IQ-Magazine-Issue-16

Issue 16: march - MAY

An Inspired 

Education 

Now for boys 

as well as girls 

Discover more at our Open House: 

A hands-on experience for boys 

and girls in years 4 and 5 and 

their parents 

Saturday 12th March 

Union Road, Cambridge 

9.30 to 12.30 

Register now via 

stephenperse.com

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Mercedes-Benz of Bury St Edmunds, Northern Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP32 6NH 

01284 778 950 corporatesales@robinsonsmercedes.co.uk 

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Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the Mercedes-Benz range: urban 15.2(18.6)- 

72.4(3.9), extra urban 23.9(11.8)-83.1(3.4), combined 20.5(13.8)-134.5(2.1). CO 2 emissions 322-48 g/km. Official EUregulated 

test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditions and other non-technical factors.

iQ welcome 

welcome to the Sixteenth edition of iq business magazine, 

a quarterly publication that offers insight and inspiration 

to sme business owners in cambridgeshire and suffolk 

Keep us up-to-date with your latest 

business news and press releases. 

Please email gemma@cubiqdesign.co.uk 

WEBSITE 

www.iqmag.co.uk 

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER 

@IQBusinessMag 

FACEBOOK 

www.facebook.com/iqbusinessmag 

Contact us 

01638 666432 

email info@iqmag.co.uk 

This issue has been particularly exciting to put 

together, as we can finally reveal the results of iQ’s 

‘Top Under 30’. We asked employers to nominate 

an individual under the age of 30 who has made 

a significant impact in their career. Identifying 

and recognising employees is a standard approach 

synonymous with a successful business, whether 

the recognition takes the form of daily feedback, 

yearly reviews or, as in this case, nominating an 

employee for a business award. Our ‘Top under 30s’ 

were all invited to an exclusive event at Newmarket 

Meeting Rooms where they were congratulated and 

were able to network with other like-minded business 

people. You can hear more about our award winners in 

this issue on page 15. 

Our last iQ quarterly networking meeting was hosted by 

the new Hotel Chocolat Café in Cambridge. co-founder 

of Hotel Chocolat, Peter Harris, was our guest speaker 

and gave insight into the success behind the brand. Our 

60-strong guest list closed pretty rapidly for this event, 

so if you were not successful in securing a place, you can 

catch up with the key notes on page 48. 

We are yet to schedule our next networking event. If you 

are a business which would like to be our host please do 

let me know, as we would welcome your support. 

Gemma Treby 

to receive your free issue of iq each quarter 

Visit www.iqmag.co.uk and sign up to the iQ database. 

issue 16 | page 5

Helping you to grow. 

We help businesses just like yours get 

the most out of their people and succeed. 

Find out what our specialists could 

do for you and your team in 2016 with 

a free HR consultation. 

your hr partner 

call-hr.com | 0845 299 6195

iQ contents 

IN 

THIS 

ISSUE 

Gemma Treby Editor 

John Treby Creative Director 

Georgia Watson PR & Editorial Executive 

Sammi Nice PR & Editorial Executive 

Emma Ward PR & Marketing 

Rachel Cracknell PR & Marketing 

Becca Plaxton Publication Sales 

Lauren Eade PR & Editorial Intern 

Matt Cockerton Designer | Eugene Hector Designer 

James Willcox Designer | Adam Blythe Designer 

Steve Parr Designer | Sean Brkovic Designer 

Expert Contributors Glen Mon Hughes 

Jacqui Kemp | James Pinchbeck 

Steve Elsom | Sarah Brereton | Ryan Windsor 

Martin Walshe | Anne Ovens 

Cubiqdesign 

Goodwin Business Park 

Newmarket, CB8 7SQ 

01638 666432 


08 

10 

12 

15 

24 

26 

29 

31 

32 

34 

36 

39 

41 

43 

48 

50 

52 

54 

56 

61 

62 

Business Overview 

The Benefits of Exporting 

Ones to Watch 

Top Under 30 

The DNA of a Successful Family Business 

Diversification, Expansion and Family Values 

The Case for Mindfulness 

Should Employees be Expected to Work for Free? 

Taking the First Step 

Searching for Success 

Internal Communications from Day One 

Cambridge is where the Smart Money is 

Surviving the Buy To Let Crisis 

Business Diary 

Inspiration, Connections and Chocolate 

What does it take to make a product? 

Fresh from the Fenland 

10 Years of Amazing Spaces 

Switched on to Success 

People Power 

Red Pill: The Truth About Leadership 


iQ business overview 

Glen Mon Hughes looks at the impact 

of propaganda on the world’s economic ups 

and downs. 

There are some of us who are great surfers of social 

networks. The soon-to-be late-lamented Friends 

Reunited started off much of it all, but there seemed to be 

something of an innocence on that site compared to the 

rumours, almost bullying and personal aggrandisement, 

which seems to be the norm for some posters on the likes 

of Facebook. 

Log on any day, and there are critical reviews of what 

the Government is doing, has done, is about to do 

and should do. There’s economic analysis on a scale 

which would fill the Library of Congress every day. 

There are plans to make you rich ever so quickly, and 

then explanations as to why some nations are virtually 

penniless. You could also, of course, have the perfect 

body shape within hours, set up a multi-billion turnover 

business by the weekend, and solve world poverty if you 

send just £30 to this address... 

Plausible? Of course not. But then, listen to the 

commentators in the ‘trusted’ media. Recently, Mark 

Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, came under 

fire because he suggested that interest rates would not 

rise until next year. So, that’s a calamity? For so many 

home owners in East Anglia, where, in many parts, house 

prices are higher than the national average and where 

an interest rate rise could well presage an economic 

nightmare, that must be good news. Naturally, it is a 

calamity for those who have savings tied up in various 

places, and for whom an interest rate rise is welcome. 

So, no news isn’t always completely good news. 

Any one of us following the stock market will be almost 

bewildered by the daily rise and fall of world indices, 

mainly - this time - affected by two issues: the price of 

oil and the state of the Chinese economy. Almost gone 

are the days when we’d be heading for the hills if the 

markets dropped 200 points, since we are well used to 

seeing all losses wiped out again the next day. 

For many, the economy of East Anglia has been fairly 

buoyant, even during the economic nightmare of 

2008 and the ensuing years. Lots of small businesses 

have done well and they have recruited strongly, with 

balance sheets which would make multi-nationals green 

with economic envy. And there’s not really a massive 

dependence on oil in the region. Or is there? 

One commentator recently spoke about the proposed 

merger between Shell and BG, something which would 

create an economic giant which could dominate world 

markets. While BG has been seeing a 16% year-on-year 

growth rate, Shell has seen prices fall as the oil price 

has collapsed to pre Great Recession 

prices. Once upon a time, this was 


iQ business overview 

seen as a good thing: motorists would be rejoicing at the 

drop in pump prices. But now, apparently, paying less 

than £1 a litre for petrol is a bad thing. And that megamerger 

is potentially not feasible. 

Put that into world context. Countries which we, in 

the West, regarded as mega-rich are suddenly not so 

wealthy. Saudi Arabia - a major export destination for 

British goods: sometimes controversial, but nevertheless 

contributing to the national income – could be heading 

for a financial crisis. The same is possibly true of 

Kuwait, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and many other former 

Middle Eastern powerhouses. 

And then there is the Chinese scenario. Stock markets 

have see-sawed at a vertiginous pace every time there 

is the tiniest hint of something not quite right with the 

Chinese economy. There’s been much criticism of the 

way Chinese steelmakers have dumped their product on 

the world market. While job losses in the UK may not 

have directly affected the East Anglian economy, ports 

like Felixstowe might feel the chill winds if there is a 

European tariff placed on Chinese steel. 

So, just as we all might have felt that things were getting 

better, those doom-mongers on social media might 

not have been altogether wrong. 

There are problems on a global 

scale. The reasons for these are 

legion. But, just as for years, 

East Anglian businesses have been clever in seeing 

perhaps rather further into the future than perhaps 

some others, this might be the time to move to an even 

stronger position. Small businesses, occupying niche 

markets, have done well in most parts of the region. 

They’ve pushed their balance sheets ever more into 

positive territory and they have recruited new 

workers. That does a great 

deal to mitigate the 

ominous news stories 

which are piling up 

relentlessly. 

In places such as 

Cambridge, 

some highly 

specialised 

industries doing 

things that no-one 

else worldwide does, 

are thriving. So all 

that world-class research 

which is being converted 

into unassailable business 

opportunities is proving its 

worth. 

Just putting a few of those facts 

out there on social media may 

not be a bad thing. 

Countries 

which we, in the 

West, regarded 

as mega-rich are 

suddenly not so 

wealthy 

More Information 



iQ exporting 

The Benefits of 

Exporting 

Steve Elsom, Regional Director, 

SME Banking, East England, 

Lloyds Banking Group, gives an 

insight on how to get the best 

return from exporting 

International marketplaces offer vast opportunities 

for businesses, and firms in the East of England are 

encouraged to consider the benefits of exporting to 

remain competitive and generate long-term growth. 

Carving out a new avenue of income is essential for small 

and medium-sized businesses to expand, and in certain 

sectors such as food and drink, for example, there is high 

demand across the world for British brands and products. 

The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures 

revealed that exports were at £42.2bn in November, 

and, whilst this is a drop of 1.2% on the previous month, 

growth opportunities remain in foreign markets. Indeed, 

figures from our recent Business in Britain research show 

that 43% of businesses in the East of England expect 

their exports to go up over the next six months. 

Trading overseas can appear daunting, particularly for 

first-time exporters if there is uncertainty over what steps 

to take. To avoid missing out, we have created five top 

tips to help businesses understand the processes involved. 

Select a target market 

For some firms that are considering exporting, 

the potential target markets can be clear, 

with demand for certain products and 

services higher in some regions than others. 

However, for those who don’t know where to start, 

the prospect of searching for partners and contacts 

in a specific target market can be overwhelming. 

Accessing support from local organisations can help, 

and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) provides an 

Overseas Market Introduction Service that introduces 

first-time exporters to key contacts and provides 

guidance on how to conduct 

business in that market place. 

Create a clear business plan 

Having a well-thought-out business plan that realistically 

reflects a firm’s financial situation will enable a company 

to grow at a manageable rate, giving them specific 

timeframes to invest, hire new staff, or increase production. 

Not creating a business plan can leave companies at risk 

of overtrading, resulting in the firm having insufficient 

cash flow to meet day-to-day business costs. 


Have the correct finance package 

There is a range of products available to help 

support businesses looking to export for the first time, 

including currency payment solutions that allow firms 

to process regular foreign payments securely, quickly 

and economically. As part of our SME Charter we 

have pledged to help boost exports by growing our 

provision of trade finance by 25% to UK businesses. 

Outstanding invoices can put pressure on a business’ 

cashflow, and the average East of England SME 

is currently owed more than £105,450. Invoice 

finance can help cure the headache caused by late 

payments, allowing firms to access cash tied up in 

unpaid invoices by effectively selling their order 

book to a third party. At Lloyds Bank we 

enable customers to release up to 90% 

of the issued invoices within 24 

hours, allowing them to 

invest money quickly 

into the business 

if required. 

More INFORMATION 

Steve Elsom, Regional Director, SME Banking, 

East England, Lloyds Banking Group 

steve.elsom@lloydsbanking.com 

@steveelsom1 

iQ exporting 

“As part of our SME 

Charter we have pledged to help 

boost exports by growing our 

provision of trade finance by 25% 

to UK businesses.” 

Make sure the business is protected 

Before a company enters into any contracts it is vital that 

all terms and conditions are clear, and that all parties 

understand the lead time between products or services 

being received and payment. Putting good accounting 

practices in place should help firms to identify if a 

payment has been missed and prepare additional credit 

accordingly. It is also essential that owner-managers 

protect their firm against all eventualities, running 

credit checks on potential customers, and taking out 

insurance so that if a company fails to pay, or enters into 

administration, they are fully protected. 

Take advice 

Throughout the exporting process, it is guaranteed that 

a firm will experience challenges. Seeking advice from 

exporting specialists at all stages will help firms deal 

with these issues. We have a strategic partnership with 

UKTI to support the UK’s export ambitions and provide 

insight, guidance and introductions. Speaking to a trusted 

financial advisor throughout the whole process will also 

enable firms to access a range of guidance and financial 

products that are suited to their specific business needs, 

helping to make their first steps into exporting a positive 

experience. 

As this article goes to print, the debate around the 

EU referendum has begun, and currency markets are 

showing some volatility. A weaker £ means exports can 

become cheaper for overseas buyers and therefore activity 

and transaction numbers may increase. 

