Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

17^th July 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Update On Flybe & Manston

Flybe has contacted the Chamber with a progress report on the growth in bookings on the daily Manston-Edinburgh route which Flybe began on 27th May this year. Connectivity has been a significant factor in attracting passengers. As Chief Commercial Officer Mike Rutter put it: “The ability to travel on one ticket from Kent to Northern Ireland, elsewhere in Scotland and the far reaches of the United Kingdom is proving very attractive. We are confident that passenger traffic will be in both directions and be a further boost to the Kent’s tourism and leisure industry.” What Flybe describes as “the call of the highlands” may well be responsible for the high number of through passengers booking onward flights to the Shetlands and Orkney islands. With the school holidays almost upon us, we can expect further growth in bookings as more ‘staycation’ holiday-makers choose to take their holidays in Scotland and East Kent. Regular readers of the Thanet & East Kent Insider will know that Flybe has announced daily flights connecting Manchester to Manston beginning on 6th September 2010. Travellers who carry their green credentials in their briefcases will be impressed to learn that at last January’s 2010 Business Travel Awards, the independent panel of travel buyers and journalists judged Flybe to be the winner of the title of Best Environmental Contribution by a Company and joint winner with Air Berlin of Best Short-Haul Airline. Interestingly enough, Manchester Airport received the prize for Best UK Airport. Flybe currently carries more UK domestic passengers than any other airline and looks well set to expand its services from the 38 UK and 32 European airports where it now operates. With Manchester City getting ever closer to rivals Manchester United, local fans of both teams can be expected to take full advantage of the new 70 minute flights from Manston to Manchester. At the time of writing the quickest train journey from Broadstairs to Manchester Piccadilly Station takes four hours and six minutes and over five hours for the return, which is a long time if your team has just lost.



2. Academy FM

Kent’s newest radio station, 107.8 Academy FM, has now been on the air for nearly four months. At the board meeting of last Thursday, there was unanimous praise for the progress made to date under the day-to-day management of Pete Willson. A strong feature of Thanet’s community radio station is the opportunity provided to school children from Thanet and beyond to receive professional training in the operations and management of live broadcasts. Benefiting considerably from the patronage of East Kent’s major benefactor, Roger De Haan, the station continues to attract listeners and welcomes enquiries to its offices and two purpose-built studios located at the Marlowe Academy in Broadstairs, tel: 01843 598558.



3. How Are We Doing?

The Thanet & East Kent Insider has consistently advised caution in assessing the impact of one month’s unemployment figures, preferring to look at the year-on-year results before declaring a trend. The data released last Thursday by the ever excellent Research & Information department at Kent County Council does give some cause for optimism. At last, Thanet Wards record more falls in unemployment than increases, 16 against 7. Tunbridge Wells leads the upturn in the annual improvement in Kent with a remarkable 16.9% fall in those claiming “unemployment related benefit” in June 2010 compared to June 2009. Tonbridge & Malling is not far behind with 16.4%, followed by Sevenoaks with 14.8%. That these three districts are showing double digit gains suggests that the banking, insurance and financial sector may indeed be in recovery. The figures will be viewed with some satisfaction by a certain Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, who opened a new agency in Sevenoaks at the beginning of last month. He may not have had Margate High Street in mind when he declared: ““We recognise the Kent region for its affluence and economic development”, but Margate Central has indeed recorded an annual fall in unemployment of 7.4%. All districts in Kent recorded positive annual gains except Shepway which sadly remains depressed with a 1.8% increase in registered jobless. An overview of the picture in East Kent is pictured in the table below.



4. The Facts

5. Golf

Last week’s edition of the Thanet & East Kent Insider promised a report on the opening of the new clubhouse extension of the Stoneless Golf Centre. This enterprising sports facility in Ebbsfleet Lane offers golfers of all abilities an opportunity to try their hand at the sport and to socialise in a warm atmosphere where formality is at a minimum.  Guest of honour at the opening ceremony was Ronnie Corbett. The very picture of sartorial elegance, he delighted a packed house with a brief but perfectly formed speech prior to unveiling a plaque commemorating the event. He referred to his long standing admiration of the Ramsgate club and mentioned that he was also a great admirer of the spirit in which the game is played; exemplified by the management of Stonelees and the behaviour of great players of the past. He mentioned Tom Watson’s words after triumphing over Jack Nicklaus by one stroke in the 1975 Open Championship at Carnoustie. Jack’s congratulations allegedly included the magnanimous comment that he had been beaten by the better golfer and he offered Watson fulsome praise. Tom Watson remarked later that not only is Jack Nicklaus the greatest golfer ever to have played the game but he is also the greatest loser. Humility is not always associated with sports stars. The players in the losing Dutch team at the recent World Cup final are presumably not golfers and certainly not members at Stonelees. Last week’s edition also included a promise to relate if Ronnie Corbett made any self-deprecating remarks about his diminutive stature. This well-loved comedian did in fact allude to his height of 5 ft 1½. He told his audience that he thought he might be late as he had been cleaning the floor of his budgerigar’s cage that morning when the door had unfortunately snapped shut. He had thought he might be stuck there all day, but then he remembered, “Ring the bell, ring the bell.”



6. More On Apprenticeships

Jayne Lawson of Chamber member King Ethelbert School has drawn our attention to some new opportunities available to anyone unemployed or a school leaver. Pie Music Factory of Ramsgate, registered charity no. 1097561, is inviting applications for 12 apprenticeships. The training consists of running workshops for young people in a variety of music styles. Pie Music factory writes: “These placements are not paid positions and do not affect your ability to claim jobseekers allowance. You will however receive access to £40 per week expenses allowance.” In addition, the same organisation is offering a 6-month course of 10 hours a week accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) organized on similar terms but which focuses on key skills in the music industry. This course is claimed to prepare students “to go onto higher education at Thanet College or other colleges.” For details, contact Pie Factory Music, telephone 01843 596777.    



