Birmingham Business Magazine featuring Safaraz Ali

FREE • September/October 2021
birminghambiz.co.uk
Tech entrepreneur
causing a stir
PLUS:
Corporate
recovery
THE MAN
TRANSFORMING
BROAD STREET
Hitting
new
heights

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feature
03
With figures showing that 85%
of working adults wish to take
a hybrid approach to home and
office working, the onus is now on
workplace experts to create spaces
which offer teams a new generation
of professional environment to
attract them back to the office.
Though spending a portion of
the business week working from
home offers some benefits, analysts
say too much remote working
can have a major impact on our
social tendencies. Employees
who formerly thrived on being
engaged with their colleagues have
found home working dampens
their creativity, while business-
wide relationships have been
hindered through lack of face-to-
face interaction, instead becoming
reliant on digital platforms alone.
In response, workplace providers
are overhauling their spaces
to create a new and improved
post-pandemic landscape. The
key is creating a setting which
offers the same levels of comfort
and familiarity as workers have
experienced at home, balanced
with services which make the
workplace a productive, engaging
and supportive place to be.
According to Matt Wright, Head
of Commercial for Bruntwood Works
in Birmingham, the company is
assessing the things its customers
say they want and need from their
office space after working from
home during the pandemic, and is
adapting its spaces to suit.
He said: “All feedback suggests
customers want something very
different from their office spaces
once they return to work. We must
be able to offer so much more; it’s
no longer as simple as offering a
desk, meeting space and tea and
coffee facilities.
“We’ve long-since recognised
the need for workspaces to operate
with people in mind; our £50m
Pioneer programme was created
to transform existing spaces into
the workspaces of the future,
today, building on our six key pillars
of wellbeing, amenity, biophilia,
technology, art and sustainability.
“However, people now also want
an environment that reflects the
benefits of working from home,
and which facilitates the personal,
social and leisure elements of their
life, too. So, we might see a rise in
live music, yoga classes and our
four-legged friends in the office, for
example.”
Wright added that while there
may be a ‘hangover’ period as
people slowly emerge from 18
months of home working to
refamiliarise themselves with the
office, workplace providers who
invest in their spaces to encourage
greater collaboration, interactivity
and wellbeing will become key to
pandemic recovery.
He said: “It’s basic human nature
to seek out companionship and
home working has hampered that
for so many. We want to ensure all
our spaces encourage all the great
things that come with working in
an office, such as team building,
the opportunity to bounce off other
people to create new ideas, and to
immerse yourself in a company’s
culture.
“We recently completed a major
refurbishment of the Cornwall
Buildings, to transform what was
a historically traditional space
into a more relaxed offering. It
also perfectly embraces the new
ways of working we’ve become
used to, providing everyone from
freelancers, start-ups and mobile
workers to large business owners
the opportunity to experience
something different when they
come to work – a space to come
home to which is equally welcoming
and familiar, and specifically
designed for collaboration and
productivity. All of this is essential
to creating a workplace community
- something our team actively
curates, and ensures is tailored to
our customers’ needs.
“Since the transformation,
we’ve welcomed a wealth of new
customers through the door, from
businesses wanting to offer their
teams a new space to work from
post-Pandemic, to workers using
our Pay As You Go service to
give them a break from being at
home, and we expect to see plenty
more of both as office working
becomes commonplace again.
Moving forward, we’ll be looking
to reimagine other buildings
within our Birmingham portfolio,
including Centre City, Mclaren and
Cornerblock, using our learnings
and feedback from the Cornwall
Buildings customers.
“Lockdown may have changed
how we work forever, but the
workplace is still key in helping
businesses achieve everything
they can’t do from home, and we’re
confident our spaces will prove
the office is still the place to be for
people and businesses to thrive.”
A new generation of
offices, for the new
generation of workers
Pay As You Go
Coworking passes from £3/hour or £12/day
Try Bruntwood Works
Home office
not cutting it?
FREE
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Available at Cornwall Buildings, Birmingham
For more information please
contact Matt Wright
T: 07904 818346
E: matthew.wright@
bruntwood.co.uk

05
04
Welcome
The end of the summer holidays
felt different this year. There was
the sense that as the kids went
back to school at the beginning of
September, so the business world
returned to work with a forward-
looking attitude not seen for the last
18 months.
For the first time since the
pandemic struck, we have been able
to approach life without nervously
looking over our shoulders with
the fear of further lockdowns being
imposed. Maybe we’re all just fed up
with the hiatus and are determined to
crack on, come what may.
The working habits have changed
of course, but whether offices are
fully filled, workers are plying their
trade from home or there is a hybrid
system combining the two, there is a
sense that we have reached a line-in-
the-sand moment with sleeves rolled
up and eyes firmly on the future . . .
and about time too, is the collective
sigh.
We can expect projects which have
been put on hold to resume again,
and new businesses which have
been patiently waiting in the wings
until the future was looking more
certain, to come to the fore.
Absolute Collagen is a case in
point. Started by entrepreneur
Maxine Laceby at her kitchen table,
this health and wellbeing business
is now turning over £13 million. She
has been biding her time to branch
out into Birmingham, and before the
end of the year we can expect that
time to have arrived. It’s a fascinating
story.
The construction industry has
had a frustrating time of it with
developments all over the region
temporarily shelved. Our cover story
this issue is on developer Taylor
Grange, and its owners’ single-
minded determination to transform
not only the Birmingham skyline to
meet a demand for residential living
in the city, but to also provide urban
centres in need of regeneration with
a new lease of life.
We also include a special report
looking at corporate recovery. It
seems needless to say that trading
conditions have been challenging
at best for so many businesses, but
there is at least some reassurance
in the knowledge that expertise and
funding is on their doorstep in the
West Midlands.
In our next edition there will be a
strong focus on sustainability and the
quest for net zero to coincide with
the COP26 summit in Glasgow – and
it promises to be a bumper issue.
By HENRY
CARPENTER
Editor
Editor
HENRY CARPENTER
henry@birminghambiz.co.uk
Editorial director
CARL JONES
editor@birminghambiz.co.uk
Design and layout
MICHELLE DALTON
Birmingham Business is published by Midlands Magazines
Ltd. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part is
prohibited without written permission of the editor. The
publishers have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the
information in this magazine is accurate at time of going to
press. Midlands Magazines accepts no responsibility for the
consequences of error or for any loss or damage suffered
by users of any of the information and material contained in
this publication. The views expressed by our columnists are
not necessarily those held by the publisher, or editor.
Printed in the UK by The Magazine Printing Company
www.magprint.co.uk
ONLINE
birminghambiz.co.uk
@brumbiz
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Birmingham-business
12 The sky’s
the limit
A burning ambition
to transform the
city’s skyline
24 CORPORATE
RECOVERY
special report
Exploring the
options available
for a healthy future
46 Nick Holzherr
Meet the former
Apprentice
contestant who is
enjoying global
success with his
food app
Business development
manager/head of advertising
MIKE MOLONEY
sales@birminghambiz.co.uk
General enquiries
henry@birminghambiz.co.uk
ON THE COVER FEATURES
18 Maxine Laceby
From stay-at-home
mum to pioneer of
one of the beauty
industry’s fastest-
growing businesses
42 Birmingham
Tech Week
Raising the region’s
profile as a big
player in the world
of technology
54 Safaraz Ali
Jon Griffin chats to
the entrepreneur
and discovers his
pathway to success
wasn’t always easy
COLUMNISTS
41 John James
Analyses a growing
societal problem
25 Kim Leary
The world of
trademarking
18 42 46
54
contents
contents
SOCIAL
58 Downtown in
Business
In attendance at
one of the first
in-person awards
events in the
country this year
PROPERTY
61 Latest
News from the
commercial market

social
media
social
media
So, here’s the thing. Long before the
Covid pandemic, social media was
already firmly established as the
number one tool for keeping tabs
on the world and sharing the inner
workings of our minds.
Working from home during
lockdown made this a necessity
rather than a choice for many, as our
inboxes overflowed with messages
from colleagues.
But with more staff now returning
to the office, do Birmingham
companies have social media
policies which are fit for modern-day
purpose?
Nearly half of the world’s
population is now online, and we
spend an average of two hours a day
sharing, liking, tweeting and posting
updates.
The consequences of using social media at work can be
both favourable and negative. CARL JONES looks at the
delicate dilemma facing many business owners as staff
return to the workplace
It can also be an incredibly
powerful communication tool,
helping staff to collaborate, share
ideas and solve problems.
But there are still many company
owners out there who feel this
behaviour escalates beyond
acceptable levels during the working
day, becoming a productivity killer
and costly distraction.
In the world of B2B media, we
regularly use platforms such as
LinkedIn and Facebook to canvass
– and receive – views from the
business community which aid
editorial research.
That’s an effective and bona-
fide benefit to the working day . .
. assuming the communication is
being made in a polite, sensible and
respectful way, of course.
And ‘sensible’ is the key word
here. Employers are now acutely
aware of the impact the tone of
social media posts can have on their
brand, products or profits. One mis-
step from a junior staff member who
only has half the facts on which to
base an opinion, and your business
can find itself going viral for all the
wrong reasons.
Then there’s also the peril of
so-called ‘legacy’ posts from your
staff who might have posted long-
forgotten thoughts years ago, only
to find them dredged up and used in
evidence.
But how to strike the right balance
with working day access to this
world which retains a common-
sense tolerance of office use,
without generating unwelcome
controversy and all the subsequent
repercussions, can be a very fine
line.
Kirsty Cove is sales and lettings
director at city centre property
firm FleetMilne, and she highlights
another danger of the blanket use
of social media – the demise of
physical meetings and the benefits
they bring.
“With the majority of our
employees falling into the ‘Millennial’
or ‘Generation Z’ category,
technology and social media tend to
play a natural and important part in
their lives,” she says.
“This isn’t a negative thing.
However, it is becoming increasingly
common that people fall into their
comfort zone of using social media,
email and online chat as a way
to communicate, collaborate and
share ideas, rather than arranging a
meeting in person or even picking up
the phone.
“How can we build on our
emotional intelligence if we’re
restricting the number of human
interactions?
“For me, a meeting – particularly
a challenging conversation – can be
so much more productive if you’re in
front of someone, able to read their
body language and see ‘the whites of
their eyes’.
“Too often you hear of social media
posts or emails being misinterpreted
or taken out of context, which makes
you ask yourself, would this have
happened if they had a face-to-face
conversation?
“Yes, Covid obviously prevented
meeting in person for a while and
the whole world used Zoom, which
was a great compromise in those
unprecedented times. But let’s be
honest – bad signal and technology
issues can often disrupt a meeting
and throw people off their game.
“This isn’t a ‘social media bashing’
by any means. Since Covid we’ve
introduced Microsoft teams, which
offers an internal chat function
and central point for information
sharing, which has proved invaluable,
especially as we’re introducing more
flexible working conditions in the
workplace.
“We also recognise that utilising
platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook
not only benefit the business, but also
the wider community. If social media
is used correctly, and in moderation,
06 07
SWORD
DOUBLE-EDGED
DOUBLE-EDGED