Trading internationally - whether that be close to home 

within the Eurozone, or further afield in the Far East or 

the Americas - can lead to significant sales growth and 

the creation of new jobs. Overall confidence in the East 

of England remains close to its record highs and above its 

long-term average, and we are committed to supporting 

businesses with ambitions to enter overseas markets to 

boost exports from the region. 


iQ business profiles 

Ones to 

watch 

Continuing our insight 

into Grant Thornton’s 

Cambridgeshire Ltd 2015, 

iQ looks at the businesses 

that have been 

highlighted as the 

‘Ones to Watch’ 

Phillip Blackford 

Partner and Head of 

Rapleys’ Automotive & Roadside 

In brief - Your company’s 

history and current positioning 

For more than 60 years, our disciplines include 

Agency, Development, Corporate Real Estate, 

Lease Consultancy, Investment, Town Planning, 

Building Consultancy and Project Management, 

Valuation, Compulsory Purchase and Compensation, 

Sustainability, Rating and Strategic Land. Specialist market 

sectors include Automotive and Roadside, Retail and Leisure, 

Business Space and Healthcare. The team currently comprises of 

38 Partners and in total approximately 158 employees. 

What changes have you seen in your business sector over the 

last three years, and how have you adapted to overcome these? 

The last three years have been challenging in terms of pressures on margins 

and recruiting and retaining key staff. Further challenges have been the 

increasing pressure to comply with legislation and to satisfy tender processes. 

To overcome this we have gained and maintained accreditations in Environment 

(ISO14001), Health and Safety (ISO18001) and Quality (ISO9001) and are currently 

working towards gaining Investors in People accreditation. 

We have increased the training budget to ensure personnel have up to date knowledge of the 

current market and have also invested heavily in IT in order to increase efficiency of back office 

systems. In addition Rapleys has significantly increased its marketing expenditure to facilitate a 

rebrand of the business and an updated website which will be unveiled in May 2016. 

Can you share Rapleys’ strategy for the next five years? 

Rapleys is currently undertaking a major drive on mergers and acquisitions which, combined with organic 

growth, feeds into a short term aim to double its turnover within five years. 


Simon Lindley 

Commercial Director Real Estate for Cambridge and Counties Bank 

iQ business profiles 

In brief - The business history and story of growth 

The Bank was formed in 2012 when the two private shareholders,Trinity Hall College, 

Cambridge and Cambridgeshire Local Government Pension Scheme, obtained the banking 

licence and we opened the doors to lend. Built on a culture of offering to investors a 

combination of high quality service with simple property based lending products (and 

no cross selling), we have grown in just over 3 years from those early days of nine staff 

to nearly 100 with five offices and a lending book of over £450m. 

Harry Norman 

Managing Director at OAL 

In brief - The business’ 

history and story of growth 

I established Olympus Automation Ltd (OAL) 

in 1993. The company originally specialised in 

automation and has now grown to include turnkey 

engineering solutions for food manufacturing. 

We have a strong customer base in the UK food industry, 

including high profile names such as Allied Bakeries, Heinz 

and Premier Foods, and are continuing to gain new customers 

from all around the world. At OAL we design and automate food 

manufacturing systems right from the initial raw material feeds, 

through processing and on to final packaging, including offering 24hr 

service and support for clients. 

Can you share your strategy for 

growth over the next three to five years? 

After three years of significant growth and success, we have no plans to 

stand still, but it is important that the bank doesn’t lose focus on how 

this success has been achieved. We will continue to grow our lending 

book by a steady amount each year, whilst opening new offices in 

locations where we can best service our clients and where we 

are able to recruit the right calibre of staff. 

Can you define your target client? 

How do you market your business? 

Our target clients are experienced property 

investors who understand that price isn’t 

everything, and therefore we market ourselves 

as a specialist property lender with a 

service-based offering. We don’t see any 

point in being another vanilla style 

lender with inexperienced staff who 

follow tick box processes. 

Over the last five years, we have pursued a strong innovation agenda, bringing 

new food processing technologies and winning many awards along the way. OAL 

has led two Innovate UK projects, both with values c. £1million, researching their 

Steam Infusion technology for advanced heating and mixing and cryogenic cooling. 

What company and personal values are at the core of your company? 

Success comes from bringing together unique sets of expertise in people to deliver fantastic 

projects for our customers. The company has never failed to deliver for a customer, and this is 

critically important in building trust and in the adoption of new technologies. 

What does 2016 look like for the OAL group? 

Very exciting! The launch of a fully automated flexible manufacturing cell with robotic chefs will happen 

in April. The launch will kick off with an event where we will invite press, retailers, manufacturers, academics 

and robotic experts to educate them on the possibilities of robotics in food manufacturing. 

Article by Gemma Treby 


The Northgate Business Centre hosted by The Bury St Edmunds Farmers 

Club, is the business hub within the heart of Bury St Edmunds. Bespoke 

meeting rooms offer an abundance of character, history and charm. 

From small board meetings to large theatre style seminars. 

We can offer a dedicated dining experience, anything from a 

conference platter to individually priced and prepared menus. 

Our Chefs can provide a range of choices to suit all requirements and 

tastes. Various business memberships are available. 

Contact us for an informal look around our club 

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iQ diary 

top 

We believe that nothing is more important to 

the future of business than the next generation 

of talent. We want to celebrate the ambition, 

passion and enthusiasm of our region’s rising 

stars by profiling their careers and tracking 

their future successes. From a whole host 

of backgrounds across Cambridgeshire and 

Suffolk, meet our Top Under 30 winners. 

under 30 


iQ top under 30 

Matt Abbott 

Matt Abbott is Managing Director and Head Coach 

at Elatus Sports which he launched in 2013. Prior to 

starting the business, he obtained a Masters’ in Sports 

Management and worked for the Warwickshire Cricket 

Board. Matt has always been involved in sport and knew 

that the career path he would follow would be linked 

to the local community. He is in charge of all the day 

to day management of the business, including strategic 

planning and business development, coaching sports 

sessions, sales, marketing and financial management. 

He particularly values experiencing first-hand the 

difference the company makes to disabled and vulnerable 

people’s lives and says that, “It’s very rare not to finish a 

session without having shared a laugh with one of our 

customers.” 

Philippa Artus 

Marketing and Projects 

Executive, Philippa Artus, 

joined Cambridge BID in 

2014. She graduated from 

University of East Anglia in 

2013 with First Class Honours in Business Management 

and moved to Melbourne, Australia for a year to work 

at SPRIM Brand Strategy & Design as an Account 

Executive. 

At Cambridge BID she is responsible for all digital 

platforms such as the website, social media and newsletters 

as well as supporting the Marketing and Commercial 

Manager. Since joining the company, Philippa has grown 

the company’s social media platforms greatly, including a 

600% increase in Twitter followers for which she is solely 

responsible for. She enjoys juggling new projects and 

creating positive relationships with businesses which she 

says is a particularly rewarding part of the job. 

Michael adams 

Michael joined Lloyds 

Banking in 2008, straight 

after finishing Sixth Form. As 

Relationship Manager, he is 

responsible for the accounts 

of approximately 120 groups of businesses, providing 

them with sufficient financial solutions and support. 

Michael thrives off helping the businesses he deals with 

grow, and structuring lending deals. He credits his current 

role at the company as his greatest achievement and thanks 

his ambitious nature for getting him there. His aspirations 

have changed a great deal since his dreams of becoming 

a footballer when he was younger. Now, Michael says that 

he would love to work abroad in Florida. 

Megan Ashdown 

Megan joined BJ Waller in February 2011, where she 

worked as an Admin Assistant dealing with chasing and 

updating customers’ orders, sending purchase orders 

to suppliers, filing, inputting invoices and dealing with 

customer returns. Promoted to Sales and Marketing 

Executive in 2013, she now takes quotes and orders, 

manages the businesses social media and designs product 

brochures for the company. Megan is also Sales Manager 

for the East Anglia area, and loves the variety that her job 

brings. She credits Luke and Simon for believing in her 

enough to promote her to her current position. Megan 

says she would love to work in Thailand so she could visit 

the beach on her lunch break each day. 

issue 16 | page 16


Callum Bradley 

Callum joined familyrun 

business, Dufaylite, in 

2013 as a 3D Designer and 

Artworker after studying 

Product Design at Brunel 

University. He is responsible for creating production 

files for completely bespoke products as well as standard 

Dufaylite products. He also provides design guidance and 

gives input on the feasibility and possible approaches to 

a brief or project. Ensuring that a design will work first 

time provides a challenge and good awareness of the 

production process. Creating new bespoke designs for a 

product that already exists in the market means Callum 

must have a vision for the product. Callum says he enjoys 

the relaxed atmosphere and constant communication 

which makes for less of an inter-departmental division. 

Sadie Burton 

After leaving university and 

a short stint as a supervisor 

in retail, Sadie made the 

move to Brides by Solo in 

2013. Assisting brides with 

choosing their perfect dress 

and making dress alterations, a very specialist skill, is all 

part of Sadie’s role in the business. Sadie has been a key 

player in increasing shop sales, forecasting a 35% rise 

in sales for the year 2015-2016. Her determination has 

meant that she has worked her way up from Apprentice 

to Assistant Manager in just two years. She loves working 

closely with the brides, tailoring dresses to their needs and 

building relationships with clients. Attending the bridal 

catwalk fashion shows is another passion, especially 

as she’s choosing the dresses brides will be wearing 

that year. 

Joe Carrisi 

Joe joined Selfie Clothing in 2015 and says he hasn’t 

looked back. He worked in retail for over 10 years at 

Sainsbury’s during which he progressed from cashier 

to running a department. Under his management, he 

helped to increase the orders in the online delivery 

department from 350 to over 1,000 orders per week. At 

Selfie Clothing he is involved in managing the company’s 

social media accounts, following up on new ideas and 

markets, dealing with customers, printing and packaging. 

He says that whatever needs doing, he’s always happy to 

get stuck in and help and sees every day as an opportunity 

to learn and develop his skills. If he were to live anywhere 

else in the world, he would choose Italy. 

Hattie Carter 

Whilst in education, Hattie 

joined WildTracks aged 

16 as a weekend assistant. 

She is now responsible for 

advertising and marketing, 

admin, bookings, customer care, recording and balancing 

of takings, team leading and organising of staff. As well 

as ensuring smooth running of the business and problem 

solving, she also ensures customer satisfaction during 

the busiest time, at the weekends. Hattie says she loves 

working alongside her team and with customers. She is 

passionate and determined to continuously create and 

develop new ideas to expand the business. Constantly 

working hard, enjoying overcoming challenges and being 

herself is something which she says has provided her 

with opportunities and responsibilities in her position at 

WildTracks. 


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Natasha Clarke 

Natasha joined research 

and marketing agency 

Mackman, in 2013, after 

graduating from university 

with a degree in Marketing 

and Advertising. She originally attended Central Saint 

Martins in London to study Fine Art for a year but quickly 

realised that art was more of a hobby. After a placement 

year working at international automotive brand, Citroën, 

Natasha graduated and moved to Sudbury where she 

began an internship with Mackman. As of 2015, she 

was promoted to Brand and Communications Manager. 

Natasha says she enjoys working with clients from a whole 

host of different industries. Learning new things and 

understanding how different industries work in regards to 

the customers they have and the challenges they face is of 

particular interest to her. 

Duncan Darroch-Thompson 

Duncan Darroch-Thompson founded the Jacaranda 

UK Foundation in 2015 after spending the summer of 

2014 volunteering at the Jacaranda School for Orphans 

in Malawi, the only entirely free primary and secondary 

school in the country. Jacaranda UK Foundation is a UKbased 

charity supporting free education for Malawian 

children orphaned by AIDS. Duncan says he loves seeing 

how generous people can be when they realise the impact 

their money can have, and watching that money make a 

tangible difference in Malawi. If he could work anywhere 

in the world he would choose Shanghai, and luckily for 

him he soon will be, as he is soon to move there to work. 

Andrew Cooper 

Partner at Greene & Greene Solicitors, Andrew Cooper, 

trained and worked for a law firm in Norwich for a 

number of years after completing his degree and legal 

studies. In 2012 he moved to Greene & Greene in Bury 

St Edmunds, where he advises business clients on a 

range of legal matters. Dealing with local, national and 

international businesses of all sizes, he provides advice 

on commercial contracts, company law procedures, 

fundraising and setting up new companies or partnerships 

amongst other things. Andrew says he’s been fortunate in 

business and working with such a variety of people means 

that he learns lots about different industries and sectors of 

the economy which he is passionate about. 

Lucy Cronin 

Lucy launched her Personal 

Training and Bootcamp 

company, 365Motivate, in 

2013. She had previously 

been working at Moreton 

Hall Health Club as a Fitness 

Instructor but saw an opportunity to create her own 

company. As the business owner, she runs all one-to-one 

sessions and four morning and evening bootcamp sessions 

per week. She also offers 24/7 support, nutritional 

guidance and motivation. She loves to see people’s 

progress and finds watching the transition her clients 

make whilst with her, very rewarding. Last summer, 

365Motivate hosted a family fun day which Lucy 

organised herself. The day had dance stalls, martial arts, 

zorbing and bootcamp and raised £300 for St Nicholas 

Hospital and says it’s one of her proudest achievements. 


