>> Take a look at our Women in the Boardroom Section, dedicated to news and views from all sides on the debate

By Vicki Owen

Investment banking firm Sustainable Development Capital is the first small business to sign up to new measures to promote gender equality.

Co-founder Jonathan Maxwell said: ‘We are surprised that this is still an issue. We have offices in London, Hong Kong and New York and in London, the majority of our team is female. We want the best talent in the market.

‘Gender is not relevant and we are not trying to fill particular positions with women – it just happens to be women joining our firm.

‘There is also no gender pay gap in our firm. There is nothing we are uncomfortable about disclosing. Disclosure is always helpful dealing with inequalities.

‘Hopefully it will act as an incentive to others and set a standard. When you set standards it becomes difficult for other firms to be below it.’

Maxwell added: ‘This issue deserves to get more attention and companies taking it seriously as we are will help to kill the issue. Companies that are not going to look good will not join.

‘I would never want to find women being put off joining a business on the basis that they thought it to be gender-biased. My sector has traditionally been a very male-dominated business, and that is extremely unhealthy.’

A recent report by management consultant McKinsey & Company highlighted how greater diversity in senior positions had been linked to improved business performance.

Smaller companies are being urged to join business giants such as Tesco, BT, Unilever and National Grid and adopt voluntary measures launched by Home Secretary Theresa May.

Meanwhile at the ICSA Company Secretaries Conference & Exhibition last week business leaders said the pace of change is too slow.

Denise Wilson, former director at National Grid, said at the conference: ‘There were 2,500 responses to the Davies consultation and only 15 per cent supported quotas. But it is a serious threat if we do not move voluntarily and quickly.’

Mary Hitchon, secretary to the board of Petrofac Limited, said: ’When 12 per cent of graduates in engineering are female we have a particularly big hurdle. Where are we going to find these female non-executive directors? But I refuse to be down-hearted. We can do more. We need to engage with young girls, and men, because there is an engineering shortage, when they are 14. We need to tell them it is not a dull career. It is really exciting.’

She added: ‘The board should reflect a company’s customers and employees. If a firm has a lot of fmeale employees and customers then it is insane not to have women on the board.’

Luke Thomas, deputy secretary at Centrica, said: ‘If we do not measure, it is not going to change. Investors are usually engaged more around CSR than corporate governance.

‘The most important thing is: What are the changes to the corporate governance code going to be? There is an opportunity there for something meaningful to be in companies’ accounts. Executive search firms need to work more closely with nominations committees and not be so prescriptive that they cut out loads of candidates for the job. There is a danger too that we could end up with an “old women network” with the same women cropping up, which is not good for diversity or for UK Plc.’

Liz Field, chief executive of the Financial Services Skills Council, says: ‘There is a lot of review as to why the industry is not anywhere near its targets and now people are talking about a strategy to address the fundamental issues. There is not an impetus to positively discriminate, which I am very happy about.

‘Companies are taking a more sensible approach and asking: Why is this the case? Is there a problem with learning and development, the pipeline, or a lack of assertiveness, for example?

‘The FSA is starting to ask questions about the numbers of women on boards. It won’t just be larger organisations thinking about this now, it will be firms of all sizes.’

It comes amid ongoing concern at the time small amd medium-sized firms are having to wait for payment from bigger companies and organisations.
Financial Mail has highlighted cases such as IT giant Dell, who recently increased the time taken to pay small suppliers from 50 days to 65 days. Unilever has also been criticised after extending payment terms to 90 days.
Under the Government’s prompt payment code, government departments and  organisations are supposed to settle bills to small firms within ten days.
The FPB previously carried out research into whether local councils were settling bills on time.
FPB spokesman Phil McCabe says: ‘Many smaller businesses carry out work for public sector organisations, so we have been using the Freedom of Information Act to check that they have been following instructions from central government, issued in the wake of the financial crisis, which compel them to pay their bills within 10 days wherever possible.
‘With annual procurement budgets running into tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds, police forces are a significant source of contract work for firms around the UK so we want to ensure that they are supporting small businesses by processing invoices promptly.’

>>

THE Office of Fair Trading is calling on small and medium-sized firms to let it know what barriers they face in trading online.

