Norfolk

The Institute of Directors in Norfolk - December 2014

Ending on a high!
We closed 2014 with what we think was our best
Christmas Lunch ever - supported by Barclays. Another
record attendance and raising over 3,000 for the work
of Norfolk based charity Walking With The Wounded. Full
picture story inside.

sponsored by

Holden

driving satisfaction

2 News

INSIDE

...all for charity!

Looking ahead to 2015

Student IoD launches!

7

Green motoring?

Academic vs. Vocational

9
VAT and Europe

10

NO COMMENT...

11

CSC

12

Overtime and Holiday Pay

13

STG Aerospace visit

14 & 15

Christmas with Walking With

The Wounded

16

In September the branch piloted it's most technically advanced 'virtual' event
ever as part of Macmillan's 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning Campaign' and
encouraged members to take up the Movember challenge. This proved to
be highly amusing if not technically successful...
When it comes to 'virtual' events,
our Macmillan pilot was
invaluable. Recent upgrades to
the branch's ICT facility, placed us
about two years ahead of typical
corporate systems and setting up
a video-conferencing event over
Skype is not something anyone
does every day, and Corporate
IT managers do not like staff
upgrading and installing stuff and rightly so! Consequently our
brave band of virtual coffee
drinkers did not all get through!
However, we successfully linked
with the teams at Anglia
Investment & Financial Planning,
Nik at NVVise and the crowds at
Lovewell Blake, plus we could
hear the groups at Bidwells and
Indigo Swan - and next year we
will get through to the group at
Parker Andrews too! We grabbed
some screen shots to prove we
saw each other!

The Lovewell Blake Macmillan caf

The team at AIFP downing coffee and cakes

Breakfasts, incl Christmas

Special

Worth while doing? Yes.

17

We had more success on the Movember front with a dedicated group following
the 'challenge' of growing a tash to raise awareness of men's health issues.
Barry Wilderoder and Stuart Turner compared growth at the November Light
Lunch and the design team at Farrows took pics of themselves too. Suffice to
say, many noticed their efforts - but all are now clean shaven.... Well done and
thank you, all those who took part.

Growth Conference review

18

Zenos Cars - visit and track

day

Better next year? Definitely!

19

Branch info and booking

20

Motoring review - Renault's

new Twingo
Farrows team - not all genuine...

IOD MEMBER HUB

Members can make use of St Andrews House, the home of
the Financial Skills Academy in the heart of Norwich, to
drop-in-and-work, relax between appointments, hold small
meetings use the wi-fi and caf service (term time). Private
meeting and function rooms available for hire at Member
rates. Provided by City College Norwich. Follow the QR
code to view this and other IoD premises.

Barry Wilderoder (won lunch raffle), Stuart Turner

Chair's comment 3

Your country needs you?

The Christmas period is an exciting time for business,
particularly for those in retail, but it also provides us
individually with time to reflect on our business and
personal journeys. A break over the festive holiday or in
the year ahead allows us time with our families, time to
rest and time to reflect. And maybe the opportunity to
look at things in a new way or read more widely.

As directors we are the people the owners appoint to run the

business on their behalf, and they and our community TRUST us
to run the business in a legal and proper way. In effect, being a
director involves a legal and moral covenant i.e. a promise to
engage in action and behave in a certain way.
My interesting read for the festive break was The Armed Forces
Military Covenant. It highlights the moral obligation on the whole
nation to respect, support and treat fairly current and ex service
people, as part of the moral contract we have with them. Their
duty is explicit, the nations is implied. Each year at IoD Norfolk
we select a charity to support at the Christmas lunch. This year
we were delighted to be supporting the Norfolk-based Walking
with the Wounded charity. They do fantastic work raising funds

to retrain and re skill wounded members of the armed services

and support them in finding new careers outside the Military.
They have many inspirational personal stories to share.
What can we learn from them as business people? For me,
charities such as this, raise a number of questions for business
leaders. How are we going to discharge our duty in relation to
the military covenant? Who are we walking with? And on a wider
scale, what other covenants do we have in our business? History
teaches us that the great business leaders in the past were
aware of their implied covenants. What are ours, and are we
doing enough to discharge them?
Nigel Cushion - Chair

4 Forthcoming events

What are you doing in 2015?

As we go to press just before the Christmas printing break, we are putting
the finishing touches to our 2015 programme. For the coming year, all our
usual favourites will be running and the first events will be available to book
on-line from our home page links. If you are new to the IoD Norfolk mailing,
across these two pages is an outline of what we do on the local event front
and the dates of our first events of the year...

THE LIGHT LUNCH

Cooper Lomaz
Salary Survey
Great food (wine, main, coffee), good company, and the ten minute seminar to
transform your business world! The Light Lunch runs on the last Friday of every
month (with the odd deviation for holiday dates) and gives you the opportunity
to meet someone new, learn something useful and enjoy a great lunch.
Lunches are usually held at The Last Wine Bar and Restaurant and the food is
always top notch!
Our ten-minute seminars each month
look at a very wide variety of business
issues, subjects and ideas - ranging from
acupuncture in the office through
business dress to social media & more.
In January we welcome Mark Fletcher of
Cooper Lomaz Recruitment to talk about
their latest salary review study - are you
paying, or being paid, too much, or too
little!
Friday 30th January
12.45pm to 2.15pm
The Last
St Georges Norwich NR1 3AB

Join the IoD

in 2015
Discounts on the local event
programme is just the tip of the
ice berg when it comes to
member benefits for the
growing number of business
leaders who are joining the IoD
- Directors, Partners of
professional firms and senior
consultants can all benefit from
joining.

