The Budget left a lot of questions unanswered

Ulster Business School and Chamberlaunch entrepreneurial spirit awardThe Ulster Business School in partnershipwith Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce isdelighted to launch an ‘entrepreneurial spiritaward’, a new bursary scheme aimed at currentUlster Business School students.The joint initiative was launched on 17 April2012 as part of the Chamber’s 230th anniversarycelebrations at the Chamber230 gala in TitanicBelfast and provides a postgraduate bursaryaward to the value of £3,500.Each year students will be offered theopportunity to compete for the award whichwill see the successful student provided withthe opportunity to use the bursary funds toundertake a cutting edge Ulster Business SchoolMasters programme, and to pair with a mentorfrom a Northern Ireland business for six months.Commenting on the award, Professor MarieMcHugh, dean of the Ulster Business Schoolcommented: “As part of the Ulster BusinessSchool’s commitment to supporting the growthand development of the Northern Irelandeconomy, this award helps to raise the profile ofentrepreneurship and increases the incentivefor enterprise amongst our students.“The current highly challenging environmenthas highlighted that future growth andprosperity will be greatly enhanced bynurturing the entrepreneurial flair and talent ofour graduates.“By partnering with Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce, the Ulster BusinessSchool is looking forward to providing ourentrepreneurs of the future with invaluableexperience, and a unique opportunity toacquire and develop the key skills required tosucceed.”Ann McGregor, chief executive of NorthernIreland Chamber commented: “From schools,colleges and universities to the workplace,Northern Ireland Chamber of Commercebelieves that government should introduceFrancis Martin, Brian O’Driscoll and professor Marie McHugh pictured at the Chamber230 event atTitanic Belfast on 17 April where the ‘entrepreneurial spirit award’ was announced.measures that truly promote business start-ups,self employment, and enterprise growth as wellas new growth incentives.“The ‘Entrepreneurial Spirit Award’ will allowthe winning student an opportunity to buildbusiness relationships with their mentor andwider network, identify and build the skills thatthey need to develop including presentationskills, networking techniques and mostimportantly further enhance theirentrepreneurial spirit.”The programme is open to all final yearundergraduate students of the Ulster BusinessSchool at the University of Ulster and willcommence in September this year.For further information on the award pleasecontactchristopher.morrow@northernirelandchamber.comBusiness confidence improves as companieslook to better futureMore companies expect to hire additionalworkers over the next three months, accordingto the latest quarterly economic survey by theNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.The survey, which received over 600responses from businesses across NorthernIreland, found that 22 per cent expect theirworkforce to increase compared with just 14per cent in the last quarter of 2011.A further 14 per cent expect a decrease inworkforce, compared to 18 per cent in theprevious quarter. Seventy one per cent werelooking for full time staff. Of these, 44 per centexperienced difficulty in finding suitable staff,reporting fulfilling professional/managerial rolesas the greatest problem, a long-term issue.In terms of investment in training this hasremained constant since the third quarter of2011, with 17 per cent reporting it will increase.The percentage reporting a decrease hasdropped one per cent to 16 per cent in thecurrent quarter.Business confidence, according to the survey,has improved. Forty seven per cent expect tosee turnover increase, up from 40 per cent inthe final quarter of 2011. Those expecting a dipin turnover decreased from 30 per cent at theend of last year to one fifth in the currentquarter.Another encouraging finding is seen in therise in those expecting profitability to rise thisyear – up slightly to 36 per cent from 34 percent at the end of 2011. There’s also been asmall rise in companies operating at fullcapacity – 31 per cent in the current quarterfrom 29 per cent at the end of last year.While many companies said they would liketo increase prices they were restrained fromdoing so because of overhead costs. The mainbusiness pressures continue to be competition(44%) and taxation (26%). Paying for rawmaterials remains a significant problem with 43per cent raising this as a difficulty. In addition,more companies are concerned about financecosts and pay settlements.Export sales increased slightly from 27 percent to 31 per cent over the period. Seventyeight per cent said exports had either increasedor remained the same. Fewer companies,however, reported that exports had decreased –down from 30 per cent at the end of last year to22 per cent in the first quarter of 2012.Ann McGregor, Northern Ireland Chamberchief executive, commenting on the latestsurvey, said: “After the disappointing resultsfrom the last quarter in 2011 it was pleasing tosee an improvement in most indicators in thefirst 3 months of this year.“It was particularly good that there was anoticeable improvement in the exportingperformance of firms in both the manufacturingand service sector. Overall confidence is up withmost firms expecting an improvement inturnover and profitability over the next 12months. However, the continuing weakness indomestic sales, especially in the manufacturingsector, shows that the economy still faces manychallenges.There was some very good news for NorthernIreland in the budget when the chancellorannounced the Government would devolve tothe Northern Ireland Assembly the power to setAPD rates for direct long haul flights. We hopeto see more devolution of tax varying powers inthe near future.”A copy of the QES report can be downloadedat www.northernirelandchamber.comwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk6

Business PillarSeries resumesWIB NI and Chamberjoint networking eventPictured left to right are Paul Fieldhouse frombarnett&fieldhouse, Louise Turley from Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce and Rory Scullion frombarnett&fieldhouse.Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce resumed theirsuccessful Business Pillar series on 22 March with the firstBusiness Pillar event of 2012 titled 'Are You Serious AboutGrowing Your Business?'.The Business Pillar Series is a series of business supportevents aimed at helping local companies maximise theirperformance in key business functions. The latest eventwas delivered by barnett&fieldhouse and attendees wereoffered advice on effective lead generating strategies,unique leadership education and how to build a strongfoundation for growth.Edel Doherty, chair of Women in Business NI, guest speaker Valerie Pierce, creator of theClear and Critical Thinking training programmes, Evelyn Collins CBE, chief executive of theEquality Commission NI and Oonagh O’Reilly, business development director of NorthernIreland Chamber of Commerce150 business people from acrossNorthern Ireland attended the annualWomen in Business NI and Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce joint networkingevent in Belfast on 29 March 2012. Theevent, sponsored by the EqualityCommission Northern Ireland, provided aneffective marketing platform for membersof both local networks to raise theirbusiness profile, build mutually beneficialbusiness relationships and expand theirmarkets.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk8

In Camera with theDepartment forEmployment and LearningPublic Private SectorForum Private DinnerEmployment and Learningminister Dr Stephen Farry addressed40 members of Northern Ireland’sbusiness community on 7 March2012 at the second Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce In Cameraevent of 2012. The event wassponsored by Ulster SupportedEmployment Limited (USEL).Ian Huddleston of McGrigors, Francis Martin of NI Chamber and BDO,Mark Nodder of NI Chamber and Wright Group, secretary of stateOwen Paterson and Brian Rowntree of the Housing ExecutiveThe Public Private Sector Forum dinner, led by Northern lrelandChamber of Commerce and sponsored by McGrigors, was a roundtable dinner designed to encourage interaction between majoremployers in the public and private sector.Guests at Hillsborough Castle on 28 March included a group of 24people including the Chairs/CEOs of public sector organisations such asNI Housing Executive, CEO’s from business and the Secretary of State.The aim of the event was to share experience and explorechallenges in order to learn how we can jointly contribute toeconomic growth.9www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commercetakes on the London Olympics... and winsNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce hasbeen crowned winners at the UK CharteredInstitute of Marketing Awards in front of 800 ofthe UK’s leading marketers at a glittering blacktieevent on 23 February 2012 at GrosvenorHouse London.The Chamber won the highly sought afteraward for Best Not for Profit marketingcampaign for their ‘One Voice for Business’membership campaign following stiffcompetition from nineteen other entrants acrossthe UK including the London OrganisingCommittee of the Olympic Games, NHS Bloodand Transplant and the Keep Britain Tidycampaign.Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce is thelargest Chamber of Commerce in NorthernIreland and one of the fastest growing in theBritish Chambers of Commerce network.Formed in 1782, the Chamber has representedthe interests of business and commerce acrossNorthern Ireland for nearly 230 years. TheChamber currently has a large and activemembership of almost 1,000 businesses, fromthe smallest SME and sole trader to the largestcorporations, plcs and institutions.The Chamber has ambitiously set the target todouble its membership by 2013. Through theuse of a marketing plan, new marketing materialand a series of initiatives, the Chamber is on theway to achieving the overall objective by theend of year one.Commenting on their success, chief executiveAnn McGregor commented: “It is a huge job toincrease the membership of any organisation,especially in times of recession. Under a newAnn McGregor, May Davis and Rory BremnerStrategic Plan with clear objectives to doublemembership, the Chamber has used simple buteffective marketing tools such as good literature,press coverage and sales promotion to achievean increase in what is a depressed market. Ourcommunications plan was highly focussed andhas achieved excellent results.The CIM awards are a highly respectedmeasure of marketing and sales excellence andare extremely sought-after. Given the criteriaand the strong competition NICC faced, theChamber is extremely proud to win this awardand I am delighted for our team to gainrecognition from the Chartered Institute ofMarketing for their dedication and continuoushard work.”The Chamber’s success at the CIM UK awardsfollows their November 2011 success at the CIMIreland Marketing Awards where they won theaward for Best Sales Campaign Using TraditionalPromotional Mechanisms and chief executiveAnn McGregor won the award for SeniorMarketing Professional.Northern Ireland businesses urged to enterprestigious awardsNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce andthe British Chambers of Commerce officiallylaunched the Chamber Awards 2012 by invitingfirms to showcase their talents andachievements to be in with a chance of winninga £25,000 cash prize.Open to all businesses, the competition isdesigned to recognise and promote the bestbusinesses in Northern Ireland through a seriesof regional heats followed by the National Final,which will be held in London on November29th.There are nine categories to choose from,covering international business, peopledevelopment, excellence in innovation,marketing, new business, customer service,sustainability, entrepreneur of the year andbusiness of the year.The Awards, which are now in their 9th year,highlights the role of business as a positive forcefor the UK recovery and the success of localcommunities and individuals.Ann McGregor, chief executive of NorthernIreland Chamber of Commerce, said: “This yearwe want everyone to understand thecontribution business makes to the economyand to society as a whole. Businesses will be atthe forefront of the recovery, providing jobs, andcreating wealth.“Every day we hear amazing stories fromNorthern Ireland companies that are innovative,successful in international markets, and createnew products. It is stories like these that we arelooking to find and recognise through theChamber Awards. Last year, over 600 firms tookpart and 2012 promises to be even bigger.’”Businesses can enter the followingcategories this year:• Achievement in International Business• Award for Commitment to PeopleDevelopment• Award for Excellence in Innovation• Award for Excellence in Customer Service• Business of the Year Award• Entrepreneur of the Year Award• Marketing Campaign of the Year• Most Promising New Business Award• The Sustainability AwardClosing datefor entries is29th June, withcompaniesassessed at aregional levelfirst, with thewinners goingthrough tocompete in theNational Final inNovember.At this stage,a high-profile judging panel of business leadersand entrepreneurs assesses contenders, beforethe overall winners are announced in eachcategory with one company winning the£25,000 cash prize and the Outstanding BusinessAchievement title.Last year’s Northern Ireland winners includedAlmac, Autoline Insurance, Clarehill Plastics,Envirogreen, FPM Chartered Accountants,Managemint and Lagan Construction.The Chamber Awards 2012 is supported by BTBusiness, Westfield Health, Qdos Consulting andComposite Legal Expenses.To enter online www.chamberawards.co.uk orfor further information you can contact theChamber Awards Team on 02476 472593, emailawards@chamberawards.co.uk or follow@chamberawardswww.businessfirstonline.co.uk10

Third level placements awarded to theinnovators of tomorrow at BT BusinessBootcampteam of five school students, includingone from Bangor’s South Eastern RegionalACollege, who work-shopped the projectSmart Pipe: An automated water circulation antifreezingsystem were chosen as the best overallgroup at the 2012 BT Young Scientist BusinessBootcamp, held at University College Dublin.They were evaluated by a panel of expertjudges and course mentors and selected as theteam that developed most during theprogramme.The members of the team are Adam Torrens(19) from South Eastern Regional College,Bangor; Matt Murtagh White (17) from KilkennyCollege, Kilkenny; Emer Creedon (16) fromRegina Mundi College, Cork; Deirdre Harford (17)from Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan,Dublin; and Megan Doyle (16) from SkerriesCommunity College, Dublin. Daniel Hobbs (17)from Maynooth Post Primary, Co Kildare wasrecognised as the best individual student duringthe week.The winners are awarded a summerplacement at one of the leading third leveluniversities across the island of Ireland. The BTYoung Scientist Business Bootcamp is a weeklong business mentoring and skills programmedevised and delivered by BT and NovaUCD.Following the intensive week of training andworkshops, some students have stated they willchange their academic direction, and in turntheir future career, based on what they learntduring the week at UCD. Ninety per cent ofthose attending this week also stated theyanticipate economic recovery to take 7 – 10years while most students would like to pursuemedical, science or business degrees at thirdlevel.Selected from January’s BT Young Scientist &Technology Exhibition, 32 students whodemonstrated an understanding ofcommercially viable opportunities, businessacumen and innovative flair took part in theprogramme.Each student receives a certificate ofachievement upon completing the programme.Summer placements at NUI Galway, University ofLimerick, UCD, and University of Ulster will beavailable for the winners. In addition JamesEggers, St. Michael’s College, Dublin has beenoffered both commercial space and theopportunity to pitch his idea at the next DublinWeb Summit in October 2012.James’ project is ‘the detection of incidents onroads in real-time with Twitter and trafficcameras’.Over the course of the four days the studentsparticipated in a number of business focusedworkshops from business planning andintellectual property management to designthinking and communications. Using these skillsthe group developed concepts ranging from ‘todevelop a mathematical learning andcommunication tool for Autistic children inmainstream primary school’ ‘’ to ‘producing Irishgrown dessert apples in favour of importing asubstitute’.Congratulating the winners and participantson the BT Young Scientist Business BootcampShay Walsh, managing director Business, BTsaid “All of the students have brought greatenthusiasm and creativity to their activities andpresentations this week. This programmebridges the gap between classroom andboardroom, and in doing so recognises theinnovators of tomorrow.”He added “The programme is a great exampleof how a platform like this can imbed an ethosof entrepreneurship and innovation in talentedstudents who are inspired by science andengineering.”For further information, log on to:www.btyoungscientist.com or phone 0800 9171297.12

Chamber and Partners urge Businesses to follow ‘TheRoadmap to Export Success’Pictured are Caroline Keenan of ASM Chartered Accountants, Brian Telford of Northern Bank, Peter Stafford of A&L Goodbody, John Irwin of BoomerIndustries, Sandra Scannell of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Trevor Bingham of XperienceNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, inpartnership with Northern Bank, ASMChartered Accountants and A&LGoodbody, has launched a 7 step plan foraspiring exporters outlining the legal, tax andfinancial considerations that companies shouldbe aware of before entering foreign markets.The ‘Roadmap to Export Success’ guide waslaunched at the latest Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce Export First event whichtook place at the Lagan Valley Island ConferenceCentre in Lisburn on 14 March and wasattended by 40 aspiring exporters from acrossNorthern Ireland. The event also featured guestspeakers John Irwin, Sales & Marketing Directorof Boomer Industries and Trevor Bingham,Marketing Manager of Xperience, who bothprovided an overview of their respectivecompany’s export strategy.Commenting on the ‘Roadmap to ExportSuccess’, Sandra Scannell, Programmes andOperations Director at Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce said:“Our 7 point plan is a simple, yet critical guidefor aspiring exporters to make sure they followthe right paths to experience success in theirexport journey.Companies hoping to export must be awarethat selling further afield brings with it a wholerange of new issues. Entering into business withcompanies from abroad comes with a degree ofrisk and business oversights can prove costly.Legal, tax and financial considerations areespecially important and should be at the coreof any company’s export strategy.Financially it is important to have a plan tomanage trade finance requirements and protecta business from adverse exchange ratemovements and ensure payment is received. Asbusinesses start to consider their exportmarkets, they need to address the accountingand taxation implications associated withexploring goods or services to overseas markets.It is also equally important that businesses aremade aware of the many legal issues associatedwith exporting, particularly outside of theEuropean Union, which can seem complicatedand businesses may need to change theirproduct or operational set-up to comply withthe laws and regulations applicable in targetmarkets.It is vital that these implications are identifiedand addressed at an early stage in a company’sexport cycle.”A copy of the ‘Roadmap to Export Success’guide can be downloaded atwww.northernirelandchamber.com14

Credit where credit is dueDoing business in overseas markets can be adaunting prospect for aspiring exporters, withseemingly endless lists of financial, legal and taximplications to consider. The Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce Export First programme,in partnership with Northern Bank, ASMChartered Accountants and A&L Goodbody, hasbeen designed to deliver expert guidance andsupport to Northern Ireland companies wishingto export to foreign markets for the first time.Here, Northern Bank’s Head of Trade and ExportFinance Ruth Graham examines how letters ofcredit can be used to bring about enhancedsecurity when exporting to foreignjurisdictions…Trading in foreign markets inevitablyinvolves an element of risk – the level ofwhich is dependent on factors such ascurrency, cultural differences between thetrading jurisdictions and the product or servicebeing exported. One of the greatest risks forany exporter however is failure on the part ofthe buyer to pay for the goods, and one of theways of reducing this risk is to use a letter ofcredit.Put simply, a letter of credit is a conditionalguarantee from the buyer’s bank that theexporter will receive payment within agreedterms of payment - provided the exportercomplies with the strict terms and conditions ofthe letter of credit.There are advantages to using letters of creditfor both the exporter and the buyer. For theexporter, letters of credit provide enhancedsecurity, since payment is agreed at a specificpoint in time and the order cannot be cancelledor changed without their approval. A letter ofcredit can also lead to improved liquidity, sincepayment can often be released shortly aftershipment.The buyer, on the other hand also benefitsfrom letters of credit. The exporter will honourtheir side of the deal by adhering to the termsand conditions of the letter of credit andguaranteeing that requirements such as tightshipping deadlines are met.Given these benefits, many exporters useletters of credit as their standard method ofpayment to reduce risks involved in sellingoverseas. However, some may be put off by theadditional costs involved in obtaining a letter ofcredit, and will question whether the value ofthe order warrants these additional charges,although it is always advisable to consider thesecosts at the quotation stage. Others, meanwhile,may be daunted by the strict terms of the letterof credit - since non-compliant documentscould leave them exposed to non-payment.There are a number of factors which shouldbe considered before coming to a final decisionas to whether or not to use a letter of credit.For example, is it standard practice in thatmarket to use a letter of credit? Does thatcountry have a reliable trading history? Who willcover the costs of obtaining the letter of credit –the buyer or the exporter?If you do decide to use a letter of credit, you’llthen need to consider which type is best foryou– with options ranging from irrevocableletters of credit to confirmed, standby andtransferable letters of credit.In what can seem like a confusing maze ofbureaucracy and administration, the importantthing to remember though is that letters ofcredit are ultimately there for your protection.With expert advice from the local trade andexport finance team at your financial institution,the whole process can be made much morestraightforward and give you the confidenceand reassurance to enjoy export success.Bribery caution for exportersBy Peter Stafford, Partner, A&L Goodbody and Export First Legal PartnerWhile it can be common practice in someforeign jurisdictions for exporters tooffer a small gift from home or corporatehospitality to buyers, companies or individualscould easily find themselves on the wrong sideof the law for failure to adhere to the BriberyAct, which came in to force in July 2011.In its guide to the Bribery Act, the Ministry ofJustice says: "Very generally, bribery is defined asgiving someone a financial or other advantageto encourage that person to perform theirfunctions or activities improperly or to rewardthat person for having already done so."By wayof an example, this might take the form of afacilitation payment to officials to speed uproutine services they are obliged to carry out,and in some cases could also include corporatehospitality if deemed to be disproportionate insome way.With a global reach, the Bribery Act applies toany company with operations in the UK, nomatter where it is based – be it within the UK,Ireland or any foreign jurisdictions. So if any partof your business at all takes place in the UK thenyou could potentially come under themicroscope of the Bribery Act, regardless ofwhere in the world the supposed bribe tookplace.The purpose of this legislation is to crackdown on business corruption, and seriousfinancial or custodial penalties may be soughtby the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) oncompanies or individuals being found to offer abribe or make a corrupt payment at home orabroad. As well as the subsequent adversepublicity and potential loss of business thatcomes with such a conviction, under EUProcurement Directives a corporate convictionfor bribery could also result in permanentexclusion from government contracts rightacross the EU.It is therefore imperative that all companiesexporting to foreign markets have a relevantAnti-Bribery Policy in place and this should bedrawn up in consultation with your lawyer, sincethe nature of the document will vary dependingon your organisation. As part of this policy,companies will be required to put in place strictprocedures such as providing anti-briberytraining to staff, including standard anti-briberyclauses in commercial contracts, carrying outrisk assessments for the markets being operatedin, or carrying out due diligence on the peoplebeing dealt with there.While this legislation may seem daunting atfirst, exercising due caution as standard willensure that it will not have a negative impact onyour exporting success. For more informationconsult with your lawyer or visitwww.justice.gov.uk/legislation/bribery.15

CommentaryWhen is a customer not a customer?asks professor Simon Bridge, University of UlsterIt is no longer a surprise when public sector prison service be responsible to theservice organisations refer to their clients or government acting on behalf of taxpayers as athe consumers of their services as ‘customers’. whole - or only to those taxpayers who findIt is common to see this in publicthemselves in prison as clients of the service?pronouncements, policy and strategyThus a policy of calling clients ‘customers’ isdocuments, and annual reports - but is itlikely to fail because the feedback mechanism ismisguided?not there to reinforce the sort of behaviourIt may be fashionable, but usually the reason desired.it is done seems to be because theSemantics won’t change it - andorganisations concerned assume that, if they management needs to find another way tocall their clients ‘customers’, then they will treat encourage appropriate behaviour. But in somethen well - in the way that they think private areas of the public sector there is also anothersector organisations treat their customers. reason why this is a misguided policy.Indeed many private sector organisations do This applies to those organisations, such astreat their customers well - but that is not economic development agencies, which givebecause they call them customers.out grants. If those organisations insist onInstead it is because the people they call referring to their clients as ‘customers’, evencustomers are the people with the money though they are not PWTMs, it disguises that(PWTMs) who make the decisions about where fact that the opposite is correct.to spend it.Such agencies are in a very real way thePrivate sector organisations know that their customers of their clients. For their clients thePWTMs are the source of their income but who, agencies are PWTMs - the agencies haveif they are not treated well, may well take their money and the clients want to get access to it.money elsewhere to spend it.Thus the clients defer to the agencies as sellersThus for people working in the private sector defer to customers. They follow the rule that ‘thethere is direct feedback between the people customer is always right’ - and thus customersthey call customers and their future salaries. must be deferred to as if they are right evenBut public sector organisations largely get when they are clearly misguided and stupid.their income from the government’s taxation However few see dealing with an agency as arevenue - and not directly from their clients or seller-customer relationship - to the detrimentconsumers.of both sides. If a client saw an agency as aTheir clients and consumers are not PWTMs customer, the client would understand that, inand calling them customers does not change applying to the agency for support, the client isthat. To secure an income, public sectortrying to sell the agency something, and that itorganisations need to please their paymasters: is relevant to consider whether that sale wasthe parts of the government system which are likely to be worthwhile - whether, for instance,their real customers.the cost of making the sales pitch might be tooTrue that income is provided on behalf of the high or whether the requirements and/or sideeffectsof the deal might be too onerous.taxpayers, some of whom may be the clients orconsumers of the organisations concerned, but If the agency saw itself as the customer of thethere is no direct link.client then it would understand that its clientsIt’s an extreme case possibly, but should the are not going to be totally open with it andthat, as a customer, it needs to specify clearlywhat it expects to buy and have delivered inreturn for its money.Just look at some of the grant letters of offer:they specify closely what is to be paid but oftenhardly mention what should be provided inreturn - which thus encourages those whoreceive grants to think that getting them is aright and not as part of a two-way contractwhich requires reciprocal performance.Thus there can be very real benefits to clarityand to performance on both sides if agenciesare seen to be the customers of their clients -and being PWTMs agencies are true customers.But if agencies instead try to refer to theirclients as customers, even though they areclearly not PWTMs, this can only confusematters.Things would be much clearer, and workbetter, if use of the label ‘customer’ wasrestricted only to PWTMs.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk18

