

5839.06Down 29.49

closed at

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.46 dollarsBangladesh................. 122.94 takaBrazil.............................. 2.91 realsCanada....................... 1.52 dollarsChina ............................. 8.94 yuanCzech Republic ...... 28.97 korunasDenmark....................... 8.86 kroneEuro............................... 1.19 euroHong Kong................ 11.78 dollarsHungary ................... 316.16 forintsIndia.......................... 76.69 rupeesJapan........................... 122.42 yenMexico ....................... 18.60 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.80 dollarsNorway ......................... 8.77 kronePakistan.................. 144.61 rupeesPhilippines ................. 56.54 pesosSouth Africa ................. 13.17 randSouth Korea.............. 1522.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 196.95 rupeesSweden....................... 10.25 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.44 francsTaiwan ...................... 40.88 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.72 new liraUSA ............................ 1.53 dollars

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £35.20 -0.29Gannett 1069.53 -3.75Hess Corp £33.84 +0.43Microsoft 1841.48 -4.68Motors Liquidation 46.94Wal-Mart Stores £45.74 +0.20

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 3181/2 -1BAE Systems 3173/8Rolls-Royce 873 -71/2

AIMBrady Plc 1011/2Man Brnze 9

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 2131/2 -31/4

BANKSBarclays 2371/2 -35/8HSBC 618 -81/8Lloyds Banking Gp 427/8 -5/8Ryl Scotland 2761/2 -43/4Stan Chart 1483 -14

BEVERAGESDiageo 17911/2 -131/2SABMiller £265/8

CHEMICALSCroda £213/4 +1/8Elementis 98 2161/8 -3/4Johnsn Mat £223/4 -3/8

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 3111/4 -1/4Costain 2311/2 -7

ELECTRICITYDrax Gp 556 -101/2SSE 1443 -1

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 217 -1

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3721/8 -3/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 2261/4 -11/4Cable & WirelessComm

371/2 +1/8

Colt Group 1045/8 -33/8KCOM 761/2 +1Talktalk Telecom 1901/8 -15/8

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 2653/4 +17/8Sainsbury 3543/4 -1/2Tesco 3261/2 +13/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1366 -4Tate Lyle 738 -1/2Unilever £233/8 -1/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3261/8 +1/2National Grid 7051/2 -2Pennon Grp 7031/2 +21/2Severn 1553 -4United Utils 661 -7

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 2193/4 -3/4ICAP 3263/4 -43/4London StockExch 9641/2 +11/2

Man Group 837/8 -5/8Provident Financial 1363 -10Schroders 1567 -2Schroders NV 1263 +1

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 5831/2 -51/2REXAM 4447/8 -11/8Smiths Grp 1069 -4

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 27 +1/4Carphone Whse 175 +51/4Dixons Retail 247/8 -7/8Home Retail 116 -13/8Inchcape 4023/4 -23/4Kingfisher 287 -35/8M & S 3877/8 -31/2Mothercare 2871/2 +4Next £36 -3/8WH Smith 6251/2 -4

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 6401/2 +21/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 583/8 +11/4Barrat Dev 1935/8 -11/4Persimmon 801 -31/2Reckitt Benckiser £373/4 -1/4Taylor Wimpey 611/2 -1

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGI M I 972 -13

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 2153/4 -111/8

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATIONBBA Aviation 2043/4 +1

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3335/8 -5Lgl & Gen 1401/4 -1/4Old Mutual 1715/8 -11/4Prudential 856 -21/2Resolution 2211/4 -21/4Standard Life 298 -11/8

MEDIABSkyB 7511/2 -61/2D Mail Tst 485 +1HIBU 3/8ITV 873/8 -21/8Johnston Press 127/8 -3/8Pearson 1240 -4Reed Elsevier 612 -51/2STV Group 102 -1/2Trinity Mirror 60 +13/4Utd Business 711 -51/2UTV 1321/2 +21/2WPP 8121/2 -3

MININGAnglo American 1933 -4Antofagasta 1299 -16BHP Billiton 19911/2 -301/2Eurasian NaturalRes

3211/4 -121/4

Fresnillo 1909 -11Kazakhmys 7171/2 -171/2Lonmin 4991/2 -41/2Rio Tinto £311/2 -3/4VEDANTARESOURCES

1118 -42

Xstrata 9881/4 -61/4MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 560 -181/2

Vodafone Group 1671/2 -3/4NONLIFE INSURANCE

Admiral Grp 1067 -14RSA Insurance Gp 1121/4 -5/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 10881/2 -3BP 4411/4 -4Cairn Energy 2881/8 -1/4Royal Dutch Shell A £215/8 -1/8Royal Dutch Shell B £223/8 -1/8Total £311/8 -1/2Tullow Oil 1439 -6

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1062 -20Petrofac 1570 -29

Wood Gp(J) 8611/2 -10

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1240 -13

PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGYAstrazeneca £287/8 -1/8GlaxoSmithK 221/2Shire 1769 -8

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 534 -2Captl Shop Cent 3363/8 -7/8Hamrsn 4733/4 -15/8Land Secs 8151/2 -11/2SEGRO 2363/4 -1

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESInvensys 2343/8 -1/4Sage Group 3135/8 +17/8

SUPPORT SERVICESBerendsen 577 -4Bunzl 1021 +6Capita 735 -21/2De La Rue 1052 +2Electrocomp 2133/8 -35/8Experian 1060 -19G4S 2603/4 -33/4Hays 82 -13/8Homeserve 2271/4 -8Menzies J 6061/2 -15Rentokil 88 -3/8Smiths News 152Wolseley £273/8

IT HARDWAREARM Hldgs 695 -1Spirent Comms 1437/8 +1/4

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £311/4 +1/4Imperial Tobacco £24 +1/8

LEISURE & HOTELS

Bwin.Party Digital 1191/2 -43/4Carnival £25 -3/8Compass Grp 691 -3easyJet 641 +7Enterprise Inns 69 -11/4FirstGroup 206 -23/8Go-Ahead Gp 1306 -14Greene King 601 -9Intercontl Htls 1524 -18Intl Cons Airl 1703/4 +15/8Ladbrokes 1861/4 -2Mitchells & Butlers 3273/4 -61/4Natl Express 1731/2 -31/8Rank Org 1483/4 -1/2Stagecoach Group 2781/2 -33/4TUI Travel 2551/8 -43/8Whitbread £241/4 -1/4

INDEXFTSE 100 5839.06 -29.49

INDEXFTSE 250 12030.46 -90.37

Carclo 3601/4Marshalls 92 +21/2National Grid 7051/2 -2Weir Gp 1831 +80

MID-SIZED businessesin the UK are beating themarket and achievinggrowth despite economicstagnation, according toresearch.

