Business Action August / September 2019

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business-action.co.uk | August / September 2019 | @businessactionm

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ii
business action | June / July | business-action.co.uk

CONTENTS
business
ACTION
Web site | business-action.co.uk
Online version | business-action.uk
Vol 1 Issue 4 – Aug / Sept 2019 – distribution 2,500 across North Devon
CONTENTS
Initiatives, support & consultations............................................................ 1
Engineering firm’s 15th anniversary........................................................... 2
Road haulage company is here to stay...................................................... 2
Home carers fleet goes electric..................................................................... 3
Accountancy firm goes national................................................................... 3
Exeter Airport achieves gold for disability access............................... 4
Waste firm celebrates 60 years of service................................................ 4
Housing group plans big investment in Devon...................................... 5
Children’s hospice challenge......................................................................... 5
Fastest wifi in the west?................................................................................... 5
New business: Chartered Financial Planner steps out...................... 6
New business: Keeping clients organised............................................... 6
New business: New accountancy practice.............................................. 6
High street: New café fulfils ambition........................................................ 7
High street: Ethically sourced fruit and veg............................................ 7
High street: Hardware store provides local service............................. 7
What the editor forgot........................................................................................ 8
Stay Sharp with Clarity...................................................................................... 8
From one laptop to a team of eight.............................................................. 9
Manufacturing talent survey........................................................................... 9
A mystery is uncovered.................................................................................... 10
North Devon Enterprise Day........................................................................... 11
Develop your business now............................................................................ 11
Business Action Plan......................................................................................... 11
BBxpo: Bideford Business Expo.................................................................. 12
Free business advice and guidance............................................................ 13
Keeping customers safe and satisfied....................................................... 14
Tap into funding for construction skills training................................... 15
Employment and skills events ...................................................................... 15
Magnetic North Devon: Determination to succeed............................... 16
Diary of a market research apprentice....................................................... 17
In the Hot Seat: Lucy Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald HR................................. 18
Woolacombe development now available to buyers............................ 19
Rafting away on work experience................................................................. 19
People....................................................................................................................... 20
Using strategic financial data for growth.................................................. 21
EDITORIAL
Robert Zarywacz
Editor, Designer & Publisher
t: 07971 176044
e: robertz@business-action.co.uk
@robertz
ADVERTISING
Alan Williams
Advertising, Distribution & Publisher
t: 07970 671192
e: alan@business-action.co.uk
© Need it Find it 2019. All information in this magazine is published in good faith.
Any views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher, Need it Find it.
Readers are strongly recommended to seek advice from an appropriate professional
before taking any action on any topic discussed in the magazine and to check full
terms and conditions of any products or services promoted in advertisements.
INITIATIVES, SUPPORT & CONSULTATIONS
Cyber security webinars
Barclays is offering businesses
free webinars to introduce
them to cyber security and how
they can improve awareness
of threats and increase their
online protection.
The webinars include an
overview of cyber security and
what it means for businesses; a
look at the main cyber threats
and how to help prevent them;
tangible next steps to help businesses
and their staff stay safe
and secure online; additional
support and information.
The webinars are useful if
you are concerned about the
potential risks and threats
of cyber security and online
fraud, and want to ensure you
and your staff are up to speed
with the latest threats and
prevention techniques. They
will help you to understand
what help and support is available
for businesses.
Webinars are available
Monday to Friday between
8am and 4pm and delivered at
a time that suits your business.
You will need a desktop ⁄ laptop
computer with an internet
connection and a telephone
Webinars can be booked by
speaking to a Barclays business
banking manager or relationship
team.
■■barclays.co.uk/business-
banking
STEM graduates into
business
University of Plymouth’s
STEM graduates into business
programme aims to
assist Devon SMEs in finding
talented graduates from STEM
(science / technical / engineering
/ maths) subjects. The
intention is to create a cohort
of graduate-employing SMEs
across the area, leading to
longer term opportunities and
retention of talent in the area.
The scheme helps businesses
to recruit graduates on six
to 12-month internships on
which they can help the business
develop a new product,
service or process. There is
also funding of £1,800–£3,600
available through the European
Regional Development Fund
The university is working
Cover photo: Traffic light by Robert Zarywacz
North Devon
ENTERPRISE
Day
#ndevonent
Diary date: 24 October
Celebrate business in North
Devon on the first North
Devon Enterprise Day – register
your business for free.
■■Details page 11
with strategic partners to
deliver the scheme, including
Exeter University, South Devon
College, City College, Petroc
and Plymouth College of Art.
The process starts with a
meeting to talk through the
potential requirement and a
business ‘eligibility check’. Then
the university will help to create
an advert which is published
internally, via strategic partners,
Grad South-West and
LinkedIn. Applications are
collated and passed to the
business which will employ the
graduate, with payment being
made on completion.
■■Details 01752 587736 or
plymouth.ac.uk/STEM-grad
Inspire Launch in Devon
Inspire, the programme to
scale up businesses with more
than five employees, launches
in Devon on 1 October in
Honiton. Inspire is a not-forprofit
business organisation
providing high value support to
the SME business community.
As part of the launch event,
Inspire has partnered with the
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small
Businesses UK programme
to showcase this package of
support to businesses in the
Heart of the South West.
■■Details eventbrite.co.uk/e/
inspire-launch-in-devon-tickets-62132819937
Meet Somerset Chamber
Barnstaple Chamber of
Commerce is holding a lunchtime
event where North Devon
businesses can meet members
of Somerset Chamber on 18
September in Tiverton.
■■Details eventbrite.co.uk/e/
meet-the-neighbour-somerset-chamber-of-commercetickets-63412542622
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 1

Lilley Precision Engineering,
based in Barnstaple, is celebrating
its 15th anniversary.
The company was started by
Darrian Lilley, who has worked
in North Devon manufacturing
for 30 years after training at
Ayers and Grimshaw, when he
decided he wanted to run his
own business.
The company specialises in
engineering plastics, including
thermoplastics, vulcanised
fibre and high-performance
composites and laminates.
“We offer a competitive
sub-contract CNC milling and
turning service, both locally
and all over the UK, as well as
abroad,” says Darrian.
Lilley Precision supplies
products to electrical and
general engineering, electronics,
transport / rail,
packaging, domestic appliance,
lighting, medical, switchgear,
safety critical parts and other
markets. Its products range
from aircraft components to
musical instrument parts.
The company has seen many
changes including a move to
Anyone thinking the familiar
name of William C. Hockin
will disappear from vehicles
travelling up and down
the Link Road is being put
straight by Bill Hockin. While
his tanker business has been
acquired by Greenergy, Bill
continues to own and manage
the main William C. Hockin
(Transport) Ltd haulage business
established in 1974.
The sale of the tanker business
was a logical step after
the two businesses worked
together successfully for more
than a decade.
Commenting on the sale,
Bill Hockin says, “We have
worked with Greenergy for
over 10 years, and with their
support have grown our
business into where it is today.
Greenergy has always been
reliable and respectful to do
business with, and I have every
confidence that they are best
positioned to explore further
opportunities for our business.”
Andrew Owens, chief executive
of Greenergy, explains,
“William C. Hockin has been
a valued Greenergy logistics
provider for many years,
providing exceptional levels of
support for speciality movements
such as bioethanol and
super gasoline trunking, as well
NEWS
Engineering firm’s 15 th anniversary
The Lilley Precision Engineering team:
(from left) apprentices Jacob Bartynski and Nathan Green, administration
and quality manager Suzanne Lilley and managing director Darrian Lilley
as providing regional support
services for third parties. We
will build on the great work of
Bill, and we look forward to
expanding our capabilities with
an excellent team.”
Hockin’s tanker operations
in Barnstaple will be integrated
into Greenergy Flexigrid
operations and continue
to service existing clients.
a new unit in 2014, which
quadrupled its space, as well
as becoming one of the first
precision engineering firms in
the UK to receive certification
for the more stringent ISO
9001:2015 standard.
Suzanne Lilley, administration
and quality manager, adds:
“Having the quality management
system in place has
benefited us in so many ways.
Customer growth has been one
of them, as we are now recognised
as being able to provide
a robust quality product and
service, meeting our clients
requirements.”
Since 2019, Darrian
and Suzanne have also run
Outboard Motor Loc Ltd.
Darrian explains: “We
manufacture, assemble and
market outboard engine security
products, selling privately as
well as to many trade customers
throughout the UK and abroad,
and exporting to Canada, USA,
Australia, Sweden, France and
South America.”
■■Details 01271 370601 or
lilleyprecisionengineering.co.uk
Road haulage company is here to stay
Greenergy is an established
supplier and distributor of
transportation fuels and
Greenergy Flexigrid, its
in-house haulage operation,
employs more than 500
drivers and staff throughout
the UK. Bill Hockin will maintain
his interest in the operation
by joining the Greenergy
Flexigrid board of directors as
a non-executive director.
Bill wanted to drive from
an early age and has worked
in the transport industry since
obtaining his driving licence.
He started William C. Hockin
Transport with Irene, his wife,
in 1974 with a tractor unit
and two trailers. The company
now has some 50 vehicles
that service the UK from
Barnstaple. It remains a family
business and Bill is proud that
it retains the personal touch.
■■Details 01271 372945 or
williamchockin.co.uk
2 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