Small businesses increasingly rely on services such as search engines, online market places and payment service providers as essential steps to trading over the internet. Yet some firms have complained to the OFT that the way larger firms operate in these areas act as an obstruction to smaller businesses either trading online or expanding.
Research by the OFT suggests that small firms often depend on particular providers and are therefore more sensitive to any system changes or a loss of service; while the way that different providers respond to consumer complaints about a business can sometimes ‘be disruptive’ to the firm in question.
However, the research also highlighted many positive points, for example, the fact that innovation by larger companies has helped to bring costs down for smaller firms looking to set up online.
The OFT wants to hear from small firms about their experience trading online and whether they face additional obstacles to trading online that they think the OFT should be aware of..
Responses should be sent to onlinemarkets@oft.gsi.gov.uk

>>

Fears are growing that online grocer Ocado may have to shelve its stock market flotation or accept a drastically lower valuation, after leading investors balked at the price.

The business, which published its prospectus last night, is aiming for a post-float valuation between £995m and £1.37bn – at the top end of what many in the City were expecting. Several heavyweight fund managers told the Mail yesterday that they would not be buying into the float at the current price.
One, who asked not to be named, said: ‘We wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole at this valuation.’ another commented: ‘This valuation looks expensive.’
Robert Talbut, chief investment officer at royal London asset Management, which controls assets worth £35bn said: ‘We are struggling with the valuation they are trying to ascribe to the business. We are unconvinced that it represents good value.’
The fund managers’ views will be a blow to chief executive Tim Steiner who has been trying to garner support in the square Mile. The next two weeks are crucial for the former Goldman Sachs banker. He and his eight-strong team of advisory banks will have to decide whether to press ahead with the listing or accept a delay.

>>

SMALL business owners are being urged to ensure they file details of staff expenses and benefits to Revenue and Customs before the forthcoming deadline, to avoid facing a fine.

Employers have until 6 July to report the value of expenses and benefits provided to staff over the last tax year. This involves completing a P11D form for the 2009/10 tax year for all employees earning £8,500 or more a year – including basic salary and any expenses and benefits. P11D forms identify the expenses and benefits on which Class 1A National Insurance Contributions are payable.
Company bosses that fail to file details in time face a penalty of £10 per 50 employees for each month or part month that the return is outstanding.
Andrew Shaw, a tax partner at accountancy firm Kingston Smith LLP, says: ‘The value of any expense or benefit reported on a P11D is essentially the cost (including VAT) to the employer of providing it to the employee.
However, if the employee has repaid any of the amounts or if tax has already been deducted through the payroll then it’s up to the employer to notify HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) through the P11D form.
‘Late filing will result in a penalty and firms will receive further penalty notices in November and again the following March and July if the P11D form is still outstanding. Obviously, these charges can add up so it’s worth getting your form in on time.’

>>

BRITISH firms quicker to adopt flexible working practices

British businesses have been quicker to adopt flexible working practices than French and German ones, according to a study by remote services firm Citrix Online.
In a survey of 3,000 public and private sector firms almost half of British businesses said they had seen an increase in workforce mobility over the past five years, compared to 31 per cent in France and 27 per cent in Germany. More than half of respondents stated their company provided technology to enable virtual working, with mobile computing devices such as laptops or notebooks the most popular, followed by smart-phones.

>>

CLOSE Treasury has launched two new notice accounts aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

The four month account will pay annual equivalent interest of two per cent, while the six month account will pay interest of 2.4 per cent annually.
Figures show the average rate of interest paid on business deposit accounts of £10,000 or more is just 0.61 per cent, with small businesses holding around £54.5 billion in deposit accounts in high street banks.
Firms must have a turnover of less than £43 million to open an account, and there is a minimum deposit of £10,000.
Interest is paid every six months, though small business owners should be aware the rate is variable.

>>

THE Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is urging small business owners to make sure they are prepared for the holiday season.

It warns that with staff being away firms need to make sure they have procedures in place to prevent the business suffering. These include ensuring that any debts or payments are collected and chased to ensure that cash is still coming into the business. Paying invoices on time is also important to avoid damaging the business’ credit record.
Making sure staff complete a proper handover to employees taking on their responsibilities is key, for example, if the person authorising payments is away, make sure that someone else can authorise it in their absence.
Clive Lewis, head of enterprise at the ICAEW, says: ‘This is the time of year when most staff will be taking their holidays. This year, with the economic recovery still uncertain, it is essential that firms examine their debt collection and bill paying procedures and ensure proper safeguards are in place. Planning ahead can minimise disruption and keep the cash flowing.’