7. Kent Children

Amy Watson, Business Planning Officer in the Strategic Planning & Review Team at Kent County Council, has contacted the Thanet & East Kent Chamber to ask members if they are interested in contributing to the Kent Children and Young People's Plan 2011-2014.  This will be the third official version which will then go for consultation in the Autumn. If you have any ideas, proposals or suggestions to improve the lives of children in Kent, feel free to contribute. Full details are on the website at http://www.kenttrustweb.org.uk/children/kct_cypp_2011_14.cfm



8. Hotel Cleaner Finds £33,000

Hoteliers in Thanet and beyond will no doubt be asking themselves if they could find more employees like Essa Khan of the Serena Hotel, in Gilgit, Pakistan. This humble cleaner who earns around £150.00 a month found a bag containing over £33,000 when cleaning the room of a departed Japanese guest. According to reports, Mr Khan immediately handed the money into the hotel manager and said; “My duty with the hotel and my family upbringing teaches me nothing else. Times are hard for everyone, but that doesn't mean we should start stealing and taking things which do not belong to us.” The manager said afterwards that the guest in question had no idea where he had left the money and was much relieved to discover its whereabouts.



9. Mechanic’s Revenge

Following last week’s account of a heart surgeon and a mechanic which left surgeon as the clear victor after his final words: “But you try doing it all with the engine running”, a narrative has reached the Chamber of the mechanic’s revenge. We have our doubts about this story, but readers must judge for themselves. Apparently some years later, the self-same highly-rated surgeon returned to the mechanic’s garage having pulled off the nearby motorway with his engine misfiring rather badly. The mechanic stepped out of his tiny office onto the forecourt and immediately recognised the smooth-talking professional who had previously got the better of him. After listening contentedly to the surgeon’s problem, he politely asked him to release the bonnet catch of his limousine and to start up the engine. As the mechanic listened to the erratic coughing of the motor, he withdrew from his trouser leg pocket a small screwdriver. Bending down over the carburettors, he made some minute adjustments which magically restored the engine to a perfectly smooth and quiet running mode and with a flourish returned the screwdriver to the pocket in his overalls. Unwilling to show his undoubted surprise at such manual skill from such oily hands, the surgeon said coldly: “Perhaps you could let me know if there is any charge and I will be on my way.” He reached into his pocket for some change. With a casual “Certainly, sir”, the mechanic retreated to his office, returning within a minute with a handwritten bill. The surgeon continued to jingle some coins in his hand expectantly until he read the invoice. “What! I don’t believe it. £58.75 for a moment’s work, just two twitches of your screwdriver. I don’t get paid that much and I’m a heart surgeon.” “I know you are”, said the mechanic, “and if you prefer I can write you out the bill again. One pound for the labour for turning a few screws in your engine and forty-nine pounds for knowing which screws to turn. The rest is VAT”. The surgeon meekly opened his wallet and paid the bill in full. The mechanic returned to his office with a broad smile on his face promising himself an extra biscuit with his tea that afternoon.



10.  Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

24^th July 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Upon The Navy

East Kent welcomed the Royal Navy Presentation Team to our shores last Tuesday. Many of the great and good were in attendance such as Cllr Chris Wells, cabinet member of Thanet District Council, and Bernard Butcher, Chairman of Dover District Council. Commander Jason Scott led the presentation with assistance from Navy personnel of higher and lower rank. Among the key facts that punctuated this perfectly timed and beautifully organised presentation was the surprising revelation that 60% of the servicemen and women deployed on active duty in Afghanistan are from the Royal Navy. When you take into account that Afghanistan is a landlocked country, it puts a sharp focus on the wide range of tasks currently undertaken by our senior service. It may be obvious to anyone with a maritime background, but it was news to most of the audience to learn that “95% of our imports arrive by sea”. Protecting our shipping lanes is clearly one of the major roles of the navy, especially in East Kent where we are surrounded by sea on three sides. Commander Scott asked his guests to consider how long the country could survive without replenishment from maritime trading. The answer was: “not very long”. Like all institutions financed from the public purse, the Royal Navy understandably expects “a difficult year financially” as the government undertakes the first Strategic Defence Review since 1998. Head of the Royal Navy is the First Sea Lord who must not only carry the heavy cargo of tradition by sailing in the wake of illustrious figures such as Fisher, Beattie, Mountbatten and our own Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the then Sir Michael Boyce, but he must also navigate the difficult passage through the turbulent waters of Whitehall. The current incumbent, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, provided a recorded message which amplified considerably the signal to shore about why we should be proud of the four main elements that constitute the service: the surface fleet, submarines, Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Marines. This combination gives Britain a seat of influence at the top table of international diplomacy. The presentation summarised the navy’s work as “We protect. We intercept. We rescue. We deter. We engage.” The value of these efforts were eloquently expressed by King Charles II over 300 years previously: “It is upon the Navy ... that our health, prosperity and peace do chiefly depend"; words that we look forward to hearing again in debate in the Autumn spending review.



2. An Apprentice And £1,500

Thanet College has written to the Chamber with details of apprenticeship grants for employers. The UK is a net contributor to the EU. This is your opportunity to get some money back. The European Social Fund is providing grants to employers in the South East who are prepared to take onto their books an apprentice aged 16 – 24 years.  A grant of £1,500 is available to companies with fewer than 250 workers. There are certain conditions attached of which the most important is that the window of opportunity closes in October 2010. To find our more, contact Training Solutions at Thanet College by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone to Johanna Horton, tel: 01843 605032. You might like to mention that you have been recommended by the Thanet & East Kent Chamber as it makes us feel important.



