From 30 October 2007, new legislation will be coming into force affecting the way commercial waste is dealt with.

It will mean that all businesses will have to pre-treat their commercial waste prior to sending it to landfill. The rules form part of the Landfill Directive which is already having a significant and positive impact on how waste is managed. These new rules are designed to increase the amount of waste that is recycled and recovered and reduce the potentially polluting emissions from landfills.

What will this mean for your business?

You will need to review how your business manages its waste and it would be beneficial to speak to your waste management contractor about this new legislation and its’ requirements.

All businesses that have a contract with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will not be affected by this legislation as the waste is currently incinerated. Find out if your waste is sent to landfill. If it isn’t, then these new rules shouldn’t affect our business.

If your waste is sent to landfill, find out how else you could manage your waste. The way waste in managed in Britain is changing and in many cases there are other more nvironmentally friendly options available, for example, recycling.

If you decide to keep sending your waste to landfill, find out if it is treated first. Much of the waste that businesses produce is already treated before it is sent to landfill. If this is the case then no further treatment is necessary.

If your waste is not currently being treated, you will need to decide on the most appropriate way to meet the requirements of the new legislation. Recycling is one option and to help businesses start a recycling scheme the council is producing a Business Recycling Guide. It will include lots of useful information for your business, including case studies from businesses in the borough that are already operating a recycling system.

The guide is going to be delivered to all businesses in October.

For further information on the new legislation, please visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/landfilldirective

Working together to reduce the area’s carbon footprint and planning for the effects of extreme weather will be top of the agenda when Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council hosts a climate change summit on Friday 14 September.

Businesses and local environmental and community groups will be sharing their ideas and experiences at the ‘Climate Change – What Can We Do?’ summit at Civic Offices in Basingstoke.  The morning event will feature a presentation giving the business perspective on climate change from Basingstoke-based international consultancy company Scott Wilson.

There will also be three workshops focusing on the topics of energy and transport; water and waste and planning, biodiversity and habitats.

The council has committed to work together with partners, businesses and the community to draw up a Climate Change Strategy for the borough by spring 2008.

The summit will give those attending the chance to contribute towards the strategy, which will focus on actions the borough can take to cut energy use, reduce congestion, adapt to the impacts of climate change and improve the local environment.

The council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change Champion Cllr Elaine Still said:

Tackling climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and we need all of our communities to take action.  It is important that our businesses get involved, as figures for carbon emissions for the borough show that 39 per cent is coming from industry and the commercial sector and 36 per cent from road transport, with 25 per cent coming from our homes.

We are putting together an action plan of how we can make a local contribution to tackling this global issue.  This is especially poignant as the recent floods in this area have highlighted the local impact of climate change.

This summit will give businesses and local organisations the chance to have a say in drawing up the action plan.  We want them to share their ideas on how we can contribute to tackling the problem and encourage businesses and residents to cut their energy use and carbon emissions.

Businesses or environmental and community groups can find out more about the event or sign up to come along by calling 01256 845278.

Leading real estate adviser Vail Williams (LLP) is expanding its presence in the M3 corridor by opening a new multi-disciplinary office close to Junction 4 of the M3 in the Blackwater Valley area. These new premises, opening in September 2007, will allow Vail Williams to offer a more comprehensive and accessible service, whilst retaining the in-depth knowledge of the local commercial property markets essential to so many clients.

The experienced and specialist teams who currently cover the Basingstoke and Camberley areas will be combined with other specialist teams, such as rating, to offer a broader regional service to clients, whilst supporting clients’ needs from one office.  With businesses increasingly considering property options on a regional basis, it will also enable Vail Williams to offer unparalleled local expertise with the opportunity to add value by sharing knowledge between the teams.

Vail Williams opened its original office in Frimley over 25 years ago and has an enviable record in terms of its local knowledge and involvement with many of the major commercial developments in the area.  As such Vail Williams is looking to build upon this knowledge and the relationships it enjoys with a loyal client base. The new offices represent a major investment for Vail Williams and form part of their long-term commitment to the region.

