North East entrepreneur John Savage is growing his business and creating jobs in the region with the support of a Wearside-based business coach and consultant.

John, who set up Flame Heating Spares three years ago, at the age of 31, has opened his third branch of the heating merchants’ business in his home town of South Shields.

The move came after John engaged David Cliff, Managing Director of Gedanken Ltd, to support his personal and business development.

With David’s help, John identified South Shields as a town with a job creation need and also a position in the market in which his business could thrive.

David also helped John to refine his business model to ensure its potential to expand exponentially.

Having established the first Flame Heating Spares branch on Gateshead’s Team Valley Trading Estate, John and fellow director Gary Riseborough opened a second branch at Dragonville, in Durham, in 2013.

The business now employs ten people and has a turnover of £1.4 million.

David said: “John is a pleasure to work with. He is an entrepreneur who simply ‘gets’ business and will work collaboratively with partners to bring his goals to fruition.

“He is also a very nice guy who is dedicated to excellent customer service, which is great to see.“

John added: “When I decided to set up my own business, I had 15 years of experience working in heating and plumbing merchants’ branches and, while Gary and I know the industry very well, the support of David has been invaluable.

“David’s experience in helping people to grow their business has helped me to refine the way we operate and some of the finer points of the business model.

“The result is that expansion is already underway, we are employing people across three sites and the potential for further growth is even greater than it had been.“

2014 has marked a year of significant progress by the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), according to Humber LEP Chair, Lord Haskins.

Lord Haskins said: "Since our inception three years ago, business and the public sector have moved closer together and the strength of this collaboration is enabling resources to be targeted on specific areas for growth and raise the Humber’s national and international profile.

"The core purpose of the LEP’s existence is to drive growth for the Humber economy to benefit our communities, which by the very nature of our geography and traditional economy are diverse with coastal communities, Trentside villages, Scunthorpe steel manufacture, seafood processing in Grimsby, renewable energy off the Estuary, Wolds’ agriculture, deep sea container ports and many, many more.

"To assist all our communities to grow either directly or via a supply chain, the LEP’s main focus is on releasing the potential of the Humber Estuary by supporting current, relocating and new businesses to thrive, investing in an infrastructure which supports growth and developing a skilled and productive workforce."

Humber LEP’s successes in 2014 have included:

• Securing £104 million for projects in the first Growth Deal, which is largest allocation per head nationwide, and it is already negotiating a second Growth Deal.
• Through the LEP, this money is being spent on infrastructure works in Grimsby Town Centre, flood defence work at Lincolnshire Lakes near Scunthorpe to enable new homes and local facilities to be built.
• As well as flood defence projects in Hull and East Riding, offering grants to help job creation in the region, delivering and supporting housing in Hull and Brough, and supporting vocational training projects in Goole and Grimsby.
• Implementing the £10 million Hull and Humber City deal to support business, accelerate development and improve skills.
• Promoting the largest Enterprise Zone in the UK which spans both banks of the Humber and is expected to accrue £822.5 million investment and 5850 jobs.
• This year saw Siemens confirm its investment in Hull, construction work begin on the Able Marine Energy Park which made further progress in planning,and in Grimsby and Brough.
• Developing a strategy for £87.67 million (2014 -2020) European Union Structural and Investment Funding which will support sustainable economic growth.
• Brokering a new deal between the four Humber authorities and other statutory planning and licensing agencies to accelerate delivery of major developments
• Lobbying hard to keep the Cleethorpes to Manchester direct rail link and for the electrification of the Hull-East Coast Main LineInvesting over £25m from the Regional Growth Fund in nearly 200 businesses across the region which is creating 2200 new jobs.
• Sponsoring a floods strategy for the Humber which secured support from the MPs and others to influence the challenge directly to government.

Lord Haskins ended: "Overall, it has been a year of growing momentum whereby we are seeing a number of projects come to fruition and deliver the growth that a Local Enterprise Partnership was set up to deliver.

"Across the Humber we are experiencing an economic, social, cultural and infrastructural renaissance which offers an unprecedented opportunity to drive sustainable growth and lasting prosperity."

Image source: donald judge

The Regional Growth Fund (RGF) established by the Deputy Prime Minister has now supported 8,000 companies through 400 projects and programmes across the UK and this has included 73 companies within the North West.