3. Ease Your Burden

Some people take enormous delight in completing complicated tax forms and filling in minute details with obscure reference codes. Most of us do not, which is why we turn to accountants and financial advisors. This Chamber is particularly well blessed with some firms which take great delight in reducing your statutory burdens and thus allowing you to get on with what you do best. If you would like to restore a kinder work/life balance or find a better way to manage your money, you might like to contact one or more of the following: Acorn Bowman Finance & Investment Management of Broadstairs tel: 01843 609365; Financial Milestones of Staplehurst tel: 01580 892874; J Cleverdon Chartered Accountants of Broadstairs 01843 866599; J W Accountancy Services of Shepherswell tel: 01304 830229; L & G Mortgage Solutions of Birchington tel: 01843 845600; Levicks Chartered Accountants of Broadstairs, Canterbury and Maidstone tel: 01843 862716; Michael Martin Partnership Ltd of Whitstable tel: 01227 770500 and Neville Weston Chartered Certified Accountants of Ramsgate tel: 01843 594571.  Jon Cleverdon reminds readers that there is a necessary deadline for submitting form P46 to HMRC of 2nd August 2010 if and only if car or fuel  benefits have changed during the quarter to 5th July 2010. He informs us that replacing one company car with another does not constitute a notifiable change.



4. EasyJet Praises Thanet

This Thanet & East Kent Chamber has a lively membership that is uniformly interested in actively promoting economic prosperity. We also have friends and associates who live outside the area but who take a close interest in our activities and often give us information, advice and encouragement to attract inward investors. One such associate has sent the Chamber a copy of the July 2010 edition of the EasyJet in-flight magazine which he was given on a recent flight from Portugal.  In an article headlined “Castles in the Sand”, reporter Bridget Stott describes the changes taking place in the East Kent coastal community which she labels as: “once the preserve of decrepit funfairs and blue-rinse grannies,” She notes that: “British seaside resorts are now a hotbed of cool contemporary architecture”. She answers her own question: “So who’s leading this urban renaissance?” with the simple answer: “Local councils along the South coast are now working closely with innovative private individuals”. One of the advantages of answering your own question is that you usually get the answer you want to hear. Nonetheless, it is illuminating to read about the first town listed. “Margate’s a prime example of the switch to ‘happening status’. The once shabby resort started to pick up when Kent County Council and the Arts Council England funded a new art gallery project – the £17.4m Turner Contemporary.” After praising Margate Old Town, the author also writes: “Just along the coast, Folkestone is basking in the success of its arts-based programme of cultural regeneration”. Of course, one of the benefits of quoting long passages of text in The Thanet & East Kent Insider is that it saves the time and effort of writing one’s own. That is a fair point and must be considered seriously for future editions. However, of more significance is that the EasyJet in-house magazine will be read by passengers from 27 countries. Although in the six months to 31 March 2010, EasyJet recorded a loss of £78.7 million, the official company report states that it continues to trade “robustly” and claims that: “54% of EasyJet’s passengers now originate from outside the UK”. This means that in the peak season of July, all EasyJet passengers will have the opportunity to hear of the regeneration of East Kent. They might even be tempted to take a flight to Manston to see for themselves. As from 27 May 2010, that could be a Flybe flight from Edinburgh and from 6 September from Manchester as well.



5. Oh Dear, Computer Crash

If you have never lost data from a computer crash, you must be complimented on your dexterity with an abacus and your ability to locate a supplier for your quill pens. For the rest of us, office life is punctuated from time to time by the shouts of anguish that accompany the bitter realisation that the brilliant 12-page report you have spent a week preparing may be lost for ever. Of course, we all know that there are ways to recover data, but these can be hideously expensive and dependent on a geeky unwashed hippy with a Led Zeppelin t-shirt who charges more than a heart surgeon. Chamber sponsor Cariss might have the answer. Not only does this company flourish without any Led Zeppelin motifs anywhere on its premises, but it also promises an on-line back up service that reduces your risk of ever having a hippy near you again. Yeah, man peace to all. Director Chris Maflin writes; “Online Backup is a unique service that allows you to back up and restore all data, files and emails held on your network. No more back up tapes. No more tape drives. Just a secure, fast and automated system that guarantees you 24/7 access to the data vital for your organisation. The Online Backup service automatically encrypts and sends your data over the internet to our secure data centres throughout the day and night. You can retrieve any individual files or restore the entire system, whatever the problem. If your server is down, you can switch to your back up files instantly, allowing all your employees to continue working without interruption. Unlike other back up systems, you can also send and receive new email while you fix your server.” Too good to be true? Give Chris a call and find out, telephone 01843 823 724.



6. Be A Beer Supporter

This Chamber’s campaign for more equitable treatment for the valuable community resource represented by our East Kent pubs has featured on television, radio and in the press and has been well-received by those with the best interests of our local economy at heart. The British Beer and Pub Association informs us that ten years ago 53% of alcohol sales were in supermarkets. That figure has now risen to 70%. We also learn that from 1998 to 2009 on-trade beer sales have declined by around 40% whereas the off-trade sales have grown by over a third. We read in the BBPA’s Statistical Handbook 2009 that UK sales by volume of beer in bottles and cans, known as ‘packaged sales’, have now overtaken draught sales. Beer tax has increased by 26 per cent since 2008. The government’s recent Big Society initiative formally recognizes the value to the community of pubs. What is needed now is an adjustment in the tax structure to recognize the difference between draught beer consumed under the watchful eye of a responsible landlord on licensed premises and under-priced packaged beer available on supermarket shelves that too often seems to find its way through to under-aged drinkers. A total of 2,365 UK pubs closed in 2009. Those that remain will be looking for a much fairer fiscal regime that rewards hard-working landlords who spend their revenue in the local community in preference to boosting the dividends paid to the remote shareholders of international supermarket chains.