Professional Director Training

Premises/Clubs across UK
Research services
Legal/Tax assistance lines
Consultancy services
Online data and resources
Airport lounges
Affinity discounts
NXD Directory

We have yet to meet a Member

who has used everything they
are entitled to in any one year,
yet all derive huge benefit from
the services they access. If you
run a business, there is no-one
else better to have by your side.
Join the IoD in 2015... Contact
us on norfolk@iod.net

BANK OF ENGLAND QUARTERLY REPORTS

Stability in 2015?
Run by, and free to attend courtesy of City College
Norwich, these quarterly briefings from the bank's agent for
the East of England, Tim Pike, are always informative and
fascinating. As we go into 2015, with falling oil prices, the
North Sea apparently in 'crisis', the Rouble tumbling....
Just what lies ahead for UK plc? Economics degree not
required.
Thursday 12th February 2015 - 5.00pm
St Andrews House, Norwich NR2 4TP

FREE TO ATTEND

Forthcoming events 5

Get the message...

...sign up for Email!
IoD Norfolk is one of the most active branches in the UK, in 2014 we
ran or were closely involved with organising 50 events! They range
in size from select suppers, specialist company visits, big corporate
gatherings, breakfasts, lunches, briefings and charity events. We
communicate all the info using email, so if you do not receive our
monthly bulletin, sign up NOW!
Non-members are welcome to attend our events (Members get discounted
prices) and to be kept in the picture send your email to norfolk@iod.net to be
added to the broadcasts. Members need to ensure their personal profile
settings in their account at www.iod.com include regional and local emails.
In the email we include links to our booking system and details of other regional
business conferences we feel our readers might want to look at, and info on a
string of charity events through the year. We encourage you to sign up if not
already on the list - you can always opt out if you don't see something you like!

DIRECTORS' SUPPERS

Directors' Dinner party

In 2014 we ran what we affectionately called our 'Six of the Best' series of
suppers for Directors, bringing key Members of the IoD Team to dinner
to share their top tips and thoughts in their fields.
After supper, our speaker 'hosts' led the
discussion, which was always lively,
giving everyone the opportunity to bring
their own thoughts to the table and
learn from the experiences of others.
So far we have looked at being an NED,
an MD, insurance, finance, property
and ICT. For 2015 we will add further
subjects and perhaps revisit other
areas of those we have touched on.
Held at the Norfolk Club, these events
are proving to be very rewarding and
worth looking at if you run any kind of
business!

THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Retail special with John Lewis

The Breakfast Club kicks off 2015 with a trip out to The John Lewis
store with a retail review, looking at the latest high street trends in the
city and beyond and exploring what changes we will notice in the
year ahead. And most importantly Head of Branch, Richard Marks,
will reveal the top selling Christmas gifts 2014!
The club is run by stmg, if you are not on their list (Members can
Register FOC) email breakfast@stmg.co.uk. The club usually meets
at the Cathedral Refectory outside December/January.
Tuesday 27th January 2015 - 7.30am to 9.15am - John Lewis

6 Student IoD

Student IoD launched!

Norfolk has added a new dimension to its activities with the formation of a Student
IoD, based at the UEA. The University have agreed to fund 25 memberships to kickstart the initiative and Cooper Lomaz Recruitment are sponsoring the development
of the group. The first group of members have been recruited and are busy planning
new events and activities, many of which will be valuable to non-student members!

Freya Block, Charmaine Ng, Marcus Winter, Martin Oganesyan, Liam Upson, Bruce Whiting, Matt Pate, Mary Leishman

Student membership offers just what a

student needs to introduce them to the world
of business and support them in their studies
including a Young Directors forum, national
student events, online networking, mentoring,
placement and internship noticeboard,
business information, start-up guidance, a
crowd funding tool, Director Magazine app
and e-bulletins.
Plus the local package where a number of
students can join with branch at its events monthly lunches and breakfasts, company

Lucy Hykin from Pall Mall chats with students

at the UEA Careers Fair launch of Student IoD

visits and suppers, conferences and

seminars, and see the magazine and email
updates. Around the UK, how to network,
presentations, job applications, business startup, leadership, entrepreneurship have all been
the focus of events run by students for
students, so we expect to add to our
programme..
Every Student IoD is managed by a team of
Students, supported by the local IoD Branch,
who have the opportunity to create their own
events and initiatives - gold plating their CV's!

Were very pleased to be sponsoring the Norfolk Student

IoD and are excited for it to get underway. Its great to be
able to assist students in taking their first steps into the
business world. A huge part of that is helping them engage
with local businesses to see how they work and get crucial
advice from people with experience. I have no doubt that
members will gain a great deal from this initiative and I look
forward to working with them in future.
Charlotte Cooper
Telephone 01603 766760
CCooper@cooperlomaz.co.uk
www.cooperlomaz.co.uk

Mark Fletcher and Michael Drummond of Cooper

Lomaz at the careers fair with Freya Block

Motoring 7

How green can you go...?

The autumn sun is commencing its slow descent toward the horizon. Its hazy
light breaking through the vertical blinds. The warm, stale air hangs heavy in
the classroom. All around, other delegates doodle, tap their feet, gaze at the
screen. Eyelids begin to falter as the final remaining hour of the session gets
underway. At the front, the man preaches with an enthusiasm that belies the
fact he has most likely done this presentation over 100 times previously. On the
screen a gorilla walks through a basketball court, all bar a few are oblivious.
I am doing my speed awareness course! And if you do an
average amount of mileage, there is a good chance you have
done one too. Together with the other naughty motorists (most of
whom, myself included, briefly tipped over 35mph in a 30 zone
at the exact wrong moment).

ordered for its eco credentials. It has a new engine that is

widely touted as the best power/eco combination yet. I went for
auto gearbox on the basis I could then discount driving errors of
late gear changes and over revving. I filled her up with diesel
and drove home. Very slowly, as an Eco-Warrior convert...