The study by businessadvice firm GrantThornton and the Centrefor Economics andBusiness Researchrevealed thatmedium-sizedbusinesses (MSBs),which typically employ 50to 499 people, havemanaged to thrivethroughout the downturn.

They have seen nosignificant decline and inthe last year havereported turnover growthat 4.1% against a 3.2%UK average.

The figures forYorkshire show that theregion is among thosewith the highest turnoverfrom MSBs – in excess of£40bn – and is also oneof the most productive,ranking fifth out of the 12UK regions in theresearch.

With an estimatedannual turnover of£628bn in 2011, the totalcontribution to the UKGDP by MSBs is £285bn.

UK MSBs also employabout 4.1m people –20.8% of the UKworkforce – with 318,000of them located inYorkshire. In the last year,MSBs have created52,000 jobs throughoutthe UK, increasing headcount in the sector by1.4%, compared to thenational average of 0.4%.

Yorkshire also benefitsfrom its manufacturingbase. MSBs inmanufacturing UK-wideemploy more people thanany other sector andsupport a third of totalmanufacturingemployment.

ENGINEERING group Weir said itexpects to report full-year profits of£440m to £450m – in line with marketexpectations.

The group, has a valves operation atElland and focuses on power, oil andgas markets, said revenue and profitsgrowth slowed in the third quarter dueto a lower opening order book.

But it said group revenue andprofits were ahead of the prior yearquarter – benefiting from the impactof acquisitions which continue to per-form satisfactorily. Group operatingmargins for the quarter were in linewith the prior year and expectations.

Reported order input for the group

in the third quarter was 8% down onthe prior year and 15% lower on a likefor like basis.

Third quarter order input for theGlasgow-based group’s minerals divi-sion was in line with revenues andincreased by 2% over the prior year.

For oil and gas, reported divisionalorder input for the third quarter wasdown by 28% on the prior year andfell by 47% on a like for like basis –within the range of expectations.

But the power and industrial divi-sion saw good progress with orderinput for the quarter up by 16% on theprior year quarter and 12% higher ona like for like basis.

Weir’s great expectations

Marketbeaters

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Learyincreased forecast for annual profitsafter a better-than-expected summerfor the low-cost airline.

With passenger numbers up by7% to 48m in the six months toSeptember 30 and a 6% rise in aver-age fares accompanied by a lowerthan expected fuel bill, half-yearprofits rose by 10% to £478m.

Mr O’Leary said there was verylittle visibility on winter bookings,but added that Dublin-basedRyanair would now make full-yearprofits of between £392m to £416m.

The airline will ground up to 80aircraft this winter as a result of highoil prices, airport fees at Stansted

and Dublin airports and seasonallyweaker demand.

It expects traffic will be broadlyflat over the current half year, lead-ing to growth in full-year passengernumbers of 4% to 79m. Summerbookings exceeded expectations,partly due to a post Olympics surgein demand.

The airline said: “We expect mar-ket conditions to remain tough asrecession, austerity, high fuel costsand excessive Government taxesdampen air travel demand. Furtherairline failures and consolidationsare inevitable.”

The carrier plans to add nine newroutes to its UK airports.

THE rising tide of financial penaltiesamong Britain’s banks continued to swellas HSBC revealed extra charges formoney-laundering breaches and mis-soldPPI.

The group said it had set aside anadditional £500m to cover fines from USauthorities, which accused the bank ofinadvertently allowing rogue states anddrug cartels to launder billions of poundsthrough its US arm.

The lender has now set aside £935m tocover the potential scandal, but warnedno agreement has been made and the costcould be “higher, possibly significantlyhigher”.

Meanwhile, HSBC said it had taken anadditional £220m to cover compensation,mainly for mis-selling payment protectioninsurance, pushing its total PPI bill tomore than £1.2bn.

The additional penalties, as well as theimpact of the value of its own debt,triggered a 51% slide in the bank’s repor-

ted pre-tax profits for the three months toSeptember 30 of £2.2bn.

The third-quarter results season hasbeen dominated by the escalating provi-sions made by banks to cover mis-soldPPI and comes hot on the heels of theLibor-fixing scandal.

Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group andRoyal Bank of Scotland all raised theircharges for PPI, while RBS said it hopedto follow Barclays and settle its own Liborinvestigation soon.

The US Senate findings against HSBC,which accused the bank of ignoring warn-ings and breaching safeguards thatshould have stopped the laundering ofmoney from Mexico, Iran and Syria, ledto the resignation of head of complianceDavid Bagley.

The revelations heaped pressure onBusiness Minister Lord Green, who waschairman of HSBC at the time the failingstook place.

Group chief executive Stuart Gulliver

warned: “We are actively engaged in dis-cussions with US authorities to try toreach a resolution, but there is not yet anagreement.

“The US authorities have substantialdiscretion in deciding exactly how toresolve this matter. Indeed, the finalamount of the financial penalties could behigher, possibly significantly higher, thanthe amount accrued.”

Like Barclays, Lloyds and RBS beforeit, the mounting charges threatened toovershadow stronger underlying progress,with HSBC’s pre-tax profits, excludingone-off provisions, more than doubling to£3.1bn in the third quarter.

The improvement was driven by astrong performance in investment bank-ing arm Global Banking and Markets asconditions in the eurozone stabilised.

HSBC cut bad-debt charges in thequarter to £1.1bn from 2.4 £1.5bn. Totalexposure to troubled eurozone economieswas up to £23.3bn from £23.1bn.