Ian Rudland, Chief Executive of Vail Williams LLP, commented,

This is a region we know exceptionally well, having first opened an office here over 25 years ago.  Markets change, as do businesses; we are looking to the future and the needs of our clients.  More than ever, clients want specialist knowledge, both of the local market and of individual disciplines required to offer all round property advice at the highest level – something we are very well equipped to deliver.  By locating our teams to work alongside one another, this provides the possibility of identifying added value opportunities for our clients, without losing the insight that is invaluable to them.

Andrew Newman has decided to remain in Basingstoke, so as part of the move Vail Williams is selling the local business space agency aspect of the Basingstoke offering to Andrew for an undisclosed sum. Andrew will be running the agency business under his own name and will continue to work on behalf of existing clients in the area. Nick Olliffe, also based at the Basingstoke office, will be joining Andrew in the new venture.

Andrew has operated successfully within Basingstoke for 25 years and his knowledge of the local market is therefore unparalleled. I wish him all the best for his new agency venture

Andrew Newman commented,

I am now looking forward to maintaining and growing the client base I have worked so closely with for the better part of a quarter of a century. I look forward to working closely with Vail Williams in the future.

The Competition Commission’s proposal to lift price controls on the UK’s four biggest banks demonstrates that competition is working for small businesses, the British Bankers’ Association said today.

The Commission’s proposal announced today to lift four years of price controls on the so-called Big Four is the latest in a growing list of evidence that there is increasing competition among banks for small business banking:

• the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reported that 4.3 per cent of business accounts move from one bank to another every year. It also found that if the price of banking rose by five per cent or more, 19 per cent would change their bank and a further 48 per cent would consider switching;
• the Federation of Small Business recently reported that its members’ use of the Big Four banks fell from 83 per cent at the time of the Cruickshank Report in 2000 to just under 70 per cent in 2006; and
• the BBA’s online Business Account Finder regularly attracts more than 4,000 visitors per month.

Eric Leenders, Executive Director of Retail Banking, said:

Since the Competition Commission reported, smaller banks have been robustly challenging the Big Four for a slice of this market, added to the already aggressive competition between the Big Four themselves. Competition is growing and thriving, and is always the best way to drive down costs.

The Banking Code enshrines an obligation on banks to ensure that moving an account between banks is easy and as stress-free as possible, for businesses as well as for individual clients. Business clients tend to be more ’sticky’ – their relationship with their bank manager is paramount, and the longer they stay with the bank, the better the deals they tend to strike. Banks are in business to do business; and that means that competition works for clients who stay with their banks as well as those who move.

Small business is vital to the UK economy and is integral to UK banking. When the Competition Competition ruling came into force in 2003, UK banks managed 3,120,000 small business accounts; in 2006, they managed 3,339,000. Banks loaned more than £46 billion to small businesses in 2006, and held £46.4 billion on deposit. During 2006, more than 590,000 new small businesses established banking relationships.

By splashing out to raise donations for local charity, Naomi House, Winterthur Life staff was presented in July with the award for top team at the Lions Club of Basingstoke’s 24th annual swimathon.

Winterthur was the only business organisation involved in this event, with three teams taking part. £1,700 was raised overall with half going towards their chosen charity, Naomi House, and the remaining half being donated to The Lions Club’s chosen charities.

Jill Livingstone, Corporate Fund Raiser of Naomi House, said,

We’re delighted with the ongoing support from Winterthur Life which makes a difference helping us to provide crucial care services free of charge for life limited children and their families.

Participants who swam the highest number of laps, and those who raised the largest sum of money were both awarded with trophies, presented to them by Lions Club president, Barry Morgan at Winterthur Life head office on July 24.