CommentaryThe compelling story of Titanic, with its vastinternational appeal, provides us with avaluable opportunity to raise the profile ofNorthern Ireland on the global stage.Having toured Titanic Belfast now a coupleof times since it opened, I have been struckpersonally by the ‘wow’ factor of the buildingitself and also by the sense of history –standing at what was the hub of world shipbuildingin the nineteenth century.A massive £4+ million promotional drive isunder way right now around the world,highlighting Titanic Belfast and the city’sfamous maritime story to people everywhere.We estimate that Tourism Ireland promotionsfor ni2012 will reach over 100 million peoplethis year.We believe that ni2012 presents a once-in-alifetimeopportunity to change perceptions, toshowcase the new and vibrant NorthernIreland around the globe and to position it as a‘must see’ destination both for leisure andbusiness travellers.Our £4+ million programme is the mostextensive marketing drive ever undertaken forNorthern Ireland and I have had inquiries fromGreat Britain, the US and around the worldfrom business contacts who intend to visitNorthern Ireland this year for the Irish Open orto take in Titanic Belfast.Spreading the wordIn Great Britain alone, advertising forNorthern Ireland will reach 70 per cent of theentire population, 15 times during 2012. Inrecent weeks, people around GB have beenbombarded with images of Titanic Belfast andNorthern Ireland – on the Londonunderground, in cinemas and on TV, radio,online, in newspapers and magazines.Tourism Ireland has invited hundreds ofjournalists from all over the world to come toA Titanic opportunity to raiseNorthern Ireland’s profilearound the worldBrian Ambrose, chairman of Tourism Ireland, discusses the importance of theTitanic centenary celebrations in achieving tourism growth for Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland and visit Titanic Belfast. In therun-up to the opening, a number of highprofile travel writers and TV crews enjoyed‘hard hat’ tours of the attraction and othershave been here for the commemoration.Earlier this month, a documentary on Titanicwas beamed into a massive 80 millionAmerican homes via US public broadcastingtelevision service PBS.The crew from National Geographic Televisionin BelfastGoing global onlineDynamic digital campaigns are also animportant part of Tourism Ireland’s ni2012promotions. Titanic-specific ads are targetingpotential visitors on key travel and lifestylewebsites. In the US alone, close to 1.7 millionpotential holidaymakers will see NorthernIreland advertising online this spring.Tourism Ireland’s dedicated Titanic tourismwebsite – www.the-titanic.com – is targetingpeople searching online, who may previouslyhave been unaware of the links between thefamous ship and Northern Ireland. The siteprofiles Northern Ireland and its shipbuildingheritage and is building awareness of theassociation between Titanic and Belfast.Activity on social networking sites is alsobeing harnessed to maximise the messaging ofour ni2012 and Titanic campaigns this year –we now have close to 700,000 fans worldwideon all our Facebook pages.On the ground, there is a sense of growingoptimism amongst members of the tourismindustry here in Northern Ireland and I havetalked with local hoteliers who are positiveabout bookings for the summer season ahead.Through extensive advertising, publicity anddedicated digital campaigns, Tourism Ireland isgetting the message out there that the Titanicstory was born in Belfast.Our Titanic promotions are just part ofTourism Ireland’s overall ni2012 programme.We are telling people around the world that –with the opening of Titanic Belfast and thenew Giant’s Causeway Centre, the Irish Opentaking place at Royal Portrush and the PeaceOne Day Concert in Londonderry – there hasnever been a better year to ‘Jump intoNorthern Ireland.’www.businessfirstonline.co.uk20

CommentaryEight years ago I began a relationship withNorthern Ireland. I choose my wordscarefully because what started as aninteresting assignment has turned into apassionate belief in what Ireland canaccomplish.In 2004, I was vice provost forentrepreneurship and global management atBabson College. We were ranked the bestentrepreneurship curriculum in the U.S. Weaspired to be the best in the world. Thereforewe approached universities around the worldto build teaching, research and outreachalliances.That is when I met Mark Durkin and PauricMcGowan at the University of Ulster. They arekindred spirits in the belief thatentrepreneurial behavior and outcomes arethe cornerstone of a free and growing culture.March marked the latest in a number ofvisits to Northern Ireland, and on severaloccasions I also have hosted my UUcolleagues in the U.S.Now, as the president of PhiladelphiaUniversity, I am engaged in a type ofeducational entrepreneurship. I actively investin start-ups and serve as a director of anumber of commercial and not-for-profitorganizations.My professional titles include universitypresident, member of the board of directors,writer, professor, stockholder and advisor. Butmy role is always as entrepreneur.True to form, my colleagues and friends atUU organized a diverse and busy scheduleduring my visit. I spoke to an MBA class, as arespondent to Dr. Durkin’s inauguralprofessorial lecture, to community service andgovernment groups, nascent entrepreneurs,small-to-medium enterprise owners andfaculty members.It’s a time for entrepreneurshipIn interviews I suggested that now, morethan ever, is a time for entrepreneurship. Therecession has dragged on. Business failure,downsizing, and mergers and acquisitionshave winnowed the competition.Surviving businesses have made severe cutsin expense and are narrow to the bone. Buteven in the midst of great uncertainty, there islight.The U.S. is showing signs of economicupturn and banking health. Housing pricesare stabilizing. Efficient, newly trimmedbusiness models are better prepared for scale.The labor market is hungry to participate andeager to be productive. Governments aremaking difficult choices that may provide amore stable macro-economic platform.Importantly, businesses have amassed largestockpiles of cash reserves to defend againstharsh times.That cash must eventually be put to use orsuffer from a lack of return. One of thereporters who interviewed me quoted a CEOas saying, ,“Cash that doesn’t provide return isnothing more than expense.”The setting is right for investmentBusinesses that are started today have theadvantage of the lowest cost structures in adecade. If I am correct, they may also benefitfrom a positive economic trend. But I am nottotally naïve. Tough times make start up veryrisky. How can Northern Ireland maximize thisunique time to promulgate more start-ups andfaster small-to-medium enterprise growth?Northern Ireland,entrepreneurship and acoalition of the willingby Stephen Spinelli, Jr., Ph.D., president, Philadelphia UniversityA unique aspect of my growing relationshipwith Northern Irish entrepreneurship is ahealthy relationship among entrepreneurs,universities and the government.The lines of communication are manyand often used. There is a rock-solidbelief in entrepreneurship as animportant ingredient of thecommunity’s economic health. Thereis a growing belief that outcomes areat least as important (if not more so) asprocess. There are the makings of anentrepreneurship eco-system, but stillI think there may be some importantmissing components.First, the government is seen by many to bethe first avenue for capitalization of the smallbusiness. Many entrepreneurs in the U.S. seekgovernment funding, but few rely on thegovernment as the “go, no-go” arbiter of startupfeasibility. The classic capital food chain inNorthern Ireland needs to be fostered.Friends and family provide a vast majority ofearly money to entrepreneurs around theworld. “Angel” investors are the nextsignificant source, followed by banks, venturecapital and public market money.Large companies play a significant rolethroughout the start-up funding process.Many of the entrepreneurs I spoke with inIreland mention government first and bankssecond.Public policy should support and encouragecapital formation, but Ireland must getbeyond a culture of “grant-preneurship” tofoster the kind of sustainableentrepreneurship eco-system it is capable of.Second, the eco-system seems to be linearand hierarchical. Quasi-governmentalcommunity organizations counseling,universities providing knowledge support andgovernments making grants align in almost arote pattern.Again, I see a wonderful capacity forcommunications and support. Customers,vendors, investors and others are adjunctinstead of intimate in this process.A more robust entrepreneurship eco-systemmight embrace the variety of players early inthe process, creating multiple roles for actorsin the system: angel investors becomeadvisors, suppliers become investors anduniversities provide a variety of human capital.I have found that the linear model inhibitsthe kind of nimble adjustments necessary innew venture creation and growth. Ecosystemsallow the entrepreneur to moveamong the stakeholder groups, drawing onthe expertise required in a just-in-time world.While my impressions of a linear NorthernIrish system may be wrong, I know a morerobust collaboration of entrepreneur,community, government and university canbe fostered.With the ingredients so well aligned and theaspiration so clear, the time forentrepreneurship in Northern Ireland is nowmore than ever.22 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Ulster BusinessSchool studentstop UK examresults in financeDenis O’Brien – KeynoteSpeaker at FPM/UlsterBusiness School leadershiptalkThe University of Ulster’s Business school iscelebrating double success as two of its financestudents have out-performed over 4,000 othercandidates across the UK in the CharteredInstitute for Securities and Investment’s (CISI)professional examinations. Mark McCoy fromNorth Belfast and Jonathan McAdam fromGreenisland, sat the external exams followingcompletion of the Ulster Business School’srecently introduced Graduate DevelopmentProgramme in Financial Services.Professor of Finance and Investment, PhilipHamill, who developed the programmeexplained: “The financial services sector isincreasingly seeking to employ graduates whohave the demonstrable skill sets to meet industryneeds. As a centre of excellence in the provisionof finance and accounting education, the UlsterBusiness School has taken the lead in deliveringthis bespoke course which is funded by theDepartment for Employment and Learning underits Assured Skills programme.”“In essence, the Graduate DevelopmentProgramme in Financial Services is an intensiveprogramme comprising three modules includingsecurities and investment, financial regulation,and global securities operations. Successfullycompleting the three modules leads to the awardof the CISI’s Investment Operations Certificateand professional membership of the Institutewhich is regarded as a must-have benchmarkqualification for many employers in the financialservices sector.”Professor Hamill continued, “By working inpartnership with DEL, Invest NI and CISI we arepractically implementing the corerecommendations of the Barnett Review andskilling up graduates with appropriatequalifications who can contribute positively toeconomic growth and help attract inwardinvestment. So it’s a win win situation foreveryone involved and Mark and Jonathan are tobe congratulated for their outstanding successwhich has been recognised at a national level.”One of the prize winners, Mark McCoy,commented, “the Graduate Diploma in FinancialServices is a wonderful programme that providesan opportunity for graduates like myself to fasttrack and gain the industry standard qualificationin Financial Services that makes us highlyemployable”. His fellow prize winner JonathanMcAdam is now working in the office of thePermanent Secretary in the Department ofAgriculture and Rural Development.Professor Alastair Adair, provost and pro-vice-chancellor, University of Ulster, FeargalMcCormack, managing partner, FPM Accountants, professor Marie McHugh, dean, UlsterBusiness School, Denis O’Brien, Gerry Kelly, professor Richard Barnett, vice-chancellor,University of UlsterDenis O’Brien was the Keynote Speaker atthe FPM 20th Anniversary Leadership Talk,held as part of the Management LeadershipNetwork, Management Month initiative inassociation with the Ulster Business School, atthe University of Ulster, Belfast Campus.Mr O’Brien, one of the world’s leadingentrepreneurs with extensive investmentsacross several sectors, is a serial investorrenowned for his ability to invest in difficultand often unstable developing countries.O’Brien suggested his business model in thesemarkets is simple – more for less, with hisgroup typically going head-to-head with stateowned companies or market leaders, andovertaking their market share within two years,by offering better networks, better service andlower prices.It was very evident as he talked tobroadcaster Gerry Kelly, that Denis O’Brien is aunique individual, whose impatiententrepreneurial drive is balanced by a deepseated belief in helping people in lessfortunate situations.His commitment to help people lessfortunate than himself, such as SpecialOlympics Ireland, was illustrated throughoutthe Talk and is currently manifest in Haiti,where he has pledged $5m of his personalmoney in aid following the 2010 earthquake.A strong sense of social conscience hasresulted in O’Brien overseeing the opening ofover 50 schools in Haiti since the earthquake.Rather than retreating from the earthquakezone, he and his business interests have spentclose to $250m since the event, on furtherbusiness investment in the region.Speaking at the event, which attracted a “fullhouse”, FPM’s managing partner, Feargal23McCormack stated, that Denis’sentrepreneurial experiences, vision and views,which were shared during a par excellencechat with Gerry Kelly, were inspirational, andthat he was confident that the Denis O’BrienLeadership Talk, would provide stimulus forthe creation of further significant economicand social capital growth.Reviewing the FPM life journey, over thepast 20 years, McCormack, a Visiting Professor,at the Ulster Business School, stated that theFPM brand was associated with a desire “toserve and care”, to deliver service excellence.He added that FPM’s motivation as trustedbusiness advisors, was to help others to win,and therefore achieve their dreams and qualityof life aspirations.Professor Marie McHugh, dean of the UlsterBusiness School at University of Ulster stated,“we were delighted to work with professorFeargal McCormack and his team at FPM inorganising this special event to celebrate 20years of excellent achievement at theCompany. As a Business School that iscommitted to developing the entrepreneurialflair, business, management and leadershipskills of its students, it was an honour towelcome such an inspirational figure as DenisO’Brien to the Ulster Business School to sharewith us his thoughts on his approach tobusiness.”www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Business First meetsJonathan Finlay, managing partner KWM Financial Management and David Lamb, managing director St. James’s Place Wealth ManagementKWM joins St. James’s Place Wealth ManagementJonathan Finlay, managing partner at KWMFinancial Management LLP, welcomedSt. James’s Place's managing director DavidLamb to the Merchant Hotel to announce theirrecently confimed collaboration.With over 16 years’ experience in thefinancial services industry, Jonathan brings awealth of knowledge to the new venture – andan enthusiasm that hasn't diminished despitethe obvious challenges of the past couple ofyears.Most recently financial director at Kellandswhere he helped build a successful business,Jonathan has accepted an invitation to joinSt. James's Place allowing he and his clients toexperience the niche investment approach andclient service which is a hallmark of St. James'sPlace.“This collaboration means that KWM is nowable to provide bespoke quality advice to ourclients. We believe in developing a soundrelationship with each of our clients, ensuringthat their financial plans are reviewed in lightof any changes to their circumstances,”Jonathan told Business First.“KWM Financial Management LLP wasdelighted to accept an invitation to become aPartner Practice of St. James's Place WealthManagement.“We both believe in the need to provideclients with a quality, tailored and effectivesuite of financial advice.“Nobody needs to be told about the volatilityof investment markets at the moment, so it'simperative that we consider the changingfinancial circumstances of our clients and theirneeds. And that close relationship with ourclients is what sets us apart.”The core principle driving KWM FinancialManagement LLP is providing suitable adviceon iinvestment propositions, pensions, preandpost-retirement planning, protection andestate planning and in the process developand maintain meaningful relationships withtheir clients.Speaking to Business First just beforeaddressing over 100 of Northern Ireland's highworthindividuals at the Merchant Hotel, DavidLamb, managing director at St. James's PlaceWealth Management explained that membersare called Partners in recognition of theircommon purpose and shared values and workfrom a network of offices across the UK.“Just like Jonathan, Partners have on averagewww.businessfirstonline.co.uk24

AboutSt. James's PlaceWealthManagementJonathan Finlay, managing partner KWM17 years' experience in financial servicesand individuals who are invited to join thePartnership are drawn from the smallproportion of financial advisers working inthe UK today who meet our selectioncriteria.“KWM clients can rest assured that ourtraining and quality control procedures areequally strict and our monitoringprocedure confirms that levels ofsatisfaction are exceptionally high.”And the St. James's Place Guarantee addsan extra level of confidence for clients.“St. James's Place guarantees thesuitability of the advice given by Partnerswhen recommending any of the wealthmanagement products and servicesavailable from companies in the group.That guarantee is a result not only of thetraining we invest in our Partners, but alsoour distinctive approach to investmentmanagement.“St. James's Place recognises that nosingle investment house has a monopolyon investment expertise. That's whySt. James's Place doesn't employ in-houseinvestment managers; instead theycarefully select a number of externalmanagers of outstanding ability to managetheir range of funds.”As a result of this policy, Jonathan and histeam can call on a selection of first-classmanagers from the global investmentmarket to manage funds on behalf ofclients. And as the investment committeeconstantly monitors the effectiveness ofeach fund manager, they can be changedat short notice if confidence is lost in them,without any charges, tax, or inconvenienceto clients.“This provides our clients a realopportunity to diversify their investmentsby spreading their money across fundsmanaged by different managers withdifferent styles,” David added.Jonathan believes the collaboration withSt. James's Place gives him the flexibilityKWM needs to meet the differing needs ofa wide range of clients. “We are able toprovide advice on many aspects of wealthmanagement, helping individuals of widelydiffering financial resources or life stages,”he said.“We are also able to assist businesses inthe increasingly complex area of corporatefinancial planning, from pensions throughto insuring against the loss of a keydirector.”A native of Belfast, Jonathan is marriedand has a lively young son who may welleventually challenge his father’s golfhandicap.Jonathan is joined by Denis Light andSusan Wilson as advisers and supported byMargaret Brown and Ellen Robinson inadministration of the firm who combinedhave over 60 years experience betweenthem.Client Testimonial"Jonathan Finlay has been my FinancialAdviser for the past three years. Jonathan'sadvice and professionalism have been, andcontinue to be, outstanding.He has advised and assisted me in atrustworthy manner ensuring the rightspread of investments have been selectedto provide for my future needs."Niall McGinn (Professional Footballer)KWM Financial Management LLP3rd Floor212-218 Upper Newtownards RoadBelfast BT4 3ETTel: 028 9067 2359Fax: 028 9065 1288Mobile: 07967 635296St. James's Place plc was founded in 1991 under thename of the J. Rothschild Assurance Group by MikeWilson, Sir Mark Weinberg and Lord Rothschild and is aprovider of a wide and growing range of financialservices of outstanding quality.Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the companyhas grown strongly and consistently with funds undermanagement now amounting to £28.5 billion.The company is made up of the following areas: St. James's Place UK plc, the UK based lifeassurance company St. James's Place International based in Dublin St. James's Place Unit Trust GroupSt. James's Place GuaranteeSt. James's Place guarantees the suitability of theadvice given by members of the St. James's PlacePartnership when recommending any of the wealthmanagement products and services available fromcompanies in the group.The Partner Practice represents only St. James'sPlace Wealth Management plc (which is authorisedand regulated by the Financial Services Authority)for the purpose of advising solely on the Group'swealth management products and services, moredetails of which are set out on the Group'swebsite www.sjp.co.uk/products. The `St. James'sPlace Partnership' and the titles `Partner' and`Partner Practice' are marketing terms used todescribe St. James's Place representatives.25

60% of businesses neverrecover from fireThe Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service have made Fire Risk Assessments a legal obligation for all non-domestic premises,putting responsibility in your hands. Safe guard your business from fire is by putting a Fire Risk Assessment in place.by Eugene Murray, Fire Risk Assessor at Fire Risk N.I.Gone are the days of a lonely fireextinguisher, idly propping open anoffice door, offering sufficientcompliance with fire safety procedures. The15th November 2010 marked a shift inrationale in how we protect ourselves, ouremployees and our properties from thedangers of fire in the workplace.The change in legislation shines a spotlighton business owners, commercial tenants,employers and anyone with a degree ofcontrol over a non-domestic property (sodeemed the responsible person) to adopt aproactive ethos towards mitigating the risk offire and the likelihood of that risk becoming areality.As such, those with responsibility for a nondomesticproperty are now required by law tohave a fire risk assessment conducted by acompetent person. If you employ five or moreemployees, or require a licence or registration,you are required to record the significantfindings of the assessment in a writtendocument, along with the actions which havebeen taken to combat the risk.There is no set format which a riskassessment should follow. There are, however,a number of key considerations that need tobe taken into account when carrying out theassessment in order for it to be deemedsuitable and sufficient.These can be broken down into fivesteps:1. Identify the hazards.2. Identify the people at risk.3. Evaluate, remove, reduce and protectfrom risk.4. Record, plan, instruct, inform and train5. Review – the NIFRS have advised on ayearly review.The NIFRS are not taking the change inlegislation lightly, nor are they complacent inassessing the compliance of those affectedpremises. The NIFRS withhold the right toenter any premises to inspect whole or part ofthe premises, with no prior notice required tobe given: the overarching aim being to assesscompliance with their legal obligations.Should a premise be found presenting asignificant risk to life, the NIFRS can serve a 21day notice, during which time the responsibleperson has 21 days to rectify any area ofincompliance with legislation; failure to do somay lead to Court action, penal fines or thetemporary closure of the business.Following a fire incident, a fire riskassessment will form part of your ‘Proof ofDuty of Care’ and contribute to an evidentialdefence in the case of a HSE post fire incidentinvestigation. Ultimately what this may meanis; should you ignore your responsibilities tocarry out a fire risk assessment, your lossadjuster may conclude that you are notentitled to a full damages recovery settlement.Business owners and directors of LimitedCompanies will be liable to CriminalProsecution where fatal injury occurs due tothe organisations gross breach of a relevantDuty of Care to the deceased. Senior level staffmust take proper steps to meet their existingLegal Duty of Care to protect the safety of thepeople they employ or otherwise owe a dutyof care to.The philosophy that ‘if something isn’tbroken, don’t fix it’ could not hold less truthwhen considering fire safety. The harsh realityof fire is that it only takes one incident to occurto result in significant damage caused toproperty or significant harm caused to anemployee or a client. A proactive and aregularly reviewed approach to fire safety is apositive step towards reducing the risk of a fireincident occurring.Be safe, be fire risk assessed.Fire Risk N.I.Filor Building – Twin Spires Centre155 Northumberland StreetBelfast, BT13 2JFTelephone: 028 9031 1002Email: eugene@fireriskni.com27 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

PlanningPlanning one of the largest waterfronturban regeneration schemes in EuropeThe Titanic Quarter, BelfastOne of the largest waterfront, urbanregeneration projects in Europe, the TitanicQuarter’s masterplan includes a FinancialServices Centre, offices, hotels, residential unitsand live/work units as well as commercial,leisure, education, local retail and R&D space.Boosting Belfast’s economy and skyline, over2,000 people in 80 companies already work onthe peninsula with over 10,000 residents and20,000 new jobs anticipated upon completion.The Turley Associates’ Belfast team is proudof its work in helping to bring reality to thevision of this major regeneration project. Theformer shipbuilding site at Belfast Harbour wasrenamed Titanic Quarter in 2003 when Dublinbased developer, Harcourt Developments,bought the development rights to the sitefrom the Belfast Harbour Commissioners. Sincethen Turley Associates has been retained asplanners and contributed as masterplanners forthe new company - Titanic Quarter Ltd.From the beginningInitially we prepared the DevelopmentFramework for the entire 75ha site, which waseventually agreed by DoE Planning. We thentook part in the Belfast Metropolitan Area PlanPublic Inquiry to ensure that draft zonings forTitanic Quarter were amended. We alsoobtained early approvals for majordevelopment in Phase 1 – mainly residential,leisure and offices. Following our strategicadvice, a Titanic Quarter Steering Grouprepresenting a wide range of stakeholders wasset up in 2004.Collaborating to achieve two majormasterplansAlongside Civic Arts, internationalmasterplanners, we progressed two majormasterplans for Phases II and III (20 and 18 hasites respectively). We obtained appropriatelyconditioned permissions for these majoroutline and full planning applications. Theseapplications contained associated DesignStatements and Environmental ImpactAssessments which dealt with a wide range ofissues including flood risk, contamination,archaeology and visual impact.In total we have obtained planning approvalfor some 30 developments within the firstthree phases of TQ (outline, full and reservedmatters applications). We have also securedappropriate listed building and scheduledmonuments consents. Each block had its ownproject architect at reserved matters stage andour role was to co-ordinate the design teamsand application packages.To date, a number of major buildings havebeen constructed within Phases I and IIincluding residential blocks, a Gateway OfficeBuilding (anchored by Citi Group), a new PublicRecords Office, the new Belfast MetropolitanCollege campus and the recently completedTitanic Belfast building (see above).Titanic Belfast – Belfast’s largest evertourism projectAfter opening in April 2012, it is predictedthat 400,000 people per year will visit theTitanic Belfast. This iconic £97m buildingcommemorates the shipbuilding industry andthe centenary of the first fateful voyage of theship. Designed by Civic Arts and ToddArchitects, this major feat of constructionrepresents in plan form the White Star Linewhich was the parent company that ownedthe Titanic, Britannic and Olympic ships.Our role was to obtain all planningpermissions, and to discharge and make anyamendments to the conditions that werenecessary to ensure the building opened ontime.And the wider public realmBeyond the Titanic Belfast building itself,Turley Associates also submitted applicationsfor the public realm around the building –Titanic Place – and the pavilions on that space.The route of the Titanic which left Belfast to goon to Cork (via Southampton) beforeembarking on the doomed journey across theAtlantic forms part of the public realmsurrounding the building – which can beviewed from the upper levels.Adjacent to the building lie the Titanic andOlympic Slipways from which the ship wasinitially launched. We received planningapproval and scheduled monument consentfor plans for this space which is three times thesize of Trafalgar Square.We worked closely with the architect to ensurethat NIEA: Historic Monuments Unit was satisfiedwith the restoration plans including a memorialto all those who died on the ship. The multifunctionalopen space will be used for outdoorevents the first of which was when MTVpresented “Titanic Sounds”.Looking to the futureWhilst the recession has caused somerethinking of the phasing of development anddelayed some new building starts, optimismabout the future of this mixed use new urbanquarter remains high. There are current plans fornew film studios and other employment uses.We are continuing to work with TitanicQuarter Ltd to ensure that this new quartermaintains its high quality and is developed outas a coherent piece of the city over the nexttwo decades.Diana FitzsimonsPlanning DirectorTel 02890897400E mail: dfitzsimons@turleyassociates.co.ukBrian KellyAssociate DirectorE mail: bkelly@turleyassociates.co.ukSheila RodgersSenior PlannerE mail: srodgers@turleyassociates.co.ukwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk28