09
08
news
social
media Warwickshire CCC has relaunched
its business club which gives
companies the opportunity to
partner with the Birmingham Bears
and Edgbaston Stadium.
The Bears Club also offers access
to other like-minded businesses
through events and sponsorship
rights.
Commercial partnerships
executive at Edgbaston, Scott
Elstone, said: “To go with the
relaunch, we will be offering the
chance to win a brand awareness
piece on the sleeve of our RL50
shirt in 2022 with a media value of
£8,000.
“The first 20 businesses to sign up
to the business club’s gold package
will be entered into the draw.
“We have three different levels
of packages at varying costs with
benefits including the opportunity to
meet new business contacts, brand
awareness through Birmingham
Bears and Edgbaston channels,
Bears Club events access and
matchday tickets.
“There are also exclusive
discounts on conference and events
space, access to free meeting
rooms at Edgbaston and exclusive
matchday hospitality discounts.”
Birmingham and Channel
Islands-based communications
consultancy Liquid is celebrating
an award win at the PRCA
Internship and Apprenticeships
Awards 2021.
Liquid intern Owen Maginnis
(pictured) was named best intern
after successfully completing his
year with the company as part
of his business management
degree at the University of
Liverpool.
Izzy
Jenkins, who
is completing
her placement
year with Liquid
as part of her
degree at the
University of
Birmingham, was
also shortlisted
for the award.
CEO Elisabeth
Lewis-Jones
said: “We are
so proud of our
fabulous interns
Owen and Izzy for their success
at the awards. Both have
produced outstanding work and
have become an invaluable part
of the team.
“We understand
that 2020 and 2021 have been
challenging years for
everyone – especially students
seeking work experience
placements – so we are
proud to support our young
people in these times of
uncertainty by offering our own
virtual sessions to support those
looking to join the profession.”
Deals with a value of £2 billion were
completed in the first half of 2021
by the Midlands transaction services
team of financial services giant PwC.
PwC’s TS team operates across
the Midlands and the north, and
between January to June 2021 the
combined value of transactions
across these regions amounted to
£6.6 billion.
Helen Ward, transaction services
partner for PwC in the Midlands
said: “Whilst it was initially believed
that the assumed capital gains tax
changes were driving activity in the
first few months of 2021, the deals
market has remained buoyant.
“This was demonstrated by
completed transactions involving
highly resilient businesses with
opportunities for further value
creation and a pipeline of future
transactions providing continued
positive expectations.
“There has been significant M&A
activity over the last six months,
despite the uncertain economic
backdrop brought on by the
pandemic.
“We remain optimistic about
the pipeline of deals activity in the
Midlands for the second half of
2021. Our latest Economic Outlook
has found that the UK economy
has contracted less than expected
during the third lockdown and could
be on course to recover to pre-
pandemic levels by the start of 2022
– one year earlier than previously
expected.
“In particular, the success of
the Government’s vaccination
programme and size of its economic
support has raised hopes that
consumers will start to spend an
estimated £180 billion worth of
savings and release pent-up demand
in the economy.”
Bears Club launch
INTERN
AWARDS
DEALS MARKET SUCCESS
Helen Ward
Kirsty Cove, back row, far left, pictured with FleetMilne team members,
says social media is part and parcel of life for a certain generation
then it can undoubtedly bring huge
benefits.
“People do business with people,
so finding a firm balance between
utilising the benefits of social media
while leading with human interaction
is pivotal to success and a positive
culture in the workplace.”
Latest research shows that 82%
of employees think social media can
improve work relationships, and 60%
believe it can also support and inform
decision-making processes. But
among bosses, those numbers take a
noticeable dive.
Kate Watkins is principal
associate at law firm Mills & Reeve
LLP, an employment law specialist
who advises on HR-related issues.
Her firm advice to West Midlands
businesses is that, if they have not
done so already, they should consider
putting a social media policy in place.
“For many years, long before the
pandemic, social media has been
a key tool for business growth,
raising brand awareness, recruitment
and strengthening relationships
internally and externally,” she says.
“Working from home during
lockdown made the use of social
media platforms a necessity for many
businesses and continues to offer
positive results for engagement.
“However, social media can
potentially impact productivity at
work when used for personal use,
expose brand vulnerability and limit
an employer’s control of the content
their staff may publish.
“With working from home and
flexible working likely to be more
prevalent post-Covid, employers will
have less visibility over employees’
use of social media.
“How, therefore, can businesses
best manage employee engagement,
while ensuring that social
media remains a platform to support
business objectives?”
As the panel at the end of this
article illustrates, she suggests there
are several policies for employers to
consider.
She comes back to what she says
should be a key focus for employers
– “to educate employees on the
use of social media both inside and
outside the workplace, in particular
by having a fit-for-purpose social
media policy to help prevent abuse,
reduce unacceptable usage in work
time and minimise employer risk”.
Many firms ask their staff not to
refer to their employer or workplace
on social media platforms, or engage
in communications which could bring
their employer into disrepute.
Comments such as ‘views are
entirely my own’ or ‘retweets do not
mean endorsements’ are often seen
on people’s Twitter feeds these days.
Some staff have separate accounts
for work and private use.
But the onus is on employers to
make it clear that the consequences
of breaching the social media policy
include potential disciplinary action
which could, in some cases, lead to
dismissal.
Writing in Harvard Business
Review, Lorenzo Bizzi revealed the
results of his survey of workers into
why and how they used platforms like
Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
He said: “Employees who engage
in online social interactions with co-
workers through social media blogs
tend to be more motivated and come
up with innovative ideas.
“But when employees interact with
individuals outside the organisation,
they are less motivated and show
less initiative.
“These findings suggest that
the effects of social media depend
on who employees interact with;
employees who interact with their
colleagues share meaningful work
experiences, but those making
connections outside the
organisation are distracted and
unproductive.”
Kate Watkins’ suggestions for managing social media in the workplace
When developing a social media policy, it is critical that businesses consider:
n Ensuring employees know exactly what channels social media relates to
n Communicating the benefits of having a policy and engaging in social media
n Identifying what is considered confidential information – not to be shared
n Outlining acceptable social media use during work time
n Providing guidance on social media use outside of company time
n Linking other company conduct policies to social media use
n Explaining policy violations and disciplinary measures
n Establishing clear brand guidelines for work-related social media posting
By addressing these factors, social media can continue to help businesses thrive, enabling employers to harness the
positive effects of engagement, while appropriately managing the potential risk such platforms bring.