HSBC latest bankto set aside cash

■ TALKS: HSBC is seeking aresolution to its US problems

Ryanair raises profit forecasts

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

LionhartBoutique

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Work: Unique homeaccessories retailerSite: Victoria Street,HolmfirthEmployees: FourPhone: 01484 817520Email: info@lionhartboutique.comWeb: lionhartboutique.com

Rob HartRole: ProprietorAge: 42Family: Married to Karawith children Grace, eight,and Xavier, 22 monthsHolidays: A holiday homeon the Yorkshire coastCar: Land Rover Discov-eryFirst job: Working in myparents’ bakery shopsBest thing about job:Meeting new peopleWorst thing about job:Nothing! I am loving it. It isthe perfect job for me. I’mmy own boss with my ownbusiness. I even like work-ing until one in the morning!Business tip: Put theeffort in if you want to makea success of it – andprovide exceptional cus-tomer service

Life with thelions is justright for Rob!in Hemel Hemsptead,Leeds and Bradford and Icovered the country. I soldto a lot of governmentcontracts and went throughall the tender processes.

“When I started out, theygave me 12 staff and within18 months I had 104 staffand I became salesdirector,” says Rob. “But Ileft when Sir Philip sold thebusiness. Sometimes, it’snot the business, but whoyou work for that’simportant.”

The experience left himwith a talent for selling, acan-do attitude and awillingness to work hard.

In fact, hard work wasnothing new to Rob. “I wasborn in a children’s home inDerbyshire,” he says,quickly adding: “Onlybecause my parents ran it!Later, they moved toLightcliffe and I went toCrossley Porter GrammarSchool – now CrossleyHeath.

“My parents becameself-employed bakers,running Harts of Halifax, soI was always aroundbusiness. I’m one of fourboys and when we eachturned 13 we had to work toearn our pocket money. Weworked in the bakeries orthe bakery shops or took apaper round. It’s still afamily business.”

Rob also worked for theHalifax Building Society forsome time, so it’s onlyfitting – but entirelycoincidental – that Lionhart

Wednesdays – but myWednesdays are as goodas a Saturday.”

Says Rob: “I have hada really positive welcome.Everyone has beencomplimentary.”

His success may seemat odds with the generaleconomic climate –particularly the gloomsurrounding retailing. ButRob says people willalways seek outsomething different togive their home adistinctive touch – be it achrome horse’s head onthe living room wall, alion’s head for the frontdoor or a zebra-stripedsofa for the bedroom..

“Most people are proudof their homes and likeliving in houses with nicesurroundings,” he says.“You spend a lot of timeat home and when youare tired after a hardday’s work it is nice to sitback in a comfortableenvironment.”

Rob is working longhours at present, so hecould be forgiven formistaking home for theoffice in the basement ofhis shop! “I’m workingfrom 8am to well aftermidnight sometimes,” hesays. “I even foundmyself firing off e-mails tomy suppliers at 1am and

simply slumped back inthe chair. I was too tiredto get up – even thoughwork is only half a milefrom home!

“But I like doing familystuff with the children,Grace and Xavier. We liveat Upperthong in a housebuilt by my father-in-lawwith a coach houseannexe. We have a nicebig field to ride our quadbikes in and we lovewalking with our dogs.We have two bordercolllies as well as a rabbitand six chickens. Wealso have a holiday homeon the Yorkshire coast.That’s our bolt hole bythe sea.”

But you know Rob willremain committed to hisbusiness – and keepingHolmfirth firmly on themap – because of thebuzz business gives him.

“We have had peoplefrom Australia, Canada,Scotland and Cornwall,”he says. “We have soldlamps to Canada and, ofcourse, sheep to Dorset.It’s all about supply linesand customer service.”

And he adds: “It’speople and the‘busy-ness’ of businessthat keeps me going.”

■ HART TO HART: Rob Hart, owner of Holmfirthbusniess Lionhart Boutique, with his wife Kara

Boutique occupies whatwas once the Holmfirthbranch of the Halifax. Theshop boasts three floorspacked with an Aladdin’sCave-worth of wonders.Rob sources many of theunusual objects from India,China and the Middle East,but is also supporting localartists by selling theirworks.

“I have employed threepart-time staff and oncethey are into the swing ofthings I will be able to havea few weeks off,” he says. “Ihave done a lot ofadvertising and marketing.We had 15,000 people inthe town for the HolmfirthFood Festival and I hadpeople out there leafleting.

“A lot of marketing hasbeen directed atLancashire and NorthYorkshire and advertising inthe up-market magazines.Holmfirth attracts peoplefrom Manchester andSaddleworth and I intend togo a little further afield toCheshire and Derbyshire.”

Rob’s business is alreadya keen participant in locallife. He is main sponsor forBrass Factor, the brassband competition, and isworking on joint marketinginitiatives with otherretailers.

The demise of Last of theSummer Wine has leftsome wondering howHolmfirth can continue toattract the tourist trade, butRob says: “Holmfirthdoesn’t need to reinvent

itself. It needspeople to take achance, like I have.When I took thisshop five monthsago, there were fiveempty shop units inHolmfirth. Now theyhave all been takenup, which is great.”

He says: “Theshop took eightweeks to refurbish.It had been emptyfor quite a while. Atthe open night, wehad 200 people. Iopened on Friday,September 14, andsince then I haven’tstopped. I amre-stocking threetimes a week andon Saturdays andSundays there arethree of us working.Some traders stillclose early on

wish he had beenhere to see what wehave achieved. Ihope he would havebeen proud of me. Icertainly want tocarry on in histradition.”

Rob worked for 15years selling ITconsumables, suchas printer ink andcartridges, for abusiness owned bytycoon Sir PhilipGreen, the manbest-known forheading the ArcadiaGroup of retailchains, includingBhs, Dorothy Perkinsand Top Man.

When Sir Philipsold the IT concern,Rob decided toleave. “He was greatto work for,” he says.“The firm had offices

GORILLAS, elephants andzebra aren’t the kind ofwildlife you normally expectto find in Holmfirth.

But that’s all changedsince Rob Hart roared intotown and set up shop inVictoria Street with hisventure, Lionhart Boutique.

Life-size sculptures ofjungle animals, sheep,cows and dogs are just partof his quirky collection ofhome accessories. There’salso unusual furniture,candles, mirrors, statues,clocks and ornaments of allkinds for sale as well aswallpaper and lighting.

It’s the animals “parked”outside his shop, though,that get heads turning withthe locals and coachparties sampling a drop ofSummer Wine.

“We had sevencoachloads of visitors oneday from as far away asDorset,” says Rob. “One ofthem was a farmer, whosaw my sheep and decidedto buy one. This man hashundreds of real sheep, buthe wanted another to putoutside his front door!”