The swimathon took place on Saturday, March 3 2007, at Tadley Swimming Pool, with a total of seven teams taking part.

Winterthur staff who took part in the event were Gill Brooks, Michelle Finlayson, Teresa Cummins, Laura Soden, Rachel Welford, Richard Satchwell, Alice Cantelo, Amy Cantelo, and Deborah Plester.

Laura Soden, Project Co-ordinator at Winterthur, said,

There was a really good atmosphere throughout the evening and everyone was cheering each other on. It was a good, fun event that was well run by the Lions Club.

Richard Satchwell, Assistant Management Accountant at Winterthur, said,

People at Winterthur get involved with lots of charity fund raising. This is a very positive thing and I have enjoyed being a part of it every year during the five years that I have worked for the company. The main highlight was seeing so many people of different age groups and abilities taking part.

The Lions Club is a fundraising organisation that has been in operation since 1967. The annual swimathon is one of many charity events organised by The Lions Club. People of all ages and swimming abilities may participate in the event, raising as much money as they can for their chosen charities.

The Lions Club holds many events throughout the year; keep a look out for other Lions Club events this year to get involved in. For more information, call Barry Morgan on (01256) 358008.

Baker Davidson Thomas report this morning on two Basingstoke companies soon to be on the move.

PRN Services, a pharmaceutical and clinical research company, are the latest tenant at Renaissance on Basing View, Basingstoke and they are set to expand from serviced offices at Grove House in Chineham into 3,360 sq ft (312 sq m) of brand new space at Renaissance. Matt Read, Managing Director at PRN added:

We looked long and hard at available space in the local market and concluded that the quality finishes and slick image presented by Renaissance, best suited our future needs. This was a prime consideration as we deal with major customers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

A further sign of gathering momentum in the take up of office space in the Basingstoke market is the letting of Harrow House in Bessemer Road , off Cranbourne Lane.

Trane (UK) Ltd have agreed to lease the entire 11,000 sq ft (1,000 sq m) building, vacating space on Basing View in favour of the self contained out of town option with 70 car spaces. The terms of the deal remain undisclosed.

Trane are industry leading providers of integrated cooling and heating systems and services. They are an American owned global company, with offices and service operations worldwide.

With regards to the overall state of business space in Basingstoke, Richard Thomas of BDT commented:

There’s no doubt that the supply of offices in Basingstoke is gradually reducing, the Harrow House deal being a case in point. However, tenant incentives still remain relatively high, lease periods generally incorporate break clauses, and rents are not yet improving. All in all, it remains a little too early to be seriously considering the next phase of speculative office development, but confidence is returning, and the next cycle of development is at least on the horizon.

Lifestyle coach, Alison Riches, was the guest speaker at the July meeting of the North-Hampshire Women In Business Group, held at The Red Lion Hotel in Basingstoke.

All of the women that Alison has worked with are successful, beautiful and talented and, to the outside world, confident and self assured. But, says Alison,

inside many are afraid to confront themselves and accept and connect with who they really are. Some are confused about their identity, others struggle to accept their bodies and long to look and feel differently about their physical selves. Some hide behind their clothes or use food and hard work as a comfort or a distraction!

Members were asked to think about the many ‘hats’ they wear, for example, being a mother, daughter, wife, cleaner, business woman etc. Alison then described how we juggle our lives around these many busy and varying roles.

Putting this into perspective, Alison (pictured with Sue Brown, President of the North-Hampshire Women In Business), explained a few strategies for us all to use in our every day lives to enable us to reach our full potential, both at work and socially.

One of the concepts was for us to learn to introduce “holi hours”, i.e. a holiday hour in the day to take a little time out every day to do something for ourselves. Alison explained that if this could be incorporated then, overall, we would all be less stressed and frantic and we’d achieve a lot more.