The Fund has created and safeguarded 100,000 jobs and distributed more than £1 billion across the country.

The selected bids for RGF Round Six will be unveiled in 2015.

The RGF has supported companies across multiple sectors to boost manufacturing and engineering industries and encourage job creation outside of London.

One such project was a laboratory developing new drugs for cancer and resistant bacteria in Cheshire, another was a Liverpool food wholesalers.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “It is great news that the Regional Growth Fund has now reached the landmark of supporting its 8,000th company.

“This innovative fund is helping companies to invest, expand and to create sustainable jobs in the local community.

“Rebalancing the economy and boosting regional growth has been a top priority for me in Government.

“It is a key part of building a stronger economy and fairer society.

“The success of the Regional Growth Fund is a shining example of how government can help regional businesses realise their own goals and plan for a prosperous future.”

Award-winning recruitment consultancy Uniting Ambition has embarked on a year of growth with the opening of a new base in Leeds.

Already with offices in Keele, Manchester and Birmingham, Uniting Ambition is now taking up office in Aire Street, Leeds as part of its national expansion.

David Axon, Director at the Keele-based business, comments: “This is an exciting time for Uniting Ambition, with the opening of our brand new office adding a significant landmark in our growth journey. Not only does the acquisition strengthen our national presence, it also creates career opportunities for the great talent in Leeds.”

The Leeds expansion adds to a host of remarkable recent achievements for Uniting Ambition. In November, the business was recognised as a Top 250 recruitment company in Recruitment International’s nationwide report, aided by the doubling of its workforce in less than a year. On top of this recognition, the recruitment consultancy has recently received significant investment from business leader Peter Cowgill. Such support from the JD Sports Chairman reflects the confidence that senior consumer brands have in the brand and its services.

David adds: “Our focus is simple: invest back into our clients and deliver recruitment as a quality service to add value to our partners. The focus is paying off, and this further expansion into new markets, supported by industry leading products and services, will allow us to continue growth in 2015 and beyond.”

New commercial vehicle body and trailer manufacturer Tiger Trailers has secured funding facilities from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and the bank’s asset finance partner Lombard.

The company, which was launched by John and Steven Cartwright who were previously joint managing directors at the Cartwright Group, commenced full production in September.

More than 100 jobs have been created during the period to date, and more jobs are expected to be created in the coming months as the business continues to grow.

From design, through to chassis fabrication, assembly, body build and final finish, the whole manufacturing process is carried out within Tiger Trailers’ factory located in Winsford.

When the time came to acquire funding to support the company’s business plan, Tiger Trailers turned to RBS relationship director Philip Mills.

Philip obtained a significant working capital facility to support, and worked with Lombard Relationship Manager Liz Flynn who obtained hire-purchase facilities to fund investment in the factory.

Joint MD Steven said: “Tiger’s philosophy is to be dynamic and creative, producing innovative products, with a vision to become one of the UK’s leading trailer and bodybuilding manufacturers.

“We are extremely proud of all Tiger team’s efforts during the period since the company was launched.

“They have enabled us to bring an exciting new trailer and body manufacturer to the market.“

Joint MD John said: “We met with Philip Mills just before we moved into the factory. He showed great enthusiasm for the business and this was demonstrated in his delivery of facilities.

“He introduced us to Liz at Lombard and we were very pleased with how quickly and positively she worked with us to provide the required HP facilities.

“It was very important for us to establish a strong relationship with our bank and we are confident we have achieved that with RBS and Lombard.  

“We look forward to working with Philip, Liz and their respective teams at RBS and Lombard as we take the business forward.“

Image source: Sir Hectimere

Nationwide hostility to immigrants and the EU threatens London’s status as one of the world’s leading cities for business development, according to a new report by London First.

The report, which was commissioned for London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, will be published later this week and The Financial Times has published a preview.

The report is expected to be the first comprehensive jobs and growth plan for the capital

International competitors including Chicago, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Hong Kong already have similar growth plans in place.

London has foreign subsidiaries of 145 international companies, the highest number in the world.

The report stated that the UK capital must work to build up its relationships with emerging markets, including more promotion to attract tourists, investment and students.

In addition, the UK airport problems and visa system need to be improved.