It’s not too late toSpring into action &save someone’s lifeHow many of us will have had that cigarette, taken that mid-weekdrink and not moved from the couch anywhere near the door let alonethe gym. Time to make a new, really worthwhile and easily achievableresolution – give blood.Paul McElkerney a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland BloodTransfusion said, “Enrol now to give blood and for someone else, it willbe the best decision you will make all year. Literally speaking withinthree to four days of your donation you will save someone’s life.’’The person receiving your blood could be a child with leukaemia, amother during childbirth, someone undergoing routine surgery or, aperson with cancer. In Northern Ireland there are 500 patients whoreceive blood each and every week.Donating blood is so easy, does not hurt and is perfectly safe. Usually ittakes around 45 minutes and that includes the registration, donation, restand refreshment. It only takes 45 minutes of your time to savesomeone’s life and you will feel good!To enrol as a first time blood donor you must be between 17 and 65years of age. Most people will be eligible to donate.If you think your business or organisation can help, the NorthernIreland Blood Transfusion Service would be delighted to hear from you.Anyone needing further information can call the Northern IrelandBlood Transfusion Service on 0500 534 666, visit their websitewww.nibts.org or text blood to enrol to 60081 but please do it now.Europe on your doorstep - sunny summerschedule commences at Belfast City AirportBelfast has quickly become the touristdestination of 2012.A series of world class events co-ordinated byNorthern Ireland Tourist Board and TourismIreland in close partnerships with our localcouncils have ensured Northern Ireland is morethan ready to show Europe, and the rest of theworld, what it has to offer.Joining in the ‘NI2012 Our time, our place’festivities, George Best Belfast City Airport hashad some celebrations of its own.Direct European flights!Last year the airport launched a year roundservice to Amsterdam, a winter route to Genevaand several sunshine destinations across Europe,all operated by low cost airline bmibaby.April 2012 saw the first sunshine routes takeflight with passengers jetting off to Palma, Faro,Alicante and Malaga.An additional 2 Mediterranean destinationswill complete the airline’s summer schedulefrom the airport - Flights to Ibiza commence inMay and to Mahon in June.Katy Best, commercial and marketing directorBelfast City Airport said: “2012 looks set to be avery successful year for tourism and I amconfident the range of flights on offer at BelfastCity Airport, the frequency and the value will bevery appealing to tourists keen on joining theNI2012 celebrations.“It has long been our publicly stated ambitionto offer direct European services and we’redelighted to be welcoming European visitors toBelfast courtesy of our airline partner bmibaby.“A private investment of £15 million by ourshareholders in the last four years has delivered aterminal and facilities that are the envy of manyand a gateway that Northern Ireland can bejustifiably proud.“We will continue to invest in enhancing thecustomer experience and look forward towelcoming the many tourists from acrossEurope over the coming years.”Giant postcards of each of the four newdestinations were installed and displayed in theairport to get passengers in the holiday spirit!Flights to Alicante, Palma, Faro and Alicanteare operated at least three times a week and canbe booked from as little as £44.99 one wayincluding taxes.To book please visit www.bmibaby.com orchoose from a range of great value breaks atwww.bmibabyholidays.com Each holiday is fullyATOL protected, there are no debit card fees andcan be secured with low deposits.A full list of destinations served by Belfast CityAirport can be found atwww.belfastcityairport.comFacebook: belfastcityairportTwitter: @belfastcity_airKatrina McDonnell is pictured in Belfast City Airport with the giant postcards to celebrate thelaunch of the new sunshine destinations.29www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

CommentarySocial Media return on investment?by Ruan O Tiarnaigh WsiOnlineGuru looks at how to track and analyse your social mediaand at the end of the day prove the ROI.So for quite a while now social media hasbeen the of predominanttopic in the worldof digital marketing, but actuallyestablishing the relationship between the effortand its financialreturn has been tricky at best,but thanks to some novel modifications in the‘Big G’s’ analytics, this has now been mademuch simpler.This is a very significant issue and so I intendto go into a bit of detail, but it is quite straightforward really.First of all, you must be using Google’sanalytics on your site. If not please give yourselfa good shake and get this done immediately. Itis free, very powerful and your first step tounderstanding how effective your web site isand how to go about improving it byexamining how users interact with your site.For those who have analytics but don’t checkthe results at least monthly, you are ignoring avaluable tool in your armoury. Analytics will tellyou where your visitors are coming from, whatthey do on your site, what they like, and moreimportantly what they don’t like. It really is the‘What is going on?’ tool. The ‘Why?’, well that’sa different question, but at least you can startthat conversation with some information.Ok, so you have analytics and you look at theresults regularly, but you have been typingtweets until your finger tips are tender,friending followers on Facebook until you areblue in the face and linking with everyone youhave ever liked on LinkedIn, but what isworking and how can you tell?Google have now provided a facility to create‘Advanced segments’, whereby you can definea filter for all the records and separate out thedifferent sources, but link those which arecommon so as to give a true and accuratereflection of what is happening.A good example of this is the analysis ofTwittter. Because of the different formatscontent in Tweets, as well as the different toolswhich people use to access Twitter the filter tobe accurate must include terms ‘twitter.com’,‘m.twitter’, ‘t.co’, ‘hootsuite’, ‘tweetdeck’, ‘ow.ly’,‘bit.ly’ and others.The advances segments facility provides asimple interface to create these segments andthen compare them with each other and sogauge exactly where visitors are coming from,which channels are proving most effective andestablish the ROI.For a more comprehensive description ofhow to do this, please visit www.gurunetworks.comWhat, there’s more?In a further advance Big G have announced amove to better measure online advertising,they hope to introduce an industry standardand is dubbed ‘Brand Activate’.Two components named ‘Active View’ and‘Active GRP’have been introduced.View Active will count a ‘viewed’ impressionas one that ‘is at least 50 per cent viewable onthe screen for at least one second’.Active GRP is an attempt to mimic the GrossRating Point a commonly used metric intelevision industry to estimate how manypeople have seen a given advert. Active GRP isa digital version which will allow advertisersreact to the results in real-time thus providingthe ‘Active’ component.The effect will, it is hoped in Google circles,make advertisers feel more comfortableallocating more money to online advertising.Whilst sceptics may liken this to persuadingturkeys to like the taste of cranberries, in realityfor those who use online advertising to drivetheir sales the additional information will bevery useful.For more information just ask Google.New Productivity Tool: TrackySpinning out of the Microsoft Bizsparkprogram, Tracky is an application for planningcollaborating and getting tasks done. Itfacilitates goals, news, tasks and progress ontoTwitter, Facebook and Pinterest.The Tacky view of the world is that theInternet is an oversaturated place where peopleat work are overloaded with applications andtasks. The Tracky solution is to cut out thenumber of inboxes, social networks and appspeople use by providing a social collaborationplatform which can also be used to push dataout. Users can work privately, in groups orpublically. As well as a desktop applicationTracky is also available for iPhone, otherplatforms to follow soon. Check it out athttp://tracky.comViewers preferencesMost popular screen resolution on the webis… 1366 x 768. 1024x768 has finally beenknocked off its perch after many years. Time tohave your website re-sized to work best for thisformat and realise the best use of this screensize. And while you are at it… an m.sitenamemight be a useful addition to your online realestate.Goodbye to old friendsTwo year countdown to demise of WindowsXP and Office 2003 announced by Microsoft.Support for both end in April 2014.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk30

TransportLocal business gets TaxSmartBusinesses opt for cost-effective employee bus travel schemeMore businesses across Northern Ireland areturning to an innovative annual bus travel cardscheme to help their employees save money.Translink’s TaxSmart Travelcard is availablethrough an employer salary sacrifice schemeand enables commuters to save money onboth Income Tax and National Insurancecontributions by paying for bus travel directlyfrom their salary.This can mean savings of up to 32% on thecost of annual bus travel for Metro andUlsterbus.Translink is encouraging the wider businesssector to think more about how publictransport can benefit their workforce, bysignificantly reducing the cost of the dailycommute, as well as helping to meet corporateenvironmental objectives by reducingcompany carbon footprints.Translink Group Chief Executive CatherineMason says TaxSmart is part of an ongoingprogramme to provide customers withconvenient and cost-effective travel solutionsmaking greener travel more accessible andattractive:“With three types of TaxSmart card availableproviding unlimited travel for specific journeysbetween home and work, this card offers reallygreat value and is easy to use.“Both large and small private and publicsector businesses here are already benefitingfrom TaxSmart and we hope that many morewill get on board and promote moresustainable travel options to their employeesas the modern, healthy way to travel.“TaxSmart cards offer the best value forcustomers using bus services most of theworking week and can also be used byemployees at the weekend. The scheme canbe joined at any point throughout the year sowe would encourage commuters to considerTaxSmart now especially with soaring carrunning costs.”Glen Burgess, Allstate Northern Ireland, saysTaxSmart fits the company’s focus onimproving employee benefits and promotinggreen issues:“TaxSmart has proven very popular and oversixty employees have joined in less than a year.It is projected that our employees will save anaverage of £441 per annum on their travel towork compared with a monthly ticket option.In addition, Allstate NI expects to save over£5000 per annum in employer nationalinsurance contributions from the salarysacrifices.“Many of the scheme participants have nowgiven up their car in favour of the bus due tothe savings offered. They can now leave the carat home, save on petrol, wear and tear and citycentre car parking costs.“Any reduction in car travel in favour ofpublic transport will help the environment andAllstate NI’s green credentials. I wouldrecommend TaxSmart to any employer as anemployee benefit that pays for itself, savesemployees money and promotes sustainabletransport.”As well as saving money and theenvironment, TaxSmart offers people a rangeof other benefits including: card cost spreadover 12 direct monthly salary deductions; antifraudprevention as lost cards can be easily‘’hotlisted’ (electronically deactivated); abilityto take the bus and avoid the stress and cost ofdriving and car-parking.For further information clickwww.translink.co.uk/taxsmartor call 028 9066 6630.TaxSmart Saving Example:TaxSmart Card: Metro (any point to pointMetro journey e.g. Lisburn Rd to Stormont)Annual Bus Travel Cost £500TaxSmart Card Cost £345You pay monthly deductions of £28.75Weekly travel cost £7.84Total Yearly Saving £15531 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Employee wellbeingWhy responsiblebusiness makessense for smallbusinesses practiceby Susan Kinane, Business in the Community small firmschampion and manager, Business Markets, ElectricIrelandFor many large companies, it’s a tall enoughorder to prioritise corporate socialresponsibility during a recession whentheir biggest challenge is staying in business.But, what about smaller businesses whereresources are even more thinly stretched andfighting for survival on a daily basis is the mainfocus?Can SMEs be expected to focus theirenergies on achieving commercial success inways that honour ethical values and respectspeople, communities and the naturalenvironment and still survive the recession?While it is true that the corporate sector haslargely accepted responsible business as a keydriver of innovation, sustainability, socialcohesion and competitive advantage, smallerbusinesses are not typically any lessresponsible or sustainable in their businessbehavior.They may not know or use the term‘Corporate Responsibility’ but their closerelations with employees, the local communityand business partners often mean smallbusinesses have a naturally responsibleapproach to doing business.Small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs)form the backbone of the Northern Irelandeconomy, accounting for 98% of the totalnumber of businesses and employing 67% ofthe workforce. Even though as many as 95%employ fewer than 10 people, small businesseshave a significant impact both on the economyand on the environment and social fabric ofthe country.Some small businesses may feel that they aretoo small to make any difference or they don’thave enough time or resources. For others,responsible business practice may seem toobureaucratic or look like it would cost a lot ofmoney.However, a growing number of smallbusinesses have realised that the opposite istrue and that actively developing a culture ofresponsibility makes better business sense. Itcan actually save money and resources, even inthe short term, and the pay back can includeenhanced reputation, increased sales andbetter staff retention.A very real and measurable impact on thetriple bottom of people, profit, planet comesfrom attracting and retaining motivated andcommitted staff, improved reputation as asupplier, employer and partner of choice, andmake savings from energy and waste reductionis far from a waste of time and money.Smart companies, whatever their size, haveresponsible business embedded in their longtermbusiness strategy and built-in to their corevalues. It forms their values, informs all theirbusiness decisions, sets them apart from theircompetitors and increases their attractivenessto customers.The key to sustainable success is to getall staff fully engaged, to continuallymeasure achievements and to marketthe successes both internally andexternally.Business in the Community’s ‘MostResponsible Small Business 2011’ awardwinner, Parker Green International (PGI), candemonstrate a host of sustainable businessbenefits including winning the Irish NewsWorkplace and Employment ‘Right Place toWork’ Award in both 2009 and 2010. It’sEmployee Health & Wellbeing Policy resulted ina 50 per cent reduction in a staff absenteeism,it has reduced annual carbon footprint from airtravel from 6.09 to 1.76 tonnes of CO2 byincreased use of video conferencing and lastyear its staff, of only 37, engaged in over 500hours of volunteering; raising over £16,000 forcharity in the process. Parker GreenInternational’s premiere shopping centre andmixed use developments in both NI and theRoI have also earned PGI a reputation as achampion of sustainable commercialdevelopment.Ballymena-based, Electrical Training Trust(ETT), has recently identified over £10,000 ofcost savings over the past year with a staff ofonly 15 who have all actively engaged inimplementing initiatives to help reduce energyuse and wastage levels. “We started by initiallysetting up three staff groups responsible forpaper and waste, fuel and energy and suppliersand products,” explains Derek Thompson, CEOof ETT. “The groups were tasked withidentifying improvements, implementationplans and monitoring procedures and we cannow see the positive impacts through weeklyrecording of energy use, monthly reporting atstaff meetings and on-going objective setting.”At Business in the Community, ourConnections team has been working withSMEs for over two years now to help them seehow acting responsibly can bring enormousbenefits to their people, the planet and theplaces in which they operate.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk32

Business travelSouthend does the business for easyJet!All set to go before easyJet’s first flight from Belfast to London Southend were Ali Gayward, easyJet commercial manager, and Uel Hoey, business developmentdirector at Belfast International Airport.Business people have given a warmwelcome to easyJet’s new route from BelfastInternational Airport to London Southend.A hassle-free flight and journey through theSouthend terminal, and fast connections tothe City of London’s financial district, are keyingredients in the immediate success of theroute.There are two flights daily from Monday –Friday; one flight on Saturday; and two flightson Sunday. Flights are now on sale with faresfrom £20.99, one-way including taxes.The first phase of a multi-million poundterminal at London Southend Airport is nowopen, and a new train station is just aminute’s walk from the terminal.There are trains up to eight times everyhour. Central London (Liverpool Street) is justover 50 minutes away, and the journey timeto Stratford is only 40 minutes.Ali Gayward, easyJet commercial manager,said: “With flights already to Gatwick, Lutonand Stansted, the introduction of the LondonSouthend route means that easyJet nowoffers the best and most comprehensiveoptions for accessing all parts of London.“The airport is in a fantastic location justoutside the capital, and the fast rail links andfrequent trains to London will be appreciatedby both business and leisure travellers.“With easyJet as the main airline at theairport, there are minimal queues, and literallywithin minutes of landing passengers can beon the train to Central London. With nochanges and no interruptions, it’s a reallygreat train service.“We’ve been flying from Belfast for over 13years and we are delighted to haveintroduced a service that is highlighted byspeed and efficiency.”New route between Belfast and BirminghameasyJet, Northern Ireland’s largest airline,has announced a new route from BelfastInternational Airport to Birmingham Airport.The service will increase easyJet destinationsfrom Belfast International to 23 – equallingthe highest number of routes the airline hasoperated from the airport.The inaugural flight will take off fromBelfast International on 22 October - initially adaily service, and from 29 October willincrease to two flights a day on weekdays,and one on Saturdays and Sundays. The newroute reinforces easyJet’s commitment toNorthern Ireland and will see the airlineoperating all-year-round flights fromBirmingham to here for the first time.easyJet’s pledge is to make travel easy andaffordable, and this new route will help boostbusiness and leisure travel between the twocities. Flights to Birmingham are now on saleat easyJet.com, with fares starting from aslittle as £22.99 for a one-way ticket and £45.98for a return fare (incl. taxes).Ali Gayward, easyJet commercial manager,said: “We are delighted to be starting this newroute, which demonstrates easyJet’scommitment to the Northern Ireland travellingpublic, and reflects the growing demand forbusiness travel to and from Belfast.“Our schedule, with flights operating atpeak morning and evening times, also reflectsour continued focus on meeting the needs ofthe business traveller, as well as offeringleisure travellers affordable access to theMidlands.“In the past year alone easyJet has alsolaunched services to Manchester and, mostrecently, London Southend. Additionally, wewill, for the first time, be flying an Airbus 320aircraft (180 seats) from Belfast to leadingholiday sun spots during the peak summerperiod.”Access from Birmingham Airport toBirmingham International railway stationtakes less than two minutes, using the SkyRailtrain service that operates every two minutes.Birmingham International station offers directaccess to business centres throughout theregion.Travellers wishing to access the heart ofBirmingham will be able to do this easily witha 10-15 minute rail journey to New Streetstation.Ali Gayward added: “Birmingham also offersaccess to many attractions for leisuretravellers. Shakespeare Country, including hisbirthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, isconveniently located to Birmingham Airport.34“There is also a host of attractions in andaround Birmingham, from the NationalMotorcycle Museum, the City of BirminghamSymphony Orchestra and Premier Leaguefootball, to major events at the NEC (NationalExhibition Centre), and Christmas fairs.Uel Hoey, business development director atBelfast International Airport, said: “The newservice to Birmingham will be warmlywelcomed by the 500,000 people who travelfrom Northern Ireland to the GB Midlandsevery year. There are already easyJet flightsfrom Belfast to other major cities in Britain,and the addition of Birmingham now is thelast major piece in the jigsaw.“This is excellent news for BelfastInternational Airport, the local employmentmarket and the broader Northern Irelandeconomy."· easyJet has also announced that it isincreasing its flights on the Belfast toManchester route. There will be an extrathird flight on Mondays, Thursdays andFridays to meet growing passenger demand.The extra flights will start at the beginning ofthe airline’s winter schedule.

marketingconference2012.comNorthern IrelandSmall BusinessMarketing ConferenceLa Mon Hotel. May 17 2012. 9am - 5pmmarketingconference2012.comDee Blick FCIMBest-selling business author,Daily Mail columnist, BT andRoyal Mail blogger Dee bringsa track record of deliveringexceptional campaigns on ashoestring budget.Dr Vicky Kell Trade DirectorInvest NIVicky has a significant numberof years experience in bothprivate and public sector. Heraim is to facilitate thedevelopment of your businessby removing the mythsarosund exporting.Niall McKeown MD iONNiall is very much a 'hands on'Digital Marketing expert withskills in writing strategies thatlink with sales & businessgrowth. He speaks regularly forthe Digital Marketing Institute &E-Consultancy in the UK and &lectured at UofU.marketingconference2012is a wordworkseventYOUR CONFERENCE SCHEDULE08.45 Registration, Networking, Coffee & Exhibitions09.30 Welcome from Gavin Walker, Conference Chair09.45-10.50KEYNOTE SPEAKER:Dee Blick FCIM Chartered Marketer:Here’s how to generate sales from your marketing11.00 – 11.20 Networking Coffee Break & Exhibitions11.30 – 12.20WORKSHOP SESSIONS 112.30-13.20KEYNOTE SPEAKER -Dr Vicky Kell - Director of Trade, InvestNIYou can build your business with Export Marketing13.30- 14.10 Networking Lunch & Exhibitions14.15– 15.00KEYNOTE SPEAKERNiall McKeown, ION MarketingDigital Marketing comes of age15.15 – 16.00WORKSHOP SESSIONS 216.00-16.30 Networking Coffee Break & Exhibitions16.40 - 17.20PANEL DISCUSSION.Dee Blick, Vicky Kell, Niall McKeown answer yourquestions on the benefits of online v’s offline marketing17.20 Closing Remarks17.30 Soft Drink Networking Reception & Exhibitions36sponsored bysupported bymedia partnersbusinessfirstmagazinebusinessfirstonline

information and registrationmarketingconference2012.comyou bring your marketing questions - we’ll bring the answers• Knowledge• Networking• Exhibitions• WorkshopsPatricia Hynes, Bluefin SolutionsHow to maximise mobile marketingPaul Haslam, The Web Bureau -How to make ecommerce work for youColly Graham, salesxcellenceHow to sell when no one is buyingBill McCartney, Net4WiseOwls -How to harness the Power of Social MediaStephen McGrath, Weber Shandwick PRHow to guarantee profit from your PRNIcki Bury, Haybury MarketingHow to keep the love of a good clientRuan O Tiarnaigh WsiOnlineGuruHow to create the right marketing plan for youLearn more about your how-to workshop facilitators at www.marketingconference2012.com

MarketingSocial media marketing can be a realheadache. Should we be using socialmedia because ‘everyone else does’ orbecause it works? How often do you hearpeople say ‘marketing doesn’t work’ whenwhat they really mean is that they got itwrong: perhaps the product was wrong, or themessage or the channel used. There has beena rush to social media because some peoplethink “it’s free”.Nothing could be further from the truth. It’snot a ‘get out of jail free’ card for businesseswho cannot afford traditional communicationchannels. Social media marketing can be verylabour intensive, but also very rewarding. It’svery measurable, as long as you’re measuringthe right thing. And that’s the issue. Are yourmarketing staff keeping up-to-date?Just because they’re aged under 30 doesn’tmean they instinctively know how to usesocial media marketing. Indeed if you haddone a marketing degree just five years ago,Twitter would not have been on the syllabus.So businesses in Northern Ireland need toensure their staff members (and indeedexternal advisers) are maintaining theirprofessional development.While many predict that businesses willconsolidate their social media marketingstrategies in 2012, less than 10 per cent ofbusinesses believe that they have the optimalskills and competencies to implement itsuccessfully, according to The CharteredInstitute of Marketing’s survey, Social MediaBenchmark*.The survey** suggests that companies arestill struggling to manage social mediaeffectively. Indeed, one in five marketers saidthat their business is fundamentally illequippedto take advantage of social media.Worryingly, the survey also revealed that only aquarter of respondents are yet to establish anyplans for addressing the apparent lack ofcompetency in this crucial area.Almost a third of businesses surveyed abouttheir social media strategies said they are stilljust experimenting with each of the four majorplatforms – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube andLinkedIn – and are therefore not getting thebest value from them.The number of respondents from NorthernIreland was too small to provide statisticallysignificant results for the region, but anecdotalevidence suggests that the situation herecould be even worse. While many companieshere seek professional help to support theirmarketing and publicity function generally,worryingly they are happy to let an officejunior or a student manage their social mediapresence.It is perhaps not surprising that convincingsenior management of the value of socialmedia is proving to be a major challenge. Onlya third of businesses felt that seniormanagement really understands the role ofsocial media and why a particular platform isbeing used. LinkedIn achieved the highestlevel of management buy-in, with around athird of professionals understanding its useand value, perhaps because of the focusedand professional nature of this platform.However, 74 per cent of UK marketers saidthat the other three platforms are yet toachieve widespread understanding andrecognition at top levels.Skills gap is major barrierto driving value from socialmedia, according to newresearchby Richard Houdmont, director for Ireland,Chartered Institute of MarketingMy colleague Thomas Brown, head ofinsights at The Chartered Institute ofMarketing, said: “2012 is supposed to be theyear in which business use of social mediamatures, but these results show that we’re along way away from this at the moment.“A major concern is that only one third ofmarketers strongly believe that the socialmedia channels have potential as a tool tohelp their businesses grow – which issomewhat at odds with businesses’ growinginvestment. In times of economic turbulence,marketers will need to build a more robustrationale to justify long term investment inthese channels. In the coming year, businesseswill also need to address the widespread skillsgap that this survey has uncovered. The truesign of social media maturity in business willbe when it is treated as just another channel,with its own characteristics and skillsrequirements”.The next phase of the research is now liveand we really need your support to createdeeper insights into how businesses inNorthern Ireland are using and extractingvalue from social media.Key areas of investigation will include: socialmedia usage, investment and resourcing;digital capability, skills and talent; data, privacyand regulatory issues; social media listeningand monitoring and barriers to progress in2012.The online survey only takes 15 minutes onaverage to complete and is available atwww.cim-research.com/SMB.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk38