7. Helping Others To Write Properly Like Wot You Does

Nor a brilliant headline perhaps, but at least you are reading this. Roger Gabriel of the Kent Economic Board has asked the Thanet & East Kent Chamber to publicise the work he is doing with the National Literacy Trust. We are happy to help our friends. As readers will be aware, illiteracy is the root cause of much social deprivation. Although some business figures have reached senior positions without ever mastering reading and writing, it is much easier if you do your own sums and author your own text. Roger writes: “We have been offered a free pilot to run in secondary schools in Thanet working with year 9 pupils, to help them to improve their speaking and listening skills.  What I need are volunteers from the business sector who would like to get involved.  You would be given 4 hours training, and would need to commit to 6 x 2hr sessions in your allocated school (with 7 other volunteers, not on your own!). If you are interested please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..”



8. Elvis Is Alive And Well Living In Thanet

Regular readers of the Chambers weekly bulletins will know that the Venerable Elvis is Thanet’s own hermit who pronounces on matters of great moral interest for the edification of the nation. His hovel is located in the misty hinterland between the disused power station in Sandwich and the abandoned limestone quarry in Manston. As befits a contemplative life that focuses exclusively on spiritual reflection, his declarations are few but worth recording. Who can forget his words noted in the Thanet & East Kent Insider of 29th January 2009: “If you lend a man £50 and you never see him again, it is probably worth it” or his comments on underhand practices in sport: “If you can’t cheat fairly, don’t cheat at all”. His guidance of 5th November 2008 is particularly appropriate as we enjoy unseasonably hot weather: “When checking the depth of a swimming pool, do not use both feet”. The Thanet & East Kent Insider has the historical right of exclusive access to the great man. It was with profound respect and some trepidation that early one morning last week, our reporter negotiated the secret pathway to the Venerable Elvis’s simple dwelling and asked him for any words of guidance for our new Prime Minister. After stroking his long grey beard, the Venerable Elvis said in a low voice: “My advice is for him to learn from the mistakes of others, because he won't have time to make them all himself”. We are indeed blessed to have such a wise man in our midst.



9.  Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems. tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

1^st August 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Windfarm Opening

Thanet Offshore Windfarm has confirmed that its official opening ceremony will be on 23rd September 2010. The Chamber is hoping for some fine weather on the day, calm seas but enough wind to keep the turbines turning and the visiting VIPs interested in promoting a centre of excellence in Marine Energy in East Kent. The construction has offered a master class in project management. Vattenfall bought TOW in November 2008. On 28^th June 2010, David Hodgkinson, UK Director and Head of Development, announced the successful installation of the 100^th turbine and paid particular tribute to: “all the people in the Isle of Thanet, for their support in building the world’s largest offshore wind farm”. In an email to the Thanet & East Kent Chamber last week, Vattenfall noted that the construction of the windfarm has been achieved: “In what we think might be a world record rate of offshore wind farm deployment”.  Maintenance for the next 20 or more years will rely on the services and skills of 20 technicians, all recruited locally from Kent, who will be looking forward to playing a full part in the marine energy sector. The Thanet & East Kent Chamber will be supporting proposals to create a Marine Energy Park in East Kent to act as a world-class centre of research and development in this sunrise industry which promises so much to those prepared to take the risk and accept the reward.

2. Making Money

Last Thursday, Vattenfall presented its interim report for the first half of 2010. It showed a net rise on sales for the first half of the year of 27.2%. For a company that bills itself as: “Europe’s fifth largest generator of electricity and the largest generator of heat”, the increase in its sales probably reflects the severe cold weather in Northern Europe and the consequent greater volumes of electricity generation demanded by consumers. Vattenfall claims a return on equity over the year of 8.7% and on assets 8.6%. Most East Kent companies would give themselves a warm slap on the back at producing such a result in the depressed trading conditions of the last few years. This Swedish giant has unashamedly higher ambitions. Last week’s report states categorically: “Vattenfall’s long-term required rate of return on equity is 15%”. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Øystein Løseth, maintains that: “Despite improved quarterly earnings, profitability is insufficient”. He has instituted a review of the organisation looking closely at cost structure and performance. He notes: “This may lead to restructuring costs and impairment charges”; the latter being an accountant’s term for a reduction in the book value of goodwill. As Japanese companies have long advocated with the doctrine of Kaizen, successful companies are constantly trying to improve. Instead of saying to their staff: “We are wonderful”, they prefer to say: “We can get better”. The lesson for East Kent companies is to do the same. Dave Brailsford is the Director of British Cycling who presided over a team which won 8 gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games. He claims that this phenomenal success was achieved not through revolution but through “aggregating incremental improvements”. Those 1% improvements every quarter in every aspect of your business are critical in establishing clear advantages over your competitors. The Chamber has a range of approved local consultants available. Without any obligation or cost, the most appropriate consultant will visit your organisation for an initial business health check and will advise you on how to boost your income and reduce your costs. For details, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

3. Half Hourly Meter Users

The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme registration process closes on 30 September 2010. Martin Young of Atlantic Business Resources informs the Chamber that: “Last year the Environment Agency which supervises the scheme sent out letters informing all users of Half Hourly meters that they needed to register, irrespective of the usage. To date there are many companies who have not yet registered. What has not been so well publicised are the fines that can be charged for failing to register. Registration is mandatory for almost all organisations that had Half Hourly meters in 2008. They will have to provide how much half hourly metered electricity they consumed in the calendar year 2008. The few exceptions are on climate agreement schemes.” Martin tells us that fines for non-compliance are severe. If your usage is below 6,000MWh, there is a fine of £1,000 for missing the deadline. For companies using over 6,000MWh, the fine is £5,000 plus £500 for every day late. For more details, give Martin a call, tel: 0781 353 7456, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

4. Free Website

The Chamber has received some more information on the Getting British Business Online (GBBO) campaign, a joint initiative by Google, Enterprise UK, BT, e-skills UK and other partners which is designed to help small businesses create their first website and to understand the opportunities offered by the Internet. There is a target of helping 100,000 UK organisations get their first website by the end of 2010. The service is provided free of charge. Chamber member Profile Development and Training is running an event at the Holiday Inn Express at Manston from 1000 to 1200 hrs on Friday 20^th August 2010 to promote the campaign. Entry to the event is free to Chamber members and readers of the Thanet & East Kent Insider, but it is essential to register to secure your place. For details, contact Andy Gibbons by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or by telephone to 0771 253 2240.

