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From the presidentHarnessing potentialneeds leadershipby Francis Martin, president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of CommerceChamber PatronsBringing the Fleadh Cheol to Derry in 2013 is atremendous achievement and one which willbring economic benefits to the Maiden City, theNorth West and the wider Northern Irelandcommunity. It follows on from another recentsuccess - the decision to stage the Irish Open atPortrush in June.These events, as well as those alreadyannounced by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board(NITB) as part of the NI2012 Our Time, Our Placecampaign could help to address the corrosiveuncertainty that is sapping confidence, especiallywithin the business community, over our futureeconomic prospects.Certainly the business opportunities presentedby all the exciting events now in the pipelinereally could be immense. Harnessing the businesspotential will require a degree of co-ordinatedleadership and effective pump-priming fromboth central and local government hereparticularly in terms of investment ininfrastructure and conditions in Derry, Portrushand other parts of Northern Ireland.I am not suggesting that public bodies andagencies should be responsible for everything, farfrom it. While business here is keen to embracethe opportunities and to work alongside publicsector organisations, confidence-buildingmeasures are needed to encourage investmentby business. A vital policy goal must be to rebuildbusiness confidence by creating the environmentin which executives are prepared to invest.The banks, of course, have an importantcontribution to make to this process. Finance forsmall and medium sized enterprises remains aserious problem, as the recent decision by InvestNI to return part of its budget has demonstrated.Companies continue to shelve investmentdecisions because of a lack of confidence in thebusiness environment and also because securingfinancial support to match Invest NI assistancehas become extremely difficult.The Northern Ireland Executive is facing a verydelicate balance: reducing public sectorspending and, inevitably, employment, whileendeavouring to encourage key industries, suchas construction and manufacturing, to invest ingrowth, assuming that they can secure supportfrom financial institutions.The Executive, it is true, has put forward a new,largely aspirational, strategy in the draftProgramme for Government, which the Chambergenerally supports. The targets set in areas suchas employment and investment, however, couldbe a bit more ambitious. Key areas such asexport activities and public sector reform targetsalso need to be fleshed out with much greaterdetail.The uncertainty that has developed over thefuture of the Department for Employment andLearning (DEL), particularly skills and training,must be resolved quickly. Chamber membersbelieve that DEL’s functions should become partof the Department of Enterprise, Trade andInvestment (DETI), because we have longadvocated the formation of a Department for theEconomy that would cover skills and training,including the roles of the universities and the FEcolleges, which, we believe, have a cruciallyimportant role to play in helping to kick-starteconomic recovery in the short-term.The quality of our people has long beenNorthern Ireland’s greatest asset, one which has –and continues to – figure in the internationalpromotional activities of Invest NI and DETI.To my mind, the most important resource inany organisation is its people. It is one area whereinvestment, I believe, can reap massive benefitsfor the economy in areas such as productivityand investment. Improving the skills base of thelocal economy is crucial to boosting productivity,employment and our overall internationalcompetitiveness.Research shows that the quality of theworkforce in Northern Ireland, when comparedto other leading economies, is not developingquickly enough and may, in fact, threaten oureconomic development in both short and longterms. Studies show that a one-percentage pointincrease in productivity could generate anadditional £200 million for the local economy.And it’s worth bearing in mind that exploitingthe business opportunities expected to flow fromthe upcoming tourism projects will certainlyrequire much greater investment in skills andtraining. If Northern Ireland really is to become aworld class tourism destination, maximising thegoodwill that’s now apparent in internationalpublications and broadcast media, we have tooffer all our visitors services and facilities that arealso genuinely world class.Tourism really can drive overall economicgrowth and progress within key business sectors.We simply can’t afford to miss the opportunitythat organisations such as NITB have worked sohard to achieve by disappointing our gueststhrough inadequate facilities and a lack ofprofessional skills in our welcome to themeverywhere.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk2

Chamber announces new patronsNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce isdelighted to announce Lisburn ICT companyXperience, and local taxi company fonaCAB asits newest patrons.The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commercepatronage scheme provides a tailor madebenefits package to leading companies inNorthern Ireland, offering major profile raisingopportunities and the opportunity to access andnetwork with business leaders, politicians andtheir advisers.The patronage scheme is limited to 12companies, which sees Xperience and fonaCABjoin current Chamber patrons BelfastInternational Airport, FG Wilson, GraftonEmployment Group, Investec Wealth andInvestment, McGrigors, Northern Bank, TRLogistics Group, Ulster Bank and the UlsterBusiness School at the University of Ulster.Having been in the Northern Irelandmarketplace since 1969, Xperience is a MicrosoftGold Certified Partner and has also beenawarded Platinum status by accountingsoftware provider Pegasus, one of only fourcompanies in the UK to achieve this.The Lisburn based company which employs50 people, has vast experience providingcomplete IT infrastructure and softwaresolutions throughout the Northern Irelandbusiness community and its business basecontinues to grow through its expertise in keystate of the art industry technologies such ashardware (cloud or on-premise), Sharepoint,virtualisation and unified communications.Through their network of hardware andsoftware engineers, managed via acomprehensive service support desk, Xperiencecan tailor an IT solution specific to any businessneeds, making real efficiencies for the companyin the process.Xperience’s patronage is expected to furtherbolster its brand exposure amongst thebusiness community in Northern Ireland, whilstunderlining Northern Ireland Chamber ofCommerce’s commitment to the advancementof business and enterprise in the region.Welcoming the company’s patronage,Northern Ireland Chamber of Commercepresident Francis Martin commented:“We are delighted that Xperience recognisesChamber president Francis Martin and chief executive Ann McGregor, welcome Patrick Leggett,group sales director for Xperience as a new Chamber Patronthe valuable brand exposure that patronagestatus of Northern Ireland Chamber ofCommerce brings and we are looking forwardto assisting Xperience in communicating theirfirst-class services to medium and large-sizecompanies in Northern Ireland and linking themto further opportunities in their specialised areaof work."Commenting on the patronage PatrickLeggett, group sales director for Xperience, said:“Becoming a patron of Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce underlines ourcommitment to businesses in the region. Wealready work closely with a large number ofNorthern Ireland companies, buildingpartnerships to help businesses change anddevelop. It's appropriate that we shouldconsolidate our achievements, and our brand,by becoming a patron of the Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce.We are looking forward to developing ourrelationships with the Chamber and with localbusinesses in 2012."fonaCAB’s patronage of Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce follows their recentHead Office relocation with the opening of anew taxi sales and service centre at Knock RoadBelfast – a first for the local taxi industry.fonaCAB, who this year celebrates its 50thbirthday, employs 75 support staff and has 500drivers with a reputation for providing aprofessional and consistent service, pushing theboundaries of customer excellence. fonaCABwas the first local taxi firm to introducecomputerized dispatch, in-car meters, roof signsand uniformed drivers in private hire cars inNorthern Ireland.fonaCAB is an award winning company, beingnamed as UK company of the year by ‘Go Skills’the sector skills council for passenger transportand winning the Department of Employmentand Learning Partnership Apprentice Award. Itis the first taxi company in Northern Ireland toachieve the Investors in People Standard.Welcoming fonaCAB’s patronage, NorthernIreland Chamber of Commerce PresidentFrancis Martin commented:“Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce isproud to announce fonaCAB as our newestpatron.fonaCAB boasts a large range of executivecars, which many businesses use forwww.businessfirstonline.co.ukAnn McGregor and Chamber president Francis Martin welcome William McCausland, managingdirector of fonaCAB as a new Chamber Patrontransporting VIP clients to and from airports orto corporate events.We look forward to working in partnershipwith them as they celebrate their 50th year inbusiness - a great achievement and indicationof a company with a strong customer focus."William McCausland, Managing Director offonaCAB, commented:“fonaCAB understands how important acompany’s first impression is, and how thisreflects on a business. We look forward toworking with Chamber members and the widerbusiness community to provide Northern4Ireland companies with a quality service and agreat first impression.Our commitment to friendly, attentivecustomer service is unrivalled and from ourdispatchers to our drivers, you will encounterthe highest standard of professionalism andetiquette.We view the Chamber as a very successfuland well supported communication tool,assisting the business community in general aswell as helping to boost the economicdevelopment of the region, and we aretherefore delighted to be a Patron.”

A Titanic Occasion for NorthernIreland Chamber of Commercein partnership with bmiKaren Blair of Cleaver Fulton Rankin, Brenda Morgan of bmi, Alan Egner of Power NI, Arlene Foster DETI minister, Marshall Boyd of DSV, Ann McGregorof Northern Ireland Chamber and Dr Gillian Armstrong of the Ulster Business School at the University of Ulster.Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce business communities’ successes both here and and most respected business organisations,will be marking their 230th Anniversary across the globe.with our first Chamber president led byon 17 April 2012 in a very special and As part of the celebrations, entertainment will Waddell Cunningham taking the chair in 1782.unique way. As part of their celebrations, theywill be hosting the Chamber230 Gala inpartnership with bmi, British MidlandInternational in what will be the first majorbusiness gathering in the new iconic TitanicBelfast.The Chamber230 Gala has been organised bythe Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce toprovide an evening of reflection, celebrationbe provided by convention defying jazzsinger/songwriter Jamie Cullum.In addition to headline sponsor bmi, theevent is also being held in partnership withsupporting partners Cleaver Fulton Rankin, DSV,Power NI and the Ulster Business School at theUniversity of Ulster.Ann McGregor, chief executive of theNorthern Ireland Chamber commented:“We believe the event on 17 April will provideus with a unique opportunity to celebrate theChamber’s long and distinguished history aswell as bringing together many of our businessleaders at Titanic Belfast. This iconic building isa truly spectacular addition to the Belfastskyline in what is being described as a worldclassvisitor attraction and events venue.“We are delighted that bmi, British Midlandand inspiration to acknowledge and be inspired “Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce is International has come on board as ourby the achievements of so many of ourone of Northern Ireland’s longest established headline sponsor and that Arlene Foster,www.businessfirstonline.co.uk6

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investmentjoined us to launch this event. Their support isgreatly appreciated by Northern IrelandChamber.”Brenda Morgan, bmi sales manager Irelandcommented: “bmi, British Midland International,has been a major supporter of the NorthernIreland economy having been flying from Belfastto London Heathrow one of the world’s largestand most important hubs for twenty seven years.During that time bmi has contributed to theeconomic development in the region - as anemployer, a service provider and a vitalcommunications link.”“Although the current economic situation hasnever been as challenging, the Northern Irelandentrepreneurial spirit and determination hasnever been more evident particularly in the lightof what is planned for 2012.“By providing some of the critical airlinelinkages at London Heathrow, bmi is playing amajor part in fulfilling the ambitions of the newprogramme for Government to encouragebusiness to find and exploit new export marketsround the world.”“It is with pride that bmi will once again be in aposition to support the local businesscommunity as a lead partner of the NorthernIreland Chamber of Commerce’s Business Gala.“Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce is tobe congratulated on its forward thinking inorganising and bringing together some 800guests from local, national and internationalbusinesses to celebrate what will be one of anumber of very exciting events to be held duringin 2012.”Brenda concluded: “bmi recognises theimportance of supporting the businesscommunity as they are a vital link in thedevelopment of economic growth for NorthernIreland. The Belfast to London Heathrow routehas and will continue to be an essential link to aworldwide business market.”For further information and to register for thisevent please visit:www.northernirelandchamber.comAnn McGregor, chief executive of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, Arlene Foster, minister forEnterprise, Trade and Investment and Brenda Morgan, bmi sales manager Ireland, launch theNorthern Ireland Chamber’s ‘Chamber230’ gala to take place in the new iconic Titanic BelfastAbout the Chamber230 Sponsorsbmi, British Midland Internationalbmi, British Midland International has for more than a quarter of a century been an integral part of the Northern IrelandCommunity providing a superb mainline service from the George Best Belfast City Airport to London Heathrow a vital artery forthe flow of business and commerce that is the lifeblood of the Northern Ireland economy. bmi provides up to six rotations a dayfrom Belfast to London Heathrow and onto a world of destinations including Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, UnitedStates and Canada.The Ulster Business SchoolWith over 6000 students, theUlster Business School is one of thelargest business schools in Britainand Ireland. Innovative anddynamic, it is committed toproviding ‘professional educationfor professional life’. As a majorcontributor to the development ofthe Northern Ireland economy,recent independent evidence hasconfirmed the Ulster BusinessSchool’s position as NorthernIreland’s leading business school.Power NIAfter a decade of competition inthe local business sector, Power NI(formerly NIE Energy) is still thelargest supplier here with around30,000 businesses on their booksranging from SMEs to largemanufacturers, government sitesand retailers. More and morecustomers are also switching backthan ever before, with over 500businesses returning from othersuppliers in the last year alone.Cleaver Fulton RankinCleaver Fulton Rankin is a marketleading commercial law firm whichcombines more than 100 years ofheritage with an innovativeapproach. We provide excellentlegal advice across the full range oflegal practice areas and we areproud to have been involved withthe development of Titanic Quarter,including the iconic Titanic Belfastbuilding on behalf of TitanicQuarter Limited.DSVDSV are one of the largestsuppliers of global logistics andtransport solutions. With combined2011 revenue of €6Bn, 21,000employees and 600 locations, DSVare ideally located to support ourcustomer’s logistics requirements.In Ireland DSV employs 480experienced, dedicated, highlytrained people across our 3 xdivisions (Road, Air /Sea andSolutions) and have 7 dedicatedlocations including Belfast andDerry.7

The penny drops for businessesas BT announces 1p dealJames Devlin, head of BT Business in Northern IrelandBT Business has revealed a new 1p broadband and phone deal to helpsmall and medium businesses in Northern Ireland get more value fromtheir communications spend. In what is a very competitivecommunications market, BT Business continues to support localbusinessesʼ growth and expansion with business broadband, phone andmobile packages for just 1p each month for the first three months.BTʼs business broadband provides speeds of up to 40Mbps with theirfibre option (dependent on line and location) and unlimited Wi‐Fi minutesgiving access to over 142,000 Northern Ireland hotspots. Broadband andlandline customers also benefit from an end of next working day fixcovered by BTʼs customer service guarantee scheme.James Devlin, head of BT Business in Northern Ireland, said: “This 1pbusiness deal provides great value along with the quality and reliability ofservice that customers expect from our phone and broadband packages.The combination of landline phone, mobile and broadband is vital to abusiness and by offering it for just a penny we are pleased to be makingthese services even more accessible to customers.”The new deal is open to anyone taking a new BT Business line orbringing a line back from another service provider. Anyone coming back toBT will be reconnected for free.After three months, businesses pay £12.50 per month for the unlimitedlandline calls package, assuming they have taken either broadband or BTmobile (or £20.50 if not) and £20.50 for the BT mobile unlimited callspackage. A minimum period of 24 months applies to the offer.BT Business has also added two new smartphones to its portfolio ‐ theNokia Lumia 800 for £30 with 1000 inclusive minutes, unlimited SMS &1GBdata and the HTC explorer for £22.50 with 500 inclusive minutes, unlimitedSMS and 500MB data.For more information, terms and conditions, visit the companyʼs websiteat http://business.bt.com/packages/.Fibre broadband helps Flow Technologyease the pressureFlow Technology supplys, installs and repairsthe pumps and valves that help keep NorthernIrelandʼs water flowing. Over the past 10 yearsthe business has expanded to fill three separateoffices at Mallusk Enterprise Park in Belfast.Having recently signed a three‐year contractwith Northern Ireland Water, the business nowhas systems in place that will help them growand distribute a wider range of premiumproducts across Ireland.Quality management, service andclients.Flow technology needed superfastbroadband, a server and a superior phonesystem to meet their clientsʼ requirements, andISO 9001 for quality management. BT Infinity,BTʼs fibre broadband service, is helping FlowTechnology keep on top of their busy workloadfor NI Water and prepare to take on moreproducts and more offices. According to KarenMcLaughlin, Financial Director of FlowTechnology, “Without the time we save throughBT Infinity, we simply couldnʼt manage. Wewouldnʼt be able to maintain the quantity or thequality.” The benefits are being felt right acrossthe company:• Their three sites are able to work seamlesslyas one. Calls are answered as if staff were in onebuilding• They can record everything quickly andeasily, allowing Flow Technology to adoptinternal controls that have been a fabulous inputto the business• Winning the tender with NI Water hasallowed Flow Technology to take on moreengineers and offer an even higher level ofservice and better warranties• The flexibility of the systems underpinned byBT Infinity have allowed Flow Technology toexpand at a pace that suits them and avoid thepitfalls of ʻtoo much too soonʼ•Staff needed to be able to work onsite or athome and still stay connected to the main serverwhere all the information is stored.

Chamber eventsWork/Life Balance atOmni SpaAuto Enrolment – isyour business readyfor the PensionReforms?Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce in association with the Omni Spa,Ramada Plaza, Shawʼs Bridge, held a Work Life Balance Evening at the OmniSpa on 25 January 2012. The event focused on the importance of awork/life balance, encouraging attendees to live a happier, healthier, moreproductive and balanced life.Driving businessexcellence throughinnovativesustainabilityPaul Gillen of McGrigors, Louise Turley of NI Chamber and MaxwellBuchanan of Kerr Henderson. ‐ Kerr Henderson and McGrigorsprovided Chamber members with an outline on the issuessurrounding auto‐enrolment on the morning of 23 February 2012.Attendees were also provided with an insight into NEST andworkplace pension schemes and the impact on contracts ofemployment.In camera with theDepartment ofJusticeBT chief sustainability officer Niall Dunne addressed Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce members at Riddel Hall as guests of the QueenʼsUniversity Management School on 16 February. He was joined by SandraScannell, Operations and Programmes director at Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce.11Jackie Henry, partner Deloitte and Chamber president Francis Martinwelcome justice minister David Ford who addressed 40 members ofNorthern Irelandʼs business community on 22 February at the firstNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce In Camera event of 2012.The event was sponsored by Deloitte.

Chamber policy responseNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commercehas spent the past few months consultingwith members, meeting withgovernment and working closely with theChamber Council as part of an extensiveconsultation process in response to the draftProgramme for Government.The Chamber has also put forward responsesto the Executiveʼs Economic Strategy and theInvestment Strategy on February 22nd.Among the recommendations tabled by theChamber in its response to the Executiveʼs draftProgramme for Government is the requirementfor a sharper focus on initiatives to grow themanufacturing and engineering sectors at afaster rate.The Chamber response commented thatsupport for technology and investment shouldbe focused on key manufacturing andengineering sectors that offer the greatestexport potential.Northern Ireland has significant and worldclass manufacturing/engineering andcompetitive businesses in areas such asaerospace, transport, scientific instruments,biotechnology and, of course, mobilecrushing/screening/recycling machinery. Inaddition, the region has a developingenvironmental engineering/renewables sector.The Chamber, therefore, believes thatmanufacturing/engineering should havepriority status in measures to rebalance theeconomy and would urge consideration of theformation of a special fund to stimulate thesector. This endorsement would also serve tostimulate greater private sector investment.In our response, the Chamber also continuesto press for devolution of power overCorporation Tax and Air Passenger Duty asbeing essential for the development of the localeconomy. The Chamber continues torecommend the development of EnterpriseZones and special incentives for start‐ups andgrowth businesses.Draft Programme for Government ‐ KeyRecommendationsIn full, the Chamber recommends:• A review of major targets especially jobpromotion which demand a less conservativeapproach• Early publication of paths toimplementation of the proposals• The Executive should continue to look atmeasures to streamline bureaucracy and tomake it easier for companies, particularly smalland medium sized enterprises, to accessrelevant support faster especially for innovation• The Executive and its economicdepartments continue to develop partnershipwww.businessfirstonline.co.ukHow to engineer a moredynamic & successful economyby Ann McGregor, chief executive, Northern Ireland Chamberof Commercewith the business community• A clear international trade and exportbudget to ensure the continuum of supportrequired• Greater private sector engagement in exportactivities especially mentoring should beencouraged and facilitated• Speedy development of investmentmeasures in infrastructure to enable NorthernIreland to harness the economic benefits oftourism‐led activities over the next three years• Continued investment in skills to improveproductivity and overall competitiveness ininternational markets. Skills should be seen asan important element in efforts to attract hightech FDI.Skills and training and a department forthe economyThe Chamber believes that achieving theimprovements in productivity and performancein international markets requires continuedinvestment in skills, including management andleadership, and training.An early resolution of the future of thefunctions of the Department of Employmentand Learning is essential. The Chamber believesthese functions should be transferred to theDepartment of Enterprise, Trade andInvestment and a Department for the Economycreated. We favour this approach because thefunctions are fundamental to economicdevelopment.Upskilling the existing workforce, promotinginnovation and creativity and making educationand training even more accessible to all wouldcreate a much more dynamic, innovative andsuccessful economy. Relief on NationalInsurance payments for all new employees inbusiness for an initial three‐year period wouldstimulate employment.A much sharper focus on skills could alsoenhance Northern Irelandʼs image and appealto foreign investors and could become a majorFDI selling point. It has long beenacknowledged that people are our greatestnatural asset. We need to invest in this assetthrough investment in education at all levels,encouraging more students, for example, totake STEM courses.The Chamber restates its support for a moresimplified tax credit system to promoteinnovation, exports and training.To promote a higher level ofentrepreneurship, the Chamber restates itsexisting proposal that 100 per cent relief beintroduced on regional and district rates forstart‐ups and for existing companies withgrowth plans over a three‐year period. TheChamber has also proposed the formation ofEnterprise Zones to facilitate the growth ofentrepreneurial activity and the growth ofestablished businesses.Devolving public services to privateenterpriseThe Chamber believes that private‐sectorenterprise could be stimulated and the move12towards a private‐sector led economyaccelerated by the Executive agreeing todevolve key activities to the private sector.Greater consideration should also be given tothe further decentralisation of public sectoroffices to assist the development of other urbanand rural communities.Central and local government can do muchto help mitigate current economic problemsand to preserve and create employment bymeans of a co‐ordinated investment ininfrastructure including roads and transport.There is much, for example, that needs to bedone to improve conditions throughoutNorthern Ireland to help make the region moreattractive and welcoming to the manythousands of additional tourists expected tovisit us for the NI2012 Our Time Our Placecampaign, the Irish Open at Portrush, the UKCity of Culture in Derry and the Fleadh Cheoil,also in the city, and the World Police and FireGames in 2013.A fully co‐ordinated programme ofinvestment in infrastructure by the Executiveand local authorities, involving funding frompublic, private and European sources, wouldprovide a massive boost to the economy thatwould extend far beyond the constructionsector to many others industries. It would boostconfidence at this particularly difficult period. Itwould also help to kick‐start private sectorinvestment.Investment StrategyThe Chamber, in its response to the draftInvestment Strategy, urges the StrategicInvestment Board to continue to develop itswork with the business community oninitiatives that will help to increase the overallcompetitiveness of local industry in globalmarkets.The Chamber recommends that the boardshould continue to give priority to measures toenhance the local infrastructure particularly inareas such as transportation andtelecommunications and that, whereverpossible within EU rules, the boardʼsprocurement should be to favour localbusiness.A key issue identified by the Chamber isenergy costs. The Chamber urges continuedefforts to increase competition and to promotethe development of renewable sources ofenergy.The Chamber also recommends furtherinvestment in initiatives to develop NorthernIreland as a global centre of excellence inenvironmental engineering for the benefit oflocal industry.Continued investment in the educationsystem is essential if Northern Ireland is todevelop a literate and numerate workforce andin particular young people with the STEM skillsrequired to assist Northern Irelandʼstransformation into a dynamic and technologyledeconomy in which more companies willembed R&D in their business strategy.