West Heanton’s fleet of electric cars with home carers: (from left) Bernie, Jo and Michelle
Home carers fleet goes electric
West Heanton, at Buckland
Filleigh, which operates its
own care home and provides
domiciliary care for 40 families
in the area, has invested in
a fleet of six electric cars for its
home care staff.
The business has always
supported its home care staff
by paying them for the entire
shift they work, including
travelling time, rather than
just for care visits. It has also
always provided vehicles, so
that staff don’t have to use
One of the UK’s fastest
growing business advisory
firms is expanding its presence
in North Devon after acquiring
one of Barnstaple’s longstanding
accountancy practices.
Perrins Chartered Accountants
has joined the Baldwins
Group and changed its name
to Baldwins with immediate
effect, with staff remaining at
the existing office.
Established in North Devon
in 1914, Perrins’ 20 staff serve
more than 1,000 Devon and
Cornwall-based commercial
and agricultural, business and
personal tax clients.
This follows the 2017 acquisition
of Davisons and brings
Baldwins’ total number of West
Country offices to six. Its other
offices being in South Molton,
Holsworthy, Launceston,
Tavistock and Truro.
Matthew Gard, regional
managing partner for Baldwins
in the West Country, says:
“Joining forces with Perrins
forms part of our ongoing
plans to expand our reach
their own cars, and previously
ran a fleet of petrol cars.
In 2018, the business
started researching electric
cars and realised they would
be a viable option for West
Heanton. It secured finance
from Lloyds Bank Clean
Growth Financing Initiative,
which provides reduced rate
lending for business projects
that reduce emissions, are
energy efficient, low carbon,
reduce waste, recycle or
improve water efficiency.
across the West Country. We
have been working with the
North Devon community for
over 70 years. Our investment
in Perrins underlines
our confidence and long-term
commitment to the business
in the area and our desire to
continue to grow.
“It will be business as usual
for the staff and clients.”
This enabled the business to
purchase six Renault Zoes and
six rapid charging stations,
which can charge all six cars
from flat in one hour. The
white cars all feature West
Heanton’s branding so are
instantly recognisable.
Each car covers 80 miles
per charge and can be
re-charged between shifts.
They have reduced fuel costs
from 25p to 12p per mile, in
addition to the associated
environmental benefits. They
Accountancy firm
goes national
Baldwins team: (from left) Simon Osment, Matthew Gard and Chris Birch
Shaun Knight, board
director at Baldwins,
continues: “We look forward
to expanding and working
with the business community
in Devon. The acquisitions
underline our commitment to
the Devon and Cornwall business
communities.
“Local relationships are key
and practices will benefit from
also have a precondition
feature, enabling them to be
cooled in summer or heated
in winter before shifts, so are
comfortable and ready to go.
This environmental initiative
is in addition to installing
solar panels and a bio-mass
boiler for heating West Heanton’s
care home.
■■Details 01409 281754 or
westheanton.co.uk
West Heanton award
see page 20
the digital and technological
innovations implemented
within Baldwins, in order to
meet the demands of the ever
changing regulatory and digital
landscape, as well as client
expectations.
Chris Birch, director at
Perrins, will continue to lead
the firm’s Barnstaple office,
alongside Simon Osment.
Chris says: “Joining forces
with Baldwins takes our firm
to the next level where we can
expand our reach with their
additional services, and in turn,
expand our workforce.
“This spells great news for
our clients as we can use Baldwins’
national coverage and
depth of specialist expertise to
offer business advisory services
that stretch beyond general
accountancy.
Baldwins, a Cogital Group
company, has more than 90 UK
offices, employs over 2,800 staff
and has an annual turnover of
approximately £200 million.
■■Details 01271 343004 or
baldwinsaccountants.co.uk
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 3

NEWS
Finding Jobs for People and People for Jobs
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01237 439500
Exeter Airport achieves gold for disability access
Exeter Airport has received
the highest possible rating
for disability access, having
been judged ‘very good’ in an
independent annual survey.
The UK Civil Aviation
Authority has published its
fourth annual report on the
disability access of the UK’s
largest airports.
Exeter Airport was among
14 airports rated ‘very good’,
with a further 16 airports rated
‘good’. A ‘very good’ classification
requires airports to
provide high quality support
on the day of travel as well as
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keeping in regular contact and
consultation with its users.
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assistance to more than 20,000
passengers a year. This is set to
increase as overall passenger
numbers are expected to break
the one million mark this year
Recycling firm SWM will celebrate
60 Years serving North
Devon on 14 July 2019. Started
in 1959 by Ray and Vashtie
Penford, or Mr and Mrs P as
they were commonly known,
R Penfold and Son went on to
become South Molton Metals.
In 2002, SWM was incorporated
to accommodate
the growing demand for
integrated waste management
systems, which have enabled
more waste streams to be
processed and transformed
into useful resources. In 2011,
everything was brought under
the SWM and Waste Recycling
banner to reflect the growing
regional presence.
Today, the company is
jointly owned by Ray and
Vashtie’s son Raymond and
nephew Shawn Akers, who are
proud of the local employment
the business offers and its wide
range of services.
Follow us:
with the introduction of new
routes by Ryanair to Alicante,
Malaga, Malta and Naples.
Matt Roach, managing
director of Exeter Airport, said:
“We are delighted to be in the
top tier of UK airports and to
have achieved the gold standard
for the quality of service
that we provide to disabled and
less mobile passengers.
“It is a testament to the hard
work and dedication of our
staff and we are committed
to providing the best possible
experience for anyone in the
community who requires
assistance when travelling.”
■■Details exeter-airport.co.uk
Waste firm celebrates
60 years of service
During its 60 years, the
company has faced many
challenges. More recently these
have included environmental
demands and sustainable waste
solutions. SWM has continued
to invest in order to keep
pace with and lead the way in
bringing about new initiatives
that have helped many North
Devon businesses meet stringent
compliance criteria.
From humble beginnings
rooted in scrap metal recycling,
SWM has become a
leading provider of integrated
waste management services in
the South West, with a growing
blue chip client list and stateof-the-art
recycling facilities.
The company planned
to mark the occasion with a
companywide fun day and
BBQ at its Roundswell headquarters
in July.
■■Details 01769 572184 or
swmrecycling.co.uk
4 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

Investing in Devon: (from left) Stuart Gibbons, managing director,
Lovell London and Southern, and Andrew Johnson,
regional managing director, Lovell Southern
Housing group plans big
investment in Devon
Lovell, partnership housing
division of the £3 billion
Morgan Sindall Group, has
launched its southern region
by appointing an experienced
regional managing director to
drive expansion.
Andrew Johnston, formerly
managing director with
Galliford Try Partnerships,
has joined Lovell to spearhead
its growth ambitions in
Devon. With Lovell’s extensive
expertise in housing-led
regeneration, partnership
working ethos and a high
demand for affordable homes,
its aim is to build a sustainable
business that will employ
around 100 people direct and
thousands through the local
supply chain, while increasing
housing capacity in the region.
Securing land and the
recruitment of new staff will be
a first priority. Lovell Southern
will service the area from
Southampton on the south
coast to Plymouth in the west.
Andrew Johnson, regional
managing director at Lovell
Southern, said: “It’s an
exciting time to be at Lovell.
The company has a great
delivery model with ambitions
to grow the business and
its investment in the region
demonstrates commitment to
that strategy and to the wider
affordable housing sector.
“The company’s strong
financial position and support
from Morgan Sindall Group
will enable us to work with
our partners and increase the
much-needed supply of homes
in the area.
“Our three main business
objectives are to build
much needed new private
and affordable homes, invest
in the communities in which
we are working and employ
local businesses, further
re-investing in the region.”
Stuart Gibbons, managing
director of Lovell London
and Southern, said: “Andrew
is a vastly experienced and
committed director with
a proven track record of
developing and growing a
business. We are delighted to
have him on board to launch
our southern region.”
■■Details lovell.co.uk
Right Way HR Services
Safeguard your business
• Advice on all aspects of employment law
• Contracts of employment
• Staff handbook • HR policies
• Letters, templates and documents
Call Richard on 07825 090782
e-mail: richard@rwhrs.com
NEWS
Children’s hospice challenge
Children’s Hospice South
West is inviting businesses to
get ‘nifty with your fifty’ and
take on its new-look £50 Challenge
this autumn.
The charity will give workplace
teams £50 to see how
much money they can raise
in 50 working days, from 16
September to 22 November.
Cake sales, raffles and
quizzes are all encouraged, but
firms are being challenged to be
creative in making a big difference
to the children’s hospice.
Companies of two or 200
can take part and what they
decide to do is up to them.
■■Details 07837 520295 or
chsw.org.uk/50challenge
Fastest wifi in the west?
All too often we hear about
slow broadband speeds, so
here is a story with a difference.
Trimstone Manor
Country House Hotel and
Cottages, near Ilfracombe and
Woolacombe, could have the
fastest wifi connection of any
visitor accommodation in the
North Devon and Exmoor
after upgrading to full fibre.
After encouragement from
his son, owner Philip Milton
upgraded the hotel connection
and both believe the investment
will be justified in more
trade and better business
effectiveness, staff efficiency
and responsiveness.
Unlike a copper wire
connection to a roadside
box, Trimstone has a fibre
optic link direct to the local
exchange and has installed
the latest Ubiquity ‘enterprise
grade’ equipment. To enable
the connection, Ilfracombe
BT exchange required further
upgrade work just so that the
hotel could be the very first
customer of this new service.
The hotel and cottages have
moved from having slower
speeds than 66% of the whole
country to having faster
speeds than 99% of the UK,
for any form of usage.
Not only do hotel guests get
free wifi access, but with the
infrastructure now upgraded,
the faster service is also available
to Trimstone residents.
Is it the fastest holiday wifi
in North Devon? Let us know.
■■Details 01271 862841 or
trimstone.co.uk
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 5

