h edition july 2014

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G L O B A L P R E S E N C E W I T H L O C A L K N O W L E D G E

EDITIONJuly 2014

INVESTMENT | NEWS | CULTURE | LUXURY | LIFESTYLE

ENTREPRENEURSTO WATCH OUT FOR

IN 2014© Copyright Hamble Group 2014

Interview with the founders ofSecretSales.comThe UK’s largest and fastest growing flash sales website boasting:

l 3.2 million users

l 650 listed brands

23-July 2014 FC.indd 1 25/06/2014 17:15

Wimbledon 2014, at last.Fresh juicy strawberries. The clinking of flutes.Tennis as mouth-watering as the champagne you’re served.An edge-of-your-seat win? A crushing defeat?Centre Court applauds. The Hill roars.The light fades. The excitement prevails.The perfect Championship starts with Lanson.

Crafted with care. Best enjoyed the same way.

Here’s to...

The Perfect StartThe Perfect Start

LAN_H_EDITION_Ad.pdf 1 19/06/2014 13:45

June was a fabulous month. I was fortunate enough to attend a Royal event alongside the British Monarchist Society chairman and his team, we had a ball. I was honoured to share a table with some of the most inspiring individuals one could hope to meet such as Garrison Sergeant Major Billy Mott, Richard Stone,

Her excellency Winnie Kiap the High Commissioner to Papua new Guinea and Sir Timothy Ackroyd the co-founder of Tusk the wildlife charity. We look forward to featuring each of these marvellous leaders in H edition Magazine in the coming months.

July’s focus is entrepreneurship. In a world dominated by fast-paced dynamic change, entrepreneurship is at the heart of many of our businesses, our passions and drives our societies. It is a subject we at H edition can’t get enough of.

Our front cover is graced by nish and Sach Kukadia, two brothers, who took the idea of a flash sales website offering brands we know and trust and showcasing them online in sales that last no more than 4 days at a time and offers discounts of between 30-70% www.secretsales.com has been chosen to be part of a new government-led Initiative – Tech City uk’s #FutureFifty programme and we have the pleasure of making them our July cover story on pages 24-25.

As John Ruskin famously said, “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece”. Together with the Kukadia brother’s story we are excited and humbled to bring you some of the recent and most successful business ventures such as Catherine Spencer, the ex-england Women’s Rugby Captain from pitch to board room, blow LTD, theAudience HQ and Brand us Social across pages 23-33. We are huge advocates of individuals that take the leap into the world of being an entrepreneur, and the courage, dedication, skill and passion that these amazing leaders have taken to pursue their business dreams.

“If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on” – Sheryl Sandberg

I, for one, after spending 20 years in media would still definitely take the spare seat.

See you next month!Dina Aletra, editor

Tweet me @HeditionMag #July

Front cover: nish & Sach Kukadia, founders of www.secretsales.com (picture supplied by Instinct-PR).editor: Dina Constance Aletra editorial team: Rebecca Cowing, Haydn Squibb, Beatrice Fabris

Thanks this month go to: London Stock exchange, Azimut Yachts, edition Hotels, Typetechnique and Wearegrab

Welcome toEDITION

05-Welcome pp3.indd 3 25/06/2014 17:20

Enjoy a relaxing break for two in a luxurious Mayfair hotel The London EDITION W1.

We’ve teamed up with five-star Marriott London EDITION Hotel W1 offering you the chance to win a fantastic 1 night break in the heart of London.

The London EDITION is the latest from EDITION Hotels which blends ground-breaking innovation, great design, outstanding dining and entertainment with personal, friendly, modern service. Located in the heart of Fitzrovia, The London EDITION preserves the finest aspects of an iconic landmark building, but reinvents the

spaces within to create a dynamic fusion of old and new, past and present.

Enjoy your experience and for more information please visit edition-hotels.marriott.com/london

Click here to enter

Win A Night In A Five Star Luxury Hotel

EDITION

The promoter is: Hamble Media and Communication, whose registered office is at Carrington House, 126-130 Regent street, London W1B 5SE. Employees of Hamble Media and Communication Ltd & the Hamble Group or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the competition.There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this com-petition. Closing date for entry will be 22/07/2014. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. The prize for each winner are as follows: one night at The London EDITION, 10 Berners Street, London W1T 3NP, on a Sunday or Monday night in a Guest room category (Single or Double occupancy). The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice. Winners will be chosen by an independent adjudicator or panel of judges appointed by the Promoter. The winner will be notified by email and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent. The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by sending an e-mail to the following address: [email protected] Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Hamble Media and Communication and not to any other party. For more information on our Privacy Policy, please visit: http://www.hamblegroup.com/privacy-policy. Closing date 22/07/2014

Hamble_comp.indd 1 24/06/2014 22:13

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Contents6

16

20

24

6 LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE by Umerah Akram,

ELITE Director

9 TIME FOR QUALITATIVE EASING by Carlo Pelanda

11 THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF RAGE

by Professor Joshua Ice

12 THE EFFECTS OF CORPORATE REFORM TAX III by Samuel Vorpe

13 UK ECONOMY LOSES £65BN EVERY YEAR

by Chris Roebuck

14 CLASSIC JAGUAR by Haydn Squibb

16 AZIMUT YACHTS – AZIMUT 120SL. THE GRANDE COLLECTION FLAGSHIP

20 LIVING THE LONDON LIFE by Rebecca Cowing

and Beatrice Fabris

24 SECRET SALES Interview with founders of

www.secretsales.com Nish & Sach Kukadia #FutureFifty

26 CATHERINE SPENCER England former Women’s Rugby

Captain talks business

28 BLOW LTD Taking the beauty world by storm by founder

Dharmash Mistry

31 THE AUDIENCE Mark Adams on launching the world’s first

social publishing agency

32 BRAND US SOCIAL Founder Rupa Ganatra co-founder of the

social media and digital conference.

34 WEAREGRAB Founder Glenn Norman talks digital

Contents

04-Contents pp5.indd 5 25/06/2014 17:46

Enjoy a relaxing break for two in a luxurious Mayfair hotel The London EDITION W1.

We’ve teamed up with five-star Marriott London EDITION Hotel W1 offering you the chance to win a fantastic 1 night break in the heart of London.

The London EDITION is the latest from EDITION Hotels which blends ground-breaking innovation, great design, outstanding dining and entertainment with personal, friendly, modern service. Located in the heart of Fitzrovia, The London EDITION preserves the finest aspects of an iconic landmark building, but reinvents the

spaces within to create a dynamic fusion of old and new, past and present.