11
10
news
news
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Engineers at the Manufacturing
Technology Centre have developed
a temperature-controlled vessel
for the storage and distribution of
vaccines.
The high-tech vessel ensures that
vaccines are always kept at the right
temperature, meaning that none are
wasted.
Developed initially to store and
transport temperature-sensitive
Covid vaccines, the vessel can store
many different types of vaccines
and medical supplies. A prototype
has been successfully trialled and
the product is ready to be scaled up
and supplied to the pharmaceutical
industry.
Associate director at the MTC,
Danny McGee, said that using
funding from the High Value
Manufacturing Catapult, the product
design team were quickly able to
take the product from concept to
reality.
“This product supports not
only the ongoing pandemic, but
also provides a solution for any
The vaccine vessel
developed at MTC
temperature-critical transportable
pharma goods. The product is a fine
example of how innovation can have
a direct and beneficial impact on
society,” he said.
The MTC was founded by
the University of Birmingham,
Loughborough University, the
University of Nottingham and TWI
Ltd. The MTC’s industrial members
include some of the UK’s major
global manufacturers.
Two significant changes have taken
place at Midlands recruitment giant
Pertemps to coincide with its 60th
anniversary celebrations.
Lifetime president Tim Watts, in his
55th year with the company, used
the occasion to announce structural
changes to the Pertemps Network
Group board.
The changes see Mr Watts
stepping back from the day-to-day
leadership of the group, but he will
remain a main board member and
lifetime president of the organisation
which his mother Connie founded
in 1961.
Steve West takes on the role
of group chief executive officer,
From left, Carmen
Watson, Tim
Watts and Steve
West with a
bronze sculpture
of Pertemps
founder Connie
Watts, unveiled
to mark the
organisation’s
60th anniversary
while Carmen Watson becomes
chair of the group, which has its
headquarters at Meriden.
Mr Watts said: “After celebrating
60 years since the company
was formed, and reflecting on
some amazing memories and
achievements, it is time to move
forward into the next stage of the
company’s journey.
“Having worked with Carmen for
more than 40 years, and Steve for
30 years, I have no doubt that they
will continue to drive the business
forward.
“I am very proud of the business
Pertemps has become and of the
values that have remained at the
core of who we are – an inclusive
business where our people are our
biggest asset.”
Ms Watson, named Institute of
Directors’ Director of the Year 2018
and Ladies First Inspirational Woman
earlier this year, said: “It is a huge
honour to be taking on this role as
Pertemps moves into its seventh
decade. It’s the people who make
Pertemps a great place to work.
“We will continue our commitment
to making a difference within our
local communities, helping clients
across the country with the shifting
labour market demands.”
CHANGES ANNOUNCED AT PERTEMPS
Fraud is costing businesses and
individuals across the Midlands
£18.9 billion, according to research
published by accountancy firm
Crowe.
The Financial Cost of Fraud
Report – developed by Crowe
in conjunction with the Centre
for Counter Fraud Studies at
the University of Portsmouth –
drew on more than 20 years’
extensive research across a range
of industries, organisations and
countries, to reveal the true scale of
the problem.
Johnathan Dudley, managing
partner at Crowe’s Midlands office,
said: “In every sector of every
country fraud has a serious and
detrimental impact on quality of life.
“At a time when Covid has put
a strain on the quality of life and
financial wellbeing of individuals
and organisations, the importance
of managing fraud losses has never
been greater.”
Since the start of the pandemic,
there has been a 19.8% surge
in fraud both directly related to
coronavirus and general economic-
crisis driven fraud, the report finds.
For many organisations fraud is
a problem that can be tackled. The
report reveals that losses can be,
and have been, reduced by up to
40% within 12 months.
It estimates that if organisations
in the UK correctly measured and
introduced actions to reduce fraud,
savings of up to £55 billion could
be made annually – a sum greater
than the UK government’s spend on
defence in 2019-20.
“New and diverse threats have
meant all businesses – form SMEs
here in the Midlands to huge multi-
national conglomerates – have
suffered rising losses each year,
and action to prevent, mitigate and
combat fraud has not kept pace”
said Mr Dudley.
“Fraud needs to be viewed as a
business cost. In almost every other
area of business life, organisations
know, measure and manage their
costs. Fraud should be no different,
particularly considering the numbers
involved.
“The numbers are staggering,
but may be hard to grasp. In the
Midlands alone, the amount lost
to fraud almost matches the net
worth of Jaguar Land Rover, while
the amount lost to fraud globally
represents more than twice the UK’s
entire GDP.”
Jim Gee, head of forensic and
counter fraud services at Crowe,
said: “Too many organisations
adopt a reactive approach to fraud,
seeking only to tackle it once losses
have already occurred.
“That’s an out-dated viewpoint and
a change of perspective is needed.
Fraud is an ever present, high
volume, low value problem and only
a small proportion is detected. The
question is not if it is taking place,
but at what level.”
THE FINANCIAL COST OF FRAUD
Jim Gee

cover
story
cover
story
When Sam Ginda was a lad
growing up in West Bromwich,
he would see smartly dressed
businessmen in their Bentleys
driving through the neighbourhood
while he walked to school.
These were the heady days
of the late 1980s when local real
estate group Bond Wolfe was
making its bosses, the likes of
legendary property tycoon Paul
Bassi, a lot of money.
I would like a bit of that, thought
the youngster, and these images
were to stay with him as he
embarked on his own professional
route.
Fast forward to the present day
and Ginda can justifiably hold
himself up as a local boy made
good, the boss of a property
development firm – Taylor Grange
– which is in the process of
transforming the city skyline, and
head of an urban regeneration
operation. He is only 38.
We meet on a bleak morning
on site at the Fiveways end of
Broad Street. A demolition crew
is clearing an obsolete office
building to pave the way for the
construction of The Square, a
mixed-use development which,
all things being equal, will be one
of three major building projects
undertaken by Taylor Grange on
Broad Street.
Impeccably dressed in a dark
three-piece suit, he stands out
conspicuously against the rubble,
power jets and high-vis jackets.
Photos taken and discussions with
the crew’s foreman complete, we
make our way to the headquarters
of Taylor Grange in Colmore Row.
A fierce ambition has been a
core part of Ginda’s motivation
ever since those early days in
West Bromwich. However, you
don’t become the joint CEO of a
property development firm – which
is seeing several high-rise plans
with gross development value
of nearly £500 million come to
fruition – without a keen nose for
business.
The
sky’s
the
limit
“My father wasn’t a businessman
as such – he was employed at a
large bakery – so I didn’t get what
business acumen I have from
home,” says Ginda.
“Development was always the
space I wanted to be in. It was a
family thing really – wider family
members had done extremely well
out of property, building up pretty
large residential portfolios.
“I took a slightly unusual route
in that it wasn’t until I was 26
that I went to university. I got a
first-class degree in planning and
development at Birmingham City
University when it was based in
Perry Barr.”
He had not even left university
when Ginda set up his first
commercial concern, a small
lettings agency in Sandwell called
Samuel & Co. He is still at the helm
of the business which has grown
into one of the largest agencies in
the borough.
After launching at a high-street
location, business boomed. Ginda
started to make a name for himself
in the wider property sphere. His
profile was helped by a couple of
deals he did with already existing
property moguls in the Midlands
and various pension funds in
London.
“It was during that process
that I started to really increase
my passion for developing in
Birmingham city centre,” says
Ginda. “Thanks in part to my
degree, I knew how to navigate the
planning system which is where all
development projects start.”
He needed to be part of
something bigger – operating as
a one-man band wasn’t going to
give him the support and weight
needed by a city-centre developer.
Which brings us to Taylor
Grange, an initiative set up by
a former Bond Wolfe executive,
Rakesh Doal.
“Rak founded Taylor Grange
predominantly as a commercial
and retail property development
business, with a focus on purpose-
built retail parks and fast-food
outlets,” explains Ginda.
“We did one particular deal
together in Selly Oak and it kicked
off from there. To start off, Rak
suggested I work with him on a
consultancy basis as his field of
expertise was commercial and
retail.
“That’s where the journey
started really. I then tabled a
business plan, seeing how we
would work together in the future
and laid out the resi vision and how
I could contribute.
“I felt I knew where the market
was going and what the values
were doing in the south. The build-
to-rent movement really started
on the back of the recession in
2008. I identified that there would
be a new commuter zone for
London, and it would be here in
Birmingham.
“With the likes of HS2 and the
Commonwealth Games looming,
I felt we needed to invest a lot of
capital into Birmingham and start
piecing up sites that we could
deliver for residential use . . . and
that’s exactly what we did.
“Our MO was to buy sites
unconditionally because we had
good access to funding – that
allowed us to buy sites others
couldn’t.”
Funding is clearly key to the
operation. As time passed, the
sources of investment – which
have largely revolved around a
close network of high-net-worth
individuals – started to approach
A property development firm with lofty ambitions
has quietly been acquiring sites across Birmingham
with a view to transforming them into high-end
accommodation. HENRY CARPENTER meets the man
largely responsible for re-shaping the city’s skyline.
12 13
“I took a slightly unusual route
in that it wasn’t until I was 26
that I went to university.”