Helen Persson of Paper Clip
Keeping clients organised
Many businesses are overwhelmed
by admin and
filing, but Helen Persson of
Westward Ho! enjoys them so
much, she has started her own
business, Paper Clip, to help
clients stay organised.
With 14 years in
marketing and retail and
seven years running a recycled
glass gifts business, Helen
has honed her office organisational
skills so that she can
take care of all those tasks
that busy business owners
don’t get round to completing.
These can range from sorting
out paperwork to managing
emails, support with social
media management and
marketing, as well as the
creative production of flyers,
adverts and logo designs.
Already, Helen has helped
clients with running events,
bookkeeping, updating their
online presence and more.
“I do all the things they
don’t have time for,” says
Helen, who is pleased with
how her business is growing
and aims to take stress away
from clients so that they can
be more productive.
■■Details 07870 604019 or
paperclipdevon.co.uk
NEW BUSINESSES
Chartered Financial Planner steps out
Emma Falconer is the latest
professional to join the
ever growing team of independent
financial advisers
at Continuum (Financial
Services) LLP.
Emma explains that the
move will help her build on
her extensive financial services
experience – and provide an
even higher standard of services
for clients in North Devon.
She is looking forward to
continuing to provide a full
range of financial advice, but
with a particular focus on
the needs of high net worth
individuals, and those in the
pre and post retirement phase.
This will not only help answer
a growing need for specialised
advice, it will reflect her key
areas of experience.
“I have over 14 years’
experience of working in
financial services – and prior to
retraining as a financial planner,
I spent a decade in investment
banking in the City of London
on the dealing floor of a leading
investment bank. It has helped
me develop a strong understanding
of financial markets,
and a practical understanding
of the needs and objectives of
investors as well as of the solutions
available to them.
“This has given me the
foundation to specialise in
providing financial planning
for high net worth clients and
business owners, which I have
Emma Falconer, Chartered Financial Planner
built on by gaining a series of
advanced qualifications.
“I am excited to continue
my advice journey with
Continuum and to build a
business I am truly proud of for
my clients.”
Emma’s qualifications include
advanced pension, investment,
tax and trust planning. This
skill set enables her to provide
a high level of expertise for her
clients, supported by the awardwinning
Continuum team.
New accountancy practice
A well-known face in North
Devon accountancy has started
a new practice after 24 years in
the profession.
Gareth Pollard Accountancy
Services in Holsworthy aims
to “bring the friendly side of
accounting back”. Gareth’s
experience has ranged from
preparing accounts by hand
and sending paper tax returns
to HMRC to now preparing
returns using computer
software and filing them with
the click of a button. With the
introduction of Making Tax
Digital, Gareth helps clients set
up their own accounts software
packages so that they can keep
better accounting records,
which makes an accountant’s
life much easier. His services
include accounts, bookkeeping,
payroll / CIS, tax and VAT.
Gareth is keen that clients
using accounting software
should benefit from any
possible reduction in fees and
is committed to treating every
single client as he would wish
to be treated.
Gareth also wants to
minimise environmental
Martin Brown, Continuum’s
managing partner, comments,
“We are delighted to have
Emma join us. Having advisers
of her experience join our team
demonstrates the effectiveness
of our collaborative business
model. It lets us attract the very
best people – which allows us
to put clients at the heart of
everything we do.”
Yorkshire-born Emma
sums up her reasons for her
career move:
“As a Chartered Financial
Planner, I take pride in the
advice I give. I therefore
wanted to join Continuum as
a partner to enable me to give
unbiased independent advice.
“I am incredibly impressed
by what Martin has built at
Continuum for clients and
advisers, focusing on providing
expert financial advice and an
outstanding service.”
■■Details 01271 830547 or
mycontinuum.co.uk
impact and offers the option of
a secure package where clients
can view all correspondence
and accounts online and even
sign documents electronically
without having to print them.
Having moved to North
Devon when he was five,
Gareth is very much part of the
community and is keen that his
business supports local organisations.
He has started already
by sponsoring Holsworthy’s
recent St Peter’s Fair.
■■Details 01409 254817 or
facebook.com/garethpollard
accountancyservices/
Gareth Pollard and his son
6 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

Lucy and Stuart Cook of No 28 The Cookery , St James Place, Ilfracombe
New café fulfils ambition
No28 The Cookery in St James
Place, Ilfracombe is fulfilling
a long-held ambition of Lucy
and Stuart Cook.
Lucy had worked in retail
before becoming a full-time
mum, while Stuart, who
trained as a chef in London
from the age of 14, worked
in manufacturing for 24
years. This Easter, they felt
it was time to launch their
own business, a barista coffee
shop, which serves lunch and
brunch items to eat in and take
away. These include baguettes,
paninis, sandwiches, jacket
potatoes, soup and cakes as
well as vegan, gluten-free and
dairy-free items. All their
packaging is recyclable and
aim to reduce use of plastic.
Coffee is supplied by
Limini, a small speciality
coffee supplier in West Yorkshire,
while Stuart puts his
professional training into practice
preparing a range of cakes
including chocolate brownies
and millionaire shortbread.
Lucy says the response from
customers, both locals and
visitors from across the world,
has been very positive.
■■Details No 28 The Cookery
at facebook.com
HIGH STREET
Ethically sourced fruit and veg
Greengrocers appear to be
making a comeback as more
consumers take a greater
interest in the food they buy.
Jim Abbott-Bond left a
corporate career seven years
ago, and now he and Sue Gould
run Four Seasons greengrocer
in Crediton High Street.
“I wanted to find a business
with a more ethical side to it,”
explains Jim.
“There is a growing swell for
locally produced and sourced
food that is not catered for
by the supermarkets. People
want to know where their food
comes from and they are fed up
with tasteless food.”
And with packaging also
a major concern, like many
independent food stores, Four
Seasons has always used paper
bags rather than plastic.
Jim received lots of support
for carrying on the business as
a greengrocer and enjoys being
part of Crediton’s community.
Customers range from young
families to several who are over
100 years old and continue to
shop independently.
As well as fruit and veg in
the shop, Four Seasons provides
vegetable boxes to suit all
budgets, as well as fruit baskets
and trays, which make good
gifts and can all be delivered.
“We do bespoke flower
arrangements, ranging from
small bunches, baskets,
bouquets, aqua-boxes and
memorial funeral commissions.
We also deliver flowers
locally to private and commercial
customers.
“The most enjoyable thing is
meeting customers,” adds Jim.
“Everyone who walks through
the door has a story.”
■■Details call 01363 772035
Jim Abbott-Bond of Four Seasons
Hardware store provides local service
When small shops disappear
from towns and villages,
consumers face less choice
when the only option left is to
drive to a nationally run superstore
on an out-of-town retail
park. Yet there are signs that
things are changing as more
independent stores open up.
Holsworthy lost its hardware
shop several years ago, but
now Shepherd’s Hardware has
opened a new store selling a
wide range of household items,
gardening supplies, cleaning
products, tools, drill bits, bolts,
plumbing and electrical spares,
light bulbs, candles, locks, key
cutting and a lot more.
The store is owned by
Pete Shepherd, who opened
his SW Locksmiths shop in
Holsworthy 10 years ago, to
establish himself as a trustworthy,
local business. Since
the old hardware shop closed,
Pete has been increasing his
range of stock.
“When people ask for
something, I get it in,” says
Pete. “The range grew and we
extended our old shop in 2017,
but it still wasn’t big enough, so
our new shop on the Square is
three times the size.”
Pete adds that people often
like to touch and hold products
and see before they buy, which
they can’t do on the internet.
“Customers also appreciate
our product knowledge. They
want to come in and ask
questions, which we are always
happy to answer.”
Pete is also keen to reduce
carbon footprint and believes
buying from a local store rather
than online reduces the packaging
required to mail goods
and limits the environmental
impact of so many vans on the
road delivering single items.
With staff helping to run
Shepherd’s Hardware, Pete
continues to provide his SW
Locksmiths service across
North Devon.
He has built up trade over
10 years through word of
mouth and says that people in
Holsworthy are very loyal to
the town’s independent shops
and businesses.
■■Details call 01409 255533
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 7

Business Action editor Robert Zarywacz, so busy talking about other
businesses that he almost missed his own business anniversary
What the editor forgot
I’m frequently astounded by
many of the achievements of
North Devon businesses, especially
those who are celebrating
anniversaries, whether they’ve
completed their first year, fifth,
10th or, for one company in
this issue, their 60th.
Anyone who runs a business
knows how much hard work
goes into just keeping it going,
never mind developing and
expanding it. Running a business
requires vision, initiative,
effort, commitment, innovation,
action, resilience and
persistence. That’s why I enjoy
writing about business owners
so much. I find their energy
and enthusiasm infectious.
I also find they’re often so
busy concentrating on business
that they don’t notice their own
achievements. This is probably
why I surprised myself
recently when I realised that
the Zarywacz communications
partnership I run with my
brother, Simon, is reaching its
25th anniversary in September.
Like every business, we’ve
had good times and bad, but I
still don’t know where the time
has gone.
I do know that I still enjoy
writing for and about businesses,
which led to the launch
of this magazine with Alan
Williams. I’m having the most
fun I’ve had in business for
years and look forward to
meeting and writing about
even more North Devon business
owners in the years ahead.
■■Details 01271 879100
or z2z.com
BUSINESS
Stay Sharp with Clarity
Buying, leasing or renting new
printers or multi-functional
printers (MFPs) can be a
daunting prospect with so
many options available.
Clarity Copiers Group, with
its local office in Barnstaple,
aims to make the process of
acquiring MFPs easier while
ensuring that customers select
the most suitable equipment
for their business needs.
Clarity is a specialist in the
recommendation, installation
and support of Sharp devices,
having built a relationship
with the manufacturer over 42
years. In formal recognition
of this achievement, Clarity is
recognised as a ‘Sharp Centre
of Excellence’ due to its high
standard of customer service.
Why Sharp? For more
than 50 years industry buyers
have sought guidance from
Buyers Lab (BLi), the global
document imaging industry’s
resource for unbiased and
reliable information and test
data. Having won many BLi
awards previously, Sharp has
won BLI’s 2019 Copier MFP
Line of the Year award. This
recognises the vendor whose
product line is deemed best
overall, based on rigorous
laboratory evaluations.
“Sharp’s copier MFPs have
long been known for their
quality, innovation, and ease
of use, and its current line
holds up to that standard,”
says George Mikolay, associate
director of copiers/
production at Keypoint
Intelligence, BLi’s parent. “In
addition to setting the bar
for usability among its peers,
overall reliability was tremendous
throughout the line.”
BLi also rates the Sharp
range highly on ease of use,
one of the most important
considerations for customers,
along with quality, reliability,
functionality and service.
This is the reason why
Clarity is pleased to supply the
Sharp range, which includes
hardware and software from
desktop A4 devices to A3
models. Wide format (A1 –
AO) devices are also available
from a different manufacturer.
Customers can discuss
their individual needs and get
professional advice by visiting
Clarity’s fully equipped showroom
on Roundswell Business
Park. Alternatively, a Clarity
representative can visit you,
without obligation.
■■Details 01271 374061 or
claritynorthdevon.co.uk
01271 267420 | info@gtales.co.uk
8 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