Enjoy your experience and for more information please visit edition-hotels.marriott.com/london

Click here to enter

Win A Night In A Five Star Luxury Hotel

EDITION

The promoter is: Hamble Media and Communication, whose registered office is at Carrington House, 126-130 Regent street, London W1B 5SE. Employees of Hamble Media and Communication Ltd & the Hamble Group or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the competition.There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this com-petition. Closing date for entry will be 22/07/2014. After this date no further entries to the competition will be permitted. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason. The prize for each winner are as follows: one night at The London EDITION, 10 Berners Street, London W1T 3NP, on a Sunday or Monday night in a Guest room category (Single or Double occupancy). The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice. Winners will be chosen by an independent adjudicator or panel of judges appointed by the Promoter. The winner will be notified by email and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner. The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent. The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by sending an e-mail to the following address: [email protected] Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Hamble Media and Communication and not to any other party. For more information on our Privacy Policy, please visit: http://www.hamblegroup.com/privacy-policy. Closing date 22/07/2014

Hamble_comp.indd 1 24/06/2014 22:13

London Stock Exchange continues to fly the flag for the UK’s growth companies with the launch of ELITE, our new business support initiative. designed for the

UK’s most ambitious high growth firms, it will bring selected businesses together over a two year programme with Imperial College Business School and a blue chip collection of the advisory and investment communities.

Fast growing, entrepreneurial businesses are playing an increasingly vital role in driving Britain’s recovery forward but we need to make sure they are continually nurtured. Through our on-going work with the UK’s entrepreneurial community, we know that entrepreneurs often find that their passion and ideas are enough to launch them as a business, but growing in a structured, stable way for the long term and accessing the right type of finance and professional advice is often much harder.

By participating in the 24 month ELITE programme, these firms will gain the information, contacts and possible funding to help them further grow their businesses. We know the programme works because it has run successfully in Italy for over two years, with 130 companies. We are addressing a gap in the UK market and this has been recognised by a who’s who of the UK’s leading accountancy and legal firms; business angels, venture capital firms and private equity houses; institutional investors; PR firms; banks; brokers, as well as the major UK trade and investment bodies, who are all lending ELITE their support. Major trade body backers include the ABI, BVCA, CBI, QCA and Tech City.

We are also delighted to have the support of the UK Government. ELITE was launched by Matthew Hancock, MP, Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise, who spoke about the need to build an enterprising and ambitious nation. He is a valuable supporter of ELITE and we hope his involvement will add to the appeal and visibility of the programme.

The first cohort of companies come from across the country and from a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, technology, healthcare, retail and media. Company Shop

is the UK’s largest redistributor of surplus food, helping to save more than 30,000 tonnes of food being wasted each year. John Marren, its Chairman, told us that he is proud and privileged to be part of the programme and to be working alongside esteemed industry peers from the food industry and beyond. John started the first Company Shop in Tankersley, South Yorkshire in 1985 but the company has developed significantly since then. He is eager, like many of the others, to learn from the brightest and best of ELITE, to enable him to prepare his business for the next stage of growth.

It is invigorating to work with such a dynamic, passionate and spirited first group of companies but this isn’t just a one-and-done programme. We are committed to rolling out two or three cohorts a year, eventually having a strong network of companies calling themselves ELITE. We want to create a vibrant new ecosystem in the UK for high growth aspirational businesses, that will support them and inspire them long after the 24 month programme is complete.

The launch of ELITE, coincided with another significant achievement for the UK’s growth companies – the abolition of stamp duty on growth market shares, including AIM-quoted stocks. We believe this will help attract more investment and liquidity into some of the UK’s most ambitious, dynamic and innovative companies and is a cause we campaigned heavily for, together with a wide range of shareholder and industry associations.

Recent positive GdP figures, alongside other economic measures, are certainly fuelling a renewed sense of optimism in the country but also noticeable is the impact the boom in start-ups and fast growth enterprises is having on society. The wider business community is beginning to understand the increasing importance of these businesses to us all, and the need to promote and support them, something which London Stock Exchange has long advocated and will continue to do so enthusiastically.

www.elite.londonstockexchange.com

@HEditionMag #FutureFifty

By Umerah Akram, ELITE Director, London Stock Exchange

EDITION | NEWS & FINANCE


LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE’SGROWTH BUSINESS INITIATIVE

www.hamblegroup.com6

“WE WAnT To crEATE A vIBrAnT

nEW EcoSySTEm In ThE UK for hIgh

groWTh ASpIrATIonAL BUSInESSES”

02-London Stock Exchange pp6-7.indd All Pages 25/06/2014 10:21

Credit Rating in Switzerland

The economic evaluation agency, Fitch, has once again confirmed the triple-A status of Switzerland. Fitch released a statement confirming that the highest possible rating was

due to the solidity of public finances. The specialists from across the Atlantic say that risks would only occur if, for example, the banking sector were to be affected by the overheating of the property market (which right now is only marginal).


US to Curb Coal Plants

The US government plan to unveil new rules for coal-burning power plants that aim to dramatically cut emissions contributing to global warming. The proposal seeks to cut

carbon pollution by 30% from nearly 1,600 power plants by 2030, compared to the 2005 levels that were quoted in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. These new rules are a step toward achieving a pledge that Mr Obama made in his first year in office to make sizeable cuts in US carbon emissions by 2020.

Once the new guidelines are issued, it will be left to each State to develop a strategy for meeting them; these may include increasing nuclear or solar power, switching to natural gas, or moving towards an emissions-trading plan, known as cap-and-trade.

First Plastic £5 Note Unveiled

BriTAiN’s first plastic banknotes are to be in use next year when branches of Clydesdale Bank issue two million £5 notes a year, before the Bank of england puts plastic notes

in general circulation.

The new note will feature the Forth Bridge, nominated for this year’s UNeSCO World heritage List, and a portrait of Sir William Arrol, whose company designed the bridge. Production of the note in March 2015 will coincide with the 125th anniversary of the bridge’s opening.

Polymer notes are tougher, cleaner, and more secure than current banknotes, which are made of cotton paper. The new £10 note featuring Jane Austin that will be released shortly after, will also be polymer.

UK manufacturing keeps up strong growth rate in May

BriTiSh manufacturing activity kept expanding at a rapid pace during May suggesting the economic recovery has lost little of its shine this quarter.

The CiPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ index PMi inched down in May to 57.0 from 57.3, but stayed far above the 50 line that divides growth from contraction. The reading matched the consensus forecast of economists polled by reuters. Albeit at a slightly slower pace than in April, new orders piled in at a healthy rate and manufacturers took on more staff.

EDITION | NEWS

04-News in Brief pp8.indd 8 25/06/2014 10:21


IN Thrive, Arianna Huffington makes an impassioned and compelling case for the need to redefine what it means to be successful in today’s world.