Chamber & Export First partners urgegreater role for private sector in drivinggrowth abroadMark Nodder, vice‐president of the Northern Ireland Chamber, Caroline Keenan, tax director at ASM Chartered Accountants, Ruth Graham, head oftrade & export finance at Northern Bank and Peter Stafford, corporate partner, A&L GoodbodyAgreater role for the private‐sector inhelping smaller companies in particular isrecommended in the response to theExecutiveʼs draft Programme for Government byExport First partners Northern Ireland Chamberof Commerce, Northern Bank, A&L Goodbodyand ASM Chartered Accountants.The group, formed a year ago to helpaccelerate growth, says the private sector couldassist the growth of smaller businesses in globalmarkets through a range of measures includingmore effective mentoring programmes led byexperienced business people in key areas suchas strategic sales and marketing.The response recommends that “priorityshould continue to be given to measures toassist many more companies, especially SMEs, tosell products and services overseas” and that“funding for export promotion programmes,including those provided by Invest NI, should, atthe very least, be safeguarded over the term ofthe Programme for Government”.Welcoming the draft Programme forGovernment (PfG) commitment to promoteaccelerated growth in export sales particularly inmarkets beyond the United Kingdom, thepartners believe it should be possible to achievegrowth beyond the programmeʼs target of a 15per cent rise in sales abroad over the next fouryears.The Export First partners urge that additionalfunding should be made available in keycapability areas such as strategic sales andmarketing skills, export finance, market researchand negotiation.The group recommends: “Invest NI should beensured funding to develop major programmessuch as market Visits and the further expansionof in‐market support provided by businesspeople experienced in the main markets.“In addition, we would wish to see thedevelopment of 1‐1 mentoring programmesprovided by business people with the relevantprofessional experience. Sufficient fundingshould be provided to attract experiencedexport mentors”.The response advocates the continuedexpansion of export marketing programmesespecially those developed by Invest NI andincluding market visits, exhibitions andparticularly in‐market support by suitablyqualified business people.It also recommends an expansion of visits andin‐market support in growth markets such as theBRIC regions. Greater support on‐the‐ground inChina, Brazil and South America would producetangible benefits. On‐the‐ground supportservices should include a sharper focus on leadgeneration.The group says that Export First is an excellentrole model of how the private‐sector couldprovide effective leadership in helping SMEseither move into exports or experiencedexporters to win more business abroad.Commenting on the Export First response tothe draft Programme for Government MarkNodder, vice‐president of the Northern IrelandChamber, says: “Chamber members havetremendous knowledge of and experience inexporting activities and could make a significantcontribution to SMEs in particular in terms ofadvice and practical support required to winworthwhile business abroad.“We believe that faster growth in salesoverseas could result from measures that enableSMEs to draw on this deep pool of expertise andthe wealth of contacts they have in internationalmarkets.”Ruth Graham, Northern Bank head of Trade &Export Finance says: “The Programme forGovernmentʼs recommendations to growexports and to diversify into new, emergingmarkets such as the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia,India and China), are both necessary andexciting for our economic prospects. Aspiringexporters should not to be discouraged by thecurrent challenging global and local conditions,but should fully explore their potential and availof the wealth of expertise and experience onoffer through the Chamberʼs Export Firstprogramme, and take every opportunity to learnfrom Northern Ireland's many successful,experienced exporters.”Caroline Keenan, tax director at ASM, says:“Growing exports faster is now widely acceptedas a key economic driver. To ensure success ininternational markets companies need to beaware of the accounting and tax issues ofoperating in overseas markets, taking advice onthese at an early stage and ensuring that theyare incorporated into business plans.“Export First was created to enable companies,both large and small, to access expert advice.Growing profitable exports faster requires theco‐ordinated and strategic approach that ExportFirst has pioneered.”Peter Stafford, corporate partner, A&LGoodbody: says “Export First is proving asuccessful initiative because it draws togetherthe networks of the partners here and abroad toassist SMEs in particular. The message for theExecutive is that export growth could beaccelerated by the creation of a campaign acrossNorthern Ireland that draws together businessorganisations to offer support and in identifyingcontacts and potential new businessopportunities. Exporting should become apriority for the community and successfulexporters shouldreceive greaterrecognition andacclaim.”13

Export First Case StudyCDE Global LimitedNorthern Ireland Chamber member Brendan McGurgan, managing director at CDE GlobalLimited shares his export experiences.The CompanyCDE Global Limited specialisein the technical design,manufacture and installation ofa wide range of bespokemachinery utilised in theaggregate processing, recycling, materials handling and mineralprocessing sectors. Headquartered in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, CDEexport on a global basis and have a direct presence in India, Middle Eastand South America.What was your first experience of exporting? Please indicateyour first export market and how you came to choose it.How many times did you visit the market before committingthe resources to export there?Our first ʻrealʼ export was to a customer in Pakistan following anenquiry for our equipment through the internet. As with lots of theseenquiries itʼs often difficult to qualify which are genuine, however, aftermonths of communication via email the deal was eventually concluded.This was our first true experience of exporting in the sense that itrequired an increased level of logistics, financial arrangements (via Letterof Credit) and in‐country installation and commissioning. We didnʼtchoose the market but having an internet presence and the patience tostick with the enquiry over many months resulted in the ʻmarketchoosing usʼ.What has been the most useful source of information foryour company when researching potential export marketsand the most valuable source of support in succeeding inthese markets?Undoubtedly, actually spending time in the market provides thegreatest ʻfeelʼ for the marketʼs potential. In advance of in‐market visits, italways pays to do as much research as you can using resources such asInvest NIʼs Info centre, obtaining as much financial info about yourcompetitorʼs activities in the export market and general desktopresearch. Trade missions are also useful if they are carefully planned inadvance.When operating in export markets what has been the mostdifficult problem to overcome and how did you deal with it?Every market presents a new ʻchallengeʼ. As we export globally, wehave experienced numerous problems ranging from Climate (yes,control panels melt in 50 degree heat in the middle of the desert!),Cultural (trying to complete projects in the Middle East during Ramadanis a challenge!), Financial ‒ always secure your payments either by way ofmonies in advance before shipment or more likely by way of Letter ofCredit (our Trade Finance partners have proved invaluable in certainsituations).Language of course is always an issue but we are building our Teamcontinually with additional language capability. I would say thatcommunication is the key, you canʼt ʻover‐communicateʼ with yourcustomer when exporting and it is important all parties clearlyunderstand their deliverables and expectations. We dedicate Projectmanagers to every single order which provides a single point of contactfor the Customer.How does your company distribute your products/servicesin export markets? What other distribution options did youconsider and why did you choose your current method?We sell through a number of channels. ʻIn‐Countryʼ Partners/Distributors, direct office presence (we have a company operating inIndia manufacturing exclusively for the Indian market and have recentlyopened up an office in South America and a liaison office in Turkey) andexport business development managers working directly in‐country.What is the most important lesson you have learned whenexporting and if you had one piece of advice for companiesconsidering exporting for the first time what would it be?Donʼt jump in ‒ take your time to assess how good a fit your potentialpartner is (itʼs easy to get flattered in the early stages with those whowish to represent you in the export markets);Qualify ‒ map out what you see your ideal partner looking like and gofind them;Manage and support ‒ ensure you have all the structures in place tomake sure your partner feels genuinely supported;Be flexible ‒ what works well in one market may require adaptation tobe successful in another market, be prepared to accept this;Protect your payments ‒ the product is only sold whenever you havereceived your monies in full. Itʼs unlikely that the potential exportcustomer will pay in full in advance so familiarise yourself with Letterʼs ofCredit (and be sure to hedge any exchange rate exposure once the orderis secured); andMake a friend of your first customer in a new market, after all, theyʼvetaken the ʻriskʼ in you ‒ the relationship will prove invaluable as areference for additional customers in this market.“Actually spending time in the market provides thegreatest ‘feel’ for the market’s potential. In advanceof in-market visits, it always pays to do as muchresearch as you can using resources such as InvestNI’s Info centre, obtaining as much financial infoabout your competitor’s activities in the exportmarket and general desktop research.”www.businessfirstonline.co.uk14

Market Focus: IndiaIndia is currently the worldʼs second fastest growing economy afterChina. It is a land of growth and opportunity and is a market thatcannot be ignored by any UK company that is seeking to expand andgain international status. It is one of the worldʼs largest consumermarkets and is home to a 300million strong middle class, representingan English speaking market comparable to in size to all of the UKʼstrading partners in the EU.The countryʼs sustained economic growth and the increasingdynamism in some of its regional markets have thrown up wide anddiverse opportunities for the UK investors and exporters. Where oncebusiness opportunities were limited to the already established economiccentres of the country such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, they arenow available in abundance in emerging cities including Nagpur, Puneand Jaipur to name just a few.The UK India Business Council recently published a report identifyingsuch opportunities in Indiaʼs next generation cities. It pinpoints areas inwhich UK companies can build long term relationships in the future.Indiaʼs progress in recent times has been staggering. In just the lastdecade the country has witnessed accelerated growth that haspropelled it into the ranks of the worldʼs fastest growing economies; ithas emerged as a global player and has taken positive steps towardsachieving most of its Millennium Development Goals. According to theWorld Bank, India is on course to be the fastest expanding economy inthe world.Main IndustriesTextiles, Chemicals, Food Processing, Steel, Transportation Equipment,Mining, Petroleum, Machinery, Software, Pharmaceuticals.Main Exports.Petroleum products, precious stones, machinery, iron and steel,chemicals, vehicles, apparel.Main ImportsCrude oil, precious stones, machinery, fertiliser, iron andsteel, chemicals.OpportunitiesIndia is a country that offers vast opportunities in bothtrade and investment. Some of the sectors that arepromising are:• Aerospace• Automotive• Agribusiness• Construction• Oil and gas• Healthcare and medicalEconomyModern India has a highly diverse economy whichencompasses a wide range of activities including villagefarming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a broad varietyof modern industries and a multitude of services. Theservice sector is the main generator of economic growth,accounting for just over 50 per cent of the countryʼsoutput and employing just under a third of the totalworkforce.The countryʼs largest employer is the agricultural sector and thegovernment has articulated a rural economic development plan, whichshould see the basic infrastructure created to improve the lives of therural poor and boost the output of the agricultural sector.India saw its economy become more open in the early 1990ʼs,following a major crisis that saw the economy come close to defaultingon its loans. In response, a number of domestic and external sectorpolicy measures were implemented. They reacted well to thesemeasures and annual GDP growth was soon averaging more than six percent. This was well above the three per cent annual average seen in theprevious four decades.By the early part of the 2000, growth had increased once more to 8.5per cent plus. This lasted until the onset of the global crisis, by whichtime growth had been, sustained at a high enough level for a longenough period for India to be the worldʼs fourth largest economy inpurchasing power parity terms.India, along with the rest of the world felt the effects of the globalcrisis and was unable to escape unscathed from the global slowdown.The countryʼs own growth dropped to 6.7 per cent in 2008‐09. Thisgrowth, although still impressive, represented quite a slowdown whencompared with the nine per cent growth rate of 2007.Despite this, growth recovered quickly and had returned to 8.5 percent in 2009‐10. The government is now targeting growth of nine percent plus from 2011‐12 onwards. With trade and investment becomingincreasing important areas of the economy GDP growth could hitdouble figures.The above information is an excerpt from Global Traderʼs Guide toGlobal Markets 2012. The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce has awealth of similar information on other markets, available in hard and softcopy, which is accessible to exporters.If you would like to know more about accessing these markets briefs,please contact Shane OʼHagan on 028 9024 4113 or emailshane.ohagan@northernirelandchamber.com.India: the key factsOfficial Name:Republic of IndiaCapital:New DelhiArea:3.1 million sq kmPopulation:1.2 billion (IMF 2010 est.)Major languages:Hindi, EnglishGDP (current):US$1,367.22 billion (IMF 2010 est)GDP growth:8.78% (IMF 2010est.)GDP per capita:US$1,24 (IMF 2010 est.)Inflation (consumer prices): 13.16%(IMF 2010 est.)Labour Force:467 million (2009 est.)Unemployment:10.7% ( 2008 est.)Monetary Unit:1 Indian Rupee = 100 paiseExports to the UK: £5.45 billion (HMRC 2010)Imports from the UK: £3.95 billion (HMRC 2010)15 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Exports sagging– new ChambersurveyThought Leadership Event with AlmacAlmost a third of companies reported a slippage inexports during the final quarter of 2011, according to anew survey of business performance and prospects by theNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce.The survey of 600 companies, commissioned by theChamber, found that 30 per cent had experienced adownturn in export sales, five percentage points up fromthe 25 per cent reporting a decrease in sales over the thirdquarter of 2011.A further 38 per cent said export sales had remained thesame during the last two quarters of last year.The study, carried out by Belfast‐based PerceptiveInsight as part of the Chamberʼs Export First initiative,which is backed by Northern Bank, A&L Goodbody andASM, also found a majority of companies (40 per cent)expected turnover to rise this year.But 30 per cent expected turnover to increase over thenext 12 months. On profitability, the companies werealmost evenly split between those expecting sales toincrease (34 per cent) and those projecting a downturn(36 per cent).On overall sales throughout the United Kingdom, 26 percent said these had increased, 29 per cent reported adecrease and the remainder reported no change in thelast quarter on the previous three months.Ann McGregor, Northern Ireland Chamber chiefexecutive, commenting on the surveyʼs findings, said:“What the survey shows is that most exporters areeffectively treading water, some are beginning toexperience a slowdown in business.“Concern about the likely impact of the global recessionon sales abroad especially over the next few years led usto launch our Export First programme last year.”Angela McGowan, chief economist at Northern Bank,said: “With the euro crisis still unresolved there is no doubtthat 2012 will be yet another challenging year forinternational trade. But nonetheless, export led growthwill remain one of the key drivers for our economicrecovery this year and in the years ahead. The slippage insales in the last quarter of 2011 is not entirely surprisinggiven the impact of the debt crisis in Europe and itsimpact upon both uncertainty and exchange rates.However, temporary problems should not detergovernment from tackling any barriers to export andsupporting businesses or sectors which are seekingopportunities overseas.”Caroline Keenan, tax director at ASM said: “Export Firstprovides a range of practical support measures, includingworkshops on export procedures, opportunities andfinance, which companies, both large and small andacross all sectors, can use to meet the challenges that areclearly affecting sales.Peter Stafford, corporate partner of A&L Goodbody, said:“The setback in exports throughout the UK will clearlyadversely affect the Governmentʼs aim of creating 100,000new exporters over the next few years.”The survey by Perceptive Insight also found that 60 percent of companies said employment levels had remainedconstant in the final quarter of last year, a similar result tothe previous quarter.The percentage reporting new jobs increased slightly,by two per cent, to 21 per cent. But companies reporting adecrease in employment also rose slightly, from 17 percent in the third quarter of last year to 18 per cent in thefinal three months. Fewer companies expect to be addingjobs in the current quarter ‒ 14 per cent, down from 16per cent in the third quarter.Companies seeking recruits reported difficulties in keyareas such as experience and skills. Most (58 per cent) saidfinding suitable professional/managerial staff had beendifficult.Philip Diamond, vice president of Corporate Market Development at Almac, SandraScannell, NICC operations and programme director , Ruth Graham, Trade and ExportFinance Northern Bank, Caroline Keenan, tax director at ASM and Peter Stafford,corporate partner of A&L GoodbodyPhilip Diamond, vice president ofCorporate Market Development at Almac,recently addressed businesses from acrossNorthern Ireland at the third NorthernIreland Chamber of Commerce Export Firstthought leadership event in partnershipwith Northern Bank, ASM and A&LGoodbody.Speaking to an assembled audience of40 businesses who were onsite at AlmacʼsCraigavon Global Headquarters for abriefing of Almacʼs export strategy, PhilipDiamond also provided attendees with atour of Almacʼs clinical services andlaboratory facilities.The Almac Group provides acomprehensive range of integrated drugdevelopment services available to thepharmaceutical / biotech industry. With itsglobal headquarters in Craigavon, thecompany currently employs over 3,300people and has extensive facilities in theUK and US. Almacʼs services are used byover 600 companies worldwide includingthe majority of the leading pharma andbiotech companies.Speaking at the event, the Almac vicepresident commented: “Almac has alwaysunderstood the importance of developingexisting export markets as well as exploringnew export opportunities.Less than 10 per cent of our salesrevenue is from the UK with approximately50 per cent deriving from the USmarketplace. The rest of Europe accountsfor the majority of the remainder of oursales, however the Australasian region nowaccounts for a small, but growingpercentage.Almac continues to identify new marketopportunities, and it is by doing so that wehave managed to defy the downturn andcontinue to grow. In Craigavon, ouremployee figures have grown to over 2,000and globally Almac now employs 3,300people.”Speaking afterwards, Peter Stafford,corporate partner of A&L Goodbody, said:“Events such as todays provide companiesthe opportunity to learn from those alreadyestablished in the export business.Almac are a major contributor to theNorthern Ireland economy and a greatsource of inspiration to current andaspiring exporters in Northern Ireland ‐whilst also creating jobs in localcommunities, and contributing to theeconomic recovery we so desperatelyneed.For aspiring exporters, the one verysimple step they should take would be toseek advice from successful exporters suchas Almac.”The next Export First event is ʻRoadmapto Export Success ‒ Financial & LegalConsiderations for Export Marketsʼ. Theevent will take place on the 14 March 2012at The Lagan Valley Island ConferenceCentre in Lisburn. For more details pleasevisit www.northernirelandchamber.com.16

Chamber eventNorthern Ireland businesses demandimproved air links to boost exportsL‐R: Ross Baker of BAA, Andrew Brammer of Allen & Overy, Ann McGregor of NICC, Dr Irwin Stelzer, John Doran of Belfast International Airport andNeil Gibson of Oxford EconomicsBusiness leaders in Northern Ireland havedemanded that the Government takesurgent action to boost private sectorgrowth, jobs and exports by ensuring the UKcontinues to have a successful hub airportproviding a gateway to overseas markets.The call to action follows the publication ofnew research by leading economic analystsOxford Economics which demonstrates the vitalrole that aviation plays in supporting NorthernIrelandʼs economy. In particular, the researchunderlines the importance of access to the UKʼsonly hub airport at Heathrow in connectingNorthern Ireland businesses to a wide array ofglobal destinations.The research, launched on 14 February 2012at a summit of 40 leading businesses convenedby the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerceand BAA, shows that:• One in ten jobs in Northern Ireland dependon foreign investment ‒ and half of thesecompanies can only reach their home marketthrough a hub airport.• Aviation supports £1bn of exports fromNorthern Ireland.• Foreign tourists spend £195m a year inNorthern Irelandʼs economy and account for360,000 visits ‒ 150,000 of whom arrive by air.• Northern Ireland benefits directly fromhaving a global hub in Britain. Capitalexpenditure at Heathrow brought in £13.3m forNorthern Ireland suppliers in 2010. Heathrowdirectly supports 1,000 tourism jobs and 900airport jobs in Northern Ireland.As the UKʼs only international hub airport,Heathrow is a gateway for internationalbusiness, tourism and passenger flows to, fromand through the UK. Among crucial growthmarkets, UK businesses trade 20 times as muchwith countries with daily flights than those withless frequent or no direct service.Yet constraints at Heathrow ‐ which is runningat over 99 per cent capacity ‒ mean that thewhole of the UK is missing out on growinginternational demand.Business leaders in the worldʼs fastest growingeconomies say they are being put off frominvesting in the UK because of a lack of directflights, with two thirds of business leaders inemerging economies saying that better airconnections from their home countries toFrance, Germany and Holland mean they aremore likely to do business with those countriesthan the UK.Heathrow is a hub airport where transferpassengers support network airlines. Withoutthose transfer passengers, direct long‐haulconnections between the UK and manyimportant business destinations are not viable.Northern Irelandʼs businesses alone cannotsustain demand for daily flights to emergingmarkets, but by pooling that demand fromaround the UK and beyond, a hub airport can.Ann McGregor, CEO of the Northern IrelandChamber of Commerce, said: ʻEncouragingincreased trade between UK firms and overseasmarkets is vital to the rebalancing of the UKeconomy. While firms are being urged to tradewith new partners in emerging markets, theyare hindered by the lack of connections to thesecountries, in turn hurting both inwardinvestment and Britainʼs export potential. This isa real issue for Northern Ireland as we havedozens of members that trade with or aspire todo business with the likes of Brazil, India andChina.ʻTo support trade and Northern Irelandʼseconomy, it is vital for our firms to be able tomake connections to these emerging markets.That means the UK governmentʼs aviation policymust consider all options that could help ourbusinesses seek new sources of growth. Whilethere are more ambitious long‐term projects foraviation that can be examined, in the near termHeathrow must continue to be part of thesolution if Northern Ireland is not to miss out ontrading opportunities.ʼRoss Baker, BAA strategy director, said: ʻThecentre of gravity in the world economy isshifting and Northern Ireland and the UK as awhole should be forging new links withemerging markets. Instead, we are edgingtowards a future cut off from some of theworldʼs most important markets, with Paris andFrankfurt already boasting more flights to thethree largest cities in China than Heathrow, ouronly hub airport.ʻThese poor trade links have a direct impacton Northern Ireland. Growth wonʼt wait. Newroutes from Europe to emerging markets arealready being established at other Europeanhub airports and Northern Ireland needs theadditional jobs and economic growth that newconnections would bring. So whatever the longterm aviation solution may be, in the near termwe also need a solution which builds newconnections from the hub we have atHeathrow.ʼMark Nodder, group managing director ofWright Group said: ʻThereʼs no doubt that a lackof routes to emerging markets from Heathrow isan issue for many businesses in Belfast. Thereality of the situation is that in many casespotential trading partners would rather dobusiness with a country to which they havefrequent direct air links. We know first‐handthere are many business opportunities that arecurrently being lost and companies need thehelp of Government to address this.ʼ17 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

ChamberCollects GoldStar Award atCentre forCompetitivenessGalaChamber and members joinICT Skills TaskforceAnn McGregor receives the Gold Star Awardfrom DETI minister Arlene FosterNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commercewas delighted to receive a Gold Star ServiceExcellence Award at the Northern IrelandQuality Awards on 30 January 2012.The awards, organised by the Centre forCompetitiveness and supported by Invest NI,recognise the achievements of NorthernIreland organisations in applying theEuropean Foundation for QualityManagement (EFQM) Excellence Framework.The Awards process is based on the worldclass EFQM Excellence Model, incorporatingdifferent levels of recognition. The QualityAward and Mark of Excellence are both opento private, public and voluntary sectororganizations whereas Steps to Excellence isopen solely to public sector organizations.The Gold Star Service Excellence, introducedin 2011, is aimed at encouraging servicebased businesses to improve their overallcompetiveness.www.businessfirstonline.co.ukDr Stephen Farry, minister for Employment and Learning Employment hosted the first meeting ofthe ICT Skills Taskforce at the NI Science Park with [l to r] Nigel Smyth, CBI Northern Ireland, IainO'Kane, MD of Xperience and NI Chamber of Commerce representative and David Mawhinney, MDof ICS Equinity.Employment and Learning minister DrStephen Farry hosted the first meeting of theICT Skills Taskforce on 12 January 2012 todiscuss current and future skills issues facing theICT sector in Northern Ireland.The minister has brought together businessleaders including Northern Ireland Chamber ofCommerce, employer representatives,government officials and representatives fromlocal colleges and universities to consider howthe current and future skills needs for the sectorcan be addressed.Dr Farry said: “I have convened this group toclearly identify the key issues that need to beaddressed in order to ensure that we haveappropriately skilled people to meet the needsof potential investors, and local companies, inthis growing and exciting sector.“It is vital that we ensure that supply anddemand is in balance, as an absence of eitherNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce haspublished an exciting events line up for the firsthalf of 2012.March sees the Chamber resume its successful2011 Business Pillar series and the annual jointnetworking event with Women in Business. TheChamber is also delighted to welcome DrStephen Farry, Minister for Employment andLearning to an In Camera dinner on 7 March.On 17 April the Chamber marks their 230thyear in a very special and unique way. As part ofthe celebrations, NICC will be hosting theChamber230 Gala in partnership with bmi,British Midland International and supportingsponsors Cleaver Fulton Rankin, DSV, Power NIand the Ulster Business School in what will bethe first major business gathering in the newiconic Titanic Belfast.Mayʼs events include the Chamber AGM, an InCamera with Danny Kennedy, minister forRegional Development and a ʻGreening theSupply Chainʼ meet the buyer event with18leads to wasted resources and/or opportunities.The Taskforce will to agree a coordinatedapproach that ensures that we have enoughpeople available, with the skills necessary, togrow and enhance the ICT sector.”The group will agree a coordinated approachto assess the ICT sectorʼs current skills needs; tounderstand issues relating to the quality ofeducation and training provision; and agree thatall parties would work together in addressingthe skills and quality issues for the short,medium and long term.Minister Farry asked for an ICT Working Groupto be set up which he will chair to complementthe action his Department and Invest NI takingin the ICT sector to address skills and educationissues expressed by the ICT businesscommunity.Representing the Chamber on the Taskforceare members Xperience and ICONI Software.Chamber releases full events line-upAirtricity.The Chamber will host their Annual Lunch inpartnership with BT on 29 June 2012 at theEuropa Hotel. June also seeʼs the Chamber hosta seminar with BT and Google on ʻmarketingonlineʼ, an In Camera with the Head of theNorthern Ireland Civil Service and a summernetworking party.2012 also sees the Northern Ireland Chamberof Commerce Export First programme continuewith a series of events in partnership withNorthern Bank, ASM Chartered Accountants andA&L Goodbody.These include ʻThe Roadmap to ExportSuccessʼ which will take place in Lisburn on 14March and in Belfast on 2 May. A ʻMeet theExpert : Food for Thoughtʼ event will take placein Belfast on 4 April with a fourth thoughtleadership event taking place on 23 May 2012.A copy of the 2012 NICC event calendar isprinted on page 9 of this edition.