InfoTech by businessfirstyour guide to everything IT in northern irelandin association withsponsored by39 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Search marketing: increase online sales byunderstanding consumer behaviourDenise Cowan, Online Marketing Executive at The Web Bureau is responsible for managing Online Marketing campaigns for clients.Denise offers the following insights into consumer behaviour online and how businesses can use this knowledge to increase online sales.Selling online successfully involves applyingmany of the same principles as you do in atraditional shop environment. Any goodmarketing strategy requires you to understandconsumer behaviour, and in particular, themindset of your current and potentialcustomers. This article focuses on the following3 questions:1. To what extent do consumers purchaseonline?2. How do consumers find what they needor want online?3. How can search marketing help to increasesales?To what extent do consumers purchaseonline?Industry research is a good starting point toaid your understanding of consumer behaviouronline. The global 2012 Digital Influence Index,led by the Fleishman-Hillard digital researchgroup assessed the relative role and influence ofdifferent media in the lives of consumers,providing many statistics that traditional retailersand e-commerce shops can’t afford to ignore.For example:• The internet is the most common placepeople go to for advice, before family andfriends• 85 per cent of consumers use the Internet tohelp make decisions about goods and servicesrelated to their children, 75 per cent forhealthcare decisions, and 68 per cent on moneymatters• 51 per cent indicate that the Internet willinfluence their decisions more in the next twoyearsLeading search engine Google, also offersinsights into online search volumes and trendsvia their platform.• More than one billion users search on Googleevery week• Google handles more than 30,000 searchesper second• Search is a database of intentions and mostpeople are searching for needs, not brandsThe IMRG e-Retail Index provides usefulinformation about online retail trends in the UK:• The UK is Europe’s leading e-retail economyand experienced record online sales of £68bn in2011, a 16 per cent increase on 2010 - withpredictions of a further 13 per cent growth in2012 and estimated total e-retail sales of £77bnby the year end, there is little doubt thatconsumers will continue to buy online.• e-Retail now accounts for 17 per cent of totalretail sales in the UK• The UK has 52 million internet users, 37million of whom are internet shoppers• The top three sectors in 2010 were clothing;beer, wine and spirits; and health and beautyThese statistics make a compelling argumentfor creating an online shop.How do consumers find what they needor want online?The simple answer to this question is by usingSearch Engines:• 89 per cent of consumers use search engineswhen searching for information about a brandor product (Global 2012 Digital Influence Index)• Nearly 2/3 of consumers now use theirmobile/smartphones to obtain information onproducts, brands or destinations at least 3 to 4days a week (2012 Digital Influence Index)• 90.84 per cent of total searches take place onGoogle (Hitwise, April 2011)How can search marketing help toincrease sales?Two key aspects of Search Marketing includeSearch Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay PerClick Marketing (Google Adwords). SEO isessentially a long term strategy which focuseson building a sustainable online presence foryour business over time, whereas PPC involvespaying for instant visibility and traffic to yourwebsite.What both of these Search MarketingStrategies have in common is their ultimate goalis to generate visibility for your website withinthe search engine results pages to drive moretraffic to your website. This creates enormouspotential to boost your online sales.There are many facets to Search Marketingand Google’s algorithm, which it uses todetermine where it ranks each website in thesearch results changes frequently, but thestarting point for any business is to develop agood understanding of your customers’ onlinebehaviour.Undertaking detailed keyword research willenable you to identify the words and phrasesconsumers use most frequently to search foryour products and services online.This knowledge can then be applied to thedevelopment of your online marketingcampaigns.To find out more about E-commerce andSearch Marketing, come along to our e-commerce workshop at the Northern IrelandSmall Business Marketing Conference 2012,contact us on 028 9073 1190 or by email todenise@thewebbureau.comInfoTechwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk40

DATA EXPLOSION!by Scott McClenaghan, technical sales and marketing director at NitecEvery two days we create as muchinformation as we did from the dawn ofcivilisation up to 2003, so claimed thenGoogle CEO, Eric Schmidt, at the Techonomyconference in Lake Tahoe in August 2010. Justreflect on that statement for a moment…Now, it is fair to say that there is somedebate over the primary sources of thatparticular claim but there are plenty of otherequally incredible figures thrown around withsimilar effect. It is estimated that a total of fiveexabytes of data existed online in 2002. By2010, around 6.7 exabytes were being createdevery two days and that rate is accelerating. Itis generally believed that, globally, we need tostore double the amount of data every 18months.Of course, the explosion of data worldwideis primarily being driven by user-createdcontent; blogs, photo-sharing and videosharingwebsites. Indeed, more video isuploaded to YouTube in 60 days than wascreated by all three major US televisionnetworks in 60 years.It might seem like these concerns are farremoved from the typical SME but my ownexperience in the last year or two suggestsotherwise. I have been really struck by theburgeoning storage requirements of clients.Granted, businesses in some sectors seemworse affected than others but the generaltrend is certainly upward and at a frighteningpace.Consider a basic digital camera photo. Just afew years ago, a good compact camera wouldhave been expensive and might have had asensor of 2 megapixels (MP). All other thingsbeing equal, a typical smartphone will nowproduce a file 4-5x larger and a moderncompact camera produces files 7-8x larger.With digital photography capabilities in thehands of so many more employees and aprevailing attitude that it costs nothing toshoot 50 images of a new site rather than five“just to be safe”, it’s easy to see how storagerequirements can suddenly spiral without anyimmediately apparent reason!Whilst the cost of high-performance,InfoTechserver-quality storage has certainly decreasedmarkedly in recent years, mitigating theproblem to some extent, it is still moreexpensive in relative terms than other formsof storage. It is also important to note thatthere are, in fact, additional costs attached todata storage that go beyond the simplehardware, encompassing storagemanagement and backup of data.Make it relevantThe first practical suggestion is to ensurethe data you are storing is relevant andbusiness-critical. All too often, I see datafolders with multiple copies of identical data.Perhaps a large folder was copied in error butthen remains on the server because everyoneassumes there is a reason for it to be there.Know your data, take time to investigate andensure there is no such duplication. Anotherfairly common occurrence is to see userfolders on servers with huge personal photoor music archives. Make sure your users areonly storing company-related data on theserver – they can easily make otherarrangements to back up personal data.If you are satisfied that the data you arestoring is vital and relevant, the adoption oftiered storage can be a useful strategy –particularly in organisations where datastorage requirements are high. This effectivelyentails planning storage capacity a little morecarefully with cost measured against therequired performance.Storage selectionData that is accessed frequently by manyusers, in reality, needs to be stored on fast,enterprise-class storage such as SAS harddrives which are (relatively-speaking) morecostly – this would typically be “work-inprogress”data. Data that is accessed lessfrequently can, however, be stored on lowerperformanceand lower-cost mid-line storagesuch as SATA hard drives – this may berecently completed projects that are stillrelevant to on-going work. And data that isaccessed relatively infrequently can be storedon still less well-performing and lessexpensive storage media such as tape archiveor external hard drives.Whilst this tiered data approach can save onoverall storage costs, it is important toappreciate that there are some implications todata management, data security, and backup.The transition of data from one tier toanother does need active management. Thismight be as simple as ensuring there are clearlines of responsibility and procedures fortransitioning data. Alternatively, there areinformation lifecycle management productsthat can assist with automating this process.Make it secureFrom a data security and backupperspective, it is important to ensure anypolicies and procedures align to the tiereddata solution. Data backup can be asexpensive (or even moreso) than data storageso, on the one hand, a backup policy that seesentire datasets backed up nightly can beimpractical at best and costly at worst.On theother hand, it is important to appreciate thatolder less frequently accessed data is stillprobably of vital importance to yourorganisation so it is vital to ensure that this isalso backed up with one or more copies heldoff-site. A backup strategy that sees nightlybackup of “work-in-progress” data with lessfrequent but regular backup of less frequentlychanging data is the ideal balance betweencost and security.There is no doubt that a sensible approachto burgeoning data requirements can paydividends both in terms of managing dataand in keeping control over storage andbackup costs. Ultimately, however, data is sovital to organisations that this is one areawhere it is very ill-advised to try to cut cornerswithout due care and consideration.Scott McClenaghan is Technical Sales andMarketing director at Nitec and specialises inadvising private, public and voluntaryorganisations on all aspects of ICT strategy.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk42

InfoTechwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk44

IT can help to trim the fatby Trevor Bingham, marketing manager at XperienceUnified Communications was once an ideathat many strived for but few succeededin implementing. The ability to be able toattend important meetings, receive urgentmessages regardless of location whilestreamlining work and increasing efficiencysounded too good to be true. Now withsoftware such as Microsoft Lync 2010,Microsoft’s solution for UnifiedCommunications, these promises arebecoming a reality.Xperience has recently installed Lync 2010 inone of Northern Ireland’s largest constructioncompanies and already it is proving successfuland achieving real efficiencies. Like any ITsystem – the users on the ground need tobecome accustomed to the new way ofoperating for it to work successfully andtherefore produce a healthy return oninvestment. Evidence of this return oninvestment has been quick to materialise, withproof of concept commenced for only a shortperiod, site engineers are already cancellingtravel plans for meetings in GB, opting insteadto host the meeting via the Internet and Lyncwhile saving valuable time and travel expense.With this proof of concept successful, ourclient is now fully implementing Lync, with siteengineers using their 3G phones or theconstruction site Wi-Fi connection tocommunicate via video conferencing, voiceconversations, instant messaging or e-mail atlittle or no cost. In addition to this, its headoffice staff will also save time and effort whentrying to contact oversea’s staff as they will seetheir presence, location and availability on thesoftware’s console screen.The positive effects of this solution areapplicable to a number of different businesssectors. Recently there has been an effort bythe judiciary to cut down on expenses withinthe legal system. A number of Northern Irelandsolicitor firms have now installed videoconferencing solutions and Lync 2010 toreduce travel costs and wasted time spentdriving to appointments and meetings. A timemanagement driven business, solicitors’ time isextremely valuable and with companies unableto charge travel time to clients, the wastedhours add up to a considerable loss of revenue.With Justice Minister Ford’s plan to reducecosts and lower legal bills, it’s likely that moreand more solicitors may look to utilise the Lync2010 facility sooner rather than later.Local Council, Government departments andhigher level educational establishments haveall started to consider the savings that thistechnology can make and with the publicpurse and accountability very much to the fore,this is only likely to increase. Thiscommunication tool will not signal the end ofessential trips but it is likely to mean that manybest practise visits or conferences are held overthe Internet. Recently the Nottingham TrentUniversity, home to 24,000 students acrossthree campuses, used their Microsoft LiveMeeting functionality (part of the MicrosoftLync solution) to broadcast a conference fromthe neighbouring Nottingham University.Transporting some 75 students and staff onhired buses would have incurred considerablecosts for which the funds were not available.Many businesses may have up-graded theirphone systems relatively recently at fairly highcosts so the move to Lync 2010, though it willsave money and improve efficiency, may haveto be done gradually and opportunistically. Thesavings are considerable and with all the majorplayers in IT communications developingproducts for all levels of enterprises andestablishments – Unified Communications andits cost cutting edge benefits is definitely hereto stay.45

Acorn ITGrow YOURBusiness withAcorn I.TPictured at the awards ceremony at BlenheimPalace are Brendan Flattery, CEO, Sage UK &Ireland, Declan Bradley, Director, Acorn I.T.Solutions, Dominic McMullan, Director , AcornI.T. Solutions and to Jayne Archbold, ManagingDirector of Sage’s Mid Market DivisionAcorn I.T. Solutions are celebrating 10 yearsin Business. The local Sage BusinessPartner provides the full range of SageSoftware and services.During the last ten years, they have providedsolutions to over 300 businesses and have aproven record of ensuring that every businessachieves the optimum from their softwaresolution. Indeed that is one of the reasons whyAcorn I.T. Solutions have been so successful.They have been awarded the Sage Circle ofExcellence three times in the last four years.Sage’s Circle of Excellence recognises andrewards its leading Business Partners whoprovide outstanding customer service andwhose customers are the most likely torecommend them to friends and colleagues.Dominic McMullan, Director at Acorn I.T.Solutions commented on how much thisaward means to the company: “Receiving theCircle of Excellence award for the third time is afantastic accolade for our people who pridethemselves on delivering a very high standardof service to our customer base. As a businesswe are hugely passionate about providingexpert consultancy, implementation andsupport and winning this award again isrecognition of that.”On presenting the award, Brendan Flattery,CEO, Sage UK & Ireland commented: “It’s a realprivilege to present this award to Acorn I.T.Solutions and my congratulations go to allinvolved. At Sage, our vision is to be thebusiness software company that everyonerecommends and our Business Partners arecentral to helping us achieve this. The Circle ofExcellence rewards the Business Partners whosupport this vision by providing our customerswith a fantastic customer experience. Acorn I.T.Solutions prove that to be successful thecustomer must come first”.Acorn I.T. Solutions are widely recommendedwithin Northern Ireland for their knowledgeand expertise of Sage Software. They have alsodeveloped bespoke solutions for businesseswho want to automate specific businessesprocesses not available within the Sage rangeof software.Acorn I.T. Solutions are to be congratulatednot only for 10 years in business, but alsocontinuing to grow and expand their businessofferings and ensuring that their solutionscontinue to meet Northern Ireland’s businessrequirements.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk46

Acorn I.T. SolutionsTel 028 796 44975Email: info@acornitsolutions.comFor all your business needs.Your LOCALSage Business Partner

Headline PartnerHeadline partner Brenda Morgan of bmi, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce president Francis Martin, Ann McGregor, chief executive,Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and guest speaker Brian O’DriscollChamber toasts 230 years at Titanic CelebrationIrish rugby star Brian O’Driscoll was the guestspeaker for the eveningwww.businessfirstonline.co.ukNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commercetoasted its 230th Anniversary on 17 April2012 at a celebration gala ball at TitanicBelfast – the first business event of its kind inthe new iconic landmark building.Almost 800 business leaders from acrossNorthern Ireland gathered for the Chamber230Gala event, with dignitaries including secretaryof state Owen Paterson, PSNI chief constableMatt Baggott, and the ministers for Justice,Employment and Learning, Social Developmentand Regional Development.The event was hosted in partnership withheadline sponsor bmi, British MidlandsInternational and supporting partners CleaverFulton Rankin, DSV, Power NI and the UlsterBusiness School at the University of Ulster.Entertainment was provided by global jazzstar Jamie Cullum and the keynote speaker wasIreland rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll, who paidcompliment to the Northern Ireland businesscommunity for its drive and resilience in strivingfor economic recovery.48Brian drew parallels between theprofessionalism and leadership qualitiesrequired to succeed in both business and sport.Secretary of state for Northern Ireland OwenPaterson meanwhile congratulated NorthernIreland Chamber of Commerce on its 230thAnniversary, saying that the organisation hadnever been more important in Northern Irelandbusiness and would be crucial to the next 230years of business success and prosperity here.Addressing the guests before dinner,Northern Ireland Chamber president FrancisMartin said: "Our Chamber today continues tobe guided by the same objectives set when itwas first established in 1782, and the foundingfathers would surely be impressed by thebreadth and extent of its work today inrepresenting the interests of business here topolicymakers and in creating opportunities formembers to prosper at home, nationally and ininternational markets."More than 1,000 businesses - trulyrepresentative of the scale and profile of

Chamber 230 Supporting Sponsorsbusiness in Northern Ireland - now holdmembership of what has become the region'smost-respected business body.“Northern Ireland Chamber now has apowerful influence in policy formation and hasalso developed a broad range of professionalservices shaped to help companies here tosucceed and flourish."While we cherish our heritage, we are alsofocused sharply on the future growth of theeconomy and community development.“Our policy work and professionally deliveredservices are designed to assist companies hereto develop skills, knowledge and experiencethat will enhance their overall capability andability to compete for and win business,particularly in markets outside Northern Ireland."Our overall objective for 2012 and beyond isto provide an effective and flexible supportstructure for a more dynamic private sector andto create a more vibrant, robust and highgrowtheconomy that will ensure quality andwill reward employment.“The Chamber, I am confident, is well on itsway to realising its undoubted potential asNorthern Ireland's leading businessorganisation."Northern Ireland Chamber chief executiveAnn McGregor suggested that the popularity ofthe event demonstrated an emerging optimismamong the Northern Ireland businesscommunity.“The current business agenda tends to bevery much dominated with doom and gloombut, despite facing some of the mostchallenging times on record, there is a sense ofcautious optimism emerging among NorthernIreland companies”, she said.“Tonight's event in this world-class venuesold out within a matter of days of tickets goingon sale, with companies seizing the opportunityto celebrate some of the excellentachievements of Northern Ireland Chamber andthe Northern Ireland business community overthe past 230 years and look forward to biggerand better times ahead for business here.“We were delighted to have bmi, BritishMidland International on board as our headlinesponsor and I would like to take thisopportunity to thank them, together with oursupporting partners, for their generous support– without which tonight’s event would nothave been possible."Speaking on behalf of the Chamber230partners, Brenda Morgan, bmi sales managerIreland said: “Just like Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce, bmi, British MidlandInternational plays a major role in supportingNorthern Ireland businesses – providing a vitalgateway between companies here and theworldwide business market through ourimportant Belfast to London Heathrow route.“bmi is proud to have partnered withNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce fortonight’s event - marking its 230th anniversary,celebrating all that is good about business hereand looking towards a thriving economic futurefor Northern Ireland.”International jazz star Jamie Callum entertained guests49 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Jamie Cullum performs to an audience of over 700 peopleAnn McGregor, Jamie Cullum, Francis MartinStephen McCully, Francis Martin, Brian O’Driscoll and Alan EgnerKaren Blair and Brian O’Driscollwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk50Nelson McCausland,Danny Kennedy, Brian O'Driscoll, Nicola Walkerand Marshall Boyd

Nelson McCausland, Marie-Therese McGivern and Gerry LennonScott Rutherford and Tony GallagherAlban Maginness and Sir George QuigleyHoward Hastings, Angela Magowan and Prof Des ReaAlan Shannon, Ann Clydesdale, Catherine Bell, Elizabeth and Bill McGinnis51

Claire Coulter, Denise Clarke, Mark Nodder, Jenny Hurst and Dot ErskineHis Excellency Dominic Chilcott, Matt Baggott and David FordFrank Cushnahan, Mark Ennis and Bruce RobinsonMike Mills and Sir David FellJudith Gillespie and Malcolm McKibbinwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk52

Caroline Snowden, Siobhan Kielt, Claire McIntyre, Lindy Carson, Edel Doherty, Stephanie Sherrin and Siobhan O’SullivanImelda and Robert FitzpatrickChief Constable Matt Baggott and David FordNelson McCausland with Markethill Ulster-Scots dancerswww.businessfirstonline.co.uk53

Louise Turley and Jamie CullumFrancis Martin and family with Brian O’DriscollDr Ben Wilson, Danny Kennedy, Nelson McCausland and Mark NodderAmanda Sistern, Brian O’Driscoll and Sarah SisternAnn McGregor with husband Paul and daughters Sarah and AmandaSecretary of State Owen Paterson, Brenda Morgan and James DevlinIn addition to our headline partner bmi and supporting sponsors Cleaver Fulton Rankin, DSV, Power NI and the Ulster BusinessSchool, the Chamber would also like to thank the following:Guest speaker for the evening – Brian O’DriscollMC for the evening – Zoe SalmonChamber230 publication - BTEntertainment:Headline entertainment - Jamie CullumThe Ulster Orchestra String Quartet andTrumpetersPatricia Treacy, Lynda Barrett and JonathanIrelandEimear HughesFiddler AdamPrize sponsors in aid of the Buddy Bear Trustwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk54

Social Franchising the key to unrestrictedincome and sustainability in NorthernIreand’s community, voluntary and socialeconomy sectorOrtus - The Business Development Agencyare calling all community, voluntary andsocial economy sector organisations toput in applications for the Social FranchisingProgramme, which aims to help organisationsgenerate unrestricted income and secure theirfuture sustainability by partnering with anexisting successful enterprise.With the community and voluntary sectorcurrently struggling to secure funding, InvestNorthern Ireland is funding this programme,which is projected to create nearly 300 newjobs in Northern Ireland, as part of their JobsFund.Ortus CEO Seamus O’Prey commented:“Social Franchising is a relatively new conceptfor Northern Ireland, but social franchises inEurope already generate an annual turnover of£335 million and employ over 13,000 people.”“This innovative new programme representsa fantastic opportunity for organisations tolearn about what the franchising model has tooffer the community, voluntary and socialeconomy sector in Northern Ireland.“The programme will also provide fullycomprehensive support to organisations whowant to buy a franchise in order to generateincome and ensure sustainability, and toestablished social enterprises who want todevelop a social franchise and replicate theirmodel in other areas, selling their products andservices through the franchising model.”Bill Scott, Invest Northern Ireland’s ExecutiveDirector, Regional Business Group, said: “Socialenterprises play a significant role in theregeneration of areas of high social need. Theycreate opportunities to provide a source ofincome, promote innovation andentrepreneurship and help to create sustainableand cohesive communities.“This programme offers existing socialenterprises the chance to grow, in addition toproviding new social entrepreneurs the chanceto set up a business that can begin to generateprofits, deliver social benefits and aidsustainability.”With UK based franchises generating acombined turnover of £12.4 Billion andemploying 531,000 people, the potentialrevenue and employment opportunities offeredby Social Franchising is being hailed as the keyto the continued sustainability of thecommunity, voluntary and social economysector in Northern Ireland.55 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Training & self-developmentIn the first feature in this series we looked atleadership across all levels in a business andhow it should be encouraged. In the secondwe discussed getting the finances right andadopting a zero-based budgeting approach. Inthe third we examined customer relationshipmanagement (CRM) and in this article we willlook at how really successful organisationsimprove on a continuous basis and pro-activelymanage change.All the stages of delivering your product orservice can be segregated into distinctprocesses. These range from the initialcustomer interaction through to delivery andafter‐sales support. Processes might bedescribed as “the way things are done” withinorganisations and no two businesses areexactly alike. There are, however, some prettyimportant lessons to be learnt from theorganisations that are performing well in thecurrent challenging economic climate. Thesereally successful organisations review, enhanceand develop “the way things are done” on anongoing basis.Two common themes emerge amongstthose organisations that are particularlysuccessful:1. They automate where possible2. They engage their people in continuallyimproving processesAutomating where possible does not meanreplacing people with technology to thedetriment of customer service andrelationship-build. Some large corporationshave made this mistake with their telephonesystems. How often have you had to wadethough a quagmire of automated options?How does this make you feel? Do you get asfrustrated as I do when you eventually getthrough to the appropriate department andhave to leave a message in the hope thatsomebody human might pick this up at somepoint and decide to return your call? Howinfuriating!Automation is only truly successful when itenhances the overall customer experience.If automation doesn’t enhance yourrelationship with your client – don’t do it!Doing things in a certain way because “that’show we’ve always done it” is not acharacteristic of an organisation that willsurvive in the current climate. Human nature,however, makes managing people throughchange a challenge. A useful practicalframework to bear in mind when managingchange was developed by the changemanagement experts at Prosci. Theydeveloped a model to support effectivechange management called ADKAR - anacronym for Awareness, Desire, Knowledge,Managing change andimproving processes forbusiness successIn this fourth feature on The Top Five Tips for surviving and thriving in today’schallenging economic climate, Martin Rice, managing director of Next Level Impact,outlines how businesses that proactively manage change and continually improvetheir processes will stay competitive. The Top Five Tips were developed based onresearch conducted by www.the-academy.co – Northern Ireland’s ultimate onlineresource for leadership and management.Ability and Reinforcement. In essence, to makea change successfully an individual needs:• Awareness of the need for change• Desire to participate and support thechange• Knowledge of how to change• Ability to implement required skills andbehaviours• Reinforcement to sustain the changeProsci’s research shows that seeing changeas a process will help manage the transition.There are three phases to this: preparing forchange, managing the change and reinforcingthe change (See diagrams below).If you’re planning on introducing anychanges within your organisation, rememberthat the best‐placed people to improve theprocesses are those people who administerthem. If you want to develop a foundation foron‐going improvement, engage, empowerand enable your people to continually improveprocesses as and where required.Actively encourage your people to engage in“improvement projects” designed to enhance,improve and stream‐line the way that thingsare done. Be receptive to new ideas,approaches and innovations and support yourpeople to make change happen!For the rest of the Five Top Tips for businessvisit www.nextlevelimpact.com for informationon how to join The Academy (www.theacademy.co).There is an introductory offer of athree month trial for £50.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk56