Arianna Huffington’s personal wake-up call came in the form of a broken cheekbone and a nasty gash over her eye – the result of a fall brought on by exhaustion and lack of sleep. As the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group – one of the fastest growing media companies in the world – celebrated as one of the world’s most influential women, and gracing the covers of magazines, she was, by any traditional measure, extraordinarily successful. Yet as she found herself going from brain MRI, to CAT scan, to echocardiogram, to find out if there was any underlying medical problem beyond

exhaustion, she wondered is this really what success feels like?

In this deeply personal book, Arianna talks candidly about her own challenges with managing time and prioritising the demands of a career and raising two daughters – of juggling business deadlines and family crises, a harried dance that led to her collapse and to her “aha moment.” Drawing on the latest groundbreaking research and scientific findings in the fields of psychology, sports, sleep, and physiology that show the profound and transformative effects of meditation, mindfulness, unplugging, and giving, Arianna shows us the way to a revolution in our culture, our thinking, our workplace, and our lives.

Available via www.amazon.co.uk

Thrive by Arianna Huffington

EDITOR’S BOOK OF THE MONTH

MARkeT operators tend to think in a short-term horizon. But in specific moments long-term prophecies can have an impact

on the market level of confidence. This moment is fast approaching. Following from the 2008 crisis, the recovery period is coming to an end thus enabling a re-assessment of what will be the next major change to occur.

Gaining ground in the media, the search for new trends will find a set of pessimistic prophecies:

(a) the “new normal” prophecy is based on the idea that America and europe will never find strong growth dynamics and are condemned to a permanent stagnation.

(b) the “technological disintermediation” scenario assumes that the new robots and ICT systems will kill most of the jobs.

(c) the “post-democratic” prophecy predicts the degeneration and implosion of democracies.

As a director of a research group devoted to the analysis of future trends, it seems wise to highlight the following:

(1) the “new normal” prophecy is primarily based on scenarios that are still very influenced by the slow recovery in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis. It therefore tends to linearly project “too much past” into the future.

(2) the “technological disintermediation” prediction does not take into account the possible jobs newly generated by the cybernetic revolution.

(3) the “post-democratic” scenario relies on the actualisation of the other two prophecies, which would shrink the population of the middle class. It looks weak due to the low probability of the other prophecies.

But this issue of whether the mature economies will die or will find a new golden age will be debated in academia and in the media for a long time. The continued debate might, in fact, generate uncertainty

and a lack of long-term confidence in the market. Therefore, now seems to be the right moment for “Qualitative easing”, with a confidence-boosting effect similar to the “Quantitative easing”.

Prof. Carlo Pelanda, is Director of the PH. D. Programme in Geopolitical Economy, Marconi University, Rome, and Member of the Academic and Policy Board of the Oxford Institute for Economic Policy (OXONIA), Oxford.

www.carlopelanda.com

Time for a Qualitative EasingBy Professor Carlo Pelanda

Market Moment pp09.indd 9 18/06/2014 16:51

Barclays offers wealth and investment management products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered No. 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. This communication is only directed at persons having professional experience in investments matters and the service described is only available to such persons

Wealth and Investment Management

With global know-how, it’s easier to cut through.

When you have access to global expertise, navigating complexity becomes much simpler. At Barclays, the focal point is your dedicated Relationship Manager, who will channel the knowledge and skills of the entire Barclays Group on your behalf. They will diagnose needs and identify relevant solutions for your business. Also, they will guide you towards opportunities for enhanced returns and help to mitigate against risk.

To find out more, call Dave Ham on +44 (0) 203 555 8851 or email [email protected]

Barclays offers wealth and investment management products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England and authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered No. 1026167. Registered Office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. This communication is only directed at persons having professional experience in investments matters and the service described is only available to such persons

Wealth and Investment Management

With global know-how, it’s easier to cut through.

When you have access to global expertise, navigating complexity becomes much simpler. At Barclays, the focal point is your dedicated Relationship Manager, who will channel the knowledge and skills of the entire Barclays Group on your behalf. They will diagnose needs and identify relevant solutions for your business. Also, they will guide you towards opportunities for enhanced returns and help to mitigate against risk.

To find out more, call Dave Ham on +44 (0) 203 555 8851 or email [email protected]


It is easy to become angry, everyone is capable of it. it is incredibly difficult, however, to express one’s anger at the right time, about the right things, towards

the right people, for the right end, and in the right way. this concept, expressed two million years ago by the Greek philosopher Aristotle, is relevant to this day. today, the power of media has enabled individuals to write angry and spiteful comments without having to deal with the reality of face-to-face interactions. Rather than confronting this reality, this new form of communication has created a generation of fearful individuals that choose to become angry over confronting their reality. it is a never-ending story.

On the other hand, channelled rage can be used strategically and in a controlled manner; particularly in places where conflict is physiological and ever present, such as in business, politics, and social interaction. Here, channelled rage can end up being the greatest strength.

some scholars maintain that a certain level of rage can help an individual attain one’s set targets, which in time will make the individual healthier and more satisfied. the main difficulty is for the individual to have the self-control to then manage his or her anger. this way, the individual’s venting has meaning and is not just self-indulgent.

For example, a manager can express rage at work and this outburst could be useful if the individual uses it to realistically try and solve the underlying problems. this way, the individual’s actions are not solely carried out to abuse one’s employees, but they are a demonstration of competence and leadership.

As rage is so frequently present in our daily lives, the gathering and containment of an individual’s rage increases long-term tension and stress related side effects. the use of strategic and controlled anger, therefore, can be therapeutic. However, once again an individual’s rage must not be abused and individuals would be wise to follow Aristotle’s teachings.

the great Greek philosopher also highlights the necessity of anger and the belief that without its contribution it is impossible to face any battle. the important thing, however, is not to confuse anger with hatred and to remember that life is not necessarily a constant battle.

One final reflection: in 1681 John Dryden wrote, “Beware of the fury of a patient man. For those who are able to control their anger and use it properly by following Aristotle’s belief in living a patient life, will be a sure winner and a friend to hold on to and be respected”.

EDITION | EDITOR’S CHOICE

THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF RAGEBy Professor Joshua Ice

Inspirational Article of the month

“To do the right thing

is rare, praiseworthy

and fine”Aristotle, IV Century B.C.

Rage pp11.indd 11 16/06/2014 16:32


IN negotiations with Brussels, Bern requested that the EU persuade its member states to renounce sanctions against Switzerland for ‘non-compliant’

fiscal practices, fearing that the abolition of companies with special cantonal status would lead to the withdrawal of these companies abroad. As a result, the Licence Box (also called the Patent Box) will be introduced into our tax system as a means of counteracting possible losses. This Patent Box is already in use in some member states and is applied, particularly in the case of intellectual property, when sources of extremely mobile income can easily be separated from the state.