CommentaryThe UK is a world leader in some industrialand trading sectors. In one of the mostimportant, only the US does better than us.Earning £25bn a year for the UK, that sector isbigger than aircraft manufacture, advertising,or even pharmaceuticals. The identity of thissector will surprise many – it is universityeducation.Over a third of a million students travel to theUK every year to study in a respected highereducation institution. Sadly, though, the transitroute has not left much a footprint on NorthernIreland. In the last academic year, of the 52,000students enrolled at Northern Ireland’s highereducation students, a mere five per cent - 2,600– are from outside the UK or Ireland. And onlyanother three per cent - less than 1,600 – arefrom GB.If Northern Ireland’s two universities –Queen’s and Ulster – were to garner their shareof students, we might hope for five or six times’as many international students as are currentlyeducated here. That would generate asubstantial income, not just for the universitiesthemselves, but also for the accommodation,hospitality and retail sectors.It is not as if we are hindered by underperforminghigher education institutions:Queen’s is rated 31st and Ulster 52nd in the2012 Complete University Guide league tableof the 113 UK HEIs. These are good results,even if we can aspire to continuedimprovement.Yet, surprisingly, growing the exportrevenues of our two universities is notlisted as one of the commitments inthe Programme for Government. Thepotential for income generation fromour universities seems to be barelyrecognised by the Executive. This iseven stranger given that students fromGreat Britain are no longer to becounted against the Maximum StudentNumbers (MaSN) cap (internationalstudents were already excluded). Ouruniversities have the chance to growby looking outward – for the benefit ofour whole economy.Export earnings are not, of course, the onlyreason we want our universities to expand.Universities are the factories of the knowledgeeconomy – producing the people that willattract inward investment and enable ourindigenous businesses to grow and tocompete in international markets.Our university sector in Northern Ireland isthe smallest, pro rata, in the UK. This, in turn,helps explain why our productivity is weak.When economies eventually emerge fromrecession, it is essential that we have the skillsbase to meet the challenge. At present, wehave too few graduates – and that is especiallytrue in the North West, where we haveNorthern Ireland’s weakest local economy. Wedesperately need more graduates, particularlyin the STEM and creative industries skills andalso in key areas of business services expertise.Research from the Centre for Cities andelsewhere makes clear that local economiesrely most of all on three building blocks: goodAnticipating the needs oftomorrow’s economyby Sinead McLaughlin, chief executive, Londonderry Chamber of Commercetransport links, a strong skills base anduniversities whose own skills and research anddevelopment feed into local industry andcommerce. If we are serious about making theNorth West an economically self-sufficient subregion,then these are the factors that must beaddressed. To do this would not only boostour local economy, but provide an immensebenefit for the whole of Northern Ireland.The Excutive’s Programme for Governmentshould recognise this for the opportunity thatit is. Gone are the days when Northern Irelandcould compete globally by offering cheaplabour – we cannot, and should not seek to,undercut labour rates in Asia. Instead wecompete today in the knowledge economy,where it is the value of skills andentrepreneurship that count most of all.If we are to compete adequately on thisglobal stage, the Executive must focus onstrengthening the skills that can give us theedge. And that means showing greatersupport for our universities.Despite the severity of its public spendingcuts, the Irish government is recognising thisnecessity. The Celtic Tiger was reared not onlyby low rates of Corporation Tax – which ourChamber would like replicated here – but alsoby providing the graduates in the key skill areasimportant to inward investors.Now the Irish government is again showingfaith in its higher education sector. ATechnological University of the South East isbeing proposed in an area hit by severe joblosses. Reorganisation of Ireland’s third levelsector may also lead to the creation of othertechnological universities in Dublin andMunster – as institutions seek to improve theircapacity to compete at home andinternationally and produce the skills needed inthe modern economy.If the Republic can recognise this even whilegrappling with its severe financial problems,then surely we can also anticipate tomorrowwhile dealing with the challenges of today.Higher education offers the chance to generaterevenues both directly and indirectly forNorthern Ireland. Let us grasp thatopportunity.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk20

NAMA updateThe National Asset Management Agency(NAMA) is now a little over two years old.We have completed the transition froman Agency that was intent upon acquiring andmanaging over 11,500 property-related loansto one that is now focused on achieving thebest return by working with borrowers.Our first two years were primarily aboutensuring the value at which we bought theloans was correct. NAMA paid €31.6billion(approximately £26 billion) for loans that wereoriginally valued at €73.9 billion(approximately £61 billion).Our strategy now is to maximise value byworking very closely with the debtors toachieve the best return we can over ourlifespan. That requires us to take a traditionalcommercial approach in each of thejurisdictions in which we operate, whilstrecognising the very distinctive differentialswhich apply in these areas.In Northern Ireland, NAMA planned toacquire loans that had a nominal value ofStg£3.35 billion and since acquisition therehave been reductions achieved via disposals,repayments and some loans which were notultimately acquired. Initially the acquired loanswould have represented approximately 5% ofour total portfolio spread across 180borrowers, some in common borrowergroups.NAMA’s raison d’être is to recover maximumamounts from all loans irrespective of whereunderlying assets are located. A parallel policyto achieve this objective is adopted in all areasof domicile where the assets are situated. Weare also particularly cognisant of thechallenges specific to the Northern Irelandmarket and in arriving at decisions take thesechallenges fully into account.We, at appropriate times, access what weconsider to be very valuable expertise fromlocal professional advisers and the NorthernIreland Advisory Committee to best inform usin determining a constructive strategicapproach to the decision making process. Wedo not wish to exacerbate current and/orprojected difficulties associated with theNorthern Ireland economy.No fire salesWe do not apply or intend to initiate firesales or dumping of assets. Indeed our actionsin Northern Ireland during our first two yearsare evidence of that policy. In addition,NAMA’s strategy is to apply a medium/longterm policy. This necessitates a carefullyconstructed planning programme for orderlyand timely asset sales consistent with marketconditions and related criteria.In addition, we rely heavily on our dedicatedNorthern Ireland Advisory Committee, whosemembership includes Frank Cushnahan andBrian Rowntree, two highly respected leadersin the Northern Ireland business community.Frank and Brian bring unique local knowledgeand expertise to guide NAMA’s work inNorthern Ireland.We believe that we have established a verygood working relationship with the NorthernIreland Executive. Meetings are arranged atfrequent intervals to allow very openexchanges of views which I believe, to date,have been mutually beneficial to both NAMAand the Executive.I consider such meetings to be veryimportant and will continue to engage withthe various ministers - namely the minister ofNAMA – the next steps inNorthern IrelandBy Frank Daly, Chairman, National Asset Management AgencyFinance and Personnel, and, less frequently,the first and deputy first ministers respectively.We are also working very closely with theUniversity of Ulster on very innovativeresearch initiatives to enable us to betterunderstand the dynamics of Northern Irelandhousing, such as housing affordability and thedemand and supply of land throughoutNorthern Ireland.We are very conscious of the need to be asopen as we can in explaining how we manageour Northern Ireland assets in the future and Ilook forward to increasing our engagementwith all the stakeholders involved andcontinuing a good business like relationshipto our mutual benefit.Our plans in Northern IrelandWe appreciate the need to fullycomprehend the matters which impact uponthe Northern Ireland economy and itsresidents. The Northern Ireland Executive hasoutlined plans for a sizeable asset disposalprogramme over the coming years and themajor non-NAMA banks operating in NorthernIreland continue to manage substantialproperty loan portfolios of their own.It would be foolhardy for NAMA to operateas if in a vacuum. Our strategy will take theseand other factors into account when decidingon how best to manage our loansIn our efforts to help reactivate the market,we are actively exploring options that may besuitable for introduction in Northern Ireland.We are aware of considerable media interestrecently on the possibility of NAMA playing arole in the residential property market inNorthern Ireland.Consequently, we intend to pilot aninitiative aimed at owner-occupiers in theRepublic that will offer protection againstpossible further falls in house prices. If thisproves to be helpful in addressing buyerconfidence, we would consider introducing asimilar initiative in Northern Ireland inassociation with partner banks.We will also, where appropriate, extend socalled“staple finance” or “vendor finance” tobuyers of commercial property. This will resultin NAMA effectively lending a portion of themoney to buyers so they can acquireproperties that are linked to NAMA loans, thusovercoming a lack of conventional financeand generating successful transactions in theprocess.NAMA can be a positive force inNorthern IrelandIt is important to stress that NAMA is part ofthe solution, not part of the problem.Imperfect decisions on lending by banksand resultant borrowing by debtors were atthe root of the property market’s problems;we know that subsequent poor decisionscould only exacerbate the problems.In some cases, we have little option otherthan to appoint receivers to debtors whoseloans have no prospect of viability; howeverappointing receivers is very much a last resort.Wherever possible, we will work constructivelywith borrowers to try and deliver a successfuloutcome. That is our preferred choice. Astable, normally-functioning property marketwill be positive not just for NAMA but for thewider Northern Ireland economy.No different from home buyers, investorsand those working in construction andproperty-related jobs throughout NorthernIreland, we want to see transactions, buyerconfidence and liquidity restored within anormally-functioning and sustainableproperty market.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk22

northern ireland’sTOP100COMPANIESsponsored bycompiled by23www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementCompany NameRegisteredNumberDate ofAccounts(Period 1)LatestAccountsDateNet Worth(Period 1)Profit Before Tax(Period 1)LORNE HOLDINGS LIMITED NI021354 30/06/2010 30/06/2010 3,399.579000 434.082000MOY PARK LIMITED NI004842 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 137.090000 26.453000GLEN ELECTRIC LIMITED NI009677 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 218.746000 74.196000FUJITSU SERVICES LIMITED NF000668 31/03/2003 31/03/2000 32.200000 -4.300000NIE ENERGY LIMITED NI027394 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 45.100000 36.600000QUINN GROUP LIMITED NI041532 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 -240.555960 -0.443152FG WILSON (ENGINEERING)LIMITED NI006692 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 131.150000 7.802000JOHN HENDERSON (HOLDINGS)LIMITED NI010588 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 68.853000 14.057000SHORT BROTHERS P.L.C. NI001062 31/01/2011 31/01/2011 65.634956 16.588096NORTHERN IRELAND WATERLIMITED NI054463 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 806.629000 112.172000SHS GROUP LIMITED NI011256 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 53.876867 24.234212LISSAN COAL COMPANYLIMITED NI031142 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 24.938450 7.805604HENDERSON WHOLESALELIMITED NI000068 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 47.459652 9.908337ISAAC AGNEW (HOLDINGS)LIMITED NI000668 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 60.159000 4.345000ARQIVA LIMITED NF003006 31/12/2002 31/12/2002 212.483000 40.226000ULSTER BANK HOLDINGS (ROI)LIMITED NF004181 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 2,954.000000 -2,039.000000CHARLES HURST LIMITED NI004882 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 43.696000 4.978000LAGAN HOLDINGS LIMITED NI049714 31/03/2010 31/03/2010 117.390000 -4.298000UNITED DAIRY FARMERSLIMITED NP000350 31/03/2010 31/03/2010 27.132000 3.558000MUSGRAVE RETAILPARTNERS NI LIMITED NI029718 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 21.474000 5.089000www.businessfirstonline.co.uk24

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementTotal Sales(Period 1)Number ofEmployees(Period 1)Registered OfficeDate ofAccounts(Period 2)Net Worth(Period 2)Profit Before Tax(Period 2)Total Sales(Period 2)10,777.076000 27 Belfast 30/06/2009 3,134.746000 528.218000 11,076.190000859.414000 8,561 Craigavon 31/12/2009 118.185000 18.330000 780.588000838.913000 5,211 Newry 31/03/2010 170.792000 66.330000 823.070000831.100000 7,630 Belfast 31/03/2002 -64.300000 -107.400000 1,068.600000826.500000 145 Belfast 31/03/2010 -12.700000 15.300000 917.600000817.371934 3,865 Derrylin 31/12/2009 -224.155427 -772.845107 1,468.251025654.180000 2,594 Larne 31/12/2009 121.727000 3.952000 554.825000531.982000 2,175 Newtownabbey 31/12/2009 65.054805 15.950173 507.213550459.755721 4,954 Belfast 31/01/2010 32.115887 0.142853 498.124926403.151000 1,351 Belfast 31/03/2010 717.573000 51.834000 352.292000370.768705 755 Belfast 01/01/2010 45.940948 19.016754 415.783892370.390050 106 Cookstown 30/09/2009 20.461750 4.478624 250.658632343.308101 408 Newtownabbey 31/12/2009 44.514722 8.728594 328.211153338.871000 868 Belfast 31/12/2009 57.617000 8.846000 315.733000337.971000 Belfast 31/12/2001 172.257000 -188.284000 356.181000332.000000 Belfast 31/12/2009 1,313.000000 -2,363.000000330.488000 922 31/12/2009 41.094000 3.046000 296.630000327.604000 963 Belfast 31/03/2009 132.302000 15.309000 321.376000320.710000 796 Belfast 31/03/2009 26.873000 4.465000 317.236000311.675000 378 Belfast 31/12/2009 18.764000 2.571000 310.62500025compiled exclusively for Business First by

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementCompany NameRegisteredNumberDate ofAccounts(Period 1)LatestAccountsDateNet Worth(Period 1)Profit Before Tax(Period 1)NICHOLLS(FUEL OILS) LIMITED NI005816 31/05/2010 31/05/2010 29.300203 5.452113NORTH WEST BOOKMAKERSLIMITED NI016533 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 -104.392058 6.432708HOLLAND & BARRETT RETAILLIMITED NF003559 30/09/2007 30/09/2007 68.000000 61.972000FARMLEA FOODS LTD NI016607 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 8.445229 3.095132TRENCH HOLDINGS LIMITED NI062850 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 17.580000 2.204000ALMAC GROUP LIMITED NI041551 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 130.138078 14.396876HILTON MEATS (RETAIL)LIMITED NI026872 02/01/2011 02/01/2011 1.891322 7.881017NORTHSTONE (NI) LIMITED NI004078 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 74.855494 9.206755TEREX GB LIMITED NI006669 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 78.446000 23.286000HENDERSON RETAIL LIMITED R0000035 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 12.121487 2.277400DCC ENERGY LTD NI010293 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 8.487508 0.980701NORTHERN IRELANDELECTRICITY LIMITED NI026041 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 151.100000 24.000000AKZO NOBEL DECORATIVECOATINGS LIMITED NF000549 31/12/2002 31/12/2002 122.926000 16.547000FAUGHAN LIMITED NI063247 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 10.483816 3.255833FOYLE FOOD GROUP LIMITED NI034218 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 10.483816 3.255833JOHN GRAHAM HOLDINGSLIMITED NI057921 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 27.108000 4.034000SANGERS (NORTHERN IRELAND)LIMITED NI018941 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 8.141683 4.702189QUINN GLASS LIMITED NI030990 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 99.279000 1.041000COCA-COLA HBC NORTHERNIRELAND LIMITED NI001920 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 37.763344 4.165467DONNELLY BROS GARAGES(DUNGANNON LIMITED NI000643 31/05/2010 31/05/2010 14.564497 2.005756BHH LIMITED NI031884 31/07/2010 31/07/2010 24.537936 4.670393www.businessfirstonline.co.uk26

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementTotal Sales(Period 1)Number ofEmployees(Period 1)Registered OfficeDate ofAccounts(Period 2)Net Worth(Period 2)Profit Before Tax(Period 2)Total Sales(Period 2)287.919284 89 Londonderry 31/05/2009 26.574412 5.964840 281.430836265.200073 457 31/12/2009 -111.572874 6.532972 262.289060262.455000 3,529 Belfast 30/09/2006 102.089000 64.204000 264.204000262.414648 165 Belfast 01/01/2010 7.628210 4.010217 293.161767253.816000 702 Mallusk 31/12/2009 16.391000 0.684000 170.613000250.983431 2,711 Craigavon 30/09/2009 116.761691 14.650744 223.885045243.492263 469 Belfast 03/01/2010 1.414772 6.188367 241.061202239.043521 971 Belfast 31/12/2009 72.120658 9.794894 271.817456237.638000 719 Dungannon 31/12/2009 64.551000 -5.894000 58.652000237.075163 1,568 Newtownabbey 31/12/2009 9.767221 5.115665 232.677316234.931710 160 Belfast 31/03/2010 7.555121 3.008996 224.990429228.500000 262 Belfast 31/03/2010 49.500000 84.200000 242.000000225.995000 1,704 Newtownabbey 31/12/2001 117.560000 2.476000 226.739000217.259707 750 Londonderry 31/12/2009 11.049772 2.556813 236.583261217.259707 750 Londonderry 31/12/2009 11.049772 2.556813 236.583261216.586000 1,081 Hillsborough 31/03/2010 23.178000 4.367000 208.928000213.988221 277 Belfast 30/09/2009 7.466030 3.510733 199.848741209.345000 1,091 Derrylin 31/12/2009 98.984000 36.423000 205.963000205.142103 656 Lisburn 31/12/2009 36.743568 6.056368 207.735898202.456152 509 Dungannon 31/05/2009 13.297814 1.129783 172.178267193.052757 178 31/07/2009 25.558224 4.724261 202.44292127compiled exclusively for Business First by

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementCompany NameRegisteredNumberDate ofAccounts(Period 1)LatestAccountsDateNet Worth(Period 1)Profit Before Tax(Period 1)VIRIDIAN ENERGYSUPPLY LIMITED NI035800 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 23.586000 6.874000DALE FARM LIMITED NI025356 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 25.823000 1.137000MAXOL OIL LIMITED NI001003 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 14.392477 2.995465JOHN GRAHAM(DROMORE) LIMITED NI003503 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 21.859000 2.914000AES BALLYLUMFORD LIMITED NI026040 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 141.912000 44.970000DIAGEO NORTHERN IRELANDLIMITED NI003755 30/06/2010 30/06/2010 82.272000 -8.504000DUNNES STORES (BANGOR)LIMITED NI007608 29/01/2011 29/01/2011 292.602780 26.287448JOHN THOMPSON & SONSLIMITED R0000447 31/07/2010 31/07/2010 13.698191 4.652690FANE VALLEY CO-OPERATIVESOCIETY LIMITED NP000348 30/09/2006 39.630000 6.731000ROTARY LIMITED NI021392 30/06/2010 30/06/2010 28.879273 6.710208PATTON GROUP LIMITED NI050896 30/11/2010 30/11/2010 29.428421 -10.051477GREENFIELDS IRELAND LIMITED NI026972 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 3.403724 0.559543DUNBIA (CREWE) NI034022 30/03/2008 30/03/2008 3.121289 0.972125AES (NI) LIMITED NI026332 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 50.671000 50.622000AES KILROOT POWER LIMITED NI026039 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 216.771000 61.279000DAVID PATTON & SONS (NI)LIMITED NI050897 30/11/2010 30/11/2010 9.926091 -9.310933LAGAN CONSTRUCTIONLIMITED NI005233 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 30.663502 4.223137COOLKEERAGH ESB LIMITED NI042138 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 -25.593000 25.405000SCHRADER ELECTRONICSLIMITED NI025720 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 19.379000 8.370000TOPAZ ENERGY LIMITED NI012629 31/03/2010 31/03/2010 4.350329 4.730403www.businessfirstonline.co.uk28

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementTotal Sales(Period 1)Number ofEmployees(Period 1)Registered OfficeDate ofAccounts(Period 2)Net Worth(Period 2)Profit Before Tax(Period 2)Total Sales(Period 2)192.218000 101 Belfast 31/03/2010 10.387000 9.216000 170.297000191.561000 543 Belfast 31/03/2010 24.953000 2.178000 170.726000191.164332 11 Newtownabbey 31/12/2009 12.768189 1.478129 165.945449183.333000 626 Hillsborough 31/03/2010 19.672000 1.956000 179.183000182.735000 171 Islandmagee 31/12/2009 86.521000 42.861000 165.847000179.671000 108 Belfast 30/06/2009 27.967000 20.177000 178.021000177.878458 2,342 Newry 30/01/2010 283.850579 27.974943 194.677449176.628435 157 Belfast 31/07/2009 14.261535 4.590794 186.060429176.260000 Armagh 30/09/2005 37.104000 9.911000 169.276000175.461018 1,500 Newtownabbey 30/06/2009 24.762987 7.492082 185.452279162.746602 494 Ballymena 30/11/2009 37.699542 1.705369 185.336481162.400047 27 Co Antrim 31/12/2009 3.217780 0.719828 138.092625156.122243 761 Dungannon 01/04/2007 2.824988 0.495986 149.815683156.026000 138 Carrickfergus 31/12/2009 28.982000 21.022000 130.881000156.026000 138 Carrickfergus 31/12/2009 203.209000 36.793000 130.881000154.808688 439 Ballymena 30/11/2009 18.093409 2.813205 163.004685154.039409 386 Belfast 31/03/2010 32.361000 4.055000 164.547000147.754000 2 Maydown 31/12/2009 -46.923000 58.074000 192.109000147.084000 855 Belfast 02/01/2010 11.873000 0.975000 99.874000146.596206 31 Belafst 31/03/2009 -0.340493 -1.813474 271.64681929compiled exclusively for Business First by

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementCompany NameRegisteredNumberDate ofAccounts(Period 1)LatestAccountsDateNet Worth(Period 1)Profit Before Tax(Period 1)DESMOND & SONS LIMITED NI002301 31/12/2002 31/12/2002 46.185000 8.196000OKANE GROUP LIMITED NI054080 01/05/2009 01/05/2009 24.385634 1.556442INTERFACE EUROPE LTD NF002857 31/12/2001 30/12/2001 14.632000 -21.374000SCOTTISHPOWER RENEWABLES(UK) LIMITED NI028425 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 165.200000 53.900000LINDEN FOODS LIMITED NI014930 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 21.167508 2.616452ALMAC GROUP (UK) LIMITED NI061368 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 78.684971 10.488143DAIRY PRODUCE PACKERSLIMITED NI022009 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 52.724376 6.274742MUSGRAVE DISTRIBUTIONLIMITED NI015409 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 1.576000 -1.298000NORBROOK LABORATORIESLIMITED NI007665 30/07/2010 30/07/2010 50.074362 10.358572RESOURCE SERVICES GROUPLIMITED NI057927 31/03/2010 31/03/2010 -84.029352 -40.447942NORTHGATE MANAGEDSERVICES LIMITED NI032979 30/04/2011 30/04/2011 57.519000 5.194000GRAFTON RECRUITMENTINTERNATIONAL LIMITED NI033694 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 -3.394000 0.865000DAVID PATTON & SONS(NORTHERN IRELAND) NI006179 30/11/2004 30/11/2004 20.636610 7.405114TMC DAIRIES (N.I.) LIMITED NI043248 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 -12.901214 -0.722602WILLSTAN LIMITED NI004101 28/12/2010 28/12/2010 31.241000 2.779000CLEARWAY HOLDINGS LIMITED NI054289 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 67.818007 10.479287UTV MEDIA PLC NI065086 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 -104.148000 -13.905000BRETT MARTIN HOLDINGS LTD NI047139 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 33.227294 2.449374CLEARWAY DISPOSALSLIMITED NI014852 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 61.598602 10.524279CORNERSTONE GROUPLIMITED - THE NI035879 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 17.068339 -1.266155WRIGHTBUS LIMITED NI006119 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 11.936333 -1.533586www.businessfirstonline.co.uk30

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementTotal Sales(Period 1)Number ofEmployees(Period 1)Registered OfficeDate ofAccounts(Period 2)Net Worth(Period 2)Profit Before Tax(Period 2)Total Sales(Period 2)145.028000 1,895 Belfast 31/12/2001 48.091000 8.854000 128.369000140.051274 1,433 Ballymena 26/04/2008 22.656813 1.324799 131.238386139.605000 1,110 Craigavon 31/12/2000 23.089000 -8.414000 142.364000138.300000 Belfast 31/12/2009 111.700000 88.800000 182.900000136.951168 559 Armagh 30/09/2009 19.928498 1.990288 116.292377136.869706 1,401 Craigavon 30/09/2009 71.807858 7.151987 119.999264136.028657 416 Coleraine 31/12/2009 47.748269 14.394150 131.627279135.987000 300 Belfast 31/12/2009 1.902000 -2.988000 137.630000135.908083 1,293 Newry 31/07/2009 43.484372 4.376006 121.718712132.729151 8,689 Belfast 31/03/2009 -72.291522 -8.875182 137.267305128.663000 923 Newtownabbey 30/04/2010 52.016000 0.671000 114.459000128.274000 643 Belfast 31/03/2010 -2.556000 -2.759000 109.838000127.956171 451 Ballymean125.804084 50 Strabane 31/12/2009 -12.181001 -0.602087 93.872248125.033000 Belfast 29/12/2009 28.398000 3.897000 129.682000124.036434 145 Craigavon 31/12/2009 59.924170 10.154710 88.603469120.199000 931 Belfast 31/12/2009 -131.661000 17.522000 112.079000119.682125 788 Mallusk 31/12/2009 33.169964 3.646310 100.741907119.447242 145 Portadown 31/12/2009 53.842589 10.462588 83.325726117.449766 956 Ballymena 30/09/2009 3.389236117.277205 858 Ballymena 30/09/2009 12.883187 3.769804 134.43762231compiled exclusively for Business First by

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementCompany NameRegisteredNumberDate ofAccounts(Period 1)LatestAccountsDateNet Worth(Period 1)Profit Before Tax(Period 1)AIRTRICITY ENERGY SUPPLY(NORTHERN IRELAND) LIMITED NI041956 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 5.950000 -7.558000LINDSAY CARS LIMITED NI005514 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 9.356545 0.825427HUMAX ELECTRONICS CO. LTD NI032153 31/12/2009 31/12/2010 4.700115 -1.757285NORBROOK LABORATORIESLIMITED FC021326 01/08/2008 01/08/2008 40.018496 0.480964CHAIN REACTION CYCLES LTD NI036744 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 19.508000 13.273000RATHENRAW LIMITED NI038989 31/12/2008 31/12/2008 -11.020894 -11.007315TAGGART HOLDINGS LTD NI038475 31/12/2006 31/12/2006 18.490636 17.152208PHOENIX SUPPLY LIMITED NI032810 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 7.028000 0.129000RETLAN MANUFACTURING LTD NI034211 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 16.958000 1.610000ARDS HOLDINGS LIMITED NI009882 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 15.369420 1.311892BRETT MARTIN LIMITED NI008627 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 32.182596 1.605180CREATION CONSUMER FINANCELIMITED NI032565 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 45.158000 16.266000LAGAN CONSTRUCTION GROUPLIMITED NI073094 31/03/2011 31/03/2011 26.306406 0.429692HILTON MEATS (INTERNATIONAL)LIMITED NI020740 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 0.897135 1.248980MARLBANK LIMITED NI063239 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 1.823358 1.606779GILBERT-ASH N.I. LIMITED NI002345 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 14.069694 0.691106ALMAC CLINICAL SERVICESLIMITED NI041905 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 65.096798 23.629466ULSTERBUS LIMITED NI006725 27/03/2011 27/03/2011 -0.821682 1.407500H AND J MARTIN HOLDINGSLIMITED NI020288 31/12/2010 31/12/2010 10.607104 1.212448SONI LIMITED NI038715 30/09/2010 30/09/2010 0.449000 1.589000www.businessfirstonline.co.uk32

