Welcome to the latest DPIB bulletin, bringing you a smattering of news and views from the North West’s newest business club about the North West’s newest city. Downtown Preston In Business is having a fantastic 2008. Our membership is growing daily as more entrepreneurs and businesses sign up to be part of the North West’s leading business lobbying club. In the latest edition of the DPIB newsletter Chairman McKenna reviews the budget; and Tenon feature as Business of the Month. We hear from our corporate sponsors DWF and Moore & Smalley; and Lancashire Business View profile Arif Patel, owner of DPIB members Faisaltex. Read on and enjoy...

Frank McKenna reviews this Budget statement and the implications for local businesses in what many commentators are suggesting will be a financially difficult year. READ MORE

You can read Frank’s weekly Blog at http://www.prestoncitizen.co.uk/blogs/frankmckenna/

Time is running out for you to nominate for this years inaugural Lancashire Business Oscars. To ensure your favourite bar/restaurant, young entrepreneur or business journalist gets shortlisted then you must complete a nomination form. Voting will start on 2nd April. If you want to have your say on who you thinks deserves recognition then get nominating. Simply visit the awards page here.

For all those work residents of Winckley Square being disrupted by the current works – Winckley Square is being rejuvenated. There are plans for a £3 million revamp of the square at the heart of the city centre conservation area. Plans for the renewal of the square have to be sympathetic to the conservation of the area and the historic importance of the square.

It appears there are some not overly enamoured with the plans for Winckley Square but anything to improve the quality of this open space in the heart of the city centre surely must be welcomed. A revamped square could help attract new businesses to fill the increasing number of empty offices on the square.

‘Build for the Guild’, the most recent Lancashire Property Forum, was a huge success. Thank you to all of you who took time out of your day to attend. To read more about the event click here.

We were extremely fortunate to have such an excellent line up of speakers. Contributions came from Steve Adams (Moore & Smalley) and Chris Scott (DWF). Local architect, Alban Cassidy presented on behalf of Faisaltex. The highlight of the event for delegates was hearing from local entrepreneur Steve Jackson. In conversation with Frank McKenna Steve told the audience about his first job in the family scrap yard through to exploiting the internet boom, and his new social enterprise, Recycling Lives.

As events pass the property forum is becoming an influential lobby here in Preston, reflected in the full page coverage in the Lancashire Evening Post. As the report outlined there are concerns in the private sector that Tithebarn could inadvertently be stifling innovation and development in the city. There is no question the Tithebarn project is vital to the regeneration of Preston. However, there are other developers wanting to make an equally valuable contribution. Faisaltex’s desire to improve their Shepherd Street site and their £100 million Guild Legacy building is evidence of an alternative vision. It was clear that the city supports Tithebarn but want to see a more positive and forward looking relationship between the public and private sectors.

As Frank McKenna said “There has been a debate around the city about how welcome the Tithebarn development is. Some think it has not been a help but a hindrance in terms of other people being able to develop.”

The question still remains – What will be the 2012 legacy for Preston and its residents?

CLICK HERE to read the LEP’s report of the event, which was also supported by the Northwest Development Agency.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Rt. Hon. Hazel Blears MP, has ruled out accepting any more applications from councils wanting to strike out on their own from county hall. This was in response to questions from Preston MP, Mark Hendrick, who is pushing for a unitary authority solution, which could include Preston, South Ribble, Chorley and West Lancashire.

Ms Blears said: “I don’t want to see any more piecemeal applications coming forward.” She went on to say that “I know people have pressed very hard in Lancashire but when proposals were submitted there was clearly no consensus, no agreement about a way forward, so I don’t envisage any more applications.”

These comments appear to have put pay to reforming the confused two-tier local authority working currently in Lancashire.

Steve Broomhead, North West Development Agency chief, is encouraging businesses to take advantage of over £1 billion worth of investment the region is to receive under European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2007 2013.

In February the North West ERDF programme launched with a focus on ‘supporting and enhancing the competitiveness of the region and the creation of the right conditions for growth.’ As ERDF manager the NWDA is now inviting projects from Lancashire. To be successful projects must match one of the five priorities and 11 action areas. This information can be viewed online at www.erdfnw.co.uk

ERDF has the potential to stimulate major change in the Northwest and Lancashire must capitalise upon the opportunity to help the county grow and prosper. The targets for the programme include creating over 26,000 net additional jobs, improving the regions annual GVA by £1.17bn and a 25% reduction in additional CO2 emissions generated from programme investments.

This is the first time that funding from Europe has been aligned into one regional programme and it is also the first time that applications will through one appraisal process, through the NWDA, simplifying the application for funding.

Friend of Downtown Preston In Business Steve Jackson has once again displayed the type of innovative and enterprising thinking that has made him a successful entrepreneur. He has made 30 mopeds available for staff working at Recycling.co.uk’s office in Preston. The bikes can be rented out to the 135 staff for £1 per day.

At a time when companies have to be environmentally sensitive taking cars off the road will make a contribution to the carbon footprint. Given the congestion in Preston City centre at present even a few more cars off the road will help.

Here at Downtown Preston In Business we want to hear from any companies who are using creative and innovative ideas.