Cooper Golding’s Queen Street, Barnstaple team: (from left) Jessica Thompson, Paula Golby, Lorri Stamp and Katie Pullen
From one laptop to a team of eight
A recruitment consultancy
started by two women with just
a laptop has grown to a team of
eight with two offices in Barnstaple
and one in Somerset.
After her business partner
decided to return to Jersey,
owner Paula Golby was
determined to develop the full
potential of Cooper Golding,
which has its head office in
Queen Street, Barnstaple. Paula
invested heavily in the business
in 2017, when she set up its
temporary division, which has
since fuelled significant growth.
Originally from the
Midlands, with family in North
Devon, Paula has 20 years’
recruitment experience and
started Cooper Golding in 2011.
“The opportunity to set up
my own business has been
exciting,” says Paula. “I really
wanted to create a high quality,
professional environment so
that anyone who gets in touch
has a positive experience.
Following on from the success
of last year’s Manufacturing
Talent Survey and Report,
manufacturing recruitment
specialist Cooper Golding, has
again commissioned and sponsored
the research for 2019.
The survey has been
distributed to more than 2,500
senior recruitment managers,
directors and business owners
of manufacturing, engineering
and production companies.
The reach of the survey
“I invested to grow it from
a one-person lifestyle business
into a consultancy that gives
added value in North Devon
and across the South West.”
Cooper Golding’s permanent
and temp recruitment
services cover factory and
production, engineering and
manufacturing, and many
other roles. Its Specialist
Talent service for engineering
and manufacturing companies
across the UK focuses on mid
to senior level appointments
in marketing, sales, quality
and technology.
High quality service
Paula is committed to a quality
service that attracts the right
talent: “We’ve learnt as we’ve
grown, putting in strong
foundations and developing
processes so that it is clear what
everyone does. Everyone is
really engaged.”
Paula works hard to ensure
the team is motivated: “We
have to keep it fun. We have
nights out, try to be as flexible
as possible and want everyone
to enjoy coming to work.”
She is equally committed to
making sure both clients and
candidates are fully satisfied:
“We are brand ambassadors
for our clients. Why should
people go and work for them?
What makes them an attractive
employer? What makes a
candidate attractive in terms of
skillset and values?
“We ensure candidates are
aware of the opportunity and
go into a lot of detail about
not only skill sets but also
cultural ambitions, including
the surrounding area, which is
important for staff relocating.”
Cooper Golding has the
flexibility and expertise to work
with global players and SMEs.
“We do resonate with SMEs
because we understand the
challenges of growing and
maintaining service.”
Cooper Golding 2019
Manufacturing Talent Survey
covers a wide spectrum of
disciplines from across the
South West and Midlands
regions, ranging from SMEs to
global manufacturers.
The aim of the survey and
subsequent report is to revisit
some of the common challenges
and opportunities that
exist within manufacturing,
engineering and production
at a crucial time for the sector
and the wider economy, not
least with the ongoing uncertainty
around Brexit.
Interestingly, last year’s
report highlighted a generally
optimistic view of Brexit, with
Expanding business
Paula’s drive to provide a
better recruitment experience
is now paying off. This has
included the opening of the
Somerset office in April, the
recent promotion of Jessica
Thompson to senior consultant
and the recruitment of sales
support consultant Katie Pullen
on a temporary basis, which
has changed to permanent.
Adding value
As well as its main services,
Cooper Golding offers resources
for candidates and clients.
Candidates can take advantage
of job search and interview tips,
while the firm’s annual Manufacturing
Talent report highlights
key challenges faced by
manufacturing and engineering
companies, and discusses
potential opportunities to
address the talent shortfall.
■■Details 01271 349745 or
coopergolding.co.uk
very little negative impact
experienced. In fact, partly
due to the export competitiveness,
the order books for many
of our regions’ manufacturers
were looking healthy.
In this year’s report due to
be published in August, we
will find out what a difference
a year has made to the sector.
See the October / November
issue of Business Action to
read the full results.
■■manufacturingtalent.co.uk
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 9

SERVICE
A mystery is uncovered
In 1991, Paul Grafton, a certified
management consultant
who has always been passionate
about customer service,
discovered that he was able to
provide his clients with insight
that would help improve their
customer experience just as well
using mystery shoppers, as if he
assessed the experience himself.
As long as he instructed the
mystery shoppers to take the
approach he would take, and
answer questions designed
to obtain the right feedback,
mystery shopping was a way to
increase his offering without
having to travel around the
country, staying in hotels, when
he had a wife and baby at home.
And so Mystery Shoppers Ltd
was born.
Paul moved the business
from Berkshire to North Devon
in 1998 and ran the company
from a mobile home turned
office. One mobile home grew
to two, and two homes grew to
three, and after the fourth one
arrived, it was decided the next
move would be to an office in
Holsworthy. In the 15 years
the company has been there, it
has grown from an office that
seated 16 to 70.
In addition to the Holsworthy
Office, MSL now has an
office in Bulgaria and franchises
in Myanmar, Botswana
and Kenya, and averages 65
members of staff worldwide.
What is mystery shopping?
Mystery shopping is a versatile
tool used by companies or
regulatory institutions to either
gain insight into customer
experience and / or staff
performance, for compliance
monitoring or even to obtain
competitor intelligence. As
well as being a diagnostic tool,
mystery shopping is often
also the solution – once staff
know mystery shopping is
taking place, an increase in
service levels is often noticed
straightaway as staff are ‘on
guard’ for potential mystery
shoppers. The feedback and
actionable data mystery shopping
provides can then be used
for staff training. Running
mystery shopping regularly
Next generation: (from left) Sophie Grafton takes on the role of managing
director from Paul Grafton
allows companies to track the
improvements in service as
well as ensure standards do
not slip – a periodic ongoing
programme can quickly
improve overall business
performance, increase sales
and customer service levels and
ensure ongoing compliance.
Once a programme has
been designed, MSL sends
its mystery shoppers out and
asks them to assess a range of
customer touchpoints. They
might contact a call centre to
see how quickly each call is
answered, access a web site
and try to find information or
make an enquiry on a social
media page. They might visit a
shop and purchase a product or
have a sales person visit them
at home.
After their assignment
they will report back on their
experience, providing the
company with honest, objective
results and video, audio or
photographic evidence.
Anyone can be a mystery
shopper and MSL’s database
of shoppers now stands at
260,000. Between them, they
complete 60k+ assignments
every year. The mystery shops
provide a valuable source of
extra pocket money for the
people that complete them and
are often done at well-known
high street banks and retailers,
shopping centres, transport
providers and charities.
Lola is head of stress relief
Shoppers use an app on their
phones to search for nearby
assignments and complete
them. The results are all online
for managers to access and
distribute as they see fit.
Next generation
In 2017, Paul handed over
the title of managing director
to his daughter, Sophie, and
is now chairman. Sophie has
previously been a multi-site
manager in the retail and
service industry and, like Paul,
also has a passion for training
and customer service. These
key themes are at the heart of
the company.
“Here at MSL, we carry out
regular on and offsite training
to ensure that the team are
equipped to offer our clients
the best service possible and,
in turn, help them to improve
their customer experience,”
says Sophie.
As well as the 50+ staff
members working in the Devon
office, another important
member of the team is Lola, the
office pup. Her responsibilities
include increasing staff morale
and encouraging an active
work day, and she is also head
of stress relief.
Being a family business, it’s
important to both Paul and
Sophie that the company is run
with the interests of its staff at
the forefront. All staff are able to
make use of the company’s flexitime
policy, which allows people
to work hours that suit their
home life, such as 8-4 or 10-6,
when business allows it, as well
as to take off a Friday afternoon
if it’s been a busy week. All staff
have free access to a local gym
and the company puts on quarterly
staff events to encourage
teams to get to know each other
better. In the past 12 months,
these have included a visit to
Newton Abbot Ladies Day
Races, bowling, beach BBQs,
pub quizzes and the Christmas
Party at a local restaurant in
Bude. The work environment
appears to go down well as 17
team members have been with
the company for 7+ years.
■■Details 01409 255025 or
mystery-shoppers.co.uk
10 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