Since the shop openedless than two months ago,business has been morethan brisk. “We open sevendays a week and I work allseven days,” says Rob.“And from five-past-nine onthe day we opened, it hasbeen phenomenal.

“I stock the shop witheverything I like – it’s anextension of my personality– and hoped that otherpeople might like it. Luckily,everyone else does! Iwanted to set up abusiness and give realold-fashioned customerservice. Because I’menthusiastic and love theproducts, people come inand ask to see me – and goout having boughtsomething that’s a little bitexclusive.”

Rob hails fromDerbyshire, but madeHolmfirth his home aftermarrying Kara Woodhead,daughter of the late HerveyWoodhead. Hervey wassomething of a local legendwho built the Old BridgeHotel and Hervey’s WineBar as well as hundreds ofHolme Valley houses.

Sadly, Hervey died someyears ago and Rob says: “I

■ LION’S DEN: Part of the shop’sunusual collection of home accessories

call us today for a free consultation

or visit www.ascensor.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

Neil Wilson is an employment lawyer at ChadwickLawrence Solicitors

EMPLOYER’SBRIEFNeil Wilson

Safety partnersTHE EEF manufacturer’s group andthe Health and Safety Executivehave renewed a longstandingstrategic partnership.The renewal of the partnership, firstlaunched in 2006, recognises howHSE works with EEF to reach 6,000member companies and more than1m workers in the manufacturingsector with key messages and aforum for practical health and safetyguidance.

Third trophy winA GROUP with operations inHuddersfield has won an award forcustomer service.The general insurance team at BritanniaRescue parent LV= won the prize forbest customer service in financialservices at the European Call Centreand Customer Service Awards.The team took the trophy for the thirdyear in a row, beating competitorsincluding Barclays, ING Direct andLloyds.The judges commended LV= fordemonstrating excellent staffengagement, leading to high levels ofcustomer service and for the company’sinvestment in customer forums.

Clinic focuses ongetting the cashBANKING giant Barclays is running abusiness clinic in Huddersfield to giveowners of small firms advice on how toeffectively manage their cash flow.The event is one of many taking placeacross the Yorkshire region and aims toreach about 80 local businesses.The clinic will be at 10am onWednesday, November 14, at the CedarCourt Hotel, Ainley Top.To register, go towww.barclays.co.uk/businesshub or call0845 124 6502.Caroline Pullich, head of relationshipbanking for Barclays Business BankingNorth East said: “Barclays is fullycommitted to supporting smallenterprises in the North East and we arevery much open for business.“We would like to encourage any smallbusiness owners looking for advice andsupport to help grow their business toget in touch and come along to one ofthe clinics.”For further information on this andother clinics in the region visitwww.barclays.co.uk/businesshub

Boomerang gets busyA RECRUITMENT firm inHuddersfield has made two keyappointments as it gears up tohelp boost local employmentfigures.

Nicky Battye, who headsFartown-based BoomerangRecruitment, has been joined byRob Bamford as resourcer andrecruiter and Liam Townsend, anapprentice IT administrator, whois helping the business developits social media provision.

Mr Bamford was brought onboard in the wake of Boomerangsecuring a contract to supplysupport workers to theMirfield-based Hollybank Trust.His appointment underlines thefirm’s growing involvement in thehealth and social care sector.

Mr Townsend is working onBoomerang’s presence onFacebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Boomerang continues tooperate in commercial andengineering sectors.

Said Mr Bamford: “We arekeen to help get people back intoemployment and help the localeconomy grow and climb out of

recession.“The health and social care

sector offers opportunities for asubstantial increase in businessover the next decade or so as the‘baby boomers’ approach theirlater years.”

Ms Battye added: “Despite theeconomic climate, our businessis doing well.

“The health and social caresector offers opportunities for asubstantial increase in businessover the next decade or so.”

A proposal withunclear benefitsIN early October, Chancellor

George Osborneannounced proposals for anew type of employee owner-ship arrangement and a con-sultation paper has nowbeen launched.

The proposal is to introduce anew type of employment statuscalled the “employee owner”.

In summary, employees wouldgive up some of their employmentrights in return for being issuedwith shares in their employerworth between £2,000 and£50,000.

If the value of those sharesincreased, employees would notbe liable to capital gains tax as isthe case currently.

The proposals are part of theGovernment’s ongoing drive to“maximise flexibility for bothparties while protecting fairnessand providing the competitiveenvironment required for enter-prise to thrive”.

As employee owners, individu-als would firstly not be entitled toa statutory redundancy paymentif they were to be made redund-ant.

Only in limited circumstances(where discrimination is claimedor the dismissal is automaticallyunfair) would an employee ownerhave the right to claim unfairdismissal and there would be lim-ited rights to request flexibleworking.

Final ly, there would beenhanced notice requirementsrelating to early returns frommaternity or adoption leave.

With regard to shares which theemployee may be offered, itwould be possible to issue all typeof shares.

There would be no restrictionon the rights attaching to thoseshares; it will be at the company’sdiscretion as to whether they car-ried the rights to dividend orvoting rights, for example.Employers would also be permit-ted to insert a term in the contractof employment requiring the pur-chase of the shares by the com-p a ny o n t e r m i n a t i o n o femployment for a reasonablevalue.

It is unclear what interest therewould be from employees andbusinesses in this new arrange-ment.

The disadvantage to theemployee is that tax is paid on the

original gift of the shares or, if theshares are bought at value, thecost of that purchase.

This will not be attractive toemployees and not only will theybe having to make a payment atthe outset of the relationship,they will also be giving upemployment rights so the benefitto the individual is deferred forsome time.

It is not clear whether or notthere would be a reduction in thecharge to tax to take account ofthe fact the individual is giving uphis employment rights.

There is also of course the riskthat the shares decrease in valuewhich will be unattractive toemployees and many businesseswill be reluctant to give up anycontrol of the business by offeringownership to employees.

The consultation closes onNovember 8, 2012, and the resultsare expected to be publishedshortly.