The report says: “National public opinion and hence UK government policy could put pressure on some of the critical underpinnings of London’s [leading position], in particular its openness to immigration and its relationship with the European Union.“

Harvey McGrath, deputy chairman of the mayor’s London Enterprise Panel, said the city “needs to manage the pressures that come with success, particularly around quality of life and cost of living, that could otherwise threaten London’s attractiveness to investors, talented individuals and even to Londoners themselves”.

Image source: wwarby

A new recruitment agency, Morgan King, has been launched in Leeds after a six-figure investment from entrepreneur Martin Penny

According to Recruiter.co.uk, Penny, founder of hair care products manufacturer ghd, launched the new business with experienced recruiter Howard Slinger.

The new agency, which will be based in offices at City Square in Leeds, is aimed at grey collar and white collar sectors.

Grey collar roles include those such as skilled trades and technicians, agribusiness and personal service roles.

Morgan King co-founder Howard Slinger said: "Having worked in the recruitment industry for over 25 years, I understand how important it is for a recruitment business to be truly consultative and match the right person with the right position.

"This is an industry centred around people, however, too often, recruiters rely on technology to do the job and put forward candidates without really getting to know the people or business involved, instead of working to find the perfect fit.  

"At Morgan King, our proposition is all about people, with clients and candidates being equally important.  Fostering long term relationships will form the platform for the growth and scale of the business.

“There’s no doubt that recruitment is currently a hot sector.  There have been a large number of private equity deals of recruitment firms over the last 18 months, a sure sign that value in these businesses is likely to rise over the next five years.

"I believe that Howard’s ethos of creating a business that is all about people will resonate with many employers, giving Morgan King a bright future.”

A survey by the Federation of Small Businesses in the Manchester & North Cheshire region has shown the majority of firms appear confident 2015 will be a good year for the UK economy, and more than a quarter believe they will recruit new staff at some point.

When asked the question: ‘Looking ahead to 2015, how confident are you that the UK economy is on the mend?’, 41% said they were ‘quite confident’, with another 3% indicating ‘very confident’.

The survey also asked businesses if they would be recruiting more staff at some point in the year.

6% indicated ‘highly likely’, and a further 21% said this was ‘likely’.

However, 31% were still ‘unsure’, and 24% said unlikely.

In total 18% said ‘highly unlikely’

The FSB’s regional chairman, Simon Edmondson, said: “Bearing in mind the mood of small business this time last year, this is encouraging data.

“Almost half of those polled appear confident that the UK economy will do well in 2015, and more than a quarter expect to recruit new staff.

“This is great news for employment in the region, and suggests many small businesses are no longer in bunker down mode and are looking to grow.

“If we look back just 12 months there was still a big question mark over how the UK economy was performing, and many businesses still felt in the doldrums.

“It seems a lot has changed in a year, including the mood of many small businesses. We should see this as a positive indicator for the economy, but we need this momentum to be sustained.

“2015 is going to be a key year for the banks to get their acts together and make sure businesses who are looking to grow have the finance available to do so.

“We know the lack of affordable finance has pegged the recovery in previous years, but now as confidence returns hopefully credit might start to flow that bit easier.“

Enterprise Ventures, which provides finance for SMEs, enjoyed another record year in 2014, completing 220 deals with a combined value of £30 million.

It brings the total invested by the company in the past four years to over £100 million.

During that time it completed around 780 transactions, equivalent to four deals every working week.

The figures highlight Enterprise Ventures’ role in supporting small firms in the North at a time when bank lending has continued to fall and many have witnessed unprecedented difficulties in accessing finance for growth.

Enterprise Ventures, which has offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Preston manages 18 specially-targeted SME funds raised from the public and private sectors providing venture capital, growth capital and loans.

They include The North West Fund for Venture Capital, The North West Fund for Mezzanine, Lancashire’s Rosebud Finance and the Coalfields Funds.

According to an independent report compiled during the year, the majority of Enterprise Ventures’ loans and investments have gone into the most deprived regions in the UK.

The report by Big Issue Invest, the social investment arm of The Big Issue, shows that Enterprise Ventures is helping to create a more balanced economy by investing in the regions, concentrating on deprived areas and focusing on priority sectors, such as manufacturing and export.