Credit to the council and the gents who co-hosted the session.
To be faced with a room of people so unenthusiastic about
hearing what they have to say, and managing to engage them
for 4 hours, and leaving myself and apparently the majority of the
other attendees genuinely reflecting the nature of our driving
habits, is no small achievement. However, my ears did prick up
at one particular comment, my immediate reaction being, "that's
total b&*%$s".

The key to eco driving is not to brake, not to accelerate, and to

keep steering to a minimum. In truth it is not really driving its
more like coasting. Take your foot off the pedal at the earliest
opportunity and let the speed fall away on its own while you look
as far up the road as you can to give yourself maximum
anticipation.

This occurred during the part of the

session when the tutors focus on the
many disadvantages of speeding.
Improving your fuel economy being one
of the many predictable reasons to be a
little more driving Miss Daisy and a little
less Lewis Hamilton.
He made the comment, or words to the
effect of, people say you cant achieve
the fuel economies advertised for modern
cars, we can, we easily beat them.
If one of my sales executives made a
similar statement to a customer, theyd be
sat down for a chat on why it is important
not to mislead customers and manage
their expectations properly. Its an open
secret that mpg figures reported in the
brochure are not realistic. My own view, hitherto, has been take
off at least 10mpg from the suggested figure and for myself
20mpg, prior to attending the speed awareness course
obviously.
However, the Councils very own Captain Slow had laid the
gauntlet down, if he can do it, then with the benefit of my reeducation and armed with his eco driving tips, I can do it too. To
maximise my chances of success I exercised one of the biggest
perks of my job, and took delivery of a brand new car specifically

Tim Holden
Telephone 01603 283900
tph@holdengroup.co.uk
www.holdengroup.co.uk

My target was a combined consumption

69mpg
The reason we tell customers to take off
at least 10 mpg for each stated fig, is
they are done under test conditions and
therefore have created the perfect
environment for achieving low
consumption. Whilst it is fair to say this
could be perceived as misleading, the
upside is, it is consistently misleading.
The figures quoted do provide a reliable
benchmark from which to compare cars,
in that they are all 10mpg too high. A car
that does 80mpg is 15mpg more
economic than one that does 65mpg,
most likely achieving 70mpg and 55mpg
respectively if driven in a similar style.
So two months of eco driving later, how
did I get on? I drove like a saint and
managed a poultry 50mpg! Disillusioned at no further
improvement I gave up, switched off eco mode and drove it
normally, which was much more satisfying.
My conclusion: The Norfolk speed awareness course is very
good. Unfortunately his claim to exceed the economy quoted
for a new car is as much b&*%$s as the b&*%$s they claim
in any manufacturers brochure. I'll let you know how my mpg
changed when I went back to normal driving... Or maybe I
won't!

8 Education

Is 'parity of esteem' the right goal for

vocational education?
In a major speech to the CBI in Cambridge recently (18th November 2014), the
Chief Inspector of Schools Sir Michael Wilshaw told his audience that there is a
need to establish parity of esteem between the traditional academic route and
vocational education.

Year 12 UTC students at SeaJacks. Students at UTC

Norfolk combine academic and vocational learning,
with strong employer involvement.

Sir Wilshaw added that, with the economy improving and crossparty agreement on the need for more high-quality
apprenticeships, We have never had a better opportunity to
tackle our lamentable record on vocational education, but only if
we seize this moment and only if employers play their part. The
Holy Grail at the end of this call to action, which of course is
something we have heard issued by many policy makers and
politicians before Sir Wilshaw, is to get vocational education in
this country on a par with that of countries such as Germany,
Switzerland and Norway. It is this crucial last point - the positive
vision of what we want our vocational education system to look
like - that leads me to conclude that the notion of parity of
esteem is the wrong focus for our attention.
The fundamental issue is not, ultimately, how we compare
academic learning on the one hand with vocational education,
including apprenticeships, on the other. The real issue is about
how our vocational education relates to the world of work and
our current and future workforce requirements in all sectors of the
economy. If we get that right, by ensuring that all vocational
education is of high quality, is up-to-date with current and
(expected) future industry practice, and provides the skills and
work-readiness that employers are looking for, then vocational
education will soon enough come to be seen as being of equal
value to the academic route.
Here in Norfolk we have some truly excellent vocational
education and training of which we can be rightly proud. Take a
look at the outstanding training for (and developed in close
conjunction with) the hospitality and catering industry provided
by the Hotel School at City College Norwich; or look at the

unique work that University Technical College Norfolk is doing with

employers including Lotus, Future Marine Services, Gardline, KLM
UK Engineering, CLS Offshore and ST Racing to train the next
generation engineers for the energy and advanced manufacturing
sectors, to name just two examples. But we need to ensure that
this link to the world of work is consistently strong and clear for all
vocational education. This is where I can wholeheartedly agree
with Sir Wilshaw: employers are central to the solution. We need
employer engagement to be at the forefront of all future reforms to
vocational education; we need to ensure that we continue to
promote the many fantastic career opportunities that are available
through Apprenticeships; and we need to make sure that all
vocational training has a clear line of sight to the employment
opportunities that are available at the end of it.
Sir Wilshaw ended his CBI speech with a three-fold challenge to
employers:
1. Could you do more to train people here rather than
recruiting from abroad?
2. How much do you do to make young people in schools
aware of all the different types of work in your company?
Have you made a sustained effort to engage with schools
and colleges and let them know what opportunities you
offer?
3. What would it take to turn a job vacancy into an
Apprenticeship?
My colleagues and I in the TEN Group would be very happy to talk
with you about how we could work together on any or all of these
points.