The box is designed to capture the outcomes of research, development and innovation – tax reductions can be implemented through two different approaches: in the first case, a tax reduction is applied to the amount of tax on profits from intellectual property (for example, software licenses, brands and commercial names); in the second case, a tax reduction is applied to the same profits from the taxable base.

As it stands, ten countries have already introduced a Licence Box, including France (from 2000), Hungary (2003), Netherlands (2007), Belgium (2007), Luxemburg (2008), Spain (2008), Malta (2010), Liechtenstein (2011), Cyprus (2012) and, most recently, the United Kingdom (2013). Additionally, since 2011 – in the wake of the current trend in Europe – the Canton Nidvaldo has implemented a system for reducing the tax amount applicable to profits from intangible goods by 80%. This has occurred without criticism being raised by the confederation or the EU – nevertheless, these regulations could yet be subject to criticism by the OCSE.

A parliamentary initiative produced by the UDC (Union of the Democratic Centre) party in the canton Ticino has been pending for some time. The initiative – called the Tax Project for Ticino – requires the introduction of a similar Licence Box, with a tax reduction of 95%. Therefore, if one considers the deduction of a cantonal amount of 9%, the profits on non-material goods would be taxed at 0.45%, making Ticino very competitive for companies that

include intellectual property among their profits.

It is true that some authors consider this measure incompatible with the RHA (Register Harmonisation Act), but it is also true that the Canton Nidvaldo has already enjoyed this reduction for the last three years. I believe that – regardless of the legal considerations that are imposed in a constitutional state such as ours – a political evaluation of the introduction of a Licence Box system should be made as soon as possible.

Samuele Vorpe is the Manager of the Tax Skills Centre of the SUPSI (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian Switzerland)

www.supsi.ch

@supsi_ch #HEditionMag

Licence Box paves way for increased IP profits in SwitzerlandBy Samuele Vorpe

EDITION | BUSINESS

The last few months have seen the effects of the ‘Corporate Tax Reform III’ come into force in Switzerland. Continued pressure from the EU on companies with special cantonal status (including holding, home and mixed companies) has forced the changes, with companies previously taking advantage at both the cantonal and communal level (but not at the federal level) of significant tax relief on their income tax.

Samuel Vorpe pp12.indd 12 25/06/2014 10:22


IN negotiations with Brussels, Bern requested that the EU persuade its member states to renounce sanctions against Switzerland for ‘non-compliant’

fiscal practices, fearing that the abolition of companies with special cantonal status would lead to the withdrawal of these companies abroad. As a result, the Licence Box (also called the Patent Box) will be introduced into our tax system as a means of counteracting possible losses. This Patent Box is already in use in some member states and is applied, particularly in the case of intellectual property, when sources of extremely mobile income can easily be separated from the state.

The box is designed to capture the outcomes of research, development and innovation – tax reductions can be implemented through two different approaches: in the first case, a tax reduction is applied to the amount of tax on profits from intellectual property (for example, software licenses, brands and commercial names); in the second case, a tax reduction is applied to the same profits from the taxable base.

As it stands, ten countries have already introduced a Licence Box, including France (from 2000), Hungary (2003), Netherlands (2007), Belgium (2007), Luxemburg (2008), Spain (2008), Malta (2010), Liechtenstein (2011), Cyprus (2012) and, most recently, the United Kingdom (2013). Additionally, since 2011 – in the wake of the current trend in Europe – the Canton Nidvaldo has implemented a system for reducing the tax amount applicable to profits from intangible goods by 80%. This has occurred without criticism being raised by the confederation or the EU – nevertheless, these regulations could yet be subject to criticism by the OCSE.

A parliamentary initiative produced by the UDC (Union of the Democratic Centre) party in the canton Ticino has been pending for some time. The initiative – called the Tax Project for Ticino – requires the introduction of a similar Licence Box, with a tax reduction of 95%. Therefore, if one considers the deduction of a cantonal amount of 9%, the profits on non-material goods would be taxed at 0.45%, making Ticino very competitive for companies that

include intellectual property among their profits.

It is true that some authors consider this measure incompatible with the RHA (Register Harmonisation Act), but it is also true that the Canton Nidvaldo has already enjoyed this reduction for the last three years. I believe that – regardless of the legal considerations that are imposed in a constitutional state such as ours – a political evaluation of the introduction of a Licence Box system should be made as soon as possible.

Samuele Vorpe is the Manager of the Tax Skills Centre of the SUPSI (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Italian Switzerland)

www.supsi.ch

@supsi_ch #HEditionMag

Licence Box paves way for increased IP profits in SwitzerlandBy Samuele Vorpe

EDITION | BUSINESS

The last few months have seen the effects of the ‘Corporate Tax Reform III’ come into force in Switzerland. Continued pressure from the EU on companies with special cantonal status (including holding, home and mixed companies) has forced the changes, with companies previously taking advantage at both the cantonal and communal level (but not at the federal level) of significant tax relief on their income tax.

Samuel Vorpe pp12.indd 12 25/06/2014 10:22


For 35 years I have been searching for an answer as to why millions of people around the world withhold up to 30% of their potential effort at

work. And I’ve discovered it’s because there are many well meaning, but ineffective, leaders out there; many leaders are not ‘leaders’. In the Dr. Gordy managerial satisfaction survey, employees said they would not want to work again for two out of every three bosses they have had.

If leaders were effective, it would give an organisation an extra 30% of effort from approximately 60% of their staff – or an extra £65bn in GDP for the UK economy. Economic growth is being held back by ineffective leadership. Yet a few simple actions by these leaders would transform the performance, and indeed working lives, of people for the better; it would enhance their family life, help their organisations succeed and deliver economic growth for their community.

Ineffective leadership has been compounded by changes forced on

organisations by the financial crisis. Headcount cuts mean that fewer people are doing more work – so much so that 55% of employees say they have more work than the time they have to do it in. And, more frighteningly, 59% say that as a result of pressure at work they have behaved badly to friends or family.

In the end, leadership is so simple: organisations need to deliver objectives; people have needs and aspirations. The more leaders can align the achievements of peoples’ needs and aspirations with the delivery of those objectives, the better the organisation and its people will perform.

I have read many leadership books, but none of them give an answer to the simple challenge of making the ineffective leader effective, quickly and simply. That is why I wrote my new book, Lead to Succeed. It’s designed to help anyone get to the leading edge of global leadership. Whether they are the owner of a small business in India, a new manager in a global bank in London, the President of a not for profit in Myanmar,

a middle manager in a Government Corporation in China, a CEo in South Africa or a Business Studies student in New York. They learn how to achieve this transformation in personal, team and organisational performance.