NORTHERN IRELAND’S TOP 100sponsored by Ogilvie Fleet - the art of vehicle managementTotal Sales(Period 1)Number ofEmployees(Period 1)Registered OfficeDate ofAccounts(Period 2)Net Worth(Period 2)Profit Before Tax(Period 2)Total Sales(Period 2)117.012000 11 Belfast 31/03/2010 11.047000 10.150000 74.234000115.053662 413 Lisburn 31/12/2009 11.179092 1.359625 114.205920113.095914 21 Belfast 31/12/2008 5.875928 1.950608 85.640137110.774008 1,106 Carlisle 03/08/2007 37.930669 0.965218 102.879371109.420000 365 Ballyclare 31/12/2009 11.481318 8.047514 77.408801107.929394 281 Angrim 31/12/2007 1.766298 2.551240 32.142068107.807501 325 Belfast 31/12/2005 24.411551 12.844667 47.995105101.102000 36 Belfast 31/12/2009 6.899000 3.168000 106.382000100.881000 567 Toomebridge 31/03/2010 15.004000 -0.076000 68.70100099.749024 129 Belfast 31/12/2009 14.945818 1.706237 103.69911198.893373 564 Mallusk 31/12/2009 31.093846 2.936063 81.52046998.288000 171 Belfast 31/12/2009 19.074000 -13.309000 67.49300097.168887 386 Belfast 31/07/2010 0.000001 0.000000 0.00000096.993536 12 Belfast 31/12/2009 3.495109 2.769689 146.61282796.993536 12 Belfast 31/12/2009 4.158806 2.827237 146.61282793.976174 129 Belfast 31/12/2009 14.042496 1.124423 96.35592793.671183 768 Craigavon 30/09/2009 50.985765 23.280958 83.68163693.017363 2,319 Belfast 28/03/2010 -21.317885 -15.342323 93.87655091.549939 337 Belfast 31/12/2009 10.246271 1.766161 87.39427891.201000 80 Belfast 30/09/2009 -1.872000 3.765000 87.80400033compiled exclusively for Business First by

How wecollated theTop 100 dataNorthern Ireland business isfrustrated at factors beyondits controlThis data was compiled using Experian'sCorporate Researcher, Corporate Researcheris a revolutionary research product thatprovides users with access to high qualitydata on UK limited companies andinternational corporate transactions in aready to use format.Stephen McAllister, senior businessdevelopment manager of Experian NorthernIreland, told Business First, “A healthy, wellregulatedcash flow is essential to long-termsurvival, but businesses in Northern Irelandare operating in a more challengingeconomic climate and it is vital that theyunderstand the risks they are exposed to.“The biggest challenge for them today isfinding customers that will continue to paytheir bills so that they can protect their cashflow and start to think about investment orexpansion.“Taking on the wrong kind of customerscould have a negative effect on their ownbusinesses and ultimately lead to its owndemise.“That’s why checking the financialbackground of potential new customersbefore taking them on and continuing tomonitor their progress for any danger signs,is vital.“Forewarning of potentially higher riskcompanies doesn’t mean you should dobusinesses with them either. This knowledgecan be used to target them with paymentterms and conditions that are moreappropriate to them or by agreeing up frontdeposits.“It means that firms will be able tocontinue to take on new customers, but at amuch lower risk exposure.“Goodwill goes a long way in businessrelationships, but creating and enforcingrobust credit management and collectionpolicies will be the factor that ensures longterm survival.”Aidan Gough, director of Strategy and Policy for InterTradeIrelandIt appears that 2012 will be a difficult year Northern Ireland companies are also morefor Northern Ireland businesses as sales likely to be involved in cross-border trade,performance figures across companies of all with 23 per cent exporting into the Republicsizes fell during Quarter 4 of 2011, according of Ireland compared with just 16 per centto the latest results of the InterTradeIreland’s trading north from the Republic of Ireland.all-island Quarterly Business Monitor.Commenting on the findings, Aidan Gough,The largest business survey on the island director of Strategy and Policy forshows that while 18 per cent of businesses InterTradeIreland, said: “There is no doubtreport an increase in sales, 41 per cent have that the continued economic uncertainty andseen a decline, giving a net percentage point the Eurozone crisis in particular is having abalance of -23 per cent. This compares with a continued impact on local businesses. It isnet balance of -14 per cent for quarter three significant that we are seeing a rise in theand -10 per cent for quarter two of 2011. number of larger businesses and exportersWhile exports continue to grow, exporters who reported a drop in demand for theirare expressing concern regarding a reduction products and services during the last quarter.”in demand as a significant issue for theirThe Business Monitor also shows that thebusiness. This reduction in demand may be demand for bank finance continues to falllinked to ongoing problems in the Eurozone. with just 7 per cent of business owners saying70 per cent of companies surveyed felt that that the have applied for a loan or overdraft atthe Eurozone crisis is adversely impacting on the end of last year.them with larger firms and exporters feeling a “This reluctance to seek out funding maygreater impact through their exposure to the be indicative of the lack of confidence thatcrisis.many of those surveyed feel in their ability toThere is also frustration for business owners secure finance and their desire to invest atwho are finding that many of the issues that this time,” continues Aidan.are adversely affecting them, such as rising “Paradoxically, investment and innovationenergy costs, other overheads and a lack of to allow businesses to diversify and grow isconsumer confidence, are largely outside now more important than ever andtheir control.InterTradeIreland is continuing to work withCompanies in the North seem to be faring business owners, government bodies,better than their Southern counterparts investors and business ambassadors tohowever, with 38 per cent listed asensure that it continues to meet thecontracting compared with 56 per cent in the changing needs of the business community,”Republic of Ireland.he concludes.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk34

Business traveleasyJet and Southend meanbusiness!Ali Gayward...“A fourth London choice will be appreciated.”Many business people are looking forwardto easy access to the City of London’s financialdistrict when easyJet launches its new servicefrom Belfast International Airport to LondonSouthend on 2 April.With flights already to Gatwick, Luton andStansted, the introduction of the Southendservice further strengthens easyJet’s Londonoperations.There will be two flights daily on theSouthend route from Monday – Friday; oneflight on Saturday; and two flights on Sunday.Flights are now on sale with fares from£23.99, one-way including taxes.The first phase of a multi-million poundterminal at London Southend Airport is due toopen soon.A new train station is already open just aminute’s walk from the terminal and there aresuperb rail links into London.GO WEST!Central London (Liverpool Street) is just over50 minutes away, and the journey time toStratford is only 40 minutes.easyJet operates more flights from Belfast toLondon than any other airline, and theintroduction of Southend will mean anotherimportant gateway to the City’s financialmarkets.Ali Gayward, easyJet commercial manager,said: “We know that a fourth London choicewill be appreciated by the businesscommunity.“In the meantime, our existing services toGatwick, Stansted and Luton already offer fastaccess to the capital.“For example, the London Gatwick railtransfer into Victoria Station takes 30 minutes,and it takes only 26 minutes to get from LutonAirport into St Pancras International.”Morecapacity onsunshinerouteseasyJet is to increase the number ofpassengers it will take from Belfast toleading holiday sun spots during the peaksummer period.To help meet passenger demand, theairline is to fly an Airbus A320 aircraft fromBelfast International Airport for the firsttime.The aircraft has 180 seats – 24 more thanon the Airbus A319s that are currently oneasyJet’s routes from the airport.Flights are now on sale and it is expectedthat around 2,000 extra passengers willtravel when the A320 joins the A319s.The A320 will be used on routes topopular sunshine destinations such asAlicante, Faro, Malaga and Palma, as well asto Amsterdam and several domesticdestinations.Ali Gayward, easyJet commercialmanager, said: “The increase in capacity isessential to meet passenger demand, andthe A320 will be a big asset in enabling usto meet this demand.“People have made easyJet NorthernIreland’s favourite airline and we aredelighted to be able to fly them on an A320from Belfast for the first time.“The A320 family is recognised as thebenchmark single-aisle aircraft family andthe A320 is the world’s best sellingcommercial jetliner ever.”For further information about easyJetdestinations and to book flights, visitwww.easyJet.com. Travellers looking tobook their flights, accommodation andtransfers in one go can find a wide range offlexible and affordable breaks from alleasyJet airports on the easyJet Holidayswebsite: www.easyJet.com/holidays.Factfile• easyJet is Northern Ireland’s largestairline – operating 21 routes out of BelfastInternational Airport. The airline has madea substantial contribution to tourism andthe Northern Ireland economy, includingbringing millions of visitors to the region.• easyJet operates Europe's No. 1 airtransport network with a leadingpresence on Europe's top 100 routes andat Europe's 50 largest airports.• easyJet flies on more than 600 routesbetween 130 airports in 30 countries.More than 300 million Europeans livewithin one hour's drive of an easyJetairport, more than any other airline.Stratford is just 40 minutes from London Southend train station and provides easy access to theWestfield London shopping centre... Europe’s largest indoor shopping complex. There are morethan 300 shops, including leading retail names such as House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer,Debenhams, Next and Waitrose. Having a choice of food is no problem, with around 50restaurants, bars and casual dining outlets, and you can unwind in a state-of-the-art cinema or aluxury bowling alley.• The airline takes sustainabilityseriously. It invests in the latesttechnology, operates efficiently and fillsmost of its seats, which means that aneasyJet passenger's carbon footprint is 22per cent less than a passenger on atraditional airline, flying the same aircrafton the same route.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk36

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 & Exhibitions38sponsored bysupported bymedia partnersbusinessfirstmagazinebusinessfirstonline

Be one of the first 100to register & claim yourFREE copy of DeeBlick’s best-selling bookinformation 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 clientGavin Walker, Business FirstHow to get your editor working for youLearn more about your how-to workshop facilitators at www.marketingconference2012.com

MarketingAround 250 local companies attended Invest Northern Ireland’s previous Online Marketing Conference to hear how George Wright of UScompany Blendtec achieved a 700% increase in blender sales by using the latest online sales and marketing techniques. Pictured with MrWright is Tracy Meharg, Invest NI’s Managing Director of Innovation and Capability DevelopmentInvest NI encourages e-business andselling onlineInformation and communication technology(ICT) can offer real benefits to your business,and investments in new technologies oftenhave a direct effect on profitability. As itbecomes an increasingly important tool it isvital for businesses to develop an effectivestrategy which ensures the ICT solutionsimplemented add value and deliver realbenefits.To assist companies here to invest intechnology, Invest Northern Ireland offers arange of advice and support as part of theBoosting Business through Technologycampaign. This is split into three distinctelements:eSolutions CentreLocated in Invest NI HQ, the Centre offersbusinesses access to practical andindependent support on a range of ICT-relatedissues. Businesses can get hands-ondemonstrations of new technologies includingadvice on e-commerce solutions, onlinemarketing and mobile computing.Management Information SystemsBusinesses that can demonstrate theintention to sell outside Northern Ireland, thatare actively pursuing growth plans and willcontribute to increasing productivity andinnovation in Northern Ireland can also getfinancial support. The support can part fundthe purchase of software, implementation anduser training of IT solutions within yourbusiness to improve business processes andthe visibility of key management information.Examples of typical projects include e-commerce solutions, customer relationshipmanagement (CRM) software and electronicstock control.ICT WorkshopsFrom time to time Invest NI runs workshopsthat focus on a range of ICT topics.Over the past number of years Invest NI hasalso organised large ICT-focused conferences,where local businesses gained access toexperts from the online marketing and e-commerce industry.Typically these events have attracted anaudience made up of business owners andmarketing managers keen to adopt newtechnologies which can help them increasetheir online sales.The previous three events attracted over 750local businesses with speakers fromorganisations including Google, Yahoo,Microsoft, eBay, Blendtec “will it Blend” andother local businesses specialising in onlinemarketing.With the global marketplace becomingmuch easier to access due to the increasedproliferation of the internet throughout theworld, almost every market can be exploitedby Northern Ireland businesses. In 2011 thetotal value of online sales in the UK alone wasestimated at £68.2 billion. This is expected todouble by 2020.To ensure global success, businesses inNorthern Ireland need to plan their onlinetrading strategies to ensure they are bestplaced to serve global markets. This meanskeeping ahead of the competition when itcomes to being aware of the full range ofinternet technologies and services available tohelp successfully deliver their strategy,encourage growth and increase export sales.This year’s e-business conference to be heldon 22 March in the Ramada Hotel, Shaw’sBridge will focus on showcasing future trendsand innovations in the online market place tohelp local businesses prepare future marketingplans.Topics to be covered on the day will includehow to develop an online marketing strategywhich will engage customers and drive themto your online shop. This may be by effectivelyutilising social media channels, or ensuringyour website is fully optimised and relevant tocustomers. There will also be an opportunity tofind out how Pay per click (PPC) and otheronline advertising can deliver sales.You will also hear about the various e-commerce options available and how to takepayments online securely withoutcompromising your business or customers.To find out more about Invest NI’s BoostingBusiness campaign and the upcoming ICTconference visit boostingbusinessni.com orcall 0800 181 4422.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk 40

InfoTech by businessfirstyour guide to everything IT in northern irelandin association withsponsored by41 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Marketing technologyby Ruan O Tiarnaigh WsiOnlineGuruNorthern Ireland economicdevelopment and broadbandWhilst local businesses are all trying todevelop and improve (nay survive), there is aground swell to pool the collective brains inNorthern Ireland, at events such as the recentIdea Fest at NISP, to help forge a coherentstrategy and subsequent tactics to giveNorthern Ireland an economic edge relative tothe rest of the world with whom we nowcompete.It is generally accepted that establishingNorthern Ireland as an open, collaborative,dynamic and efficient location to do businesswill not only attract inward investment, but alsostimulate our own population into being moreentrepreneurial in general .In this regard I recently had the distinctpleasure in listening to technology visionaryPeter Cochrane OBE speaking about technologyand the future at the Deloitte sponsored eventat NISP.A key tenet of Peter’s talk concerned highspeed internet. Peter’s vision was of a fullyintegrated Fibre Optic network with a very largenumber of WiFi routers supplying super highbandwidth over short distances; as opposed tothe antiquated copper based methods whichare employed now. His assertion is that thiswould not only revolutionise the speed withwhich we interact with the world, but wouldallow for greater thinking about novel solutionsand facilitate the economic growth we all crave.His approach is not ‘pie in the sky’. It is currentlybeing rolled out across Jersey.Peter’s illuminating presentation entitled‘Largely unseen but on the Radar’ may be foundat http://www.slideshare.net/PeterCochraneAn alternative to this approach is WiMaxwhich is a wide area 4G network utilisingmicrowave technology. Well proven thistechnology could deliver significantly greaterspeeds than the current offerings.Whatever the solution, can we have it soonerthan later please??How’s your Aura, Dora?Yes, an oblique reference to aFrank Zappa song and also tosome rather novel andinteresting technology. You willno doubt have heard of‘Augmented Reality’ (AR), the view of a physical,real-world environment whose elements areaugmented by computer-generated sensoryinput, (Wikipedia).It has been difficult for most of us, meincluded, to find a practical application of AR inmy or my clients’ businesses for that matter,particularly as the technology can be somewhatillusive or very expensive if not purely the realmof specialists.Await no longer sisters and brothers, Aurasare here and there’s probably one lurking on themagazine rack of your local newsagents, thefridge of your off license of choice, even the carshowroom you may previously have visited inless austere times. They combine the videofacility on your smart phone with imagerecognition software and the internet, so whenyou point the app at a suitable image, the imageappears to come to life with superimposition ofvideo content.Developed in Cambridge the technology wasfirst demonstrated in 2010 and their free app isavailable for iPhone and Android. Look out forthe blue ‘A’ . Relatively simple to produce, allyou need is suitable video content and areference image. Applications for thistechnology abound, just add imagination. Thispage is an example of an Aura.The elephant in the room?Google has recently changed their ULA’s (UserLicence Agreements) across their portfolio ofproducts. This is done under the auspices of‘streamlining’ and efficiency. Sceptics believethat this is in order for Big G to more seamlesslyassimilate their threads of data from the variousservice offerings about individuals in order tomore accurately target them with ever morepersonalised search results. Oh, and moresuitable, timely and relevant advertisementsalso… Well you don’t think all this is for thecraic?An example of the shift in Big G’s searchalgorithm to provide a more personalisedservice can be seen athttp://read.bi/wsionlineguru-feb11-1 .How this will affect the SEO (search engineoptimisation) world is yet to be understood.The other ‘F’ wordFacebook are gearing up for an IPO, reckonedto be the one of the biggest in history withvaluations ranging up to $100Bn. However, arecent Bloomberg report pointed out that Gap,J.C. Penny and a number of other businesseshave opened and closed their shops onFacebook in the last year, claiming that theydidn’t realise their return on investment.The issue is that whilst the largest socialnetworking platform on the planet has achievedphenomenal growth (60 per cent penetration inboth US and UK), it is fundamentally a place forits 800 million users to virtually hang out withyour friends, not a shopping trip on theinformation superhighway.Whereas users of Google search and otherplatforms are actively seeking information onitems and services the inclusion of adverts onFacebook interferes with the experience. Thatsaid, 85 per cent of the $1Bn operating profitFacebook claimed for 2011 was created fromadvertising. This is down from 98 per cent in2009, the rest being supplemented by receiptsfrom the activities of users on Facebook gamessuch as those from Zynga which aloneaccounted for 12 per cent of profits.However, whilst these events are significantand may affect the final valuation, the blue ‘F’ isa very long way from being a dead dodo, orparrot for that matter.Pinning for the fjords?Pinterest (Pin & Interest ...geddit?), the new kid on theblock, is surging ahead in thesocial media circles. Accordingto Compete, unique visitors toPinterest.com increased by awhopping 155 per cent in just one month, fromDecember 2011 to January 2012.Queue the Top of the Pops music.In December 2011, Pinterest made Hitwise’stop 10 social networks list, as the highest newentry straight in at number 5, beating out bignames such as LinkedIn and Google+.So how does it work?Users can visually share, curate and discovernew interests by posting (known as ‘pinning’)images or videos to their own or others’pinboards, which are generally collated bytheme. Users can create their own content orpin items of interest from the web. Visitors canbrowse through the items other users havepinned and ‘like’, ‘repin’ or ‘comment’ andinteraction is the name of the game drawingattention to the content primarily via Twitter orFacebook. The overall goal is to connecteveryone in the world through the things theyfind interesting.It may be the novelty but whether or whichthere is significant evidence that Pinterest candrive significant traffic and thus answers thequestion on our minds ‘Can we use it formarketing’.How that is done is not a secret, but beyondthe scope of this article. Further information isavailable on the wsionlineguru.com blog.Until next time pop pickers…InfoTechThis page is Aura-ready. Download the Aura app from here and experience the revolutionwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk42

The missing lync…by Scott McClenaghan, technical sales and marketing director at NitecOf all the technologies in Microsoft’s network, allowing both intra-office and interofficecalls. External communication iscurrent product portfolio, one of themost exciting for me has to be Lync. facilitated through a combination of PSTNMicrosoft Lync 2010 is the company’s unified breakout, allowing calls to be placed tocommunication platform product, designed standard telephone numbers (augmenting orto streamline a whole range of end-user replacing existing PBX systems), and throughcommunications capabilities into a single allowing users outside of the organisation toeasy-to-use interface.connect to all of Lync’s other rich functionalityAt the launch of Lync 2010, Bill Gatesthrough ad-hoc or scheduled web meetingshimself made a video appearance (via Lync, of (requiring only a tiny, free download).course) and described the product asIn many ways, the flexibility of Lync is its key“…probably the most important thing to benefit. With the enterprise voice capability, ahappen to the office worker since the PC user can connect from any location with acame along” (http://bit.ly/aQWtbE).simple broadband connection (whether aIn essence, Lync is a communication and hotel or their home) and appear available tocollaboration platform that allows users to the switchboard and available to externalcommunicate through a combination of users on their direct-dial number. Obviouslyinstant messaging, audio and video chat, web this is a tremendous boon to remote workingconferencing, white-boarding and application and, for us at Nitec, was a huge benefit duringsharing, all through a single, simple software last year’s extreme weather conditions,client interface.allowing staff to work seamlessly from home.The functionality available through Lync Whilst the higher-end enterprise telephonyallows users to transition conversationsfunctionality in Lync really requires an onpremiseinstall, it is possible to leverage muchthrough a “communication flow” asappropriate. A “simple” query to a colleague of the product through Microsoft Cloudposed via instant message that ends up Services (Lync Online and Office 365) torequiring more detailed discussion can be reduce the entry-costs and complexity.seamlessly escalated into an audio or video It is also possible to “federate” Lync withchat which can be augmented by a whiteboardingsession or an application sharing rich inter-organisation communication. In ourother organisations which use Lync to enablesession, further facilitating discussion of the case, Nitec is federated to Microsoft and HPmatter at hand. All of this rich functionality is (two of our key partners) and this has been aavailable at the click of a mouse within the real boon to communication betweenLync client software.organisations. Federation with public instantThe product is modular in the sense that a messaging services (Yahoo, MSN, AOL, etc.) isbasic installation will allow users toalso possible for those businesses who see acommunicate and collaborate internally with benefit in that capability.colleagues whilst a more comprehensiveAs a Microsoft product, inevitably, no otherinstallation extends the capabilities out to unified communications product is so richlyallow communication with those external to integrated with the rest of the Microsoftthe organisation.product portfolio. Any organisation that storesInternal communications with colleagues is contact information using Microsoft Exchangefacilitated through the existing computer can enjoy full click-to-call functionality,Outlook and SharePoint are enriched withpresence indicators which reveal the status ofcolleagues, and standard telephone numbersin Internet Explorer become clickable links.More recently, Microsoft has released theLync Mobile client for Windows Phone,iPhone, and Android with BlackBerryimminent. With the first release, functionalityis limited to presence indication and instantmessaging but voice calls can be placedthrough standard mobile telephony fromwithin the application. The functionality of theexisting mobile client will undoubtedlybroaden with time.Another interesting area to watch is that ofSkype integration. It is widely speculated thatLync was one of the primary reasons behindMicrosoft paying “top dollar” for Skype with aview to providing businesses with access tosome 700m users through such anintegration.Licensing changes in August of last yearhave served to both make the product moreaffordable for many businesses and tounderline the importance of the productwithin Microsoft’s product portfolio. The LyncStandard Client Access License is nowincluded in the Microsoft Core Client AccessLicense which many businesses withMicrosoft license agreements are likely toalready own.Whilst many products claim to revolutioniseproductivity, few have the potential to makesuch a real and immediate difference to theend-user experience. Simply put, this is aproduct that every organisation needs toconsider.Scott McClenaghan is Technical Sales andMarketing Director at Nitec and specialises inadvising private, public and voluntaryorganisations on all aspects of ICT strategy.InfoTechwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk44

Connectivity solutions for small businesswith Atlas CommunicationsFrom utilising email to taking and makingorders, internet connectivity is essential for allbusinesses no matter of the size. In recentyears the notion of private connectivity hasbecome more prevalent but is more often thannot associated with large scale organisationsacross multiple sites.After years where the storage of data wasspread, centralised serving of businessapplications and storage of data is nowconsidered the way to development ofbusiness IT services. Centralisation bringsdefinite advantages. Customer information andbusiness applications can be shared andupdated across the organisation as a singleentity making it more up to date for stockcontrol, document management and easiermanagement.Security can be tightened with a centrallycontrolled scheme for providing access to dataservices and management costs can belowered with a single point of data replicationto backup the vital data that businesses wouldbe at a loss without.Where applications and data are serviced atindividual sites, multiple lines of equipmenthave to be managed, maintained and updated.Costs associated with updating systems andequipment is usually higher than a centralisedoption. In addition when vital data is not heldas a single pool there are additionalmanagement issues.Whilst the advantages of central control andmanagement of business data and applicationsare clear the biggest barrier has long been thecost of reliable Private Connectivity. VirtualPrivate Networking, creating secure link acrossthe Internet such as via broadband is availablebut is complex and can be difficult to manageespecially in remote offices with no IT support.Atlas Communication’s understands thatsmall businesses need the same dedicatedservices as large organisations but with lesscost associated. It is for this reason that Atlashas announced a portfolio of productsdesigned to give small businesses privateconnectivity options without the cost oftraditional fibre circuits.Atlas’ private data links for SME’s enablesbusinesses to seamlessly connect their offices,sub offices, warehouse and teleworkers to oneanother at a lower cost. Centralisation ofservices and data back-up is made easier withthese managed circuits and gives the sameadvantage as privately managed connectionthan using dedicated fibre connections.For further information on privateconnectivity for Small to Medium Enterprisesplease contact us on 08000 323 000 or emailsales@atlas-comms.com. We have experiencedBusiness Solutions Consultants and one of thebiggest teams of dedicatedTelecommunications Engineers in NorthernIreland who can assist you and provide thebest, most practical advice.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. Withalmost 30 years’ experience they have theperfect solutions tailored to your business.45