>>

CBI in call for employee strike reform

The regime governing strike action and redundancies should be tilted in favour of employers, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
In a series of proposals it says will sustain Britain’s labour market, the CBI will say today that the system of strike ballots should be tightened, so that 40 per cent of the workforce must approve industrial action.
The business body also wants consultation on redundancies to be shortened from 90 days to 30 days, ‘to reduce uncertainty for staff and allow employers to reshape their workforces swiftly’.

>>

THE British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has launched an advice line to help small and medium-sized firms concerned about the impact of health-related employee absences.

The free Health For Work advice line will offer small businesses expert advice and support on how best to deal with employees who have health problems.
Employee absences because of ill-health can significantly affect smaller firms in particular, with many business owners unable to afford to replace staff who are off sick long-term. And poor health can seriously affect the performance of employees who continue to work.
Estimates suggest more than 30 million working days are lost every year as a result of illness, with back pain a common problem. Work-related mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression are also increasing.
The BCC is urging firms to develop a plan to ensure they deal with employee sickness absence effectively and sympathetically. Small business owners should also establish how they will deal with similar problems in the future, as well as looking at ways to make the workplace a healthy one.
David Frost, director general of the BCC says: ‘The impact of employee ill-health on small and medium-sized companies is an important issue. While most firms offer some level of support, it is essential that more are able to provide effective help to staff – not least through ready access to good occupational health advice.’
Health For Work advice line – 0800 077 8844‏
You can also read advice from FMWF blogger and leading employment lawyer Peta Fluendy in one of her recent posts – Tribunals flooded with cases involving health problems

>>

SMALL businesses are being forced to wait an average of 41 days longer than the originally agreed payment terms before invoices are being paid.

Research by Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd (Bacs), which handles direct debits, shows that firms are coming under increasing pressure because of late payments. It comes as charity Refugee and Migrant Justice said it was going into administration, with reports blaming late payments from the government as the reason.
Mike Hutchinson, head of marketing for Bacs, says: ‘The late payment problem is escalating and there has been an increase of 9.5 days on the time companies have to wait to be paid, compared to this time last year.
This undoubtedly has a dramatic affect on small businesses viability, contributing to major cash flow issues for many companies.’ According to Bacs, nearly 40 per cent of firms say large companies are the worst offenders when it comes to settling bills; 17 per cent blame sole  traders while 17 per cent believe other small businesses are the main offenders. Just six per cent of those firms questioned cited not-for-profit organisations and government as the worst payers.’

>>

SMALL businesses are falling behind in the ‘green’ business stakes, with figures suggesting that only 12 per cent of small firms in the UK monitor their carbon footprint.

This compares to 20 per cent of all firms in Britain. Fewer than a third of small businesses have a policy in place to invest in low carbon equipment, compared to 58 per cent of large companies.
The survey by workplace solutions provider Regus suggests that smaller firms are often less inclined to invest in low carbon equipment because of its higher cost, and because the short-term needs of the business are more urgent than long-term investment.
Almost half of small firms questioned said they would only invest in low carbon equipment if it were cheaper or the same cost to run as conventional equipment. But three quarters of small businesses said they would invest ‘significantly more’ in green technology and low carbon equipment if the government offered more tax incentives to do so.
Mark Dixon, chief executive officer of Regus says: ‘Ambitious Government targets are clearly not taking into account the reality of green equipment take-up among smaller firms – yet small and medium-sized businesses account for half of the UK’s business turnover. If the Government is serious about meeting ambitious carbon emission reduction targets by mid-century then it needs to properly incentivise the change.’

>>

ONLINE retailers could be missing out on hundreds of millions of pounds in sales every month because of online checkout ‘queues’.

According to online payments provider Moneybookers, 54 per cent of consumers have chosen goods online, gone to pay but then abandoned them because they had to wait too long for the payment to be processed. It claims that it can take more than seven minutes to pay on some leading British websites and involve as many as 11 different steps.
Consumers are also being asked for increasing amounts of personal information, say Moneybookers, and 74 per cent say they are concerned by the amount of personal data they are asked to enter. Nikolai Riesenkampfff, co-chief executive of Moneybookers says: ‘Consumers have every right to expect the online checkout process to be quick, simple and above all else safe. Retailers who don’t make every effort to ensure their customers can confirm their order as easily as possible are putting themselves at a real disadvantage.’