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Dan Driver 

Dan joined Morris Armitage 

in February 2012 after 

having previously worked as 

a labourer for a bricklaying 

firm with no prior knowledge 

of estate agency. He now works in sales and is responsible 

for sales progression and negotiating offers between 

buyers and sellers. On top of this he operates external 

appointments, viewings and valuations which he says is 

a constant juggling act but one which he enjoys. Giving 

people the keys to their new home after what is quite often 

a very stressful journey is an incredibly satisfying part of 

the job for him. Being motivated and driven, Dan says he 

always likes to look to the future and tries to improve on 

the previous month’s results. 

Louis Fairfax 

Louis’ drive to succeed 

was clear from a young 

age when he secured a 

management position in 

retail after leaving school, 

where he was leading teams at just 17. He joined CUB 

UK in 2005 and in 2012 was promoted to the company’s 

Managing Director. He is involved with the creation, 

planning and management of their strategic plan and 

has overall operational responsibility, leading multiple 

projects within the business. He loves to see his team 

succeed and making a difference within the company 

with an unorthodox approach. Since becoming MD, he 

has modernised the business by rebranding, introduced 

a unique package based service structure, a customer 

promise, and now measures the company’s performance 

against values through a KPI structure, achieving the 

ISO9001 standard last year. 

Amy Heaslip 

Amy joined Good Sense 

Research based in Bury 

St Edmunds in 2014, 

after previously working 

as a Freelance Interpreter 

and Translator. She now manages marketing for both 

companies but predominantly works for Good Sense, 

which conducts consumer research using many different 

techniques. She loves the variability that comes with 

the job, as every project is unique and the dynamic, 

driven and passionate group of people that she works 

with. Working hard, Amy has recently secured a big 

industry player in Switzerland which she regards 

as one of the biggest achievements of her career. 

She says that it represents a massive opportunity for the 

company moving forwards. 

Samantha Hills 

Samantha joined Discover 

Newmarket as Administrator 

in 2015. She was born and 

bred in Newmarket and has 

been involved in racing since 

she was young. After working in the beauty industry for 

four years, she missed horse racing and is now happy to 

share her passion of the sport in her work life. Samantha 

is responsible for all day-to-day management and 

administration of the tours, from getting people booked 

on, to coordinating the venues and liaising with tour 

guides. She loves showing people how unique Newmarket 

is and seeing people’s reactions when they are taken on 

the tours. She works closely with customers to really 

personalise their visits, making dreams a reality for them 

by creating an unforgettable, unique experience. 

Ben Hutton 

Ben is company owner 

of Ben’s Restaurant in 

Bury St Edmunds, which 

he launched in 2014 after 

leaving university. He opened 

the restaurant with the aim 

of serving traditional British dishes sourced with local 

produce including their hand-reared pork from their 

farm. Ben says he loves being able to talk to people about 

the importance of using local and seasonal produce 

and knowing where your food comes from. Opening 

the restaurant has been Ben’s greatest achievement and 

with the focus on locally sourced produce, the business 

encapsulates all of his ambitions and beliefs. His passion 

has really driven the business to where it is today and Ben 

says that he loves being based in Bury. 



Adil Khokhar 

Adil and his father took over CBS Automotive in August 

2013. At just 18, Adil had already launched a cycling 

product to the Cambridge market and always wanted a 

career in business. He is currently studying International 

Business Management at the University of Lincoln 

alongside working at CBS Automotive. His role involves 

report analysis, management decisions and helps drive 

the growth of the company. He enjoys being able to build 

strategies that will directly grow and build the business 

and his hard-working attitude has allowed him to do so. 

His greatest achievement to date has been studying at 

Chongqing Technology and Business University in China 

and learning about Chinese business culture as well as 

gaining a good understanding of Mandarin. 

Lucy Pettitt 

Lucy started her business, 

Lucy’s Locks, in 2014. 

Having initially studied 

fashion and textiles, Lucy 

then followed her passion to 

become a stylist and worked in salons, and could not help 

but notice there was scope to own a business for herself. 

She says it’s great to get back to doing what she loves 

independently, with a bit of life experience behind her. 

She finds meeting new clients and seeing them return 

particularly rewarding and loves making people feel good 

about themselves. Keeping up her online presence as 

well as arranging and managing her day to day diary of 

clients is all part of her job and hopes that her biggest 

achievement is still ahead of her. 

Kallum Outram 

Kallum joined GoGlass in 

January 2014 following his 

previous work as an aquatic 

landscaper. Within his role 

he has to organise and 

distribute work to the team 

and says that he really enjoys being able to help and 

advise people whenever they need it. His job requires 

a variety of different skills which he says is one of the 

most challenging and enjoyable parts of working at 

GoGlass. Aside from work, Kallum has bought his own 

house to renovate at just 22, stating it as one of his biggest 

achievements to date. His creative side has helped him to 

progress in life and if he could work in any country in the 

world, he says he would choose Australia. 

Lorna Pissarro 

Lorna is Director of Stuart Inns, a family-run business 

which started in 2011 and has expanded to own three 

restaurants/hotels. After obtaining a First Class Honours 

degree in Fine Art, she struggled to find her dream job 

as a filmmaker and settled for being a waitress in a local 

Gastro Pub, back at home in Suffolk. This experience 

was valuable to her future business venture which she 

began with the help of her brother and father. Creative 

and conscientious, Lorna has a very hands on approach 

to the day to day running of the restaurants but loves the 

marketing side of the business. The business has been 

accolated five stars for their accommodation and two 

Rosettes for their food, recognising Lorna’s hard work. 



Thady Senior 

Following his degree in 

Dublin, Thady worked parttime 

at Jacobs Allen before 

joining the company fulltime 

in 2014, where he is 

now Marketing Manager. Within the company, Thady 

is in charge of managing their marketing strategy and 

budget, creating promotional material, overseeing 

website content, managing brand image, IT planning and 

implementation and events management and planning. 

With an ambitious nature, he enjoys making a difference 

to the company and benefitting the community, something 

that he did when taking over sponsorship of the annual 

Accumulator Challenge for St Nicholas Hospice. He is 

currently organising a week-long photographic exhibition 

of Tom Murray’s works including his world famous 

Beatles collection. Now based in Bury St Edmunds, he 

says he would love to work back in his university town 

of Dublin. 

Georgia Takacs 

Georgia founded Noel Road, 

a health and wellbeing 

company, alongside her 

mother, Amanda, in 2014 and 

began trading in 2015. She 

studied English Literature at Queen Mary University of 

London, with an initial dream of making it big in fashion 

journalism. After a couple of small jobs at university, she 

found the courage to pursue entrepreneurship. Now she 

is responsible for running her own business including 

operations, marketing, finance and admin. She says 

the thing she loves most about her job is the creative 

freedom and is happy constantly learning, expanding her 

knowledge and pushing herself out of her comfort zone. 

Having the kind of meaningful professional and personal 

goals that she does now is something she credits as one of 

her biggest achievements. 

more information 

For further details on our Top Under 30 winners 

visit www.iqmag.co.uk and follow us on Twitter 

@iQBusinessMag 

Joe Whitehead 

Joe joined Bury St Edmunds based web technology 

company ‘Marketing Interactive UK’ in 2013 whilst 

studying for his degree. His role at ‘mi’ is multi-faceted; 

configuring and building CMS and eCommerce 

websites, resolving technical issues, helping to advise 

customers with their queries and providing the company’s 

daily soundtrack through broadcasting his legendary 

playlists! One of his career highlights to date has 

been developing a site which took home the ‘Best Website’ 

award at the ‘Print, Design & Marketing Awards 2014’. 

In addition to his role in web development, Joe volunteers 

as a special sergeant with Suffolk constabulary for which 

he has received several notable commendations. If Joe 

was to work anywhere else in the world it would be from 

a cabin overlooking a fjord in Norway. 

Ryan Windsor 

Ryan started Windsor 

Properties in 2007 when he 

was just 18, after spotting a 

gap in the property market. 

He ran the business whilst 

studying IT and Software Development at West Suffolk 

College in Bury St Edmunds. Now he sets the strategic 

direction for the company, helping the business grow and 

he says he loves seeing the company turn a house into a 

home and the difference this to make to a families lives. 

He also joined the World Economic Forums Global 

Shapers Community Cambridge Hub, alongside 

passionate, intelligent and brilliant young leaders. His 

ambitions were clear from a young age and with his 

grandad’s words of “you should live to work, not work to 

live” alongside Ryan’s relentless drive, he and the business 

have become a success. 


iQ advice 

DNA of a successful family business 

James Pinchbeck, Marketing Partner, Streets 

Chartered Accountants, explores the 

10 characteristics of those running a successful 

family business 


www.streetsweb.co.uk 

Streets Chartered Accountants 

Over the last few months we have, as a 

firm, been working closely with a broad 

cross-section of family businesses, 

including some very long established 

ones and some still relatively young. 

For this work, our definition of a family 

business has simply been a business 

that has been owned and managed by 

more than one generation of the same 

family and/or a business that has more 

than one member of the same family 

sharing ownership and being actively 

engaged in its day-to-day operation. 

As part of our work and interest in 

the DNA of a family business, we 

have been looking at what might 

characterise or determine the success 

of such enterprises. 

It would seem that there are 10 

characteristics or aspects that they 

have in common: 


iQ advice 

1 7 

Family members engaged in the business today have 

often worked in and for other organisations, often 

in a variety of roles and often in senior roles. This, in 

part, has helped them bring new work approaches and 

management techniques to their own family business. 

2 

Where there is more than one family member 

in the business, they have agreed roles based on 

best fit of skills and experience. The ability to agree 

roles and responsibilities tends to help remove personal 

and emotional conflict, and often leads to the most 

appropriate family member undertaking roles for which 

they are best suited. 

3 

Often, there is a non-family member on the Board 

who provides a dispassionate viewpoint and brings 

specialist skills to the table. In some cases, we have seen 

Boards made up of nearly all non-family members. Some 

of the most effective Boards often have a non-family 

member as the Board Chairman, someone who they all 

respect but who is not influenced by, or tied up with, the 

family politics. 

4 

They are as passionate today about the business 

as their forefathers or foremothers. With an 

often overriding sense of custodianship and respect for 

previous generations, many second, third and even eighth 

generation businesses are keen to ensure the business 

continues and thrives well into the future. 

5 

Whilst more corporate enterprises may focus 

on optimising financial returns each year, or for 

shorter periods of time, family businesses are often more 

concerned about sustainability and continuity. For them, 

it is as important to be around for the next generation and 

the one after that. 

6 

They are innovative and responsive to the market and 

customer needs, often with high levels of customer 

service and satisfaction. Many of the businesses we have 

come across are as innovative today and as responsive to 

change as they were when they were founded, with the 

pride and passion for what is done very much at the heart 

of good customer service. 

They are as likely to talk about business at Sunday 

lunch as they are to talk about football, rugby, politics 

or soap operas. Whilst the discipline or more structured 

business and Board meetings may become the norm, 

it is not untypical for a decision or conversation about 

the business to be made in a more social family setting. 

Understandably, it is not easy for business and family to 

be decoupled, especially where a business is very much a 

part of the family. 

8 

We are seeing a growing number of next generation 

or younger family members coming in to the 

business following a broad education, with them often 

having obtained a degree or similar qualification. We 

are also seeing a number of family members taking part 

in an external programme or course around business 

management etc., e.g. the Goldman Sachs 1000 or 

an MBA, or even attending Harvard. Equally, they 

are likely to engage with or seek external advice either 

from professional advisers or through business support 

programmes. 

9 

Recognising their own strengths and shortfalls in the 

team, many family businesses often employ people 

who can do specific jobs or execute a management role 

better than they can, so that they can focus on where they 

can be more effective and profitable. 

10 

Whether this is a surprise or not, many of those 

running their own family business could have 

earned more working for someone else. However, the 

rewards, pride and freedoms connected with running, 

or being a part of a family business, are often a greater 

reward. 

Whilst these 10 characteristics are not 

necessarily an exhaustive or definitive list of 

why family businesses are successful or special, 

certainly from a business and advisory role, 

they help us to understand aspects of strategic 

planning and financial reward. 