Widely accepted as one of the mostsignificant recent developments in ICT,Cloud Computing has the potential tochange the way corporations, organisationsand governmental agencies manage, store andaccess their company data.It is anticipated that within the next five yearsthe Cloud will transform from its current hypecycle into an everyday practical reality for allbusinesses, regardless of size. In fact, manySME’s have already adopted the technology,having recognised its significant opportunitiesfor cost savings.Don’t let the apparent complexity putyou offTo the ICT novice the Cloud can appear to beincredibly complicated, but businessesshouldn’t be put off by its initial complexity.Once researched the proposition becomesrelatively simple. Many of us are alreadyinvolved in the Cloud without realising it, byaccessing sites such as Amazon or Hotmail, asthe term refers to anything which involvesdelivering hosted services over the internet.Through the Cloud your companyinformation would be stored on an internetbased server, allowing you to access files fromany location.Noel Lynch, business development managerat Equiniti ICS, strongly believes one of themost important considerations for a businesswishing to discuss the benefits of CloudComputing is to select a trusted partner whocan help to identify a wide range of servicesbest suited to you.“Cloud technology enables organisations tolimit the large expenditures previouslyassociated with costly data centres andapplications and instead transform these costsinto operating expenses, paying for technologyresources only as needed. Good cloudproviders offer infrastructure that automaticallyexpands and contracts to meet peakperformance periods so that you don’t need toworry about running out of capacity.”The Cloud allows small companies toadopt high-end technologyIn removing the need to purchase costlyhardware and software many organisationshave found that the Cloud means they are nolonger hindered by the ability to adopt thelatest technology. Application providers striveto give the same or better service andperformance as if the software programs wereinstalled on the end users personal computer.Noel has noticed that when companiesdelegate their commodity infrastructure in thisway, it allows them to focus on their corecompetencies and further develop their owncapabilities. However he is aware that there areseveral major factors which can impede thesuccessful adoptions of Cloud Computing andhas recognised that many smaller providers aredetermined to jump on the cloud“bandwagon” without fully evaluating thecommitment required.“Commercial Cloud providers offer broadaccess to end users and accordingly accesspermissions areless controllable. Securitymeasures must be duplicated within the cloudsuch as firewalls and intrusion detection andthere can be issues related to privacy includingjurisdiction of information, access and controls,the availability of audit trails, and complianceHow practical is the Cloudfor SME’s?Noel Lynch, business development manager at Equiniti ICS, talks to Business Firstwith industry and legal standards andregulations.”While it is difficult to determine how well aprovider is mitigating data location, loss, orsecurity oriented risks, requirements for dataprotection should be strictly governed throughthe use of contractual service level agreements.Core business applications are often highlycustomized and as a result a re-engineeringeffort, through a partner is often required tomodernise and rationalise an applicationsportfolio before it is deemed "cloud-worthy."There’s more than one type of CloudWithin the technology there are severalinfrastructure options and for most businessesthere are three relevant types of Cloud.A Private Cloud can be internal or vendorhosted, and is best suited to a singleorganisation.A Public Cloud is an external system whichallows a service provider to make resources,such as storage, available to the general publiceither on a free or pay-per-use basis.Finally a Hybrid Cloud is the composition oftwo or more clouds, such as private and public,which remain separate but can allow programsand data to move easily between them.With so many different options to considerwithin Cloud Computing Noel feels that findinga trusted source of help is often needed to findout what will best suit your business.“Each cloud infrastructure has uniquecharacteristics and offers different advantagesand disadvantages.When considering the move to the cloud, itis necessary to select a partner that can assistwith a cloud adoption strategy as well as offerproven cloud application and infrastructureservices, a cloud methodology or framework,an integrated set of tools and accredited ISO27001, the standard for information securitymanagement.”Equiniti ICS is involved in an Invest NIinitiative which has brought together anetwork of local ICT companies to formWHISPLE. Together they will offer a “one stop”shop for Cloud Computing which aims to givecontrol back to the ICT buyer.Each of the well-established and reliablecompanies involved are committed to thegrowth and success of other local businesses inthe cloud-enabled world, and they have theinfrastructure and support in place to helpsoftware companies compete in theinternational market.This ICT revolution is soon to pick up paceand, for business hoping to grow and stay atthe top of their game, it will becomeparticularly important that they accept thisinnovation and begin to research optionswhich will be most appropriate for them.InfoTechwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk46

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Your healthRandox Health Checks: your partner for ahealthy businessLatest statistics show that in 2011 theaverage employee took 6.5 days off workthrough illness. But, if this statistic continuesto rise, what costs will this have on yourcompany?Randox Health Checks appreciates that you,the employer, needs to maximise productivity toincrease your profits, especially in the currenteconomic climate. One of the easiest ways toincrease productivity is to ensure that eachmember of your staff is in a healthy condition, inorder to work to the best of their ability.We also understand that timeis of the essence. So, we want tobring our world class servicestraight to your business. Bydoing so, we can provide anonsite, all-inclusive HealthChecks package, tailored to theneeds and budgetaryrequirements of your business.Randox Laboratories itself isworld renowned for itsinnovative technology anddiagnostic equipment. Astoday’s society is overwhelmedwith increased levels ofsedentary lifestyles and disease,Randox understands that theworld of diagnostics has tomove faster than the steepincline of chronic conditionssuch as diabetes andcardiovascular disease. And asthis concern is at the forefront ofthe company’s mentality it wasonly a matter of time beforeRandox made its servicesaccessible to the general public,and in particular to businesses.This enables employers to takeresponsibility for their ownhealth, their employees’ healthand in turn the health of thebusiness.With hundreds of testsavailable, we offer a service socomprehensive that it simplycannot be ignored. Randox’sdiagnostic screening service notonly reviews current health, butalso detects early markers for arange of diseases andconditions. This empowerspatients, enabling them to avoidthe development of long-termillness through medicalintervention, along with diet andlifestyle changes.From only a simple blood andurine sample Randox’s scientistsrun extensive tests to look forany potential areas of risk. Thetest list is endless, includingchecks to look for commonillnesses such as diabetes, orchecks analysing theperformance of a particularorgan.Test packages have beendesigned to quickly and easilygive you an accurate picture ofyour overall health even before symptoms havetime to develop. Our Corporate Health Checktests every vital organ and investigates thebody’s overall capability. If there are problems tobe found, a Randox Health Check has the mostadvanced testing equipment available to find it.Not only that, but a personalised report detailingyour results will be delivered, first class, to yourdoorstep, making a Randox Health Check acompletely confidential service.So, make Randox Health Checks your partnerfor a healthy business. Together, we can providea service that will endeavour to look after theneeds of your employees, enabling them towork to the best of their ability for you and yourcompany’s future.For more information please contact us bye-mail healthchecks@randox.com, call us on028 9445 9852 or visitingwww.randoxhealthchecks.com49 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Marketing - PRAs new technologies continue to drivedevelopments in how businesses cancommunicate with their customers andconsumers, choosing the right media isbecoming increasingly complex. A recentreport published by the US-based mediasoftware company, Vocus, provides usefulinsights into how the media has beentransformed dramatically in recent years andhow it may continue to evolve.When faced with a plethora of platforms andchannels, choosing the appropriate mix todeliver your proactive brand and corporatemessages can be a daunting task. Vocus 'Stateof the Media Report is an expert study of keymedia industry trends for 2012.Titled 'Evolving and Merging', the reportreflects on the state of rapid transformation inthe media industry as forward-thinking mediaoutlets experiment with new, digital models ofdelivering content. Below are some of the toplineobservations contained in the report:So what do these trends mean forcommunication strategies goingforward?There are interesting implications andopportunities arising from these developmentsespecially for businesses who can providecontent that is concise, compelling and tailoredin the right way to these outlets. Print andbroadcast will continue to exist, adapt andsurvive but are now integrating elements ofnew and social media. Ensuring that contenttakes advantage of this media cross-over canoptimise exposure.This means thinking about all the possibilitiesof presenting your brand or corporatemessages, not just in text, but in video andpictures as well because there is no longer aclear delineation between print and broadcast,off or online. Whilst competition for editorialspace is always going to be a challenge,providing additional material may not make itinto the print format but could appear in theonline version.A similar opportunity exists with radio to takeadvantage of radio's transformation and themultiple platforms it now exists on.The rise in digital media is fuelling a 24-hour news cycle.The upside of this is a need for newsworthyand timely content. So if your organisation hasthe capability to respond swiftly to this need, itcan benefit from the enhanced media profile. Inaddition, increasing pressures in newsroom andeditorial resources within media organisations ispresenting opportunities for businesses togenerate content of interest to journalists, if thiscan be done quickly and reliably.The Vocus Report predicts that being part ofthe 'community' and the 'conversation' is thekey to success in Social Media. But such realtimecommunication requires a carefulresponse in order to engage with current trendsand conversation topics within communitiesand also to manage the risks that social mediapresents.The speed at which news can spread acrossthese networks and the risks as well as theopportunities they can pose to brand orcorporate equity need to be well managed.What goes online can stay online forever tobecome part of a brand or company's legacy.Understanding not only the legalities but theKeeping it real in a virtualworldMichele Filippi of the Belfast-based PR consultancy, MF Communication, examines thekey conclusions of the State of the Media Report 2012 and what it means forbusinesses who avail of PR to reach their target audiences.accepted codes of practices and policies incommunicating via Social Media is becomingincreasingly important.Consequently, the PR specialism of reputationmanagement is increasingly sought-after byclients. One recent high profile outcome of thiswas when an online reputation managementspecialist and two hoteliers filed a successfulcomplaint with the ASA against Tripadvisor forwhat they considered to be the trustworthinessclaim of its user-generated reviews. This isconsidered to be a benchmark ruling regardingwebsite claims of reliability of user-createdcontent.Undoubtedly, digitally-enabled media arechanging the way businesses cancommunicate.But as with other aspects of business,relationships are still paramount and thefundamentals of good relationshipmanagement and good communication havenot changed. With many channels to choosefrom it may seem necessary to be active acrossthem all. But selecting fewer outlets that fit withyour business and have credibility with yourmarket may prove to be a more proactivereputation-building strategy in the long-run.Visit www.mfcommunication.net for furtherinformation.The report in brief• Newspapers are predicted to continue tointegrate social media into their news cycleboth to interact with their readers and todistribute news.• Magazines are increasingly beingdigitised for tablet PC viewing but tabletshaven't made print versions irrelevant.• TV is using the internet to serve the rolenewspapers once served. As well as postingcontent already aired, TV now offersadditional online content to visit for moreinformation and to engage with viewersbetween broadcasts. Although new media isdefinitely on the rise, it is worth consideringthat the TV industry is still luring peopleaway from their computers.• Radio is transforming to a hybrid channelwhere it's not just sound, it's video, it's digitaland its comments. So the traditional spacewe now call 'radio' will now become avehicle to promote what is happeningonline - as more and more programmeshave a website, stream audio, send emailand text alerts, are on social networking siteand have mobile apps.• Blogs and the people who write them arenow undisputedly a fundamental element ofcontemporary media.• Social Media means that today's newsdoesn't need a journalist to break it. Everyman, woman (or business) can.Source: State of the Media Report 2012 'Evolving andEmerging' Vocus®www.businessfirstonline.co.uk50

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MarketingWord of mouth marketingby Richard Houdmont, director for Ireland, The Chartered Institute of MarketingWhether buying flowers by post or adehumidifier, we refer to productreviews and take note as if they werewritten by experts.But how influential are these opinions asthey are passed on from one to another, andwhat can we, as marketers, do to maintain theirinfluence? Similarly what can we do aboutdamaging opinion, or rumours? The Marketerquotes the example of shaving productscompany ‘The Bluebeards Revenge’ who, inpreparation for a complete rebrand, withdrewits products from the US market. Rumours thenspread through social media sites that thebrand had been withdrawn because one of itsingredients had been banned.A recent article published in the Journal ofMarketing Research provides some insightsinto how rumours are spread. In ‘From rumorsto facts, and facts to rumors’ the authorsdistinguish between the beliefs held by aconsumer and the certainty with which theyhold the belief. So your opinion may be “I likethis hotel” but you could express certainty by“I’m sure I like this hotel”.Consumers naturally feel more certain oftheir beliefs if they have had direct experienceof the product or if their source of informationhas high credibility. The research shows thatwhen passed from one consumer to anotherthe certainty with which a belief is helddecreases faster than the belief itself. But just as‘certainty’ wanes across a chain of senders, sodoes ‘lack of certainty’. Therefore ‘uncertain’rumours can become perceived as ‘facts’.The evidence from this research suggeststhat people don’t take as much notice ofcertainty. So for marketers if we want toimprove the power of word of mouth thendrawing attention to the certainty of amessage could improve its value. One mightdo this by asking reviewers to complete asimple numeric score of ‘how certain’ they areabout their opinion, which would be displayed.This also has implications for rumourmanagement. It is well known that simplydenying a rumour can be counter-productive.But what else can you do? The researcherstested three strategies for dealing with arumour (worm meat was contained inhamburgers). The first strategy was a simpledenial, the second was a ‘re-associationstrategy’ in which the negative (worm meat) isre-associated with a positive (worm meat isused in French cuisine). The third tactic is toquestion the certainty with which the belief isheld.Re-association can be difficult, firstly becauseit might be difficult to find a positive attributeto associate with the negative and then there’sa large communication problem in getting thatmessage out. If the rumours are based on abelief which is uncertain, then the suggestedstrategy is to draw recipients’ attention to thatuncertainty. If the uncertainty is highlighted,they may be less likely to pass on the rumour,or if they do, they may be more likely to drawattention to their own uncertainty.As the researchers say “asking consumers toquestion or reconsider whether they can becertain of a belief they have heard may leadthem to focus on and reconsider how certainthe sender of the information was. Doing thisshould reduce recipients’ certainty in cases inwhich the sender was initially uncertain”.In their tests the researchers found that ifcertainty was questioned, consumers would bemore likely to eat the hamburgers than if therewas a simple denial of the worm meat rumour.They were also significantly less likely totransmit the rumour.The full text of the Journal of MarketingResearch is available free to members of TheChartered Institute of Marketing through theironline library.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk54

Marketing - sales clinicAre your sales and marketing pulling together?by Colly Graham, salesxcellenceIn 1966 The Institute of Marketing and SalesManagement became The CharteredInstitute of Marketing, why the change? Tounderstand the dynamics behind the changeof name, here is a little history lesson.A hundred years ago the term marketingwas unfamiliar. Sales was the only game intown and it incorporated everything we nowcall marketing. The Chartered Institute ofMarketing was originally called TheIncorporated Sales Managers’ Association.Marketing as a discipline has its roots in sales.Over time, with the new science of marketing,sales and marketing became estranged.Philip Kotler, Neil Rackham andSujKrishnaswamy said in a Harvard whitepaperentitled ‘Ending the War Between Marketingand Sales,’ “Salespeople accuse marketers ofbeing out of touch with what customers reallywant or setting prices too high. Marketersinsist that salespeople focus too myopically onindividual customers and short-term sales atthe expense of longer-term profits. Result?Poor coordination between the two teams –which only raises market-entry costs,lengthens sales cycles, and increases cost ofsales”.In changing times it is forecasted thatin ten years from now there will be nosuch thing as separate marketing andsales departments.There will be one team comprising twointerdependent disciplines. However, whenwe look at our local business schools, do wesee a mention of ‘Sales’ on the curriculum?When you bring sales and marketingtogether your company will experience rapidimprovement in sales productivity. Thequantity and quality of leads improve, salescycles grow shorter and conversion ratesincrease. Your business will grow faster andgenerate more profit.The abundance of web content, whitepapers, brochures and other marketingcollateral effectively document productfeatures. However, it fails to provide salesprofessionals with the words and conceptsneeded to:• Identify customer goals or problems.• Link your product or service to thecapability to solve their problems andachieve their goals• Help customers envision how they woulduse those capabilities to achieve their goalsand solve their problems.From the perspective of the sales force, onemajor problem is that most marketingmaterials stress functions, features, andbenefits, things that say what the product willdo for the prospective customer. Typicalmaterials include claims that a product orservice will reduce expenses, save time orimprove productivity.By leading with features, functions andbenefits on a sales call, the sales professionalleaves it to the customer to envision how touse the product or service. That's a leap thatmany customers cannot or will not make ontheir own.While prospective customers certainly needto understand features and benefits, thefundamental questions leading to closing asale relate to how the product or service willhelp prospects:-• Achieve a goal.• Solve a problem.• Satisfy a need.How can marketing create sales-readymessaging which the sales team canuse to help prospective customersbuild a vision and shorten sales cyclesand close more sales?These are the steps you can take to achievethis:• Study the potential buyer's roles and goals.Identify the decision maker in the targetcompany who have the power to buy, fundand implement the seller's offering.• Determine each of these executives'business goals and objectives within theorganisation. What are their missions? Whatare the obstacles to achieving those goals?• Consider how your company's products orservices can help each customer achieve thegoal, solve the problem or satisfy the need.• Develop a set of targeted questions thatwill lead the prospect through the process ofidentifying one or more goals, problems orneeds.• Develop various scenarios that will helpsales people guide the prospects to anunderstanding of how they or others withinthe company can use your product or serviceto satisfy that problem or need.• Carry the message throughout themarketing mix, from the company Web sitethrough brochures, sales sheets, and mediarelations.By following this process, marketing cangive sales professionals the tools they need toinfluence and steer sales calls to theiradvantage.Our experience shows that companies whoarm their sales people with sales-readymessaging have been able to shorten salescycles, accelerate revenues andimprove the profitability of eachsale.Colly will be speaking at theNorthern Ireland Small BusinessMarketing Conference in May.Scan the code to visitwww.marketingconference2012.comColly is also holding an NLPMasterclass on March 16. Scanthe code for information or toregisterwww.wordworksevents.comwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk56

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CommentaryAsk any business owner who theyconsider a high value customer to beand you’re likely to get a number ofdifferent answers. For one business, a highvalue customer may be one that spends asignificant amount of money with them on aone off basis.For another, a high value customer is onewho refers business to them by way ofrecommendation as a result of exceptionalcustomer service and a partnership approachto doing business.Research has shown that those businesseswho adopt the latter approach and refine andfocus their energies into the type of customerthey want will have a better chance ofsurviving and thriving.The customer is always right is nowconsidered by many to be very last decade.The emerging approach is that the customermay not always be right – at least for ourbusiness!Business-management consultant JosephM. Juran coined term ‘Pareto Principle’ afterItalian economist Vilfredo Pareto, whoobserved in 1906 that 80 per cent of the landin Italy was owned by 20 per cent of thepopulation; he developed the principle byobserving that this principle extends to manyother aspects of life and business. Forexample, he noted amongst other things, that20 per cent of the pea pods in his gardencontained 80 per cent of the peas! RobertKoch picked up on this principle and related itto business and customers in his book LivingLife the 80/20 Way outlined how:• 80 per cent of your profits come from 20per cent of your customers• 80 per cent of your complaints comefrom 20 per cent of your customers• 80 per cent of your profits come from 20per cent of the time you spend• 80 per cent of your sales come from 20per cent of your products• 80 per cent of your sales are made by 20per cent of your sales staffA pure sales approach to targetingcustomers has been found to be selfdefeating,whereas seeing a customer as apartner in developing and growing yourbusiness over the long-term will paydividends in the future. Are you taking an80/20 approach within your business?There may be merit in adopting a morefocused approach to developing relationshipswith your top 20 customers; identifying thecustomers that are more likely to complain(and the reasons why they complain); whereyou spend your time and with whom; theproducts you develop and refine; and the staffthat generate the most business. This maymean sitting down and analysing theseelements of your business but once that’sdone you will begin to see resultsimmediately.We are all susceptible to falling into a verycommon business trap; focusing on trying towin new business and not on over-deliveringon value to existing customers. It can bechallenging to find ways to concentrate andfocus on those customers, services/productsand processes that result in business growthand development in order to maximise thereturn on your time investment.A scatter gun approach is quite oftenevident in today’s business environment,20%Applying the Pareto Principalto customer relationshipsIn the third instalment from The Academy (www.the-academy.co) – NorthernIreland’s ultimate online resource for business and management – Martin Rice,managing director of Next Level Impact (www.nextlevelimpact.com), discusses howbusinesses that understand the Pareto Principal are more likely to survive and grow.where the business and team focuses onmaximizing sales to new and potentialcustomers rather than adding value toexisting clients.Successful businesses in today’senvironment have instead have refined andfocused their approach targeting existing andpotential customers with precision‐focus todevelop the ‘right fit’ for partnership‐basedworking. This allows them to delivermaximum value to their clients andconsequently enhance sales loyalty andoverall client‐lifetime value to theirorganisation. Developing these meaningful,lasting relationships maximises the businessesposition within the market-place, builds thebrand and image and the market share.So how might you apply these concepts foryour business in a B2B (business to businesscontext)? Here are five questions to askyourself in order to refine and develop yourcustomer relationship management (CRM)focus:1. Who are your top 20 customers and howmight you over-deliver on the value to themthrough your services or products?2. How many referrals do your customersgenerate and what can you do to ensure yourexisting customers actively refer new businessto you?3. What are the causes of 80 per cent of theissues and complaints raised by yourcustomers and how can you eliminate these?4. Are you selling products or services or areyou educating and informing people andbusinesses about what you and your team can80%deliver to overcome their issues and problemsand add value to enhance their bottom line?5. If you were to develop a new service ofproduct that would differentiate you fromyour competitors, what would it be and whyaren’t you offering it to your existing andpotential customers?Scan the box to listen to a free podcastwhere Martin Rice and Rob Conlon (Next LevelImpact’s Business Growth and Sales Guru)discuss the current challenging economicclimate and practicalapproaches to take yourbusiness to the next level andmaximize your CRM strategy:http://bit.ly/bizgrowthtipswww.businessfirstonline.co.uk60

It’s not too late for aNew Year Resolution: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.61www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Driving innovationFor some time Northern Ireland has beenlooking to the SME sector as key to therebuild of our struggling economy. Despitethe current economic woes it is facing, thebusiness world appears to be on fast forward.While major communication advances haveopened our doors to a much wider market, it ofcourse also means that competition isbecoming ever more fierce.Price wars will always remain, but it isinnovation that is real key to success, thelifeblood of sustainable competitive advantage.To be innovative, businesses must make aconscious effort to make use of their mostvaluable assets – their workforce. Nurturedeffectively, this natural hub of human creativity,imagination, and original thinking can beutilised to set any business apart from thecompetition. Innovation is not only for the bigplayers in the market - to stay competitive,every business needs to take a consideredapproach to fostering creativity at all levels,and use creative thinking to attack problemsbig and small.Below are some pointers for ownermanagers who want to develop a culture ofinnovation within their businesses to consider:1. Drive PassionPassion is the first—and most essential—ingredient for building a creative culture. Apassion for change, a passion to contribute, apassion to discover something new. Passionalone isn't sufficient: businesses must alsofocus that passion into a sense of purpose foreach and every person they employ.2. Let goOwner managers work hard to establish andgrow their business, with much time andmoney invested in its every aspect andtypically making a great many sacrifices alongthe way. Understandably, most then find it ofgreat difficulty to give their employees moreautonomy, but without it, staff quickly numb tothe creative process.Granting autonomy also involves extendingtrust. Employees may make decisions thebusiness owner would have made differentlybut if provided with a clear message of whatresults the business owner is looking for and asense that the business owner values theirjudgment and creativity – the more likely thatbusiness owner is to reap the rewards of ahighly motivated and confident team.3. Reward creativityWhilst many businesses will say they are proinnovation, in reality risk-taking and creativityare more often punished instead of rewarded ifwhat has been done differently isn’timmediately successful. As a result, the fear ofmaking unsuccessful suggestions meansemployees simply follow the rules and keeptheir heads down – now more than ever in thecurrent troubled jobs market – with the resultthat nurturing creativity and innovation is oftenall but lost.Most importantly, where appropriate,employees should be rewarded for creativity.This can be in any number of ways – bymonetary means of course, but also throughpraise, career opportunities or perks.4. Accept that great success onlyfollows great riskIt can be a troublesome thought for some –www.businessfirstonline.co.ukDriving innovationNick McCafferty, sales manager of Bibby Financial Services in Northern Ireland offers sometips to drive innovation in Northern Ireland’s SMEs.but the reality is that successful innovationtypically only comes after – or is even broughtabout by – setbacks and ‘failures’.Businesses simply must take risks andincrease their experimentation. Some will payoff; some won’t, and the key is to fail quickly.The speed of business has increaseddramatically and SMEs have to keep up if theyare to survive and thrive.6. Use your sizeSmaller businesses often view thatinnovation is only for the larger corporates withspecialist R&D departments and budgets.However, when managed effectively, smallercompanies have the capacity to be moreadaptable and nimble, work with keenerurgency and are less afraid to embrace change.In contrast, larger businesses often work harderat protecting established ideas instead ofimplementing new ones.7. Spend time with your employeesIt can be difficult to squeeze into the timepoor working day, but owner managers shouldmake efforts to spend time with theiremployee base. Inclusive team meetingsencouraging those at the coalface to have theirsay is a good start, but taking the time to spenda couple of hours in the week with employeesin different roles can be a hugely beneficialexercise – innovation doesn’t only come in theproducts or services a business offers, but alsoin its day to day practices.8. Don’t fall at the last hurdleDifficulty in funding often puts the entireinnovation effort in jeopardy. Don’t letcashflow problems result in the time, energyand money you have invested in coming upwith new ideas be in vain. As referencedabove, innovation may also come in the formof day to day practices, and this includesfunding sources. It is no secret that SMEs arestruggling to secure funding from thetraditional banking routes, but meanwhile the62SME sector’s use of invoice finance is growing.With invoice finance from Bibby FinancialServices (BFS), an innovative funding facilityitself, the business will receive up to 85% of thevalue of their invoices once the facility is set up,providing an initial cash boost to fund suchinnovative activity. BFS will also provide up to85 per cent of invoices raised thereafter on anongoing basis, helping to fulfill new orderscoming from the businesses launch of aninnovative product for example.Innovation takes time and an open mind,and anyone who wants to can take hold of it.That said, an innovative mindset and workforceisn’t a ‘want to have’ or a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a‘need to have’, a ‘have to have’ if a business isto survive and grow both in the face ofadversity and in less challenging times. Thewell-known proverb ‘the only constant ischange’ is ever present and those who standstill will be left behind.To find out more about invoice finance withBibby Financial Services contact NickMcCafferty on 028 90 91 8366 or visitwww.bibbyfinancialservices.com