The only ingredient lacking is … the big idea.

That’s exactly the position that former maths teacher and accountant Anne Morris found herself in.

Altrincham-based Anne had already co-founded a successful business before and now the youngest of her three children had started school, she knew she’d finally have the time and energy to commit to a new venture again. The key thing she didn’t have, unlike the first time, was the idea.

So when she got to know talented designer Sarah Thirlwell while doing voluntary work for a charity event and auction, Anne started to wonder if there wasn’t an alternative way forward.

Like many other wannabe start-ups out there Anne hasn’t got the millions of the Dragons, but what she does have in common with the BBC’s business millionaires is what she personally can bring to the business. Many an entrepreneur in the Den has cited the contacts, acumen, experience and skills a Dragon can bring to bear, rather than just their money. 

Anne’s Big Idea, was Sarah. The young designer  is something of a rare commodity in the design and craft world – she’s a female wood turner. But despite basing her pieces on the age-old craft of wood-turning by hand on a lathe, the work is far from traditional. She’s given wood-turning a modern twist by imaginatively combining wood with recycled and reclaimed materials such as yoghurt pots, vending cups and reclaimed acrylic and plywood.

The results of her labours are a stunning array of contemporary, stylish interior products including vases, bowls and lamp bases, as well as larger pieces such as tables and totems up to 1.7 m tall. Sarah’s work has won her pr, plaudits and prizes, as well as exhibitions in prestigious galleries and a host of top-notch clients.

‘I loved Sarah’s work, each piece is hand-crafted and I could see how other people reacted to them so I knew I was not alone. They are beautiful, incredibly tactile and have strong eco-credentials. It was a winning combination and all Sarah was lacking was support to develop the business further. Prices start from around £60 and I thought commercially there was so much potential that wasn’t being fulfilled. I just thought she should be able to sell far more of them, she must be able to increase volume.’

‘What I didn’t know is whether she would be open to that kind of growth and change, Or even to working with someone else. There was a high chance she just wanted to keep going in her studio by herself.’ says Anne.

‘I approached things very carefully, and eventually I asked whether she’d like to increase her sales volume and then whether she’d consider letting me help her. The answer was yes!’

Sarah says: ‘I’d known Anne for a few years and seen how successful she’d been

organising events like the Manchester Ball. But when she offered to come on board and fulfil the potential of the company, building a viable, strong business model, I felt very privileged and could hardly believe it.

‘One of the problems with being self-employed is that you have to be a master of many things- which of course you’re not. You have to be a sales person, accountant, administrator, pr, and fit in the time to develop and create new work (which is the whole reason creatives do what we do). It is like a vicious circle! You can make exciting new products but without the time, financial backing and help behind the scenes it is extremely difficult to get them into the market.’

As they began to discuss Sarah’s way of working, the talented designer revealed her income was irregular. She was selling through direct commissions, craft fairs and galleries, and with the latter often wholesale on a sale or return basis.

Anne explains: ‘Having lectured at Staffordshire University since graduating, Sarah had established herself as one of the most respected and influential people in her field and had years of experience and invaluable contacts in the Craft Design world.

‘She was in demand – so much so that it was very difficult for her to stand back and look at the projects that might really help her to build a profitable business. I wanted to help her fulfil her ambitions as a designer by together refining a range of interior products that would have commercial appeal and volume sales to underpin her business.’

‘She knows growth and expansion will allow her to develop creatively. She’s brimming with ideas and wants to see her work in more people’s homes, to increase the range and produce more and bigger pieces for commercial interiors, for example.’

So Sarah and Anne agreed to join forces.

Anne kicked off by treating it as a new venture and establishing a business strategy. The pair spent long hours working out what Sarah wanted to achieve creatively in the future. Then Anne researched potential markets for existing and future work, As part of that process, the pair met interior designers ’to get honest, commercial feed-back’ on what would and wouldn’t sell in their particular market.

‘It was very useful, they wanted bigger pieces from Sarah and nothing smaller than the current vases. So for the time being we’re not pushing too hard on other lines we considered, like handles for furniture.’