How can this transformation take place? Firstly, by getting employees to maximise their effort – what I call Mach 1 Leadership. Then, secondly, by applying that effort to what really supports the delivery of critical objectives throughout collaboration – not just doing what their job is. That’s Mach 2 Leadership. Leaders have to be entrepreneurial to achieve this, it is a quality in short supply, but can be developed with a little guidance.

So whilst the leadership challenge is there, solving it is so much simpler, quicker and easier than most people would imagine. There is no excuse for anyone, or any organisation, to suffer from damaging ineffective leadership. Lead to Succeed shows you how.

Stats• Improved effectiveness could add £65bn

in GDP to the UK economy• Benefit from up to 57% more effort from

your people• Get into the top 8% of your peers – giving

you a 75% increased chance of promotion• Reduce the chances of talent being taken

by your competitors by 87%• More than halve sickness absence

For more information on Lead to Succeed go to www.leadtosucceed.me

Chris Roebuck is an international speaker and leadership consultant. He has worked with US investment banks, the Red Cross in Myanmar, government organisations in China and the NHS, alongside countless smaller organisations. Lead to Succeed is his second book, and was launched in Dubai and London in May.

Five simple techniques to help you maximise performance:

• List all the things that the best boss you ever had did every day that made them the best. Then do those for your people.

• Create a compelling vision of the future that inspires people – emotion is key to leadership success.

• Make sure you tell everyone what’s going on and how they fit into the bigger picture.

• Show your people you genuinely care about them and treat them with respect.

• Give them praise when it’s due, ask for their ideas and develop them.

UK economy loses £65bn every yearInternational speaker Chris Roebuck takes a new approach to leadership, HR and employee incentivisation…

Chris Roebuck with Abdulrahman Hasna at the 2014 PMI Leadership Institute Meeting, Dubai

Chris Roebuck FP pp13.indd 13 25/06/2014 17:27

www.hamblegroup.com 15www.hamblegroup.com14

When it comes to classic British cars, the first one that springs to mind is

the Jaguar e-Type. Manufactured between 1961 and 1975, it has become a much sought after collector’s item in the past few years. The e-Type has become a British icon and is rightfully in The Daily Telegraph’s online list of the world’s “100 most beautiful cars of all time”. It wasn’t all plain sailing to get there though.

After Jaguar’s success at the Le Mans 24hr, in the 1950s Jaguar’s racing department – who were slowly on their way out – were given a brief to use D-Type style construction to build a road-going sports car and replace the XK150, another British Classic. The first prototype, the e1A in 1957, featured a monocoque design (similar to an egg shell), Jaguar’s fully independent rear suspension, and the renowned “XK” engine. The car used solely for factory testing, was never formally released to the public and was eventually scrapped by the factory.

Jaguar’s second e-Type concept was the e2A which, unlike the e1A, was constructed from a steel chassis with an aluminium body. This car was completed as a racing car as at the time Jaguar thought it would be the best suited for testing. The e2A used a 3-litre version of the XK engine with a Lucas fuel injection system.

After retiring from the Le Mans 24hr, the e2A was shipped to America to be used for racing. In 1961, the car returned to Jaguar in england to be used as a test vehicle. Ownership of the e2A passed to Roger Woodley (Jaguar’s Customer Competition Car Manager) who took possession on the basis that the car would not be used for racing. The idea of the car was subsequently scrapped, meaning the prototype e2A was the only one in existence – a rarity that contributed to a price of £3 million when it was sold recently.

Since 1961 there have been 3 series of e-Types; Series 1 was introduced initially for export only in March 1961; Series 2 was manufactured between 1968 and 1971. Then from 1971 until 1975 a new 5.3L twelve-cylinder Jaguar V12 engine was introduced with uprated brakes and standard power steering.

There were two limited edition e-Types variants that were made as experiments –

the Low Drag Coupe in 1962 and Lightweight e-Type in 1963. The Low Drag Coupe was built with the spirit of the D-Type at heart and had various changes to the body, including the windshield being given a more pronounced slope and the rear hatch being welded shut. even though it was the only one ever made, it has been to both sides of the Atlantic and is now part of a private collection in Surrey.

The Lightweight e-Type was extremely popular in private sales and small races. however, it was not very popular at Le Mans or Sebring which led to Jaguar only making 12 of the planned 18. On 14 May 2014, Jaguar’s heritage Business announced it will be building the six ‘remaining’ Lightweights. The availability of the Lightweights will be prioritised for established collectors of Jaguars, with a focus on those who have an interest in historic race cars.

There was a gap in the market for a Jaguar that would win the heart of the public as the e-Type once had. As a result in 2011 the C-X16 concept was born. The C-X16 was Jaguar’s smallest car since the 1954 Jaguar XK120 and was developed over the next two years under the secret code of ‘X152.’

In 2013 the convertible F-Type was launched at the Sundance Film Festival in London. It was then taken to the Paris Motor Show and Goodwood’s Festival

of Speed. Top Gear went on to state: “The F-Type has clearly got an edge and an attitude that no Jaguar has had before. It’s a punchy little thing, a proper sports car. The V6 is surprisingly loud when it’s working. A proper noise, with definite echoes of an e-Type.

The entry-level of the F-Type range uses Jaguar’s new 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine; 0 to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, with a top speed of 161 mph. The middle level of the range comes in the shape of the F-Type S; 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 171 mph. The top of the range model is the V8 S, with a 5.0-litre, supercharged petrol engine.

The F-Type Coupe is being released at the start of spring with engine choices remaining unchanged, although there is the addition of a higher performance V8 R model producing 540 horsepower in lieu of the convertible V8 S model.

Both the F-type Coupe and Convertible, have captured the hearts of many people around the world and I think it’s safe to say that the F-Type could just fill the large void left by the e-Type.

Tweet us at @heditionMag #Jaguar

EDITION | LUXURY

JAGUARBy Haydn Squibb

Classic cars

Jaguar XK150

Jaguar XK120

Jaguar Series 3 E-Type

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ITALIAN luxury yacht maker Azimut Benetti has released the third unit of its spectacular Azimut Grande 120SLs, after more than two years in production. The Azimut Grandes are the most exclusive in the Azimut Yachts collection,

marrying Italian design with Rolls Royce technology.

Measuring just over 35 metres in length, the Azimut Grande 120SL offers owners a wide range of options – designed specifically for the semi-custom boat market, she is the most exclusive yacht in the Azimut yard. Designer Stefano Righini is responsible for the yacht’s sleek curves, and Carlo Galeazzi brings a luxurious touch to the interiors. While the engines, bilges and main bulkheads remain fixed, the boat owner has been given total freedom in the detailing of construction and decor.