15
14
cover
story
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Ginda rather than the other way
round. He does admit though that
he is always open to new funding
relationships and equity partners.
So about six years ago Taylor
Grange started buying land, with
Ginda taking the lead on complex
site assembly. You won’t have seen
the fruits of these interminable
labours of planning and negotiating
yet, but you will do within the next 12
months.
The Taylor Grange team’s first
site in Birmingham city centre was
Westminster Works in Digbeth, a
226-unit build-to-rent project.
“We acquired a very poorly
consented site but brought in more
land and a professional team. We got
our planning consent and partnered
with High Street Residential. Practical
completion will be at some point
next year, probably Q3, though it
would have been completed by now
if it wasn’t for Covid.
“Our tactic has been to provide
the market with much-needed
stock, as it was getting really tired.
It was all about spreading our risk
as well – we dotted our schemes
around different locations and
pepper-potted our investments. The
Gun Quarter, the Jewellery Quarter,
Southside, obviously Digbeth . . .
each region offers something very
different to the others.”
I wonder if the developments carry
some sort of Taylor Grange hallmark
in terms of style or specification, and
whether they are geared towards a
particular market.
“They are all amenity driven,”
answers Ginda. “People want a
certain quality of living these days,
almost hotel-style.
“As yet, all of our schemes have
been planned for build-to-rent
purposes. Having said that, we
are also exploring the build-to-sell
model because there are very
few other developers doing this in
Birmingham”.
“Everyone has been going for
build-to-rent in the city. Institutional
capital – mainly the pension funds –
are looking at this as an opportunity
to underwrite lower rents. That
means lower values. We’ve decided
to be the salmon swimming the other
way to the main school of fish and
looking more at fractional sales.”
As we chat further about the
various projects, it’s clear that Ginda
is deeply proud of what he and his
team have achieved. The hurdles
placed in front of developers are
many and varied and call upon huge
reserves of patience, expertise
and, perhaps above all, resilience –
especially when these challenges
are heightened by external factors
such as a global pandemic.
The deals have continued, though
they have not been without a high
level of jeopardy. Holloway Head is a
case in point.
“Holloway Head was testimony to
our team’s combined skill set,” says
Ginda. “It had been sitting idle for 10
years or so as the previous owners
just couldn’t unlock it.
“That was a huge risk – we
exchanged contracts unconditionally
for £11 million at the time, even
though values were nowhere near
that. We successfully managed
to arrange a re-gear – a great
collaboration with Birmingham City
Council – to make it development-
friendly and deliverable.
“What would take others many,
many years took us 18 months. We
parcelled it up and then High Street
Residential bought a delivery partner
stake in it for a huge sum of money.”
That was a relatively early deal
for Ginda, though there have
been several other developments
bubbling away in the background
which will, when constructed,
transform an entire neighbourhood
between Newtown and the city
centre.
“We have masterplanned a key
arterial route into the city with three
schemes – Lancaster Wharf, Princip
Street and 80 Lancaster, which
is going to be a student tower,”
explains Ginda. “We are not quite
there in terms of planning. This is a
huge gateway change into the city
that we’ve managed to achieve,
again with successful collaboration
with the city council.”
There seem to be a flood of
sizeable residential schemes at
some point in the planning process
destined for Birmingham’s city
centre. Isn’t there a danger that
supply will far outstrip demand,
resulting in largely vacant tower
blocks?
Not at all, according to Ginda.
“A lot of the consents won’t be
deliverable – at least, not yet. There
is so much demand in the market.
When The Square is launched it
will probably be 85% fully let on the
day of completion. That’s how much
pent-up demand there is.
“As well as the corporations,
existing professionals want to
move to swankier, more modern
accommodation, with health and
wellbeing increasingly at the
forefront of people’s priorities.
“At The Square, for instance,
there’s going to be a 100-metre
running track and a huge gym.”
Which brings us back to where we
started. You get the impression that
if there was one particular source of
excited enthusiasm for Ginda – at
least until the next one comes along
– it is The Square.
This two-storey office block had
been more or less vacant after its
leaseholders moved away to more
modern premises, but Ginda’s
ambitions for the scheme have
always been high. After a hugely
competitive acquisition and planning
process, consent has been given for
a mixed-use scheme comprising two
build-to-rent blocks and a hotel.
What caught Ginda’s eye when he
got wind of its availability was the
location.
“It’s one of the best sites in
Birmingham, to be honest with you,”
he confirms. “The values on Broad
Street are probably the best in the
city centre. From a deliverability
point of view, it is great – the
builders can just get on with it.
“After some serious competition,
with our hard-earned track record
we managed to win the bid. We
exchanged in January 2020 so you
can imagine how we felt when March
came along . . . we looked at each
other wondering if we had overpaid
on the site.
“We got the planning consent
within nine months, which was pretty
good going, and we started on site
“We want to bring brownfield sites
back to life. Future High Street
Living is all about revitalising
struggling high streets by investing
in developments that will introduce
new housing and new reasons to
visit these areas again.”
211 Broad Street Princip Street South
Lancaster Wharf
Sam Ginda in conversation with crew during demolition at The Square
The proposed SK scheme in Digbeth

16
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17
What can you say about the last 18
months? Has there ever been such
a wide-ranging cocktail of external
pressures outside of industry’s
control in living memory? I doubt it.
Brexit’s long-drawn-out completion
and the horrific entrance of Covid-19
sent shockwaves through the world,
but the UK metalforming sector has
bounced back in relatively good
shape and many firms are now
trading above pre-pandemic levels.
Yes, there are some exceptions
and suppliers into the aerospace
industry have yet to see real
evidence of the green shoots taking
hold and we will continue to support
them as much as we can.
The overriding ‘takeaway’ for
me has been that we are stronger
together and when metalforming
companies decide to share best
practice and collaborate then
anything is possible.
This has been evident in the
work the Confederation of British
Metalforming (CBM) has been doing
since January 2020. With over 200
members, employing over 40,000
people and boasting a combined
£4bn turnover, we represent a critical
part of industry and, as a result, our
collective voice should be heard.
Thanks to our strong relationship
building in recent years, we have
been able to organise weekly
meetings with the Department for
Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
(BEIS), where a group of up to 50
members can listen to Government
updates on the situation/support
available and, importantly, raise their
own concerns about the issues they
are seeing at the coalface.
There have been hundreds of
things discussed and I’d like to
think our members have received a
valuable insight into how changes
in policy and the introduction
of assistance will impact their
businesses.
Two of the most critical topics have
been steel safeguarding quotas (more
on this later) and the Trade Credit
Re-insurance Scheme. We lobbied
Ministers hard for the introduction of
some Government assurance and
was delighted when the initiative
came into play to encourage
insurance firms to provide cover
against the possibility of bad debt.
I have no doubt this helped
trade to pick up pace, but we were
disappointed to see it withdrawn on
30th June 2021 and continued to talk
to Whitehall about ways in which they
could encourage cover to remain in
place after this date. Whilst this hasn’t
been 100% successful, we do feel
insurers have been gently persuaded
to look favourably on policies.
The more pressing issue is steel
safeguarding quotas and this is such
a fluid topic that, by the time this
article is published, things could have
changed considerably.
Our members, who often fall into
the 2nd, 3rd and 4th tiers of the
supply chain, are currently being
impacted because, in particular,
Category 12 Steel is still being
subjected to quotas and this
tends to be a popular material for
metalformers.
This decision is despite evidence
to the contrary from the Trade
Remedies Authority (TRA), a body
invited by the Government to look at
the current situation. It clearly found
there is little appetite to manufacture
this type of steel in the UK and, six
weeks into the current quarter and
the quota has already gone critical
(at the time of writing), meaning
companies are about to pay 25%
extra for their material.
No way is this sustainable and will
strangle manufacturing’s recovery
and the CBM will continue to fight to
get this changed.
Taking the
CBM forward
The last twenty months have proven
how important the CBM are for the
sector and we are looking forward
to building our membership even
further.
In addition to the lobbying, we also
provide our members with over £4m
of annual savings with our accredited
Climate Change Levy rebate service,
discounted meeting and venue hire,
health and safety advice and a free
business support hotline.
We have three technical specialists
on hand covering fasteners, forgers
and press work, sheet metal and cold
rolled and management teams can
tap into existing relationships with the
Universities and our R&D Tax expert,
who recoups £1.1m every year.
There is a lot of positivity in
industry now, but we are still at a
critical juncture. We must continue
to remember recent lessons and our
voices will be heard loudest when we
work together.
Stronger together
Geraldine Bolton, chief executive of the
Confederation of British Metalforming, looks
back on one of the most challenging periods
in living memory and how ‘collaboration’ has
facilitated a faster-than-expected recovery
For further information, please
visit www.thecbm.co.uk or
contact 0121 601 6350.
on July 5, marking the start of a 133-
week programme. It will have a huge
effect on the Broad Street skyline.
“These things can always fall away
but we have agreed a deal with
Marriott’s Moxy brand for the hotel
– we will be developer and landlord,
while they will operate it.”
Taylor Grange’s presence on
Broad Street comes up time and
again in conversation. The Square,
as it happens, is just one of a trio of
major projects which Ginda has in
mind.
“We launched 211 Broad Steet – a
purpose-built, 264-room tower hotel
– in May last year at the height of
lockdown uncertainty,” he says. “This
is the first super-slender skyscraper
to be consented in Europe – it
is only nine metres wide. We’re
probably looking at Q1 next year
before we can start a two-and-a-half-
year build.”
And the third building? “That’s
bubbling away but isn’t in the public
domain yet!”
Covid might have slowed up the
construction side of the industry,
but over the last 15 months Ginda
has achieved more than a million
square feet of detailed planning
consents. He’s got his eye on
boosting Birmingham’s hotel
offering, he is overseeing a student
accommodation scheme in Cardiff
and there are the aforementioned
residential developments to take to
completion.
However, there is another string
to his commercial bow, an operation
which is unconnected to Taylor
Grange but might leave just as
profound a legacy.
It is called Future High Street
Living and while Taylor Grange has
been about cold economics, this –
although not an act of pure altruism
– comes much more from the heart.
Ginda explains: “There are other
neglected areas in the region, such
as Sandwell where I was born.
We can assist with the housing
problem. I want to buy brownfield
sites in the Black Country, get
planning permission and remediate
contaminated sites.”
His first deal was the proposed
acquisition of Queens Square
shopping centre in West Bromwich,
which sets the tone for his vision for
how high streets will evolve over
the coming years, centred around
new residential and mixed-use
developments.
He explains that this investment
will see the retail provision
consolidated into one area,
alongside a residential development
including 84 new houses and more
than 200 residential apartments, plus
improvements to the public realm.
“While we are starting in my
home town, we are also looking to
repurpose dying town centres and
high streets further afield. Our latest
acquisition is the ex-Debenhams
building in Staines-upon-Thames
which is a fantastic building ripe for
delivering our ethos.
“We want to bring brownfield
sites back to life. Future High
Street Living is all about revitalising
struggling high streets by investing
in developments that will introduce
new housing and new reasons to
visit these areas again.”
A bold statement maybe, but
uttered by a man who is unafraid
of aiming high and for whom the
sky, literally, is the limit.
The proposal, left, and vision for Queens Square
A CGI of proposed townhouses at Queens Square in West Bromwich