How the designer’s production process would cope if sales increased was also on her agenda, ‘It was clear there was a bottleneck on the production side. Sarah had outgrown her studio and I felt the time I was able to give in researching and short-listing possible workspaces was useful because Sarah didn’t have to take time out from work to do it. It also gave me an insight into the practicalities of her business.’

Then Anne tackled the press the artist uses to produce her work. ‘It’s an essential piece of equipment but Sarah was using a book press that limited production capacity. That in turn dictated how fast she could work and how fast we could fulfil orders.’

Sarah had found an ideal press for the next stage that would allow production capacity to increase six-fold but it’s a huge piece of equipment and there were various logistical issues surrounding actually getting it into place. ‘I was able to take on the job of researching the specialist haulage services and additional equipment to get the press we needed. We worried about it so much, it felt like a new baby when it finally arrived in the workshop!’

Their partnership is still just three months in and while it’s early days, both feel it’s going well. And when retailers, galleries and clients contact Sarah, it’s now Anne who responds.

The designer’s new business agent has taken over media relations, marketing, and negotiations with stockists. She’s already overseen agreements with retailers including new venture, Green and Present which specialises in environmentally friendly home-wares and gifts and she’s currently working with artwork and accessories specialists, Elegant Clutter Ltd, to develop new ranges for the hotel and restaurant industry.

As Sarah says: ‘Emails don’t wait for a response because I’m frantically trying to fulfil a commission. Emails and phone calls are responded to quickly and Anne is building good relationships with suppliers and prospective clients. She has given the business and myself the inspiration to get fired up about new ideas and make big plans for the future, which is looking really exciting!’

Sarah Thirlwell – http://www.sarahthirlwell.com/

Organised by the Furnishing Industry Trust, the sector’s charity, the awards are designed to recognise an individual or group of women who made an exceptional contribution to the business or through their efforts for charity

The organisers said Dallaway had guided the Airsprung Group through a highly volatile period with strict financial disciplines based on a sound business understanding. In four years she turned substantial losses into a profit.

The award for Inspirational Woman of the Year went to Wendy Shorter of Wendy Shorter Interiors for changing the face of training and qualification standards in the upholstery and soft furnishings sector.

An unexpected presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award was made to Parker and Farr managing director Norma Kerry.

Other finalists to be honoured at the awards were: publisher Joanne Miller, co-owner of Interiors Media, for establishing a leading trade title for the sector despite launching in the depths of a recession; and Helen Williams of the Assessment and Training Company (Adrian Vaughan) who started her career as ‘one of the boys’ working as a flooring fitter and worked her way up to become a trainer and assessor.

Mark Symes, managing director of Willis & Gambier and a sponsor of the awards said: ‘Unlike some other sectors, the furnishing industry still tends to be a fairly male dominated environment.’

‘Holding the awards has been a fantastic opportunity to turn the spotlight onto the increasing number of very talented and high achieving women who now work in the trade and hopefully these awards will act as inspiration to women within the industry as they develop their careers.’

Angels Lounge, a joint initiative by Angels Den, Addidi and Finance South East, will stage the inaugural National Women’s Angel Day on Wednesday 9th June 2010.

To mark the launch a day of events will take place across the country to inform and inspire women to become business angels. Angels Lounge aims to double the number of business angels in the UK by 2015, and is calling for women with £5000 or more to invest to consider the UK’s dynamic start-up scene. Thousands of small and medium-sized companies are looking for additional funding at any one time.

The events are intended to provide a platform for female investors to learn more about angel investing, network with other angels and find a suitable forum to invest individually or collectively in start ups and growth businesses.

Despite women owning nearly half the wealth in the UK, women business angels still represent approximately 5% of all angels investing in entrepreneurs today, according to research. This ‘staggeringly low figure’, compares particularly badly when contrasted with the US where 15% of angels are women, and countries like France and Poland where almost a third are women

Anna Sofat, founder of Addidi commented: ‘Women are excellent investors and make natural business angels as they are good at building relationships and working collaboratively.’

‘Shows like Dragons Den where a succession of trembling entrepreneurs are ‘slayed’ by the ‘dragons’ has led to Angel investment being seen as a macho arena and we need to address this urgently.’

Finance South East chief executive Sally Goodsell added; ‘Whilst research shows that angel investing carries risks, investing in SMEs can bring attractive returns.

‘Women are in a position to bring both their financial capacity, business skills and experience to support the growth and success of innovating small businesses, offering the potential for significant returns.’