Dick Palmer
Group Chief Executive Officer
TEN Group
Telephone 01603 773308
dick.palmer@ccn.ac.uk
@dickpalmerccn www.tengroup.org.uk

Financial 9

Changes to VAT in Europe

from 1 January 2015
Certain VAT rules known as the place of supply rules will be changing in the New
Year. Initially, these changes will affect anyone who sells certain electronic services to
consumers in the EU. For example, software downloads, mobile phone apps,
telecoms and broadcasting to name a few.
To clarify, at present, the place of supply
for an electronically supplied service to an
individual located in the EU is where the
supplier is established. From 2015 the
place of supply becomes where the
consumer resides.
How does this impact business?
As a result of these changes, there will be
a big impact on these types of service
providers to consumers throughout
Europe. Further considerations are
needed if the supplier is already
established in an EU member state, or is
established outside of the European
Union.
However in general terms, the supplier will
have an option to either register for VAT in
each member state, for which it will make
supplies, or alternatively register in one EU
member state for the mini one-stop shop
(MOSS) which will enable them to account
for and pay the relevant EU member
states VAT.
What to do now?
As a result of these changes there could
be a number of issues to consider, for
example there are 28 different member
states in the EU with VAT rates varying
from 15% to 27% as well as a number of
differences in each member states
legislation and VAT guidance.
As an added complication there are
potential language barriers with other tax
authorities and advisors throughout the
EU.
For most suppliers without an EU
establishment, who are likely to be caught
up in these changes to the VAT treatment,
it would seem appropriate to register with
an English speaking firm of accountants
who can assist you with all aspects of
accounting for VAT and submitting VAT
and MOSS returns as appropriate.

Disclaimer: Please note that this article is provided

for your information only. Whilst every effort has
been made to ensure its accuracy, information
contained herein may not be comprehensive and
you should not act upon it without seeking
professional advice.

Liz Hill

VAT Consultant
Telephone 01603 663300
l.hill@lovewell-blake.co.uk
www.lovewell-blake.co.uk

10 Public Relations

Two unfortunate words that

speak volumes!
The words No Comment dont exist in a PR professionals phrase book, says Newsmakers
director Amanda Sandland-Taylor. And they shouldnt appear in yours, either.
Its not one of your best days at the office. A challenging
situation has cropped up which, if not handled correctly, could
damage your business. Then the phone rings a journalist has
got wind of the issue and wants a quote from you. Thats the last
thing you need right then and you give them short shrift.

Be regretful. Stress that however much you would like to be

completely open and transparent, there are things you cannot
discuss yet because of ongoing investigations, legal
proceedings, client confidentiality, data protection or whatever
else is appropriate.

Next day you read or hear a story that paints your company
in a less than favourable light. The footnote to the story is a
curt one-liner The company refused to comment. In
readers eyes or listeners ears, youve just admitted its
all true.

Be forward looking. Make it clear any criticism is history

because youve moved on. Youve already taken the comments
on board, put new procedures in place. Youve
learned from the experience and the company is now
stronger than ever.

When the media calls, even if it is with questions

youd rather not answer, you need to be upbeat.
Think like a politician! Youve just been handed a
profile-raising prospect to turn a challenge into
an opportunity, a negative into a positive! Seize
the moment its a golden chance to communicate key
messages.

Be clear. Make sure there is no ambiguity in what you

say. Speak in simple words and short unequivocal
sentences, using non-technical language. Dont leave
the journalist to interpret what you are sayingtheres a risk they
will get it completely wrong!

Each situation you face is unique and youll need to mix and
match your responses to provide a bespoke reply. Here are a
few handy hints for starters

Be positive. Thank the journalist for getting in touch. Welcome

Think before you speak. If a momentary pause is not enough

and you need some time to work out what to say, which tack to
use, politely tell the reporter that in the interests of accuracy you
need time to check the up-to-date picture. Ask when their
deadline is and promise to get back to them. Call well in
advance of that deadline.

the opportunity to put the record straight. Dont get aggressive

never try to intimidate a reporter. Slugging it out verbally will
NEVER turn out in your favour!

If that all sounds daunting, there is an alternative. Be prepared

have a competent PR professional on your team of advisers.
This is when they will be worth their weight in gold.

Be sympathetic. Express understanding of the other partys

The best advisers are not there just to publicise the good news
stories. They are also equally skilled at reputation management.
Here at Newsmakers our team is made up of trained journalists
with many years' experience. We have experienced life on both
sides of the editorial fence.

point of view and let it be clearly known how concerned you are
that they are upset. If appropriate, say how personally upsetting
the situation has been for you.

Be proactive. Dont stay on the back foot. If you do, you will

find yourself being defensive, batting question after question until

the journalist has run out of things to throw at you. Take control
and steer the discussion into positive territory. Dont miss the
opportunity to stress the good things your company has
achieved.

Be reasonable. Let the reporter know youd be delighted to

Were in our comfort zone handling the medias questions and

queries. They are the people we have managed or worked
alongside for years.
Were happy to take the responsibility of dealing with them,
leaving our clients to get on with doing what they do best
running successful business enterprises.

meet the other party, listen to their points and work out a
compromise solution that will leave everyone as satisfied as
possible in the circumstances.