5. Skills & Schools

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber has received a letter from John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, who sets out his strategy for ensuring the skills of school leavers “respond to the needs of a dynamic economy”. He advocates greater freedom for providers but acknowledges that there will be some “difficult choices about the use of public funds”. Having ended the Train To Gain funding stream due to alleged “unsustainable deadweight costs”, the minister is looking to put greater emphasis on lifelong learning and a clearer progression route from the most basic skills to the most erudite. Thanet suffers from a net outflow of skills. Despite some excellent employment agencies, the expansion plans of local companies are hampered by difficulties in recruiting staff with the necessary qualities.  The latest figures from the Office for National Statistic, NOMIS, show that residents of Thanet at NVQ Level 3, which equates to 2 or more A levels or their equivalent, represent 34.8% of the resident working age population. The average for the South East is 50.8%. In simple terms, this suggests that the average company in the South East outside Thanet has nearly a fifty per cent better chance of finding a skilled worker locally than a firm inside the district’s boundaries. Of course, anyone familiar with the large inward investment in the district from windfarms, Manston Airport, the Turner Gallery, the new Dreamland and the many other initiatives attracting inflows of capital will be aware that the opportunities in this part of East Kent have seldom been better and this should be reflected in data yet to be published. But, to attract and maintain the attention of inward investors, we must ensure that sufficient public funds are made available to upgrade our schools. The Thanet & East Kent Chamber is writing to the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Michael Gove, in support of a campaign to replace the ageing and inadequate buildings at the Hartsdown and Foreland schools. We intend to take him up on his offer to consider capital building projects that merit special attention. Thanet is special and the largest business support agency in Thanet thinks our children and our companies deserve better.

6. Teaching Grandmother To Suck Eggs

Anyone travelling along the M2 or M20 in East Kent during the weekend may have questioned the reason for spending so much money on large portable electronic signs on the roadside which display the words: “'TAKE EXTRA CARE WHILE TOWING”'. Allegedly these are targeted at drivers pulling caravans; an initiative sponsored by the Highways Agency in a bid to reduce towing related incidents on our motorways and the associated costs. Some readers might consider that a driver with a caravan might already be aware that there is something following closely behind which requires especial vigilance. The Thanet & East Kent Insider wonders if any Chamber members or readers have a suggestion for another banal message that could distract drivers from their attention at the wheel; such as: “USE YOUR MIRROR TO LOOK BEHIND YOU”. The cost of free NHS dentistry is a huge item in our national budget. Perhaps the signs could state simply: “BRUSH YOUR TEETH AT NIGHT”. That would save a few bob. All suggestions welcome.

7. The British Way

The Thanet & East Kent Chamber enjoys a warm relationship with the vast majority of members who are keen to relate their ideas and pass on examples of best practice. The Fire Strategy Company, tel: 01843 826282, and Safety & Management Solutions, tel: 01843 821406, offer professional solutions to disaster prevention, but most people in business will be aware that things do not always go as planned. The ability to react quickly to a non-standard threat to your company is one of the keys to success. Many readers will remember the days when car fan belts would fail, inevitably leading to overheating or a flat battery. The immediate response was often to replace the fan belt with a pair of tights donated by your latest girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat. This sort of pragmatic reaction is an especially British talent based on ‘if it works, do it’ not on ‘let’s see how it works and analyse it’. A story has reached the Chamber of a meeting in Brussels between a French politician and one from Westminster. When asked: “How does a bicycle work?” the Frenchman answered that the continuous shifting of the centre of gravity is used to balance the variable centrifugal force in harmony with the coriolis effect to produce a kinetic impetus in relation to the forces applied. The Englishman said simply: “Oh you just get on it and push one pedal down then the other.” The successful business finds pragmatic quick fixes all the time, just like using tights to replace the fan belt. It is not always easy. By the way, it used to take a lot of effort to weaken the fan belt just sufficiently so that it would fail at the appropriate time.

8.  Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems, tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

7^th August 2010 Issue No.: 

1. Business Rates

This is a reminder to all companies that pay rates on their business premises. Many Chamber members will recall that we have hosted two meetings with the key-decision-maker at the Valuation Office Agency who has responsibility for the business rates for all commercial premises in East Kent. The Thanet & East Kent Insider of 25th September 2009 gave an account of the basis of the calculation of rates. The VOA analyzed rental values on 1st April 2008 as a guide to fixing the new rates which have been effective since 1st April 2010. The revisions have covered the charges levied on offices, shops, warehouses, factories, storage facilities, garden centres, surgeries, beach huts, public toilets and all commercial premises. The new scale of charges will be used for the next five years. It is important therefore that that every company receives a fair assessment. The good news that was announced at our meetings last year was that East Kent companies should on average be required to pay 5% less in 20010/11 than in 2009/10, providing that there have been no material changes to the property in the five-year period to 31 March 2008.  In cooperation with the VOA, the Thanet & East Kent Chamber has produced a series of handy guides which are still available to Chamber members when requested by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Business Rates Guides”.  It is only fair to note that the independent “Review of the Valuation Office Agency 2009” published on 10 June 2009 roundly praised its operations and listed a 93% satisfaction score for 2008/9, which comfortably outperformed most other government departments. In the majority of cases that are referred to the Thanet & East Kent Chamber, we look at all the relevant papers and can usually find the reason for any increases. However, in those cases that we do pursue on behalf of members, we can claim a 100% success rate in reducing the charges. Any members concerned that they might be paying too much are advised to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will contact you promptly to arrange a meeting.