The Family Directors Carmella, Robert, Tamara, 

Jonathan, Susanna (from left to right) 

iQ business profile 

iQ Business 

Magazine speaks to 

Tamara Unwin from 

Stoke by Nayland 

Hotel, Golf & Spa 

Diversification, 

Expansion and Family Values 

Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & 

Spa, on the Suffolk/Essex border, 

is part of a multi award-winning, 

family-owned enterprise, the 

Boxford Group, which began 

as a 120-acre apple farm in the 

1930s. Originally diversifying the 

farm to create the Stoke by Nayland 

Golf Club, owners Bill and Devora 

Peake branched out from fruit 

growing and arable farming nearly 

45 years ago. Since 1999, the next 

generation of the Peake family has 

substantially expanded the Golf 

Club into a thriving resort which, 

together with the two established 

championship courses, encompasses 

an AA 4-star 80-bedroom hotel, 

five luxurious self-catered country 

Entrepreneurs, Bill and Devora Peake 

lodges, a state-of-the-art Spa 

and Fitness centre and extensive 

conference facilities. The complex 

also attracts 800 golf and 1,200 

leisure members and has won both 

the 2015 Best Hotel, and Best 

Business Tourism Venue categories 

in the VisitEngland county awards 

– and is a finalist for the national 

VisitEngland awards, announced 

in March. The company has also 

won the 2015 BALE award for 

Best Green Enterprise through its 

huge investments in an AD plant, 

Biomass and PV resources, so that 

the business is almost totally selfsustainable. 

Now managing director, Susanna 

Rendall, works with her brother 

Jonathan, son Robert and sisters, 

Tamara Unwin and Carmella 

Meyer, all as Group Executive 

Board Directors of the business. 

We spoke to Tamara, Marketing 

and PR Director, about the history, 

growth, expansion and success 

of the business from its humble 

beginnings to award-winning status. 

Tamara explained that neither Bill 

nor Devora came from farming 

backgrounds; Devora found 

herself with the apple farm after 

she divorced her first husband 

who left the farm to her. She then 

met Bill, who was keen to end his 

involvement in wartime activities 

and focus on putting his energy into 

producing wholesome food for the 

country. The farm produced apples, 

arable crops and vegetables as well 

as cheeses from its dairy herd. 

In the 1960s, Devora and her 

husband made the expansion into 

the apple juice business after EU 

laws restricted farmers from selling 

small or irregularly-shaped apples. 

Making the most of their unsaleable 

but good quality produce, the family 

Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa 

viewed from the 18th tee, and one of 

the luxurious Country Lodges. 


They were confident 

about taking huge 

risks to make 

their DREAMS INTO 

a reality, because 

they really believed 

that they would 

succeed. 

founded the well-known apple juice 

company Copella, whose brand 

name, Tamara explained, was a 

combination of the Cox’s Orange 

Pippin apple (COP) and the name 

of the family’s youngest daughter, 

Carmella. 

Tamara credits the couple’s success 

in business to their complementing 

personalities, passion and drive. 

Coming from relatively poor 

backgrounds and living through 

the war when food was scarce, 

their passion for producing readily 

available, healthy food was born. 

Devora was outgoing, charismatic 

and had a natural understanding 

of marketing and winning over 

bank managers, whilst Bill was a 

clever, logical and practical thinker. 

“Together they made a winning 

team,” commented Tamara. “They 

were confident about taking huge 

risks to make their dreams into a 

reality, because they really believed 

that they would succeed.” 

The move to creating a golf course 

came about after learning there 

was a shortage of golf courses in 

the region. At this point, the couple 

owned 300 acres of land which was 

undulating, sandy soil and therefore 

not ideal for farming. However, the 

beautiful landscape was perfect for 

a golf course and, with farmers 

falling on hard times, they calculated 

that a golf course would be more 

profitable. Tamara explained that 

they made the business venture a 

success by researching other local 

golf courses and then “… devoted 

time and effort into publicising 

Stoke by Nayland Golf Club with 

interviews on TV, radio and in the 

press.” The company received an 

injection of money when Tropicana 

UK approached them, wanting to 

get into the apple juice business by 

buying their Copella brand. This 

enabled the family to expand and 

build their hotel, fitness complex and 

conference and banqueting centre. 

She also explained just how crucial 

family values have been, and still are, 

to the business. “We have produced 

a booklet called ‘Devora Family 

Values’, which highlights her - and 

now our - key business values, such 

as honesty, integrity, innovation and 

entrepreneurialism.” 


Speaking about the importance of 

diversifying the business, Susanna 

Rendall explained: “Agriculture tends 

to go in cycles; you need to have some 

diversification to get through those 

years where the cycle dips. Not having 

all your eggs in the same basket is 

advisable, and extensive research 

into the area of diversification is 

vital, especially if you are going into 

a project requiring new expertise.” 

If a business is looking to diversify, 

Susanna suggested recruiting 

someone with experience in that 

field to help establish and speed up 

the process, whilst reducing the risk 

of making mistakes. The hotel and 

complex have expanded rapidly, and, 

to make a success of this kind of 

venture, Susanna suggested trying 

to utilise all the resources that you 

currently have. She continued, “If 

you get the right team behind your 

expansion policy, you will be that 

much more successful in achieving 

your goals.” And if there’s anything 

to take from the Boxford Group’s 

business acumen, it’s that “you 

cannot afford to stand still!” 

The impressive Peake Spa pool area 

at Stoke by Nayland Hotel 


Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa 

Keepers Lane, Leavenheath 

Colchester, Essex, CO6 4PZ 

01206 262836 

www.stokebynayland.com 


iQ working environment 

the case for mindfulness 

Jacqui Kemp, of Namasté Culture, asks whether your organisation could benefit from 

a more mindful working environment 

The CIPD’s 2015 Absence Management Survey reported an increase in stress-related absence and mental 

ill-health for the sixth consecutive year. The body's latest research also highlights that although employers are putting 

programmes in place to combat stress through workplace wellbeing, their approach is ‘reactive’ and therefore somewhat 

piecemeal, which is putting the sustainability of business at risk. 

This led me to wonder about the prevalence and success of early-stage, preventative interventions. I was interested to 

read in the CIPD's People Management magazine about the successful use, at one City Asset Management company, of 

mindfulness training to help staff sharpen their focus and improve composure. 

Mindfulness – is it a bit pink and fluffy? 

Mindfulness is backed up by scientific research. Professor of Medicine 

Jon Kabat-Zinn studied Buddhism and found a link between 

meditation practice and a reduction in pain. In the 1970s he 

integrated mindfulness practice with science and began 

introducing Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at the 

University of Massachusetts Medical School for people 

suffering chronic pain. His programmes have been found 

to help reduce pain, anxiety, stress and depression, and 

have become an accepted approach to helping people live 

more fulfilled lives. 

So, what is mindfulness? 

Kabat-Zinn states that mindfulness is the quality of awareness that comes 

from paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement. 

Mindfulness has a 2,500 year proven track record of helping us to make the most 

of life. It invites us to apply ourselves to living in the present moment, here and 

now, without judging our experience or those around us. It takes some practice 

and guidance to learn mindfulness in the initial stages, but once learned, it is easy 

to apply in a daily routine. 

Is it for me? 

Anyone can learn mindfulness. However, if you are suffering from depression 

or mental ill-health, it is better to seek professional support from a medical 

professional and a relevant therapist before attempting to undertake training in 

mindfulness. 

How can it benefit my workforce? 

Employees reported having increased focus, feeling less distracted and being 

more attentive in meetings, as well as sleeping better as a result of practising 

mindfulness techniques. 


Namasté Culture run programmes of mindfulness 

training. For more information call 01954 267640 

www.namasteculture.co.uk 


iQ debate 

The Quarterly Debate: 

Should employees be expected to work for free? 

In this issue, we ask two business owners to take part in a ‘for and against’ debate on whether staff 

should be expected to work addtional hours for free 

‘Yes’ 

Gemma Treby 

Director of Cubiqdesign Ltd, and Editor of iQ Business Magazine 

“This is such a difficult question and one clouded with controversy. In my business, 

employees do stay late and may come in early; it’s the way our industry works. We are 

a deadline-driven business where all the cogs must come together harmoniously to achieve the end result. 

Those ‘cogs’ are created by individual members of the team with a particular skill set. For example, the end 

goal maybe a website that is pulled together by a web developer, but that developer is relying on a designer, 

account manager, copywriter and photographer to do their jobs at the very least. For me it’s all about 

balance; we have a relaxed yet focused working environment where jeans, trainers, Haribo, table tennis and 

loud music are the norm, as are flexi-hours that team members are welcome to take advantage of when the 

pressure is off. This works for our business, as we have a motivated team, who are not only passionate about 

the projects that they’re working on, but who also have a lot invested in these projects too.” 

‘no’ 

Anne Ovens 

Director, Aspiration Europe 

“In summary, we believe that if you start from an assumption that employees are 

working efficiently and doing their jobs competently, then we believe any overtime they 

work to support the business, or any extra business activity they undertake should be paid... If employees 

aren’t efficient or competent, then that’s a whole different issue. We find that being paid for extra work is 

motivational for employees, as it represents recognition for extra contributions made. It can also highlight 

where a business may have on-going additional resource needs if overtime is paid regularly, so these can 

be addressed before they cause issues with existing employees. This is fundamental in how I manage my 

business - I need a flexible and motivated team who can step up quickly during our busier periods, and 

paying my staff for their overtime means that they are rewarded for supporting the business at such times. 

As a result of this approach, my team have a proactive attitude to working extra hours, which is of real 

benefit to the business, and to our clients.” 


iQ marketing 

Cubiqdesign’s PR and Marketing Executive, 

Rachel Cracknell, shares her insights on how to 

develop a marketing strategy that won’t overwhelm, 

but will grow with you and your business 

Debating the relevance of a marketing strategy in the 

modern age is surprisingly common. There are so 

many sayings that profess why planning is essential to 

business success, but in spite of this, there are countless 

companies who’ve yet to see the value of a wellconsidered 

tactical plan. 

Why? We often find businesses haven’t formalised 

their strategy because they don’t know where to start, 

or find the prospect to be daunting beyond measure. 

Alternatively, they bypass the planning phase and jump 

right into the ‘doing’ in the hope that something is 

better than nothing. 

An effective plan should be an organic document that 

can evolve alongside the needs of your business. It 

should include marketplace knowledge, your own vision 

and how you’re going to get to where you need to be. 

What can feel like an arduous task can actually be 

broken down into four main steps. 

1. What’s going on in your industry? 

To market yourself effectively, you need to understand 

what’s going on around you, as well as within your 

organisation. Any strategic exercise worth its salt is 

kicked off with an ‘information gathering’ phase, 

and that’s what you’ll need to do here if your tactical 

activity is going to be well-informed. 

Document what’s going on in your industry at the 

moment, researching new emerging opportunities and 

potential threats. Look at your own business and jot 

down what you do well, and how you could improve 

(SWOT analysis anyone?). 

Ask yourself if there are social, economic, political or 

technological opportunities at play here? How are you 

currently communicating with your customers, and 

how well is this working? You’ll want to assess your 

competition and the broader competitive environment 

too, in order to identify how this impacts on you. 

This exercise may confirm what you already knew in 

part, but will also clarify the wider landscape you’re 

operating in, as well as your place within it. 

2. Who are you and what makes you special? 

Once you’ve you documented the key findings from 

your market research, it’s time to take a fresh look at 

yourself and understand where you fit in to your sector. 

What is the purpose of your business? Why are you 

doing it? Who are you doing it for? How do you do it 

differently to your competitors? Where is the business 

going? 

What can feel like a bit of a philosophical exercise 

shouldn’t be written off as narcissistic navel-gazing. 

Don’t underestimate the importance of acknowledging 


iQ marketing 

your company’s reason for being, or putting effort into 

knowing your customers in greater detail. 

Inviting colleagues from various departments of your 

organisation, as well as your customers, to participate 

in this exercise, will give you a broader insight into how 

you’re perceived. 

The objectives you set here will shape all future 

activity, so it’s important to make sure they’re specific, 

measureable, achievable, realistic and time-sensitive. 

Your findings will effectively become your vision and 

mission statement and your marketing objectives, as 

well as your marketing personas. 

By now, you’ll have clarified your 

market place, your position within 

it, what makes you different and 

what your customers need 

from you. 

3. How should you communicate with 

your audience? 

By now, you’ll have clarified your market place, your 

position within it, what makes you different and what 

your customers need from you. At this stage, it’s worth 

reassessing your existing offering, based on what you’ve 

uncovered. Are your services still as relevant? Are you 

meeting your customers’ needs well enough? 

Once you’ve ironed out your offering, you’ll want to 

understand how your key messages can attract and 

engage your target audience groups. It’s at this stage 

where you’ll start to think about which marketing 

channels are most relevant for those you’re trying to 

reach and what you have to say. Digital may be central 

to your plans here. It’s important to ensure your 

communications are effectively integrated. 

Tie this activity in with your promotional schedule to 

produce a plan across the year that outlines what needs 

to happen and when, on which channel and by whom. 

4. How are you going to control and measure 

your activity? 

You know who you’re trying to reach, what you want to 

communicate and how. Now it’s time for some controls, 

benchmarks and measures of success. 