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.com

Managing riskRISKY BUSINESSwhy the most successful managers know thevalue of their business risksby Conor Wilson, vice president Lockton Risk ManagementWhile it is a common understanding thatall business managers plan for the‘good times’, the truly astute ones alsoplan for the bumps in the road ahead.If you are a managing director or owner, youshould inherently know the three greatestthreats to your business today. If you don'tknow, read on. And take action.History has shown us that ignoring yourpotential business risks - everything from the‘one in a million’ scenario (hands up if you wereaffected by the ash cloud), to the downrightbizarre (remember Hoover and their “free”flights ?) can mean loss of profits, damagingand costly legal action, and even loss of life.In 1992 when Hoover offered freeflights to America with every vacuumcleaner bought it was originallyintended to shift a backlog of productsin Hoover's warehouse. However itwas an unmitigated disaster whichended up costing the company £48mand dragged their name (ratherironically) through the dirt.Risk Management is often seen as a ‘dark art’or the science of smoke and mirrors. Wikipediastates that Risk is the potential that a chosenaction or activity (including the choice ofinaction) will lead to a loss (an undesirableoutcome).My extensive experience has shown me thatrisk is the ‘sugar and salt of life’ – an astutebalance of your business risks. To have 360degree sight of our business environment, weneed to manage risk sufficiently. We do this by:• Creating a corporate level risk map -ensuring that the key risks to your businessgoals are identified, understood and theirimpact is evaluated• Directing finite resources to control thoserisks that potentially have the highestimpactThe GoodRichard Branson once stated “If you don’ttake risks you won’t achieve anything.” Takingcalculated risks in order to win business anddevelop new products is often as important asavoiding losses.The benefits of risk management include:• securing the earning capacity and theassets of the organisation• reducing the total cost of risk, includinginsurance premiums• avoiding prosecution and legal action• reassuring stakeholdersThe Bad and the UglyThere are many emerging threats in today’sglobal working environment; from civil unrestacross the Middle East and the Eurozonefinancial crisis, to the increasing use of thesocial media by employees to voice theiropinions.However closer to home a study of UK publicand private organisations undertaken in 2010by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)highlighted the most significant disruptionssuffered within the previous year were:• Extreme Weather (58 per cent) up from 25per cent in 2009• Loss of IT (35 per cent)• Loss of people (28 per cent)• Damage to corporate image / brand (22 percent)• Swine flu (56 per cent affected, althoughonly three per cent significantly)• Fire (four per cent)So, getting back to my original questionregarding the key threats to your business,what should you do next if you are aware ofyour corporate risks?Risk control is a comprehensive area ofspecialism but briefly comprises four mainareas:• Terminate – eliminate (which is easier saidthan done)• Tolerate – only if insignificant however beaware of the ‘death of a thousand cuts’!• Treat - through a combination of physicalmeasures and organisational changes.• Transfer - to either an Insurer (financial risks)or a specialist (contractual risks).In conclusion, rather than adopt the outlookof the ostrich, the successful business ownerembraces risks, in order to manage the futuresuccess of their business .We believe at Lockton we offer somethingdifferent – blending risk managementcapability with an expertise in finding ourclients the right insurance solution. At Lockton,we work hand-in-hand with local business –from family businesses to multinationals - tomanage their risk portfolio: protecting theirbusiness from their key risks by offeringbespoke insurance solutions and proactivelymanaging those risks that can’t be eliminatedor transferred.Conor Wilson is the Belfast-based RiskManagement executive of Lockton, and offersbusinesses a bespoke package of solutions tounderstand, evaluate, and manage theircorporate risks.Services include• Business Continuity Planning,• Health & Safety Auditing and Training• Fire Prevention and• Strategic Risk Management.For your free initial Risk Management review,please contact Conor at:conor.wilson@uk.lockton.comor call 07824 450996.risk is the ‘sugar and salt of life’www.businessfirstonline.co.uk64

PlanningThe senior members of the Turley associates Belfast team ~ Brian Kelly, Michael Gordon, Diana Fitzsimons, Angela Dunbar and Conor HughesCompliance and enforcement in theplanning systemby Conor Hughes BSc. (Hons) Dip TP MIPI Associate Director at Turley Associates, Planning and Urban Design ConsultancyIn times of falling planning applicationnumbers and with increased publicawareness, enforcement has become a moreprominent feature of the planning process.Exposure to the enforcement process canoccur on a number of different levels from asimple neighbour dispute relating to theerection of a boundary fence, to the morecomplex case of the construction of a buildingor a material change in the use of land withoutthe benefit of planning permission.More typically businesses find themselvesexposed to the planning enforcement processwhen they have not sought consent toadvertise for new signage, have carried outunauthorised works to a shop front ormaterially changed the use of a buildingwithout seeking planning permission.The current minister for the Environmenthas placed planning enforcement,environmental protection and protection ofour built and natural heritage high on hisagenda for change.As a result of this the Department of theEnvironment has been concentrating a largerresource in clearing a significant backlog ofcomplaints and expediting high profile caseswhere it has been determined that a breach ofplanning control has taken place.In a streamlining of the process in December2011 the maximum time limit for theDepartment to take enforcement action wasreduced from ten years to five years forchanges of use. A significant number ofenforcement notices were issued to prevent anumber of live cases relating to changes of usebecoming time expired and immune fromenforcement action.As a direct result the Planning AppealsCommission received twenty-eight newenforcement appeals in December which waseight more than the total number of appealsreceived between July and November 2011.Compliance is the watchwordCompliance is the new watch word as theDepartment has a resource in place to dealmore expeditiously with complaints from thegeneral public and other interested parties.Should you have reason to engage with theplanning process, for example when movingor extending your existing premises or movinginto a new premises, then it is recommendedthat you seek the appropriate professionaladvice and that you adhere to all theregulatory requirements including dischargingany planning conditions attached to thepermission.Should a letter drop through your doorwarning you that the Department of theEnvironment are investigating a potentialbreach of planning control do not ignore thecorrespondence. Contact your local planningoffice and ask them to explain the process.If you are worried that the Departmentmight proceed with enforcement action thereare a number of remedies to deal with thisbefore legal action is commenced. Theseinclude the submission of retrospectiveplanning applications, applications forCertificates of Lawful Use or Development andappeals against enforcement notices.Turley Associates can provide essentialsupport to clients involved in planning,property and related disputes and litigation byproviding written or oral planning evidenceand expert opinion which can help achieve asuccessful outcome and minimise costs.Conor Hughes BSc. (Hons) Dip TP MIPI is anAssociate Director at Turley Associates,Planning and Urban Design Consultancy. Hecan be reached by emailchughes@turleyassociates.co.uk. Visitwww.turleyassociates.co.uk for furtherinformation.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk66

SecurityPROTECT YOUR BUSINESSfrom the costs of crimeWith any number of security threatsaffecting companies both large andsmall, how can you reduce the risksyour business faces from crime?With continued economic pressure onbusinesses across Northern Ireland, it is moreimportant than ever to squeeze the maximumreturn from your security budget and protectyour profits. According to one recent survey,business crime affects up to 25 per cent ofcompanies in Northern Ireland. Although weare all acutely aware that crime prevention isimportant, most people don’t take the stepsthey need to protect their business until afteran incident has occurred.In cold cash terms, every pound spent onsecurity will help protect your business andyour bottom line. Whether it’s installing asecurity system, or just being able to identifypotential risks to your premises and staff,measures taken will not just help create a saferenvironment to live and work in but will alsohelp protect the future of your business.Businesses are targets of many types ofcrime but the most obvious threats come fromburglary or criminal damage. There are plentyof ways that you can mitigate your risks ofbecoming a victim of such crimes.Check your security measures are in placeand working well. Work with a securitysupplier who can offer a tailored solution toyour specific security needs. Your location,premises, and profile makes you unique - takea holistic view to devise a solutionencompassing security doors, windows,bollards, gates, shutters, security lighting andsystems as well as manned guarding andsecurity patrols.If you have an intruder alarm systeminstalled, have this regularly checked andmaintained to ensure it is fit for purpose.Motion detectors will pick up movementinside the building or detect breaking ofwindows or opening of doors. Silent alarmscan be used to notify police when triggered sothey can respond as appropriate.CCTV systems are commonly used bybusiness to reduce or prevent crime. Installingor upgrading a CCTV system may not be ascostly as you think. Due to advances intechnology CCTV systems have become moreaffordable with flexible solutions available tosuit all business needs. If you have CCTVinstalled, make sure it is maintained in goodworking order and recording 24/7.With the majority of burglaries or criminaldamage happening at night or weekends, useout of hours security patrol services to check onyour premises when you are not there. Having avisible security presence on your premises willact as a deterrent to criminals and any unusualactivity can be reported to police.Final adviceThe cost of crimes against businesses can behigh and often go unreported. The costsincurred by business as a consequence ofcrime include loss of output and dealing withphysical or emotional injury for victimshowever the majority of costs come fromreplacing stolen or damaged property. Itmakes sense to take appropriate action toprotect your business.The security measures you take will dependon your type of business and location so inorder to ensure that you have considered all ofyour security risks it is worth contacting asecurity company to undertake a securitysurvey. This will help you to identify risks andprioritize actions and measures you can take toprotect your business.G4S Northern Ireland can offer a free, noobligationsurvey of your premises and helpyou to design a security solution to mitigaterisks and protect your business. For moreinformation contact G4S on 0844 811 0118,email salesni@uk.g4s.com or scan the code tovisit www.g4s.com/northernirelandwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk 68

AUTOMATIC ENROLMENTyour rights & responsibilitiesa business first feature in association with69 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Pensions 2012What does 2012 hold in store for companysponsored pension arrangements?asks Mark McClintock, partner in Deloitte’s pensions practice in BelfastDeloitte established a pension practice inBelfast in August 2010 in what turnedout to be one of the most challengingeconomic times in recent memory. ThePractice has gone from strength to strengthand now employs 18 actuaries andadministrators and has been appointed byalmost 30 local pension schemes. MarkMcClintock, the partner who leads thebusiness, comments on the outlook forpension provision in Northern Ireland.“2012 started with the FT front pageheralding the end for final salary pensions.Shell, the only FTSE 100 Company still open tonew entrants to its final salary pension schemefinally pulled up the drawbridge and closed tonew entrants. Final salary pension schemes arein run-off, many closed to future accrual andthe majority closed to new entrants. Even thepublic sector, which, hitherto, has been able toresist change, is moving towards careeraverage pensions. If we cast our minds backthis was typically the first move in the privatesector when the costs and risks of a final salarypension scheme became too significant aburden for the sponsoring employer.So it seems the death of the final salarypension scheme, which has been muchheralded, is finally upon us.But as many local employers will testify, theclosure of a scheme to future accrual or newentrants is not the end of the story. Schemeswhich closed over a decade ago are stillstruggling with ever increasing deficits as aresult, predominantly, from historically low giltyields and ever increasing mortality (yes evenin Northern Ireland!). It’s death by a thousandcuts.So what will we see in the forthcomingyear?It appears that historically low gilt yields areupon us for some time. The sheer size ofnational debt means that the Government canill afford increases in borrowing costs, whilsttax receipts remain much lower than predictedas the anaemic recovery continues and doubledip remains a concern. So against thisbackground, many schemes will be goingthrough or about to go through the pain oftheir triennial actuarial valuation.So what will employers do to mitigatethe rising cash cost of funding legacybenefits at a time when the furthercosts of auto-enrolment will be startingto bite?With corporate debt offering a significantpremium over gilts a robust discussion willhave to be had around the distortions in thegilt market and the need to adjust long termrates to reflect the impact of quantitativeeasing on the gilt market.Even if employers are successful in theirdiscussions with trustees and some creativitycan be applied to discount rates, particularlywhere the employer covenant is strong - cashdemands are still likely to have increased fromthe previous valuation. What I can seehappening in 2012, with regards deficitfunding, is an increase in the use of contingentfunding vehicles. These vehicles allowcompanies to utilise balance sheet assets tofund part, or the whole of the deficit, overpotentially a longer period of time than atraditional cash funding approach. In return,the trustees get an asset with instant value, asopposed to the drip feed of cash, and securityin the event of default of the sponsor. Wheretraditional cash funding is utilised we see therebeing greater pressure from companies toextend recovery periods. For the more creativeemployer, such asset backed funding couldinclude a brand, a book of business or even aniconic landmark.So there are plenty of obstacles for thelegacy final salary schemes to navigatebut what of the individual pensionsaver?The demise of corporate pension schemesmeans much greater reliance on the state. Theintroduction of auto-enrolment is an attemptto arrest the trend and push pension provisionback to the private sector.Auto enrolment commences against abackdrop of a fragile economy and individualsstruggling with household debt. Companieslooking to preserve cash will face the dilemmaof maintaining existing pension provision orlevelling down to minimum levels. With legacycosts in respect of final salary schemesincreasing it will be a hard choice forcompanies to make, as those staff whohistorically participated in defined benefit (DB)schemes, have moved to defined contributionwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk70

(DC) and could potentially see a furtherworsening of their benefits as DC schemebenefits are levelled down to the autoenrolmentminimum.The big unknown of auto-enrolment is howmany employees, struggling to meet householdexpense will seek to opt out? With the potentialto opt out will this simply result in compulsion ata later date to ensure the state is not overburdenedwith pension provision?Many local businesses are only now realisingthe significant practicalities of dealing with autoenrolmentand for many the prospect isdaunting.Employer’s Duties – Time to ActBackgroundWith the Pensions Act 2011 now on thestatute books, employers are one stage closer tothe onset of new legal requirements which willchange how pensions are provided to theiremployees.These new Employers’ Duties (the “Duties”)will require all employers to automatically enroleligible employees into a Qualifying PensionScheme and provide minimum levels ofcontributions or benefits. The Duties will start toapply to the largest employers from October2012 and by the end of 2012 all employers withmore than 30,000 employees will have tocomply. The Duties will extend to all otheremployers between 2013 and 2017 (based onthe size of the employer’s largest PAYE scheme).To comply with the Duties, employers will notonly have to review and make changes to theirpension arrangements, but will also need toreview and make changes to internal operations,including HR processes and payroll systems. Thiswill create a number of challenges, but alsoopportunities.These are summarised below:ISSUE NATURE OF CHALLENGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERSPension scheme designIdentifying and implementing all the changesrequired to meet the Qualifying Scheme testdefined in relation to the DutiesReview whether your current employee pensionarrangements meet your needs, including:• Rationalising legacy arrangements• Managing the additional costs created bythe Duties• Reviewing administration charges/feesHR and payrollIdentify changes in earnings or ages thattrigger enrolment under the Duties, andidentify and amend processes that are requiredto achieve automatic enrolment• Reviewing how employees value thepension spendReview your remuneration strategy to take intoaccount any changes made to your pensionscheme arrangements to achieve compliancewith the DutiesExplore options for rationalising or integratinglegacy HR and payroll systemsReview the effectiveness and efficiency ofcurrent HR and payroll systems and dataretentionEmployee relationsOrganisational governanceIdentify and plan for the new communicationsthat have to be provided to different categoriesof employees under the DutiesDevelop solutions that can be implemented tointegrate the functions carried out withindifferent departmentsConsider cost mitigation strategies such asSMART pensions and other SMART benefitsReview the overall employee communicationsstrategy and develop a consistency in messagesUse the opportunity to communicate the valueof employer funded pension benefitsRationalise roles and responsibilities andredesign processes and data flows across theorganisationIdentify risk areas and implement and monitoran effective control frameworkOur experienceDeloitte has extensive experience of pensions, organisation and ITtransformation projects. We also provided pensions technical support tothe Department of Work and Pensions in the development of theEmployers’ Duties legislation. This experience combined gives us an indepth understanding of the practical challenges your organisation islikely to face in achieving compliance with the Duties.We combine professionals with different areas of expertise intobespoke teams to support our clients in achieving compliance with theDuties. This can include subject matter experts in pensions, payroll, HRsystems and communications. The level of support provided will betailored to your organisation’s individual circumstances andcommunications and will supplement the knowledge and expertise thatyou have internally.If you would like to know more about how we may help you, please getin touch with one of the contacts below:ContactsMark McClintock 028 9053 1429 mamcclintock@deloitte.co.ukRichard Morrow 028 9053 1091 rmorrow@deloitte.co.ukGlenn Roberts 028 9053 1136 gleroberts@deloitte.co.uk71

Auto EnrolmentDon't let Auto-Enrolment creep up on youby Michael Kirkwood, Director at Aon Hewitt in Belfast.Planning ahead will be crucial for pensionschemes with 2013 auto-enrolmentstaging dates. Our experience so far hasshown that the new legislation is morecomplex than originally thought and asignificant amount of time may need to bededicated to this project to deal with the issuesthat arise.Experience is telling us that a good approachto planning for auto-enrolment is to separatewhat can be a daunting project into threedistinct phases:1. FACT FINDINGThe first challenge is to ensure that the teamresponsible for delivery gets the businessbehind them. Implementation will involve cost,resources and time, and the decision-makers inthe business need to understand this. Factfinding is crucial.Our approach to fact finding is to work with ascheme to create a grid which captures thecurrent state of play. If you look across all theemployers in the group, pension plans,suppliers and software providers you can startto create a picture of everyone who will eitherhave a say or need to be involved in thechanges.When this information is shared in thebusiness, decision-makers can see the real scaleof the issue, which then will go on to form theirview of the business plan andrecommendations.2. SETTING STRATEGYWhen considering strategy two questionsspring to mind:• Who should set strategy?; and• What data will be needed to supportstrategic decision-making?Strategy tends to be set by senior leaders inthe HR and Finance functions with input fromthe business. One size does not need to fit alland many employers nowadays have verydifferent business models for different profitcentres across their overall business.Of course, when it comes to strategy, schemedesign options and costs are paramount. Butdo not forget to evaluate the processes andsystems at an early stage and understand whatelse may be happening in the business.Constraints on delivery need to be factoredinto the overall project to avoid nasty surprises.3. IMPLEMENTATION WORKSTREAMSAs we plan these projects we are finding thatto implement the strategy a large number ofinternal and external stakeholders - as well assuppliers - will need to be in a position todeliver their parts of the puzzle.Coordinating internal functions and externalsuppliers is a logistical challenge.One approach is to use pension professionalswho are also qualified project managers todevelop project plans with the stakeholders,and then monitor and report on progressagainst the plan. In this way risks can beidentified and addressed in a timely manner.The Pensions Regulator has been helpful insupplying detailed guidance on the keyrequirements for auto-enrolment. This helpsemployers understand what will be neededfrom an administrative perspective. However, itis a complicated area and is not to beunderestimated - the Regulations will requiresome heavy duty re-engineering of existingpayroll and HR systems.Our approach to address the problem hasbeen to create process maps which can beused with payroll and HR teams to undertake acompliance 'gap analysis'. This gap analysisprovides the information needed for makingthe decisions which will ensure compliantprocesses are put in place.SUMMARYFor anyone with 2013 staging dates, there isone key message: start planning now – don'tdelay.There is no doubt that auto-enrolment isgoing to take a big investment from employers– and not just in terms of contributions, but intime, resources and administrative expense.The earlier that businesses can put in placeways for fact finding and planning, the quickerthey can understand the requirements andfinalise their strategy. No-one wants unforeseenor avoidable costs and the only way to avoidthem is via robust project planning. Start now.Aon Hewitt is a trading name of Aon RiskServices (NI) Ltd and is a market leadingindependent financial advice firm. Our BelfastIndependent Financial Advice team canprovide practical and bespoke advice to bothcompanies and individuals throughout the UK.We can advise you on:• Pensions• Business Protection• Private Medical Insurance• Inheritance Tax Planning• Life and critical illness cover• Investment Planning• Financial CounsellingThe Financial Services Authority does notregulate tax adviceFor further information please contactleanne.cahill@aonhewitt.com or 02890 258662.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk72

Auto EnrolmentStarting from October 2012 employers willbegin to automatically enrol eligibleworkers into a qualifying pension schemeand contribute to that pension. People whoare automatically enrolled will also contributeto the scheme and get tax relief.Measures such as allowing companies todefer automatic enrolment for up to threemonths, simplifying the scheme certificationprocess, and greater flexibility on choosingthe automatic re-enrolment dates will reducered tape and cut costs.As a result, the Pensions Act 2011 will saveemployers around £170 million each year (in2011/12 earnings) in contribution costs, £12million in administrative costs in the first yearand £6 million a year in ongoingadministrative costs.Pensions minister Steve Webb said: “Wehave addressed the concerns of business, withmeasures in law to slash bureaucracy and cutcosts, saving them around £176 million eachyear. And we are bringing the reforms ingradually to give firms time to adjust.”“Automatic enrolment will get millionssaving, giving many low and middle-incomeworkers access to a pension, with acontribution from their employer, for the firsttime in their lives.”“We cannot stand by as life expectancycontinues to rise dramatically while thosesaving in a pension fall into as rapid a decline.Automatic enrolment is necessary. It is goodfor the country and good for long-termgrowth.”What is automatic enrolment?Automatic enrolment means that, if you areaged between 22 years old and state pensionage and earning over £7,475 (in 2011/12values), your employer will have to enrol youinto their pension scheme. You and youremployer will pay into this pension, and thetaxman will also contribute with tax relief. Youcan choose to opt out, but you will lose theemployer contribution.What do I need to do?Nothing. Your employer will let you knowwhen this is happening to you, and you willbe provided with information and time tomake an informed decision.What if I don’t want to join?You can opt out if you want to but you willlose the employer contribution. TheGovernment wants to encourage people tosave so employers must re-enrol people whohave opted out every three years.Why should I not opt out?A pension is a great way to save – you willnot only get the money that you put in, butyou will also receive a contribution from youremployer and from the taxman.Why is this coming in?We are living longer than ever before andare likely to spend more than 20 years inretirement. The State Pension will provide abasic income but we need to save more if wewant to have a comfortable lifestyle in laterlife. Automatic enrolment makes it easier forpeople to save.Does it work?Automatic enrolment is widely recognisedwww.businessfirstonline.co.ukAutomatic EnrolmentFactsheetfrom the Department of Works and Pensionsas the best way to overcome people’s savingsinertia – rather than taking action to save, anemployee has to take action not to save. Andevidence shows it works. In the United States,for example, automatic enrolment increasedpension participation among new workersfrom around 20-40 per cent to around 90 percent.Who’s eligible?It is compulsory for everyone in work agedbetween 22 years old and state pension ageand earning more than £7,475 (2011/12value). But people who are not in this groupcan opt in if they wish to.How many people will benefit?We expect up to 10 million people will beeligible with five to eight million people newlysaving or saving more in all forms ofworkplace pension scheme; around threemillion people newly saving or saving more inexisting forms of workplace pension scheme;and two to five million people saving inNational Employment Savings TrustWhen is it coming in?Large employers will start from October2012 – but companies can join earlier - fromJuly 2012. Smaller employers will come onboard gradually from 2014. (A Detailedtimetable is available on the PensionsRegulator websitehttp://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/staging-date-timeline.aspx) All existing employersmust have complied with the new duty byFebruary 2016.74What is Nest? Is it the same thing asautomatic enrolment?No. The National Employment Savings Trust(NEST) is just one pension scheme thatemployers can choose to meet their new duty.NEST is a low cost option to help people onlow to moderate incomes and theiremployers, who are not currently served bythe existing market. Employers will be able tochoose the scheme they want to use,provided it meets certain quality criteria.Interesting stats• Joining an employer’s pension means thatyou could gain an extra £600 a year on top ofyour salary – that’s the money paid by youremployer into your pension .• While the average salary in the UK is about£25,900 per year, the current basic StatePension will give you £5,478 per year – somost people will want to save more.•We are all living longer: fifty years ago onechild in ten could expect to live to be 100,today it is one in four.• In the UK there are now more people overState Pension age than children under 16. By2020, half the population of the UK will beaged 50 or over.• Men retiring at 65 in 1981 typically hadabout 14 years in retirement. Today, a manretiring at 65 can look forward to an averageretirement of over 21 years.

Intellectual propertyINTELLECTUAL PROPERTYthe value withinfrom the Department for Business, Innovation and SkillsDid you know, investment in UK businessesprotected by Intellectual Property Rights(IP) is now worth around £65billion peryear?Also, investment by businesses to protecttheir IP using patents, trademarks, designs andcopyright has more than doubled since 19901.This highlights the importance ofunderstanding how a business can and willbenefit from IP.There are four main types of IP – which wemanage at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO– part of the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills)PatentsProtect new inventions and covers howthings work, what they do, how they do it, whatthey are made of and how they are made. Itgives the owner the right to prevent othersfrom making, using, importing or selling theinvention without permissionTrade marksTheseaare a sign (badge of origin) which candistinguish your goods and services from thoseof your competitors (you may refer to yourtrade mark as your "brand"). It can be forexample words, logos or a combination of both.Registered DesignsAre a legal right which protects the overallvisual appearance of a product in the countrywww.businessfirstonline.co.ukor countries you register it. The visual featuresthat form the design include such things as thelines, contours, colours, shape, texture,materials and the ornamentation of theproduct which give it a unique appearance.CopyrightThis protects many types of work, from musicand lyrics to photographs and knitting patterns.Many people think of IP only in relation toinventions and patents, and as a consequence,are unaware of the potential commercialbenefits and IP asset protection that can comefrom registering Trade Marks, Designs andmanaging their Copyright.If you want more detailed information onIntellectual Property - visit our website atwww.ipo.gov.ukYou will also find our IP Awareness eventsdiary, detailing events we are putting on forFREE or events we are attending, across the UK.Take a look and come along to one of them toget the latest IP advice from one of our experts.Alternatively, you can contact one of our IPadvisors who can answer your questions – Callthem on 0300 300 2000, or email them atinformation@ipo.gov.uk76What is IPinfringement?If you use someone else's intellectualproperty (IP) without their permission youmay be infringing their IP rights and they maybe able take legal action against you. Thereare also a number of exceptions in copyrightlaw which allow limited use of copyrightworks without the permission of thecopyright owner.Patent infringementIf you make, use, sell or import somethingprotected by a patent, without permission,you may be infringing the owner's rights.Design infringementIf you use, sell or import something that isidentical or similar to a design registration,without permission, you may be infringingthe owner's rights.Copyright infringementIf you use works, which are protected bycopyright without permission, you may beinfringing the owner's rights.Trade mark infringementIf you use a mark, which is identical orsimilar to a registered trade mark, withoutpermission, you may be infringing theowner's rights.