2. The Arts In Ramsgate

Eileen Richford, Technical Officer at Ramsgate Town Council, has contacted the Chamber with news of Ramsgate Arts’s “A Summer Squall”. This is a series of arts-related events running over the bank holiday weekend of 28th – 30th August 2010. Taking as its three themes Made in Thanet, Green Futures and Heritage, the events promise to bring a lively and commercially aware series of activities to Ramsgate during one of its busiest periods of the year. Many of the attractions are free and visitors, tourists and residents alike will welcome the 28 choices listed in the attractive brochure produced by the Ramsgate Arts voluntary group that has been preparing for the festival for more than a year. Full details are available on the website at http://www.ramsgatearts.org. As the Thanet & East Kent Insider has often remarked, history tells us that healthy arts and healthy business go together and we wish Ramsgate Arts every success with their weekend.



3.Water Water Everywhere, But Is It Safe To Drink?

Louise Askew of Thanet District Council has kindly drawn our attention to a workshop on 15th September 2010 at Pfizer Sports & Social Club which will examine the state of groundwater on the Isle of Thanet. Are you aware that the Environmental Agency has assessed the groundwater in Thanet as failing the EU Water Framework Directive due to the presence of hydrocarbons, solvents or nitrates? In its final submission on standards in June 2008, the UK Technical Advisory Group noted the obligation to monitor in freshwater and saltwater sites the presence of the following pollutants: 2.4-dichlorophenol, chromium, cypermethrin, diazinon, dimethoate, linuron, mecoprop, phenol and toluene. Techies who forsake all interest in pubs, sports, literature, films, social interaction and religion will know that 2.4-dichlorophenol is used in the preparation of herbicides. TheEnvironment Agency report “River Basin Management Plan, South East River Basin District Annex A” of December 2009 showed the rivers in East Kent to be officially classified as Moderate or Poor.Even if you prefer watching East Enders to analyzing C6H4Cl2O. 2,4-DCP, you might want to know more about how the polluted water in East Kent is made safe to drink and why we must improve the quality of our groundwater or face inordinately expensive processing costs.  There will be presentations at 1015 hrs, 1230 hrs and 1430 hrs. In an exclusive interview with the Thanet & East Kent Insider, organiser Lisa Beeching said she welcomes delegates from the Thanet & East Kent Chamber, the largest business support agency in the area, but requests that interested parties should register by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone direct to the Environmental Agency at West Malling on 01732 223191. The workshop opens at 0900 hrs and will close at 1600 hrs leaving you just sufficient time before dinner to scuttle home and put some chemical free organic fertilizer on your kitchen garden.



4. Planning & Property Profits

The national press often covers horror stories of planning blight. Councils insensitive to the needs of their local companies can stimulate copy for the media as the frustrations of those entrepreneurs most affected are driven to launching a full broadside attack on the intransigence of officialdom. All of this helps to sell newspapers and amuses those who consider themselves not directly involved. In fact, we are all involved when an enterprise is not allowed to be enterprising and when employment opportunities are reduced or abolished by those in a position to support companies in the best position to grow. With nine out of ten companies in the East Kent coastal business community employing fewer than 25 workers, backing the expansion plans of start up companies probably offers one of the quickest routes to boosting the economy and thereby reducing unemployment. It is refreshing therefore to find that at Thanet District Council we have a regeneration department that communicates regularly with the Thanet & East Kent Chamber, the largest business support agency in Thanet, and is happy to listen to problems that the Chamber raises. Reasonable solutions follow from reasoned arguments. Whereas some planning authorities charge over £1,000 for pre-application planning advice, the Chamber is often able to obtain some guidance at no cost or at a reduced cost to members. Where specialised technical information is required, we are also fortunate in our area to be able to direct enquirers towards property professionals who have the skills and experience to assist in commercial and residential transactions including maintenance, preservation and tenant references. We are pleased to list the following:  CJ Maintenance (S.E.) Ltd of Hersden tel: 01227 711500; Cliftonville Tile Centre of Cliftonville tel: 01843 296603; Cooke & Co Estate Agents of Cliftonville tel: 01843 231833; The Door & Window Company Ltd of Broadstairs tel : 01843 864307; Eurocell Buildings Plastics Ltd of Ramsgate tel: 01843 589686; FLS Tenant Referencing Services Ltd of Hersden tel : 01227 719898 ; Fox’s Removals & Transport of Margate tel: 01843 294422; Hemispheres Property Consultants of Ramsgate tel: 01843 596663; L & G Mortgage Solutions of Birchington tel: 01843 845600; Margate Harbour Arm Ltd of Margate tel: 07968 209047; Meadowside Chartered Building Consultancy of Birchington tel: 01843  841055; MPG Properties of Ramsgate tel: 01843 596224; Oakwood Homes Estate Agencies Ltd of Margate tel: 01843 221133; OFP Ltd of Sandwich tel: 01304 613298; Pescon (Kent) Ltd of Canterbury tel: 01227 463248; Pike Shopfitting & Joinery of Sandwich tel: 01304 614901; TCB Property Maintenance of Margate tel: 01843 228484; Terence Painter Properties of Broadstairs tel: 01843 866866 and W W Martin (Thanet Ltd) of Ramsgate tel: 01843 591584.