Thursday
24 October 2019
is North Devon Enterprise
Day when all businesses can
join together to celebrate our
vibrant local business community,
support each other
and promote the vast range of
products and services provided
in the area.
Take part
Are you an enterprising
business? Take part now by
registering to
join the Enterprise
Wave at ndevonent.uk
Businesses are already
registering for what we aim
to be the largest independent
enterprise community in the
area – a collection of forwardlooking
entrepreneurs
committed to helping every
business to succeed.
On the day, we’ll celebrate
at BBxpo with a panel session
of North Devon entrepreneurs
Develop your business now
Have you been thinking about developing your business or starting
a new venture, but don’t know where to start?
STOP!
Don’t delay any further – take action now!
There are many opportunities, so what have you got to wait
for? If you have a vision of what you want to do, the drive to make
it happen and the commitment to follow it through, start taking
advantage of the support available to you. Business Action will
support you too.
SELECT GEAR!
Within this magazine you can find many sources of help.
See page 1 for a selection of current support programmes
and initiatives. See page 13 for free advice and guidance provided
by The Heart of the South West Growth Hub and page 15 for
construction industry training grants from CITB. On the same
page, Petroc is offering Digital Solutions training and see page 13
for details of free digital workshops the Google Digital Garage
will be presenting at BBxpo.
And don’t forget the benefits of talking to other business
owners, who are very often willing to share expert hints and tips
on all aspects of commerce with you.
GO!
When you are ready to launch, promote your business.
One way is to attend networking and other business events.
Some events are listed on page 1 or see pages 12 and 13 for details
of BBxpo on Thursday 24 October at Bideford – the biggest business-to-business
exhibition in North Devon with a free networking
buffet. Attend for free as a visitor or consider exhibiting.
Consider also our new Business Action Plan, which includes
all-year business promotion in this magazine and online.
and the North Devon
Enterprise Free Networking
Buffet – open to all businesses.
Let’s all share our experience
and advice to help other
businesses so all thrive.
And share on social media
– hashtag #ndevonent – to
encourage everyone to join in.
North Devon
ENTERPRISE
Day #ndevonent
Follow and connect
Connect with @northdevon,
@businessactionm and
@needitfinditnow on Twitter
and other platforms.
■■Visit ndevonent.uk or email
ndevonent@business-action.co.uk
for full details.
£50 Business Action Plan
all-year business promotion
business
ACTION
The £50 annual Business
Action Plan promotes your
business throughout the year
in this magazine – see listings
right – and online in our
needitfindit.uk directory.
➤➤Magazine listing, including
name, business type, phone
number, web site and
address, printed in 6 issues.
➤➤Online listing including
name, business type, phone
number, web site and
address, description and
logo for one year.
➤➤6 issues of magazine mailed
direct to your UK address.
Or choose the £150 annual
Business Action Plan to add a
business card advert in 6 issues.
PROMOTE YOURSELF NOW
business-action.co.uk/plans
HYPNOTHERAPY
Paul Holder
New Life Hypnotherapy
South Molton
t: 01769 574711
w: newlifehypnotherapy.org
Landscaping
CW Landscaping
Bideford & North Devon
t: 01237 474335
m: 07960 930974
Locksmith
MJS Locksmiths
Covering North Devon
t: 07532 139388
w: northdevonlocksmith.co.uk
OFFICE PRINT EQUIPMENT
Clarity Copiers North
Devon
North, Mid & West Devon
t: 01271 374061
w: claritynorthdevon.co.uk
Removals
HLH Removals
Covering North Devon & UK
t: 07593 234194
e: hlhremovals@yahoo.com
fb page: HLH Removals -
Horshams Light Haulage
First Thursday of every month
is Steak Night!
01237 473399
49 Torrington Street, East the Water, EX39 4DP
www.theriverbankbistro.co.uk
email@theriverbankbistro.co.uk
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 11

BBxpo
EXHIBITORS SO FAR . . . EXHIBITORS SO FAR . . .
Barclays
Business Banking
barclays.co.uk/businessbanking
Talk to us about what you
want to achieve, in the UK
or abroad, and our team of
managers will do all they
can to help you reach your
business goals.
BNIB
bnibarnstaple.co.uk
Business Networking in
Barnstaple (BNIB) is a team of
businesses from across North
Devon who meet weekly in
order to expand their business
through making new contacts.
Business Action
business-action.co.uk
Meet the publishers and editor
of this magazine.
Cirrusli
cirrusli.co.uk
Top-notch training in cloud
and digital accounting
systems across North Devon
and Cornwall.
CITB
citb.co.uk
The industry training board
for the construction sector,
helping it to attract talent and
to support skills development.
Clarity Copiers
North Devon
claritynorthdevon.co.uk
Advice, demonstration,
service, rental & sale of colour
printers, copiers & MFPs
(multifunctional printers).
Clevera
clevera.co.uk
We’re a fun, friendly creative
agency producing fab designs
for all forms of printed and
digital media.
Dare2BU
dare2bu.co.uk
Working to make North Devon
the most mentally healthy
place to live and work.
Devon Electric Heating
devonelectricheating.co.uk
Electric heating systems
– supplied and installed –
throughout the South West.
Fernbank Advertising
fernbankadvertising.co.uk
Promoting your business
through advertisements on
bus shelters across the South
West region.
Thursday 24 October
Devon Hall, Bideford College
FREE BUSINESS EXHIBITION
Fitzgerald HR
fitzgeraldhr.co.uk
With offices in Devon,
Somerset and London,
Fitzgerald HR provides Human
Resources with the human
touch to small, medium and
large organisations.
Heart of the South West
Growth Hub
heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk
The Heart of the South West
Growth Hub provides a
business advice service in
Devon and Somerset.
Heartfelt Products
heartfelt-products.com
We design products including
the ICE Alert pocket medical
wallet, the Woofie Wallet and a
bespoke range Made in Devon
comprising Happy Quilts and
Quilt of Memories (to wrap
around people/children for
their final journey).
Jobcentre Plus
dwp.gov.uk
Engages with employers to
identify bespoke labour market
solutions creating opportunities
for DWP customers.
Learn Devon
learndevon.co.uk
Adult and community learning
courses supporting people in
learning new skills for leisure,
returning to employment,
improving their English and
maths and improving their
health and wellbeing.
Marley Comms
marleycomms.co.uk
An expert leading bespoke
cloud and on-premise
telecommunications and
technology company.
Marsdens
Devon Cottages
marsdens.co.uk
With over 400 holiday
cottages across North Devon
and Exmoor, Marsdens helps
you get the most from letting
your holiday property.
Medicare
South West Limited
medicaresouthwest.uk
We now care for around
3,000 people every year
across North Devon, offering
specialist care to patients
at home and at the hospice,
while supporting the whole
family throughout these
toughest of times.
Need it Find it
needitfindit.uk
Organiser of BBxpo and
publisher of Business Action
and its own online directory.
Nott’s Welding &
Sandblasting
facebook.com/Nottswelding
We specialise in welding
and sandblasting offering
dependable and efficient
services.
Petroc
petroc.ac.uk
Petroc raises the aspirations,
knowledge and skills of
individuals, communities and
business.
Safety Supplies Direct /
Tawsa
tawsa.co.uk
Tawsa Ltd is a Health & Safety
consultancy, while Safety
Supplies Direct specialises in
supplying PPE and workwear.
DON’T MISS OUT! EXHIBIT FROM £75
BOOK YOUR STAND(S) NOW at bbxpo.uk
Simple Recruitment
simplerecruitmentltd.co.uk
Specialises in both temporary
and permanent recruitment
solutions across industrial and
commercial sectors.
SWIG Finance Ltd
swigfinance.co.uk
SWIG Finance provides
business loans from £500 to
£100,000 to start-ups and
SMEs in the South West.
The Sign Maker
sign-maker.net
House signs, business signs,
memorials, engraved plaques
and wheel covers all made in
North Devon.
Tarkatography
tarkatography.co.uk
A passionate photographer
concentrating mainly on food
and interior images for web
sites and magazines.
Towergate
towergate.com/locations/
bideford
Through our trusted team
in Bideford, Towergate has
access to a wide range of tailor
made insurance solutions.
Utilities Warehouse
pinkpigsavings.co.uk
Based in North Devon, Nick
Parry can show you how to
make great savings on all your
household bills.
Wall Printer UK
wallprinter.uk
The UK’s brand new vertical
wall printing technology for
interior and graphic designers,
advertising agencies, sign
makers, painters, decorators
and artists.
Wills at Home
wills-athome.co.uk
Alan Williams provides a
personal wills and lasting
powers of attorney service
across North Devon.
Wizard Signs and Print
wizardsignsltd.co.uk
Wizard Signs and Print
engages with its clients to
design, manufacture and install
a wide range of promotional
and directional materials.
Zarywacz
z2z.com
Attract customer attention
with Zarywacz’s business
journalism and copywriting,
case studies, magazines,
campaigns and events.
12 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