■ JUST THE JOB: Nicky Battye and colleagues Rob Bamford andLiam Townsend, of Boomerang Recruitment

Prizewinner isa page turner!BUSINESSMAN John Shepherd isgetting the word out – after winninga free full-page full-colour advert inthe Examiner.Mr Shepherd, who headsHonley-based John ShepherdAssociates Ltd, was among scoresof visitors who entered thecompetition by putting theirbusiness cards into the hat on thenewspaper’s stand at the recentKirklees Business Conference.Mr Shepherd’s card was the luckyone drawn after the event – and hisprize was a full-page, full-colouradvert worth almost £3,000, whichappears in today’s Examiner.Said Mr Shepherd: “It was a lovelysurprise to be told I’d won.”John Shepherd Associates is aconsultancy working onregeneration projects and withcommunity and voluntaryorganisations.It also focuses on interimmanagement and through itsassociates offers training, HR, legaland management andorganisational support.Mr Shepherd set up the businesstwo years ago after running a£22.5m regeneration scheme inHalifax, which attracted some £80mof investment.

■ ON THE PAGE: John Shepherdwith the full-page advert he won byentering a competition with theExaminer at the Kirklees BusinessConference

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

DIGITALDIRECTIONAndrew Firth

Andrew Firth is managing director of Ascensor Website Design & Digital Marketing

oup and

st

ety

Google goes alittle bit ga-ga!NO one can doubt Google’s influ-

ence in the digital world. More thanany other brand they have changedhow we use the Internet.

Yet trouble has been brewing this monthfor the global mega-company.

Google’s mission is to “organise theworld’s information and make it universallyaccessible and useful” – so things went alittle gaga at Google, when an unfinishedpress release was emailed to the financialmarkets before it was ready.

For the first time in 14 years, Google sawits share price plummet. Normally used tomaking close to $1bn in profit every month,the company lost a record-breaking $24bnfrom its share price in just eight minutes.

Just a few days earlier, Google were alsounder fire with EU’s data regulators. Thefirm were told to change the way it collectspersonal information to comply with pri-vacy laws and protect their user’s data. Thisfollowed a nine month investigation intoGoogle’s data gathering practices.

Last week saw Google launch their Nexusproducts; a Nexus 4 smartphone and Nexus10 tablet, hoping to gain a slice of the Applemarket.

Hurricane Sandy had other ideas and they

were forced to cancel the launch event inNew York, but it has not stopped Googlefrom unleashing the products. Google wantto maintain their influence in their marketand won’t let anyone, or anything, stopthem.

Google accounts for 90% of all desktopsearches. Having a good Google position isessential, achieved through a well-designedand optimised website.

Google have made some gaffs, but they arestill a digital mega-influencer and one thatevery business needs to be using to theiradvantage. Having a website alone is notenough. They have to perform.

So how can you ensure your business istaking advantage of the vast number of

people using Google search engines, sitesand devices?

Start with making sure your website isbuilt in a way that is Google-friendly. Thatincludes getting your content right and yourwebsite professionally optimised. You alsoneed to focus efforts on your off-site searchengine optimisation – your digital PR foot-print; social media, directory listing andblog posting.

Google have a presence in most digitalarenas. They are only 14 years old, so maybethey are allowed to make some mistakes.

Google are still at the heart of the world’sdigital direction, online, mobile and bey-ond.

Rugby League tackles finance

d out – after winning

al

acted some £80m

Funding set toprovide a boostKIRKLEES retailers, hotel and restaurantoperators could get a share of a £10mfund to help build their businesses.Cash advance providerBoostCapital.co.uk has launched a £10mfund to help businesses struggling toaccess finance from traditional sources.The fund will support businesses in avariety of sectors, including hospitality,salon and spa, restaurant and pub,garage, dental and independent retailersand provide an affordable alternative tobank lending.David Abbott, managing director ofBoost Capital, said: “SMEs and theiradvisers in Yorkshire are in need ofsuitably-priced funding.“We will work closely with our clientsand their advisers in multiple sectors toraise awareness throughout theseindustries that there are other lendingoptions out there.”He said: “By establishing this fund, wehave a great opportunity to make a realdifference to many sectors in Yorkshireby supplying SMEs with cash injectionsthat can be used for any businessexpense, from renovations toacquisitions.”Boost Capital enables businesses to usefuture credit card sales to access theunsecured funding that they may need toinvest in new equipment, stock,marketing staff or expansion.

Furniture firm is sitting prettyAN international designer andmanufacturer of furniture issitting comfortably after pickingup a monthly award.

The YTM Group Ltd, wasnamed winner of the Business ofthe Month Award run byHuddersfield law firm EatonSmith after impressing judgeswith its growth record over thepast five years and in the face ofa very challenging economicenvironment.

The Castleford-based businesswas started in 1981 in Pontefractto supply doors and kitchens totrade and retail customers. Thecompany continued to expandinto the manufacture of contractquality cabinet and upholsteredfurniture into the hotel,healthcare and studentaccommodation sectors.

The firm moved to new

premises in Pontefract during2006 and set up an additionalstate of the art factory, studio andheadquarters during 2010. Thishas enabled rapid butsustainable growth of thebusiness which is now known asYTM Group to reflect its morediverse product offering.

Operating from two sites inCastleford and Pontefract, thecompany has increased staffnumbers from 37 in 2006 to 120and continues to invest in itsfacilities, equipment andemployees.

The Business of the MonthAward is run in association withthe Mid Yorkshire Chamber ofCommerce and UKTI. It is opento firms in Calderdale, Kirkleesand Wakefield. Contact IanGreenwood on 01484 821389.

■ COMFORT ZONE: Deborah Melluish presents the award toDamien Duffy (second right) and Andrew Davies (right), of YTMGroup Ltd, watched by Jason Metcalfe (left), of HansonChartered Surveyors, and Kirklees Business News editor HenrykZientek

YORKSHIRE Bank has formed apartnership with the RugbyFootball League – to provideprofessional players with adviceto help them make the most oftheir financial arrangements.

The bank’s private bankingteam has been visiting SuperLeague clubs across the countryto talk to players to find financial

solutions that suit their individualneeds.

The partnership, led by PhilWeston, sports partner atYorkshire Bank, intends toincrease players’ knowledge andawareness of financial concernsand encourage them to managetheir money and makeprovisions for their future

financial security.The bank said that with

relatively short careers and thechance of injury, loss of form orthe increasing risk of clubsencountering financialdifficulties, the potential pitfallsfor professional sports peoplewere numerous.