Amanda Sandland-Taylor
Director Newsmakers
Telephone 01603 760777
hello@newsmakersuk.com
www.newsmakersuk.com

Information technology 11

Disruptive Technology (Part 3 of 4)

Bitcoins
During December 2012, an article appeared on the BBC news website. The heading
was "JP Morgan files for anonymous online payment system". Due to many other
news articles, this soon dropped off the bottom, as new, more exciting stories took its
place. However, I wondered at the time, how many people really understood the
significance of this article or Bitcoins themselves.

At present our entire social structure is funded through the

business of taxation. From the schools which teach our children,
to the hospitals which treat our populations, the armed forces
which protect our borders and the politicians which provide us a
construct to work within. All of this is potentially in jeopardy with
the advent of the Bitcoin.
A Bitcoin is a transaction between two parties using a currency
which has no traceability, the system is borderless, stateless and
has no governing body. All transactions are final with no redress
should the need arise. This also means that no taxation is
applied, which ultimately means that the social structures which
define our country could descend into anarchy, as the funds
required to pay for a modern state would not be made.
In recent months, the Bitcoin value has fluctuated enormously as
various events affect its value. Most of the downward trends
have been caused when news articles link Bitcoin transactions to
illegal activity, such as drugs, the sex trade & piracy. We should
all be asking ourselves, is this a society we wish to be involved
with and should we allow such tools to exist?

There are a few people in the world who are desperate to see
the growth in anonymous payments systems such as Bitcoins.
They are on record as quoting that the institutions of today will
be toppled as such mechanisms take over. Comments such
as "people will be in control of their money once again, without
intervention from the state or from banks themselves".
Legislation such as the Money Laundering Act would simply
become irrelevant which ultimately means criminal activity
would continue to flourish as it is mixed in with legitimate
transactions.
Some people would ask why this is a problem? Very simply, if
you consider that finance is the largest industry sector in the
UK , with all of its linked industries, if we are not paying any tax
on transactions, why would we need Accountants? If salaries
were paid in Bitcoins, how would you collect the National
Insurance contributions and so on.
I, for one, embrace new technology, but the ever increasing
speed in which new technology is adopted should concern
even the biggest advocates of disruptive technology.

Christopher Cooper
Telephone 01603 431200
c.cooper@computerservicecentre.com
www.computerservicecentre.com

12 Legal

Overtime, holiday pay

and your business
An estimated 5 million employees earn overtime. In November, a far-reaching
Employment Appeal Tribunal decision ruled employers should include overtime,
whether guaranteed or not, when calculating holiday pay. The IoD has described the
decision as a "time bomb" which could wipe out some small businesses. Shue Yin Lo,
Employment Solicitor at Hansells Solicitors and Financial Advisers, tackles basic
questions about the ruling.
Why has this issue suddenly cropped up?
This is a landmark case in which the Employment Appeal
Tribunal has ruled that long-standing UK government advice to
businesses is wrong. For years, the government has interpreted
the European Union Working Time Directive as meaning holiday
pay should be calculated on an employee's basic rate of pay.
Payments for non-guaranteed overtime haven't been included.
After hearing test cases, the Tribunal decided government
advice is incorrect and that non-guaranteed (as well as
guaranteed) overtime should be included in holiday pay
calculations. Non-guaranteed overtime is where the employer is
not required to offer overtime, but if it does, the worker must work
it.
How will the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling affect
me?
Employers should take all elements of a workers normal pay
into account when calculating holiday pay. So if you have
employees who work contractual and/or non-contractual
overtime, the additional hours worked each week as well as
other payments which are considered intrinsically linked to the
work carried out by the employee, should be taken into account
when it comes to working out holiday pay.
Does the ruling apply to all businesses, however small?
Yes. However it only applies to the minimum four weeks of
statutory annual leave specified under the Working Time
Directive and not the additional 1.6 weeks paid holiday to which
workers are entitled under the Working Time Regulations.
Can my employees claim back pay?
Employees who brought the test cases asked for payments to
be backdated for a number of years. The Tribunal ruled that
workers cannot make claims for holiday pay if more than three
months have passed between deductions.
I have members of staff who regularly work overtime but
the hours vary from week to week. How do I calculate their
entitlement?
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development advises
using calculations based on workers' average earnings in the 12
weeks leading up to their holiday including contractual and
non-contractual overtime.
Does the ruling differentiate between compulsory or
voluntary overtime?
No. The tribunal held that hours worked over and above the
employee's contractual hours were 'intrinsically linked' to his or
her performance of their role. It is irrelevant whether the overtime
was voluntary or not.
Is the ruling final?
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has given the parties
permission to appeal and challenge the ruling. A final decision
could be a year or more away. It would be prudent to follow the

example of major companies who have already prepared

contingency plans. They have budgeted large sums of money
to cover all overtime whether voluntary or not alongside other
elements in employers' holiday pay calculations.
If the ruling is upheld, it will have a serious impact on the
viability of my business. Where can I get advice?
Some firms of solicitors have dedicated employment teams and
I would encourage you to get good legal advice. If you dont
already have a specialist to call on, the Hansells HR team would
be very happy to hear from you. One source of general advice is
the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) which
runs employment law update training sessions to help
employers keep up to speed with the UK's legislative framework.

