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19 June 2009

IT Solutions and Service from blue256

Business in East Anglia eBiz - weekly round-up

 

Owner managed businesses
look for deals
Almost three quarters of owner-managed businesses are planning to make an acquisition or establish a joint venture with former competitors within the next three years according to a national survey of 300 directors by Baker Tilly. But more than half are also planning to make additional redundancies and expect a further drop in sales in the coming year. The survey of companies with a turnover of £5-50 million across all sectors shows 38 per cent plan to make an acquisition in the next three years, 35 per cent plan to establish a joint venture and 21 per cent plan to expand abroad. It also shows that larger businesses are the most optimistic about the next 12 months. Stephen Duffety, managing partner at Baker Tilly’s East Anglia office, said: “Whilst there are still very real threats posed by the recession, there are also opportunities to create stronger companies that will be better placed to take advantage of the recovery when the time is right to do so.”

Inward investment flows
The East of England won 105 overseas investment projects in the past year which created 1,280 new jobs in the region, and safeguarded 1,861 others, according to figures for 2008/9 from UK Trade and Investment. East of England International, the international business support body in the region, assisted more than 600 companies, including inward investors. David Riches, chief executive of EEI said: “These figures are an endorsement of the East of England as a very attractive place for overseas companies to expand their businesses.”

The East of England Co-operative Society is in talks to sell its department and home stores business to Vergo Retail in a deal which the firm says will protect around 350 jobs. The society had been in talks on four of its stores which were threatened with closure; these have now been widened to include the majority of its department & home stores. The department stores it plans to transfer Vergo are: St Stephen’s Street, Norwich, Market Place, Great Yarmouth, Long Wyre Street, Colchester, Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Carr Street, Ipswich and adjoining Food Hall. The homestores are Hamilton Road, Felixstowe; Tavern Street, Stowmarket; Oxford Road, Clacton;  Peartree Road, Stanway; Newland Street, Witham; Main Road, Dovercourt and a jewellery department at Eld Lane, Colchester. Richard Samson, chief executive of the East of England Co-op said: “We are pleased that this deal will secure the employment of our colleagues and maintain a strong retailing offer at the stores concerned.  In the current economic climate maintaining job security is a key priority.” 
 
Suffolk-based pub and brewing company Greene King, has bought 11 pubs from Punch Taverns in a £30.4m deal which is expected to complete on 1 July 2009.  The pubs, which are based in London and Scotland, will join over 2,500 pubs and restaurants currently in the Greene King portfolio and were funded by proceeds from a recent £207.5 million rights issue. Adrian Seagers and John Gynn, both of Birketts LLP’s corporate and property teams, advised Greene King on the deal.

Leaders in the private and public sectors in Ipswich gathered for an economic summit this week organized by the Borough Council and others as part of an “Ipswich Fights Back” campaign. The council has produced a business survival guide and and cut red tape to reduce the time it takes to pay invoices to small companies. A series of "crunch lunch" networking sessions is also planned. Ipswich Borough Council leader Liz Harsant said: "All is not doom and gloom here in Ipswich and while we must do all we can to help those hit by the recession we must remember that we are well-placed to come out of the down-turn more quickly. Ipswich is a regional centre with a highly skilled workforce, a new university and excellent links with London and the Midlands.”
Photo: speakers at the seminar at IP-City Centre (from left): James Hehir, Richard Lister (University Campus Suffolk), Liz Harsant, Ben Ambler (Arlingtons Brasserie), Assis Carreiro (DanceEast), Oliver Paul (Suffolk Food Hall), Richard Sampson (East of England Co-operative Society) and Peter Osborne (Ramada Encore Hotel). The other speakers were Peter Bennell of Haven Power and Nigel Pickover  

Business Link in the East of England supported 108,082 local businesses at various lifecycle stages in the year to March, a 9 per cent increase on the previous year. The organization helped 78,844 established businesses and 4,434 start-ups during the year. Of the six counties, Essex has the highest concentration of Business Link clients with 26 per cent, followed by Hertfordshire with 18 per cent. Pat Smith, chief executive of Business Link in the East of England said: “We have made considerable progress in our first two years and are proud to have achieved, and indeed exceeded, the high and stretching targets set by EEDA.”
Photo: Richard Ellis, EEDA chairman, Jill Barnes, director of client services, Business Link and Alison Webster, director of Enterprise, EEDA.