Said Mr Weston: “Many

professional sports peoplearen't really clear about whatthey may qualify for if injuryended their careers. All toooften, they don't know whatcover they need to top up what’savailable in their contracts.Consequently, players are oftenstepping on to the pitch withoutthe right levels of protections.”

Olympic winnersIn the wake of the summer’s LondonOlympics, law firm Clarion is hosting abreakfast seminar that will provide a rareinsight into the procurement processesthat went into making this year’s gamesa global success.The event runs from 8.30am to 10am onThursday, November 15, at Clarion’sElizabeth House offices in Leeds citycentre. Call 0113 222 3247.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6Two-day northern property salegenerates up lots of keen interestLAND close to HuddersfieldUniversity – with planningconsent for two buildingsproviding 38 studentbedrooms – has been soldat auction for £75,000.Elsewhere, a portfolio ofthree vacant units at OatsRoyd Mill, Luddenden, nearHalifax, sold for £106,000off a guide of £60,000-plusat the property auction runby Eddisons.And a parcel of public openspace woodland in theThornhill district ofDewsbury sold for £500.Eddisons reported that intotal 71 or 65% of the 109lots offered at the two-daysale in Leeds andManchester found buyers,

generating proceeds ofmore than £5.2m.Tony Webber (pictured), ofEddisons, said: “There was

strong demand for higherpriced property offeringgood value for money,which contributed to theexcellent overallperformance.‘Investors clearly had cashto spend and wereparticularly attracted tovacant property with longterm potential and tenantedstock giving reasonablereturns.’Eddisons, who already hold16 auctions annually inLeeds and Manchester, willstage their first Irishauction in Dublin onNovember 15, followed by afirst-ever London auctionon November 21.

Green Deal cashplan ‘not enough’A PLAN by Government to provide £125mworth of cash back payments for householdswho take early advantage of the Green Dealdoes not go far enough, says a constructionindustry group.

The Federation of Master Builders said themove was a welcome incentive for helping thescheme get under way.

But with a cap of £1,000 cash back perhousehold for energy efficiency improve-ments, this money may only cover as few as125,000 homes – a fraction of the 14m homesthe Government hopes will be upgraded underthe Green Deal by 2020.

Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB,said: “It’s encouraging to see the Governmentcommitting to new ways of incentivising thegeneral public to take advantage of the GreenDeal.

“However, there is still more work to bedone to help the scheme to realise its fullpotential. The scale of the task of upgradingthe UK’s existing buildings is immense and sothe Government must pull as many levers as

possible.”He said: “Little has so far been done to

encourage people to make energy efficiencyimprovements to their homes outside of theGreen Deal.

“Ministers should take heed – the GreenDeal scheme will not appeal to everyone, withsome preferring to finance the work upfront.

“The Government must therefore also lookat ways of encouraging these people to embarkon energy efficiency improvements or else riskfalling far short of its 80% carbon reductiontargets by 2050.

“December’s Autumn Statement would bean ideal opportunity for the Chancellor toannounce a range of fiscal incentives forenergy efficiency measures.”

Mr Berry said: “In terms of the cash backscheme itself, its success will heavily depend onhow the offer is promoted to consumers.

“Green Deal providers, local authoritiesand indeed Green Deal accredited local build-ers must all do their bit to help get the messageout there.”

Firm holds reunionA WELL-KNOWN Huddersfield accountancyfirm that “ceased to exist” after a merger 25years ago held a reunion for more than 75former staff.

Armitage & Norton joined the current firmof KPMG in October, 1987, but it wasresolved by the partners and employees thatan annual reunion should take place tomaintain the memories of a firm that wasfounded in Huddersfield in 1878.

The 25th anniversary was marked with aspecial reunion at the George Hotel inHuddersfield. The occasion was – as always– organised by Pat Earles.

Robert Sugden, a former head of theoffice, said: “It is a real tribute to the loyaltyand camaraderie that the firm engenderedthat so many people attended to reminiscein convivial style.”

The firm was founded by William HenryArmitage, of Banney Royd, in 1878. George

Pepler Norton became a partner in 1888and his son Gilbert and grandson Georgecontinued in the firm until 1978 in thecentenary year.

The firm was very well known for itsknowledge of textile firms and wasresponsible for the audit of dozens of textilecompanies in West Yorkshire.

The firm expanded beyond its five officesin West Yorkshire into London, EdinburghLancashire and the Midlands, but MrSugden said the Huddersfield office wasalways the head office of the whole firm,which employees more than 500 people.

He said: “The site of Station StreetBuildings was acquired in 1900 and wasconsidered to be – and still is – one of thefinest buildings in Huddersfield with itscarving of ‘Station Street Buildings’ stillpresent in the northerly corner.”

Confidence slumpsFEWER than a third of business leaders inWest Yorkshire are satisfied withGovernment attempts to stimulate theeconomy, a survey by workplace providerRegus has shown.

The firm’s latest Business ConfidenceIndex showed sentiment among localbusinesses fell by 5 points over the past sixmonths to stand at 87 – placing the area wellbehind the national average of 94 on theindex.

Cash-flow was highlighted by 79% of smalland start-up businesses as their biggestconcern, followed by finding new customers(48%) and the cost of marketing andpromotion (29%). Respondents alsoidentified the key measures that wouldsubstantially help small businesses andstart-ups – tax exemptions (74%), lowinterest loans (72%) and mentoring schemes(21%).

“Business leaders are sending a clearmessage to the Government,” said StevePurdy, UK managing director of Regus.“They clearly don’t have much faith in the

current policies to stimulate the economicgrowth which is so badly needed.”

Mr Purdy said confidence among localentrepreneurs and small businesses hasslipped since the last BCI report in April,adding: “This is a worrying sign given thevital role that this sector of the businesscommunity plays in driving growth andcreating jobs.

“The overall picture remains verychallenging and nearly four-fifths ofrespondents pinpoint cash flow as the majorissue preventing growth.

“I urge smaller companies to look in detailat all overheads to find savings that canimprove their cash situation.

“Nationally, a third of respondents reportedthat one of the major burdens during thedownturn were property leases. Moving to aflexible work model without a fixed propertylease can allow businesses to be more agileand free-up cash for investment withoutrelying on credit at a time when it is sodifficult to secure.”