Azimut Benetti is the largest private yachting group in the world. Founded in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli – who remains at the helm to this day – it owes its success to a passion for its yachts and

exceptional service, coupled with a desire to experiment with new technologies. Renown for creative thinking and pioneering design, it experiments with solutions that optimise comfort and performance alongside elegant Italian style.

The Azimut Grande’s powerful top speed of 39 knots is supplied by three MTU 2000 16V engines, three Rolls Royce KaMeWa water jets, two lateral water jets, and a central booster for true thoroughbred performance.

Internally, the layout is striking, blurring lines between sea and sky, inside and out, to give passengers an unrivalled experience. The main saloon measures a roomy 60 square metres, surrounded by 50 square metres of glazing, plus a generous 15 square metre skylight. A glazed partition separates the living area from the cockpit, which can be pulled back to create a single space that includes a ten-person dining table and two sofas. Both areas can also be closed off

AzimutAZIMUT 120SL – THE GRANDE COLLECTION FLAGSHIP

The third unit of Azimut Grande 120SLs built over the last two years was launched this April; it is an embodiment of the Azimut-Benetti Group’s production excellence. Made up of planing yachts over 30-metres, the Azimut Grande is the most exclusive Azimut Yachts collection.


03-Azimut Yachts pp16-19.indd 16-17 18/06/2014 11:06


and climate controlled, while furnishings can be personalised throughout the main deck.

The cabins are located on the lower deck, with a magnificent owner’s cabin measuring 43 square metres, 11 of which are dedicated to double bathrooms. Two glass windows at lower deck level offer breathtaking sea views and fill the cabin with natural light.

The crew area falls between the owner’s cabin and the engine rooms, providing further quiet and comfort for the master cabin. There are three crew cabins (one with a double bed) and three guest cabins: a VIP cabin in the bow features a double bed, while two cabins amidships have twin beds – each with their own private bathroom. The lower deck also has an additional day head for day guests.

The main deck’s design includes panoramic views, with a small sitting room and two large sun pads towards the bow, allowing private relaxation and unblemished vistas. A flybridge between the roof section over the saloon and cockpit creates an additional outdoor living area, equipped with a steering station, luxurious jacuzzi and dinette sofa. Stairs at the stern lead from the cockpit to a swimming platform.

Azimut Benetti is proud of its reputation for anticipating the needs and requirements of the most demanding boat owners. The new Azimut Grande range reinforces its role as a leader in the super yacht world, combining exceptional performance with custom yachting luxury.

For further details please visit www.azimutyachts.com and tweet @Azimut_Yachts including #HEditionMag

Luxury Interiors London Carrington House, Regent Place, London W1B 5SE

Tel: +44 (0) 207 292 9900Email: [email protected] | www.lilondon.com

Luxury int.indd 1 04/06/2014 16:0303-Azimut Yachts pp16-19.indd 18-19 18/06/2014 11:06


Where to eat

ASSUNTA MADREThe recently opened Assunta Madre is

situated just off Bond Street Station in the heart of Mayfair. Modelled on the iconic

Roman restaurant, Assunta Madre boasts delicious Italian fish dishes, beautiful cream and wood rooms, and the authentic Italian

experience you won’t forget.

9-10 Blenheim St, Mayfair, London W1S 1LJ

ROKA Opened in May in Mayfair, Roka’s

exceptional Japanese Robatayaki cuisine and stylish interior designed by acclaimed

designer Noriyoshi Muramatsu, is guaranteed not to disappoint.

30 North Audley Street, London W1K 6HP

Where to stay

ThE BEAUMONTOPENING AUTUMN 2014

Grand in style yet intimate in scale, The Beaumont Hotel heralds a return to the pre-war elegance of Mayfair hotels. The Beaumont is the first hotel from famed London restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the duo behind Piccadilly’s

beloved Wolseley and several other

eateries in the city. The Beaumont will be a truly independent, distinctive hotel based

on the classic values of a golden age of bespoke hospitality. With a Listed Grade

II Art Deco exterior, the public spaces and 73 suites and rooms of The Beaumont are informed by the pioneering taste of 1920s Manhattan. An iconic element will be the

Antony Gormley inhabitable sculpture room. The hotel also offers added niceties

such as a complimentary chauffeured house car.

The Beaumont, Brown Hart Gardens, Mayfair, London W1K 6TF

MONDRiANOPENING SUMMER 2014

The first Mondrian property in Europe, Mondrian London, envisioned by renowned

designer Tom Dixon, brings the heat, intensity, energy and sexy Sunset Strip

vibe of the original Hollywood Mondrian to the iconic Sea Containers building on the South Bank of the Thames. In addition to 359 guest rooms and suites, many with outdoor space and river views, guests

will find a riverside bar and brassiere with outside seating, a rooftop lounge and

terrace, Mondrian London’s signature agua Spa with six treatment suites, relaxation

space and a manicure and pedicure room, and a screening room with state-of-the-art

audio visual equipment. Located within walking distance to nightlife, restaurants,

shopping, and cultural landmarks including Tate Modern, Festival Hall, Borough Market

and the National and Globe Theatres.

20 Upper Ground, Southwark, London SE1 9PD

July Early Birds

hENlEy ROyAl REgATTA Bring a picnic and enjoy Pimms

by the waterside

Dates: 2nd-6th July Where: Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire,

London RG9 2AQ

RhS hAMpTON COURT pAlACE FlOwER ShOw

Don’t miss out on the beautiful nurseries and flower arrangments.

Dates: 8th-13th July Where: Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey,

Surrey, London KT8 9AU

wiMBlEDON FiNAlSLook out for the end of the tournament

and what will undoubtedly be an extraordinary final.

Dates: 5th-6th July Where: Wimbledon – The All England Lawn

Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, London SW19 5AE

Events this Month

KEw ThE MUSiC Enjoy the ultimate outdoor picnic whilst

listening to Elvis Costello, Bill Bailey, Bjorn Again, Jools Holland and his Rhythm and

Blues Orchestra, among others, opposite the Victorian Temperate House at Kew Gardens

Dates: 16th-20th July Where: Kew Gardens (Royal Botanic Gardens),

Kew, Richmond, London TW9 3AB

ThE BBC pROMS 2014Held in the beautiful Royal Albert Hall, the world famous Proms will delight classical

music lovers and will feature over 100 varied concerts. Founded in 1895, the Proms aims to mix the traditional with the popular (past years have included a Blue Peter themed

Prom and last year a Dr Who themed Prom). The Last Night of the Prom will not fail to excite and tickets are highly sought after.

Dates: 18th July-13th September Where: Various locations

ROyAl ChilDhOOD ExhiBiTiON

A special exhibition at Buckingham Palace showcases the toys, treasured

family gifts, and wardrobes of the young Royals. Previously unseen film footage

and photographs of the Royal Family, the Queen’s childhood toys and Prince George’s

Christening gown will all be on display.