xpo.uk
All the support you need
As the countdown to BBxpo
begins, what business support
will be available at the event?
BBxpo is delighted to
welcome Google Digital
Garage, who will be presenting
two free hour-long workshops.
Visitors are urged to take the
opportunity to pick up the
best hints and tips on how to
brand their businesses online
and achieve better visibility for
their businesses.
Google is bringing its Google
Digital Garage to BBxpo.
Two courses will be available
for visitors:
Build Your
Personal Brand Online
Learn to identify your brand,
build and protect your online
presence, and share content to
your network.
Get Your Business
Visible on Google
Get your business visible on
Google Maps and Search.
Book places
To book your free place(s) for
BBxpo and either of the Google
Digital Garage sessions, please
register at
bbxpo19.evenbrite.co.uk
BBxpo
BOOK FREE PRESENTATIONS
Build Your Personal Brand Online | Google Digital Garage
Learn to identify your brand, build and protect your online
presence, and share content to your network.
Get Your Business Visible on Google | Google Digital Garage
Get your business visible on Google Maps and Search.
High Performance in the Workplace | Dare2BU
1 in 4 people suffer with a mental health problem every
year. How does it impact a business when employees have
mental ill-health and what can businesses do to help improve
employees’ well-being and their productivity?
Benefits of Upskilling Your Workforce | Petroc
Supporting your staff will bring benefits to you and them.
This presentation will discuss specific qualifications, short
courses or apprenticeships as a route to help your staff upskill.
This interactive discussion will be an opportunity to explore
the options for you and your business and staff.
Celebrating North Devon Entrepreneurs
A panel of local business people will discuss their own business
experiences and answer questions on how to build a
successful business in North Devon.
North Devon Enterprise Day Free Networking Buffet
The ultimate free lunch brings together business people to
network and build new relationships on North Devon
Enterprise Day.
bbxpo19.eventbrite.co.uk
#BBxpo
Local organisations providing
support include CITB, which
will be advising on grants for
construction businesses, while
the Heart of the South West
Growth Hub will be advising
on its free business advice
and support. Jobcentre Plus
and Learn Devon will be on
hand to discuss initiatives for
training and helping more
people into employment, while
Petroc will be promoting its
wide range of courses.
Expert service providers
In addition, business exhibitors
in the main exhibition hall will
be pleased to discuss the range
of expert services they offer.
Free networking buffet
One of the most important
ways of finding support is
from meeting peers and
BBxpo culminates in the free
networking buffet – the biggest
in North Devon – which offers
the opportunity for everyone
to make new connections and
build new relationships.
Full day of activities
With the growing list of exhibitors
opposite and the presentation
programme, BBxpo
offers a full day of activities for
forward-looking businesses
looking to grow.
Free business advice and guidance
The Heart of the South West
Growth Hub is an impartial,
free service providing advice
and guidance to new and established
businesses in the Heart
of the South West LEP area,
which covers Devon, Plymouth,
Somerset and Torbay.
A key role is to help local
business owners access fully
funded support services which
help them to realise their
business aspirations. With a
wide range of resources and
a friendly team of business
advisers on hand to take
enquiries, it’s worth contacting
the Growth Hub if you are
thinking about starting up a
business, are in the early stages
or have an existing business
which you want to develop.
David Hynd, Growth Hub
programme and partnership
manager, says: “There
is a wealth of governmentbacked,
free-to-access support
available to both new and
established businesses. It’s
our job to understand businesses’
requirements and
to help identify the right
schemes to meet their needs.
The team are on hand to talk
through your business goals
and will provide impartial
advice on what’s available to
you. When you are ready to
move forward, we can make
introductions to the services
you choose.”
Businesses of any size,
operating in any sector can
benefit from Growth Hub
support and business owners
are welcome to use the service
as many times as they require
as their business growth
journey progresses.
To date, the Growth
Hub has helped more than
6,000 enterprises start up or
grow. There is currently free
face-to-face business advice
available for new and established
businesses throughout
Devon, Plymouth, Somerset
and Torbay, as well as access
to funded skills training in
subjects such as digital and
bbxpo19.eventbrite.co.uk
IT skills, customer service or
leadership and management.
The Growth Hub team are
urging business owners to get
in touch now to take advantage
of the support on offer. The
team can let business owners
know what support is available
to them so they can make
informed choices about what
they would like to access.
Meet the team at BBxpo
The Growth Hub team will
be exhibiting at BBxpo on 24
October 2019 in Bideford.
Registration is free and advisers
will be on hand to talk to
businesses about accessing
funded support.
■■Details 03456 047047 or
heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 13

HEALTH & SAFETY
Keeping
Banner 3.indd 1
customers safe and satisfied
24/07/2019 15:33:39
Keith and Julie Turner started
Tawsa in 2006 by investing in a
printer so that they could print
leaflets. Now the business operates
an established health and
safety consultancy in the South
West and across the UK as well
as its Safety Supplies Direct
store on Pottington Business
Park in Barnstaple and online.
Keith’s ‘can do’ attitude
has enabled the business to
develop through focusing on
delivering what clients want.
Tawsa advises on all aspects
of safety – from site inspections
and audits to writing
procedures, providing training
and full safety management.
Keith is determined to give
a consistently high level of
service, whether a client runs a
multi-site operation employing
hundreds of people or is a
one-man band.
Safety Supplies Direct
works on the same basis. Keith
started supplying equipment
after a client asked him to
purchase some goggles, which
alerted him to the business
opportunity. The store now
stocks a wide range of health
and safety clothing and equipment
and janitorial supplies,
Meeting rates from £25 pp
24 hour delegate rates available
Fully catered team building
Michelin dining experience
Participative courses
Business facilities
Call today for our business package
prices & details 01271 862446
ilfracombecarlton.co.uk
and, again, provides the same
level of service to customers
whether they buy one pair of
gloves or hundreds.
“We offer information and
advice on products and would
rather customers buy the
right product, even if it’s a less
expensive one,” says Keith.
“It’s about loyalty and being
honest. We want people to
come back and let us help sort
their problems.”
The drive to help customers
has led Keith to source hardto-obtain
items and start
Whatever health and safety advice and supplies you need:
(from left) Keith Turner, Robert Priestley and Julie Turner
importing them himself, giving
exclusivity for some products.
Customers can purchase by
visiting and collecting from the
store or ordering by phone or
online for delivery by Safety
Supplies Direct locally or by
courier across the UK.
Keith and Julie’s hard work
has developed the business
so that it now employs seven
people and they have plans for
further expansion.
One team member, Donna
Salter, who left the business
when she moved from the area,
returned in March after three
years to manage sales. Nadia
Curtis has also recently joined
part-time to assist with admin.
Keith and Julie believe it is
vital that employees are happy
and, as parents themselves,
recognise the importance of
flexibility. Keith says there is
a genuine team spirit where
everyone helps out and he
himself will help re-organising
the stockroom or cleaning.
Health and safety system
Keith never stands still and has
recently developed a system
that can be accessed via PC or
mobile phone to manage and
record all aspects of a client’s
health and safety. Available
for an annual subscription,
clients can run it themselves or
Tawsa can manage it remotely,
providing a full back-up service
to guarantee data security.
Always focused on a
commonsense approach to
health and safety, and actively
developing business opportunities,
what innovations will
Keith and Julie launch next?
■■Details 01271 377558 or
safetysuppliesdirect.co.uk /
tawsa.co.uk
WE OFFER ASSISTANCE WITH:
Valuations
Cost Management
Bills of Quantities Tendering
Procurement
Invoice Reconciliation
CALL TODAY for an informal chat:
01271 603053
futuredimensions.uk
info@futuredimensions.uk
14 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION
Tap into funding for construction
The construction industry
is fortunate in having its own
training body to help develop
its workforce. The Construction
Industry Training
Board (CITB) is an executive
non-departmental public body
supported by the Department
for Education.
It is also accountable to
government ministers and
ultimately Parliament.
What that doesn’t tell
you is that CITB has its own
secret weapon in Devon: Roy
Imeson. For 11 years, Roy has
been on a relentless mission
to help businesses in the
construction industry develop
through improving skills.
Roy has worked in
construction for more than
25 years in a number of roles
from on-site assessment to
apprenticeship programme
delivery and providing advice
and guidance.
As CITB strategic partnership
adviser for the Heart of
the South West, he is looking
to work with as many small,
rural companies as possible
to help them attract, train
and retain talent. He believes
that with businesses facing
challenges from so many
directions, improving and
maintaining skills will help
them survive and grow.
Petroc is hosting a full day
of digital workshops on 21
October. These will cover:
Developing a Marketing
Strategy: New Ways of
Working; Making the most of
Social Media Platforms; and
Measuring Online Success.
skills training
The construction industry needs a skilled workforce and Roy Imeson
of the Construction Industry Training Board is relentless in his
mission to help businesses take advantage of grants for training.
Robert Zarywacz spoke to Roy about funding available to employers
Roy Imeson, advising the construction industry on skills and training
£5,000+ training grants
Businesses directly employing
between one and 49 staff who
are concerned about the cost
of training might be surprised
to discover that when they
register with CITB, its Skills
and Training Fund can grant
them £5,000 to fund construction-specific
training over a
12-month period.
Businesses employing 50 to
74 staff can receive £7,500 and
those employing 75 to 99 staff
can receive a grant of £10,000
per year.
Grants can be used for a
wide range of construction
training from NEBOSH health,
safety or environmental qualifications
to face mask training
or Business Information
Modelling software courses.
What’s more, businesses
can apply for grants annually,
so a small business with under
49 staff could receive £5,000
for training every year.
Employment and skills events
The sessions at Petroc’s
North Devon campus in Barnstaple
are fully funded for SMEs
that meet eligibility criteria.
■■Details 01271 852428 or
dsfsb.eventbrite.co.uk
Next Steps Development
is hosting a free Untapped
Talent breakfast event in
Barnstaple from 8am to 10am
on 24 September where businesses
can find out about free
Signing up is easy
Roy is always willing to help
businesses to sign up and
access training funds. He
attends skills events across the
region and can visit businesses
to complete applications.
North Devon drop-ins
CITB is organising free dropin
sessions for North Devon
construction companies to
find out more about how to
access training. Roy Imeson
will be hosting these sessions
and will be pleased to discuss
how he can help.
Barnstaple – this session
will run from 10am to 2pm on
Tuesday 17 September at the
Park Hotel.
Bideford – this session will
run from 10am to 12pm on
Thursday 24 October as part
of the BBxpo exhibition at
Bideford College.
Businesses can book free
places at these sessions by
visiting eventbrite.co.uk/o/
roy-imeson-18198201900
■■Details 07770 800 954,
email roy.imeson@citb.co.uk
or visit citb.co.uk
Meet CITB at BBxpo
disability awareness training,
the benefits of becoming a
Disability Confident employer
and how the Access to
Work scheme can help with
recruiting and retaining staff.
■■Details untappedtalent
breakfast.eventbrite.co.uk
Two heads are better than one!
Offering support in marketing, admin,
creative design, book keeping, events,
website, social media and much more
For a FREE consultation
contact Helen today
Paper Clip
paperclipdevon@outlook.com
07870 604019
www.paperclipdevon.co.uk
keeping your office together
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action
15