Key deals during 2014 included a £2.5 million investment in Winning Pitch, the coaching and business support specialist; a £750k investment in DataCentred, which is led by Telecity founder Dr Mike Kelly and is launching a series of datacentres in the North; and a significant investment in agrochemical business Redag Crop Protection, to allow its demerger from its parent company Redx Pharma.

Enterprise Ventures also saw the flotation of three of its portfolio companies – the Barnsley-based cleaning technology company Xeros Technology Group, Manchester-based Premaitha Health, and York-based Optibiotix Health.

Jonathan Diggines, Chief Executive of Enterprise Ventures, said: “The landscape for small business finance has changed for good.

“Although the economy is recovering, there is no sign of the banks returning to the market. “Enterprise Ventures has been playing a key role in supporting small business growth and generating jobs and prosperity in deprived areas.

“The recent Big Issue Invest report has outlined the important part that alternative finance providers can play in rebalancing the UK economy away from London.

“With devolution now on the agenda, the investment community will be fundamental in helping to realise the vision of a Northern powerhouse.”

Image source: usmedorgtr

Specialist flooring manufacturer Burmatex, a division of Airea, has revealed plans to further expand its international presence after significantly growing its export sales.

The Ossett-based group, which employs 200 people, has seen its overseas like-for-like sales grow by 20 per cent in 2014 compared to the previous year as it continues to enter new overseas markets.

Now Tony Mauriello, international sales director at Airea, is urging businesses across the region considering the launch of international operations to grab the opportunity as the economic recovery gathers pace.

Mr Mauriello is a Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) export ambassador, part of the organisation’s We Are International campaign.

The initiative aims to de-mystify exporting and help more companies across the Leeds City Region realise the immense business opportunities of international trade.

Airea, which mainly designs, manufactures and supplies flooring to the commercial property sector through its Burmatex and Ryalux brands, sells its products to more than 50 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, North America and Asia.

Mr Mauriello, who offers export help and advice to companies as an ambassador, said: “Presently around 16 per cent of our turnover is from exports and we’ve set a target for that to increase to 30 per cent over the next four years.

“We sell through the technical specification route via architects, consultants, interior designers, general contractors and real estate companies using a combination of national distributors, flooring contractors and agents. We also have dedicated sales operations in both Poland and Dubai which have been key factors in our success. We believe there are further opportunities for international growth for both ourselves and other companies across the Leeds City Region.”

Mr Mauriello’s top tips for companies looking to export successfully include: thoroughly researching target markets, suppliers and dealers through desk-bound investigation and trade missions; appointing English speaking distributors or agents – irrespective of whether a company has a foreign language capability; and ensuring payments are made, either in advance or through credit insurance being in place.

Roger Marsh, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said: “Airea is a fantastic example of a great Yorkshire business that having enjoyed many years of success in the UK has not rested on its laurels but developed an innovative model to allow it to capitalise on global opportunities.

“This innovative approach to international sales is enabling Airea to enjoy continued success and other companies looking to export can replicate this model.”

Mr Mauriello added: “Initiatives such as We are International, with the support of its partners, are essential to helping Leeds City Region companies to achieve their global ambitions and our regional economy to punch above its weight internationally, creating more economic growth, more jobs, and more business opportunities for companies of all sizes and from all sectors.

“As a company Airea has benefited from this support as business opportunities continue to become increasingly international.”  

Will Holman, Deputy Agent for the Bank of England in Yorkshire and Humber, will discuss current global economic development and uncertainty, when he delivers a guest lecture at Leeds Beckett University.

The Leeds Business School lecture series, sponsored by Yorkshire Bank, is free, open to the public, and will run until May 2015 from the Rose Bowl at the University’s City Campus. Places must be booked online at: www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/guest-speakers.htm

Will, who worked as an economist in the private sector and in government - most recently at an economics consultancy and the communications authority Ofcom - before joining the bank, will kick off the series on Tuesday 13 January at 9 am.

Sara and Andy Micklethwaite, who joined forces and bought food chain Bagel Nash in 2011, will host a talk on Tuesday 21 April. The session, entitled ‘The Bagel Nash story; a new customer and in-store experience’, will see the duo share their journey of brand development, marketing promotion, product and service excellence.