Shue Yo Lin

01603 751970
shueyinlo@hansells.co.uk
www.hansells.co.uk

Event reviews 13

STG Aerospace - Queen's

Award winners...
This was definitely one for the aviation enthusiasts. STG dominate the market when it
comes to glowing safety signs on aircraft - something we probably never see as most of
our flights typically go to plan! The company is now pioneering new lighting systems
for aircraft and the day after our visit was awarded another Queen's Award for Export.
The Lord Lieutenant on presentation day

Gary Webb, Roger Holden, Robert Graver, Dawn Towns,

with Nigel Duncan, Gary Lockwood and Tess Evans of STG

The STG SafTglo manufacturing area

The bulk of the evening was taken up with a detailed and highly
informative look at the way the aviation safety industry works and where
STG sit in the mix. The group, almost all of whom had specific aviation
interests, found this briefing very informative before we looked at the
production processes and at the new lighting systems products.
The evening closed with the group being joined for supper by the
management team and establishing some firm connections. A
fascinating company, passionate people and highly innovative products.

GEW - smartview 360

In November, the IoD piloted a roll-out of their 2013 Global Entrepreneurship
Week where budding business people can share their plans and ideas with
an adviser drawn from the membership. GEW arrived in Norwich!
The branch quickly assembled a team from its committee and on the afternoon of 23
November, Steven Scarlett and Stuart Turner were called upon to assess the plans of Andrew
Catchpole, about to launch his 'Smartview 360' business into the market, using the latest digital
tools to create stunning video films of properties for clients which viewers can explore on-line.

Andrew Catchpole with Steven Scarlett

International Light Lunches

To close the year our Light Lunches had a distinctly international
flavour giving an opportunity for speakers and delegates alike to
share their thoughts on doing business beyond our shores.
In October Anglia DNA's Thomas Haizel, from Ghana, talked about the business
environment in his home country and also shared experiences on a recent
business trip to Brazil which demonstrated just how different business culture is.
In November, our Chinese event was overtaken by the Hong Kong student protest
(the UKTI trip our speaker was booked onto was postponed until 2015). Instead
lunch delegates shared their own experiences of doing business overseas with
contributions which covered Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands and the US - we
have much to learn about how to do business with our neighbours.

Paul Palik, Thomas Haizel, James Tarling, Carl Pocock

14 Christmas Lunch

A lunch to inspire...
The big question after our 2013 Charity Christmas Lunch, was how do you follow Jake
Humphrey, TV sports celebrity and local boy made good, who helped us raise 3,000 for
Break. As it happens, it was easier than we expected! How many people do you know
who have walked to the South Pole, with no legs below the knee? Duncan Slater did just
that with Walking With The Wounded a year ago and told us his personal, inspirational
story. Moving, funny, something to make our own achievements look sadly lacking!
Our Lunch was supported again by our
Friends at Barclays who promised to moneymatch a big chunk of what we would raise on
the day through the epic raffle - which guests
again had a one in ten chance of winning
something.
Duncan Slater was joined by Ed Parker, cofounder of WWTW, who talked about the work
the Norfolk based charity undertakes and the
scale of the need - tens of thousands of exservice personnel struggle to adjust back to
'life after service for their nation', not just with
physical injuries, but also with psychological
problems to overcome.
This was illustrated by watching 'Sean's Story'
which had the audience laughing and brought
tears to the corner of many an eye. Follow the
QR link to watch this yourself.
The support from Barclays was also very
timely as the bank has been running its Armed
Forces Transition Employment and
Resettlement (AFTER) programme since 2010
and has helped over 2,400 service leavers
transition into civilian employment. (To find out
more about Barclays AFTER programme,
email AFTERprogramme@barclays.com).

Matthew Peek, Duncan Slater, Edward Parker,

Nigel Cushion and The General Lord Dannatt

Stuart Turner, Danielle Bussell

The Lunch itself was very well received,

confirming Dunston Hall as a good venue for
our event and the lunch had all the ingredients
to both entertain, laugh and joke and be
challenged, in the space of three hours. We
were also pleased to be joined by General
The Lord Dannatt and Paul McVeigh who
helped give us another record attendance.

Stephen Wilson, Paul McVeigh

James Cooper, Steven Scarlett, Stuart Mackle, Matthew Neville

Of course, we could not end this report

without a thank you to all those who donated
through our raffle to help us raise, with the
Barclays money-match element, over 3,000
for the work of WWTW - another IoD Norfolk
record. Huge thank you to everyone.
So, after another epic Christmas lunch,
thinking hats on for 2015 - onward and
upward!

Stephen Read, Sandra Moore

Alison Green, Bertie Patterson, Debra Taylor

David Sneddon, Mark Fletcher

Ed Savory and James Gulliver

Brandon Taylor, Robert Graver,

Graham Lewis

Kerry Flower, Marie Vallgren and Gemma Murrell

Christmas Lunch 15

..supported by
Andrew Foreman and Steven Scarlett entertain their guests

Jane Lovell, Tim Sweeting

Yuwan Effendi
Steve Applegate

Mike Hanby (right) with his table

Barry Wilderoder, Daren Moore

Roger Holden and Chris Read

Richard Proctor and Bob Annable

Amalie Espeland, Michael Drummond, Bruce Whiting, Jane Lovell, Mark Fletcher, Matt Pate, Liam Upson, Freya Block, Mary Leishman

Diary pictures by

David Ramsay and Richard Powell

Alan Wright, Chand Chudasama

Caroline Rust, Kathryn Hurst

stmg - events

David Schulte, Richard Lovett

Cosy dining....

Running memorable events for you and your clients...