Training & self-developmentQuadra sets the standard fortrainingOrganisations in Northern Ireland are finding more opportunities toprogress their training needs with Quadra with an ever expanding range oftraining courses ranging from internal audit training and health and safetyto Lean Six Sigma and business improvement.Quadra is one of the UK’s leading training organisations in the area ofinternational standards including health and safety, quality, sustainabilityand business risk. The company has specialised in training in ISO systems forover 20 years and has offices in Belfast, Dublin and Amsterdam.We provide a comprehensive range of training courses in theunderstanding, use, implementation, auditing and certification of standardsincluding ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and ISO 20000 and specific healthand safety courses including OHSAS 18001, IOSH Managing Safely, ManualHandling and Risk Assessment.Lean Six Sigma and Business ImprovementAs organisations understand they must become more efficient in order tomaintain current business, and more proactive when it comes to the growthof the business, Quadra has recently developed its portfolio of training toincorporate Lean Six Sigma and Business Development courses.Gavin Kane, Director in Quadra Ltd said “To keep staff at the very forefrontof their field, organisations must invest in ensuring that individualscontinually develop the skills and expertise they require. The extension ofour training programme has provided important benefits to us in terms ofcreating a culture of consistent high standards in professional developmentand in the coming months, we plan to develop further courses which willenhance the value gained from standards by businesses of all sizes.”Quadra offers training in a range of formats to include public trainingcourses, in-house bespoke training tailored specifically to meet the learningobjectives of your organisation, and e-learning training courses.All of Quadra’s training courses use the most up to date approaches anduse case studies, role plays and accelerated learning techniques to allowdelegates to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the most practicalway possible.For further information on any of the training courses mentioned in thisarticle, please contact us on 028 9042 3222,email enquiries@quadraconsulting.comor visit our website at www.quadraconsulting.com .Please note to avail of 20% discount for any of the training courses, pleasequote ‘BUSINESS FIRST’ in your initial correspondence with us.TRAINING COURSES 2012COURSE DATES FOR 2012 LOCATIONISO 14001 internal auditor course 8 May Weavers Court, BelfastIOSH Managing Safely Course 22, 23, 29, 30 May Weavers Court, BelfastOHSAS 18001 internal auditor course 28 May Weavers Court, BelfastISO 9001 internal auditor course 6 June Weavers Court, BelfastManual Handling Instructor course 11, 12, 13 June Weavers Court, BelfastISO 14001 internal auditor course 28 August Weavers Court, BelfastIMS internal auditor course 24-25 September Weavers Court, Belfast(ISO 9001, 14001, OHSAS 18001)OHSAS 18001 internal auditor course 23 October Weavers Court, BelfastISO 9001 internal auditor course 13 November Weavers Court, BelfastISO 14001 internal auditor course 4 December Weavers Court, BelfastGRANT AID: The CITB-ConstructionSkills N.I. has approved ALL of the courses above and grant aid is available for RegisteredEmployers. Please contact CITB-ConstructionSkills for further details.Quadra can also provide a wide range of IRCA registered Lead Auditor and Auditor Conversion Courses.BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT TRAINING COURSESCOURSE DATES FOR 2012 LOCATIONSelling More to Existing Customers 24 May Weavers Court, BelfastHow to Do More With A Smaller Budget 21 August Weavers Court, BelfastSix Sigma and Business Improvement 29 August Weavers Court, BelfastHow to Market Your Business Online 30 August Weavers Court, BelfastBUSINESS FIRST PROMOTIONTo sign up to any of the above training courses or for more information, go to www.quadraconsulting.comand quote ‘BUSINESS FIRST’ and you will receive a 20% discount on all our training courses.

www.businessfirstonline.co.uk58

Choose Northern Ireland’s leading First Aidprovider St John Ambulance for all yourtraining needsEvery year up to 150,000 people, some ofthem at work, die in situations where firstaid could have given them a chance to live.Almost a third of businesses can recall a specificaccident that recurs in their workplace, yet 79%admit there are times when first aid is notavailable.First aid training helps keep employees safeand provides them with life saving knowledgethat benefits not only their colleagues, but theirfamilies, friends and communities.Every year, St John Ambulance (NI) trains over4000 people in first aid and health and safetyrelated training courses across Northern Ireland.We will give your people the skills, knowledgeand the confidence to deal with and prevent arange of medical emergencies and safety issueson your premises.We also provide fire marshal, moving andhandling and stress awareness training as wellas our long established first aid courses.However, the real test for our training iswhether people would come back for more -and for well over 90 per cent, the answer is adefinite ‘yes’. You do not have to take our wordfor it our testimonials speak for themselves:“I thoroughly enjoyed my First Aid at Workcourse with St John Ambulance. It wasinformative, interesting and challenging. Thecourse was very interactive and the trainerprovided excellent instruction and assistance. Inow feel ready and able to deal competentlyand efficiently with any first aid situations in myworkplace.” (Fran Cavanagh, OperationsManager, The MAC).Attending training is easy as St JohnAmbulance have First Aid training at eightcentres throughout Northern Ireland inBallymena, Belfast, Coleraine, Enniskillen,Londonderry, Omagh, Portadown and Newry.Alternatively, we can come to you and deliverthe training at your premises at a time that suitsyou.Your support makes a differenceMany training organisations in NorthernIreland offer first aid, but St John Ambulance isone of the very few who will use it to make adifference, not a profit.We put the money we receive from ourcommercial training courses straight back intoour first aid services, equipment and othercommunity programmes. Therefore, thebenefits of training with us extend way beyondyour own organisation.You will be helping to make many otherworkplaces, public spaces and events safer, too– and supporting our vital work with youngpeople and some of the most vulnerablemembers of society. That is something anyonecan feel good about.In Northern Ireland, we run more than 500training courses every year. For moreinformation or to book trainingtelephone (028) 9079 9393. Youcan also scan the QR code tovisit our website and getinformation atwww.sja.org.uk/training.59 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Training & self-developmentUlster Supported Employment Ltd (USEL),the largest supporter of people withdisabilities and health related conditionsinto open employment in Northern Irelandrecently celebrated their 50th anniversary at aspectacular gala ball in Belfast City Hall.The organisation has come a long way sincetheir humble beginnings in Lawnbrook Avenuein Belfast.Originally established in 1962 with the aim ofproviding supported paid employment forpeople with disabilities or health relatedconditions within its manufacturing base, USELhas evolved into a sustainable Social Economyorganisation providing a wide range ofproducts and services to the public and privatesectors.In 1980 they merged with Workshops for theBlind to become the largest supporter ofpeople with disabilities into open employmentwithin Northern Ireland. In 2001 they movedfrom Lawnbrook Avenue to a large modernfactory in Cambrai Street, Belfast to achievetheir mission “to expand the choice of paid jobopportunities for people with disabilities andhealth related conditions and by means oftraining and development assist withprogression into and within mainstreamemployment”.Today the organisation stretches across thewhole of the province, with offices in Belfast,Portadown, Omagh and Londonderry. USELalso have an additional two training premisesin Belfast Cathedral Centre and Albany House,Belfast City Centre.As a social enterprise USEL hasachieved a high level of successFour areas are operated within the business:direct employment within the factory, contractservices, employment programmes deliveryand development and training.Within the factory USEL provides directemployment to 100 people, 73 per cent ofwhom have a disability or health relatedcondition.The factory specialises in manufacturingmattresses, bed bases and specialist sewingproducts. These include sports bags, specialistholdalls, carrying equipment for a wide rangeof customers products and equipment such asthe emergency services along withpromotional kitbags.USEL competes shoulder-to-shoulder withmany purely commercial companies in a highlycompetitive and quality consciousmarketplace.All USEL products are manufactured underthe ISO 9001:2008 series quality managementsystem, and are fully compliant with therelevant BS quality requirements as required bythe products.All of which has certainly helped USELcompete and sustain a commercially viablebusiness.Their customers now include a growingnumber of independent retailers, leading localhotels, nursing homes, fire and rescue servicesand student accommodation providers acrossIreland and many parts of the UK.In addition USEL provide a range of highquality contract services to numerous businesssectors, CCTV monitoring to name but one.Employment and Learning minister Dr Stephen Farry launches the 50th anniversarycelebrations of Ulster Supported Employment Ltd. Dr Farry was joined by Sam Humphries,chief executive officer, USEL and USEL employee Sona AndelovaUSEL -50 years of serviceUSEL manages a range of employmentprogrammes on behalf of the Department forEmployment and Learning and EuropeanUnion that are specifically designed to helppeople with disabilities or health relatedconditions move into or return to employment.They have built partnerships with a numberof organisations in a number of industrysectors across Northern Ireland who offernumerous work experience placements totheir clients and help provide full and part timeroles to thousands of people who are finding itdifficult to re-enter the labour market. Theseorganisations range from the smaller outlets tothe multinational organisations.This partnership approach has resulted in awin-win relationship for both organisations.Not only are they able to secure employmentfor people with disabilities and health relatedconditions the organisation benefits from anemployee dedicated to returning or movinginto full time employment.This has the added benefit of helpingorganisations increase their retention rates andreduce their recruitment costs, as well asassisting organisations to meet their corporatesocial responsibility aspirations.USEL presently support over 1600people with disabilities who are placedin more than 700 companies acrossNorthern Ireland.USEL also operate a training division underthe name Aspire Training which offer a widerange of accredited qualifications to externalorganisations including small to mediumenterprises and social enterprises.They have recently opened their secondtraining premises in Belfast City Centre inresponse to growing demand for their services.Sam Humphries. chief executive officer, USELis keen to stress that although USEL isrecognised as a social economy and businessfocused organisation, they are ultimately apeople centred organisation. Their goal is bethe best at providing services to assist peoplewith disabilities to find, secure and retain work.Sam commented “We are delighted to becelebrating our 50th year anniversary.“Our sole aim is to be the best at assistingpeople with disabilities and health relatedconditions achieve their aspirations inemployment.“We are confident we will be able to achievethis by continuously delivering innovative waysto support people who live with disabilitiesinto employment and in partnership with othersupport organisations across Northern Irelandwill have a highly positive and prosperousfuture”.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk60

Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd can now bring your Fire Warden, Marshaland Extinguisher Training into your actual work environment, on all FireWarden/Marshal, Fire Safety in the Workplace, and all other levels of firetraining, BOOK A COURSE NOW.THE MOST ADVANCED FIRETRAINING SYSTEM IN THEWORLD, BE PART OF THECHANGEEmergency Fire & Safety Ltd can now bring your Fire Warden, Marshal and Extinguisher Training into youractual work environment, on all Fire Warden/Marshal, Fire Safety in the Workplace, and all other levels of firetraining, BOOK A COURSE NOW.easy and training won’t be affected by theweather any more.• Allows training to take place entirelyindoors, in the conference room, hallways,in the actual work environment.• Has the ability to grade users making it easyto monitor improvement and proficiency.Our BullsEyeTM uses advanced lasertechnology to simulate the discharge of a Drychemical,Water, Foam or CO2 extinguisher fora completely clean, safe and effective trainingexperience.Emergency Fire and Safety’s BullsEye trainingsystem, senses where the user aims & sweeps alaser training extinguisher & automaticallyvaries the LED driven digital flames inresponse. Training can now take placecompletely indoors - from the conferenceroom to the production floor.This is the only commercial unit in NI andIreland and one of only 2 in the UKEmergency Fire and Safety Clean andlow cost TrainingWe use a conical laser to replicateextinguisher discharge rather than dependingon a dry-chemical or CO2 extin¬guisher.Because only laser light is emitted from thetraining extinguisher, extinguisher training cannow be conducted virtually anywhere. Ourdigital flames also respond to compressed airand water SmartExtinguishers for additionaltraining variations.Safe Risk Free TrainingWe utilises LED driven digital flames and alaser training extinguisher to provide adynamic and realistic simulation for traineeswhile eliminating the hazards associated withconventional fire extinguisher training. For thefirst time ever we can simulate in the actual workenvironment, under the stairs, office area, stores,workshops, computer terminals and so on.Effective TrainingSimulates class A, B and E fires at 4 difficultylevels and has the capability of gradingtrainees on their performance. Many traineescan be trained in a single day withoutrecharging any extinguishers.Emergency Fire and Safety’s Training.Training is a legal requirement, our systemtrains you to the requirements of the RRFSO,NI-FSO,MHSAWR and OSHA and is safe andFire safety Courses• Fire Safety Awareness Training,• Fire Warden/Marshal and Key PersonTraining,• Fire Risk Management, Fire Risk Assessment• Fire Officer Training,• Provide Fire Officers (as required by theclient),• Emergency Stand-by Services Training.Clients who have uses the systemBank Of Ireland, Aberdeen AssetsManagement, Open and Direct, EducationBoard for NI, Woodside Haulage, Mite UK,NIFST, Warner Chilcott and many more………..Cost start @£60.00 per person £400.00per in- company course and we cantake up to 15 candidates per session.Public Course Training DatesBelfast 1,2nd, 18th 21-22nd 29-30th May 2012.London 5-11th May (all full)Manchester 30th April, 1,2nd, 18th 21-22nd 29-30th May 2012For company specific training, call ore-mailemergencyfirendsafety@gmail.comwww.emergencyfire.co.uk(0044) 07730929207 or(0044) 02893 372745www.emergencyfire.co.uk61www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Meetings & ConferencesWhether you are planning a smallmeeting with your team or a largeevent with various speakers anddelegates in attendance, the biggest headachein conference and event planning can often begetting the audio visual and I.T. requirementsin place at your chosen venue, ensuring theyare set up in time and that everything willactually work!At the SIGNAL Centre of Business Excellencewe understand that planning and executing anevent and primarily the audio visual and I.T.requirements can be a stressfulbusiness…whether it is a power pointpresentation, internet access or web basedtraining; having a professional on hand to assistin this area can really make the difference inthe success of your event.Based on the Balloo Road in Bangor, SIGNALboasts state of the art conference facilitieswhich have been specifically designed toaccommodate the ever-changing demands ofmodern conferencing. Each room has beenequipped to the highest specification with thelatest Audio Visual equipment, making it theperfect venue for business meetings,conferences, training and exhibitions.Where SIGNAL really comes in to its own isthe offering of a dedicated technician with awealth of experience on site to ensure youraudio visual and IT requests have been met.With a technician on hand to offer full supportand assistance, the event will run smoothly,precisely and professionally.With increasing demand for free WiFi to bestandard in venues within the meeting,training and conference industry, SIGNAL isproud to be one step ahead by recentlycompleting the installation of WiFi across all ofits meeting rooms. This service is offered freeof charge to all of our clients. We are highlyfocused on providing fantastic learningenvironments and with technology improvingat such a rapid rate we believed that WiFiwould be and has become a necessity.SIGNAL also boasts a dedicated IT Trainingsuite, which is second to none, with 10 flatscreen, multi-media computers and 1 trainer'scomputer, an interactive whiteboard a multimediaprojector and laser printer. All thecomputers are fully networked and configuredPlanning a conference?Leave it to the experts.with Microsoft Office Software and have abroadband Internet connection as standard. Afacility for custom software to be installed isalso available, so either send us your softwareand it will be loaded up and ready for yourarrival or bring it that morning as this roomcomes with full technical support so you cantake the stress and worry out of your day’straining. This room can be booked for a full dayor half a day depending on your companiesrequirements.So, with all of your technical needs left in ourcapable hands you can sit back and enjoy yourevent – to complement the IT expertise on sitewe offer a range of refreshment and cateringpackages that can be taylored to your specificrequirements.The packages start from just £20.00*per delegate and include –Room Hire of your main meeting roomWIFIUnlimited Servings of Tea & CoffeeScones Mid Morning served with Jam &PreservesBuffet LunchChocolate Biscuits Mid AfternoonData Projector, Screen & Flip ChartJugs of Iced Water & Sweets on the delegatetablesPaper & Pencils on the delegate tablesDedicated reception with conference and ITservice supportIn addition to excellent facilities, SIGNAL alsooffers established businesses in the NorthDown area impartial, independent andprofessional business services tailored to theirspecific requirements.The extensive range of businesssupport services offered by SIGNALinclude:• Confidential Business Advice• Business Growth Support• Dedicated Market Research Facility• Inspirational Seminars and NetworkingOpportunities• Educational Business ImprovementProgramme• Links to other Economic DevelopmentAgencies and their Programmes.For further details on SIGNAL’s businesssupport services, events or facilities contactHeather Scott or Clare McGill on (028) 91473788.*Please note this rate is EXCLUSIVE of VAT.Applicable to new bookings only and based on aminimum of 10 delegates. Please quote BusinessFirst to qualify for this promotional rate.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk62

Conferences and meetingsThe King’s Hall: the right solutionThe King's Hall Complex in Belfast is thelargest and most versatile venue in NorthernIreland, with capabilities to host any meeting,training day, gala dinner, exam or conference.Theresa Morrissey, Finance & CommercialDirector at the venue says, “The Complex has along tradition of working with small tomedium sized businesses and charitableorganisations. There is a substantial amount offlexible indoor event space available at theComplex, which allows organisers to hirespace according to their requirements. If anorganiser decides to ‘test the water’ by runninga small event we are happy to accommodateand when it is time for their event to grow, theComplex has the space to allow them toexpand. And as an added bonus, the Complexoffers free onsite car parking to all ConferenceCentre delegates.”The Octagon Suite is the largest room in theConference Centre with seating for up to 600delegates. It offers flexible accommodation forevents, including conferencing, dinners,exhibitions and award ceremonies.The Abercorn Suite is a light and airy room,suitable for training or conferences of up to180 delegates. It is situated beside the bar,which can be used as additional meetingspace or as a relaxed setting for hospitalityduring your conference or meeting.The President’s Suite offers the perfectsetting for meetings or training days.Overlooking the Showgrounds, this roomprovides the perfect location for any smallerbusiness event.The Complex can provide everythingneeded to host a successful conferenceincluding catering, security, audio visual andtechnical services. There are also a number ofbreakout options available. An experiencedand enthusiastic ‘hands on’ events team areavailable to ensure the event runs as smoothlyas possible.If you are considering organising your ownevent, contact a member of the King’s Hallteam on 028 9066 5225, e-mailevents@kingshall.co.uk or visit the website atwww.kingshall.co.ukwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk64

Conferences and meetingsBelfast Waterfront raises the bar with newconference facilityWork is due to commence in 2013 on anextension at Belfast Waterfront which will seethe size of the conferencing space at thevenue double by 2016.The proposed extension will include2100sqm of clear span exhibition space,banqueting facilities for 750 people and up tofive breakout rooms, each capable of holding200 people.When opened, the facility will attract vastlyincreased numbers of national andinternational conferences and businesstourists to Belfast and is expected to generate£39m annually for the local economy.It is also expected to support approximately370 new jobs across the city and furtherenhance the city’s reputation as a premierEuropean destination.Speaking about the news, Brian French,Conference and Events manager with RCNEvents said, “This is fantastic news for the RoyalCollege of Nursing and its 400,000 plusmembers.“The RCN’s Council has an on-going agendato find new venues for its annual Congress – tobring it closer to the membership and to makeit easily accessible to new audiences. Thisdevelopment in Belfast has the potential tohelp the organisation in achieving this goal.”Built to the highest specification, BelfastWaterfront is already regarded as one of theworld’s finest conference venues.Its outstanding global reputation attractsorganisers and delegates from all over theworld for conferences, business events andexhibitions, a reputation that is furtherenhanced by its consistently impressiveperformances at the prestigious AIPC APEXawards for the world’s best conference centre -the industry’s international barometer forexcellence.Simon Richards, professional conferenceorganiser for Convenus LLP, is one of many ofthe Waterfront’s delighted conference andbusiness customers: “…I can honestly say thatin ten years of organising conferences for amajor international client portfolio, BelfastWaterfront must rank as one of the bestvenues that we have had the pleasure ofworking with.”Looking ahead, recently confirmedconference bookings include the BritishGeriatric Society conference which will bring800 delegates to Belfast for two days in April2013.These visitors will together contribute up to£1million to the local economy. This is typicalof the type of event the venue hopes to attractin greater numbers once the extension hasbeen completed.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk66

BCM Training ServicesIn Northern Ireland there are approximately 40,000 peopleemployed in the health and social care sector with 27,000 in thevoluntary and private sectors.Government requirements for employers expect modernisation andincreased standards of care for services users, across allsectors.Employers are thus required to recruit, retain and developthe skills of their workforce and employees.BCM Training Services endeavour to assist you in addressing andmeeting the challenges of training your staff by providing you withour quality range of courses, or, through bespoke programmesdesigned, tailored and complemented to meet your needs.We are also home to the Care Assessment Partnership (CAP) whichhas been a top performing NVQ/QCF Assessment Centre for City &Guilds for the past 8 years. We offer Level 2 and 3 in Health & SocialCare and Levels 2,3 and 4 in Children’s Care, Learning andDevelopment, Level 5 in Leadership for Health & Social Care andChildren and Young People’s Services and the Assessor and VerifierAwards (TAQA).‘Encouraging Development through Creative Learning’ remains ourcore objective. We have a highly qualified, experienced trainingteam, who are committed to positive practice within the field ofHealth & Social Care and are backed by quality support staff, whoensure we are able to provide organised, timely and effectivetraining for your staff.All programmes can be delivered in BCM’s Grosvenor House, or avenue suitable to your requirements.Please contact one of our training professionals who will bedelighted to meet with you to discuss your specific needs.Do you needstaff training?BCM Training ServicesGrosvenor House5 Glengall StreetBelfast BT12 5ADTel: 028 90241917 Fax: 028 90240577Email: gmcintyre@belfastcentralmission.orgBCM Room Hire is situated in the heart of Belfast’s commercial and arts quarter, just behind the Grand OperaHouse. It offers a varied selection of spaces which are adaptable to many scales of events, from unintimidatingspaces for interviews to spacious meeting or presentation suites. We pride ourselves on delivering a high qualityservice and offer:-• Purpose-built venue in convenient city centre location• Excellent transport links (train and bus)• Range of meeting rooms to accommodate from 2 - 200 delegates• Fully trained and dedicated team• 50% discounted parking available on request• Range of audio visual equipment available• Flexible catering to suit all tastes and budgets• New reduced rates for 2012 (contact the Room Hire team for more information on rates and availability)All profits from BCM Room Hire go to the charitable work of BCM (Belfast Central Mission)For further informationor to discuss yourconferencing needsplease contactBCM Room HireGrosvenor House5 Glengall StreetBelfast BT12 5ADTel: (028) 90241917 or (028) 9026 0857Fax: (028) 9023 4531Email: roomhire@belfastcentralmission.orgWeb: www.belfastcentralmission.org67 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Belfast's plans to drive visitor numbersAt its annual tourism briefing to the industryBelfast Visitor and Convention Bureau(BVCB) presented new and ambitious plansfor maximising tourism performance in Belfast,driven by a focused sales and customer ledmarketing approach, and capitalising on theexciting opportunities available in 2012 and2013Gerry Lennon chief executive of Belfast Visitor& Convention Bureau was addressing BVCBmembers and representatives of Belfast’stourism industry, on the Marketing and VisitorServicing Plan for Belfast (2011-14), which aimsto increase tourism numbers and spend withinthe city. Despite the tough tradingenvironment, challenging city wide targets havebeen set including annual growth figures ofeight per cent.Speaking at the event, Gerry Lennon said:"Belfast now welcomes over 8 million visitorseach year. The last decade has beentransformative, with £1 billion invested in thecity’s tourism infrastructure. Belfast is now onthe international tourism stage and has capturedglobal attention in recent months with the MTVEMAs and travel features such as the NationalGeographic Traveler magazine including it intheir top 20 ‘must see’ destinations for 2012.“This is Belfast’s moment to shine. The city hasenjoyed sustained growth for over a decade andin 2010 inbound tourism generated 2.5mbednightsfor the city's accommodation sectorand delivered £398m spend. By maximising onthe investment we've seen over the last fewyears and the opportunities that the muchawaited opening of capital projects, such asTitanic Belfast and the MAC, as well as theexiting programme of events over the next yearLouise McKinstry, from Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Clare Strawson, from Diageo, with BVCBchief executive, Gerry Lennonor so, we aim to be a primary contributor indelivering 5m bednights by 2020 and generate£774m in tourism spend for Belfast'seconomy.”Clare Strawson from Diageo Northern Ireland,the strategic partner of BVCB added: “With ahost of exciting events planned for 2012including the Titanic Belfast Festival, the IrishOpen and the Bushmills Live, the gateway city ofBelfast is fast becoming one of Europe’s mostcaptivating destinations with a thriving night lifeand cultural experience. Diageo is proud to workin partnership with the city’s tourism andhospitality industry in the successful marketingof Belfast and on the ongoing development ofour tourism industry in Northern Ireland. AsBVCB’s strategic partner since 2001, we continueto support BVCB’s efforts to welcome moretourists and business visitors to Belfast and weare confident BVCB can deliver the ambitioustargets for growth it has set itself.”BVCB represents over 500 businesses fromBelfast and across Northern Ireland, includingretailers, the hospitality industry,accommodation providers, visitor attractions,tour operators, and air/sea carriers. BVCB is apublic/private partnership funded by Belfast CityCouncil, NITB and the private sector and issponsored by Diageo NI and Value Cabs.You take care of business,we take care of youAt Park Plaza Belfast we offer much more than a meeting place, location, facilities and service makeus the obvious choice for conferences, corporate functions, trade fairs and events.We are the closest hotel and conference facility to Belfast International Airport, and are at the heartof all major road networks, making us very accessible, especially for those clients who have officesspread across the country and are looking for a central meeting location. Location Location Locationis a key phrase today......and being just 50 Meters from anywhere in the world, Park Plaza Belfast is anideal location for all!With 10 impressive conference rooms, accommodating up to 250 delegates, boardrooms and largebanqueting suites, Park Plaza Belfast can cater for any event. Each suite is fully functional with airconditioning,natural daylight with black-out facility plus sound proofed glass, wireless internetconnection and a full complement of audio visual equipment. Conference facilities at the Park PlazaBelfast are incredibly flexible and functional.Our Meetings & Events team are always on hand and are happy to help with any quotations.You take care of business and we will take care of you.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk68Park Plaza BelfastBy Belfast InternationalAirport, Belfast,BT29 4ZYNorthern IrelandTel: +44 (0) 2894 457000Fax: +44 (0) 2894 423500