On Tuesday 5 May, Kirsty Bashforth, Group Head of Organisational Effectiveness at BP, will examine how the role of women has changed, when she delivers her guest lecture: ‘Clarity, confidence and choices – women in business in the 21st Century’.

Kirsty has worked for BP for 23 years both in the UK and overseas, and is part of its senior management. Her role involves creating and reinforcing the conditions to get the very best out of a large organisation and working to surface the issues that get in the way of better organisational performance.

The remaining speakers in the series are: Professor Dean Fathers, Chair of Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust on Tuesday 3 February; Chris Clements, Partner at chartered accountants Grant Thornton on Tuesday 17 February and Dominic Tweddle, Director General of the National Museum of the Royal Navy on Tuesday 3 March.

Paul Houghton, Principal Lecturer in Leeds Beckett’s Faculty of Business and Law, has organised the lecture series. He said: “Every year, we have a high calibre of speakers and the 2015 winter and spring line-up will not disappoint. I would recommend that anyone interested in coming along to any of the sessions books their place as spaces are limited.

"We have a wealth of speakers from diverse backgrounds and I am really looking forward to hearing them share their experiences and inspiring stories with us. What’s more each session ends with a Q&A, so the audience gets the opportunity to engage with each of our speakers.”

Research reveals that apprenticeships contributed £5 billion to the North West’s economy in 2014 and £34 billion to the UK economy as a whole.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research’s report found that for every £1 spent on apprenticeships, the national economy gained £21.

It also predicted that if the upward trend in apprentice recruitment continues, the national economy could be set to gain £50 billion by 2025 and £101 billion by 2050.

Since 2010, two million people have started an apprenticeship in England in over 170 industries including aerospace, fashion, broadcast media and finance.

The North West has the highest number of participating apprentices of any region in the UK with 143,810 apprentices participating in 2012/13, 15% of the UK total.

The research was commissioned to celebrate 100 years of apprenticeships from 1914 to 2014.

Director of apprenticeships at the National Apprenticeship Service, Sue Husband, said:  “The employers of yesterday, like those of today, recognised the value of apprenticeships in equipping people with the skills businesses required.  

"Today our apprentices enjoy quality apprenticeship frameworks, their training is funded by the government and employers, their tools are provided, they have access to higher education, and they receive further support from employers through mentoring.

“We urge employers to take stock of what has been achieved in the last century and to consider how apprenticeships could contribute to their business and the wider economy in the years to come.”

The changing nature of apprenticeships over the last 100 years has been documented in two new studies.

While research by Ancestry.co.uk and the University of Lincoln paints a compelling picture of the journey apprenticeships have made during the last century, new findings from the Centre for Economic and Business Research (Cebr) shows the impact that apprentices are having on the local economy today. 

The Ancestry and University of Lincoln research reveals significant changes to the sectors and roles apprentices are working in. Indeed, the sector that employed the most apprentices in 1914 was dressmaking, compared to health and social care today.  But in contrast, engineering and construction related apprenticeships feature as prominently today as they did in 1914. 

The historical research also points to a change in the demographic of apprentices. In fact, one hundred years ago women made up only 22% of apprentices. Today they count for 55%. 

The study was compiled using 1911 census data from Ancestry and combined with a review of historical research conducted by the University of Lincoln. It comes as a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research reveals that apprenticeships will contribute around £3.7 billion to Yorkshire and Humber’s economy in 2014 and £34 billion to the UK economy as a whole. 

The Cebr report goes on to find that for every £1 spent on apprenticeships, the national economy gains £21. It also predicts that if the upward trend in apprentice recruitment continues, the national economy could be set to gain £50 billion by 2025 and £101 billion by 2050. 

Sue Husband, Director of Apprenticeships at the National Apprenticeship Service said:  “The employers of yesterday, like those of today, recognised the value of apprenticeships in equipping people with the skills businesses required.  Today our apprentices enjoy quality apprenticeship frameworks, their training is funded by the government and employers, their tools are provided, they have access to higher education, and they receive further support from employers through mentoring.

 “We urge employers to take stock of what has been achieved in the last century and to consider how apprenticeships could contribute to their business and the wider economy in the years to come," she added.

Image source: Themeplus

The newly revamped Yorkshire ‘online dating’ site for business buyers www.dealconnections.co.uk is seeing increased activity this week as people return from Christmas and start to reconsider their options, awakening their ‘inner entrepreneur’.