Following the success of his entrepreneurial workshops around the UK, Doug Richard’s School for Startups is coming to East Anglia. The original BBC2 Dragon will be hosting three free master-classes for budding entrepreneurs in Ipswich, Colchester and Southend, starting on 25th June with a full-day event at The Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich.
Aimed at inspiring entrepreneurs through the recession, the workshops are funded by the Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF) and the University of Essex. Anyone living in Suffolk or Essex can register online for free. There are 800 places available and they are expected to sell out. Tickets are available for the Ipswich event now at: http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk and you can register at  http://s4startupsipswich.eventbrite.com/

Over 3000 students travelled to University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich this week for the first higher education convention held in the Waterfront Building. The day also marked the official opening of the building by The Earl of Wessex. Year 12 students from across Suffolk were invited to come along and learn more about higher education and plan the next steps for their future careers.
Photo: UCS staff members Katie Proctor, Laura Doggett and Claire Ashman with The Earl of Wessex at the UCS stand.

Businesses may face significantly increased advertising costs following a policy change by Google on the use of trade marked terms to trigger search engine adverts, according to Sue Durrant practice manager at Norwich-based intellectual property consultants, Novagraaf. The lifting of a ban on one company buying the right to use another's trade mark to trigger its own advert, means that brand owners will now have to outbid other firms if they want their ad to appear beside the 'natural' search results when a user types their trade mark into the Google search engine.



Peterborough-based Greenwoods Solicitors LLP has promoted Alastair Gunn to director in the corporate & commercial team; Robert Starr has been appointed an associate and Jason Stevens a senior solicitor in the firm’s business defence team.

 

Boult Wade Tennant will be hosting a round table discussion on Wednesday 15 July 2009 from 13:15 to 17:30 focusing on the trends and efficiencies in securing patent protection in the biotechnology and life sciences sector. It will discuss common issues and practical steps for securing and prosecuting patents and will take place at Boult Wade Tennant's central London office at Verulam Gardens, 70 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1X 8BT.
RSVP to events@boult.com and include your question, issue or topic.
 
Norwich based IT Solutions company, Blue256, is running a free business support helpdesk during the Royal Norfolk Show 1st and 2nd July. Organisations can talk to senior IT engineers on issues ranging from security, support, broadband connection to  wireless technology and network performance. Simon Lawford, managing director of Blue256 said: “Efficient IT is the backbone of any successful business. We are at the Norfolk Show to give companies free advice to help them with their IT.” Blue256 will be situated next to the Desira Motor Group stand.

A ‘real life’ mock employment tribunal before a judge and two barristers is being staged at the Old Library in Colchester Town Hall on Tuesday 30th June, 10am-3pm. Organised by GoodyBurrett LLP solicitors and Mosaic Publicity, it will include educational handouts and questions. The tribunal will also freeze the action at certain points so the audience can be asked what they think should happen next. Managing partner of GoodyBurrett LLP , Bryan Johnston, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for employers and employees alike to see just what happens at am Employment Tribunal.” The cost is £60 + VAT for each delegate which includes lunch. Contact Gemma Rawlinson on 01206 548100 or e-mail gemma@mosaicpublicity.co.uk 

Delegates at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development exhibition and conference in Ipswich next week could win a face to face meeting with Ruth Badger. The straight-talking runner up from Series 2 of "The Apprentice" is the keynote speaker at the "HR for Success" conference and free exhibition. The exhibition is being sponsored by Pure Resourcing Solutions and Ruth's speech is being sponsored by Birketts LLP solicitors. Opening the event will be Ruth Proctor, retail HR manager with Suffolk brewers, hoteliers and retailers, Adnams. 

 
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