Meetings & ConferencesMerville House for events:it’s the best of both worldsSince reopening in 2006 following extensiverestoration, Merville House has become apopular venue for events of all kinds.The 18th century manor house is a not forprofit social enterprise with a head for business,but a heart in the community and offers aversatile space for conferences, training,seminars, team building and networking eventsand most recently has been used as a locationfor photo shoots.Located in the residential setting of theMerville Garden Village conservation area, thehouse is only four miles from Belfast City Centre,close to motorways, main roads, airports andFerry Terminals.Merville House is easy to find and easy to visitand as a not for profit social enterprise, we alsooffer businesses an opportunity to fulfill CSRneeds when using the venue.A joint project between Merville House Ltdand Merville Resident’s Association, the house istestament to the hard work and dedication ofthe volunteers who brought it back fromdilapidation and turned it into a real hub for thelocal community.With a dedicated events manager, the venueoffers four comfortable and flexible event roomshosting up to 100 guests, with individual rooms orthe house in its entirety being available for hire.With four event suites, three breakout rooms,an atrium space, glass ceiling, a mezzanine areaand original stained glass window, MervilleHouse has retained its original Georgiancharacter, with the addition of modern featuresallthe facilities you would expect from aprofessional venue, with the complete flexibilityto organise your event, your way.Weddings at Merville HouseIn addition to offering event space, the houseis also an approved venue for civil ceremonies inNewtownabbey for small intimate weddings ofup to 50 guests, offering a perfect setting forceremonies with the option to host a receptionat a second venue.Leisure Classes at Merville HouseWe are proud to have a number of regularclasses running at Merville House, fromSlimming World and Unislim Ju Jitsu & Karate,photography, yoga, pilates, Scrapaholics, Stitchand Quilt and Bridge.To find out more about any of the classesavailable, please contact Lisa Barr on028 90 854900We can host· Conferences· Seminars· Board Meetings· Training Sessions· Product Launches· Photo Shoots· Exhibitions· Networking EventsFind out more about Merville HouseFor details on hosting an event, organising awedding or joining a class please contactLisa or visit our website –mervillehouse.comYou can also follow us on twitter(# mervillehouse) and facebook for regularupdatesWe look forward to welcoming you.69available for all Apple and Android platformswww.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Conferences and meetingsYour ultimate guide to Titanic BelfastWhen it opened in March, Titanic Belfastrevealed that almost 100,000 ticketshad been pre-sold for its first year ofoperation.While a limited number of tickets will beavailable for walk-up visitors, Titanic Belfastexpects there to be huge demand, particularlyduring the opening weekend and centenaryperiod.Where possible the public are being advisedto buy tickets in advance to avoiddisappointment and to remember that TitanicBelfast will be open all year round.Tim Husbands, Titanic Belfast’s CEO, said:“The vision for Titanic Belfast has been the bestpart of a decade in creation and now, withonly a few days to go, Belfast has a stunningnew addition to its skyline which will help putNorthern Ireland on the international touristtrail.“Pre-opening ticket sales for our first year arenow approaching 100,000 – well ahead ofexpectations – and over the next few monthswe will be welcoming visitors from the fourcorners of the world as well as every corner ofthe UK and Ireland.“Belfast gave the world Titanic, but now it’stime to bring the world back to Belfast – notjust this April but for the 362 days whichTitanic Belfast will be open during the year.Responding to the large-scale interest whichTitanic Belfast has generated, its operatorshave also provided details for those planningto visit the attraction and attend events takingplace in Titanic Quarter during the upcomingthree-week festival.Judith Owens, Titanic Belfast’s operationsdirector, said: “Although tickets will beavailable every day, I strongly encouragepeople to purchase tickets online or by phonethrough the Belfast Welcome Centre to avoiddisappointment.“The atmosphere promises to be very specialand we encourage people to come down andenjoy this historic moment, but also to taketime to plan their journey – whether that beby car, public transport or foot – check travelinformation prior to leaving, pre-book ticketswherever possible and follow guidance fromstewards on the day.”Access to Titanic BelfastLocation: Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter,Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT3 9DTBy Car: Follow signs for Titanic Belfast from theM3, Belfast City Centre or Sydenham By-Pass ifapproaching from North Down.Car Parking: Underground Parking at TitanicBelfast – 500 spaces Cost: £1.50 for the firsthour, £1 per hour thereafterAdditional Parking: Queen’s Road (follow signs/ stewards) – up to 1,500 spaces Cost: c.£1 perhourBus: Metro – Route Numbers 26, 26B, 26C,600A / 600B. Services depart from WellingtonPlace. See www.translink.co.ukTrain: NI Railways – closest station: TitanicQuarter (formerly Bridge End) – c. 15 minutewalk. See www.translink.co.ukFoot: Follow signs from Belfast City Centre: 15– 20 minutesFurther information and ticket purchases areavailable online at www.titanicbelfast.comwhere visitors can avail of a five per centdiscount.Tickets are also available via telephone on9076 6399 or in person at the Belfast WelcomeCentre on Donegall Place, Belfast, rangingfrom £5 for school groups through to £13.50for adults. Discounts are available for groups,families, students and OAPs.Titanic BelfastTitanic Belfast is an iconic six-floor buildingfeaturing nine interpretive and interactivegalleries that explore the sights, sounds, smellsand stories of Titanic, as well as the City andpeople which made her. It is the world’slargest Titanic exhibition.The building will also house temporaryexhibits, a banqueting suite, education andcommunity facilities, catering and retail spaceand a basement car park. Visitors will learnabout the construction of RMS Titanic and thewide and rich story of Northern Ireland’sindustrial and maritime heritage.Supported by the Northern IrelandExecutive, Titanic Belfast is a unique public /private partnership funded by the NorthernIreland Tourist Board, Belfast City Council,Belfast Harbour and Titanic Quarter Ltd. It isoperated by Titanic Belfast Ltd and will beowned by the Titanic Foundation Ltd.Additional space will be devoted to:Community arts and education facilitiesA large gallery for temporary exhibitions,performances and meetingsCafes, restaurants and shopsTitanic Suite (banqueting / conference centre)Visit: www.titanicbelfast.comwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk70

Conferences and meetings

Making risky business work for youM&C Energy Group is the world leader in energy procurement and compliance services with clients benefittingfrom 35 years’ experience to help them save money and improve energy efficiency. They serve over 4000 clientswith a combined annual energy spend of over £8bn.What is Energy Risk Management(ERM)?Over four years, UK wholesale energy priceshave doubled, halved and doubled again. Noonepredicted these price movements or theextent of market volatility.The fixed-price contract renewal oftencomes as a shock to an organisation, yetincreased input costs cannot always be passedon. Energy bill volatility can be the differencebetween profit and loss.Buying energy flexibly on wholesalemarkets is not a company managing price risk.Effective energy risk management acceptsenergy market volatility, but exposure can bemanaged through a rigorous process ofstrategy, governance, control and monitoringto deliver an energy budget meeting corporateobjectives.This can be achieved by putting a robuststructure in place to constantly monitor thecorporate energy portfolio’s consumption,network charges and performance to market.With strict corporate governance, and a riskpolicy consistent with chosen strategy, theenergy spend can transform from a highlyemotive board-level subject regularly givingnasty surprises, to a strategic asset helpingdeliver corporate objective.The energy strategy should be capable ofresponding to changes in corporate objectives,e.g. across financial years.A robust risk-managed approach to theenergy challenge can deliver a paradigmchange in how a company views its costs.Speculation, emotion and “what if” scenariosare replaced by a flexible approach turningenergy into a powerful strategic asset.How has ERM been effected by therecession?The recession brought a collapse incommodity forward prices, including gas andpower, in late 2008/early 2009. This bearmarket was preceded by the $147 per barrelpeak in oil price at the height of thecommodity boom.These price shocks and subsequenteconomic difficulty affected energy riskmanagement. Many energy buyers took frightat the rapidly rising cost of fixed deals andopted to fix price at or near the peak of market,often for an extended period, only to bestranded when markets crashed – a huge hit tocost competitiveness.Many purchasers vowed never to fix priceslong term again, and considered more flexiblecontract options at renewal. Equally, manyorganisations with flexible arrangementspanicked as the market rose, and hedged theirpositions to place a cap on the upside risk,without having facilities to ‘unlock’ or sellvolume back to the market.A subset of these customers was then hitby significant imbalance charges because oftheir falling consumption breaching ‘take orpay’ clauses related to their hedged volumes.Businesses suffered from lower demand, andpenalties resulting from over-hedgedpositions.The outcomes were an increased interestin flexible purchasing as opposed to fixed;robust risk management instead of emotiondrivenmarket watching; and demand for moresophisticated products offering ‘sell back’features and more regular options to redeclarevolumes.During the recession, the restriction oncredit facilities impacted on productavailability, while there was a tendency forbuyers to take a shorter-term forward hedgingview than previously. The latter was enhancedby the wholesale market returning to a state ofcontango.What aspects of ERM do you seechanging in the near future?M&C Energy Group surveyed the views ofattendees at its Global Energy Conference inMunich in February. Buyers and decisionmakersfor some of the largest energy users inEurope set out their views on future energyprices, decarbonisation and business impact.The respondents expected end-userindustrial energy costs to rise between 20 percent and 60 per cent by 2015, and higher by2020.Between 46 per cent and 36 per centbelieved decarbonising the EU economy,although worthwhile environmentally, mostlyrepresents a threat not a positive businessimpact.Asked to order priorities, ‘affordability’ and‘security of supply’ came out strongly ahead of‘sustainability’.Regardless of future price development,M&C sees the trend of smart energy riskmanagement moving further from apurchasing strategy dominated by emotionalresponses to market movements. This shouldbe replaced by calm, rational responses toevents – “if the market rises, we take thisaction,” underpinned by a realistic and robustrisk policy allied to effective objective setting,strong corporate governance, measurementand controls, and the appropriate tools.Other factors will influence riskmanagement and decision making, e.g. on-sitegeneration. Looking to take advantage ofincentives to generate from low carbonsources will open up new dimensions ininvestment risk appraisal and optimising selfgenerationfor use on-site or for export incombination with the network ‘import’requirement.Potential exists for developing a multifacetedand integrated approach torisk-optimising all aspects of an organisation’senergy portfolio.The prospect of increased coupling ofEurope’s power grids has potential to improveaccess to markets and products, while offeringlarger companies the opportunity to furtherleverage their continental portfolio.If you think M&C Energy Group can help youthen contact them at M&C Energy GroupLimited, Claymore House, Enterprise Way,Dunfermline, Fife KY11 8PY. Tel: +44 (0) 1383745000, Fax: +44 (0) 1383 745153, email:enquiries@mcenergygroup.comwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk72

EnergyExcellence in renewable heating systemsGo back ten years and the renewableenergy market was in its embryonicstages. Like any market with obviousgrowth prospects, new entrants were quicklyheading into the industry.Some stayed the distance, others fell by thewayside – unable, as they were, to back uptheir rhetoric with their actual product orservice offering.Alternative Heat is one business which hascomfortably stayed the distance. And thereason? Great products; experiencedemployees who truly understand thetechnology and products they are installing;excellent aftersales and maintenance support:all offer a clue about the longevity of thisforward thinking renewable energy business.Alternative Heat established in 2003 and isnow a leading MCS-registered supplier andinstaller of renewable heating systemsthroughout the UK and Ireland. The firmspecialises in the design, supply, installationand commissioning of renewable heatingsystems for domestic, commercial andindustrial applications.Jamie Byrne is Sales Manager withAlternative Heat. He says: “A major advantageof our offering is the expertise of our people.Our employees have extensive mechanicaland electrical knowledge and a thoroughunderstanding of the systems they areinstalling. That provides us with a majorstrength when we are working with othercontractors who are looking to incorporaterenewable energy technology elements into abroader project.”The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), whichcame into force in the U.K. last year (Due tostart in Northern Ireland in 2012), represents anexcellent opportunity for businesses which arelooking to install renewable energytechnology to make savings on their energybills. The RHI scheme enables customers toreceive quarterly payments for the renewableheat generated in their business or annualpayments for your home. Alternative Heat is anMCS registered installer and is thereforeeligible to design and install RHI compliantsystems.Referral has proved a highly effectivemarketing tool for Alternative Heat. For thisreason, Alternative Heat provides clients with acomplete service and maintenance option.The continued support for the whole life ofthe product is as important as the initialinstallation and commissioning.“We work with the leading technologymanufacturers and, with every installation, wereally do go the extra mile to make sure wehave covered every eventuality,” says Jamie.“Referrals are so important to us and alwayshave been. We have never taken a short termview and encourage our clients to providefeedback on every system we install to makesure the technology is performing asexpected.”Alternative Heat has won business in thecorporate market right across the UK – from asfar north as Thurso to as far south as London.The company recently secured andsuccessfully carried out a £1.5m contract forthe Highland Council.The contract was for the design and supplyof 20no: Biomass Energy Cabins complete withintegral pellet fuel stores. The energy cabinswere mechanically and electrically fitted outready for installation in designated sites acrossthe highlands. The contract was extremelychallenging given the tight programme ofworks and the project was completed within12 weeks – meeting the client’s time andbudgetary requirements.Jamie says: “It was a great team achievementto win this contract as it was tenderednationally and we were up against some highcalibre competition. Hopefully other localauthorities will follow the Highland Council’spro-active approach to biomass boilers andrealise the potential of biomass energy cabinsto reduce their energy costs and carbonemissions.”Please see www.alternativeheat.co.ukformore information.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk74

Let’s get it sortedEcoDepo is a simple, inexpensive waste management system. It islight and durable but with its unique “grab” and “clip” mechanism, itallows colour coded biodegradable bags to be easily fitted onto theecopods without the need for elastic or metal bands.EcoDepo is versatile and adaptable and can be placed in station likepositions in any workplace. With the use of colour coded lids or labels,various waste streams can be simply and easily managed andcontrolled.EcoDepo can bring greater awareness to recycling. It providesmany benefits and savings. It minimises risk and is proving essentialto Health and Safety provisions.EcoDepo is a Northern Ireland product supplying both the local,U.K. and now over seven countries worldwide. In 2012 the companyis branching out into new international markets with planned TradeVisits to Canada, U.S.A. and Russia.If you want to introduce a simple, inexpensive but effectiverecycling system, then contact us now byEmail: info@ecodepo.com orTelephone Sarah on 028 9756 5678.View our short demo online at www.ecodepo.comPower NI offer big benefits forthe big players in the marketWith over 80 years experience in this part of the world, Power NI,Northern Ireland’s leading electricity supplier, knows a thing or twoabout the challenges of doing business here.Even after a decade of competition, 30,000 small businesses still makePower NI their number one choice. And now, thanks to recent changesin the market, the local electricity supplier is offering larger users tailormadepackages that are even more competitive than before.Alan Egner, Power NI Business Sales and Marketing Manager explains:“Over 500 customers have switched back to Power NI in the last yearand our new found freedom and flexibility with ‘larger users’ hasallowed us to win several big contracts recently including deals withBelfast Metropolitan College, Premier Inn, Andor Technology andOmniplex Cinemas.”Steven Bell, QHSE Coordinator at Andor Technology in Belfast tells uswhy they chose Power NI: “Being the world leader in the design andmanufacturing of specialist scientific equipment, we need a supplierthat we can rely on to bring us first class support and service – andthat’s what we get from Power NI.”And it’s not just larger users that can enjoy big benefits with Power NIconcludes Alan: “Smaller businesses can get guaranteed savings withour Weekender and Nightsaver tariffs and we help you choose the tariffthat suits your needs and budget. With more experience here than anyother supplier, we offer real value for money. And no matter what, withPower NI, you can be sure you’re in safe hands.”To find out what Power NI can do for your business, visitwww.powerni.co.uk/business or call 08457 455 455 (lines openMonday-Friday 9am – 5pm).75 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

We can help reduce yourenergy costswww.global-renewables-group.comWhile we may not always think about it,energy is at the heart of any businessand household. The last few years haveseen painful increases in energy prices, sendingoverhead costs spiralling skywards, and theseare still set to rise even further with predictionssaying they will double by 2020. Now is thetime for companies and households toconsider their options, and for many, this hasmeant a closer look at natural resources.In UK and Northern Ireland electricitysuppliers must meet Renewable Obligationswhich is a set minimum amount of electricitysourced from renewables.Northern Ireland electricity suppliers aremanaged by Renewable Obligations set byDepartment for Enterprise, Trade andInvestment and these suppliers earn ROCs to(Renewables Obligation Certificates) todemonstrate that a set amount of electricity isbeing supplied through renewables.Thisobligation allows commercial and domesticusers to receive payment for ROC’s, which areawarded for the energy they produce throughrenewable technology.Responding to the current demand in themarket of natural resources,Global RenewablesGroup was set up in October 2011. While thecompany is based in Castlewellan, theirservices meet the needs of clients all over theUK and Ireland. They have also been involvedin installation projects in Europe.With their MCS, REAL Assurance and NICECaccreditations they are fully qualified to installSolar Photovoltaic (Solar PV), one of the mostreliable renewable technologies, and sign offon systems suitable to receive ROC’s.Global Renewables have been involved in anumber of schemes in England, bothdomestically and commercially, which haveincluded a 50KW system with 210 panels for amanufacturing plant.Sales and Marketing Director, GlobalRenewables Group, Robert McNeill comments:“There is now an opportunity to build a solarmarket in Northern Ireland.“With ROCs companies and domestichouseholds can generate their own energy andreceive payment for it. With energy pricescontinuing to rise, generating energy throughsolar power is attracting a lot of interest”.The ROC’s scheme lasts for 20 years from thetime you have your PV system installed and thecustomer starts trading ROC’s with their utilitycompanies. The ROC’s are traded once a year,and any energy not used on the site is soldback to the grid at a reduced rate.Dependant on the size of roof and thedirection they face, you can reduce your billdramatically and potentially receive a paybackbetween six-eight years. The system can alsocontribute to companies trying to reduce theircarbon footprint.Mr McNeill went on to say: “People may thinkyou need complete blue skies to generateelectricity through Solar PV but the systemswork in ambient light.“Northern Ireland also has the same solarradiation as most of Wales and the Midlands,where large Solar PV installations have takenplace. “Global Renewables Grouphave a contractingservices business from which they can manageYou can reduce your energycosts today!and install large quantities of electricalproducts. They have just completed a six weekscheme with Carillion PLC which involved 800installations of frost stats for boilers.“Frost stats turn the boiler on once theoutside temperature drops to a certain limit,preventing the pipes from freezing over. Sincethe success of the scheme they have beenrecommended for other similar projects.With an ever expanding product range, theyhave recently become one of the maincontractors for a new Irish product calledClimote. This allows the customer to controltheir home heatingremotely via the internet oran app.Mr McNeill describes their involvement withthis product: “Climate has already beensuccessful through a trial withone of the mainutility companies in Ireland, and it is now beinginstalled across homes in Ireland, NorthernIreland and the rest of the UK.Managing Director Noel Gallagher has beeninvolved in the installation of renewables,mainly Solar PV, for the last year and a half and,combined with Robert McNeill’s experience ofputting together and projecting managingrenewable packages, they are able to offer afull service operation for their customers.“We have experience of working with largecommercial systems and we have completedplenty of domestic installs as well. We offer afull one to one client service and NoelGallagheris involved with every customer wework with. Our MCS accreditation can giveconfidence to our consumers that we knowwhat we are doing and we can advise themproperly, to make sure that they get the mostfrom our installations.”Customers installing natural resources havetwo opportunities to reduce their energy bills.Firstly through ROC’s you are able to generateyour own income and secondly you cangenerate your own power.“By working with Global Renewables you willhave the added advantage of their experiencein the field and buying power when it comesto negotiating with suppliers to find the bestcosts.“We offer all potential customers a freeconsultation and following this meeting wecan come back with a full quote with nohidden expenses for the project.“Our service from planning to installationmeans that your whole project will bemanaged properly from the outset and thereare finance packages for our commercialclients.”www.businessfirstonline.co.uk76

Document securityThink document security isn’t a small businessproblem? think again“One million SMEs in the UK have never completed an information security assessment.”Keith Pryde, Regional Sales Manager, Shred-it Northern Ireland.What every small and medium sized businessneeds to know about securely destroyinghardcopy and electronic information to protectagainst data breaches and the financialdamage to their reputation.ll businesses would likely agree thatsecurely storing and destroyingAconfidential information is critical to thesecurity of their business. But many of thesebusinesses are simply not employing bestpractices to protect themselves againstcommon threats that can determine the futureof their business.A recent study from the 2011 Shred-itInformation Security Tracker, powered by IpsosReid has highlighted that 50 per cent of smallto medium businesses in the UK believe that adata breach would not impact their business.Alarmingly 35 per cent have no personresponsible for their customer, employee andconfidential business information.“Businesses must understand the need tosecure their information – HR files, financialaccounts, customer information and marketingplans are all confidential documents thatshould be kept secure and once redundantshould be destroyed securely” Keith Pryde.Think about how many of these practicesyou are following in your business?Seeking expert adviceJust as small business owners might consultadvisors for other aspects of their business(accountants, lawyers, etc), many see the valuein leveraging help from experts within thedocument destruction industry to ensurecompliance with the stringent data protectionlaws. An experienced document destructioncompany will be able to advise you on yourdata protection obligations and assist you withincorporating a process for the securedestruction of your information.Understand their regulatory andcompliance requirements for securingand protecting business data.All businesses have specific requirements forthe destruction of their data and the methodsto which this can be completed. A good onsitedestruction company will provide you witha Certificate of Destruction once the shreddingis completed. However did you know that untilyou receive this Certificate you are still liable forany information that leaves your building?According to the study by Ipsos Reid 22 percent of businesses are not aware of legalcompliances and legislations that apply to thesecurity of their business.Small businesses need to ensure thatall staff know the proper procedures forprotecting business informationBusiness security is only as good as itsweakest link.The study also found that 30 percent of small businesses had never trainedtheir employees about the importance ofinformation security. Small businesses mustalso ensure that staff know the correctprocedure for disposing of confidentialinformation and the consequences of notadhering to these policies.Even with advances in technology, printingdocuments is still standard practice in mostworkplaces. However, unless confidentialprinted documents are disposed of securely,there is always the risk that they could fall intothe wrong hands, threatening the security andprivacy of your business.Under the Data Protection Act 1998, everyfirm needs to keep its confidential information,and that of its customers and employees,secure.Document protection remains a keycomponent of all privacy legislation andcompliance standards in the UK. That means,it’s not just good business practice to keepyour confidential materials protected – it is thelaw. Currently in the UK, fines of up to £500,000can be imposed by the InformationCommissioner’s Office (ICO) for seriousbreaches of the Data Protection Act, such asbusiness or employee information leaks.As a security specialist Shred-it NorthernIreland tailor shredding services to suit everyspecific client need. We provide total peace ofmind for all our clients as a verifiable chain ofownership audit trail plus client witnessed 100per cent guaranteed data destructioncompleted on-site.We understand the different types ofconfidential waste that you produce, and canadvise you which materials need to be securelydestroyed. Shred-it Northern Ireland is proudto be one if the few UK organisations who todate have been awarded the European widesecurity standard accreditation ISOEN15713:2009 for the secure Destruction ofConfidential Material.We would recommend some simplepointers to help businesses managedata including• Never put sensitive information in the bin• Encourage employees to changepasswords regularly and add variation totheir selection• Ensure employees are fully aware of theirresponsibilities to secure and destroyinformation• Be sure to properly wipe or destroy oldcomputers and hard drives• Check the identity of your customers. Creditreference agencies can help authenticateand verify customers to ensure that theyexist and are who they say they are• Never put a director's signature on email oronline.Shred-it can advise your business on how toadopt the most compliant and up to dateinformation management solution.We regularly conduct Data Security Audit’sfree of charge for our clients to ensure they arefully compliant with the relevant DataProtection Legislation. Contact us to bookyour free Data Security Audit and for a copy ofour free mini guide with practical advice andguidelines to ensure your business meetsnational and European informationmanagement regulations.Contact Shred-it on 0800 028 1164 or log onto www.shredit.co.uk.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk78

The Portaferry Hotel has had achequered history over the past fewyears. From ‘worth the trip’ to ‘a bitmixed’, its reputation has beenvaried.But with the recent purchase of theproperty by Bill Wolsey (MerchantHotel) and the arrival of new headchef, Gary Bell with his commitmentto ‘fresh and local’, the restaurant isback to its former glory. And plannedfuture investment will ensure thatthe Portaferry Hotel is on the ‘mustvisit’ list of every romantic inNorthern Ireland.Gavin Walker visited therestaurant.Portaferry Hotel: where great food andstunning views compete for attentionur visit to the Portaferry Hotel was oneof nostalgia for me. A number of yearsOago I had worked in the property tryingto encourage Belfast-based businesses to traveldown the Ards Peninsula and hold thiermeetings in the fantastic surroundings of whatis one of Northern Ireland’s few real ‘inns’.Coming into the hotel with its unbeatableview of Strangford Lough, low ceilings thatalways make me think of the Jamaica Inn inDaphne Du Maurier’s book, and a blazing fire injust about every room, always takes me awayfrom the every-day. To while away a few hoursin the deep couches with a good book is morethan a little tempting.However, my job was to report to you on therestaurant experience, so there’s no rest for thewicked indeed.After a quick chat with head chef Gary Bellwho has taken time to source as much of hisfood from local sources (Blue Cheese fromKearney, honey from Greyabbey, beef from thePeninsula), we decided the best way to enjoyteh whole experience was by tackling theseven course tasting menu.I’m not going to take you through everycourse, but for me the crisp fish and chipplatter, quail and rabbit courses were the mostoutstanding. The food was delicate, beautifullypresented and one wonderful little surpriseafter another - and another.With a wonderful passionfruit creme bruleeand deep roasted coffee to finish, at £34.95 perperson this made the trip worthwhile.Other menu choices reflected both Gary’scommitment to local produce and the location.By the sea yet in the heart of the country, thearea really does offer the best Northern Irelandhas to offer.With a upgrade schedule in place, thealready wonderfully proportioned bedroomspromise to be even more inviting in the future.But don’t wait until then. With the longerevenings making a trip to Portaferry a pleasure,add this to your ‘must-do’ list for this summer.See you by the fireplace!For menu updates: www.portaferryhotel.comwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk80