James Waterhouse, who founded the Ilkley-based dealconnections, says: “There are a couple of times a year when people really get dissatisfied with their working life: after Christmas and the summer holidays.

“We’re seeing that dissatisfaction reflected in activity on our site, as talented would-be entrepreneurs make the resolution to run their own business. At the same time, businesses that have seen great success in the run up to Christmas often see the new year period as a great time to sell”.

Currently there are high net worth investors out there looking to back management teams in building up or turning around businesses with a good history but who have fallen on hard times.  This is often seen as a much safer approach than backing a start-up, providing significant opportunity to the would-be entrepreneur.

dealconnections was launched in July 2014 to bring together business buyers and sellers. It provides the most comprehensive view of businesses for sale ever offered from one online source, and is the only place in the UK users can go to see a complete view of the market.

James continues: “dealconnections is the perfect resource for experienced investors and Private Equity firms, but also for entrepreneurial individuals that are fed up of working for other people and are looking to dip their toe in the water.

“Our aim is to connect potential buyers, MBI candidates and investors to business opportunities across the UK.

“We have access to the vast majority of business sale opportunities on the market between a few hundred thousand pounds and £30M. We can assist MBI candidates, investors and potential acquirers identify and complete profitable deals in every market sector, across the whole of the UK.

“So, whether you want to take over an engineering firm in the Midlands or run an online retailer in Manchester, take over a glossy London advertising agency or a cosy pub in the Cotswolds it’s all there on dealconnections.“ 

To gain visibility on the 85 per cent plus of the market that dealconnections offers, an investor would have to maintain relationships with 650 entities and 15,000 people.

A former North East landscaper has launched the new year with his own beauty empire at the age of only 21, thanks to the help of a local enterprise organisation.

Arran Fordham, of Sacriston, Durham, was left out of work at the age of 19 after losing his first job, which came at a tough time after a string of personal problems.

This then led to a year of unsuccessful job applications and unemployment before he spotted a gap in the market in his local village Framwell Gate Moor.

The former student made the decision to open his own beauty salon, Look Lush, but did not have the business experience or funding to develop his first shop independently.

Following a recommendation from a family friend, Arran contacted Pinetree, an organisation which provides business support and access to finance to start-ups and growing North East companies.

Arran worked with Pinetree business advisor Carole Aitken. She helped him develop his initial idea of a beauty salon, specialising in tanning, into a clear business plan. Carole also helped him secure a £500 grant and a loan to help buy equipment to get the business up and running.

The salon, Look Lush, now employs four beauty therapists and offers a range of the latest treatments including body wraps, shellac manicures, botox and dermal fillers as well as classic treatments such as facials, massages and waxing. Following its initial success, Look Lush is now set to expand to a second salon in 2015.

Since 1991, Pinetree, which is based at the Pinetree Centre in Birtley, has been working to help a range of clients that include students, unemployed individuals, ex-offenders, people with physical and sensory disabilities, ex-service personnel, people aged 50+ and those individuals and businesses who have been refused mainstream finance, offering loans of up to £25k.

Arran said: “Without Pinetree I doubt whether it would have even been possible to develop a successful business on my own.

“They really gave me the help and support I needed both financially and through key advice and guidance.

“It has given me the opportunity to stand on my own two feet and provide for myself, as well as do my bit for the local community in creating jobs.

“We have developed such a large and loyal customer base already that our next step is to open another salon so that we can cater for everyone.

“Pinetree has given me support beyond the initial launch stage and will assist me in the opening of the next salon; they are always on hand to help and have been a fantastic support.“

Pinetree said: “We help people of all ages back into employment here at Pinetree, however it is not very often that someone so young can have such ambition and dedication to a business project.

“Arran came to us with a clear idea of what he wanted and we helped him launch his own business with one to one advice and access to finance which was essential to him. He worked very hard and we are all delighted to see him doing so well with a business, which could provide a lifelong successful career if he keeps up the good work.“

Leeds-based ladies footwear designer and retailer Moda in Pelle has switched its day-to-day banking to Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking. 

The move, supported by the Lloyds Bank Mid-Markets team in Yorkshire, follows Moda in Pelle receiving investment of £3.5m from the Business Growth Fund to support its ambitious growth plans. 