Planning and running top events in the region. Masterminding event programmes
for demanding clients like the IoD and the Royal Warrant Holders Association,
advising and guiding the region's Law Society and co-ordinating a host of
programmes, down the years.
From airshows for thousands to conferences, seminar programmes and prestige
corporate events, stmg plans and delivers events to remember. We could help
you make the most of your event ideas and plans, call us.

www.stmg.co.uk
01493 701054
stuart@stmg.co.uk
www.interpac-norwich.co.uk Telephone 01603 424977 info@interpac-norwich.co.uk

16 Event reviews

Showers, Deans and Christmas

party games...
The Breakfast Club rounded off the year in style with two fascinating speakers
and one 'children's party' - its traditional end of year fun event. Thanks go to
Newsmakers PR for sponsoring the Club during the year and its bottomless
raffle prize trunk!
For October, Dragon's Den veteran Alan Wright, whose shower pump
invention was rejected on TV but has since gone on to greater things,
talked about being an inventor. He also shared the ins and outs of the TV
programming and how it actually serves the needs of entrepreneurs.

New Castle Mall Manager Amanda

Phillips with gifts from the Club

In November the new Dean of Norwich Cathedral The Very Revd Dr Jane
Hedges talked about her role and the history and challenges of women
in the church - being the first female Dean in the history of the cathedral
in a year when the General Synod had approved the first women
bishops.
The Christmas Breakfast had a distinct party feel, with games and
quizzes plus a marvellous full English at the Assembly House. It's not
often you see 'professionals' playing hoopla, bowling, trying their hand at
cartoons or even playing Looney Tunes Space Race on the Playstation...
Musical entertainment was provided by Robert Graver on his Spanish
Guitar - sublime.
As usual the assembled guests all brought presents for the Castle Mall
Giving Tree Appeal in support of the Umbrella Housing Association and
donated through the raffle to win prizes from Newsmakers, John Lewis,
Leona Levine, and the now famous Breakfast Club Alarm Clock.
Showerman, Alan Wright

Christmas Breakfast - the Leathes Prior team (closest) won a big tube of Smarties for being such smarties in the quiz

The Christmas table quiz challenge brought out the smart phones!

Robert Chalmers, Dean Jane Hedges

Event reviews 17

MINI-CONFERENCE

Sponsored by

Business growth
Our new Autumn Conference looked at how business should approach the whole
'growth' issue - the challenges, opportunities and the threats which can get in the
way of our ambitions. Is growth a matter of luck, the result of sound practices or a
mix of both, and why do so few achieve it effectively, sustainably, over time?
Our speakers each had very contrasting
experiences in very different fields and at
very different scales but they had all led
their businesses from start-up or
stagnation, to become bigger and stronger.

Simon Middleton, Elaine Hunter, Clarke Willis, CIMA's Sue Stapleford, Nigel Cushion

The event drew over 60 delegates again

and this time round The Chartered Institute
of Management Accountants joined us as
partners for the event.
Our selection of speakers proved
fascinating and informative.
Simon Middleton of The Great British
Banjo Company - shared not only his
achievements to date but also his plans for
growth in the future and has just launched
another Kickstarter campaign, to develop a
clothing range - to follow up his record
breaking initial campaign which raised over
30K.
Elaine Hunter, co-founder ID Systems
with her husband delivered a very personal
and practical overview of how she grew her
business to a 10M turnover, focussing on
some of the real challenges the sector faces and how as an
owner/manager she had to deal with them - from strategic to
keeping the coffee machine running!
Clarke Willis, CEO of Anglia Farmers, added another
perspective to the event, working in a very competitive sector with
some big numbers! His philosophy of 'disruptive management'
proved not only to have been successful in his business but also
prompted some heated discussion on the night!
Again, the mini-conference format delivered something for
everyone and insights into real businesses, with stories to tell, and
personal testimonies to share. More next year!

Packed pre-event buffet session!

Opportunities to catch up, share and discuss...

Venue hosts

18 Event reviews

In at the birth...
We spotted Zenos Cars long ago and invited Co-Founder Ansar Ali to share his
vision and passion at a Light Lunch. So fascinated were we, that we organised a
visit to the new factory in Wymondham to see first hand what goes into building a
brand new sports track car from the tyres up. Not only did we get to see the nuts
and bolts, a few intrepid motor fans joined the company the next weekend...
The Zenos concept is making so many waves in
the motor sport community with its cool good
looks, motoring fun ethos and practical design that
sadly, their first completed shiny prototype was
winging its way to the states during our visit. The
car had been selected to grace the Michelin tyres
stand at the world's most influential motor show in
Detroit!
That said, Ansar took the group through the
process of building a car from the first central spar,
through component selection and design to the
design prototype.
This was a fascinating evening, not just for the car
tech but also to understand the challenges of
starting a sports car business in a month when one
of the big name firms had announced
redundancies.
However, Ansar also invited anyone who was free
to come and see the car in action at one of their
regular customer track days, which just happened
to be at Snetterton this month. So, on a bright,
clear morning a select few joined the team for
coffee track side and before the customers arrived
even had the opportunity to be taken round the
track by the Zenos test driver, Emma Bloomfield.

The very first piece...

Final checks and adjustments

Strapped in and ready for...

Safe hands, test driver Emma Bloomfield

...speeding round the track!