Is there ever a perfect time to
start a business? Jayla Wilcox
started Simple Recruitment
in 2009 when she was three
months pregnant and at the
height of the global recession.
Now the business has offices in
Somerset, Wiltshire and North
Devon and continues to grow.
Recruitment mission
“I was working for a large
national recruiter and I was
genuinely miserable,” says Jayla.
“My father asked if I
could do it better, to which I
answered ‘yes’ and from that
day onwards, this is what I have
aimed to do. To give people an
honest, reliable and communicative
service that is ‘Simple’,
where we care about what we
do and who we work with.”
Simple Recruitment’s head
office is in Somerset and Jayla’s
introduction to North Devon
was on a caravan holiday to
Bideford with her mother and
daughter in June 2015.
“We had such a wonderful
weekend. The sun shone and
we found Bideford to be so
charming and the holiday park
we stayed on not commercialised
at all. It was wonderful.
“We felt like we were on the
other side of the world when
we came the first time. We
really relaxed and just loved
being so close to the coast. The
fact that it was just so peaceful
saw us return.”
Branching out in Bideford
Jayla loved visiting North
Devon so much that she
decided to open up another
branch of Simple Recruitment
in Bideford.
“We launched our Bideford
office on 2 July 2018 in the
hope that we could replicate
the service offering we have
developed in Somerset for the
North Devon marketplace, for
both clients and candidates.
“Our first year has been
NORTH DEVON
Determination
to succeed
What is it that attracts business people to or back to North Devon?
In this issue’s Magnetic North Devon feature editor Robert Zarywacz
talks to Jayla Wilcox who was entranced by Bideford while on
holiday and decided to open a new branch of her business there
Jayla Wilcox and Big Juke
fantastic. We have learnt a great
deal and have been warmly
welcomed by clients and
candidates alike. We have had
tremendous growth in these
first 12 months, increasing
our team to three, moving our
offices to a more prominent
location on the Quay and
gaining the trust of new clients
with each passing week.”
Jayla has made contact by
driving around the area and
visiting businesses to introduce
her team and the recruitment
services they offer.
Friendly welcome
Jayla has found everyone
extremely friendly in North
Devon and is pleased with the
response Simple Recruitment
has received both from clients
and candidates.
Clients have complimented
the team on their rapid
responses and attentiveness
when helping out with their
recruitment needs, while
candidates have praised the
company for efficiency in
providing placements.
“We are building a reputation
for a good solid service,
communication, honesty,
reliability and integrity.”
Simple Recruitment
specialises in permanent and
temporary recruitment across
industrial and commercial
sectors. It provides temps on
both a short and long-term
basis, in roles from reception
and PAs to production operatives,
forklift drivers and more.
Jayla is delighted with the
success of the Bideford office
and to have established a
branch of Simple Recruitment
in an area she loves.
“I spread my time across the
three offices, but I am lucky
enough to have fantastic teams
in place who work incredibly
hard to ensure our service is
delivered accordingly.”
■■Details 01237 439500 or
simplerecruitmentltd.co.uk
What attracted your
business to Magnetic
North Devon?
Share your story to
news@business-action.co.uk
Call 01271 326694.
info@boomboomedia.co.uk
visit www.boomboommedia.co.uk
16 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

My name is Rosie, I’m 20
years old and I live in the
small seaside town of Lynton.
In my spare time (and when
the weather allows), I love
lounging in the sun on the
beach, swimming and surfing.
I first discovered my interest
in marketing during my time
at college, where I studied an
extended diploma in business.
I really enjoyed learning about
marketing, as it enabled me
to bring out my creative side.
During the course, we had to
conduct market research on
the chocolate industry and use
our findings to come up with
an idea for a new chocolate bar.
With me being a huge chocoholic,
I was in my element and
the task highlighted my interest
in market research, which was
one of the reasons that led me
to apply to Turquoise Thinking
for the apprenticeship position.
Marketing apprenticeship
I started my marketing apprenticeship
through Petroc here at
Turquoise at the end of March
2019. During this time, I have
gained a pool of knowledge
about market research and how
the business operates. What
made Turquoise stand out to
me as a market research agency
is their extensive cross-sector
experience. They have worked
with a mass of blue-chip clients
in a wide number of sectors
over their 30 years in the market
research industry, and really
understand how people work
and what makes them tick.
My first day
I was thrown in at the deep
end on my first day, where I
was given the opportunity to
travel to Somerset to attend
a client presentation with my
new teammates. On arrival at
this highly secure site, we were
invited to sit in a porta-cabin
which had a poster on the wall
with warning signs telling us
to “run, hide and tell” if we
were faced with any immediate
threat or danger. Just the warm
welcome I needed to settle my
first-day nerves! However, we
made it out alive after Laura
delivered a fantastic presentation.
Getting involved in client
projects from the get-go has
made me feel part of the team
and allowed me to get a real
taste for how Turquoise interacts
with clients.
APPRENTICESHIPS
Diary of a market research apprentice
Apprenticeships are fast becoming the best way for young people
to start a career and for businesses to develop skilled people. This
month Rosie Hayton writes about her first month as a marketing
apprentice with Turquoise Thinking in Barnstaple
Deep in thought at Turquoise: (from left) Lisa Ollerenshaw, Mark Harvey,
Laura Scott, Rosie Hayton
My introduction to the
world of market research
Since starting my apprenticeship,
I have had the chance to
work with different colleagues
on an array of tasks each day,
from data analysis to scripting
questionnaires. This has given
me an understanding of everyone’s
role within the organisation
and what part each person
plays in taking a client project
from start to finish.
I was also given an exciting
opportunity to experience
a big kick-off meeting for a
client in the water sector in
Birmingham. The project
set out to achieve objectives
such as monitoring customer
satisfaction and increasing
awareness of service.
Attending this meeting
made me feel like I was a
valued member of the team
and gave me a greater understanding
of the process that
Turquoise goes through when
undertaking a project.
Getting on the phone!
The team has helped to push
me out of my comfort zone too.
In my second week, I was given
some training in the art of coldcalling
. . . uh-oh! This took the
form of first getting my head
round the sales process, sales
pipeline and how to introduce
the Turquoise proposition to
attract new business.
We then moved on to roleplay
which was particularly
challenging, because let’s face
it, who likes role-play anyway?
However, the training paid
off, and I had some good
conversations, which actually
resulted in being able to book
a couple of appointments
with universities who were
interested to speak to us about
our education sector market
research experience with
regards to upcoming research
requirements. This really
helped to build my confidence.
Best bits
My favourite thing about
working at Turquoise is the
variety that comes with the
job. I get to work on tasks in
different areas of the business,
conduct research, present my
findings to the team, and learn
new things every day.
I have really enjoyed my first
month at Turquoise Thinking.
I’m looking forward to what is
to come and gaining experience
and a full understanding
of the market research industry.
I would like to thank Turquoise
for giving me the opportunity
to help them expand their
close-knit team and for being
so welcoming.
■■Details 01271 337100 or
thinkturquoise.com
Cranford Business
Services Limited
www.accountsindevon.co.uk
Old Stone, Cranford, Bideford, Devon, EX39 5QW
07896 204 857
Does your accountant...
Listen to you and act on your needs?
Explain your accounts in terms you understand?
Arrange meeting at your convenience?
Leaving you free to concentrate on what you do best!
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 17

1. What was your first job?
I was 13 and worked as a
chambermaid in a small hotel
in Cambridge. I made the
beds, cleaned the rooms and
bathrooms. My first proper job
after leaving university was at a
bank called AMP in London. I
was an HR administrator.
2. What is the best
business advice you’ve
ever received?
Don’t worry about perfection.
Just get out there and do it.
Listen to the feedback, and
then refine what you’re doing.
I also read a book many years
ago called Ready, Fire, Aim
by Michael Masterson, which
advises the same thing.
3. What do you enjoy most
about business?
I really enjoy the business
improvement process. I enjoy
constantly looking at how we
can improve and how small
tweaks in each area of the business
enable us to move forward
and get better at what we do
and the delivery of our service.
4. What essential
technology could your
business never be without?
Email marketing software.
We recently switched from
Mailchimp to Drip, which is
brilliant.
5. Describe your business
management / style
Collaborative. When it comes
to clients, employees and all our
stakeholders, I view the relationship
as a partnership that we
should all benefit from, and I
believe that we should have fun
as well.
6. How do you go about
personal development?
Mostly reading. I have the
app Blinkist on my phone,
which is great for giving
me a summary of the key
messages of a wide variety
of books. If the summary is
good, then I’ll get the book
and read it all. Audiobooks
IN THE HEADER HOT SEAT
Lucy Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald HR
Looking for independent financial advice?
Call us on 01237 426450
for a free initial consultation
Each issue we put a North Devon business personality in the hot seat
and ask them 10 questions. This issue we asked Lucy Fitzgerald,
managing director of Fitzgerald HR
contact@dscottfinancial.co.uk
https://dscottfinancial.co.uk
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
are great because I can listen
whilst driving and I drive a
lot. A minimum of five hours’
driving a week results in five
hours of learning. But I often
drive much more than this. At
the moment I’m listening to
Let My People Go Surfing; the
Education of a Reluctant Businessman
by Yvon Chouinard.
With offices in Devon, Somerset
and London, Fitzgerald HR
provides Human Resources
with the human touch to
organisations of all sizes looking
for HR solutions across the
employee life cycle.
Fitzgerald HR offers a range
of packages and solutions
tailored to its clients’ requirements,
from HR consultancy
services, to acting as an
extension to existing HR teams
ABOUT FITZGERALD HR
7. Is there anything about
yourself that you would like
to change?
I can procrastinate. I prefer to
work on focused projects and
get very absorbed in what I’m
doing. This is difficult when
running a business as I’m often
pulled in different directions.
Sometimes I will put off
important tasks because I want
to keep going on the project
I’m involved in. I’m working
on getting a balance between
giving myself the time to be
absorbed in something that
really interests me, and moving
projects forward, whilst also
getting the important business
administration done.
8. Social media: yes or no?
Preferred network?
Yes. I think it’s important for
businesses to take a multichannel
approach to marketing
and we publish on LinkedIn,
Facebook and Twitter at the
moment. Personally, I tend to
use LinkedIn mostly. I find it’s a
great business networking tool.
9. How do you wind down
when not working?
I spend time with my family. I
also love to read fiction. Reading
a good book is something I can
get lost in, which makes it easy
to switch off from everything
else I need to be doing!
10. Do you have a motto or
favourite quotation?
Two:
1 – People who wonder
whether the glass is half empty
or half full are missing the
point. The glass is refillable.
2 – You can have it all, just not
at the same time.
by supporting with workplace
investigations or training.
With experience of working
with a wide range of sectors,
Fitzgerald HR knows that
clients often need hands-on
support, rather than just an
advice line. Fitzgerald HR has
built an HR company that
can provide nationwide HR
support on a local basis.
■■Details 01271 859267 or
www.fitzgeraldhr.co.uk
18 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