5. US Navy On A Collision Course

Following our recent report of a first class evening spent with the Royal Navy Presentation Team, one Chamber member has sent us an account involving the US Navy exercising off the coast of Newfoundland. We have our doubts about this story but we leave it to our readers to make their own judgment. According to our Chamber member, the following is a transcript of a radio conversation between a ship of the US Navy and the Canadian authorities which was allegedly released into the public domain on 10th October 1995.

“Change your direction 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.”

“Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.”

“This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.”

“Any I say again, you divert YOUR course.”

“This is the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise of 93,284 tons. Divert YOUR course now.”

“And this is a Canadian lighthouse. Your call.”



6. Silly Season

In some Western European countries, certain factories and commercial operations close down entirely for two weeks in August. In many of the 27 members of the European Union, the pace of business is limited as national economies focus on tourism and employees enjoy their annual holiday. Traditionally, the press in this country, local regional and national, produce spurious and sometimes obviously concocted stories in an effort to retain their readership and to maintain the interest of their advertisers. Being a serious publication reporting on business issues of importance, the Thanet & East Kent Insider naturally rises above such behaviour. Readers will be relieved to know that the Loch Ness Monster has not been sighted in the River Stour at Pluck’s Gutter nor has a psychic octopus called Paul been found at Quex Park predicting the results of the opening weekend of the Premier League.  What has provoked a reaction among the 2,500 key-decision-makers who read the Insider is the item in last week’s edition about the pointless, portable and expensive electronic signs on the verges of our local motorways which display edifying messages such as “TAKE EXTRA CARE WHILE TOWING”. We asked for any suggestions to supplement the meagre vocabulary of the Highways Agency. We were not disappointed by the results. Les Posniak of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent offers the witty: “DO NOT BE DISTRACTED BY IRRELEVANT ROADSIGNS”. Rob Prince of China Gateway International has sent four examples including a photograph of a sign outside one of the buildings at Northampton General Hospital which reads: “Family Planning Advice: Use rear entrance”. Another well-travelled reader recalls visiting India just after Mrs Gandhi had left office. He saw a large hoarding in Madras which displayed in characters one metre high “Honesty is the Best Policy” and underneath in text of a similar size: “Especially In Income Tax Matters.” Whereas not everyone will follow the instructions at Northampton General Hospital, readers will surely now take extra care with their taxes, even if they already do the same with their caravans.



7.  Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems, tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.

Your Business Bulletin from Thanet & East Kent Chamber

Thanet & East Kent Insider

14^th August 2010 Issue No.: 204

1. How Are We Doing?

This edition of the Thanet & East Kent Insider has a few numbers in it. With many of our members away on holiday and with more muted email correspondence than at other times of the year, we turn our attention to bringing you some hard facts. There is some heartening news on unemployment. Data from the ever excellent team at KCC’s Research & Intelligence Unit reveals that for the second successive month, the year-on-year unemployment figures for Thanet show more wards in the black than in the red; 15 wards show annual falls against just 7 with a rise. A modest annual decrease in unemployment across the district of 1.4% will represent for some a bright light at the end of the tunnel. Residents in Shepway may feel that the light is from a train coming towards them as Folkestone and the surrounding district is again the only area in Kent to show an increase in unemployment in July 2010 compared to the same month last year. Residents of Tunbridge Wells will be polishing their Jaguars with renewed vigour as the district records a massive 18.3% fall in the numbers claiming unemployment benefit, closely followed unsurprisingly by Sevenoaks and Tonbridge & Malling. The unemployment rate for Kent of 3.0% sits exactly halfway between that for the South East at 2.4% and Great Britain as a whole at 3.6%.



2. Unemployment Data For East Kent

Thanet wards with more than 150 registered unemployed are listed first.

3. Save Energy

News has reached the Thanet & East Kent Chamber of an impending energy reduction device which has been designed to reduce resistance in cables and therefore minimize heat loss and boost power. To be marketed in the UK as “BlueCarbon”, this product will interest members with a professional interest in electrical wiring or the reduction of energy costs. For more details, Chamber members are invited to email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the subject line “Bluecarbon” and we will respond promptly with contact information.



4. Please Play On The Grass

Residents of East Kent with young children will delighted to learn that as a permanent memorial to the Queen in her diamond jubilee year, more playing fields will be created throughout the UK. Spearheading the project is Prince William who is widely reported in the national press, highlighted in the Daily Mail, as saying that he “could not think of a more fitting tribute to my grandmother’s 60 glorious years on the throne”. The final total of playing fields to be ready in 2012 is precisely 2,012. Cynics will undoubtedly point out that more than 6,000 playing fields have been lost to the nation since 1992. The charity Fields in Trust, formerly known as the National Playing Fields Association, has already selected 550 sites and is now asking local authorities to nominate plots of at least half an acre, 0.2 hectare, which can be included in the scheme. Fields In Trust seeks to protect playing fields “in perpetuity for future generations” and has made the conscious decision to link the jubilee celebrations with the 2012 Summer Olympics. With an available budget of just £7 million, success will be dependent on donations, sponsorship and cooperation from local authorities. The charity currently looks after 1,271 sites, but many of these are either too small or designated for specific uses which exclude them from the open access criteria required for inclusion in the Queen Elizabeth II Fields project. The trust is therefore looking for 1,512 sites which would benefit from the enhanced protection on offer. Like the campaign for a National War Memorial in East Kent, objections to this initiative have been notable by their absence. In an email to the Chamber, one senior and well respected local politician even admitted generously “I don't normally agree with the Daily Mail but…” Anyone with a suggestion for a possible site is invited to contact their local authority. More details on this splendid scheme and a short video voiced by Prince William are available at http://www.qe2fields.com. He asks: “The question is, where will our sporting stars of the future come from if we continue to lose access to these important grass roots facilities?” Well said, sir. Viewers to the site can make up their own mind as to whether the Prince’s burgundy tie goes with the light blue stripes of his shirt.