Dates: 26th July- 28th September Where: The Queen’s Gallery,

Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA

ROUNDhOUSE SUMMER SESSiONS

This multi-arts festival features live music, dance, cinema and comedy. Performances

from Imogen Heap and a live-scoring of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film There Will Be Blood by the London Contemporary

Orchestra will be performed, among other events.

Dates: 24th July-24th August Where: Roundhouse, London NW1 8E

RiChARD iiiJamie Lloyd directs leading man Martin

Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit, The Office) for Shakespeare’s production of Richard III.

Dates: 9th July-27th September Where: Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall,

London SW1A 2DY

ROMEO & JUliET: MARiiNSKy BAllET

The Mariinsky season begins with Lavrovsky’s beautiful choreography and

Prokofiev’s melodical score of the renowned Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet.

Dates: 28th-31st July Where: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,

London WC2E 9DD

KAziMiR MAlEviCh – ExhiBiTiON

A leading pioneer of abstract art, Malevich’s dynamic paintings and designs feature in this extraordinary Tate Modern Exhibition.

Dates: 16th July-26th October Where: Tate Modern, London SE1 9TG

August Early Birds

BUCKiNghAM pAlACE SUMMER OpENiNg

Treat yourself to a tour of the exquisite royal palace.

Dates: 2nd August-28th September Where: Buckingham Palace Tickets,

Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1A 1AA

SwAN lAKE AT ThE ROyAl OpERA hOUSE

The Mariinsky Ballet’s spellbinding production of Konstantin Sergeyev‘s Swan

Lake must not be missed.

Dates: 1st-14th August Where: Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,

London WC2E 9DD

FilM4 SUMMER SCREEN AT SOMERSET hOUSE

Enjoy new and classic film screenings at this spectacular venue.

Dates: 7th-20th August Where: Somerset House, Strand,

London WC2R 1LA

CANARy whARF JAzz FESTivAl

Experience dynamic and fun jazz performances from award winning

musicians.

Dates: 15th-17th August Where: Canada Square Park,

Canada Square, Tower Hamlets, London E14 5AX

EDITION | LONDON LIVING

LONDON LIFELiving the

By Rebecca Cowing and Beatrice Fabris

09-London Living DPS pp20-21.indd All Pages 24/06/2014 15:53

http://www.coralieamsellem.fr

AMAZING ENTREPRENEURS

EDITION | ENTREPRENEURS


24 Nish & Sach Kukadia Co-Founders of Secretsales.com

SecretSales has been chosen to be part of a new government-led initiative – TechCityUk’s #FutureFifty programme

26 Catherine Spencer Former England Women’s

Rugby Captaintalks about her new business venture

28 Dharmash Mistry CEO of Blow LTD

A new concept of beauty entrepreneurship

31 Mark Adams Co-Founder of The Audience

on starting the Worlds first Social Publishing Company

32 Rupa Ganatra Co-Founder of Brand Us Social

Taking the media world by storm34 Glenn Norman

MD of GRAB Digital a digital design and build agency

03-Intenuity pp23.indd 23 25/06/2014 17:33

Secretsales.com boasts brands such as Victoria Beckham, mcQueen, rigby & Peller, Patrick cox and samsonite. In 2014 they sold a £20,000 Franck muller watch, a sale sach says he could “never have imagined”.

Who or what inspired you to launch Secretsales.com?

SK: our family is entrepreneurial and both our parents continue to run their own businesses, so we’ve always been taught about the merits of starting a company from an early age.

NK: sach and I have quite different skill sets – he’s great with negotiating with brands whereas I like working within technology and marketing. We saw an opportunity to disrupt quite an unimaginative industry – the management of excess inventory, a normal problem for all brands of every type – whilst delivering a super engaging online sales experience to the people of the UK.

Share your secret weapons – what business apps, tools or mottos help you run your business/life efficiently?

SK: I use evernote to organise my notes and carry two phones. I travel with my iPad and use the citymapper app to get to my meetings on time. Words I live by: hire passionate people – skills can be taught however passion can’t!

NK: since day one of the business I’ve written everything down – all my meeting notes, appointments and tasks – in notebooks. I find writing things down on paper helps me stay focused, although pen and paper is a little obsolete for a digital business! Words I live by: today I am smarter than yesterday, but less smart than I’ll be tomorrow. Always stay humble, always keep learning.

What has been your greatest challenge or your best learning experience so far?

SK: We came close to running out of cash once and that taught us a lot about tight financial control. We were forced to make some tough decisions and interrogate our business model. By stripping out the unnecessary parts we’ve created a more efficient business with better margins than our competitors and that is why we’ve outpaced them.

H Edition shares a secretNish and Sach Kukadia co-founded SecretSales.com when they spotted the opportunity to recreate the Boxing Day sales rush online every day for eager UK customers. H Edition’s Rebecca Cowing asks them to share their secret!


EDITION | COVER STORY

Secretsales.com has grown from strength to strength. What’s the vision for the future?

NK: the plan is to make secretsales.com an international brand and we have lots of people from foreign countries regularly asking us when we’ll start to ship abroad. Hopefully, we’ll be making that happen by the end of 2014.

SK: We want to be a mobile-first business, which means we need to keep investing in our technology platform and design to make sure our customers have an outstanding shopping experience from their mobile phones and tablets, which already account for a colossal 55% of all our sales.

How do you ensure your business stays relevant and competitive?

SK: our competitive edge comes down to the quality of people we employ, our confidence in giving them the professional freedom to push their boundaries. We expect every employee, irrespective of the department they’re in or the level they operate at, to bring fresh ideas to the discussion table.

NK: We assess tremendous amounts of data at secretsales.com to understand consumer purchasing habits. Innovation & team work is imperative to help us shape the way we build new, exciting features on our site. our Insights & analytics Department and our Product and technology teams work continuously on this.

Which business leaders/companies do you admire? Why?

NK: I admire rory sutherland, the chairman of ogilvy, the WPP advertising agency. He has a brilliant sense of humour and an inspiring view of the world around him. I love his presentations on the teD talk’s website.

SK: Whilst he has a reputation for being a fierce businessman, I really admire sir Philip Green. He’s a shrewd negotiator and has all the traits of an exceptional retailer.

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?

SK: sometimes, when we have one of those extra super-charged days, I like to look around the office for a moment and watch the talented people we have working at secretsales.com, each making intelligent decisions and driving the business forward. I’d say one of our biggest accomplishments is having built a company that attracts and retains those types of people. they inspire us daily.

NK: launching our first tV advert was a special moment, because it put us on the map as a serious company. We’ll always remember that day!

How has social media impacted your business? Which platforms do you use?