NEWS EXTRA
your link to success
covering Temporary, Permanent and Contract
in Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing and Business Support
offices in Barnstaple and Somerset 01271 349 745
www.coopergolding.co.uk
Woolacombe development
now available to buyers
Woolacombe’s Byron development
is now complete and
available to buyers.
The 57 open market apartments
offer spectacular views
across Woolacombe Bay and
benefit from exclusive facilities.
These include the new
Brundle’s restaurant as well
as communal outside spaces,
gym, indoor games room,
onsite underground parking,
outdoor surf storage, sauna
and surf showers.
The two to four-bedroom
apartments are suitable for
beachside family holidays or
as furnished holiday let investment
properties.
■■byronwoolacombe.co.uk
Rafting away on work experience
Fahren Woollacott, Callum
Rippon and Joe Passmore,
all 15-year-old students at
Pilton Community College,
designed and built a cardboard
craft for Bideford’s Cardboard
Boat Regatta on their work
experience at Atlas Packaging.
The students designed the
boat on CAD software used by
the structural design team at
Atlas Packaging and created
a small version to see how it
would look before embarking
on the big build.
■■Details atlaspackaging.co.uk
£150 Business Action Plan
all-year business advertising
➤ Business card advert in 6 issues
➤ Business listing in 6 issues
➤ Online listing for one year
➤ 6 issues of magazine mailed to you
Call Alan on 07970 671192
Wills Property Trusts (in will)
Children’s Trusts (in will) Funeral Plans
Probate Lasting Powers of Attorney
Wills: £70 Single / £105 Joint
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 19

PEOPLE
Tom Bond with his Devon and Cornwall Care Home Manager Silver Award
Tom Bond, manager of West
Heanton, the Buckland Filleigh
care home providing sheltered
housing and domiciliary home
care, has won the Devon and
Cornwall Care Home Manager
Silver Award 2019.
Tom and his wife Hayley
attended the awards ceremony
knowing only that a member
of staff had nominated him for
the award.
“I’m overjoyed to receive
this accolade,” says Tom. “None
of it would be possible without
the great team supporting me
at West Heanton.”
Established by Tom’s
grandparents, Syd and Phyllis
Martin, he now runs the
business with great aplomb,
innovation and vision.
Administration manager
Mindy Duly explains that their
services assist 60+ families in
the area, including residential
and domiciliary care (care in
the community services), meals
on wheels and day care centre.
Future plans include
increasing rooms from 23 to 26
and building a new all‐purpose
reception and activities hall.
They continue to train and
develop their staff with Acacia
Training and Development and
are always looking to increase
their team of 100.
Acacia’s programme
manager, Sue Lynne, recently
enrolled three more members
of staff on to apprenticeships.
She is delighted for the team,
saying: “There is always a warm
welcome at West Heanton, with
smiling happy staff and content
clients. It is a pleasure to work
with Tom and his team, a very
supportive employer of his
staff and Acacia as a training
provider. We have worked with
Tom and his team since 2014
and have seen the company
develop over the years.”
The team recently received
CQC Good for its domiciliary
care services and a 5-star environmental
health rating.
Professor Jim Norton, one
of Applegate’s non-executive
directors, has been awarded an
OBE for services to engineering
and the digital economy.
Jim Norton says: “I am
delighted by the national
recognition for my contributions
to the digital economy
and am continuing to support
that work through the innovation
in e-Procurement being
pioneered by Applegate.”
Among many other roles,
Jim was for 18 years an
external member of the Board
of the UK Parliament’s Office
of Science and Technology
and is a Fellow of the UK
Royal Academy of Engineering
– bringing a wealth
of knowledge and experience
to the board of Applegate as a
technology business.
Kelly Williams, sales and
marketing director at Savona
Foodservice in Ilfracombe, has
been shortlisted as a finalist
in one of the national IGD
Awards categories.
The awards celebrate the
biggest and best achievements
in the UK FMCG industry
and the national winners will
be announced at the awards
ceremony at London’s Tobacco
Dock, London on 7 November.
Kelly is one of four finalists
from across the country in
the Leading Light category as
someone who’s made a real
difference within her role over
the past year. Her recent key
Applegate chief executive
Stuart Brocklehurst
commented: “Jim’s OBE is
richly deserved. Few people
have done more for the
engineering sector and the
UK’s digital ecosystem. His
contributions to our Board are
invaluable, we’re delighted to
have him working with us.”
achievements include: sustainability
and managing route
consolidation to reduce the
company’s carbon footprint,
securing major contracts, exhibition
relocation success, online
ordering and re-branding.
Kelly has made a measurable
difference to the business,
consumers and the wider
industry, and has plans to grow
the company in the future.
Judges looked for evidence
of: how candidates performed
over and above their normal
job role, desirable behaviours
and / or use of their skills, and
how their achievements have
made a difference.
20 business action | August / September 2019 | business-action.co.uk

I was contacted by Paula
in early 2018 when she was
looking for better information
to show how her
rapidly growing business was
performing.
Paula’s business, Cooper
Golding Ltd, is a North Devon
based provider of high quality,
tailored recruitment services.
Since 2015 their operations
have grown rapidly so that,
with multiple customers and
revenue streams, the accounts
administration was proving a
challenge, and reliable information
to support decision
making was hard to find.
Sales plans for 2018 were
set to treble turnover, which
would require additional staff
and better systems in order
to maintain high standards of
customer service.
The Challenge
Cooper Golding uses Xero as
its accounting system, which
allows the team easy access and
maintenance of their accounts
information. However, like
many businesses enjoying
high sales growth, they were
constantly investing in additional
personnel, marketing
and equipment.
Paula needed clear and
detailed analysis to ensure that
the decisions she was taking
delivered the cashflow and
profitability required.
My Service
When I met the team, we
discussed the challenges and I
took time to work out exactly
what help they needed.
It was crucial that the solution
should be easy to use, to
scale up and not require my
regular attention. The most
appropriate solution was to
improve the information that
Xero reported and to create
a simple structure of spreadsheets
to allow the in-depth
analysis required by the team.
GROWTH
Using strategic financial data for growth
Have you ever wondered what a management accountant does?
Susie Kevern is a North Devon-based independent Chartered
Management Accountant.
With many years’ training and experience from working
in a variety of big businesses, she set up her own business
eight years ago. Rather than focusing on technical accounting
compliance, management accountants take a more forward
looking view of business to:
➤➤plan growth and investment
➤➤predict the effects of business decisions, and
➤➤investigate what keeps the business engine going in order to
tune it to work better
Susie works with her clients to make sure that the time and
money spent keeping the books up to date for the tax office also
produce actionable information that shows how well the business
is performing.
She has a particular focus on working with food manufacturing
businesses, but in recent years has helped a variety of
businesses from garages to cleaning contractors and tackled
projects ranging from complex re-financing projects to standalone
project planning.
Here Susie talks about how she uses financial data strategically
in her ongoing work with the team at Cooper Golding . . .
My priority was to update
and simplify the spreadsheets
already in place to ensure they
were accurately recording the
non-financial information.
I reorganised the accounting
reports to show the figures
that the Cooper Golding team
needed to see so that they had
good information on which
to base decisions. In addition,
I adapted the accounting
processes to make sure the
correct costs were being recognised
in each sales month.
The final part of the plan
was to give Paula and her team
a clear, simple report detailing
sales to each customer each
week, showing the key areas of
business growth.
Results
The immediate result of my
work was a set of reports that
allowed Paula and her team
to see how they were driving
growth at Cooper Golding.
This enabled them to grow
the business beyond Paula’s
expectations for 2018 while
maintaining high levels of cost
effective customer satisfaction.
As we continue to work
together, we now have the
information we need to be able
to assess proposed changes to
the business and make better,
faster decisions for the future.
What does Paula think?
“We needed the expertise of
a management accountant
to assist us with developing
Cooper Golding and looking
strategically at the accounts
and financial growth.
“Susie quickly got to grips
with the brief and delivered
the solution in a timely and,
most importantly, effective
manner for our needs and has
been, and continues to be, a
supportive part of our team.”
■■Details 07801 199671 or
poundlane.co.uk
Susie Kevern improves decision making through
strategic financial information
@businessactionm | August / September 2019 | business action 21

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