5. International Trade

Moving things from one country to another is the most fundamental aspect of international trade. If the logistics improve, trade tends to increase. If the logistics deteriorate, so does the exchange of goods. Making it easier and cheaper for your customer to receive the goods they want can depend on a wide variety of factors outside the control of the seller. Of course, it helps if there is an accompanying payments system that ensures you are paid for what you export. The Thanet & East Kent Insider will report on international payments in a later edition. This week we look at the transfer of goods and a comparative study which considers which countries are good at it and in which countries there is room for improvement. The World Bank is generally considered to be a reliable source of international data. It has released its rankings based on the performance of 155 countries listed in the 2010 Logistics Performance Index. Countries are judged in six categories: Customs, Infrastructure, International Shipments, Logistics Competence, Tracking & Tracing and Timeliness. Germany moves into first place in the list replacing Singapore which drops one place from its position as head of the class in 2007. The UK is posted in a creditable 8th position tied with Germany in International Shipments but let down rather badly by Infrastructure and Customs; East Kent companies have longed campaigned for better road access to our ports of entry. Companies trading with Switzerland will be pleased to note its top score for Tacking and Tracing. For many companies knowing where your goods are and why may be more important than a few hours gained in transit through customs. Of the top 10 countries, 8 are in Europe; Japan and Singapore being the only intruders. Newcomers in the premier league are Luxemburg, Belgium, and Norway. Austria, Hong Kong/SAR China and Canada all drop out of the top 10 this year. The US fell one place to 15th, doing rather well for Track and Trace as 5th best and for Logistics Infrastructure where it came 7th, but suffering badly at 36th for International Shipment Ease. The top countries among the “Upper Middle Income Countries” were South Africa 28th, Malaysia 29th and Poland 30th. China watchers will note that 27th is a respectable position for what is officially classified as a “Lower Middle Income country” and represents a high position on a per capita basis. Seasoned travellers will know that this fails to take into account the large economic disparity in incomes among the population. Somalia is at the very bottom of the list with the lowest score of all for Tracking and Tracing.



6. Who Can Help With Shipments?

The following Chamber members have the experience and expertise to supply or advise on the international movement of goods. Ferry Management Services Limited of Faversham tel: 01795 520268; Fox’s Removals & Transport of Margate tel: 01843 294422; Kent International Airport tel: 01843 820059; Manston Express Transport of Manston tel: 01843 823030; Minters of Deal/Geoff Fisher Transport of Sandwich tel: 01304 615331 and White’s Transport of Minster tel: 01843 821377.



7. World Bank Rankings  

The top ten on the World Bank’s 2010 Logistics Performance Index are as follows:

8. Inflated Ideas

Readers who have persevered with the previous items in East Kent’s number one weekly business bulletin will note that we have made no mention of the current rate of inflation. One member in the construction industry, suspecting quite rightly that this week’s edition may feature economic data, has sent us the following account which has inflation at its heart. We have our serious doubts about its factual accuracy; but we leave it for readers to judge. “Members of the Chamber may be interested in my experiences with an innovative project to build a school a few years ago. As a money-saving measure under the Building Schools For Inflation initiative, my company was asked to build an inflatable school. We had made some inflatable buildings before but nothing on this scale. However, always pleased to take on a new challenge, we completed the project on time and at 10% of the cost of a conventional edifice. Unfortunately, a few days after the official opening, a naughty school boy destroyed the whole building with the injudicious use of a pin. Before expelling the offender officially, the head summoned him and his parents to the site bearing the sad remains of this once, for a short time, proud school. Addressing himself directly to the 12 year-old culprit, the head said sternly, “You let me down, you certainly let yourself down, but most of all you let the whole school down.”



9.  Our Sponsors

Girlings Solicitors has been managing the legal affairs of commercial and private clients for over a century. Twenty-six partners and one hundred and twenty members of staff ensure a comprehensive range of services from the local offices in Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone, Herne Bay and Margate. Offices in France and Spain complement specialist departments for charities, individuals and companies. For details, telephone 01843 220274. Express By Holiday Inn took on the daunting task of restoring the former Prospect Inn at Minster. The result is a spectacular hotel that combines the best of Oliver Hill’s 1930s design with ultra modern facilities and technological support. Conveniently located for business guests and holiday makers in East Kent, the meeting rooms and 105 bedrooms are available at competitive prices throughout the year. For details, telephone 01843 820250. Adecco is the world’ s largest HR solutions company offering a comprehensive service of temporary and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outsourcing, outplacement, career services, training and consulting. Officially designated as a 2009 British Superbrand, Adecco is represented in Thanet and Dover by its Broadstairs office, tel: 01843 609292. CARISS design, install and support education and business computing systems as East Kent’s leading specialist company in Open Source Software.  To lower your carbon footprint, reduce your power consumption and adopt a thin client system, call CARISS, tel: 01843 823724. Mach Associates are the high-fliers in providing Internet technologies and specialist software solutions with a particular expertise in servicing the travel industry. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and with ISO9001 accreditation, Mach Associates also offers reduces telecom operating cost through VOIP/PBX phone systems, tel: 0870 321 9986. Sota Connect offers a comprehensive IT service covering best-value voice, data and Internet services for companies of all sizes as well as public sector organisations. The company operates two state-of-the-art data centres of over 10,000sq ft. Sota Connect owns and operates a unique 200km fibre network from London to Ramsgate with high bandwidth Internet access giving superfast Internet connections, tel: 0800 072 2420.