Moda in Pelle was established more than 40 years ago and operates 58 stores and concessions across the UK, as well as wholesale and e-commerce channels. It designs and sources proprietary branded quality footwear from manufacturing partners in China, Italy, Spain and Portugal. 

To capitalise on recent success, which has seen it acquire 26 new concession outlets and e-commerce revenue growth of 80 per cent for the current year, the business is now focusing on development of its multi-channel sales across tablets, phones and click-and-collect services. Enhancing the in-store experience and building brand loyalty is also a key focus.

As part of the deal with the Business Growth Fund, David Inglis joined Moda in Pelle as CEO in October 2014, having previously advised the business on brand, strategy and investment. Inglis has held senior positions within household name retailers such as Asda and Littlewoods, with extensive fashion, branding and advertising expertise.

Mr Inglis said: “Turning to Lloyds Bank for our day to day banking shows our confidence and aspirations for the future success of Moda in Pelle. The bank’s strong international trade capabilities and relationship-based service puts us in a strong position from which to invest in key areas of the business.

"Our new partnership with Lloyds Bank builds on the sense of optimism brought about by the investment from the Business Growth Fund. We are now investing in our IT infrastructure to bolster our growing e-commerce channels, and continued technological development to enable us to grow through multi-channel sales.“

Matthew Pollard, Relationship Director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “As economic confidence increases, so does consumer spending, and the fashion footwear sector is on a clear upward trajectory. The business is perfectly placed to capitalise on the sector’s recovery, with a strong product range and an impressive management team with extensive and relevant experience. We look forward to working with them to develop their proposition within a competitive and dynamic market.“

North-West based motor retailer Cox Motor Group has acquired its fourth Honda car dealership, in Southport, after securing funds from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

The Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking team in Liverpool has provided a finance package to the business, which has been a customer of the bank for 15 years.

The increase of funding will enable the purchase of the Honda site in Southport from the Clare James Group who had operated the site for nearly four years previously.

Cox Motor Group operates five franchise sites across Lancashire and Cumbria: Blackpool Honda, Lancaster Volkswagen, Lancaster Honda, Kendal Honda & Seat and Preston Honda.

The business, which is wholly owned by David Cox, has current turnover of £58m.

Owner of Cox Motor Group, David Cox, said: “The acquisition of this Honda dealership, the fourth in our portfolio, extends our geographic reach and we are looking forward to integrating the team into our wider group.

“Honda is a prestigious brand that we’re proud to have a partnership with, and taking ownership of the Southport site is a fantastic way to end a successful year.”

Relationship director for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking in Merseyside, North Wales and West Lancashire, John Csizmadia, said: “The motor industry has been growing steadily for almost two years and demand looks set to continue.

“Cox Motor Group is ideally placed to capitalise on the sector’s buoyancy, and we are pleased to be able to support a long-standing customer in its next exciting stage of development.”

Yorkshire-based PR and Social Media specialist, Prohibition, has increased its client portfolio with the addition of Young’s Hire – the UK’s largest independent formal menswear rental service.

Young’s Hire has appointed Prohibition to bolster its consumer relations strategy and drive footfall to its concessions, of which there are more than 195 across the UK, in stores such as Debenhams, Jeff Banks and Suit Direct. 

This latest win comes at the end of a hugely successful year for the agency which saw the team grow dramatically, with a move to larger premises in Chapel Allerton, having increased the client portfolio by more than 200%.

Chris Burns, Operations Controller at Young’s Hire, said: “Young’s Hire had a great year in 2014 and we are looking to grow even further in 2015. Young’s has always been a brand that is widely recognized on the high street but we felt we could benefit from some proactive publicity that engaged with our customers.

Offering first-class formalwear and matching accessories, Young’s is the go-to option for high street rentals.

Founder and managing director of Prohibition, Chris Norton, said: “We’re extremely proud to announce this huge new account win. Young’s Hire is another fantastic high street brand that offers a quality service and we’re thrilled they have chosen to work with us on growing their profile even further. We’ve already implemented the first stages of our new consumer-focused strategy and are seeing positive results.