Think about the broader desired outcome and then 

the smaller achievements that will contribute to your 

overall objective. For example, if you’re looking to 

increase leads from your website, your measures might 

set numerical targets for your inbound marketing 

channels. 

You will want to draw up a series of measures 

associated with the activity you’ve planned and monitor 

these closely. That way, you’ll be able to identify what’s 

working well and how you might refine and improve 

elements where needed. 

You can begin this process today. Right now if you like. There are lots of useful resources to help you on your way. 

Visit iqmag.co.uk for a round up of websites you might find helpful as you develop your plan. 


www.cubiqdesign.co.uk 


iQ marketing 

a free tool that will help you discover how many people 

are searching for keywords that relate to your business 

and how much competition those keywords face online. 

It will also define search competition geographically. For 

example, if you’re a hotel in Cambridge, your potential 

customers are most likely to be searching for ‘places to 

Searching 

for success 

Rachel Cracknell, PR and Marketing 

Executive at Cubiqdesign highlights 

some of the key techniques you should 

be implementing to improve the 

visibility of your website. 

So, you have a website that you update with new 

content and industry related information, you send the 

occasional email to your customer database and you 

tweet as often as you can. But despite all your efforts, 

your website still feels like a goldfish in a very big pond 

that is Google’s search results - sound familiar? 

Search marketing refers to the process of improving 

your website’s presence in organic search results on 

Google. Search marketing is actually so much more 

than just ranking results on Google, it’s about converting 

quality search traffic to visit your website and use your 

services or buy your products. But how 

do you attract and convert these potential 

visitors? 

1. Your website’s content 

To understand how best to optimise your 

content, you need to investigate what 

your current and potential customers are 

searching for online. Google Adwords is 

Keyword (by relevance) 

Avg. 

monthly 

searches 

Competition 

Suggested 

bid 

hotels near me 18,100 High £1.20 

Cambridge hotels 8,100 High £2.05 

places to stay in Cambridge 480 High £1.28 

best hotels in Cambridge 170 High £1.63 

luxury hotels in Suffolk 170 High £0.87 

where to stay in Cambridge 140 High £1.46 

stay in Cambridge 140 High £1.70 

stay in Cambridge’ or ‘best hotels in Cambridge.’ 

Next, you need to find out if there’s a trend in this search 

data. How many people have searched for this keyword 

over time? Is it a growing or decreasing search term? 

You can find this out by using Google Trends. Once this 

data has been analysed, you’ll be able to define a key set 

of search terms that reflects what’s important to your 

business and your breadth of offering and services. For 

example, if your hotel is a five-star boutique hotel in 

Cambridge, you may want to integrate more long tail 

key words, such as ‘five star hotel in 

Cambridge’, into your defined key 

terms. You’ll then want to create 

Search marketing is actually 

so much more than just ranking 

results on Google, it’s about 

converting quality search traffic to 

visit your website and use your services or 

buy your products. 


iQ marketing 

a content schedule and strategy to integrate these key 

terms into your online content. 

The content on your website is key to your success in 

search results. I’m not just talking about content on your 

home page, every piece of content from your news and 

team pages to your image tags and metadata is integral 

to your success online. 

Does your content integrate your keywords? Does the 

tone of voice of your website reflect what your target 

customers want to hear? Does it engage your target 

audience? It’s important to update your website at least 

once every week with news about your business, industry 

related information or a light-hearted post from a team 

member that could catch your customers’ attention. 

2. How the site is built 

The way we search has significantly shifted over the 

last few years and the way technology has evolved 

has been the catalyst for this change. Take mobile for 

example, how many ways can you search for ‘best hotels 

in Cambridge’ on your mobile? I’ll give you three; type 

it into the web, voice search, Google map search from 

your history - the search possibilities are growing and 

ensuring your website and online data is keeping up 

with these technologies is key to improving your online 

presence. 

In April 2015, Google announced an update that meant 

that non-mobile friendly websites would be penalised 

in search engine results ahead of mobile friendly sites. 

This means, if your competitors 

have a mobile friendly site, they 

will rank higher than you in search 

engine results on mobile devices. If 

over 20% of traffic to your website 

comes from mobile, we’d strongly 

recommend investing in a mobile friendly site, sooner 

rather than later. 

Aside from user behaviour, think about the nuts and bolts 

of your website’s technical performance. Search engines 

have admitted that the loading speed of websites can be 

a factor that determines the ranking of your website in 

search results. Studies have shown that very few people 

will consider revisiting a website if it takes longer than 

four seconds to load. 1… 2… 3… 4… That’s the time 

you’ve got to convert a visitor into a potential customer. 

3. Supporting in-bound marketing 

Your website is the heart of your online activity and 

search marketing can be a main artery sustaining your 

online existence. But neither should you forget the other 

arteries supporting the health of your website. A strong 

email marketing strategy, an integrated and coherent 

social media plan, a 

Top Tools 

Moz 

Google Adwords 

Google Trends 

content development 

schedule and an 

online PR strategy 

are just a few digital 

channels you should 

be implementing to 

improve your website’s presence. Having a carefully 

blended mix of marketing channels will improve the 

visibility of your business, which in turn will generate 

new customers. 


If you’d like to discover more about how you can 

improve the presence of your business online, get in 

touch with the Cubiqdesign team on 01638 666432 or 

email info@cubiqdesign.co.uk 


iQ business communications 

Internal 

Communications 

from day one 

Whether it be a basic marketing plan for an SME, or a 

fully integrated communications strategy for a PLC, there 

is often one area that is overlooked - Internal Comms 

Internal communications is not just the preserve of large 

corporates. Smaller organisations need to be aware of the 

benefits of instilling good internal communications habits 

from day one too, rather than assuming, because they are 

a small team or because that team is currently all based 

in one location, that it comes ‘naturally’ or ‘will develop 

as we develop’. If you subscribe to the notion that every 

individual within your organisation is a reflection of 

your brand and that your brand is the sum of what you 

do, how you do it and how well you do it, then internal 

communications needs to become a way of life within 

your organisation from day one, regardless of size. 


Limewash. 01223 813 557. www.limewashmedia.com 


iQ business communications 

It will also help them visualise their place in delivering 

to that vision and create a greater sense of purpose 

and motivation. 

There’s an app for that… 

Just as we deliberate over, and adopt new technology as a 

means of communicating our products and services with 

our prospects and customers, companies also need to take 

this approach when communicating internally with their 

staff. For example, the explosive increase in the use of 

social media and messaging apps is a clear signifier of how 

comfortable we are all becoming with communicating 

via these platforms. Companies should consider utilising 

these routes for internal communications, rather than 

leaving them to the ‘after hours’ club. If your internal 

communications strategy is centred around an email or 

printed company newsletter every month, it’s probably 

time to re-visit, as it’s likely these just won’t cut it any 

more – particularly with the younger millennials now 

joining the workforce. However, not all communications 

problems can be solved by throwing new technology 

at them. Many are difficult to identify in the first place 

because employees tend to disengage when there are 

persistent issue. 

I can see clearly now… 

The worst communication problem is not communicating 

at all. Employees who are kept in the dark with regard to 

your short and long term goals, or who are left guessing 

about why decisions have been made, tend to become 

disengaged. Be transparent about your company vision, 

objectives and goals - both in the short and longer term 

- to give employees context and a greater understanding 

of why certain decisions are made at certain points. 

It’s good to talk… As long as it’s peer to peer 

Your biggest asset is your people - so listen to them. 

If communication is all one way, notably from top 

to bottom, staff engagement can plummet. A 

business owner or leadership team may feel 

they are communicating appropriately, 

disseminating the right level of detail 

via the right channels, but if it’s all one 

way, with no option for staff to feedback 

or question the content, you could quickly lose 

them. Good leaders are just as good listeners as they 

are communicators, and understand the value of a twoway 

dialogue. Appreciating that your staff can add 

additional value and insight into the various aspects of 

your organisation that you don’t necessarily see on a dayto-day 

basis, and giving them a voice, is critical. Inspire 

loyalty and motivate your people by putting yourself in 

their shoes and thinking about how you can encourage 

and engage them to believe in the overall objectives and 

goals of your organisation. 

Forward-thinking organisations like Facebook build this 

two-way communication into their culture. CEO, Mark 

Zuckerberg, leads regular town hall meetings that are 

broadcast company wide. Smaller organisations could 

introduce regular Q&A sessions with management; 

over a lunch and learn if teams are all in one location, 

or via webinar if not, to encourage open discussion and 

feedback and help remote working staff feel part of the 

wider team. 

I’ll message you… 

Choosing the right technology to help foster 

communication is key, but it counts for nothing if it goes 

unused. At the heart of engagement has to be a culture 

centred around healthy and active communication. 

Messaging apps and social media platforms can transport 

the message, but the culture of the company will 

determine whether or not they resonate with, engage and 

motivate your people. 


iQ property 

Cambridge is where 

the smart money is 

Martin Walshe, Director of Cheffins, considers how ‘The Cambridge Effect’ is affecting 

house prices and what factors have contributed to the soaring prices in the city. 

Cambridge is where the smart money is. The 

city’s experiencing a property bubble like no other. 

House prices in Cambridge have risen more than 

in any other UK city in the last seven years, with 

no indication of any easing in the future, and now 

command a higher premium than they did at the 

height of the property market in 

2007. 

But, to get the house of your 

dreams, you have to be quick 

off the mark. According to 

property portal Rightmove, 

Cambridge is the fastest place 

in the country to sell a home. 

The average time between a house 

appearing on the site and being marked 

as sold is 27 days, compared with 41 

days in London. In December, Cheffins’ 

Cambridge office conducted 245 viewings, 

with 126 offers made, and in January the 

total number of viewings was 456, with 

a resultant 178 offers. 

So, what can you expect to get for your 

money? The ‘average’ house price in the 

city is £348,300 which could get you a two 

bedroom flat off Hills Avenue, a two bedroom 

Victorian terrace south of the city, or if you’re 

up for a spot of DIY, a two bedroom 1930s 

semi-detached home in Great Shelford. 

So, what’s driving this frenetic activity? There 

are a multitude of factors at play; the shortage 

of homes for sale; overseas investors looking to 

expand their property portfolios beyond London 

(the general consensus is that an exit from the 

EU will have little impact on Cambridge); Far 

Eastern buyers snapping up properties, particularly 

developments off-plan; plus the traditional attractions 

of an acclaimed university, excellent schools, café 

littéraire culture and excellent shopping facilities. 

The transport links into London are also a huge 

pull for those looking to commute into the capital, 

and there is the enticing prospect of a second train 

station, Cambridge North, being operational by 

2017, which will expedite commutes to King’s 

Lynn and beyond. 

Another significant contributor to the booming 

property market is the ‘AstraZeneca’ effect. 

The pharmaceutical giant is opening 

a £330m research facility at the 

First time buyers, 

unless bank-rolled by 

generous parents, will 

continue to find it difficult 

to compete 

end of the year, and is relocating 

its head office staff out of London. 

Cambridge is fast becoming known as 

the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley. 

So, what does this mean for people 

actively looking for property in Cambridge? 

You need to have your wits about you and 

be ready to view new properties coming on to 

the market at short notice; having your finances 

lined up will give you an advantage over those 

who are still negotiating with lenders. First time 

buyers, unless bank-rolled by generous parents, 

will continue to find it difficult to compete. 


www.cheffins.co.uk 


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iQ investment 

Surviving the 

buy to let crisis 

Business advice columnist, Ryan Windsor, 

provides an update on investing in buy to let 

In just a few months, the bombshells have rained down 

on the Private Rental Sector (PRS) thanks to George 

Osborn’s Autumn Statement. Too many in the property 

investment community have seen these as a direct 

attack on landlords. 

The main changes that will affect the buy to let (BTL) 

sector is the increase on stamp duty land tax (SDLT) 

to 3% on second homes/investment properties and the 

reduction in mortgage interest relief to 20%. 

Mr Osborne said these changes will be implemented 

to protect the property industry and the wider economy 

from another housing bubble boom and bust, and 

to cool down the housing market, but many expert 

economists and academics think it could actually do 

the opposite. 

Those who have been considering 

investing in property could now 

decide to accelerate their plans 

following today’s announcement. 

This could mean that it will have 

the opposite effect. 

Matthew Hall, Head of Tax, Wilkins Kennedy 

As an investor I pride myself on my risk mitigating 

strategies, and how I limit my exposure, such as always 

buying 20% or more below market value. These have 

served me well for over nine years and I hope they will 

help you too. Below are some tips to help you survive, and 

ultimately, thrive in 2016 and beyond. 

Seek expert advice 

With all the changes that are being introduced, it’s worth 

consulting the experts to see how these changes will 

affect your situation. I recommend my clients to work 

with my team of accountants, solicitors and brokers to 

make sure everything is being set up in the most 

tax-efficient way to limit their liability. 