Angels Lounge is a joint initiative between Angels Den, one of Europe’s leading Angel networks with over 3000 business angels, Addidi, the boutique lifestyle wealth management business for women, and Finance South East, a regional funding organisation that specialises in the identification, funding and development of ambitious, high potential growth businesses.

>> To attend any of the events running on National Women’s Angel Day, which will run in London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol and Leeds on 9th June, visit www.angelslounge.co.uk.

http://www.angelsden.co.uk/
www.angelslounge.co.uk
http://www.financesoutheast.com/

Mary, of Maltese and English parentage, opened her first shop in Putney in the 1980′s after gaining her apprenticeship in various London markets. She founded Tit Fer Tat 12 years ago, specialising in high quality hats and complimentary accessories including bags, jewellery and shoes. In 2007, Tit Fer Tat won a local business award for Best Local Business.

Mary said: ‘I never had a business plan. I didn’t wake up thinking “I want to be a hat designer”. I moved from Greenwich market to a Putney shopping centre, where I paid £100 a week for a pull-up shop. The centre manager liked what I did with my displays and offered me the front shop for £12,000 per annum, and although it was a huge expense for me, I went along with it’.

Mary’s own range of hand-made Tit Fer Tat hats was not planned either. She said: ‘The lady who makes my Tit Fer Tat hat range walked into my shop in Putney one day and asked if I needed any help. Now she is my only milliner and I buy the rest of my hats from top designers in France, Germany and Italy.’

Mary believes her success is down to reinventing her business. She said: ‘When I moved to Richmond in 1998 I had to move away from a “pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” ethic. Most of my customers are now mothers of brides, tourists and wealthy women buying hats for events such as Ascot. They want more expensive, higher quality hats.’

She admits it has not been easy, and says: ‘It has been a challenge, but it is getting better every year and I always have new ideas.’

Nervous about the recession, Mary decided to start organising hat parties in her store and in customer’s homes. She said: ‘People do not want to drag their entire outfits to the shop to make sure they match the hats. It is also fun to try on hats with drinks, food and music.’

For more information, go to www.maryspiteri.tv.

The third annual MAN everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday, 13 May 2010.

Seven out of 10 jobs in London are expected to be taken by women between now and 2016, so there has never been a better time to celebrate women in a sector with which they have not traditionally been associated. The UK’s transport and logistics industry may conjure images of white, middle aged men, but these awards aim to challenge this stereotype, celebrating the exceptional women working in the sector.

With six exciting categories, there is sure to be one that you, someone you know or one of your talented employees would shine in. So do something today to demonstrate your support and appreciation of the talented women in the transpoirt and logistics sector.  Nominate now.

• How to Enter
• Award Categories
• The Awards Ceremony
• Sponsors
• Judges
• Previous Winners & Finalists
• Photos

Branding has always fascinated me. When I started out in marketing 26 years ago, I assumed that branding was all about creating logos. Although undeniably important, there is much more to branding than just good looks. So, before looking at how you can build your business into a brand, we need to define what a brand is. In my opinion, there’s no better definition of branding than this one from Philip Kotler, a world expert on the subject:

‘A brand is a promise to your customers, the totality of perceptions about a product, service or business, the relationship customers have with it based on past experiences, present associations and future expectations. Brand reality is always defined by the customers’ view.’

Spend some time understanding this definition and how you can apply it to your business. And above all, remember that it’s your customers’ perception of your brand, not yours, that will determine its success. By way of illustration, can you remember what happened to the Ratner brand when Gerald Ratner made his now infamous speech about the quality of the jewellery he sold? The following day the value of the Ratner brand plummeted. In the light of Gerald’s speech, customers began to perceive his brand as shoddy and cheap, and naturally didn’t want to be associated with it.

If you want to build your brand, what should you do?

Start by focusing on the 3C’s of branding, namely:

· Consistency
· Clarity
· Continuity

Successful brands are consistent. Whenever either existing customers or potential new clients come into contact with your business, they should benefit from the same consistent treatment. Make sure that you identify each customer contact point and look at how it can be improved.

Successful brands are clear in the messages they deliver. They know exactly what they stand for, exactly why customers buy from them and why they will continue to buy. They don’t overcomplicate their core messages, and when developing key benefit statements they look at their business through the eyes of their customers. What are the clear and powerful messages that you are delivering?