■ CELEBRATIONS: Organisers Pat Earles and Robert Sugden (front) with friends at theArmitage and Norton reunion at the George Hotel

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS

Call for registrationMORE than 90% of home buyers in Yorkshireare calling for compulsory regulation to betterprotect buyers from unscrupulous estateagents, says a survey by the Royal Institutionof Chartered Surveyors.

Among those who failed to check whethertheir agent was a regulated member of aprofessional body, almost a quarter in theregion said they did not trust them to providehonest and truthful advice.

With no statutory regulation in place toensure sales agents are suitably qualified tosell property – and with public confidence atsuch a low level – the overwhelming majorityof respondents in Yorkshire and Humber(93%) believe that buyers would be betterprotected if compulsory regulation wereintroduced.

While all sales agents are legally bound tooffer a customer redress scheme, those whoare not members of a professional body arenot obliged to meet minimum competencystandards or subject to the scrutiny ofregulatory monitoring.

This means that consumers are potentiallydealing with an agent who, while technicallyabiding by existing legislation, could be

providing inaccurate advice.Only agents who belong to a regulated

professional body, such as RICS, are dutybound to a strict ethical code and obligedmeet minimum competency levels.

If RICS agents fail to act in accordance withrules of conduct, they are subject toregulatory investigation and if found to haveacted inappropriately are subject to sanctions.In extreme cases, agents can potentially losetheir chartered status.

Bruce Collinson, spokesman for the RICS,said the organisation wanted to see all estateagents forced to sign up to a professionalregulation scheme that provided bettersafeguards for buyers and sellers and wasclearer than the current regulatory regimewhich is unnecessarily complex.

“Concise, compulsory regulation would bothimprove consumer protection and minimisethe burden on business by simplifyinglegislation, making it easier for agents toabide by,” he said.

“Its no surprise that when people aremaking the biggest purchase of their lives,they want to feel like they can trust their agentand the advice they’re given.”

Housing chiefsdemand actionover workloadsPROPERTY chiefs in York-shire have called for urgentgovernment action to tackle“woefully low” levels ofhousebuilding in the region.

Construction levels forboth private and public hous-ing in the region fell againduring the three months toSeptember, according to thelatest survey from the RoyalInstitution of Chartered Sur-veyors.

A net balance of 21% morechartered surveyors reporteddecreases in public sectorhousing workloads, while 4%more respondents stated thatprivate sector projects hadalso fallen rather than risen.

Overall construction work-loads across Yorkshire alsofell. The RICS said the sectorhad seen no tangible growthfor about five years – and washoping that the government’snew £50bn stimulus packagewould go some way to boost-ing badly needed develop-ment.

Building firms in the regionsaw their margins continue todeteriorate last quarter – withrevenue failing to keep pacewith growing costs.

Despite this, a net balanceof 19% more surveyors inYorkshire and Humber expectmargins to stabilise on theback of potentially growingworkloads. This is the firstpositive reading since late

2007 and suggests that a cau-tious optimism may be slowlyreturning to the region’s mar-ket.

Expectations for employ-ment levels also improved –39% more surveyors in theregion expecting an increaserather than a decrease in jobsfor construction workers overthe coming 12 months.

Spokesman Ian Tomlinsonsaid: “The headline thatlenders are open for businessseems to be offset by the strictcovenants and security they

require which is still prohibit-ing the majority of housebuilding in the region.

“Lenders ’ r i sk-averseapproach is understandablegiven the criticism they havehad for previous decisions,but the cycle needs to bebroken somehow.

“Many of our region’s citiesare forecast to grow consider-ably over the next decade, butthis many not happen iflenders do not back them.”

Simon Rubinsohn, RICSchief economist, said: “Thegovernment’s £50bn stimuluspackage will hopefully delivera much needed shot in the armfor the sector, but we wouldlike to have seen a greater levelof investment in housing.

“Not only would thisprovide relatively swift eco-nomic returns but it wouldalso go some way to alleviat-ing the pressure on the coun-try’s worryingly low supply ofhomes.

“However, with the raft ofmeasures recently put in placeby the government, it appearsthat there is some optimismthat things could improveover the next 12 months interms of workloads, profitsand jobs.

“If this comes to pass, it willbe an extremely welcome liftfor both the construction sec-tor and the wider economy.”

■ OPTIMISM: RICS chiefeconomic Simon Rubinsohn

FOR SALEHighfieldUnited Reformed ChurchEarlsheaton, Dewsbury, WF12 8BB1 Substantial detached church1GIA 384m2 (4,133 sq ft)1 Large private car park1Alternative use potential (STP)Price: Offers around £275,000

FOR SALEFormer Bradley Mills Social ClubLeeds Road, Huddersfield, HD1 6PA1 Substantial former club premises1 Prominent frontage to Leeds Road1Adjoinng Leeds Road retail park1 Suitable for a variety of uses STPPPrice: Offers around £120,000

TO LET24 Long CausewayPrincess of Wales Precinct, Dewsbury, WF13 1NH1Modern retail premises1 119.19m2 (1,282 sq ft)1 Prime town centre locationRent: On Application

FOR SALE/TO LETConcept HouseCowlersley Lane, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, HD7 5TQ1High spec. designer offices with adjoining workshop1 Pleasant working environment1Ample parking/expansion land1 Potential for residential redevelopmentPrice: Offers around £325,000Rent: £22,500 per annum exclusive

TO LETModern Industrial UnitsFieldhouse Business Park, Old Fieldhouse Lane,Leeds Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1FA1 Immediately available modern secure units1 Leeds Road corridor1Unit 6 – 10,362 sq ft, Unit 9 – 10,322 sq ft

Unit 10 – 13,706 sq ftRents: from £4.50psf exclusive

TO LETIndustrial UnitUnit 4c, Armytage Road, Brighouse, HD6 1QF1Modern single-storey workshop units1 10,000 sq ft1 To be refurbished1 Self-contained with yard/loading1Adjacent to J25 of M62 motorwayRent: On Application

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Events put the focus on exportingEXPORT opportunities come under thespotlight this autumn with a series ofevents to encourage more Yorkshirefirms to go global.

UK trade & Investment has organised aprogramme of seminars, networkinglunches and day-long insight events forExport Week, which runs from November12 to 16.