Stress Test the Investments 

There’s no point in making an investment based on the 

current situation. I always stress test my investment on a 

number of factors such as void periods, rises in interest 

rates and changes in the rental income. This way, I can 

gauge if the rewards outweigh the risks. 

Don’t rush in 

If the investment does not hit all your KPIs you should 

leave it. Better to be safe and secure with your purchase 

than risk losing it all. The property industry follows a 

cycle of boom and bust, and there will always be another 

opportunity to pick up a great deal with a high ROI. 

contact 

ryanwindsor89@gmail.com 

Be fearful when others 

are greedy and greedy 

when others are fearful 

Warren Buffet 


iQ diary 

Cambridge South Business 

Networking 

Relaxed, friendly and productive 

networking including 3 x 10 mins 

1:1 with people you choose, a 40 

second round and a 4Sight slot 

Dates: 9th & 23rd March, 6th & 

20th April, 4th & 18th May 

Time: 08:00 – 10:00 

Venue: The Granta Centre, Granta 

Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, 

CB21 6AL 

Organiser: The Cambridge South 

Team, 4Networking 

Booking Details: £13pp. 

Visit www.4networking.biz 

Coffee means business 

Relaxed, informal business 

networking for all local businesses. 

Date: 10th March, 14th April, 

10th May 

Time: 09:30 - 11:30 

Venue: The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, 

IP33 3FD 

Organiser: Menta, the Suffolk 

Enterprise Agency 

Booking details: No need to book. 

Pay £2 on arrival. 0800 085 5090 

Cambridge Alternative 

Networking - Cromwell Group 

Meetings are a mixture of 

structured and informal 

networking. Find out about other 

members’ businesses, and source 

quality referrals for each other. 

Dates: 10th & 24th March, 7th & 

21st April, 5th & 19th May 

Time: 06:45 - 08:30 

Venue: Quy Mill Hotel & Spa, 

Church Road, Stow-cum-Quy, 

Cambridge, CB25 9AF 

Booking Details: £12.50 

Find out more at www.cambscan.co.uk 

Book online at www.eventbrite.co.uk 

Huntingdon Business Women 

Monthly meetings for women 

in business in and around 

Huntingdon. 

Dates: 11th March, 8th April, 

13th May 

Time: 11:00 – 13:00 

Venue: Wood Green Animal Centre, 

London Road, Huntingdon PE29 2NH 

Organiser: Ann Hawkins 

Booking Details: £5 fee 

www.meetup.com 

Cambridge North Business 

Networking 

Relaxed, friendly and productive 

networking including three 10 min 

1:1 with people you choose, a 40 

second round and a 4Sight slot 

Dates: 14th March, 11th & 25th 

April, 9th & 23rd May 

Time: 08:00 - 10:00 

Venue: Brewers Fayre, Brampton Hut, 

Brampton, Huntingdon, PE28 4NQ 

Organiser: The Cambridge North 

Team, 4Networking 


Visit www.4networking.biz 

Informal Networking 

Evenings 

These free, popular evenings 

attract businesses of all sizes from a 

wide range of sectors. 

Dates: Ely 14th March, 11th April, 

9th May 

Venue: The Lamb Hotel, Lynn Road, 

Ely, CB7 4EJ 

Dates: Peterborough 16th March, 20th 

April, 18th May 

Venue: Park Inn, Wentworth Street, 

Peterborough, PE1 1DH 

Dates: Cambridge 17th March, 

21st April, 19th May 

Venue: Holiday Inn Cambridge, 

Impington, Cambridge, CB24 9PH 

Dates: Huntingdon 5th April, 3rd May 

Venue: Holiday Inn Huntingdon 

Racecourse, Brampton, Huntingdon, 

PE28 4NL 

Time: 17:00 - 19:00 

Organiser: Cambridgeshire Chambers 

of Commerce 

Booking Details: Call Peter Watts 

on 07545 697799 or email 

p.watts@cambscci.co.uk. 

business networking 

made easy 

Relaxed, informal business 

networking for all local businesses. 

Date: 15th March 

Time: 09:30 - 12:30 

Venue: 5 Eastern Way, Bury St 

Edmunds, IP32 7AB 

Organiser: Menta, the Suffolk 


Booking details: £30. Book online 

at www.eventbrite.co.uk 


iQ diary 

St Neots Business Coffee 

Morning - No Fuss No Fees 

Free fortnightly coffee morning; get 

to know other local businesses. 

Dates: 15th & 29th March, 12th & 

26th April, 10th & 24th May 

Time: 08:00 - 10:00 

Venue: Moores Walk Café, 20 Moores 

Walk, St. Neots, PE19 1AJ 

Organiser: Chris Hornby 

Booking Details: No need to book 


The Two Counties 

Business Exhibition 

A unique opportunity to extend 

your business beyond the local 

area. Two speed networking 

sessions. 

Date: 16th March 

Time: 11:00 - 15:00 

Venue: Millennium Grandstand, 

Rowley Mile Racecourse, Newmarket, 

CB8 0TF 

Organiser: Cambridgeshire and 

Suffolk Chambers of Commerce 

Booking details: Free admission. 

Stands available from £90 (plus VAT). 

Contact Jenni Misseldine, on 01223 

209810 or email 

j.misseldine@cambscci.co.uk 

Business Insights Cambridge 

Monthly meetings with distinct 

themes, which cover hard and soft 

business factors. 

Dates: 16th March 

Time: 18:30 - 21:00 

Venue: Available to members only 

Booking Details: Join and book 

online at www.meetup.com 

Whipping it up at the 

Work Station 

This evening event includes 

presentations by a keynote speaker 

and a guest speaker as well as 

informal and formal networking. 

Dates: 16th March, 20th April, 

18th May 

Time: 18:00 - 20:00 

Venue: The Work Station, 2 

Huntingdon Street, St Neots, PE19 1BG 

Organiser: Chris Hornby 



Cambridge Small Business 

Mastermind Group 

A breakfast meet up themed 

around collaborative problem 

solving. Stay on for co-working 

until 17.30. 


20th May 

Time: 08:45 

Venue: Cambridge Business Lounge, 

Burleigh House, Cambridge, CB1 1DJ 

Organiser: Ed Goodman 

Booking Details: 

01223 324040 or email 

info@cambridgebusinesslounge.com. 

Breakfast £10 incl rolls, tea, coffee, 

juice. Co-working £12 all day (normal 

price £20). www.meetup.com 

Food for Thought - Food and 

Drink Seminar 

Speakers will cover how to futureproof 

your innovations; direct to 

consumer marketing ideas, and 

financial aspects to consider when 

expanding your business. 

Date: 18th March 

Time: 09:30 - 12:30 

Venue: The Feast Room, The 

Cookhouse, Suffolk Food Hall, Ipswich, 

IP9 2AB 

Organiser: Menta, The Suffolk 

Enterprise Agency. Sponsored by Andrew 

Thompson & Associates, Insurance 

Brokers. 

Booking Details: Free. Call 01284 

760206 or visit www.eventbrite.co.uk to 

book your space. 

Cambridge Business Lounge 

Women’s Network 

An informal monthly group for 

Cambridgeshire businesswomen to 

exchange ideas and experiences. 


31st May 

Time: 10:00 



Organiser: Ed Goodman & Nicky 

Smerdon-Goodman 

Booking Details: £10. 

No membership, no booking required. 

Stay on and work from CBL for the rest 

of the day for £5 (usually £10). 

www.cambridgebusinesslounge.com 


iQ diary 

Cambridge Business Network 

An evening of informal 

networking, either side of an 

inspiring and informative talk by a 

guest speaker. 

Dates: Every second Thursday of the 

month. 

Time: 18:30 - 21:30 



Organiser: Ed Goodman 

Booking Details: £10, 

including refreshments. 

www.cambridgebusinesslounge.com 

Lunch is Serious Business 

A regular event for business 

women. 


20th May 

Venue: The Farmers Club, 

Bury St Edmunds 

Organiser: Robina Cawston, Atkins 

Thomson Solicitors 


www.lunchisseriousbusiness.co.uk 

or 01284 767766. 

2 course lunch – £19. 

Menta Jelly, Haverhill 

Menta Jelly provides a space 

for like-minded people to work 

together in a different environment 

and to exchange help and advice. 

Date: 31st March, 28th April, 

26th May 

Time: 09:30 - 16:30 

Venue: 2 Hollands Road, Haverhill, 

CB9 8PP 



Booking Details: Booking essential. 

Book on line at www.eventbrite.co.uk 

Link4Coffee 

An informal morning drop-in 

session for local business people 

and interesting individuals. 

Date: 5th April 

Time: 10:00 - 11:30 

Venue: 5-7 Norfolk St, Cambridge, 

CB1 2LD 

Organiser: Peter Dakin 

Booking Details: Free. Book online 

at www.eventbrite.co.uk 

St Ives Small Business 

Mastermind Group 

The town’s first and only pop-up 

co-working space. Stay on after the 

monthly problem solving breakfast 

meetings and co-work until 17.00 

Dates: 7th April, 5th May 

Time: 09:00 - 10:00 

Venue: St Ives Corn Exchange, The 

Pavement, St Ives, Cambs, PE27 5AD 

Organiser: Cambridge 

Business Lounge 


01223 324040 or email 

info@cambridgebusinesslounge.com. 

Breakfast meeting £10. Co-working £2 

p/hr or £7.50 for the day. 

Breakfast for Business 

An opportunity to participate in 

personal presentations and TGLC’s 

quality lead generation program. 


Time: 07:30 - 09:00 

Venue: The Beefeater, Huntingdon 

Road, Cambridge, CB3 0DL 

Organiser: TGLC 

Booking Details: £10. 

www.tglc.co.uk 

Newmarket & District 

Chamber of Commerce Speed 

Networking Event 

Catch up with other delegates 

at the first of this year’s popular 

speed networking events. 

Speaker TBC. 


Time: 07.30 

Venue: TBC 

Organiser: Oliver Shevki of 

Convergence Communication, member 

of NDCC 

Booking Details: Breakfast will be 

provided. Member’s fee £17.50; 

Non-member’s fee £27.50. 

www.newmarketanddistrict.co.uk 

Business Planning and 

Cashflow Forecasting 

Discover what you need to know 

before starting a business. 


Time: 09:30 - 15:30 




iQ diary 



Booking Details: £20 

www.eventbrite.co.uk 

Exhibitor Briefing Event for 

Anglia Business Exhibition 

Meet event organisers and fellow 

exhibitors, and learn how to get the 

best out of your exhibition stand. 


Time: 11:00 - 13:00 

Venue: Trinity Rooms, Trinity Park 

Conference Centre, Felixstowe Road, 

Ipswich, IP3 8UH 

Organiser: Ipswich and Suffolk Small 

Businesses Association 

Booking Details: Free. Book online 

at www.angliabusinessexhibition.com. 

Find out more at www.issba.co.uk 

Apprenticeships - The Value 

to your Business 

In this workshop, find out how 

apprenticeship schemes can benefit 

your business. 

Date: 21st April 

Time: 08:30 - 10:30 

Venue: 3aaa offices, St Andrews 

House, St Andrews St, Cambridge, 

CB2 3BZ 

Booking Details: Contact Philippa 

on 01223 903 300 or email Philippa. 

Artus@cambridgebid.co.uk. £10 

plus fee £1.49; free to businesses and 

organisations within the CambridgeBID. 

Book on line at www.eventbrite.co.uk 

Global Business Network 

(formerly Cambridgeshire 

Export Club) 

An informal networking event for 

exporters or those considering it. 

Guest speakers TBC. 

Date: 26th April, 31st May 

Time: 17:00 - 19:00 

Venue: The Moller Centre, Storey’s 

Way, Cambridge CB3 0DE 

Organiser: Cambridgeshire Chambers 

of Commerce 

Booking Details: Call Helen Bosett 

on 01223 209815. 

www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk 

Marketing for Start-up 

Businesses 

Simple and effective marketing 

techniques 


Time: 09:30 - 12:30 





Booking Details: £20 

www.eventbrite.co.uk 

Suffolk Chamber May 

Networking Lunch 

Ben and Dan, owners of Cranes 

Drinks, will talk about the 

process of starting the brand 

and developing the product and 

business 

Date: 17th May 

Time: 11:30 - 14:00 

Venue: The Rowley Mile Racecourse, 

Cambridge Road, Newmarket, CB8 0TF 

Booking Details: Members £24.58 

(exc VAT); Non members £36.25 (exc 

VAT). Book on line at 

www.suffolkchamber.co.uk 

Newmarket and District 

Chambers of Commerce 

Networking Breakfast 

Business coach Tim Boutle of 

ActionCOACH, will talk about 

increasing the profitability in 

your business. His talk will be 

followed by a formal networking 

opportunity.s 


Time: 07:30 

Venue: TBC 

Booking Details: Breakfast will be 

provided. Member’s fee £17.50, Non 

member’s fee £27.50. Book on line at 

www.newmarketanddistrict.co.uk 

Venturefest East 

Bringing together innovators, 

successful entrepreneurs and 

investors to make things happen. 