Successful brands are in it for the long haul. Customers like to know that the businesses they favour will be around for many years to come. Are you investing in your business at a grassroots level to build strong and sustainable foundations?

I’d like to share with you the results of a business to business branding study undertaken by McKinsey, in which 750 key decision-makers from a variety of sectors were asked what influenced them when they looked to buy products and services from another business.

The results were:

45% said that the reduction of risk was very important in choosing a new provider. Remember the saying: “Nobody got fired for buying IBM” (What are your reassuring messages to reflect that you are as safe as houses?)

41% said that they wanted access to relevant and useful information about a business before making the decision to do business with them. (Does your online presence and sales and marketing collateral withstand critical scrutiny?)

14% said that the visual identity of the business was important. (Is your logo and livery up to the job?)

Finally, you should make an emotional connection with your customers, regardless of what you do. Showing that you understand their needs at a deep level and that you genuinely value their business could be just what makes you stand out in a sea of competitors.

Read Dee’s previous blog: click here.

The third annual MAN everywoman in Transport and Logistics Awards ceremony takes place on Thursday, 13 May 2010.

Seven out of 10 jobs in London are expected to be taken by women between now and 2016, so there has never been a better time to celebrate women in a sector with which they have not traditionally been associated. The UK’s transport and logistics industry may conjure images of white, middle aged men, but these awards aim to challenge this stereotype, celebrating the exceptional women working in the sector.

With six exciting categories, there is sure to be one that you, someone you know or one of your talented employees would shine in. So do something today to demonstrate your support and appreciation of the talented women in the transpoirt and logistics sector.  Nominate now.

• How to Enter
• Award Categories
• The Awards Ceremony
• Sponsors
• Judges
• Previous Winners & Finalists
• Photos

The research from Opportunity Now, the gender equality campaign at Business in the Community, also shows that remote or home workers are happy workers. They are more likely than their office based counterparts to have a positive view of their organisation and more likely to have a positive view of their manager.

It appears that any remote working pattern involving some time away from the office generates a more positive attitude than working permanently in the office.

According to the research, Out of Office: Building Teams for an Agile Future, which explores the connection between different ways of working and levels of trust, managers have also embraced the positive aspects of flexible working. 78 per cent of managers think that agile or flexible working has helped to retain and motivate important members of staff, whilst 62 per cent of managers think that flexible working makes the team more responsive to internal and external customers.

Despite the benefits of flexible or agile working cited by managers 40 per cent believe that their organisation does not recognise or reward the talents and contributions of all employees whatever hours they work.  52 per cent of people who have flexible working hours think that their working pattern will have a detrimental impact on their career progression.

The research also indicated that employees believe their leaders are not prioritising people issues. 48 per cent of employees do not think that leaders have their employee’s interests high on the agenda, whilst one in three employees believe there is a significant discrepancy between their company’s  values and how their leaders actually behave. Despite this lack of trust in senior leaders it appears that employees are generally very happy with their direct line manager and colleagues. An impressive 90 per cent of team members feel trusted by their manager, 85 per cent trust their line managers to support them and 91 per cent feel trusted by their colleagues.

Judith Cherry, Head of Research and Insight at Opportunity Now and author of the research said:  ‘The survey suggests that managers who have a team with a variety of different working patterns have to be better managers.   When a manager’s team isn’t sat in the office directly in front of them it forces managers to think more strategically about setting objectives, monitoring performance and communicating with their team, rather than just assuming that management will just happen because they are there.’

Alison Platt (pictured), Chair of Opportunity Now and Divisional Managing Director, Europe at Bupa said: ‘Flexible working is not a burden to business but is a way of creating more agile and responsive organisations. These findings clearly indicate that an agile approach to job design can deliver clear business benefit.  When employers see work as an activity not a place, judge people on performance not presenteeism and create cultures which are truly agile they can reap the benefits.’

Ed Smith, Chairman of the World Wildlife Fund and Opportunity Now board member said: ‘For leaders to be successful they need the trust of their followers.  The results of this survey suggest that despite the difficult economic climate there are still very high levels of trust amongst teams and in line managers in general.  However it indicates that the perceived behaviour of senior leaders is out of step with their organisational values creating a credibility gap, something I have seen many times throughout my business career.’