Doncaster MPs Rosie Winterton andCaroline Flint will kick-off the week withan event on November 9 at DoncasterRacecourse, where they will be joined bylocal exporters to discuss “Growing YourBusiness Through Export”.

Other events include Are You Ready toExport? to be held on Monday, November12, at Sheffield Enterprise Agency and aRussian market webinar with SteveHaynes.

Tuesday, November 13, sees a MiddleEast webinar with Brian Aungiers and aUK Export Finance seminar in Leeds.

The Hilton Hotel at Wharf Approach,

Leeds, is the venue for Explore Export onWednesday, November 14.

The same day will see a webinar oninternational market research.

Thursday, 15 November, will seeThriving Through Exports at Leeds and awebinar on current trends.

On Friday, November 16, ExportingMade Easier takes place at Hull’s WorldTrade Centre while Are You Ready toExport? will be held at The Shay inHalifax and Winning InternationalBusiness is the focus on an event inHarrogate.

Mark Robson, UKTI regional directorfor Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Thisis a challenging time for regionalcompanies as the crisis in the eurozonedeepens, but there are still hugeopportunities in many overseas marketsand there has never been a better time toconsider exporting and going global.

Visit www.ukti.gov.uk/exportweek

Coffee, cakesand Christmas!RAISING money and awareness of thework done by local charity Kirkwood Hos-pice was one of the talking points at aHuddersfield business networking event.

Marie Peacock, Capital Appeal managerfor the rebuilding work at the Daltonhospice, attended the monthly Coffee &Cake Business Network meeting held atCafé Society, Byram Street.

She talked about some of the forthcom-ing fundraising events, including the SantaDash on Sunday, December 9. Mariebrought out Santa hats and tinsel for a funphoto opportunity and a raffle was heldwith proceeds going to the appeal.

Networkers also heard from Jean Kent,of West Yorkshire Enterprise Agency, whoshared advice on issues ranging from thepitfalls when starting a company to creativeideas for corporate fundraising.

Michelle Hodgson, of Key Words, whoruns the Coffee & Cake Business Network,said: “Many people, including myself, havehad first-hand experience of the amazingsupport Kirkwood Hospice gives localpeople.

“Even the smallest donation can helptowards the costs of rebuilding and refur-

bishing the hospice and there are somegreat fundraising events coming up over thenext few months.”

To find out more about the CapitalAppeal go to www.capitalappeal.org or call01484 557911.

■ TASTE TEST: Michelle Hodgson (left), of Key Words, and Jean Kent, of WestYorkshire Enterprise Agency, sample cakes at the networking event

jim Fletcher, Mark Waddington & Ian Wood

ThoriteA COMPANY supplyingpneumatic equipment has madea series of appointments.

Barnsley man Jim Fletcher, 40,has been promoted to keyaccounts manager at Thorite’sHuddersfield sales and servicecentre, having previously workedas the centre’s supervisor for fiveyears.

In his new role, Mr Fletcher topright) will focus on product andengineering service sales forThorite’s local industrial,manufacturing and processingcustomers, as well as developingnew business opportunities in theHuddersfield area.

Mark Waddington, 52, ispromoted from salesadministrator to centre supervisor.Mr Waddington (centre right),who lives at Waterloo, will now beresponsible for managing allresources at the centre,improving customer service,maintaining stock levels, trainingnew and existing team membersand co-ordinating telephone and onlineaccount management.

And Ian Wood, 34, of Milnsbridge, joins thecentre at Barge Street, off St Thomas’ Road,as sales administrator, Mr Wood (also pictured)will provide face-to-face assistance at thecentre's busy trade counter as well as helpingto co-ordinate overall sales activities.

Ross Gowler, marketing and engineeringservices director, said: “The Huddersfield salesand service centre was our second to openback in 1971 and has always been animportant outlet.

“I’m confident that the changes we’ve put inhand to strengthen the sales andadministration operation will ensureHuddersfield’s continuing success as a leadingplayer in our team of 10 centres throughoutYorkshire, Lancashire, the North East and WestMidlands.”

Colin Meakin

LiquidAccountsCOLIN Meakin has beenappointed chief executive ofLongwood-based accountancysoftware specialist LiquidAccounts.

Mr Meakin (pictured) was afounder of Birstall-based ICM,which was successfully floated onthe Stock Exchange in the late1990s before being acquired byPhoenix IT Group plc in 2007.

He left Phoenix and formed a privateconsortium, raising £1.8m to acquire ConcordeExcel Holdings, which he successfully turnedaround and used as a vehicle for a “buy andbuild” strategy to create the £10m turnoverConcorde IT Group.

Liquid Accounts chairman Richard Doyle said:“We have been looking for the right candidate totake this business forward and take advantage ofthe exponential growth opportunity for some ninemonths and I am delighted we have been able torecruit Colin.”

Mr Meakin takes over from Chris Eccles, whowas recruited as sales and commercial directorand latterly acted as interim chief executive. MrEccles remains a supportive shareholder in thebusiness.

It’s no trouble at The Mill!A NETWORKING group for localbusinesses has a new venue.

Batley 4 Networking Group is holdingfortnightly breakfast meetings in Hannah’sTea Rooms at The Mill outlet shoppingcentre in Bradford Road, Batley.

Sessions will be held at 8am every otherFriday. The next meeting will be onNovember 16.

Jo Fox, owner of Batley-based Autex UKand group leader of 4Networking Batley,said: “Meeting over breakfast and the tearoom’s informal, friendly environment

means that attendees from every industrycan have fun and banter and gainmotivation, as well as doing deals.”

She said the group was thriving, but newmembers were always welcome.

“We have a wide range of businessesrepresented each time,” said Jo.

“The format means that 4Networking isopen to all business types and we oftenfind that people from the same industry doend up collaborating.

“It’s testament to the attitude ofbusinesses in Batley and Dewsbury that

this has grown into such a buzzingmeeting.

“My business, which raises awarenessof autism in the community, cannot affordto be without it. I have found new business,new suppliers, made friends and have awide network of support from people inmany industries.”

4Networking has more than 300 groupsand more than 50,000 members all overthe UK.

Visit www.4Networking.biz

■ EXPORT LEAD: Politicians RosieWinterton (left) and Caroline Flint willkick-off a series of events in Yorkshire aimedat encouraging more of the region’s firms tobecome exporters