The event will address issues 

specifically related to building a 

business in today’s fast moving 

market and highlight the type of 

support and funding currently 

available. 


Time: 09:30 - 11:30 

Venue: Rowley Mile Racecourse, 

Newmarket 


www.venturefesteast.co.uk 


iQ events 

Inspiration, Connections 

and Chocolate at IQ Networking 

Learn about the delicious success story of iQ’s latest networking 

event at Hotel Chocolat 

As you may already know, each quarter at iQ Business 

Magazine, we host a networking event for local businesses 

and entrepreneurs to join us, make connections and be 

inspired by our top level guest speakers. 

Our last event, held at the new Hotel Chocolat store and 

Café in Cambridge, was no exception. This was one of 

our most popular evenings yet, with a waiting list of keen 

businesspeople hoping that someone would drop out so 

they could attend! 

Known for having businesses from all trades, book for our 

events, from furniture manufacturers to HR consultants. 

Our networking evenings often lead to unexpected, yet 

worthwhile, meetings with companies you never knew 

existed, that were just on your doorstep. Many of the 

attendees go on to set up long-term connections and 

business deals with the people they meet, and we always 

love to hear about their successes! 

Our guest speaker for the last event was the 

co-founder of Hotel Chocolat, Peter Harris, an 

inspirational speaker with a story. Building the 

company with his business partner, Angus Thirlwell, 

in 25 years Hotel Chocolat has gone from a 

start-up in our city to an international brand. 

We took away some valuable information and 

guidance from his speech, and we’re going to 

share just a few of his tips with you here in iQ: 


iQ events 

time, probably less than a third of people 

would be online or have gifts delivered, 

so it made sense to open a shop,” Peter 

explains. After the success of their first 

store in Watford, they opened a second in 

Milton Keynes, which did three times the 

business. 

1. Evangelical approach to business 

In their first year as a business, the pair reached sales 

of £283,000. The brand was very different from what 

we know today. Named The Mint Marketing Company, 

they marketed mints to clients in the hope they would 

buy them. “With no office, we photocopied ads from the 

Sunday newspapers, shrunk them and stuck them onto 

packs of mints as samples to send out to businesses,” 

explains Peter. 

Their move to the chocolate industry was one made quite 

by chance. One of their customers asked if they did a 

little box of chocolates with their name on it and, keen to 

impress, the pair went away, mocked up a smart prototype 

complete with logos, and, as Peter tells us, “They said 

‘Well that’s exactly what we mean. Can we order 5,000?’ 

We suddenly thought, well goodness gracious, we’re in 

the chocolate business!” 

3. Have a game plan 

“From that point we decided to open 

between five and ten shops a year,” 

continues Peter. “And we went from a 

£400,000 turnover to £16m in three 

years, and were The Sunday Times Virgin 

Atlantic Fast Track 100 number one fastest 

growing company in the country.” 

The latest venture is the launch of their cafés, one of 

which is here in the Lion Yard, Cambridge. “The way 

we’ve designed this is to preserve our chocolate sales but 

create another reason why people could experience our 

products. We’ve created a space where you can relax, have 

a seat, and a hot chocolate.” Already proving a success in 

Cambridge, the future for Hotel Chocolat looks bright, as 

they aim to expand with cafés around the UK and gain 

a firmer grip on the overseas market in the coming years. 

Always meeting the most interesting entrepreneurs and 

business owners at our networking events, our Hotel 

Chocolat event has to be a highlight for us - inspiration, 

connections and chocolate. We look forward to seeing you 

all at our next event! 

2. embrace a re-brand 

Although successful with their chocolate, Peter pointed 

out the pitfall of the business; “At the time, our brand 

didn’t tell you anything about quality, it was all about the 

delivery. Our chocolates had fantastic ingredients and 

were beautifully made, but the brand didn’t reflect the 

quality of the product. That’s when we knew that we had 

to rebrand the business.” 

With the rebrand came an opportunity to expand from 

their current online market to the high street. “At that 


Hotel Chocolat 

01223 328950 

www.hotelchocolat.com 

Lion Yard Cambridge, CB2 3NA 



What does it 

take to make a 

product? 

Gemma Treby speaks to 

Justin Seldis, the man behind 

the brand, Cigar Traveller 

I am always inspired by the people who 

have an idea and actually have the tenacity 

to develop their idea and bring it to market. 

Inspired by his enthusiasm, I knew there 

was a story behind this man that we could 

all learn from. My biggest findings were, 

he’s not too scared to push himself to the 

front, and not too high and mighty to put 

his salesman’s hat on. 

You would think Justin would have a background 

in business, perhaps product development or even 

marketing, but he doesn’t. That only came later… 

“I went to Chetham’s School of Music as a 10 year 

old, and stayed there until I was 18. It’s a school for 

the musically gifted, and as a result I was playing as a 

professional musician, performing in some of the world’s 

top venues at a very early age. I got a scholarship to the 

Royal Northern College of Music and got my Degree in 

Classical Music,” Justin explains. 



Looking to support a growing family and quickly 

realising that being a jobbing musician held little 

opportunity financially, it became obvious that Justin 

needed to home in on his performing skills and find 

a different career path.“I worked in sales, and after a 

few years ended up working in London for Scottish 

Widows as a trust and tax advisor. I then spent eight 

years building a company in the leisure industry, and 

then started to invest in businesses such a self-storage 

unit and a restaurant. Seven years ago, I bought a share 

of Sunsquare, which is now an industry leader, and is a 

business I now own.” 

This bright spark moment came out of personal 

frustration. Looking for the solution to a niche yet 

popular problem, Justin went on to secure the world 

rights for Cigar Traveller.“Having been a Cuban cigar 

collector and smoker for many years, it was always a 

frustration to me, and other cigar aficionados, that our 

jet flame lighters were confiscated at airports. It is an 

essential part of the kit a cigar smoker needs, and it 

meant that there was always a chance that you would 

lose a very expensive lighter every time you took a trip 

via an airport.” 

Taking his frustration, Justin began to research and found 

a product that was being used for a different market. 

An adaptation made it suitable for the cigar smoking 

market, and it is allowed on airplanes. As Justin explains, 

“It is safe for travel and is allowed in hand luggage, this 

means that we need not take expensive lighters with us 

with the chance of having them confiscated.” 

I think that 

without sales and 

marketing, it is very 

difficult for any product 

or service to do well 

Six months down the line, Cigar Traveller was launched 

with unanimously positive feedback and results. 

Although the lighters are unique at the moment, it 

became important for the brand to become trusted 

before a copycat decides to have a go. “Whilst the 

technology is patented, it is inevitable that something 

similar will appear the instant this becomes successful. 

Taking a product from conception to completion in six 

months was a challenge, but incredibly fulfilling and 

motivating. I had to create the brand, website and other 

marketing products. At the same time, I gave 30 Cigar 

Travellers to my trusted cigar buddies, so any pre-launch 

issues could be ironed out. Luckily there were none!” 

Officially launched in February this year in Cuba, when 

all of the great and good of the cigar world descend 

there for a week, Cigar Traveller was met with much 

appreciation with distributors found for many target 

countries. “I have, over the years, gained a network of 

like-minded people, who are industry connected, who 

will do some of the hard work for me. Word of mouth 

tends to be the strongest form of marketing in the cigar 

world, and I’m lucky enough to be at the heart of it..” 

What are the factors in one’s success; what makes it 

possible for someone to create a brand from scratch 

with a successful launch? “Ultimately, I can recognise a 

decent product or service and sell it. I think that without 

sales and marketing, it is very difficult for any product 

or service to do well. It all boils down to the salesman 

in me, though. I think it also comes down to risk and 

passion. If one is passionate about a product, it seems 

an easier thing to risk all trying to push it.” 

Justin also champions business relationships or what 

he calls ‘Marriages’. As he explains, “It’s clear that in 

business, much success can be attuned to those you 

surround yourself with. It’s that whole ‘behaviour 

breeds behaviour’ mantra. Surrounding oneself with the 

best people certainly means that running any company 

need not be as lonely as it can be.” 


www.cigartraveller.com 




www.fenlandcelery.com 

www.gs-fresh.com 


Fresh 

from the 

Fenland 

We meet the growers of the finest quality 

salads and vegetables, G’s Fresh, producers of 

Fenland Celery, to discover how a traditional 

farming business stays at the top by launching 

new products 


Telling the story 

Fenland Celery has been grown in this region for 

over 150 years. Anthony Gardiner, Marketing 

Director, at G’s Fresh, and his team have been 

working to protect the traditions of winter celery 

growing in the UK by re-introducing the product to 

market on an artisan basis, having seen a dip in sales 

over 10 years ago. 

“We’ve been working closely with high end retailers, 

like New Covent Garden Market in London, but 

consumers were slow to recognise the value of 

the British-grown celery when compared with the 

cheaper Spanish alternative that was half the price,” 

Anthony explained. 

Rather than cut prices or look for different suppliers, 

G’s Fresh knew the provenance of their product 

would resonate, if they could perhaps tell their story 

better. The team applied for PGI status in 2009, 

which was granted in 2013. Finally, Anthony and his 

team had the all-important context for their product 

that would enable them to differentiate themselves in 

a competitive marketplace. 

“We grow our Fenland Celery in much the same 

way it was over 100 years ago,” Anthony explains. 

“More than 300,000 heads are harvested over a 12 

week period from October to December. It’s grown 

in wide rows and deep trenches, with high banks of 

rich, dark soil that surround the celery. This protects 

it from the winter frost – blanching the sticks to a 

distinctive pale hue.” 

By leveraging the unique flavour of the celery, the G’s 

Fresh team saw a resurgence in sales and a renewed 

appetite for this important regional product. 

Time to expand 

After two successful seasons, the G’s Fresh team 

looked for ways to build on the momentum 

they’d started. “We wanted to diversify, but were 

constricted by our growing season. The only way to 

work outside of October to December would be to 

add our celery into something else,” Anthony said. 

Keen to use local suppliers where possible, the team 

renewed an old partnership. “We’d run vegetable 

based spirit trials with The English Distillery team 

before, so they were a natural collaborator for us on 

this project,” Anthony commented. 

The development process was quick and challengefree. 

The end result was a beautifully crafted vodka 

with a subtle celery infusion. 

“Our heritage is an important part of our story, 

which is why we had to bring this into the vodka’s 

name and bottle design,” Anthony said. Grown 

in the fields surrounding Ely, local design agency 

Cubiqdesign, were able to incorporate this into the 

label. 

It’s thirsty work 

Over 500 bottles were produced by Christmas 2015 

as part of a limited edition. “We used last year as a test 

bed to see how the product could potentially perform 

on a wider scale in 2016,” Anthony explained. 

“A number of specialist drinks distributors, as well as 

a selection of high-end bars and clubs in London are 

extremely interested.” 

We have been in business for over 60 years and the 

team are a testament to what can be achieved when a 

historic, traditional business has the taste for change. 

Our heritage is an 

important part of our story, 

which is why we had to 

bring this into the vodka’s 

name and bottle design 



10 years of 

amazing spaces 

We discover how 

Klöeber has gone 

from strength to 

strength in 10 years, 

and what the next 

decade holds for the 

company 

for an entire project, Klöeber 

encompasses products in softwood, 

hardwood, oak and aluminium, as 

well as windows in composite and 

aluminium. 

Launching at the Grand Designs 

Exhibition in Birmingham back in 

October 2006, Klöeber, based in 

Cambridgeshire, took a small stand 

at the entrance to the Grand Build 

section to reveal its Kustomfold timber 

folding sliding doors. Fast forward 

10 years, and Klöeber has become 

established at major exhibitions 

nationwide, as well as being featured 

on the TV shows George Clarke’s 

Amazing Spaces, and Grand Designs. 

Originally aimed at the domestic retail 

market as a specialist manufacturer 

of timber folding sliding doors, in 

the 10 years since its conception, the 

company has become a market leader 

for these products and has expanded 

to introduce the award-winning 

FunkyFront door range. Now able 

to supply bespoke glazing solutions 

“Klöeber’s tenth year comes at a really 

buoyant time for us,” explains Sales 

Director and Co-owner, Matt Higgs. 

“The business is going from strength 

to strength and we’re improving and 

expanding in every possible way. 

We’re extremely proud of what we’ve 

achieved in the last decade which has 

seen growth in turnover, profile, staff 

and profit with every year.” 

“Guiding Klöeber on its successful 

path and seeing our business expand 

and improve organically every year 

is extremely rewarding. Our tenth 

year is a landmark anniversary, and 

compels us to look back at what’s been 


achieved as well as to look further into 

the company’s long term future. We’ve 

developed a solid reputation through 

building a portfolio of high quality 

but affordable products, and having 

an honest and informative approach 

with our customers. The next 10 

years is about building on the trust in 

our brand projects, by expanding our 

routes to market which will continue 

the controlled growth.” 