Your healthRandox Health Checks: a health checktoday can avoid a health problemtomorrowRandox Health Checks appreciates that you,the employer, needs to maximiseproductivity to increase your profits,especially in the current economic climate. Oneof the easiest ways to increase productivity is toensure that each member of your staff is in ahealthy condition, in order to work to the bestof their ability.We also understand that time is of theessence. So, we want to bring our world classservice straight to your business. By doing so,we can provide an onsite, all-inclusive HealthChecks package, tailored to the needs andbudgetary requirements of your business.Randox Laboratories itself is world renownedfor its innovatory technology and diagnosticequipment. As today’s society is overwhelmedwith increased levels of sedentary lifestyles anddisease, Randox understands that the world ofdiagnostics has to move faster than the steepincline of chronic conditions such as diabetes,cardiovascular disease . As this concern is at theforefront of the company’s mentality it wasonly time before Randox made its servicesaccessible to the general public, and inparticular to businesses. This enablesemployers to take responsibility for their ownhealth, their employees’ health and in turn thehealth of the business.With hundreds of tests available, we offer aservice so comprehensive that it simply cannotbe ignored. Randox’s diagnostic screeningservice not only reviews current health, but alsodetects early markers for a range of diseasesand conditions. This empowers patients,enabling them to avoid the development oflong-term illness through medical intervention,along with diet and lifestyle changes.From only a simple blood and urine sampleRandox’s scientists run extensive tests to lookfor any potential areas of risk. The test list isendless, including checks to look for commonillnesses such as diabetes, or checks analysingthe performance of a particular organ.Test packages have been designed to quicklyand easily give you an accurate picture of youroverall health even before symptoms have timeto develop. Our Corporate Health Check testsevery vital organ and investigates the body’soverall capability. If there are problems to befound, a Randox Health Check has the mostadvanced testing equipment available to findit. Not only that, but a personalised reportdetailing your results will be delivered, firstclass, to your doorstep, making a RandoxHealth Check a completely confidential service.So, make Randox Health Checks your partnerfor a healthy business. Together, we canprovide a service that will endeavour to lookafter the needs of your employees, enablingthem to work to the best of their ability for youand your company’s future.For more information please contact us bye-mailing healthchecks@randox.com or call uson 028 9445 9852 or visitingwww.randohealthchecks.com81 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

he recent arrival of Stenaline’s twosuperfast ferries has revolutionised seaTtravel from Ireland to Britain. Our recenttrip to Scotland was more of a cruise than aferry trip. Taking full advantage of the StenaPlus Service, we enjoyed a hour as a family inthe Stena Lounge (pictured above) beforebeing escorted to the spa for a massage. Andwhile we didn’t choose to take advantage ofthe jacuzzi, the couple we spoke to that didthought it was a brilliant addition to thecrossing.But a wander around all of the public spaceonboard showed to what a high-spec thewhiole craft is finished. From the News Roomwith excellent seating and a wide screentelevision to the Metropolitan Grill and BaristaCoffee House, life on the ocean way will notbe the same again.So when the car is part of the journey -whether it be for business or pleasure - Stenahas the service for you. And just to confirm it,here are 14 reasons to make Stena your firstchoice1. Door to Door service: Take the caronboard and enjoy the freedom of travellingfrom your house direct to your destination, notransfers or expensive airport parking need!2. Don’t hang around: Check-in is only 30minutes in advance beating the longer airportcheck-in times and leaving you more time toget ready!3. Squish it all in: Travel by ferry and feel freeto bring the kitchen sink with you!4. Kids Play: Start your holiday fun as soonas you get onboard with loads to see and doincluding kids fun zones, cinemas and freeWi-Fi. Just don’t forget to save some energyfor your trip.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk5. Pamper yourself: Treat yourself to amassage or relax in the hot tub in the onboardSpa.6. Mouth Watering food... Choose fromeither our new Taste restaurant, exquisiteMetropolitan Grill or our Barista Coffee House.We guaranteed to satisfy even the fussiesteaters.7. Man’s Best Friend: Your furry friends cantravel in style with you and join in the holidayfun!8. Stretching out: With no restrictions onlegroom you can comfortably stretch out andrelax or move about and explore what theferry has to offer.9. Save your pennies: There are no hiddencharges, so what you see when you arebooking is what you pay.10. It’s good to talk: Use your phone andipad whilst you travel without restrictions andyou don’t ever have to turn it off!11. Shop ‘til you drop: Check out theonboard shops which offer great savings onfragrances, spirits, designer handbags and lotsmore!12. Keep fresh: Bring all your toiletriesonboard without the need to stick to a 100mllimit and store them in a small plastic bag.13. Don’t lose your shoes: Stay fully dressedas you move through security with no need totake off your shoes, belt and accessories andempty your pockets as you board.14. Treat Yourself: Upgrade to Stena Plusand enjoy entry into the Stena Plus Loungewith complimentary snacks, beverages andnewspapers.82FERRYniceWoodword isonboardCelebrity chef Kevin Woodford is teaming upwith leading ferry company Stena Line to serveup a number of tasty suggestions for customers.Woodford is currently one of the celebrity chefson ITV’s This Morning and will be working withthe ferry company over the coming monthsacross all five of its Irish Sea routes.The chef is best known for his presentation ofthe award-winning ‘Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook’ TVshow and the BBC’s ‘Ready Steady Cook’.He’ll be combining these skills to train StenaLine’s chefs across eight ships on its Irish Searoutes from Belfast to Cairnryan, Belfast toLiverpool, Dublin port to Holyhead, DunLaoghaire to Holyhead and Fishguard to Rosslare.The culinary partnership was set up as part ofStena Line’s plan to develop its onboard foodoffering for customers and comes on the back ofcompany research which shows that quality foodprovision scores consistently in the ‘Top 5’requirements of an enjoyable ferry travelexperience

Six to tryOf course there are some versatile bottlesthat are light and lively and can bring extraflavour to a number of different dishes. Withintense citrus and herbal aromas AltosurSauvignon Blanc 2010 (Argentina £8.75) has apalate that sings with vibrant fruit amidsuggestions of pink grapefruit, passion fruitand lime. The wine has excellentconcentration and a refreshing finish makingit an ideal accompaniment to goats’ cheese.SPRINGinto wineOur new wine columnist Master of Wine and fine wine manager with JNwine.com, Jane Boyce,says it’s time to look on at the lighter side of wine.s the days become brighter and theweather warms up, it’s only natural to startAswapping lighter, fruitier wines for thehearty winter warmers we’ve been enjoying sinceDecember.New crops of seasonal foods like lamb, salmonand asparagus are making their way back ontomenus and that’s a great excuse to explore newbottles and get to grips with some food and winebasics. Don’t worry it’s really not that hard.The most important thing to remember whenmatching wine with food is that there are no setrules.Everyone’s tastes are different and you shoulddrink the wines you like with the foods you like. Ifa particular combination pleases you, then it isthe right choice for you.The essentialsWith that in mind there are some basic pointersworth keeping in mind to bring out the mostfrom your spring dishes and your chosen glasses.Many wines are produced to complement thecuisine of their region and this tends to be a goodstarting point when thinking about wines.The easiest and most reliable way to matchdishes with wines is to look for sweetness, acidityor bitterness in the food and serve wines thathave the same characteristics.If your food item has an element of sweetness,your wine should also be sweet. Otherwise, thewine will seem sour by comparison. As a rule ofthumb, white Zinfandel, Chardonnay and someVouvrays tend to be sweeter on the palate.Equally if your dish has bitterness, like charredsteak, then wines like Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot, Red Bordeaux and red Zinfandel will workbetter.With acidity, think about whether or not yourmeal benefits from additional sharpness whenchoosing your wine. If your dish gains from a lightsprinkle of lemon juice, like most seafood, thenwines with higher acid content – SauvignonBlanc, Riesling, white Bordeaux and almost allsparkling wines – will be a good choice.Spain’s Candidato White 2010 (Spain £6.49)is made from the Viura grape variety whosesynonym in France is Maccabeo. It has a fruitynose suggestive of melons and whitepeaches with a waxy hint. The palate ismedium bodied with flavours of fresh, whitefruit mirroring the nose. The 2010 comes witha handy screwcap closure - ideal for springparties and summer barbeques.Returning to Spain, Infinitus Ecologico 2009(Spain £7.49) is a great, affordable, easydrinkingred with aromas of red and blackfruit and a palate which is medium bodiedand rounded. The long finish has slightlytoasty notes and a delicious aftertaste. As anaccompaniment, try with goat's cheese orlamb stew.Roc De Jean Lys 2007 (Bordeaux, France£9.99) comes from a selected plot of vineyardof Château Roques de Jean Lys, on thelimestone plateau of the Entre deux Mersregion. This Bordeaux Supérieur wine is full,charming and well balanced and the firstvintage was awarded a gold medal at theConcours des Vins de Macon.Regarded as one of the best Soaveproducers in Italy, the Pra vineyards havemade something special in its Soave DocClassico 2010 (Italy £11.99). This excellentbottle opens with an exquisitely aromaticnose that leads on to a palate smothered incrisp, beautifully delineated fruit. Thepersistence, balance and clean finish add upto a delicious bottle of wine.For the more adventurous, some lessobvious combinations can work to bring outthe best of seemingly conflicting flavours. Forexample low-alcohol, fruity wines like Rieslingcan both tame and highlight the flavours of aspicy dish.Independent wine merchants are a goodway to start learning more about wines thatwill work best for your dishes. Expert staff aretrained to help you with your selection andsome bottles are open for a ‘try before youbuy’ making it easier to find the perfect bottlefor any spring meal.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk84

Magnificent Maseratiby Ian Beasant, motoring correspondentJust sometimes dreams do come true and the The GranTurismo is a full four seater, offeringmore you believe they will they actually do. two full size rear seats in the back and also aWell that is what happened to me anyway. A good size boot. The interior is simple and veryshort phone call offering me the opportunity of well designed, using high quality materials anddriving the new Maserati GranTurismo Sthe car certainly gives a very premium feel. TheAutomatic? I nearly bit the end off the phone! steering is direct and the suspension set inUsually when I am offered to drive a high Comfort mode (you can have sport mode) Iperformance car like this it is on a track. But not found just about perfect for our bumpy roads.this time. Maserati had thoughtfully offered me The car is designed with almost equal weightthe chance to drive the car on our local roads for distribution front and rear 49 per cent front anda couple of days. This was great as I could get a 51 per cent rear, it certainly feels beautifullyproper feel for the car and see if it was practical balanced.to own and use on our roads. I can tell you it was The GranTurismo S Automatic I drove wasa real eye opener.fitted with a fantastic 4.7 litre V8 engine and theOn arrival to pick the car up I was – well, just six speed automatic gearbox was just a perfectoverwhelmed by its beauty and also its size. TheMaserati GranTurismo is truly a modern daymasterpiece. Its style and design are combinedwith a presence of unrivalled physicality anddrama; it really is a stunner from all angles.The GranTurismo’s exterior appears muscular,with a natural fluidity that starts at the frontgrille and extends all the way to the tail lights.This stunning design, with careful attention paidto the smallest detail, is also the outcome ofmeticulous aerodynamic studies – the windtunnel being a crucial stage in applying thefinishing touches to the GranTurismo’s lines.The imposing and dynamic nose highlightsthe oval grille, alongside the headlights whichextend horizontally and blend perfectly into thefront end. The grille, which comprises verticalconcave slats, is adorned with a chrome Tridentthat appears to be suspended. The long bonnet,with the classic ‘V’ shape, has three air vents oneach side in classic Maserati style, which createsan overall image of dynamism and verve.Rear styling also echoes the GranTurismo’sinherent sportiness and high-tech soul withtriangular lights comprised of 96 LEDs, and awide aerodynamic diffuser incorporated into thebottom of the bumper.fit to characteristics of the engine. Theperformance is sensational – 0-to-62 mph in 5.0seconds, top speed 183 mph. One thing thatreally surprised me was the fuel consumption anaverage of 27 miles per gallon – now look at theperformance figures and that is quite amazing.Sadly, I had to return the car to the nicepeople at Charles Hurst specialist cars, thankfullyin one piece! I loved it, and yes it is a practical,fun, supercar that you could live with and driveevery day. It’s not over designed and just apleasure to drive, even at very slow speedaround town..www.businessfirstonline.co.uk86

Motoring review with Ian Beasant, Business First motoring correspondentThe French have a way at looking at design:stylish quirky, different are some ways ofdescribing it. But I think original is a goodway to describe their designers.I say this as I have just spent a week with aCitroen DS4 and it has all the attributes you getwith Citroen: it’s stylish, it’s quirky and it’s good.DS4’s striking profile immediately portrayspresence and prestige. Its eye-catching lines areenhanced by a Chrome-finished waistline anddark tinted windows. Sculpted wheel archesemphasise the stylish alloys (up to 19”). The tautroofline and rear spoiler add extra prowess.Striking ‘always on’ light signatures at the rearand around the front fog lights ensure that DS4stands out from the crowd.DS4’s defined coupé physique belies itsversatile 5-door layout. Three full-size rear seatsare accessed via seamlessly Integrated reardoors with handles encased in the car’sextended window frames. When open, theserear doors reveal their angular shape as auniquely elegant design touch. The oneproblem I found with the rear doors is that therear windows do not open! Not manually orelectronically – stylish yes, practical – no, wellmaybe it’s to stop passengers throwing thingsout of the rear windows.The interior is very stylish as well and asophisticated and beautifully appointed cabinoffers exquisite comfort in a premiumenvironment. The interior exudes a sense ofstatus, innovation and finesse throughmeticulous attention to detail. From the carefullytailored acoustics to the premium cabinmaterials, DS4 projects an air of confidence andsophistication. The drilled aluminium pedals,embossed door handles and a choice of fiveleather combinations completes the opulentatmosphere. The attention to detail is right upCitroen DS4: tres Chicwith the very best , The dash lights can bechanged from white through a series of blues toa nice easy on the eye medium blue colour –nice touch and very simple .With 200bhp from its 1.6litre turbochargedengine, the DS4 Sport is a feisty car and apleasure to drive, with accurate steering andstrong brakes. The suspension setup is a littletwitchy for our roads but on the motorway thisis a comfortable car. The six – speed manualgearbox is slick and fun to drive and for a car ofthis size it is capable of 0-62mph in 8.5 secondsand will hit 146mph, with service intervals at20,000 miles and average fuel economy –whichreally is the big question when we are talkingperformance now days the DS4 Sport willaverage 45mpg – not bad at all. If you’re afashionista this is your car, if you’re anenthusiastic driver it will suit you too. Actually it’sa really good rounder quirky or not.Suzuki Super SwiftThe brand New Suzuki Swift Sport ,whichonly went on sale at the beginning of thisyear is a real beauty and has already beennamed hot hatch of the year by What CarMagazine.I tested one for a week and I can now seewhat the entire furore is about, in short it’sbrilliant. I loved the driving position, the sixspeedgearbox and the rev hungry engine. Andto cap it all it looks great as well.The new Swift Sport comes with a 1.6normally aspirated engine offering 134 Bhp -afairly tame figure by modern hot hatchstandards – but the Suzuki weighs a third of atonne less than a VW Golf GTI, so performance isstill lively. It only takes 8.7 seconds to hit themagic 62MPH from a standing start and it iscapable of 120 MPH –all sound good so far.Out on the road this Hot Hatch is an absolutepeach, it handles with the directness of a racingGo Kart and has the comfort of long wheelbasesaloon. It darts from corner to corner withvirtually no body lean, while the quick, wellweightedsteering gives you the confidence toreally push it to its limits. The sixth gear is reallya cruising gear and makes the Swift Sport a veryrelaxing car on a motorway drive as well, andhas also helped cut fuel consumption to44.1mpg and CO2 emissions to 147g/km.Inside the Swift Sport is a well-built interiorwith the front seats being of the bucket type,but really comfortable and supportive – not atall hard to sit on. Suzuki has loaded the SwiftSport with enough goodies to keep BMW 3Series drivers happy – let alone junior hot hatchbuyers. You get cruise and climate controls,keyless start, privacy glass, Bluetooth and a USBsocket for your MP3 player.There are highlights,such as the red stitching on the steering wheeland the gearknob, and figure-hugging sportsseats,The rest of the dash has all you need and issimple to use and very neatly designed , Suzukihave also fitted a great radio.Okay- legroom in the back is not great andthe boot is – ah well. But you can put the backseats down and that leaves with plenty of room- but I think boot space is a priority here.87 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Motoring review with Ian Beasant, Business First motoring correspondentAlpha Romeo Guilietta: an Italian beautyItalian’s love style, class and the good things inlife. They love to look good at all costs and Italyis full of designers from shoes to clothes to carsto perfume.Alfa Romeo has been quiet for a while; I thinkthis has been probably down to their reputationfor making gorgeous cars and also theirreputation for reliability - or lack of it - and theirterrible build quality. They have been workingaway and selling cars in mainland Europe but ithas been a while since we saw a new model overhere.The Guilietta has the beautiful Alfa Romeo faceand from the side looks like a two door coupe.But look a bit closer and you will find rear doorhandles hidden in part of the rear side window.The Guilietta is about the same size as a FordFocus or a VW Golf and that’s the market AlfaRomeo are after with this car.It’s a practical car as well plenty of room forcarrying your shopping, will seat five comfortablyand has a reasonable storage space in thehatchback.I spent a week with a 1.4 litre turbocharged170 bhp Guilietta which was fitted with whatAlfa Romeo call TCT transmission – a sort of semiautomatictransmission. The engine is a beauty -free revving and offering plenty of power.In particular, this innovative transmissionensures greater driving comfort and a sportierfeel than conventional automatic transmissionswith a torque converter, together with improvedefficiency and lower fuel consumption. Worthnoting is that Alfa TCT improves fuelconsumption with respect to correspondingmanual transmission versions by exploitingintegrated, smart engine and transmissionelectronics in order to optimise engine systemperformance and efficiency.Equipped with the 1.4 TB MultiAir 170 bhpengine, the Giulietta TCT’s top speed is 135 mphwith just 7.7 seconds needed to accelerate from0 - 62 mph. Even with this excellent performance,fuel consumption and emissions areextraordinarily low: 54.3 mpg over a CombinedCycle and 121 g/km of CO2 - values that makethe Giulietta one of the most environmentallyfriendlyand efficient petrol-powered compactson the market, even when compared to manualgearbox competitors with lower power ratingsand performance.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk88

New faces atMercurySecurityManagementOKI win Managed Print Servicescontract into world's largest onlinebike storeSam Burke has been appointed ARCManager with Mercury Security ManagementLtd.Sam is responsible for the running ofMercury’s award-winning Alarm ReceivingCentre and Remote Video Receiving Centre(ARC/RVRC) which monitors CCTV and alarmsthroughout Ireland, UK and Europe. Sam wasformerly chief officer of Belfast HarbourPolice, responsible for the managing andimplementation of a number of importantprojects. More recently Sam was head ofsecurity for the Northern Ireland Assembly atStormont on a temporary contract,responsible for the overall security ofParliament Building.Bamber Gascoigne has been appointedhead of Business Development. Bamber isresponsible for the day-to-day managementof business development, working on allaspects of security services delivered byMercury Security Management in particularthe Alarm Receiving Centre and RemoteVideo Receiving Centre (ARC/RVRC).(L to R) Paul Mayne of Eos Systems, Paddy Devine of Chain Reaction, Seamus Mullan of OKIOKI in Northern Ireland have won a significantManaged Print Services contract with the world'slargest online bike store. Chain Reaction Cycles(CRC) was established in 1985 and has grownfrom a small family-owned bike shop to nowemploy over 500 people. The company’s mainwarehouse in Doagh, Northern Ireland has acapacity of 100,000 square feet, houses 90,000product IDs and ships to over 115 countriesaround the world.CRC has an intensive requirement for printingsolutions in general office, marketing, anddespatch. Of these, the latter area typicallysupports the highest print volumes, carrying outaround four million prints a year in total and atpeak times having the ability to dispatch up to 24orders per minute.Until recently, CRC’s print fleet had grownorganically on an ‘as needed’ basis with multiplebrands, support contracts and different types oftoner. The approach was expensive, inefficientand was failing to support enhanced businessproductivity.The company sought advice on the bestapproach from IT service partner, EOS Systems,who in turn recommended a managed printservice (MPS) from OKI. Following an audit andconsultation the resulting contract, with aconsolidated size fleet of 84 devices, has alreadyproven to bring greater convenience, reducedcosts, better budgetary control and enhancedbusiness agility. Paddy Devine, ICT Infrastructuremanager at Chain Reaction has been "impressedwith the experience and expertise OKI displayedin terms of implementing and running managedprint services (MPS) solutions.”Reaping the rewardsOne of the greatest benefits of the managedprint services approach from CRC’s perspective isthat it offers a more standardised approach,effectively streamlining the company’s wholeapproach to printing.“From my point of view as IT manager, the mainbenefit of standardising on OKI and adopting anMPS approach is that it has made the wholeprocess of delivering IT support a lot easier for us,”says Devine. “We have seen a significant decreasein support calls. Toner cartridges now arriveautomatically when we need them and we nolonger have to scrabble around looking for tonersat the last minute.“Obviously too, there have been cost benefits,”continues Devine. “The MPS approach providesvisibility into the printing process, enabling us tomonitor the overall number of prints and thedepartmental split, showing where volumes arehigh, and enabling us to make appropriateadjustments as and when required. We estimate itwill save us 28 per cent on our annual print costs."Other benefits include reduced paper wasteand improved environmental practices due to theintroduction of duplex printing, better budgetplanning with spread fixed payments, andoutsourced remote management of service andconsumables through web-based monitoringsoftware. And critically, the printers themselveshave proved extremely reliable sinceimplementation.According to Devine, “the initialimplementation was smooth and we have had nomajor issues since then. Feedback on the groundhas been largely positive. People are noticing thatthe availability of the toners is much better.Typically, when you make changes you expectsome criticism. In this case, the criticism wasminimal - a tribute both to the quality of printersand the approach to printing we have taken.”www.businessfirstonline.co.uk90