Alison runs regular workshops called ‘The Power To Be’, to encourage innovative personal and organisational development. To find out information on forthcoming courses, call Alison on 07976 695013 or email dare.to@virgin.net.
Also, this month, Lorraine Ashover, a Corporate Manager with Barclays Business Banking, was chosen to speak to the meeting about the SME businesses she looks after in the £2m-£20m turnover bracket, explaining that her passion is helping businesses across all industry sectors grow and succeed. If you would like to know more about how Barclays Business Banking can help your new or existing business please contact Lorraine on 07775 548821 or go to www.barclays.co.uk/business.

A new service, launched locally by The Hampshire Clinic in Basingstoke, could reduce the number of sick days that employees take off.

A survey by The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) found that an average of 6.5 days were lost per worker in the south east last year due to sickness. With a workforce of nearly 5 million , it is estimated sickness accounts for a loss of over 31 million days in total for the region per year. Together with the rest of Britain, the cost to the economy overall is said to be over £13 billion in the UK . An estimated £5 billion of that is linked to back pain, one of the most common causes of sick leave.

The Hampshire Clinic has launched SpineCare, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for back pain, neck pain and sciatica with Mr A Quaile and Mr R Harker. SpineCare is an assessment that takes one day and can provide the patients with a diagnosis as well as a recommendation and advice on treatment – all on the same day.

Mr Quaile, Consultant Spinal Surgeon comments,

Back pain is caused by a number of things and takes on many different forms. It can have a devastating effect on an individual both physically and psychologically. It is essential to stop the pain before it becomes chronic and get the patient fit before it has serious economic, physiological and social effects on their life. In the majority of cases, back pain comes on suddenly and is most likely to be the result of a sprain or minor problem with a disk or joint. Nerve root pain is far less common than simple back pain (occurring in less than one in twenty cases) and means that a nerve coming from the spinal cord is irritated or pressed on and in extreme cases an operation may be necessary. It is crucial that all back pain is taken seriously and a diagnosis obtained as quickly as possible. Only 5% of patients end up with surgery.

Jan Hale, Hospital Director, also added:

We have developed this service to offer fast, accurate diagnosis and treatment on the same day which means employees don’t have to take time of work for multiple hospital attendances

For more information or to book an appointment, please ring 01256 357111or visit the SpineCare website.

The Women In Business Group is celebrating 15 years of providing a networking forum for business women who work in and around North Hampshire and they want YOU to come and help celebrate with them!

To commemorate their 15th Anniversary, they are organising a Champagne Reception on 27 September 2007 at Audley’s Wood Hotel, Basingstoke, from 6.00pm onwards.

If you are interested, please contact Katie Russell to book your table and reserve a place: Katie Russell, LD Property Management, 1 Wote Street, Basingstoke, RG21 7NE (Telephone 01256 332971).

The champagne reception will be followed by a special guest speaker, befitting the occasion. Barbara Harmer will be talking about her experiences as being one of the minority of women pilots who flew for British Airways and the only woman who qualified for and piloted Concorde.

All guests will take home a goodie-bag of gifts, solely supported and provided by businesses who work in North Hampshire. A raffle will also be held with the proceeds going to “The Women’s Refuge”.

If you are a local business and are interested in including a gift, business discount voucher or you wish to make a donation to the raffle, please contact Maria Booker, Visual Impact, Power House, The Street, Old Basing, RG24 7BY. (Tel. 01252 317137).

So whether you know the Women In Business Group, have heard about them, or just have a passing interest in what they do, now is your chance to go and see what they’re all about.

Sue Brown, current President of WIBG, commented,

The Women In Business Group was founded 15 years ago in September 1992. Affiliated to the North Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, the response to starting a separate business group specifically for women was quite overwhelming, confirming the need for such a body within the Basingstoke and surrounding business community, to provide a regular forum for business women to meet and network.

We look forward to welcoming past members, current members and hopefully introduce some new members to our Group. We are a friendly, business networking group, who firmly believe that ‘women who talk together do business together’.