And there’s certainly no sign of the 

company slowing up. To celebrate 

its tenth anniversary, Klöeber has 

launched two new door panels for its 

award-winning FunkyFront timber 

contemporary entrance doors, The 

Westphalia and The Wolfsburg. 

As the first company to be awarded a 

‘Secured by Design’ status for timber 

folding sliding doors by the national 

police accreditation for security 

products back in 2012, Klöeber’s 

FunkyFront doors also passed the 

same rigorous testing, making them 

well known for their safety and 

thermal qualities. 

“We were, and continue to be, very 

pleased and proud to be the first 

company to successfully achieve 

‘Secured by Design’ membership for 

timber bi-folding doors,” confirms 

Technical Director and Co-Owner, 

Lee Green. “With ongoing testing 

of our wider product range, we 

fully support the way our industry is 

moving towards 

a more secure 

glazing product 

and reduction in 

house burglary.” 


we fully support the way 

our industry is moving 

towards a more secure 

glazing product and 

reduction in house burglary 

With innovation and high quality 

products at the forefront of the 

business, the goal for Klöeber always 

has been, and remains, to grow 

organically, maintain flexibility and 

a high level of customer service to 

both the retail and trade markets. 


Klöeber 

West Midlands Industrial Estate 

Somersham, Cambridgeshire, PE28 3EB 

01487 740044 

www.kloeber.co.uk 

issue 16 | page 55 

“The exciting thing for me personally 

is I know that Klöeber is still nowhere 

near to fulfilling its potential, and 

anything is possible. Our relentless 

aim for perfection in everything we 

do brings so much opportunity; new 

products, new customers and exciting 

projects are always just around the 

corner. All indications point to the 

success and growth continuing into 

our next decade and beyond.”


article by 

Sammi Nice 

Switched on 

to Success 

With over 900 employees across 45 

locations, we were eager to know the 

success behind Hughes, one of Grant 

Thornton’s ‘Suffolk Top 100’ businesses 

Robert Hughes 

When we look at how much has changed for local businesses in the area, the mind boggles. 

We’ve seen a series of economic depressions as well as the digital switchover in 2011. 

There’s also been the Harry Potter phenomenon and the rise of social media, not to 

mention iPhones and iPads. We were keen to understand what has helped Hughes stand 

the test of time and remain a leading electrical retailer across the region. Robert Hughes, 

current MD, gave us a deeper insight into the brand and tells us all about their history, 

current status and future plans. 



Generations of greatness 

Since its foundation in 1921 by Frank Hughes in 

Lowestoft, the 3rd-generation family-run business is now 

standing stronger than ever. Robert joined the business 

in 1996, where he took over from his father and uncle. 

Originally raised in Lowestoft and now living in Bury 

St Edmunds, Robert has undoubtedly played a pivotal 

role over the last 20 years. “We’ve opened a further 23 

stores across the area and take real pride in seeing the 

business succeed. Every member of the team takes huge 

pride in the service we deliver to ensure customers are 

always more than satisfied,” Robert explains. Hughes 

not only now operates across the whole of East Anglia, it 

also dominates the online, trade and rental market. They 

are in fact now positioned as the country’s fourth largest 

electrical retailer. 

Customer focus 

“Understanding our customer has always been integral 

to how we do things,” Robert says. Most businesses are 

aware that the customer has the power; however Robert 

always aims to exceed the norm. He explains, “It’s always 

better to under promise and over deliver.” When it comes 

to delivery times for example, they always give themselves 

an extra day when proposing times to a customer. “We 

undertake approximately 2,000 calls a month which 

statistically is 25% of new business. Net Promoter Score 

(NPS) measures us from 0-10, 0 being the lowest and 

10 the highest.” Hughes consistently achieves an NPS 

average of at least 8.5, which Robert says, “speaks for 

itself.” This is an effective way of measuring how happy 

customers are with the company’s products, but more 

importantly, the service they have received. Robert is 

always sure to follow up any negative feedback, as he 

feels this is just as important. Robert says, “It’s not about 

thinking of negative feedback badly, it’s about how 

you act on it and turn it around. Depending on what’s 

happened, we always try and make it up to the customer.” 

Recruiting talent 

“We’ve really learnt over time the benefit of recruiting the 

right people. I strongly believe that you should appoint on 

personality, as the relevant skills and knowledge can be 

taught, but ‘social intelligence’ can’t!” 

Hughes bring the best talent into the business, it also offers 

an impressive training programme to keep knowledge and 

motivation up. “We’ve seen real benefits from investing 

time in our people in order to help them fulfil personal 

career goals.” Robert also thinks it’s important to reward 

his staff and it’s another great way of keeping them 

motivated and encouraged. “When I hear of our staff 

giving good service, I always make sure they’re recognised 

and rewarded - it makes them feel good.” 

“Understanding our customer 

has always been integral to 

how we do things. It’s always 

better to under promise and 

over deliver.” 


01284 755919 

www.hughes.co.uk 

Hughes, 4 Brentgovel Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1EA 


Robert highlighted four defining 

factors that have contributed to 

Hughes’ success in spite of the 

many industry changes: 


1. Reinvesting profit 

“By leaving the money in the business, profit is 

continuously used to maintain and improve existing 

stores in order to consistently fulfil customer needs. 

Our profits are also reinvested in staff training as well as 

advertising and marketing.” 

2. Owning the properties we trade from 

“Across our 45 stores, 35 of these are owned outright. 

This places us in a financially secure position as we 

control our cost base, have no large rents to pay each 

month and have collateral to borrow against to finace 

future explansion.” 

3. Being multi-channel 

“Customers no longer just want to access us through 

shops but also choose to do so from our website, social 

media, call centre, trade counters and even their home. 

We are successful in showing the same brand and service 

led culture across alll these touch points.” 

4. Being multi-product 

“Our origin is in TV and audio but we have expanded 

into both large and small kitchen appliances as well as 

IT so that we can tap into both the replacement and 

technology buying cycles. For example, TVs are a luxury, 

they are not something we ‘need.’ Fridges, freezers and 

washing machines on the other hand, are much more 

of a necessity. When these break, we often need a 

replacement rather quickly.” It also makes us less reliant 

on any one catergory for our success. 


01284 755919 

www.hughes.co.uk 

Hughes, 4 Brentgovel Street, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1EA 

Defining moments 

Being the preferred supplier of appliances 

to the London 2012 Olympics was just 

one of Hughes most poignant successes 

over recent years. “We won the bid for the 

2012 Olympics after a lengthy tendering 

process. We were appointed because we 

were able to offer a zero carbon solution 

by renting the appliances to our many 

customers after the games and by offering 

a website so that the games makers could 

get priority purchasing. We were also able 

to provide a follow-up destination for the 

products which they thought was great!” 

Alongside this, in 2011 Hughes not only 

celebrated their 90th birthday but also 

won the EDP Business of the Year. In 

the same year Hughes also received the 

ERT Independent Electrical Retailer of 

the Year. 

Looking to the future 

So what’s next for Hughes? As with the 

last 20 years, Robert plans to keep the 

energy going! He reassures us that his 

stores are collectively trading as well as 

they have ever been and the expansion of 

the shop in Bury St Edmunds is a sign of 

this confidence in the future. Its Click and 

Collect option is also something which 

has proved to be hugely popular. Hughes 

anticipates this will continue to rise since 

it offers customers an even easier option. 

SmartHome will also be seeing a big push 

as Robert and his teams educate their 

customers on easy home solutions to suit 

every budget. 


iQ people 

PEOPLE 

POWER 

We find out how a 30-year-old business is bringing in change by 

prioritising the investment of its people 

If you had a penny for every time you read a quote 

about the ‘importance of your staff’, you’d probably 

be a millionaire. But if we’ve heard it so many times, 

why is developing people still such a hot topic for 

business owners? Quite simply, because it is always 

really going to matter. Architectural ironmongers BJ 

Waller, is testament to what a smart and considered 

staff development plan can do for business. 

Established on the outskirts of Ely in 1982, BJ Waller 

has grown to become one of the leading architectural 

ironmongers in the region, working with architects, 

specifiers and contractors from across the country. 

“We’ve worked hard to develop a high-end product 

range that our customers want and we believe in,” 

explains Luke Piper, Sales Director. “But our product 

range would be meaningless without the people 

behind the scenes who support our customers day in 

and day out.” 

BJ Waller’s 12-strong team is made up of specification 

experts, sales and marketing executives, warehouse 

assistants, account managers and administration 

specialists as well as drivers. “We’ve recruited carefully 

over the years, ensuring that we’re bringing in people 

with the right skills, personality and aptitude for 

learning,” Luke explains. “We believe that happy 

and fulfilled staff are the best way to ensure a high 

standard of customer service, which is why this is a 

key focus for our business. 

Megan Ashdown is a prime example of BJ Waller’s 

commitment to its people. Megan joined the team in 

February 2011 as an Admin Assistant and showed 

huge potential early on. “In Megan, we had a bright 

and capable self-starter who really ‘got’ what we were 

all about. We pushed her on and she’s now our Sales 

and Marketing Executive, with a Level 1 qualification 

from the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers. She’s 

also the key point of contact for our marketing 

agency and has also been named as a ‘Top Under 

30’ in the iQ Magazine campaign.” 

The staff receive comprehensive and regular 

sales training to ensure they have a extensive and 

detailed product knowledge. “Customers choose 

us because of how we work, as well as the products 

we sell,” Luke says. “They 

appreciate our door packing 

service, or the attention 

to detail in our door 

scheduling documentation, 

as well as the hardware 

they’re buying – and it’s this 

that will keep them coming 

back time and time again.” 

In addition to supporting its 

existing people, BJ Waller 

has recruited new support 

staff at various levels to 

BJ Waller is 

a testament 

to what a 

smart and 

considered staff 

development 

plan can do for 

business 

ensure the growing business is able to keep up 

with demand. “Ours is a people business, and we 

will also put the effort into giving our customers 

the best service. It’s no coincidence that by looking 

after our people and celebrating their achievements, 

we continue to deliver a proactive and popular 

service our busy clients can depend on, and happily 

recommend.” 


www.bjwaller.co.uk 


iQ review 

book 

review 

Bio: With a long history of acting as consultant to the senior leaders 

of many successful businesses, Paul Ballman has a range of skills and 

experience to help companies expand and grow. After studying for a 

degree in psychology, Paul went on to join a telemarketing company, 

before moving into the world of business consulting. He has conducted 

over 2,000 interviews with many top employers to find out which strategies 

have worked for them in terms of developing their company and why 

these have been so successful. Recently, Paul has been working for YSC, an 

organisation that aims to help businesses succeed by working closely with 

their employees to achieve maximum potential. In 2013, Paul was made 

CEO of the company and is now responsible for managing the 17 global 

offices. By studying various theories and modules proposed by some of the 

leading gurus in business consulting, he has acquired invaluable knowledge 

that is presented to us in the form of his book ‘Red Pill’, which, ironically, 

is a little hard to swallow. 

Review: The book itself is well-written and offers an insight into the 

world of business consulting, with helpful tips and guidance. However, 

it does show the side of business that is not always talked about, the 

struggles and cold hard truths about leadership – essentially, it’s not all 

fun and games. Despite this, the anecdotes Paul includes are interesting. 

For instance, in the fascinating story about choosing a title for the book, he 

explains that his idea came from the film ‘The Matrix’ where the character 

is offered a choice between two types of pill. The blue pill allows them 

to return to the comfy illusion of the past, blissfully unaware of reality, 

whereas the red pill reveals the harsh truth, which one may find a lot 

harder to handle than the illusion. The aim of this book is to open up 

the world of enterprise, giving a realistic overview of leadership, which 

previous business leaders were too afraid to disclose. Overall, it’s a good 

read which gives an interesting perspective on leadership that is bound to 

inspire budding entrepreneurs. 

Red Pill: 

The Truth 

About 

Leadership 

Author: Paul Ballman 

Paperback: £8.99; 

Kindle edition: £4.99 

Article by 

Lauren Sullivan 


You might not expect your 

accountant to be trendy, 

but you would expect 

them to be on trend. 

What’s trending this month? 

Auto-enrolment is the biggest change 

to Workplace Pensions for generations. 

As a consequence of the changes 

to Workplace Pension legislation, all 

employers will be required to ensure their 

employees have a pension in place. 

For further information and to download 

our guide please visit our website: 

www.streetsweb.co.uk 

www.streetsweb.co.uk 01223 570000 

info@streetsweb.co.uk 

Follow us on Twitter @streetsacc 

Watch us on YouTube 

Connect with us on LinkedIn 

Offices in Cambridge, Newmarket, Peterborough, Bedford (Wyboston Lakes) and Stevenage.

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