enterprise
Maxine Laceby was fast approaching
the big Five-O. For years, her career
had played second fiddle to bringing
up her two daughters – but all of that
was about to change dramatically.
It started when she began looking
more closely at what she was putting
into her body and stumbled upon
what she describes as “the amazing
benefits of collagen”.
And it happened while she was
cooking up bone broth in her
kitchen.
Unable to find a commercial
product that did the same job, she
decided to take matters into her
own hands – and in less than five
years, her enterprise has gone from
a kitchen table experiment to an
award-winning business which is
turning over £13 million and counting.
Absolute Collagen now employs
more than 25 people, but has its
sights set on major expansion over
the next 12 months – with a new and
expanded base in Birmingham firmly
in its sights.
The daughters which Laceby
gave up her earlier career to raise –
Margot and Darcy – are now working
with her as part of the business,
making the success even sweeter.
But with sales continuing to soar,
there’s a big decision looming on
the horizon. It is set to outgrow its
current headquarters and fulfilment
centre in Telford, meaning it will
need a new, larger home to take the
business to the next level.
“We have been looking at
premises in Birmingham which feels
like the right environment for us to
be in, and expect to be announcing
things very soon – maybe Telford will
just be our fulfilment centre in the
future,” says Laceby.
So let’s just back-track to
the beginning of a remarkable
story for the woman who was
crowned a winner at the National
From stay-at-home mum to beauty
industry pioneer, a high-flying
entrepreneur has created one of the
sector’s fastest-growing businesses.
CARL JONES reports
Supplementary
benefits
Businesswomen of the Year awards.
“I had a bit of sales and marketing
experience in my earlier career, but
gave that up when I was about 25,”
she says. “Ever since then I’ve rarely
been in business other than doing
a few part-time bits and pieces.
But that doesn’t matter because
everything I’ve learned from being a
woman and a mother I apply to the
boardroom.”
She describes herself as someone
who has always had a bit of a
creative streak, and enrolled on a
fine art degree course where one
of her first projects was all about
exploring ‘bare beauty’. She had to
strip herself free from make-up and
hair products, and it was here that
she says she had an epiphany.
“That was the first time I stepped
into my own skin and I was surprised
at how insecure and vulnerable I
felt. I’d given so much to my family
over the years, I’d lost myself in the
process.
“I’d lost all my self-confidence and
my diet was terrible. I’d snack all the
time or skip meals and eat a packet
of biscuits at the end of the day. I
needed to nurture myself.”
Laceby started to boil chicken
feet and pigs’ trotters in her kitchen
to make bone broth, discovering in
the process how to extract collagen,
a protein that provides structure to
much of your body, including bones,
skin, tendons and ligaments.
She drank this bone broth for a
few weeks, and says she saw an
incredible impact on her skin, hair,
nails and general wellbeing.
When friends started asking
her what she was doing to get
such glowing skin, Laceby soon
found herself sharing the love
by cooking up bone broth for
her neighbourhood, and recalls
becoming known as the ‘local
collagen dealer’.
She spent many hours researching
collagen tablets and supplements
and discovered that they were often
made up with fillers and binders.
Laceby was adamant though,
that she wanted to create a liquid
supplement – following the logic that
liquids are absorbed far better than
tablets.
“I asked myself what I wanted
from a collagen supplement, and the
answer was the maximum of the best
collagen available in a ready-mixed
dose, as affordable as it could be.”
The foundations of Absolute
Collagen were born, and Laceby
began experimenting with the
formula, taste and ingredients,
becoming an expert in the process
on the world of ingestible beauty
supplements.
Absolute Collagen officially
launched at the Beauty Show UK
in Birmingham in May 2017, with a
website which was marketing the
product direct to consumers.
19

21
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The annual show brings salon
owners and professionals from
the beauty, nails, tanning and spa
industries to the NEC for one of the
largest industry events of its kind.
Laceby worked hard to spread the
word through the power of social
media in those early days, and by
the end of her first financial year she
had turned over £500,000.
During the most recent 12-month
period, on the back of the company’s
booming subscription model, that
figure has topped £13 million.
Today, around 30,000 boxes of
product are being shipped out of
the Shropshire distribution hub
every month. The original product,
in sachet form, has been boosted
by a serum which was launched last
summer.
Awards and recognition have
come hand-in-hand with the
company’s growth. By May 2018,
Absolute Collagen was officially an
award-winning supplement, having
collected an Editor’s Choice Award
in the Beauty Shortlist Awards 2018,
and been nominated twice for the
Global Beauty Awards 2018 in two
categories.
In 2019, Absolute Collagen then
won the ultimate award in the
beauty industry – The CEW beauty
supplement award.
Since then, Laceby has also been
recognised in the latest NatWest
Everywoman Awards, winning the
Demeter prize for ‘an inspirational
woman running a business trading
for between three and five years’.
The panel said: “Despite being
50 years old and having spent
the majority of her adult life as a
stay-at-home mum, Maxine was
determined to pursue her idea, even
re-mortgaging the house to start the
business.”
Remortgaging her house? “Yes,”
she confirms. “That happened in the
early few months of the business.
I raised £250,000 which I put into
the business over the first nine
months. Yes, it was a risk, but my
eyes had really been opened to the
possibilities at that point, and I knew
exactly where I wanted to take it.”
For now at least, Absolute
Collagen sees the UK as the key to
its ongoing expansion. With medical
research showing that wrinkles
and sagging skin are caused by a
decrease in collagen which starts as
early as age 25, the potential market
is certainly considerable.
“We sell around 97% of our
products here in the UK, and
although we have looked at growing
internationally, and may well end up
going in that direction in the future,
there is still a way to go right here in
this country for the time being,” says
Laceby.
“I believe one of the keys to this
company’s success is changing
the direct-to-consumer experience.
Long before everyone was doing
it, we were offering no-obligation
subscriptions giving people the
chance to cancel if they didn’t like
the product.
“Why wouldn’t you do that if you
have confidence in the product that
you are offering?”
Laceby has been described as an
inspiration for female entrepreneurs
around the world – and for women
in general.
She is incredibly passionate about
the strengths of women, which she
feels often go unrecognised due to
what she describes as their ‘humble
nature’.
“We just get on with the job
that needs doing,” she says. “I’m
coming up to 55 now, but this is not
about trying to make me look years
younger. For me, how you feel is far
more important than how you look.
“I feel very blessed to be in the
position I’m now in – not just with
such a successful business but also
being able to work alongside my
daughters.”
Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder
of the NatWest Everywoman
Maxine Laceby with daughter, Darcy
At Absolute Collagen’s distribution centre
“For me, how you feel is far more
important than how you look.”
awards, believes it is currently more
important than ever to champion the
achievements of people like Maxine
Laceby.
“Self-employment has started to
decline for men, but not for women.
Despite this, only one in three UK
entrepreneurs is female, a gender
gap equivalent of 1.1 million missing
businesses and a potential value add
of £250 billion to the UK economy.
“Now more than ever, it is critical
to address this and showcase how
successful and resilient so many
female-owned businesses are.
“For 18 years the NatWest
everywoman Awards have done just
this and we continue to encourage,
embolden and empower women.
We applaud the incredible
achievements of winners such
as Maxine.”

23
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Tregarthen
11 Moss Road
Alderley Edge
Cheshire SK9 7JA
Telephone: 01625 584499
Mobile: 07813 529292
tom.robinson@sjp.co.uk
www.throgmortonassociates.co.uk
Meeting your long-term
retirement goals:
THE POWER OF VISUALISATION
There are few certainties in life,
but one thing we can be sure of is
that we are all getting older. While
most people know that they need
to save for retirement and that the
state pension is too low to provide a
comfortable lifestyle, many still don’t
do enough.
Often this isn’t down to a lack of
understanding or time. It’s because
our brains are wired to prefer instant
rewards rather than long-term,
deferred benefits – and when it
comes to money, this makes it hard
to forgo spending now in order to
save for the future.
The power of
visualisation
When it comes to retirement
planning, there’s another dimension:
people struggle to imagine
themselves decades into the future,
as ‘old’ people. This inability to
empathise with our future selves
makes it difficult for people to lock
away money in pension accounts
that cannot be accessed until the
age of 55 at the earliest.
By JON LEE, director at
Throgmorton Associates
To contact Jon Lee, email jon.lee@sjpp.co.uk or telephone 0116 284 4880 or 07769 656526
To receive a complimentary guide covering Wealth Management,
Retirement Planning or Inheritance Tax Planning produced by St.
James’s Place Wealth Management, contact Jon Lee via the details
above or visit www.throgmortonassociates.co.uk
One powerful method that can
help in overcoming these barriers
to reaching retirement goals is to
use the visualisation techniques
that elite sportspeople employ to
boost their motivation. An athlete
struggling with the monotony of
their strict training regime and
eating plan will picture themselves
at a competition months or years in
the future. By allowing their brain to
‘see’ their body in peak condition,
to ‘hear’ the roar of their fans and
‘feel’ the triumph of achievement as
they mount the podium to receive a
gold medal, athletes get the boost
they need to maintain their focus
today and keep working towards
their goals.
How to do it
Retirement savers should picture
themselves at an older age and
imagine what it feels like to be free
from any unwanted burdens around
work. Reflect on where you would
like to live if money was no object –
maybe you would divide your time
between different homes or countries.
Think about what hobbies or interests
you would pursue if you had fewer
demands on your time. Would you
change career, start a business or
volunteer for a cause? All of these are
possible when you have a substantial
retirement fund to support you.
We can offer pension advice and
help you stay motivated with saving
and investing for retirement, just ask.
The value of an investment with
St. James’s Place will be directly
linked to the performance of the
funds selected and the value may
therefore fall as well as rise. You may
get back less than you invested.