Innovation and patentsPATENT BOX- a gift for innovatorswho patentne of the objectives ofBudget 2011 is to encourageOinnovation throughout theUK. A key part of the Government’sstrategy is the introduction of aPatent Box, the aim of which is “toencourage companies to locate thehigh-value jobs associated with thedevelopment, manufacture andexploitation of patents in the UK,and maintain the UK’s position as aworld leader in patentedtechnologies”.The key features of the PatentBox are as follows:From April 2013, companieswithin the Patent Box will paycorporation tax on the profitsattributable to patented productsand processes at 10 per cent, ratherthan at the 24 per cent corporatetax rate that will then be in force.Companies that commercialisepatents and develop newinnovative patented products andprocesses will be eligible for PatentBox. This will encompass a widerange of industries and companieswhich can gain the additionalbenefit of a 10 per cent rate ofcorporation tax arising from havingpatented products and processes.For a company to be within thePatent Box, it must actively hold apatent that has been granted bythe UK Intellectual Property Officeor European Patent Office, and thecompany must receive incomerelating to that patent. Themeaning of “holding a patent” isgiven a wide definition under thelegislation – it includes legalownership, an exclusive licence toexploit a patent, partnership, jointventure and cost-sharingarrangements and income from thesale of a patent.The Patent Box provisions arecontained in The Finance Bill 2012details of which can be found atwww.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ d/consult_patent_box.pdfAlso, for your information apresentation given by HM Treasuryon 10th January 2012 can be foundatwww.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/patent_box_presentation120112.pdfSince patent applications cantake from two to four years toprogress from filing the initialapplication to grant of patent, weadvise that any patent applicationbe filed as soon as possible so as toenable a company to benefit fromthe corporation tax lower ratesooner rather than later from April2013 onwards.For more information on thePatent Box and how it can benefityour company, or to arrange areview of your products andprocesses with the aim ofidentifying products and processeswhich would be patentable andmight then enable you to benefitfrom the Patent Box, contact MarieWalsh at Ansons, Imperial House,4-10 Donegall Square East, Belfast,BT1 5HD, Tel: 028 9065 6103 / 90471182, fax 028 9023 8338, or e-mail:info@ansons.co.uk.77 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

TourismARE YOU READY TO WELCOME THE WORLDto Northern Ireland in 2012?Tourism minister, Arlene Foster, and Employment and Learning minister Dr Stephen Farry, jointourism consultant Raymond Chan and keynote speaker and chair of tourism and hospitality sectorskills council, People 1st, David Fairhurst at the launch of the WorldHost Customer Service TrainingProgrammeourism minister Arlene Foster andEmployment and Learning minister DrTStephen Farry have urged Northern Ireland’stourism and hospitality industry to grasp theopportunities available to the sector in 2012 andbeyond.At the recent launch of WorldHost, aninternationally renowned customer servicetraining programme, the Ministers addressedover 190 delegates at the Clandeboye LodgeHotel in Bangor. The WorldHost Programme willprovide training for front-line staff in hospitality,tourism and passenger transport in what is alandmark year of opportunity for tourism inNorthern Ireland.Highlighting the importance of high qualitycustomer service, tourism minister Arlene Fostersaid: “This is an exciting time for Northern Irelandtourism. With the NI2012 programme of eventsand top class visitor attractions opening, we havean unprecedented opportunity to put NorthernIreland on the map and to generate futuretourism business.“Hundreds of thousands of visitors will comehere in 2012 and over the next few years. Fromthe moment they arrive, to the transport servicesthey use, and the places and attractions theyvisit, the customer-facing staff which theyinteract with all have the opportunity to shapeour visitors’ experience.“The WorldHost Programme will help tosupport businesses to deliver excellent levels ofcustomer service and to reaffirm the messagethat Northern Ireland is a great place to visit.”The WorldHost Programme has beendeveloped in Northern Ireland by the NorthernIreland Tourist Board, the Department forEmployment and Learning and the sector skillscouncil -- People 1st, in order to help businessesgain a competitive edge in this time ofopportunity for the tourism, hospitality, leisureand passenger transport sectors.Employment and Learning minister Dr StephenFarry said: “WorldHost is an excellent example ofhow upskilling Northern Ireland’s workforce canmake a real difference. With events around theTitanic anniversary, the Olympics, the WorldPolice and Fire Games and the UK City of Culturein the North West we project that the number ofvisitors to Northern Ireland will be very significantover the next few years.“This is excellent news for the local economyand WorldHost provides a great opportunity tohelp those in tourist-related businesses prepareto showcase Northern Ireland, its people andplaces to the world. I heartily commend it andam pleased to be able to provide financialsupport to small and medium sized businesses tohelp them grasp the opportunity whichWorldHost presents.”Roisin McKee, Northern Ireland manager,People 1st, commented: “Customer service is avital part of the visitor experience, but it is a realskills need for tourism businesses – our recentState of the Nation report found that 64 per centof employers feel that customer handling skillsneed improving within their workforce. This iswhy we are introducing WorldHost customerservice training to Northern Ireland. WorldHosthas a proven track record, and we are delightedthat NITB is partnering with us to deliver theprogramme.“This new venture will help to drive ourambition for businesses to deliver an authenticNorthern Ireland experience, by ensuring thatvisitors are provided with a world-class service.”WorldHost fundingsupportThe Department for Employment inLearning in Northern Ireland isproviding funding support to eligibleindividuals and companies to obtainWorldHost Customer Service training.If you are currently employed in aprivate sector organisation in NorthernIreland; within the tourism, hospitality,travel or passenger transport sectors;and your company employs fewerthan 250 employees then you couldbe eligible for financial assistancethrough the Department forEmployment and Learning fundedpackage for WorldHost customerservice training. This support isavailable to a limited number ofapplicants for training received untilthe end of March 2012.For more information on theWorldHost Programme, courses pricesand the Department for Employmentand Learning’s funding support, pleasevisit www.worldhostni.com.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk78

Belfast City MarathonThe 31st Deep RiverRockBelfast City MarathonOn Monday 7th May 2012, the DeepRiverRock Belfast City Marathoncelebrates its 31st year!!The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon isthe largest sporting participatory event inNorthern Ireland bringing participants from allareas of the globe to the streets of Belfast.The participation numbers reached recordlevels again in 2011 with over 20,000 peopletaking part in the cocktail of events (Marathon3600 entrants, Relay 2500 teams, Walk 2700entrants and Fun Run 1800 entrants). The levelof participation has virtually doubled in the last6 years and with your help we can make the2012 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathoneven bigger and better.The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon isproud to work with sponsors such as PremierInn, Translink, Daily Mirror, Up and Running,Saucony, U105, Tayto, Athletics NorthernIreland, Sport Northern Ireland and Belfast CityCouncil.To build on this past record of success and tocelebrate its 31st year, the organisers havedeveloped a number of innovations for 2012;- £1,000 bonus to the first male and femaleathlete to break the current Deep RiverRockBelfast City Marathon record times set by JacobKipKorir Cheshire in 2011 (2:14:56) andMarashet Jumma in 2008 (2:39:22)- The 2012 Deep RiverRock Belfast CityMarathon Expo will be bigger and better thanbefore with more exhibits held in Belfast CityHall.- There will be a family fun day of events atOrmeau Park on race day, including music,food and drink and a funfair to celebrate allfinishing athletes.- Showers and limited changing facilities willbe available at the Tennis Arena.- 2012 will bring back the famous pasta partywhich will be held in the Premier Inn, officialaccommodation partner, the evening beforerace day, Sunday 6th May 2012.NOTE: Please scan the code toenter online and for furtherinformation including trainingplans and the latest eventupdates.The Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon ispleased to be working with the OfficialNominated Charity, Northern Ireland Children’sHospice. For further information onfundraising for Northern Ireland Children’sHospice, please call: 9077 7123 or email:marathon@nihospice.orgThe organisers have kindly agreed to keep allentry fees at the same rate for the third yearrunning. Unlike other events which haveincreased their charge. Due to the everexpanding scale of the Deep RiverRock BelfastCity Marathon, the final cut-off point for entrieswill be on Friday 20th April, 2012. No entrieswill be accepted after this date.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk80

Your financesNew Year Resolutions to revolutionise yourfinances with Investec Wealth & Investment2011 was another challenging year for thefinancial system on the back of economic andpolitical concerns, particularly in the Eurozonewhich is still looking for a long term solution toits systemic problems. Last year saw apromising start for equity investors as the FTSE100 index traded above the psychological 6000level on a number of occasions betweenJanuary and July.We then saw a sharp setback in early Augustas the focus of the debt crisis moved on fromGreece and the more peripheral Eurozonecountries to Italy, with the FTSE 100 tradingbelow the 5000 level briefly in August andOctober.Now is not the time, however, to hide awayand hope it will all turn round. The New Year isthe perfect opportunity to take a fresh look atyour circumstances, reassess your investmentgoals and review existing investments.To help investors be more positive abouttheir finances Investec Wealth & Investment,one of the UK’s leading independent wealthmanagers, has compiled a list of New YearResolutions that can make a difference toinvestors in 2012.Evaluate and reviewWhat impact has the downturn had on yourinvestments and retirement plans? Be honest. Isit time to review your investment strategy? TheNew Year provides the perfect time to take afresh look at your situation and reassess thedegree of risk you are willing to take.Income Tax With the current highest rate oftax of 50 per cent and the higher rate thresholdremaining frozen, it is even more critical toensure investments are held in the most taxefficient way. It makes sense to hold incomebearing investments and interest bearingaccounts in the name of the person who ispaying the lowest rate of income tax. Holdinginvestments in alternative structures such asinvestment bonds can also reduce the impactof higher rates of income tax as they can act astax deferral vehicles.Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Did you know thatunder the Capital Gains Tax rules you can usethe stock market volatility to liquidate someassets and carry forward those losses to offsetagainst gains you might make in the future?Assets can also be gifted to a lower tax payingspouse to potentially take advantage of lowerrates of CGT on any subsequent disposals.Inheritance Tax (IHT) Make the most of yourallowances. Did you know you can gift up to£250 to as many people as you wish, on top ofthe £3,000 annual Inheritance Tax exemptionwww.businessfirstonline.co.ukevery year? Unlimited regular gifts out ofexcess income are also a valuable, but oftenoverlooked exemption.If your assets are valued at more than£325,000 (£650,000 for a married couple), youhave a potential IHT liability of 40 per cent onthe excess. Making gifts and structuring yourinvestments efficiently for IHT by using Trusts,Business Property Relief and other schemes canhelp reduce this tax liability.ISA’s Make sure your use your full ISAallowance each year. The limit, now a generous£10,680 per person, each tax year, is currently,set to increase each year in line with inflation.As funds held in an ISA are exempt from CGTand higher rates of Income Tax, ISA’s offer avaluable tax break to investors, particularlythose paying higher rates of income tax.If you have not used your 2011/12 ISAallowance, consider combining this with your2012/13 allowance and shelter almost £21,000from tax in the next few months. You cansubscribe new cash or shelter existinginvestments held in your portfolio.Pension Commit to a regular pension review.If your circumstances change, make sure that isreflected in your pension. Remember thatpension contributions qualify for Income Taxrelief at your highest marginal rate which canreduce your income tax liability. This isparticularly valuable for those subject to higherrates of income tax. It may also be possible to82make an “in specie” contribution by transferringexisting holdings in your investment portfolioin to a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP),and benefit from an uplift to the value throughincome tax relief.Recent rule changes also mean that you areno longer compelled to buy an annuity at age75, so that any residual pension funds canultimately be left to your children and otherloved ones.Where there’s a Will Commit to reviewingyour Will regularly. The right Will, drafted in theright way, can be a valuable planning tool inmanaging your wealth.Review your investments Even though itremains impossible to predict the marketdirection in the short term, historically stockmarket levels look good value on a medium tolong term basis, whilst gilts and cash basedinvestments are producing low levels ofincome due to the record low level of interestrates. Inflation is proving persistent which alsomakes it ever more important to structure yourinvestments both tax efficiently and in thecorrect assets to protect against inflation.Therefore take the opportunity to reviewyour investments and make sure they matchyour financial objectives and position them forwhen market sentiment improves...... andremember history tells us the best times toinvest are when there is most uncertainty, notwhen the sky is blue.

Commentaryne of the key considerations forbusiness and business people is whatOmodel to use to give something back tolocal communities or what charity to support.Businesses receive many requests each yearfor charitable donations and some choose acharity of the year or a charity for a number ofyears. In times of austerity, charities can sufferas companies just don’t have the finances tosupport them or not to the extent that theymay have done in the past.One model exists that is sustainablewhatever the economic climate and that is thecharitable trust. The Fermanagh Trust has hadthe privilege of managing and administering anumber of funds including:The Fisher Foundation, which was establishedby Fisher Engineering after the tragic deaths ofBertie, Mark and Emma Fisher in 2001;The Joan Trimble Awards, which were set upto commemorate the life of the notedmusician, composer and business-person;The Greg Turley Awards Scheme, which, in2011 alone, awarded grants to some of ourfuture Olympic hopefuls; FermanaghYouthBank, which trains young people inmanaging their own trust fund;The Callagheen Wind Farm Fund, whichdistributes grants to local communityassociations; and theKillesher and Cleenish Community CareAssociation Fund, which supports local peopleand social initiatives in the Killesher andCleenish areas of Fermanagh.The sustainability of the trust model comesfrom the security of the initial investment,which is managed over a set period of time,with the interest used to support community,voluntary and charitable activities. TheFermanagh Trust has distributed grants worthtens of thousands of pounds over the lastnumber of years to individuals and groups inthe county, with no dilution of either thecapital or the level of support offered despitethe economic downturn.A few results of the Trust’s workIn 2011, some of the individuals benefitingfrom the grants available through our trustfunds have been: Holly Nixon, winner of theSilver medal at the World Junior RowingChampionships in London in August; otherOlympic hopefuls, the Taggart sisters fromHilltop Farm, Ederney. Kerry Taggart (14) waspart of the Irish team that won Gold in the FEIEuropean Show jumping Championships forChildren, Juniors and Young Riders in Portugalin July. Her sister Kelly (15) was part of the Irishteam that was pitted against the other homenations with Kelly helping the Irish teamdefeat England, Scotland and Wales; and LloydSeaman, also a rower, who has representedIreland at the Home Internationals (2010) andthe European Championships in 2011.Hundreds of community and voluntarysector groups have benefitted from the grantmaking,which these various trust funds havefacilitated. Groups have received capital,programme, IT and technical support as wellHow the Trust Fund modelhelps businesses fulfil theirCSR responsibilitiesLauri McCusker, Director of The Fermanagh Trust, explains why businesses use thetrust model to fulfil their CSR responsibilities. Established in 1995, The FermanaghTrust acts as an independent grant-maker, managing and distributing a number offunds for the benefit of communities in Fermanagh. The Fermanagh Trust also ownsand manages Fermanagh House, a social enterprise and community and voluntarysector facility located on the shores of the River Erne beside Enniskillen Castle.as financial support towards publicationsand/or events. Without these grants manygroups, particularly smaller groups in morerural and isolated communities, couldn’tfunction.The trust model offers them the security ofknowing that funding might be available and,more importantly, is being administered by alocal organisation that knows them, theirreputation, their history and their importanceto the community.Why do businesses or business peopleset up funds?According to Ernie Fisher former ManagingDirector of Fisher Engineering, whichestablished The Fisher Foundation with TheFermanagh Trust in 2001: “The company knewthat the investment was secure and localcommunities and people know that the givingelement is sustainable.“Having a professional and reliablemanaging agent is also critical and The FisherFoundation has been very fortunate to have itstrust fund managed by The Fermanagh Trust.Administratively and procedurally, grantgivingmust be fair and transparent and withthe Trust’s experience of managing funds, werely on them to ensue the process reflects thisand meet the needs of local communities atthe same time.”So for businesses or individualsinterested in setting up a trust fundwhat are the advantages and themodels available?Donations made to the trust are deductable- either personal or those made by employees.The trust will not pay tax on its investmentincome, nor will it pay corporation tax orbusiness rates. Rules in relation to inheritancetax are also favourable.If interested in exploring this model further,information and advice is available from TheFermanagh Trust on 6632 0210 or visit ourwebsite at www.fermanaghtrust.org Forindividuals and companies who may wish toexplore the trust model for charitable giving,please give us a call for free, confidentialadvice.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk84

The three steps to Minimum EfficiencyPerformance StandardsWorldwide, electric motors account for around70 per cent of all electricity consumed.In European Industry alone electric motorsconsume in excess of 1,000,000,000,000 Kw/hannually, which generates over 400,000,000tonnes of CO2.Global bodies have been working to set newstandards for electric motor performances, the EUhas introduced the MEPS (Minimum EfficiencyPerformance Standards ) EU directive 2005/32/EG.This is being introduced in three steps :Step1 from 16-6-2011 all new electric inductionmotors between 0.75Kw & 375Kw must meet theIE2 standard, equivalent to the old EFF1 highefficiency standard.Step2 from 1-1-2015 all new electric inductionmotors between 7.5Kw & 375Kw must meet theIE2 standard and be used along with a variablespeed drive, or meet a new IE3 premiumefficiency standard ( new permanent magnetmotor technologies etc).that fan would cost £ 7220 per annum to run, if avariable speed drive was fitted and the speedcould be reduced to 40Hz the fan would cost£3610 per annum to run.A typical 11Kw Variable speed drive would havea capital investment of around £ 1300 thereforethe payback would be around 4 months.The energy saving potential using variablespeed drives is enormous, but this is dependanton the running hours and the duty required. If afan or pump is required to operate at full speedthere is no advantage to using a variable speeddrive. Therefore it is essential that an energysurvey is carried out first to assess the potentialsavings.To encourage the retrofitting of variable speeddrives and high efficiency motors, in NorthernIreland there is a grant scheme operated byEnergia which can cover between 20 and 40 percent of the equipment cost for an approvedscheme.For further information contact:Janine Brady at Energia on 0845 073 0099Ian Atkinson at Greenville Electrical on 02890645060Step3 from 1-1-2017 all new electric inductionmotors between 0.75Kw & 375Kw must meet theIE2 standard and be used along with a variablespeed drive, or meet a new IE3 premiumefficiency standard ( new permanent magnetmotor technologies etc) .The use of VSDs give a potential saving of 20-30per cent.The projected savings in Europe by 2020is 135,000,000 Kw/h per annum.Variable speed drive design has improved withthe use of high performance semiconductorswitching devices and the efficiencies of VSDshave now reached 96% or better. GAMBICA themanufacturers steering body have recentlypublished a “Guide to Measuring Efficiency” toensure that all manufacturers present theirefficiency figures in the same format to enablecomparisons.In building services, electric motors are mainlyused for running pumps and fans. Theseapplications generally have the most potential forenergy savings and can have quite short paybackperiods for the capital investment involved.Traditionally on a ventilation system the motoroperated at a fixed speed and the airflow wascontrolled by the use of dampers either on theinput or output to the fan.Using a variable speed drive to control thespeed of the fan, allows the dampers to be fullyopened therefore removing any restriction toairflow. A centrifugal fan has a cube lawrelationship between speed and powerconsumed i.e a fan running at 40Hz instead of50Hz is operating at 80 per cent of its nominalspeed and the power consumed is ( 0.80 x 0.80 x0.80 ) 51.2 per cent therefore we have a generalrule of thumb that a fan running at 40Hzconsumes approximately 50 per cent of theenergy required to run at 50Hz. In practice if a11Kw fan was operating for 12 hours a day sevendays a week and the Kw/h cost was 15p a unit,85 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

A&B Awardsbusiness and culture celebrate atALLIANZ ARTS & BUSINESS NI AWARDSArts & Business NI kicked off their 25thAnniversary year by celebrating in style atthe Lyric Theatre, Belfast as 5 businesses,2 individuals and 1 prestigious artsorganisation celebrated their success at theAllianz Arts & Business NI Awards 2012. TheAwards showcase examples of excellence andthe delivery of tangible business benefits withwinning partnerships coming from across thespectrum of Northern Ireland business and artssectors.Arlene Foster, MLA, minister for Enterprise,Trade and Investment, recognised theincreasing importance of partnershipsbetween commerce and culture saying:“Retaining existing customers and attractingnew orders is crucial if Northern Ireland firmsare to increase their competitiveness on theglobal stage.“Sharing knowledge, experience and skills,has been proven to deliver significantadvantages to industry. Partnership betweenour business and cultural sectors is thereforekey to growing a vibrant and dynamiceconomy for Northern Ireland. By encouragingsimilar collaborative practices across bothbusiness and arts, benefits to both sectors canbe maximised.”Presenting the Allianz Arts & Business NIAwards Paul McCann, Allianz, congratulatedthe partnerships and all the winners saying: “Allof these creative partnerships demonstrate justhow new perspectives are opened and newinitiatives come to fruition in the workplacewhen artistic engagement begins.“Congratulations to all this year’s Awardwinners and to all those partnerships whoshowcase precisely just how successful artsand business ventures can be.”The importance of a sustained level ofinvestment in cultural branding saw BelfastBred venues & Kabosh partnership lift theAllianz Arts & Cultural Branding Award withKabosh also scooping the coveted Arts Awardswhich is accompanied by a cash prize of£2,000.The banking industry celebrated successwith Northern Bank and Lyric Theatre andUlster Bank and Ulster Bank Belfast Festival atQueen’s picking up Employee Engagementand Community Engagement Awardsrespectively.Recognising the success of all thepartnerships, Mary Trainor-Nagele, chiefexecutive, Arts & Business Northern Irelandcommented: “The partnerships honoured heretonight are an amazing testament to thebenefits of arts, business partnerships. Manycongratulations to all our winners and theirfantastic achievements.”www.businessfirstonline.co.uk86

Belfast City AuctionsAuction Man: the rise and rise ofBelfast City AuctionsBelfast City Auctions' managing director, Michael TomalinAweek may be a long time in politics, but ayear is a long time in business, particularlyin the current testing economic climate.Bad news business stories have engulfed us inrecent years, with depressing reports oncompanies going out of business here andredundancies there.So it is all the more impressive in theseuncertain times when a business can launch anda year on it can boast a growth in stock, sales,staff - and profits.One such success story is Belfast City Auctions,who have been capitalising on customers' needsfor a bargain - from cars to property and more -in these austere times.Likewise they capitalise on the buyers' need tosell - from big companies to members of thepublic - perhaps to keep cash flow in theirbusiness and offload old stock, or to consolidatedebts.So it's a perfect, classic business arrangementand whatever the reason for the buy and sell,the need is clearly there and is evident in thecontinued growth of Belfast City Auctions.The company, recently affiliated members ofthe Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce,won't rest on its laurels as they reach their oneyear milestone.Instead, like any growing business with the bitbetween its teeth, they plan to 'celebrate' theirfirst anniversary by holding specialist auctionevents on behalf of major blue chip companies,liquidators, motor manufacturers and financialinstitutions in the coming weeks.And they've already made a strong start to theyear by securing the Toyota (GB) PLC contractfor the remarketing of contract hire and dailyrental vehicles during 2012."The business is expanding satisfactorily inchallenging market conditions," explainedBelfast City Auctions' managing director, MichaelTomalin."Since the rebranding of the business andcomplete overhaul of the centre, we haveaccumulated corporate support from over 30major blue chip organisations in year one of ourprojected forecast."The success has been well-earned by theteam who have shown a level of determinationand work ethic that our competitors simplycannot match. Supported by state of the art ITsystems configured by our supplier Novosco, wehave implemented a cloudstream broadbanddual lane framework which provides instant datareferral to our online buyer base across the UKand Europe."Basically this package ensures that whateverthe requirement Belfast City Auctions cansupport all physical auction activity with onlinecapability which is an absolute requirement forthe success of a remarketing business in the 21stcentury, and this centre is the first of many."Fundamentally there is a requirement for aworldwide asset remarketing solution andBelfast as a city is the first planned location for a‘City Auction Group’."Such bold talk and ambitious projections isbacked up by BCA's continual growth since thelaunch at the beginning of 2011 which has seenthem recruit experienced auction personnelwho have decades of experience andknowledge within their chosen profession.“The latest recruit is Gareth Semple, who joinsthe Corporate Services team alongside RobertJenkins, our long-term Asset Disposal manager.With a background in Estate Management ,Insolvency Disposal Sales and CorporateFinance, he brings a fresh approach to theessential sector of the auction industry.”Working under the direct management ofRaymond Hill, the chief executive officer, thisteam aim to provide professional valuation, assetmanagement and remarketing solutions to theCorporate Sector on both sides of the border.Michael added: "As a ISO 9001:2008 NQAcertified business, we have a proven qualitymanagement system supported by aninnovative website - www.cityauctiongroup.com- which provides digital images of assets,inspection reports and 'buy now' facilities foraccount customers."This transparent methodology is a first forNorthern Ireland and is beginning to paydividends with market leaders across the UK andIreland approving our ethos, hence supplyingsought after assets in all areas of the remarketingarena, including Land & Property, CommercialHGV and Plant, Liquidation, Fine Art, Antiquesand Motor Vehicles."Belfast City Auctions are members of theNational Association of Motor Auctioneers andboth directors are fully qualified auctioneers inaccordance with the Institute of ProfessionalAuctioneers and Valuers.If you would like professional advice relatingto asset disposal or valuation please contactMichael Tomalin at the office on028 9081 3775 email:mt@cityauctiongroup.com, orscan the code to visitwww.cityauctiongroup.comwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk88