Stamp price increases arevital to secure the UniversalServiceMichael Kennedy, regional operations directorfor Royal Mail in Northern Ireland.Royal Mail is a key part of the Northern Ireland’seconomic and social infrastructure. Our 3000postmen and women perform a vital and trustedrole in communities from Belfast to Belleek. Wedeliver letters for one price, anywhere in the UK,six days a week. It’s called our Universal ServiceObligation. The USO is of significant importance inNorthern Ireland because of its distance fromGreat Britain and its predominantly ruralpopulation.Yet, over the past four financial years, the RoyalMail has made a loss of almost £1bn on its coremail business, including packets. To secure theUniversal Service into the future, we need financialstability. The increases we have announced in theprice of postage – which include raising the costof First Class stamps from 46p to 60p, and SecondClass stamps from 36p to 50p - will help deliverthis.No-one likes to raise prices in the currenteconomic climate. We know how hard it is forhouseholds and businesses at the moment andwe have thought very carefully about the impacton our customers and on our own business beforemaking this decision.Our regulator, Ofcom, agrees that price rises areneeded to restore the Universal Service to viabilityin the near term. Royal Mail’s next day target of 93per cent is the highest for any major EU country.We deliver six days a week while many EUcountries only provide a five day delivery service.Yet, mail volumes have fallen overall by around 25per cent in five years in the UK and in the NorthEast.Research has shown that postage typicallyaccounts for a modest proportion of householdexpenditure - around 50p or 0.1% per week. Toput the price of a First Class stamp in perspective -a city zone bus fare in Belfast will cost you around£1.70.We’re not relying on price rises alone to restoreRoyal Mail’s financial viability. We have embarkedon our own self help programme. We’remodernising our operations as fast as we can,taking out costs and improving our financialperformance. In Northern Ireland we haveinvested around £12 million in new automationand new delivery equipment for our postmen andwomen. Improved technology will also enable usto develop new services involving the growingparcel market, which will help us fund theUniversal Service.We are also seeking to put in place a new andmore collaborative approach to employeerelations. Northern Ireland is leading the way on anew way of working called World Class Mail. Thisprogramme uses the talents and abilities of ourfrontline people to change the way we do thingsfor the better.We have also announced a scheme for thisChristmas to enable people on low incomes tobuy a total of 36 First or Second Class Stamps inone purchase at 2011 prices. The scheme willlaunch on November 6 and will be in place untilthe last Christmas posting days for First andSecond Class stamps. We will write to everyhousehold in Northern Ireland later in the year tofurther explain the scheme.The fact is that Royal Mail provides a high qualityservice, six days a week to over 800,000 addresses inNorthern Ireland. It needs to be paid for.PANI egg-heads competeSome of the best known names fromthe world of Advertising, Media and PRpitted themselves against each other atthe 5th annual P.A.N.I. Quiz, held in thePenthouse at the Europa Hotel.This year’s PANI Quiz was hosted byQ Radio Network with Bryan Gallagherplaying quiz master for the evening.The winning trophy was proudly takenby the team at U105 ‘ Franks not here ‘,with the Wooden spoon prize awardedto the team at INC Marketing , the ‘INCdredibles ‘.Q Radio Network’s Neal McClellandspun some ‘ol school tunes ‘ post quizand kept the party going.For further information on PA.N.I. goto www.panionline.comBryan Gallagher and Orla Ross Q Radio, Tony Axon PANI ChairNavigator BlueTitanic musicalgoes globalMaury Yeston from New York, composer of“Titanic the Musical” officially openedBelfast Operatic Company’s new premises“The New George Moore Centre” at BelfastHarbour Estate on Saturday 14th of April onthe centenary of when Titanic hit theiceberg.Mr Yeston attended the centenary galaperformance of his musical in the GrandOpera House which set a theatreprecedent by commencing at 11.40pm, theprecise time the ship struck the iceberg onthat fateful night.Commenting on the performance, MrYeston said, “we have issued over 150applications for the licence to perform ourshow across the globe but the only one Ihave attended is the Belfast performanceas it is the home of the story and thedesigners and engineers who had thevision and the daring to build her”World Gamesselects JPRThe world’s biggest multi-sport event afterthe Summer Olympics and the World MastersGames has appointed Belfast-based PRprovider JPR following a competitive pitch.The agency won the 18-month contract toprovide media relations, marketingcommunications and social media servicesto the World Police and Fire Games 2013,which are expected to attract more than10,000 competitors to Belfast when theytake place in the city next August.The games, owned by the California PoliceAthletic Federation and franchised for 2013to a company set up by the Northern IrelandDepartment of Culture, Arts and Leisure(DCAL), are open to active and retired lawenforcement, prison and fire servicepersonnel throughout the world.91 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Tech Europesupports localschool’sphones4changeappeal!Allstate Belfast raises £38K+for the MRI scanner appealand Cancer Research UKTech Europe is a leading producer andsupplier of tyre repairs and wheel servicesolutions. Established in the BallinderryIndustrial Estate in 1998, Tech Europe hasgone from strength to strength, providing topquality products to the European market.Tech Europe may be the centre of operationsfor Europe, but it is also very much a localbusiness which looks to help support the localcommunity.One example of the altruism of Tech Europetowards the local community is the fact that ithas recently agreed to support OakwoodIntegrated Primary School’s phones4changeappeal by collecting unwanted mobilephones.The phones4change appeal is a mobilephone recycling campaign which providesschools with new state-of-the-art educationalequipment at no cost to the school, with theproceeds supporting the work of the ComberFoundation.Managing director of Tech Europe, MarkNoble, commented: All the staff of TechEurope are delighted to be able to supportsuch a worthy cause as the phones4changeappeal. The phones4change appeal makes areal and positive difference on three fronts.Firstly, it is an appeal which provides valuablerecycling for old, unwanted and even brokenmobile phones. Secondly, the appeal supportsa local school- Oakwood Integrated PrimarySchool- which will enable the school to getsome great new educational equipment.Finally, the appeal makes a huge difference tothe lives of disabled children and youngpeople in Romania and Eastern Europethrough the work of the Comber Foundation.If your business would like to donate yourwork mobile phones at the end of theircontracts, or collect old staff personal mobilephones, to support the work of the ComberFoundation, and a potentially a local school,then please call 0845 301 1057 for moreinformation.These unwanted items can be used to makea real and positive difference to both schoolsand the lives of disabled and disadvantagedpeople in Romania and Eastern Europe.Employees from Allstate’s Belfast Office weredelighted to present 2 cheques for £19,260 tothe MRI Scanner Appeal and to Cancer ResearchUK, their designated charities in 2011.From beard growing, badminton and footballcompetitions, competing in the marathon tomore sedate coffee mornings and contributionsvia the Give as You Earn scheme, Allstate’s charitycommittee engaged as many employees aspossible to raise much needed funds.Nigel Kearny from Helping Hand Charity theRoyal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children said, "Onbehalf of all the charities involved in theChildren's MRI Scanner Appeal, I would like to saya huge thank you to Allstate, the charitycommittee and all the staff members who gotbehind your fundraising efforts throughout theyear.The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children isthe only Children's Hospital in the UK that doesnot have its own MRI Scanner. Children from allover the Province will benefit from the provisionof this facility which would not be possiblewithout the legendary generosity of the peopleof Northern Ireland. It is clear from this fantasticeffort that there is a tangible team spirit and feelgood factor among the employees of Allstate NIand we thank you all most sincerely."Kevin Harper from Cancer Research UK alsoexpressed his gratitude to the company who hassupported the charity for a number of years now.XM Solutions opens in BelfastFor the second year running, printmanagementspecialists, XM Solutions has beenrecognised by Deloitte as one of the bestmanaged companies in Ireland.Speaking about the award, company CEO,Emerson Palmer said: “It is a huge honour to berecognised as one of the best managedbusinesses in the country.“Our strong business relationships anddynamic approach have ensured that wecontinue to grow the business even in thesetough economic times,” he added.“From a very small start a few years ago, wehave grown to become the largest indigenousprint management company in Ireland. Andnow with a presence both north and south ofthe border, we are delighted to announce theopening of our new Belfast office, XM Solutions(NI) Ltd. headed up by Alan Steenson. Thisaward will help us to grow even more in thefuture and I’m confident it will help open doorsto a number of business opportunities inNorthern Ireland.” he said.The Deloitte Best Managed CompaniesAwards Programme, in association with Irish LifeHe said “More people than ever before aresurviving cancer and our charity have been at theheart of that progress. We receive nogovernment funding for our research and we aretotally dependent on donations from the generalpublic. Without the support of people like theemployees at Allstate Northern Ireland, we wouldsimply be unable to carry on with our life-savingwork. Everyone involved should feel very proudto have made such a significant impact in theworldwide fight against cancer. We are verygrateful to everyone on the Allstate CharitiesCommittee and to everyone who has generouslysupported them.”Each year Allstate’s employees also take part inCancer Research UK’s Race 4 Life at Stormont,and employees attend their Men and Women’sClinics held at the office in Belfast, providingadvice on how a change in lifestyle can greatlyreduce your risk of getting cancer.Bro McFerran, managing director gave thanksto the company’s charity committee and to allemployees that fundraised throughout the year,he said “every year I’m always taken aback by thegenerosity and the commitment of ouremployees to raise as much money as they canfor our designated charities. I would like to thankeveryone who got involved this year, both ofthese charities are very close to our hearts andwe look forward to hearing what our nextfundraising activity will be.”Corporate Business, recognises indigenous Irishcompanies across the island of Ireland thatoperate at the highest levels of businessperformance.In total, twenty companies across the entirespectrum of Irish business life, whodemonstrated superior business performance inthe areas of strategy, capability, commitment,financials and growth potential were recognisedon the 2nd March 2012. This year, the judgingpanel, focussed in particular on how companieswere planning for sustainable organisationalgrowth.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk92

Atlas works with Science ParkAtlas Communications and Northern IrelandScience Park’s relationship began with theprovision of Atlas Internet services to the Park and,as the Science Park campus grew so has the rangeof telecommunications services provided andmanaged by Atlas to the Park. The Science Parkwas one of the first and is currently the largestorganisation of its kind in Northern Ireland to offerhosted telephony and Internet services to itstenants enabling a complete turnkeytelecommunications infrastructure for thoselocating there. This approach enabledcompanies, often young and expanding rapidly, tobe operational quickly and focus on their corebusiness without the costs and managementoverhead of provisioning their owntelecommunications.Northern Ireland Science Park rests on a site thatis steeped in Maritime history with the campusbuilt around a dry dock once home to the Titanic.With the centenary of the ship’s launch the PumpHouse building on the campus, now a café andvisitor attraction is expecting yet more visitorsfrom home and abroad. The Science Park hasmerged the history of the site with its newpurpose as a hub for technology innovation bycreating a smartphone app for visiting tourists todownload. The app due to launch in the comingweeks, called iTanic (itanic.co.uk) combines audio,images and video to take visitors to the dry dockback in time to the building and launch of theTitanic.Atlas is proud to partner with Northern IrelandScience Park and support the iTanic app andTravel and readThis online facility enables library membersto access over 30,000 free eBooks from thevirtual library 24 hours a day, seven days aweek without the hassle of returning booksand no overdue charges to pay.Catherine Mason, Translink Group ChiefExecutive said, “We are delighted to beworking in partnership with Libraries NI andhelp passengers to travel light and make themost of their personal time on board our busand rail services.Irene Knox, Chief Executive, Libraries NIsaid, "By partnering with Translink, we areencouraging more people to read books withan eBook reader, which is the ideal way toenjoy your favourite reads, while travelling!”Call into any local library to sign up or forfurther information please visit:www.librariesni.org.uk/ebooksFinance Company provides over £20m infunding to help boost local economyKeys Commercial Finance Ltd has announcedthat in its first eight months of trading it hassupported more than 20 local businesseswithin the SME sector - extending some £4.5min new funding.The Company has also secured a further£20m in funding for large corporateorganisations in the Province via leveraginglines through its own funder, ABN AmroCommercial Finance, based in Manchester. SaysJudith Totten, managing director of KeysCommercial Finance:“In our first year of trading we have facilitatedgrowth for our clients and underpinnedacquisition opportunities while creditmanaging their cash flow cycles at a time whenthey needed it most. Our clients’ turnover hasincreased 50 per cent overall during this time,but more importantly our support has allowedthem to meet financial obligations, grow theirbusinesses, employ more staff and createwealth in Northern Ireland. In a tougheconomic climate, such as the one we areexperiencing, we are absolutely delighted to bebucking the current trend where it can bealmost impossible for small to medium sizedcompanies to secure financial support."The team at Keys has also successfullycollected £3.67m on behalf of clients undertheir unique, confidential, outsourced CreditControl function. With an average creditmanagement collection cycle of just 46 days,the team's performance is massively betterthan the Northern Ireland average whichcurrently ranges from 80 – 85 days.Judith continues, “Whist we are delightedwith what we have achieved so far, we have avery clear focus going forward to grow our ownbusiness, increase our lending capabilities,through its data centre and network servicesprovides high speed, high quality experience forvisitors to the Pump House visitors centre.Mervyn Watley, Director of Corporate Real Estateand Facilities at the Science Park, says, "NorthernIreland Science Park and Atlas have workedtogether over many years and we are delightedthat they have joined with us to support this latestventure. We intend to give visitors a real view ofhow things were in 1912 and, by standing at thedry dock itself an understanding of the sheer scaleof the Titanic. To ensure the best visitorexperience Atlas have worked with us to create afast download environment for the forthcomingiTanic app so that visitors to the site can spendmore time enjoying the interactive tour and lesstime waiting for the app to download on theirphone.Richard Simpson. Managing director of AtlasCommunications commented. ‘We are delightedto support the Northern Ireland Science Park withthe ITanic app. The go-ahead approach taken byall concerned has been a feature of the widersuccess achieved by the Park and we are proud tohave played a part in that success’.Atlas Communications (NI) Ltd is NorthernIreland’s leading independent business tobusiness communication service providerbringing telephony, high speed broadbandconnectivity, networks and Internet services tobusinesses across Northern Ireland. With almost30 years’ experience they have the perfectsolutions tailored to your business.widen our scope of products and continue tosupport local enterprises and the widerNorthern Ireland economy”.The Keys brand was originally launched in1992 by Alan Graham (now retired) as a privateFinance Company and evolved into what is stillthe only truly locally owned and managedInsurance Premium Finance Company inNorthern Ireland.In June 2010, Judith Totten and her teamjoined Alan's son, Owen Graham and togetherthey have developed a Group which is nowCatherine Mason, Translink and Irene Knox,Libraries NIPictured l-r collecting the award for Business Funder of the Year 2012 from sponsor Mills Selig isDiane Woodside, sales director and Judith Totten, managing director Keys Commercial Finance.recognised as a leading provider of WorkingCapital solutions to the NI business community– both via their own finance lines and resourcesand their extensive range of Finance Partnershere and in GB, Europe and the US.This culminated in the launch of KeysCommercial Finance Limited in June 2011 andwinning the Insider Award of Business Funderof the Year 2012 , so early in their existence is"Hugely humbling in such a competitive market", states Diane Woodside, sales director .93 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

New membersWe would like to welcome new members who have recently joined the ChamberBusiness ServicesAA Promotional Products7 Audleys GardensNewtownardsBT23 8WE077 118 37222anthony@aapromotionalproducts.co.ukAnthony CafollaAartius Management Solutions19 Ballylenaghan AvenueBelfastBT8 6WX028 9040 2657aartius@gmail.comLeslie IrwinAbbeyBondLovis10 Governor's PlaceCarrickfergusBelfastBT38 7BN028 9335 0015christine.adams@abbey-insurance.co.ukChristine AdamsCIDOCIDO Innovation Centre73 Charlestown RoadPortadownBT36 5PP028 3835 0390brianhunter@cido.co.ukBrian HunterCombined Facilities Management Ltd65 Deerpark RoadCastledawsonBT45 8BS028 7938 6451gareth.osborne@cfm-ni.comGareth OsborneComplete Print Group24 Rossdale RoadBelfastBT8 6TG075 6808 5532info@completeprintgroup.netStephen WilliamsCredit Control Direct Ltd2nd Floor Murray's Exchange1 Linfield RoadBelfastBT12 5DR028 9040 7499cathy@creditcontroldirect.comCathy JordanCustomer Analytics & Insights9 Knutsford DriveBelfast BT146LZ028 9050 0074timcollette@hotmail.comTim TurnerDanwoodSuite 1 Shaftesbury HouseEdgewater Office ParkEdgewater RoadBelfast BT3 9JQ02890 773 663albert.hall@danwood.co.ukAlbert HallFederal Express Europe IncUnit 22a KilrootBusiness ParkCarrickfergusBT38 7PR028 933 57270markoneill@fedex.comMark O'NeillForth Communication NI LtdForth CommunicationUnit 1a 2-4 Balloo AvenueBangorBT19 7QT028 9147 3598karen.farrelly@forthcom.co.ukKaren FarrellyIEI Trade Solutions2 Duncairn GardensBelfastBT15 2GG028 9075 0791nabendu@ieitradesolutions.comNabendu Das GuptaLinfield Properties LtdWeavers Court Business ParkBelfastBT12 5GH028 9022 4000gary@weaverscourt.comGary CassellsSafety Choice8 Dernasigh RoadArmaghBT60 4QD028 3754 8993fred.wilson@safetychoice.co.ukFred WilsonStamp Promotions50 Farmhill RoadHolywoodBT18 0AD028 9042 8899tori@stamppromotions.co.ukTori HigginsonUniversal Business Installations Ltd.Unit 4A ElmbankChannel Commercial ParkQueens RoadBelfastBT3 9DT028 9046 9112alan@ubiltd.co.ukAlan MegarryChamber of CommerceBritish Irish Chamber of CommerceRoyal Dublin SocietyMerrion RoadBallsbridgeDublin 400353 1 458 5230info@britishirishchamber.ieSteve Aikenwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk 94CharityAction on Hearing LossHarvester House4-8 Adelaide StreetBelfastBT2 8GA028 9555 4104sharon.rutherford@hearingloss.org.ukSharon RutherfordInternational Justice Mission UKPO Box 2051BelfastBT1 9PA028 9508 8098ruth.cooke@ijmuk.orgRuth CookeConstructionKCC Architectural20-21 Harbour CourtHeron RoadBelfastBT3 9LE028 9046 9914alan.currie@kccarchitectural.comAlan CurrieCreative IndustryLoud Mouth Media LtdInnovation CentreQueens RoadQueens IslandBelfastBT3 9DT028 9099 7001mark@loudmouth-media.comMark HaslamMade by Mint61 Carrickfergus RoadBallynureBT39 9QJ028 9334 2804info@mintdesign.bizSuzanne WoodsideGreen Sectors493k23 Watch Hill RoadBallyclareBT39 9QW028 93 359922office@493k.comGareth McDowellGlobal Renewables Group25 Riverside ViewBelfastBT7 3LE077 6422 4613robert@global-renewables-group.comRobert McNeillHealth & BeautyHe-Shi Enterprises Ltd t/a 4Beauty GroupBlock BCarryduff Business ParkComber RoadCarryduffBT8 8AN028 9081 0350shelley@4beautygroup.comShelley McMurray

ICTEcom Software LimitedUnit 17, The Innovation CentreNorthern Ireland Science ParkQueens RoadBelfastBT3 9DT028 9073 7893eamonn.connolly@ecomsoftware.comEamonn ConnollyGenesis Telecom Limited729 Lisburn RoadBelfastBT9 7GU028 9066 2500michael.hall@genesistelecom.co.ukMichael HallOnwaveUnit 27, Lough Sheever Corporate ParkRobinstownMullingar, Westmeath00 353 44933 3200dominic.kearns@onwave.comDominic KearnsLegalHewitt and GilpinThomas House14-16 James Street SouthBelfastBT2 7GA028 9057 3573law@hewittandgilpin.co.ukEdith CampbellManufacturingEcoDepo4 Demesne RoadSeafordeBT30 8SG028 9756 5678info@ecodepo.co.ukTom FairbairnHuhtamaki (Lurgan) Ltd41 Inn RoadDollingstownLurganCraigavonBT66 7JW028 3832 7711jeff.kearon@gb.huhtamaki.comJeff KearonNirox Ltd8 Bendooragh RoadBallymoneyBT53 7NF028 2766 8855nigel@niroxtrommels.comNigel KirkpatrickWhiskin Precision Engineering Ltd67b Upper Braniel RoadCastlereaghBelfastBT5 7TX028 9044 9990whiskineng@btconnect.comSheena VaughanMarketing & Public RelationsFreshwater NILesley House601-605 Lisburn RoadBelfastBT9 7GS028 9066 8664marc.casey@freshwater-uk.comMarc CaseyJCDecaux15 Kilwee Business ParkBelfastBT17 0HD028 9062 4606joanne.grant@jcdecaux.ieJoanne GrantMRNI Research ltd46 Elmwood AvenueBelfastBT9 6AZ028 9066 1037isobel.savage@mrni.co.ukIsobel SavageMW Advocate4th Floor, The Potthouse1 Hill StBelfastBT1 2LB078 4197 0678carl.whyte@mwadvocate.comCarl WhyteMediaThe Irish Times24-28 Tara StreetDublinDublin 200353 1 675 8484bmcatee@irishtimes.comBriege McAteeProfessional ServicesBarrington Security LtdUnit 1 Carryduff Business ParkComber RoadCarryduffBelfastBT8 8AN028 9081 2010mark@barringtonsecurity.co.ukMark BarringtonBelvoir Lettings515-517 Ormeau RoadBelfastBT7 3GU028 9022 8409andrew.jack@belvoirlettings.comAndrew JackLook QS Ltd9-11 Crumlin RoadBelfastBT14 6AA078 0783 7187victoria@lookqs.co.ukVictoria MurrayN I Fire & Rescue Service1 Seymour StreetLisburnBT27 4SX028 9266 4221joe.mckee@nifrs.orgJoe McKee95Oman McConnell RemovalsUnit 1, Count Central ParkMalluskNewtownabbeyBT36 4F028 9084 3631heather@oman.ieHeather HawthorneRedmayne Bentley Stockbrokers LLP68 Wellington ParkBelfastBT6 9DP028 7131 1540sabine.lebrizoual@redmayne.co.ukSabine Le BrizoualTrainingFutures NIMaryfield Complex100 Belfast RdHolywoodBT18 9QY028 9039 3579info@futuresni.comJenni BrownIndustry Training Services16 Derryvore LaneSeagoePortadownBT63 5RS028 3839 8700info@industrytrainingservices.comGary McLornParity Talent Management15 Dargan RoadBelfastBT3 9LS0845 873 9500j.jolmes@parity.netJacqui JolmesSpringvale Learning200 Springfield RoadBelfastBT12 9DB028 9024 2362f.mclernon@springvalelearning.comFionnuala McLernonTransportRedhead International5 Mullusk DriveMalluskNewtownabbeyBT36028 9336 1570msc@redhead-int.comMark CosgroveUtilitiesSONI Ltd12 Manse RoadBelfastBT6 9RT028 9070 7400robin.mccormick@soni.ltd.ukRobin McCormickwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk

The final wordAll politics is local…social and mobile.Political communication in NorthernIreland is changing whether we like it ornot. A greater number of tablet devices,more sophisticated 3G enabled phones andthe proliferation of social media platformsmean that we no longer have to sit at a deskand turn on a computer to communicateonline. Politics and public affairs here areslowly but surely going local, social andmobile.Over half of our Assembly members are onTwitter, Facebook or both. There are fewer onLinkedIn. I guess a retracing of experienceand employment history over the years mightgo against some of them. But let us not dwellon such issues.Increasingly our MLAs, political advisers andinstitutions are feeling the benefit of having ahealthy relationship with social media. Notonly is it a good listening tool, it can alsoprovide an unfiltered route to market whenputting information out into the publicdomain.Using social media as a listening tool is asmart move for any ambitious politician. Notonly can it assess mood, it can also act as anearly warning system and as a source ofgrassroots information. This is where theopportunity lies for the local businesscommunity to make sure its voice is beingheard, loud and clear.Set up properlyMake sure that the profile pictures that youuse aren’t pixelated or blurred and that theyclearly show the leader of your organisation,or the brand that you represent. Rememberthat there are different specifications for eachof the social media platforms that you mightbe using. Create a decent biography thatexplains who you are, what you do andprovide a direct channel of communicationshould someone need to get access to you.Use it as a source of politicalinformationOn Twitter you need to have @niassemblyand @niexecutive in your timeline to get youstarted. Follow all the MLAs that are currentlyactive on Twitter and organise them in a list.Join discussion groups on LinkedIn that arelikely to include other business leaders andelected representatives. Start to follow theinstitutions as an express source of politicaland policy driven information. Build it fromthere and don’t be afraid to send out somerequests to follow.Crowd source who else will be in yourTwitter stream or company/campaignFacebook timeline. Search for other people inyour sector, journalists covering your beatand others you know are vocal on the topicsthat you are seeking to engage in. Find out ifthe MLAs you are following are relevant partyspokespeople, serve as Private Secretaries tocertain Ministers or sit on relevantcommittees.by Chris Brown, client director, MCE Public Relations.Don’t troll, be niceFrom personal experience, I have foundthat the first rule of social media is to be nice.Why would you want to aggravate someonein front of a potential global audience? Theyhave the ability to help. You may thinkpoliticians have skin like rhinos but they don’t.There is no harm at all in healthy debate, butelected representatives are human and arelikely to close down if you are ‘sticking theboot in’ publicly.By their very nature, social media platformsare less reflective and more immediate, so siton your hands for a while before you decideto fire off a salvo that you could potentiallyregret. After all, in Northern Ireland, thelikelihood of you bumping into your localMLA whilst out shopping on a Saturdayafternoon is quite high.Tone can easily be misconstrued when thespace restraints of Twitter’s 140 character limitcomes into play; if you don’t want to see yourpersonal views or conversations in newspaperprint, don’t post them on social networkingsites. Journalists increasingly use Twitter andother digital platforms as an informationsource, so it is vital that you are mindful of thecontent you post online. And, if you want tobe respected, never underestimate theimportance of good grammar – using textspeak does not portray a professional image.Be selective about who you interact withthrough social media. Find out if the MLA thatyou wish to engage with is the spokespersonrelevant to your campaign or sector. Don’tpester them for retweets or recommendationspublicly as that smacks of desperation. No-onelikes a desperate tweeter.Right message, right audience, righttimeOnce you have sorted out who you arefollowing, begin to roll out the key messagesthat are central to your current publicity driveor campaign. After going to the trouble ofcultivating a good network, tweet and updateto inform and educate. Niche and forwardlooking information is what followers (in thiscase elected representatives) want to read asthey feel they are learning something aboutyou and your issue. Provide fact and sensibleinformation that can be easily digested andyou will begin to develop a reputation as atrusted source of information.Carry out a health checkOn a regular basis I like to do a health checkon my own social media profile - just to makesure that it is doing what I intend it to do. Getover the vanity aspect of it and you start tosee who you are compared with in thesphere; those that you influence; and whoinfluences you. Social media measurementtools like Klout can give you a good indicationof what you need to do to perfect, correctand manage your online reputation,especially when it comes to interacting withministers, MLAs and political advisers.Connect with Chris:Twitter: @CB_PRandPALinkedIn: Chris BrownPinterest: CBPublicAffairsEmail: chrisbrown@mcepublicrelations.com