In association with
The challenges facing businesses of all sizes –
largely due to the pandemic – have been huge
over the last 18 months, and of course deeply
concerning for company owners and bosses.
There has been a necessary shift of emphasis from
activities built around stimulating and delivering
growth, to the urgent steps needed merely to
ensure business survival. The disruption caused
by the health crisis has been profound, leading
to critical and sometimes very difficult strategic
decisions.
There are invariably multiple options available,
which can often lead to stronger foundations for a
more sustainable long-term future.
And as is clear from this commercially backed
special report, there is no shortage of wisdom and
guidance in the West Midlands to help explore and
capitalise on new opportunities.
Corporate
recovery

26
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27
As the world reopens, business
owners and management teams are
now facing a number of challenges,
shifting focus from survival to
thinking about how to thrive in this
new and challenging landscape. As
a result, some businesses may find
themselves unviable in their current
form and, therefore, require some
level of reorganisation at both a
financial and operational level.
With challenges
come opportunities
While the pandemic has presented
challenges, it has also afforded
opportunities to those willing to
adapt and tailor their offerings to an
ever-changing marketplace. Those
businesses which demonstrated
agility during the early stages of the
pandemic were able to weather the
storm better than those unwilling, or
unable, to pivot their operations; the
same will apply as we move out of
survival mode and into the rebuilding
phase.
At Begbies Traynor Group we can
devise a bespoke, robust, yet flexible
plan, giving your business the solid
foundations it needs to emerge in
a confident and financially stable
manner, while ensuring it has the
resilience to handle the uncertainty
which looks to be part of life for the
foreseeable future.
Building long-term
business strength
When it comes to stabilising a
business which has gone through
a period of operational or financial
upheaval, focus needs to be given to
securing the immediate future of the
business, while also considering the
longer-term health of the company and
ability for growth later down the line.
A process of business simplification
can be used to streamline companies
which have become bloated or overly
complex over time by identifying
non-performing areas and closing or
otherwise eliminating these elements.
This frees up vital resources and
finances, which can be diverted to
more profitable parts of the business
– a process which also assists with
risk management.
Identifying areas of non-
performance is not always obvious,
particularly in a changing economic
landscape; however, this process can
reap rewards, in both the long- and
the short-term. Our restructuring
and turnaround experts led by our
experienced Partners will take a
holistic and impartial overview of your
business, its finances and operational
performance, before presenting you
with a workable, actionable, and
sustainable plan moving forward.
Managing pandemic debt will be
an issue for many businesses as the
pandemic pushed UK companies
to a position where debt and other
means of government-backed
support was the only option to ensure
their survival. Our debt advisory
specialists can work with you to
advise on additional finance options
and strategies and offer support in
considering all options available to
you and your business.
About Us
Begbies Traynor Group is an
AIM-listed professional services
consultancy. We provide independent
professional advice and solutions in
the areas of corporate insolvency,
personal insolvency, restructuring,
corporate finance, transaction
services, forensic services, pension
advisory, capital management,
funding and finance and property
consultancy.
We operate from over 100 offices
across the UK and offshore locations,
with over 950 staff.
In the West Midlands, we have nine offices with teams of specialists
to support and advice local businesses. If you require any further
information on how we can assist your business, or to arrange an initial
meeting (free of charge), then please contact one of our team to the right:
Opportunity in adversity:
the road to recovery
Gareth Prince, Partner
T: 0121 200 8150
M: 07977 432 020
E: gareth.prince@btguk.com
Mark Malone, Partner
T: 0121 200 8150
M: 07801 818 831
E: mark.malone@btguk.com
Neil Jeeves, Partner
T: 0121 200 8200
M: 07880 705 673
E: neil.jeeves@btguk.com
Craig Povey, Partner
T: 0121 200 8150
M: 07947 951 035
E: craig.povey@btguk.com
The Midlands branch of insolvency
and restructuring trade body R3 has
called on company directors to seek
professional advice at the first sign
their business is in trouble, as new
Government statistics reveal more
companies entering an insolvency
process now than at this time last
year.
The recommendation comes
on the back of data published in
mid-August by the Government’s
Insolvency Service which showed
that corporate insolvencies in
England and Wales had increased by
13.4% to 1,094 in July 2021 compared
to July 2020’s figure of 965.
R3 Midlands Chair Eddie Williams,
a partner at PwC in Birmingham,
said: “This is the third consecutive
month in which year-on-year
corporate insolvency levels have
risen, reflecting the effect the
pandemic has had on our local
business community.
“The 70.4% increase in Creditors’
Voluntary Liquidations in July 2021
compared to July 2020 suggests an
increasing number of directors have
decided to close their businesses
after spending over a year trying to
survive the pandemic.
“While Government support
has continued to provide financial
lifelines for many, there are still
significant challenges for our
region’s businesses to overcome.
The delay in lifting the final
restrictions will have hit trading,
footfall and spending, and a huge
number of firms have fought for well
over a year to combat conditions
which are wildly different to normal.”
R3 believes, however, that there
is some cause for optimism for
the local business community with
Government reports that the national
economy is bouncing back from
its near 10% contraction last year.
Alongside this, the IMF predicts the
economy will grow by 7% in 2021,
making this the strongest year for
economic growth since comparable
Mixed outlook
ahead for
Birmingham
businesses
Directors urged to seek advice as year-on-year
insolvencies increase – R3 Midlands
records began post-World War II.
R3 sees these factors potentially
providing a positive trickledown
effect for Midlands businesses.
Eddie Williams continued: “With
the opening up of the economy,
consumer confidence at pre-
pandemic levels, and spending
levels higher than in 2019, the future
does look more promising, but the
entire economic picture needs to be
viewed with balance. It will certainly
take longer for the worse-hit sectors
to recover from the pandemic,
leading to an economic picture
which is decidedly mixed.
“SMEs, for example, are the
backbone of the West Midlands
economy, but it is obvious that so
many have been badly affected.
Despite the UK’s recent growth
spurt, vast numbers are still being
stifled by the rising wave of virus
infections, disrupted supply chains
and fluctuating customer demand.
“While some local businesses
are positive about their future and
are beginning to thrive once more,
they are still living in the shadow of
concerns over the ‘Delta variant’,
rising costs and the continuing
practical impacts of Brexit.”
To enhance support for local
businesses, R3 Midlands is offering
a free online guide for company
directors which explains how to
spot signs of financial distress, the
options open to them for resolving
it and where to find sources of
regulated advice.
Titled Get Back to Business: A
guide to dealing with corporate
financial distress, it is available
for Birmingham Business
readers to download from www.
backtobusinessuk.com.
The R3 guide covers the main
options available to resolve
corporate financial distress and
explains how the insolvency and
restructuring framework and
profession can help to rescue viable
businesses, save jobs, and repay
creditors. It also points directors
to qualified and regulated sources
of professional advice and sets
out the duties and responsibilities
of company directors and the
importance of meeting them.
Eddie Williams added: “At a time
when many companies are still
reeling from the economic impact
of the pandemic, it’s important that
directors know that there are a
range of options available which may
secure the future of their firms.
“Rescue is always the profession’s
priority wherever this is possible,
and it is encouraging to know that
the restructuring community is better
placed than ever to help businesses
with financial worries.
“We understand it can be difficult
for owners to talk about their
business worries, but it cannot be
stressed enough that prospects for
corporate rescue are always better
the earlier issues are identified.
We therefore urge anyone who is
concerned that their business could
be struggling to download our guide
and to seek appropriate professional
advice as soon as possible.”
Information on R3’s network of
members in the West Midlands and
across the UK is available on the R3
website, www.r3.org.uk.