Motoring review with Ian Beasant, Business First motoring correspondentFestival time, it’s a RIOia really has come long way in what is ashort time since their products started toKarrive on our shores about ten years ago.They are having the same effect globally, as theyare closing in very quickly on Toyota, America’sbiggest car importer.The new Rio- the fourth generation is a chunkylooking muscular small hatchback and I tried the1.4 litre 107bhp petrol.The interior is clean and sophisticated, thechoice of materials and the fit and finish givingthe new Rio the look and feel of a refined,premium product. Signature Kia features like thethree-cylinder instrument cluster and wide,horizontal dashboard blend with new ideas suchas the toggle switches on the centre stack tocontrol some secondary functions. They areneatly integrated into the car’s heating andventilation unit. These really add something a bitdifferent to the dash board and are great to use.The whole interior is a nice place to be and offersgreat vision from the drivers seat.The cabin has enjoyed an upgrade in space aswell as quality. With the 70mm increase inwheelbase there is now more legroom, and thecabin is also 25mm wider than in the previousmodel. The base of the windscreen has beenmoved forward by 156mm and upwards by18mm, creating more headroom, despite thecoupé-like roofline and an overall reduction inheight.The luggage area is 100mm wider than in theoutgoing car. With an overall capacity of 288litres it is also 7% larger and is supplemented byuseful, bespoke storage areas throughout thecabin. The 60:40 split rear seats fold down whenadditional cargo space is needed.The Riois great fun and easy to drive. Okay itsnot a flyer but sprightly and with that comeseconomy at the rate of around an average of 50miles per gallon. The Rio is well built andhandles nicely and really looks the part as welladd into that Kia’s 7 year warranty and it really isworth looking at and omce driven you will besmitten.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk90

Ireally do not know what it is, but a Jaguar isjust something special. Even when they weremade infamous in the eighties by Arthur Daleyit was still special. I think the word I am lookingfor is charisma, yes that’s it charisma Jaguarsexude it.The new XF is one of the best looking cars onthe road. The modern shape and sweepingcurves, the side vents and the big Jaguar Grilleall add to make the XF a very handsome motorcar indeed.The Jaguar XF I tested a few years ago wasfitted with a 4.2 litre V8 and I just fell in lovewith it. I reckoned at that time Jaguar haddesigned a winner and for once I was right. TheXF has won nearly every car award on the go andeven has just won the car of the decade.One thing missing from the XF range was asmall diesel engined model and Jaguarintroduced this 2.2 litre 190 Bhp version to therange. It really is a direct competitor to the BMW520d. Although younger and better looking.The 2.2 diesel is beautifully refined, and theeight speed automatic gearbox is a perfect matchfor both economy and performance, because ifthe engine revs and the gearbox ratio match –itmeans everything is working at its optimum.The XF also has a very Intelligent Stop-Startaims to reduce the prolonged time spent in theshutdown and start-up phase usuallyexperienced in such systems. The Jaguar systemovercomes this partly through the inclusion ofthe new crankshaft sensor and fuel rail pressureholding system meaning the engine needs lesstime to restore drive through an innovativeengine restart capability. This is bestdemonstrated when approaching a busyroundabout – in situations where the driverbriefly brings the vehicle to a stop only to moveoff again quickly. In conventional systems theengine needs to shutdown completely beforerestarting again, leading to often frustratingdelays. The Jaguar system is able to restart theengine while it's shifting down from as little as400 rpm meaning it does not need to come to astop – drive is therefore restored moreefficiently.The inclusion of the Stop-Start function isestimated to increase overall fuel efficiencybetween five and seven per cent.Along with a new engine, the developmentvehicle debuts an advanced eight-speed ZFautomatic gearbox. With the seventh and eightratios effectively acting as overdrive gears, thenew gearbox allows the 2.2-litre engine to beoptimised to deliver swift responses whenrequired and effortless motorway cruising abilityto ensure the ideal balance between efficiencyand performance. The sprint to 62 mph takes8.5 seconds before achieving a maximum speedof 140 mph.The Interior of the XF is just gorgeous; a sea ofleather, chrome, brushed aluminium and even aJaguar XF- lovelylittle wood. The build quality is top class as is theattention to detail. Even when you open theglove box it takes just a touch of a switch for it toglide open.Out on the road it drives the way it looks –beautifully. It steers and handles with precisionand the suspension is firm but comfortable.Jaguar really has done work on theaerodynamics as it is one of the quietest cars Ihave ever been in.The seats are beautifully designed andcomfortable, although leg room in the rear is alittle compromised, but then when a car driveslike the Jaguar XF sitting in the back is not thebest seat in the house.91 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Mazda 3 heralds lower billsAsporty new diesel model from Mazda is setto herald savings for fleet operators andcompany car drivers.When the upgraded Mazda3 range hits thestreets this year there will be 16 standard modelswith a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines– in three power outputs. And for the first time theline-up includes a 1.6 Sport Diesel which theJapanese company believes will find favour bothwith the fleets and company car drivers.Combined CO2 emissions cut by up to 3.5 percent depending on model, alongsideimprovements in fuel consumption, meanreduced petrol and diesel bills and savings inbenefit-in-kind tax for company car drivers.For fleet operators this means lower VehicleExcise Duty and National Insurance payments.The 1.6 Sport Diesel and 1.6 Sport Nav Dieselcost a respective £19,095 and £19,945, and havebeen given a 30 per cent residual value at threeyears/60,000 miles by industry analysts CAP. Themodels offer competitive CO2 emissions of115g/km, combined cycle fuel economy of65.7mpg and a specification that includes a Boseaudio system, heated sports seats, 17-inch alloywheels and side skirts. And the CO2 figure meansthat the new models fall within the lowestcompany car BIK bracket for diesel models – 13per cent - in 2011/12.Meanwhile, the upgraded £18995 Mazda3 2.2Sport Diesel (150PS) and the £19995 2.2 SportNav Diesel (185PS) each drop a company car BIKtax bracket after engineering development work.The 150PS model now emits 139g/km - reducedfrom 144g/km - putting the model into the 20per cent tax bracket in 2011/12, while the 185PSmodel also benefits from a 5g/km emissionsdrop to 144g/km putting it in the 21 per centbracket.Virtually the entire upgraded range alsobenefits from fuel economy improvements andprices start at £13,495 for the 1.6 TS and top outat £23,395 for the flagship 2.3 MPS. The rangeoffers a choice of six trim levels - S, TS, TS2, TS2Nav, Sport and Sport Nav - as well as from launchthe special edition 1.6 Tamura and 1.6D Tamura.To arrange a test drive of the Mazda3 or to findout more about the Mazda range, contactLindsay Mazda; Lisburn - 20 Market Place,Lisburn, 028 9260 0200 or Mallusk – 31 MalluskRoad, Newtownabbey, 028 9083 7700.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk92

600 gather for Carol ServiceTitanic sailsagainNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce chief execuitve Ann McGregor and president Francis Martinwith the dean of Belfast and dame Mary PetersOver 600 business representatives from acrossNorthern Ireland joined the NI Chamber ofCommerce to round off a challenging butsuccessful 2011 at its inaugural Carol Service in StAnne’s Cathedral, Belfast on 20th December.The service – believed to be the only event of itskind where so many Northern Ireland businessescan come together to celebrate the Christmasseason – was headed by the leaders of the fourmain churches in Ireland. Music was provided bymulti award-winning Concentio Chamber Choirunder the direction of Jonathan Ireland of MCEPublic Relations, Belfast with Richard Campbell ofNorthside Print on Demand at the organ.Special guests included Her Majesty’s LordLieutenant of Belfast, dame Mary Peters, togetherwith minister for Enterprise, Trade and InvestmentPrivate sector is key driverfor future successAccording to Dawn McKnight, partner and headof the Technology Team at Carson McDowell, akey driver for the future success of the economywill be the performance of the private sector,particularly businesses operating within thetechnology sector. This is simply because one keycomponent of Northern Ireland’s capability tocompete globally will be the ability to innovateand develop new products and services locally.Whilst technology drives creativity andgenerates innovation, its pace of developmentpresents challenges and requires an increasinglysophisticated approach to risk. Dawn believesCarson McDowell is well placed to advisebusinesses within Northern Ireland or globaltechnology companies doing business here,simply because the firm has a long tradition ofacting for clients in the technology sector,developing unrivalled experience and knowledgeof the sector issues and risks.She explains; “We have significant experience inthe sector, delivering expertise to some of themost demanding and discerning technologyclients, which means we have developed in-depthknowledge of the key issues, risks andrequirements. We have a dedicated technologyteam who deliver cohesive, high-quality, specialistand authoritative advice as well as a prompt andefficient service.”She adds: “We have worked with a diverserange of global companies investing or locating inNorthern Ireland as well as local start-up techcompanies across nearly every aspect of thesector including; bio-tech, tele-health and medicaldevices, advanced engineering & composites,energy, green tech and renewable, agri tech aswell as ICT, apps and electronics.”The list of areas of expertise which the firm canadvise on is exhaustive and includes:• Protection & exploitation of IntellectualPropertyArlene Foster MLA and justice minister David FordMLA. Readings were provided by the Bishops inattendance, together with representatives of theNorthern Ireland Chamber of Commerce andsponsors Hewlett-Packard, MCE Public Relationsand the University of Ulster Business School.The dean of Belfast, the very reverend JohnMann welcomed guests, saying: “This service is avery special one for St Anne’s Cathedral thisChristmas, and , I believe, for those from thecommercial heart of our City, who seek to join thefestivities at a point at which and spiritual andpractical meet. A few days from Christmas, withfamily and friends, work colleagues and completestrangers, we meet to celebrate the coming of thesaviour.”• R&D collaborations• Reputation Management• Branding• Corporate Finance• Acquisition and Disposal• Regulatory Advice• HR – including advice on Incentives, ProtectingIP through Employment Contracts, RestrictiveCovenants and Post-Termination Restrictions• Dispute Resolution• Outsourcing• E-commerce• Commercial Arrangements including,Licensing, Supply, Distribution and Agency.She points out, “In any of the independentguides to the legal profession such as Chambersand Partners and the Legal 500, we areconsistently ranked in the top category across theboard. It is our experience of meeting client’sneeds in a proactive and commercially focussedway which ensures we remain a top performinglaw firm and stay ahead in the technology sector.”Carson McDowell appears to be well positionedto be the pre-eminent technology legal advisor inNorthern Ireland. The firm is quick to point outthat they have worked with many global leadinglaw firms who need a “best friends” approach inthis jurisdiction and that they are firmlycommitted to delivering an excellent service totheir clients underpinned by their commitment toexcellence, experience and efficiency.Dawn concludes; “It is a very exciting time inNorthern Ireland mirrored by an equallystimulating period within the technology sector.We believe we can add a lot to the decisionmaking process and be part of any international orlocal tech company’s “think tank” here on theground, offering the best legal expertise toclients.”A unique stage recreation of the tragicsinking of the Titanic will be played out in aBelfast theatre exactly 100 years to theminute that the ill fated ship sank.Such is the interest expected in the BelfastOperatic Company’s historic week-longGrand Opera House run of the multi awardwinning “TITANIC – The Musical” that ticketsare over 60% sold with three months to go.The final Gala performance on Saturday,April 14 sets a theatre precedent by having itscurtain up at 11.40pm, exactly 100 years afterthe “unsinkable” ship hit the iceberg whichwas to seal its tragic fate.The exciting production will trace thedramatic story of both survivors and victimsfrom setting sail in a minute by minutereenactment of the events lasting two hoursand 40 minutes, the precise time it took whatwas then the “largest moving object in theworld” to disappear under the “flat calm” ofthe icy Atlantic. The show is sponsored byUlster Bank and Metal Technology.Such is the emotion and power of thishugely successful show that when it debutedon Broadway in 1997, the musical - withmusic and lyrics by Maury Yeston and bookand story by the late Peter Stone - won fiveTony awards and stunned New York theatreaudiences.Maury Yeston will take his seat in theaudience in the Belfast Opera House for thehistoric drama on the centenary anniversary.Maury was guest of honour at BelfastOperatic’s Irish premiere of Titanic theMusical in 2005 when it picked up theAssociation of Irish Musical Societies’ awardsfor Best Overall Show, Best Director, BestMusical Director, Best Chorus and Best MaleSinger.Many of the original award-winning Belfastcast are to be re-united in April 2012 for whatpromises to be a hugely emotional andunforgettable theatrical experience.With 2012 providing the backdrop for somuch cultural activity surrounding the Titaniccentenary celebrations, this landmarktheatrical event is set to be one of the focalpoints for locals and visitors to the city. Forfurther information visitwww.titanicmusicalbelfast.com.93 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk

Cloud versus on-premise: howto make an informed decisionby Peadar O’Byrne of XperienceFor new and established businesses lookingto buy new or upgrade their servers, CloudComputing is providing an alternativewhich not only frees up space but allows theexpansion of technology as and when thebusiness requires it. However, as with all newtechnology, it is important for businesses tohave all the information that they need to makean informed decision as to whether or not toimplement it into their practice.So should you be making a move to theCloud? There are many benefits to using CloudComputing but equally there are benefits forremaining with On-Premise servers. On-Premiseservers can be better particularly for those thatmay use customised systems and home grownsolutions to achieve advantage over theircompetition. It is also better for businesses with'mission-critical' applications which they cannotafford to be without for any period of time butdo not have the budget to implement theguaranteed resilient connectivity to the Cloud.When adopting any new technology the costis always a consideration. Cloud Computing isno different with initial cost and investment,ongoing costs, security and staffing levels. Abusiness must first and foremost consider theadvantages of Cloud Computing and whetherthey will make a significant difference to itseveryday operations.These are as follows;• Option to reduce long term ICT expenditureand eradicate significant future capital outlay onICT. Although an initial spend is inevitable wheninstalling any new technology package, Clouddoes give the option to expand as your businessand computing needs increase or decrease• Removal of your On-Premise companyservers and ancillary equipment. This alsoremoves their associated running costs andoften considerable space requirements.• Improve your business continuity anddisaster recovery capability dramatically• Avail of superior mobile access to your ICTsystems while increasing your agility. Withmobile working becoming more common,Cloud Computing can give employees access tothe documents and software applications theyneed when out of the office.• Increase the physical security of your ICTenvironment• Raise resilience levels within your ICT servicesand reduce downtime caused by hardwarefailure• Ensure user experience is consistently highdue to continual service provider hardwareupgrades• Reduce the need for as many skilled ICT staffwithin your organisation.Key to making Cloud Computing work foryour business is choosing a reputable andexperienced provider who can provide rigidguarantees and protect against the possiblepitfalls such as:•Important security issues and possibleconsequences as your data is normally storedand shared on Cloud with other companies'data. Make sure the Cloud supplier has a proventrack record and complies with security andprivacy regulations regarding data.•Almost total dependence on Internetconnectivity - if your Internet links & broadband'goes down' you will endure seriousinterruptions. At its worst this could grind yourbusiness to a halt and is one area you need notworry about with On-Premise servers.•Difficulty in moving providers as over timeyou will have a significant amount of virtualservers and data which would need to bemoved off the existing provider to the new one.This is to be expected but again it can lead tosignificant downtime and the risk of some databeing lost or corrupted.•Dependence on software rental pricesremaining at a sufficiently low level to make theinvestment worthwhile on an ongoing basis•More complicated and possibly impractical toenjoy software customisation & upgrades if youchoose the wrong Cloud solution and/orprovider.It is vital that a company thinking of changingtheir infrastructure does its research into boththe Cloud and On-Premise technologies, as abusiness should not to be swayed simply bycommon usages, newer fads and a 'follow theherd' mentality. Xperience has long establishedexpertise in both Cloud and On-Premisetechnologies and is extremely well placed tooffer advice and help clients to make the correctBelfast City Airport employees recognisedby prestigious industry bodiesThe work of two George Best Belfast CityAirport employees has been recognised by theInstitute of Directors and the Institute ofEnvironmental Management and Assessment(IEMA).Michelle Hatfield, Human Resources andCorporate Responsibility director at Belfast CityAirport, received the Young Director of the YearAward 2011 from the Institute of Directors (NI).The Director of the Year Awards celebrate andreward the achievements of established andemerging leaders and directors.Michelle has now been entered into the UKawards, held in London in late 2012, and will benominated for the IoD Lunn's Award ofExcellence which will be presented at the IoDAnnual Lunch in February.Receiving the award Michelle said: “TalentedYoung Directors is not something NorthernIreland is short of at the moment, so to beconsidered and recognised amongst thatcategory by such a prestigious body as the IoDis a real privilege.“I’m looking forward to attending the nationalawards in London later this year.”Laura Duggan, environment executive at theairport was named runner up in the IEMAGraduate Awards which recognise excellencethroughout the UK.Laura has played a pivotal role in developingand implementing the airport’s environmentalsystems and the judges were impressed withher innovative thinking, hard work,communication skills and professionalleadership.Laura was delighted to receive recognitionfrom the IEMA:“Since working at Belfast City Airport, we haveworked really hard on making a difference interms of the environment and sustainability.“The hard work paid off and we achievedGreen Dragon level 3 accreditation for theairport’s Environmental Management System inJuly 2010 and reaccreditation again in 2011.Michelle Hatfield and Laura Duggan94“Having built up recycling and energy savinginitiatives and teams among airport employeesand our business partners, it’s very rewarding tosee that everyone at the airport is takingenvironmental matters seriously.Scan the code and follow theGeorge Best Belfast City Airporton its facebook pagewww.facebook.com/belfastcityairport

New membersWe would like to welcome new members who have recently joined the ChamberAccountingHill Vellacott22 Great Victoria StreetBelfastBT2 7BA028 9044 2000nt@hillvellacott.comNeal TaylorJones Peters Chartered AccountantsHughes House6 Church StreetBanbridgeBT32 4AA028 4062 5427pat.murray@jonespeters.co.ukPat MurrayAgri-foodRandox Food Diagnostics30 Cherryvalley RoadCrumlinBT29 4QN028 9445 9702orders@randoxfooddiagnostics.comMykaela DavisBusiness ServicesAllen People Solutions31 Everton DriveBelfastBT6 0LJ077 4039 9706info@allenpeoplesolutions.co.ukDiane AllenBHSF3 Doagh RoadNewtownabbeyBT37 9PA078 8765 8605judith.magee@bhsf.co.ukJudith MageeCity Cabs (Derry) Ltd27-31 William StreetDerryBT48 6EP028 7126 4466info@citycabsderry.comJames DeehanDavy NI7 Donegall Sq NorthBelfastBT1 5GB077 7114 6146conor.cahalane@davyuk.comConor CahalaneEnvision Intelligent Solutions LtdSIlverwood Business ParkSilverwood RoadCraigavonBT66 6SY028 38 34 7055philip@envision-is.co.ukPhilip MurdockWPA26 Cogry HillDoaghBallyclareBT39 0RY028 933 24245uel.campbell@wpa.org.ukUel CampbellXM Solutions (NI) LtdBelfast Business CentreCathedral House23 - 31 Waring StreetBelfastBT12DX028 9043 6681asteenson@xmsolutions.ieAlan SteensonConstructionRichland GroupBerkeley Square HouseBerkeley SquareLondonW1J 6BD020 7887 6349gmc@richlandgroup.co.ukGary McCauslandThe Precision Group45 City Business ParkBelfastBT17 9HU0800 0430632astringer@precisiongroup.co.ukAlan StringerCreative IndustryMediaZoo StudiosUnit 21 Weavers CourtLinfield Industrial EstateLinfield RoadBelfastBT12 5LA028 9031 5948info@mediazoo.ieNikki ThomsHealthElite Fitness and Performance105 Kinnyglass RoadColeraineBT51 4NR028 7086 8963gregorybradley@gmail.comGregory BradleyKingsbridge Private Hospital(Part of the 3fivetwo group)811 Lisburn RoadBelfastBT9 7GX077 6802 3099reganm@3fivetwo.comMark ReganHospitality and TourismCorick House Hotel Ltd20 Corick RoadClogherBT76 0BZ028 8554 8216reservations@corickcountryhouse.comLaura Dalberg-Andersen95ICTNaviNetNI Science Park, Titanic QuarterBelfastBT3 9DT028 9073 7905ddougan@navinet.netDamien DouganTeamsolutionz39 High StreetAntrimBT41 4AX028 9448 7753geoff.higgins@teamsolutionz.comGeoff HigginsLegalNorthern Ireland Young Solicitors' Association(NIYSA)c/o John J Rice & CoPearl Assurance House2 Donegall Square EastBelfastBT1 5HB028 9031 3888chouston@johnjricesolicitors.comConor HoustonManufacturingArmstrong Medical Services LtdWattstown Business ParkColeraineBT52 1BS028 7035 6029info@armstrongmedical.netJohn ArmstrongPharmaceuticalRandox Toxicology30 Cherryvalley RdCrumlinBT29 4QN028 9442 2413patricia.marshall@randoxtoxicology.comPatricia MarshallProfessional ServicesClarendon Executive12B Clarendon RoadClarendon DockBelfastBT1 3BG028 9072 5750ciaran.sheehan@clarendonexecutive.comClaire McKeeEmergency Fire and Safety Ltd15 Lower WoodlandsBallycarryCarrickfergusBT38 9JB077 3092 9207Emergencyfireandsafety@gmail.comKevin HowletteHeather Nesbitt Ltd Private InvestigatorsThremhall ParkStart HillBishops StortfordCM22 7WE012 7987 4622heather@heathernesbittltd.co.ukHeather Nesbittwww.businessfirstonline.co.uk

The final wordExport StrengthBy the time you read this, many of ourpoliticians will have their plane seatsbooked for Washington D.C. to attendthe annual shamrock-athon in and aroundthe White House. All shades of the politicalspectrum see it as an opportunity to get infront of the President and the incumbentadministration for the ‘grip and grin’ photothat will adorn their respective mantelpiecesfor years to come.Callers to certain radio stations here areoften disgusted at the fact that some of ourelected representatives go on overseas trips.Many of them turn on each other for havingthe audacity to take up offers. The junketeerswill always be hanging around, but a goodpercentage of those tasked with selling NIPLC elsewhere are the ones who are breakingnew ground and developing the networks forothers to exploit.Leaving these shores to explore newopportunities - or to do the necessarydiplomatic spadework to open the doors forour indigenous business to pitch and sell - isimperative. Creating opportunities overseas isone solid way in which we can grow ourexport base, create more jobs here at home,increase our clout as a trading partner andalso sell NI as a place to do business.Recent figures from the Department ofEnterprise, Trade and Investment economiccommentary show that exports fromNorthern Ireland have increased by almost 10per cent on the year before. But how do weensure that this growth continues for the next10 years? We don’t have the population orspread of business to be a self-sufficientmarket so therefore we must look to thehorizon to enable us to grow.It is no surprise when I say that NorthernIreland needs to diversify its export base toavoid over-reliance on a small number ofmarkets and to take advantage of wideropportunities in the faster developingeconomies such as those of Brazil, Russia,India and China. But take a look at the otherplaces that NI companies are doing deals in -Kurdistan, Ghana, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.These hot spots should not beunderestimated in terms of their benefit to us.Get out of the comfort zoneExport markets remain concentrated onadvanced economies such as the Republic ofIreland, Great Britain and North America butwe may be ‘crowding the plate’ in theselocations. We must encourage our politiciansto get out of the comfort zone of flying backand forward to the US, parts of Europe andLondon and examine the wider opportunitiesthat exist in other parts of the world that wewould not naturally gravitate towards.I would like to see our electedrepresentatives take on the specific fight toassist our local businesses and organisationsget into as many overseas markets aspossible. As in Westminster we could set up anumber of All-Party Country groups that dealwith a specific territory or country with eachparty allocating one or two MLAs to build upa wealth of knowledge that can be tappedinto. For such as small place, we have adecent number of Honorary Consuls whocould provide the secretariat duties to eachgroup and begin to develop wider channelsof communications with their contacts inthese emerging markets. The politicalresponse should contribute above andbeyond the good work of the likes of Invest NIand the Chamber of Commerce do in themore familiar locations, and head off to theareas we would regard as alien to us.Improved air service a priorityWe must ensure that we can also get tothese markets in the first place. One of mycontacts often refers to Northern Irelandbeing the ‘wrong side of the Irish Sea and toofar north of the Watford Gap’, to effectivelyget out there. The isolation that comes withbeing based on an island has significantdrawbacks.Recent analysis by Oxford Economics foundthat at least £1billion worth of NorthernIreland exports are dependent on air travel.That level of revenue generation must beguarded with every ounce of our fibre. Thefact that there is even speculation about athreat to the Heathrow route should bejumped upon by the Assembly with theconversation closed down as swiftly aspossible. Our MLAs and MPs need to showresilience in the media and keep a close eyeon the deals that are being made betweenthe international airlines present here.Our ministers and MLAs should be giveneven greater resources to get out there andmeet with existing and potential investors,key business influencers and universitycontacts to reinforce the message that theExecutive is pro-business.3Our elected representatives must ensurethat the supply of products and servicescontinue to feed into the overseas marketswe already operate well in and start buildingrelationships that are out of our comfort zonein order to further our reach.by Chris Brown, client director,MCE Public Relations.www.businessfirstonline.co.uk96