Ansar walks through the construction process

Branch info 19

Sponsors
Magazine

Holden

driving satisfaction
01603 283900
www.holdengroup.co.uk

IoD in Norfolk
There is no full-time office so it is best to contact us by e-mail on
- norfolk@iod.net Postal event bookings should be sent to
IoD Norfolk, The Annex, Jonathan Scott Hall, Thorpe Road,
Norwich NR1 1UH. If delayed for an event or you have to cancel
late, telephone, or better text 07748 417 649 - as mobile
coverage is often poor in our part of world for phone
communications, and we cannot access voicemail if signals are
limited - text is best!

Member Hub Premises

Members can make use of St Andrews House, the home of the
Financial Skills Academy in the heart of Norwich, to drop-in-andwork, relax between appointments, hold small meetings use the
wi-fi and caf service (term time). Private meeting and function
rooms available for hire at Member rates. The facility is provided
and operated by City College Norwich for the branch. More
details at iod.com/norfolk or telephone 01603 773731

Member Hub

01603 773731
www.ccn.ac.uk

Main Event Programme

Monthly E-mail
The very best way to keep up to date with events - we add other
events which are not previewed in the magazine, so signing up
is essential. Members should visit www.iod.com and update
their personal membership profile to opt into local e-mail. Nonmembers, simply e-mail your name and business to
norfolk@iod.net. (Breakfast Club see below).

Booking
01603 431200
www.computerservicecentre.com

01603 591999
www.business.uea.ac.uk

01603 663300
www.lovewell-blake.co.uk

Branch organised events can be booked on-line,

www.iod.com/norfolk, by Members and non-Members alike.
You will need to register with the site but this is straightforward
(Members need their registered e-mail and their password and
can obtain Member rates for themselves and their guests).
Booking forms can be downloaded by clicking through event
titles on the events web page. Places to be paid in advance.

Breakfast Club
The branch is affiliated to The Breakfast Club. Meetings usually
held on the second or third Tuesday of the month. To join - IoD
members can join foc - e-mail breakfast@stmg.co.uk .

01603 615731
www.hansells.co.uk

01603 760777
www.newsmakersuk.com

Student IoD

Committee
Nigel Cushion - Chair - nigel@nigelcushion.co.uk
Steven Scarlett - Treasurer - Lovewell Blake - 01603 663300
David Ramsay - 01508 538443
Julian Campbell - UEA Business School - 01603 591999
Charlotte Cooper - Cooper Lomaz Recruitment - 01603 766 760
Rachele Kelsall - Hugh J Boswell - 01603 723575
Alan Wright - Bidwells - 01603 763939
Roger Holden - Hansells - 01603 615731
Emma Gooderham - 07900 603703

Programme Support
Stuart Turner - Programme Director - stmg - 01493 701054
Emma Stannard - Admin - Dove Accounting - 01493 394959

IoD Norfolk magazine is produced by the Norfolk Branch of the Institute of Directors. All rights reserved. Reproduction without consent of the branch is prohibited. Any comments or
views expressed in any article are not necessarily those of the Institute or the production team. All times, prices and event details were correct at time of publication. Contact the branch
for advertising artwork deadlines. Target distribution date of next edition March 2014.

20 Motoring review

It's awesome...!

OK, bet you never thought you would see me make a statement like that about a car.
Well you would be right, but then as Tim at Holden said, the new Renault Twingo is 'a
funky little city car for the kids' - he was spot on as my pre-teen daughter just loved
being in it! His subsequent comment '.....and indeed funky adults like yourself!'
was less accurate but still not far off the mark..!

As it happens I am not a stranger to the Twingo phenomenon.

Had to hire one of the original models in Holland years ago
and still remember the Twingo as a truly fun and practical little
motor with the looks to set you apart from the grey cars.
So I was kind of excited to get behind the wheel of this one.
And then I find its got the engine in the back not the front....
One of my other favourite machines of yesteryear was a
900cc rear engined 2+2 coupe which was just brilliant too.
Yes, the number 500 does come to mind at first glance, but
hidden in this lovely French design are no less than four doors
- which means that you can get two adults in the back with
ease (compared with the more than 500 seconds it takes to
squeeze into that other one!)
But this is no attempt to be retro. The cabin has so much air,
and the visibility all round is superb. But the party piece is the
turning circle, even I use the 'awesome' word here. A sixpence is too large a coin to compare it with. This being the
immediate advantage of having the engine in the back. The
second is a beautiful purr from behind as you sit in traffic in
town - which is where this car will be perfectly at home. (It's
also Top Gear's City Car of the Year.)
And with the wheels firmly set as far into the corners of the
bodywork as they can go, it sits solidly on the road with little
of the jiggle small cars seem to have.

Review
supplied by
Stuart Turner

On the open road, the car 'journos' suggest it's a bit wind
noisy? Yes I guess there is some noise but it all adds to the
impression of zippyness as you trundle around. This, the
engine purr and the super sensitive steering, and you have a
recipe for fun driving - but without the need to be reckless!
Mine had a turbo on its tiny 3-cylinder engine - you would
never have known it was that small - and the gearbox is
perfectly designed for city cruising. In third gear, the torque
is sufficient to drop to very low speeds and still pull away, and
stay there without the need to keep changing up and down in
traffic.
As luck would have it, I borrowed the car on the same
weekend as the track day with Zenos. Without any
pretensions that this is a track car (and a stern warning from
Tim not to set one inch of rubber on the tarmac!) I took it to
Snetterton where she stood proudly in the pit parking area
alongside numerous other sporty machines and certainly
caught the eye of many a car enthusiast. They all liked it,
quirky, fun, and practical. (It even has a boot in the back
which is far from mean - so I've no idea where the engine
actually goes?)
Oh, run out of space - suffice to say. I loved it. I
would say awesome but then my daughter
would give me those old man looks!