ghghghghg
column
Building back better
A guide to post-lockdown
business resilience for SMEs
By KEITH ROSS
Head of Midlands Mid-Corporate
Banking, Barclays
Overview
Almost all UK SMEs will have felt the
impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
and resulting economic slowdown
to some degree.
Those in the consumer, retail and
hospitality industries have been hit
particularly hard, but businesses
across all sectors have had to
adapt fast to profound changes in
customer behaviour and purchasing
patterns, new market conditions,
changing regulations, political and
economic circumstances, social
distancing measures and supply
chain pressures.
Resilience
Most UK SMEs have shown
remarkable resilience – the
relatively low take-up of government
financial support is testament to
that – with some showing their
true entrepreneurial spirit to grasp
opportunities and develop new
business models.
While there is still a good deal of
uncertainty around the long-term
impact of the pandemic, the strides
that the UK government has made
with its vaccination programme and
its roadmap for economic recovery
have encouraged businesses to
shift their mindset from ‘survival’
towards ‘growth’.
Indeed, there are clear signs of
an increasing impetus to ‘build back
better’, with many UK SMEs taking
time to re-evaluate and reposition
their purpose and values. At the
same time, the ‘new normal’ that
has emerged from the pandemic
will continue to drive innovation
and transformation, particularly in
terms of digitisation from both a
consumer and business operations
perspective.
There’s little doubt that
businesses will need to continue to
use all their ingenuity and agility to
adapt to the significant and varied
changes brought about by the
pandemic.
Of course, there are many other
external factors that businesses
have to respond to during these
extraordinary times, including
the post-Brexit world which is
significantly impacting supply
chains, export markets and UK
trade relationships while at the
same time bringing to light potential
opportunities and new markets.
On top of this, across the UK
and the world, it is – rightly –
becoming increasingly important
for businesses to take account
of environmental, social and
governance factors in their
strategies and activities. Aside
from being the right thing to do,
strong environmental, social and
governance (ESG) credentials can
provide SMEs with new commercial
opportunities and reputational
benefits.
Strategy
and planning
It has been hugely encouraging
to see how businesses quickly
responded to the implications of the
pandemic and adapted to changed
circumstances, from diversifying
into new markets and supporting
the fight against Covid, to managing
severe supply chain difficulties and
finding innovative ways to meet
customer demand.
Regardless of whether a business
has been able to adapt its model
over the past year and keep trading
or has had to temporarily close its
doors at certain stages, it’s crucial
for all SMEs take time to consider
the way forward. They should review
their strategies and forecasts, adjust
their models where possible, and
ensure they have a plan in place to
not only navigate through continued
uncertainty but build back better.
Customers
and revenues
The Covid crisis has seen massive
shifts in customer behaviour and
purchasing patterns – both in the
UK and globally – accelerating the
rise in online retail and ecommerce,
29
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By SHEENA TANDY
Legal director in the restructuring and insolvency
team at law firm Shakespeare Martineau
Act sooner rather
than later in times
of distress
The past 18 months have been
extremely challenging for
businesses across sectors.
Alongside income streams
drying up for many organisations
overnight, uncertainty around how
long the pandemic will last, and
around when a new ‘normal’ will
return has shone a spotlight on
weaknesses and forced business
owners to make tough decisions.
Government support measures,
such as the furlough scheme
and CBILS loans, introduced
over the course of the pandemic
have proven a lifeline for many
businesses, but now a large chunk
of that borrowing may be hitting
home. Many companies will be
finding themselves saddled with
extra debt and hard questions
need to be asked around how this
is going to be repaid, how quickly
the bounce back will occur and,
ultimately, if the business will
survive.
Starting repayments as soon as
possible is the best course of action
and thinking about future finances
is critical. On top of repayments
for financial support, there could
be upcoming increases in rent and
bills to account for, for example if
temporary rent holidays
or reductions have
been agreed with
landlords. Businesses
must carefully assess how they
anticipate their outgoings to
increase in future and compare
them with their projected income. If
a disparity shows that tough times
may be ahead, it could be wise to
seek expert advice sooner rather
than later.
Some sectors have had a
harder time than others, due to
being impacted more severely
by lockdowns and restrictions.
Hospitality and leisure venues for
example, despite being able to now
trade without any further Covid
restrictions, were forced to close for
large periods of time and may still
be fighting to bring their revenue
back to pre-pandemic levels.
In the first instance, as soon as
any future financial struggles are
spotted on the horizon, business
owners and directors should seek
the advice of their financial and
legal advisers, who will be able to
assess the financial viability of the
business and assist with predicting
whether future cash flow is
sufficient to keep the organisation
afloat.
Other options, such as
refinancing, could also be explored.
Directors should also take advice
on their own duties, once they’ve
decided that the business may
need help to ensure they are not
trading insolvently and breaching
their duties under the Companies
Act. If a director believes the
company may be likely to become
insolvent then they have a duty to
minimise losses to the company’s
creditors, and company directors
must be able to show that they
have sought advice and support at
an early stage.
If directors look at their
businesses and come to the harsh
realisation that continuing to trade
is no longer an option, seeking
the support of an insolvency
practitioner is essential. It’s
important to remember that
insolvency does not always have to
be negative and many restructuring
and turnaround professionals will
be able to help put plans in place to
aid the survival of the business.
Insolvency practitioners and
insolvency lawyers will look at
the viability of the business and
recommend the best course of
action. It may be that liquidation –
where the company is brought to
an end and its assets are sold – is
the only option, but in a significant
number of cases, more positive
approaches will be taken.
For example, a restructure or
a refinance of the business to
secure its survival or placing the
company into administration to sell
the business as a going concern
and obtain the best value for the
business.
Hopefully, for as many
businesses as possible, insolvency
will be a last resort. However, for
those businesses who do need to
go down this route, acting early is
crucial. Burying heads in the sand
is never a good option and, if funds
simply aren’t available to continue
trading, the best option is to stop
as soon as possible.
There is light at the end of the
tunnel and, whatever route is taken,
it is possible to come out the other
side in a positive way.
28

31
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and radically changing customers’
interactions with many businesses.
The UK’s new relationship with
the EU has also resulted in many
SMEs needing to re-evaluate their
customer bases and revenue
streams, as some of these have
been impacted by the changes to
customs and border controls, the
UK’s trade relationships and export
opportunities.
Businesses will need to continue
to identify any new competitive
advantages or gaps in the market
that have come to light as a result
of the pandemic, the impact of new
economic and social norms and the
realities of a post-Brexit world.
Staffing, costs
and supply chain
Lockdowns and social distancing
measures have played a significant
role in changing how people work
and interact with each other in the
workplace. This has and will, of
course, continue to affect how SMEs
manage their human and other
resources and how they collaborate
with their partners and supply
chains.
One of the main side effects of
the pandemic has been the rapid
increase in the use of technology
within all types of businesses to
improve efficiency – from sharing
virtual workspaces and increased
production automation through to
exploring how artificial intelligence
can recreate physical environments
in a virtual setting.
Another positive side effect of the
pandemic has been the heightened
focus on – and changing attitudes
towards – environmental, social and
governance (ESG) factors within
businesses. SMEs are increasingly
adapting how they operate to
ensure they’re looking after their
people and the planet.
Environmental,
social and
governance issues
Agile businesses have not only
had to respond to the impact of
Covid, but to the growing focus
on the environmental, social and
governance (ESG) concerns affecting
us all. The realities of the climate
crisis and social inequalities are
having a growing influence on
customer and business relationships.
Research shows that customers are
willing to pay more for sustainable
products, for example. The thriving
businesses of the future will be
those that demonstrate that they’re
taking action to protect people and
the planet.
All the evidence suggests that
businesses that are committed to
sustainability outperform their peers
by remaining more competitive,
compliant and responsible. This
is key to ‘building back better’.
Incorporating ESG considerations
into day-to-day business operations
is an investment in the future,
bringing tangible, commercial and
brand-building benefits. Taking steps
towards an effective ESG strategy
now will also minimise future
disruption. This shouldn’t feel like a
daunting drain on time or budgets.
Businesses can’t embed changes
aimed at sustainability overnight. So,
the advice is to think big, start small
and learn fast
Managing cashflow
Having sufficient funds to meet short
and long-term obligations is critical
for all businesses. The pandemic
and the UK’s changed relationship
with the EU have demonstrated the
importance of managing cashflow,
conducting risk assessments and
putting plans in place to identify
funding solutions for unexpected
situations and crises.
Fraud and
cyber security
Fraudsters are always looking for
new ways to target businesses
– and the Covid-19 pandemic
has provided a whole raft of new
cyber-crime opportunities. Scams
and malware campaigns in the UK
continue to increase year-on-year,
designed to encourage people to
give away sensitive banking and
personal information, or download
malicious files onto their personal or
work devices.
Given all of the turmoil and
changes the world has faced as
a result of the pandemic, it’s clear
that we still face many unknowns
on the road to recovery. However,
we are confident that the ingenuity
and resilience of SMEs will play a
vital role in securing the UK’s future
prosperity.
30
Green Gourmet is an award-
winning food innovation company
which supplies responsibly
sourced food products and meal
solutions to the education, airline,
retail and leisure sectors.
Green Gourmet’s vision is to
create a sustainable, market
leading, fast-growth innovation
company.
“It starts with sustainable.
Everything we do has to deliver in
the long term, which we define as
sustainable people, sustainable
profit and sustainable planet,”
explains managing director Mike
Hanley.
To achieve this, the company
re-invests a lot of its profits back
into the business and its people.
It also focuses on operating to an
agreed set of leadership principles
and remaining true to its longer-
term vision.
Hanley says that the firm’s
mission is to be the most
innovative, creative, trusted and
responsive business it can be,
but that means nothing without its
strong team of high calibre, high-
performance people.
“Our people embody the
company’s DNA of having fun,
being dynamic, trusting and
challenging each other and always
delivering.”
Turbulent times
Given that its primary markets and
supply chain effectively closed
overnight when the pandemic
arrived, Green Gourmet’s first task
was to secure its balance sheet
and ensure it had enough cash
reserves.
As soon as the team had
secured the financial position of
the business, they turned their
attention to potential market
opportunities. Green Gourmet
took a two-pronged strategic
approach – aggressively building
market share in a currently non-
functioning market, while also
moving to new markets. The
strategy resulted in the business
winning contracts with a number
of airlines and travel companies
during a time when they weren’t
operating.
And repurposing its business
model for new markets meant that
within two weeks it had a range of
22 products for the retail market,
including selling some of its
high-end travel products through
various well-known supermarkets
and stores.
The company also has ambitious
‘green’ aspirations, which include
using hydroelectricity to power
both its innovation hub and its
future fleet of all-electric vehicles.
Although the company’s time
horizons have been extended,
Hanley is cautiously optimistic
about the future.
“Any plan has to allow for
uncertainty and risk, so keeping
cash on the balance sheet is key.
While we’re beginning to take a
few more risks, we’re still holding
in mind that ‘anything could
happen’.”
A culture of trust
Green Gourmet spends a lot of
time understanding how to ensure
a good work-life balance for its
employees.
And, as the company had
already introduced flexible,
home-working options 12 months
before the start of the pandemic,
transitioning to operating during
lockdown wasn’t particularly
disruptive.
“If you want to empower a
team you have to instil and
model trust throughout the whole
organisation,” says Hanley.
He says the pandemic has
provided a number of key learning
points for both the company and
team. He believes that “we’re all
capable of much more than we
think” but that it’s important to
“seek optimal, not perfection. The
world of chaos is not perfect, so
if you aim for perfection you’re
going to take too long and fail.
Instead, look for ‘good enough’.”
The pandemic has also brought
home the importance of mental
health and ensuring the company
provides adequate support for
its employees. The business
has encouraged the team to
talk openly about mental health
throughout the crisis and will
continue to do so into the future.
“We’ve used the ‘down time’ to
invest in and update our CRM &
ERP systems. We’re maintaining
high productivity levels, keeping
the team future-focused, and
working to be ahead of the curve
when our industries open up
again. We have the resilience to
succeed.”
BUSINESS RESILIENCE CASE STUDY: GREEN GOURMET
Strategies
for success
n Put people first
Protect employees’ health and
wellbeing by thinking beyond
physical distancing and hygiene to
help create a safe and supportive
environment, wherever they are
working.
n Prepare for the unexpected
Covid-19 and the UK’s new
relationship with the EU have
underlined the importance of
managing cashflow, conducting
risk assessments and identifying
funding solutions for the
unexpected. Ask your banking
partner about tools to provide
greater financial visibility, efficiency,
fraud control, and support future
business continuity planning.
n Build a sustainable future
Embedding ESG in your strategy
is not only the right thing to
do, it offers commercial and
reputational benefits. Explore
how green product solutions can
help businesses to link these
commitments to their financing
arrangements and evidence their
credentials.
n Adapt to thrive
Many SMEs were able to adjust
their product and channel mix to
weather the Covid-19 pandemic.
But to return to growth, businesses
must identify and adapt to the
longer-term opportunities that have
come to light, such as changes to
customer behaviour and purchasing
patterns.
n Protect your business
Fraudsters constantly adapt their
techniques, so it’s important that
everyone in your organisation stays
up to date with the latest guidance.
The Barclays’ Mid Corporate team is committed to supporting
SMEs across every sector.
The building back better guide is designed to highlight some
of the key issues and questions for SMEs to consider helping
them build resilience – both as restrictions are lifted and in the
event of future crises – and of course, to build back better.
To contact Keith Ross, email keith.ross@barclays.com or telephone 07500 891895
*This is an excerpt from Barclays’ Building Back
Better guide. The full guide is available on the
Barclays corporate website at https://www.
barclayscorporate.com/insights/industry-
expertise/post-lockdown-guide-for-SMEs/
or by contacting Keith Ross.