“2014 has been an incredible year for the Prohibition team and the fact that another prestigious brand such as Young’s Hire has chosen to work with us is testament to the team’s hard work paying off. Next year is already looking promising for the agency and we’re determined to continue our success, so expect more big announcements in January.”

A London storage provider has ended 2014 by celebrating a successful London launch, and has plans to expand to other cities in the UK.

SpaceWays, which is back by Rocket Internet, one of the world’s largest company builders, offers a flexible storage solution, allowing Londoners to save time and money while storing property in a safe and secure environment.

Bdaily talked to Rob Rebholz, co-founder of SpaceWays to find out the story behind the concept as well as his plans for 2015.

What inspired the idea behind SpaceWays?

Rob: "My co-founders and I have had the opportunity to live in cities all over the world, but wherever we go, we’ve all experienced the troubles of high rents and small apartments.

"A flexible solution to give us more space was something we’ve needed plenty of times in the past. We had tried self storage before and found the process to be terribly inconvenient; it requires you rent an entire storage room and have to make time to take your items into storage, which can just be annoying.

"We always dreamt of a straight-forward service to store not only seasonal stuff like skis, bicycles or winter clothes, but boxes of documents and suitcases as well, to name a few examples.

"Having everything readily available within a few clicks would have been just what we needed.  

"With this experience in mind, we knew immediately that with the SpaceWays business model, we had the chance to address a major need and to make life easier for people with limited space in their homes, especially in big cities."

What are your internationals aspirations for the company?

"Our goal is to make our service accessible to as many people as possible, in major cities around the world.

"We will look at different cities all over the world facing this problem and see where SpaceWays can help people to create more space. But for now, we are focused on building SpaceWays in London and ensuring that we provide the most amazing customer experience possible. Next to London, where we first launched, we’re already in Paris, Chicago, and Toronto."

How is the storage industry changing and how is SpaceWays adapting to these changes?

"People – especially the younger generations who have grown up with the Internet – are increasingly getting used to organising their lives online.

"You can order and buy everything from food to clothes to music on the web. Storage however is traditionally an offline industry; people have to transport their belongings to a self-storage warehouse which is usually in a remote location.

"This inflexible and inconvenient service needs to change and that’s why SpaceWays seeks to disrupt the market by bringing tech into the game; our business model means that you no longer have to personally bring all your stuff to a storage unit.

"You simply go to our website, spaceways.co.uk, indicate what you want to store and our drivers will deliver storage boxes to your doorstep for free. When you have finished packing, the boxes and your oversized items are collected and stored in our storage facility. Then when you need something back, you can simply order items you need returned online anytime. Return delivery is possible within 24 hours."

Entrepreneurial Business Management students at Newcastle Business School teamed up with Yorkshire Bank’s Talent Academy to spend a day together exchanging business advice and personal development support.

The new degree programme is aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs and sees students set up and run their own businesses - ‘learning by doing’.

Yorkshire Bank’s Talent Academy, a group identified as the future senior managers of the organisation, provided mentoring for Entrepreneurial Business Management students including a review of business plans.

Students and individuals from the Talent Academy then teamed up for 1-2-1 briefing sessions, resulting in all round complimentary feedback for the scholars’ business ideas.

Entrepreneurial Business Management programme leader, Lucy Hatt, said: “Our students appreciated the opportunity to talk about their businesses with people from an independent, external party which offered them an alternative view point from those received by their lecturers or peers.

“The fact all feedback was overwhelmingly positive was a boost to confidence all round.

“The Entrepreneurial Business Management programme adopts a fresh approach to business education, designed to accelerate students’ development of entrepreneurial and business management competence through a work-based approach to learning.

“The Talent Academy perfectly complements our approach and our students are now taking the advice given of ‘just do it’.”

Yorkshire Bank is offering students on the Entrepreneurial Business Management programme free banking, including free access to business on line facilities as well as their full range of business support tools, training and guides, introductions to some of their other customers, and access to internal sector specialists; as well as mentor support from the participants of the "Talent Academy" programme.

Recruitment to Yorkshire Bank’s Talent Academy is aimed at high performers within the Bank and provides a unique opportunity for self-development. People development manager at Yorkshire Bank, Zoe Smith, said: “We feel utilising the skills of the individuals within the Academy together with the Entrepreneurial Business Management Students will be mutually beneficial and rewarding.”