Business of the Month, Tenon, is looking to expand their Preston operations. In the past year the group has rapidly expanded through strategic acquisitions and posting revenue increases. Tenon provides quality financial, taxation and business advice across the region with a staff of 440 people and increased their fee income from £7 million last year to £13 million.

Ged Fitzgerald has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Lancashire County Council. He will take over from the outgoing Chris Trinick. Mr Fitzgerald, currently chief executive of Sunderland City Council, will take the reins of England’s fourth largest council with a turnover of £1.4 billion and a staff of 44,000.

Just like Downtown, Ged has strong connections with both Liverpool and Preston. Liverpool is his home town but he spent time studying in Preston. As a career local government officer he now returns to the region after starting his career with Sefton Council. He progressed to be Head of Economic Development and European Affairs with Liverpool City Council by the mid-1990s. Latterly he has worked for Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Sunderland City Council.

DPIB look forward to a productive working relationship with Mr Fitzgerald.

A new report from Centre for Cities and Salford University argues that smaller northern towns and cities need to improve their transport and economic links with Greater Manchester and Leeds. Companies and workers in the Greater South East are highly networked and connected with London – with close trade and investment links. Many towns and cities in the North have yet to achieve similar gains. The differences in connections are fuelling the gaps in pay and employment. If you want to read more on this report then visit the Centre for Cities website at http://www.centreforcities.org/index.php?id=432

Many managers dream of having their own business at some point and what better way to achieve that than by taking over a successful, established business and one in which you already have experience? Keith Melling, head of corporate law at DWF in Preston, gives advice to management teams who are planning to take over the business. CLICK HERE

Darling’s dull debut...
Alistair Darling’s first ever budget was extremely neutral on the business front, as he chose to raise taxes on high polluting cars, cigarettes and alcohol. To read more from head of taxation, Tony Medcalf, CLICK HERE

“In today’s market it is vital organisations develop creative new ideas and different ways of working, not only to keep ahead of the competition, but to keep themselves fresh and responsive to their customers’ needs”; says Bede Mullen, Director of Knowledge Transfer at the University of Central Lancashire. To this end UCLan is embracing challenge and change at all levels by investing in world-class facilities such as the Media Factory, which is home to UCLan’s business incubator. Support, facilities and services are available for new and growing enterprises.

UCLan currently have more than 100 businesses tapping in to the range of services including business mentoring, specialist advice workshops and networking events. Alongside the business incubation space is Sandbox. This is a ground-breaking ideas centre for digital and creative industries. Sandbox will act as a catalyst to solve business problems, generate new ideas and exploit business opportunities. UCLan are building a platform which is enabling them to achieve their vision to be one of the UK’s leading modern universities.

His family is one of the wealthiest in the North West; he is one of the most generous businessmen in Britain. Arif Patel is also a thorn in the side of Grosvenor Estates and its plans for the much-delayed £750 million Tithebarn development in Preston. Editor Andrew Calvert went to meet the man who wants to deliver an iconic building in time for the Preston Guild. To read the full article click here

Tenon is one of the UK's "top ten" firms of accountants and business advisers, specialising in providing a full range of business and taxation services to entrepreneurs and owner-managed or privately owned businesses.

These include accounting, personal and corporate financial planning, business advice, management consultancy, corporate finance, outsourcing, corporate restructuring and insolvency services. Tenon has 9 offices with 440 staff in the North West.

We pride ourselves on being one of the UK's best advisers to entrepreneurial businesses. This is achieved by developing close working relationships with our clients from the outset and clearly defining the team for each client, drawn from our directors and staff according to the client's particular needs. Our planning is designed to ensure continuity with that team, enabling it to build an in-depth understanding of the client's affairs and individual requirements throughout their life.

Our aim is to provide an exceptional standard of service, offering a speedy response, and, through our understanding of our clients' affairs, bring ideas, recommend action and assist in implementation.

View the Tenon website at http://www.tenongroup.com

On the 29 May 2008 Downtown Preston In Business will be hosting the inaugural Lancashire Business Oscars at the stunning Stanley House. This is a prestigious black tie event that will recognise and award the achievements of individuals at the forefront of the Lancashire Business community. If you wish to attend then please click here for the booking form.

In early June DPIB have organised another high calibre business event, Lancashire Business Week. Taking place over four days, Business week is a celebration of enterprise in Lancashire. It will comprise of a series of breakfast and lunchtime seminars with experts and leading business speakers presenting. A sexy networking event will take place to round the week off. Watch this space as we announce the line up of speakers for each session in the next couple of months.

For those early birds amongst you, our partner, UCLan are hosting Rise and Shine; a series of breakfast seminars on networking. The sessions will provide delegates with an insight into why networking is so important for your business and how it can be a valuable tool when used correctly. Also find out how you can raise the profile of your company through positive PR and marketing which can ultimately increase sales and turnover.

The next two session take place between 7am – 8.30am on Tuesday 8 April 2008 – Marketing and PR on a budget and on Tuesday 6 May 2008 – Your Network, Your Business, the Way Forward. For more information contact riseandshine@uclan.ac.uk or call Laura Soothill on 01772 895953

DPIB is the fastest growing business club in Lancashire, with our membership including premier companies such as Conlon Construction, DWF, Moore & Smalley, Freshfield, Faiseltex, Tesco, Taylor Patterson and many more. Improve your business by joining Downtown Preston In Business! CLICK HERE for membership details.