32
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PLANNING
Equip for growth
The West Midlands has long been regarded as the UK’s
economic engine and stands at the heart of Britain’s
push for productivity. Businesses in Birmingham have
proved to be both resilient and resourceful throughout
the pandemic.
As businesses in the region emerge into a very
different landscape, they are faced with a pressing
need to invest in technology and equipment to remain
competitive. Whether they are planning to expand,
drive efficiencies & productivity, lower the cost-to-
serve through digitisation or pivot, obtaining the right
technology, machinery and equipment is critical to their
future.
However, the daunting prospect of having to pay a
substantial capital cost upfront can lead to concerns
over cash flow pressures - resulting in prevarication,
costly delays, missed opportunities or can even result in
making major compromises on functionality and quality.
PRODUCTIVITY
Increasing your efficiency
For many businesses facing these challenges, asset
finance is the answer. It is a flexible form of finance
that enables you to put the latest, most productive
and efficient machinery & equipment to work in your
business immediately and spread the cost over time,
simply, quickly and conveniently.
PRESERVATION
Unlocking your capital and
conserving your credit lines
With no large initial outlay required, asset finance allows
you to free up your capital for more profitable use
elsewhere in your business. Also, since asset finance
sits independently from your existing finance facilities
such as bank overdrafts and loans, it leaves your
borrowing power undisturbed and available for your
use. Unlike other finance options, with asset finance,
interest rates are fixed for the term - protecting your
business against the effects of inflation and making
forecasting predictable and straightforward, allowing
you to budget with confidence.
Asset refinance is a powerful solution that you can
use to unlock the cash tied up in your existing business
assets. This allows you to continue to benefit from the
efficiency and productivity of using the equipment while
generating additional cash for your expansion plans.
Finance from Propel boosts
working capital for Walsall-
based business
While the pandemic has undeniably caused significant
business disruption, it has also spurred a great deal
of innovation - with many companies in the region
successfully pivoting their business models.
One such resourceful business, based in Walsall,
managed to secure a substantial contract to supply PPE
equipment to local authorities. This commitment led
to the company seeking a rapid injection of additional
working capital to ensure they could supply to meet the
sudden increase in demand. After contacting Propel,
it was established that there was unencumbered
machinery which the manufacturer had paid for out of
cash flow previously. Propel arranged an immediate
valuation on the equipment and refinanced a proportion
of the value to generate working capital. The result,
a four-year finance package structured specifically to
meet the manufacturer’s requirements, enabled them to
fulfil this important order and secure their growth.
Investing for success
with asset finance
About Propel
Propel is a specialist asset finance lender, with a
25-year track record in supporting over 45,000
businesses across the UK to access finance to acquire
the equipment they need quickly and easily. It is also
one of the leading vendor finance platforms in the UK,
supporting equipment manufacturers and suppliers with
lease programmes.
Barclays Business Banking recently announced a
landmark partnership with Propel to offer asset finance
to one million of their SME customers via the innovative
‘Propeller’ technology platform, one of the largest
collaborations between a bank and an independent
financial lender. Propel has also signed a new strategic
partnership with Azets, the top ten UK accounting, tax
and business advisory firm and the largest SME regional
practice across Europe, enabling thousands more
clients to access finance.
To discuss how you could benefit from an
asset finance solution designed around your
business needs, call Propel’s specialist asset
finance team on 01633 982922 or email
contact@propelfinance.co.uk
Find out more: www.propelfinance.co.uk
Finance is subject to status. Terms and Conditions Apply. Propel
acts as a lender or a credit broker for business customers only.
A new resolution service is appealing
directly to businesses in the West
Midlands to see if their unresolved
banking disputes can be tackled.
The Business Banking Resolution
Service is independent and free of
charge.
It is estimated that nearly 600,000
UK SMEs could qualify for the
its services. More than 48,000
businesses in the West Midlands
regions, including those which have
now closed down, merged or been
sold, could potentially be helped.
It is urging businesses with
outstanding banking disputes dating
back to 2001 to see if they can apply
for support using its online tool.
Dame Teresa Graham DBE, current
chair of HMRC’s administrative
burdens advisory board, said: “The
BBRS’s services could be vital
for many businesses who have,
often long-standing, unresolved
complaints with their banks. Business
owners should consider whether
the free, independent specialist help
provided could find a solution for
them.”
The process is overseen by chief
adjudicator Alexandra Marks CBE,
a deputy High Court judge, with
resolutions based on what is fair and
reasonable for each case.
Businesses going through the
service will be assigned a dispute
resolution specialist to act as a single
point of contact and offer practical
support. The BBRS can make both
financial and non-financial awards
when a complaint is upheld.
Alexandra Marks said: “We want as
many businesses as possible in the
West Midlands area – and directors
of those no longer operating – to
have the opportunity to use this
service.
“This includes businesses, trusts,
charities, friendly societies and co-
operative societies. We urge them
to see if they qualify for our help and,
if so, to register. If unsure, businesses
can check online or contact us to
find out more.”
The BBRS’s historical scheme
covers banking complaints first
registered in the period from
December 1, 2001 to 31 March, 2019.
Businesses can qualify for support
if they had turnover between £1
million and £6.5 million per annum at
the time of their complaint, and their
case has not already been settled,
been subject to an independent
review or gone to court.
Businesses with turnover between
£6.5 million and £10 million with
unresolved banking complaints since
April 2019 can apply to the BBRS
contemporary scheme for support.
SMEs are encouraged to use
the new online tool to see if the
BBRS can help. They can check and
register online at: www.thebbrs.org.
uk/register
National law firm Freeths LLP
has expanded its restructuring
team with the appointment of
Grace Millar as an associate at the
Birmingham office.
Grace joins the Birmingham
team after nearly 10 years at
Weightmans. She specialises in
corporate and personal insolvency,
and commercial litigation.
Freeths partner John Jeffreys
said: “Grace will be a brilliant
addition to the restructuring and
insolvency team which continues
to grow, both in Birmingham and
nationally, with a team of 34 across
the country.
“She will play a key role in
advising our clients and colleagues
in an increasingly busy market for
restructuring services.”
Tackling unresolved
banking disputes
INSOLVENCY SPECIALIST JOINS LAW FIRM

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