SK: Having a presence on social media is becoming increasingly important. Firstly, customers expect you to be visible – not necessarily conversational – at some level on social media. apart from building trust it also serves as an immediate customer touch-point: a user can click on the Facebook or twitter app on their smartphone and within the space of a few seconds they can start a dialogue with you and your brand. search engines like Google are taking social media relevance into account when ranking your website against search terms, so if you want to feature highly for certain key terms you need to think about how you’re communicating socially in places like Google Plus. lastly, the way you respond to customers is a huge reflection on your brand, so essentially it’s a Pr tool as well.

NK: our first social media manager joined secretsales.com earlier this year and he’s been responsible for making our content a lot more cohesive. It’s not a great brand experience to just throw out lots of competitions and extra discount codes, so we’re focusing on creating content that is likeable and shareable, which we expect to drive awareness. We’re also working with a number of innovative tools that help us talk to people who ‘look like’ our best customers on social media, but who may not yet be signed up to our site.

How do you define success?

SK: For both of us we don’t yet see ourselves as successful because we’re only just scratching the surface of the potential of secretsales.com. We want to be the number one online sales destination, which is becoming a reality in the UK, but we still have lots more brands to partner with and


the next stage will be taking secretsales.com international.

What key piece of advice would you give to a young entrepreneur?

SK: Don’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty – part of the excitement of starting a business venture is learning new skills and challenging yourself. the more you understand about every aspect of your venture, the better you can run it.

NK: there is no better opportunity to start your business than today. stop procrastinating and start making it happen!

What is your predicted turnover for 2014?

SK: We’ll expect to do £40m of gross sales (value of orders taken on the site) in 2014.

What’s the best way for our readers to connect with you?

NK: Your readers can sign up to our website on www.secretsales.com if they want to know more about our sales. If they want to contact either sach or myself we’re both on linkedIn.

Finally we would love to know, which sale has excited you the most?

SK: seeing a fantastic brand like michael Kors generate immense sales on secretsales.com is hugely energising, my personal favourite sales have been tag Heuer watches and oliver sweeney shoes, because I love watches and shoes!

NK: I’m making some home improvements, so I’m keeping a close eye on our homeware sales – we have some designer shelves from Decortie coming up soon. I also love our vintage wine sales but I need to be faster because they tend to sell out quite quickly!

SecretSales.com is now part of the London Stock Exchange ELITE programme, how did this journey begin for you?

NK: We have close connections with the london technology scene and we have some decent recognition with some high-profile investors and entrepreneurs. I guess word got around to the guys behind the programme that we were growing at a rapid rate (70% growth in 2013) and we were at a size that starts becoming interesting for the capital markets. We are honoured to have been selected and the programme itself is excellent with lots of honest exchanges between management teams and great support from Imperial Business school, who co-run elIte with the lse.

“…we don’t yet see ourselves as successful because we’re only just scratching the surface

of the potential of SecretSales.com”




Pitching SuccessSue Stockdale talks to former England Women’s Rugby Captain, Catherine Spencer

Catherine Spencer has experienced a transition that most people don’t make until later in life- that of retiring,

and she is only in her mid 30s. after a prestigious career playing rugby, with over 50 caps for her country and 3½ years as Captain of the england Women’s rugby team, Catherine is excited about moving into the next stage of her career.

her new role is as founder of Inspiring Women, a business set up to provide opportunities for high achieving women in sport to share their inspiring stories in the business world.

tV viewers will no doubt recall the excitement of watching athletes such as amy Williams MBe winning Gold in skeleton bob at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, or Karen Darke winning Silver at London 2012 Paralympics. Catherine hopes her new venture will enable these types of exceptional women to tell their stories and inspire leaders.

Women in sport are now receiving greater media exposure and opportunities. For example, the asset management company BnY Mellon, whose subsidiary newton sponsor the Boat race, confirmed that from 2015 there will be equal prize money for both the men’s and women’s rowing teams.

Catherine reflects, “as the public become more aware of the talented sports women

we have in this country, the women become role models and inspire others to achieve more, and that’s what’s really exciting”.

now that Catherine has retired, it was an ideal moment for her to look over her experience as Captain. in a conversation with Sue Stockdale, the First UK woman to ski to the Magnetic north Pole, Catherine reflected on what she had learned.

Making the transition into leadershipOne of the hardest things that Catherine experienced was the transition into the role of Captain. She commented “it took me over 3 years to confidently describe myself as a leader. i had a bit of a rocky start because the announcement came as a shock to many of the players who perhaps did not consider me as the first choice for Captain. it meant i had to work hard to change their perceptions and build my confidence as a leader. however, what i learned was that you cannot hope to please everyone. in order to influence everyone in the team, it is vital to enlist the help of other players to be a conduit to those people who perhaps don’t respond to you directly as a leader”.

For example, the Captain typically talks to the team prior to the start of the game to make sure everyone is “in the zone”.

Depending on how the game unfolds, the players sometimes need to be woken up at half time. Catherine knew that her voice was not always impactful enough to get everyone’s attention, so she enlisted the help of another player who was able to convey the message more effectively.

“the other player did not always say the right things, but the way that she said it meant it got through to the team. i have learned it is smart leadership to use the talents of the team in the most appropriate way”.

Catherine has also realised that the process of how a new leader is introduced can have a significant influence on the team and how they view the capability of the individual.

“in my case, my coach had identified 32 qualities of an ideal Captain, and several of us were being considered for the role. Luckily, my name came out on top, but to

this day, i do not know what these qualities were, nor do the others in the team. it is far easier for a new leader to demonstrate what they are capable of when everyone is aware of how leadership excellence is defined. it makes the transition, and the leader’s journey potentially more achievable”.

Good leadership takes time to developCatherine also believes that good leaders develop over time. Business teams and sports teams should give talented individuals greater responsibility early on so that they get a chance to build capability and perhaps more importantly, confidence. it not only helps those individuals, but also others around them because they begin to notice what the strengths of those high potential leaders are.

in Catherine’s situation, she had over 3 years to fully develop as the team Captain. During that time she gained the confidence to make better decisions as well as liaise effectively with the team, the playing staff, and governing body officials. She recalls that, “Clive Woodward, Coach of england’s rugby World Cup winning team, was not that successful in his early career as a leader, but he was given time to develop his skills, and he was able to deliver results when it mattered”.

Being decisive when it mattersFinally, one of the key lessons that Catherine learned was to be able to make decisions without discussing them with the entire team. She learned this the hard way, after the painful loss to Wales in 2009.

“We were playing Wales and we had a lot of players away. there was a penalty in the game and i thought the person who was a kicker should take the penalty but she did not want to take it. So we kicked it out, and afterwards i realised i should have told her to do it as it was the captain’s decision. “I have learned it

is smart leadership to use the talents of the team in the most appropriate way”

i should have had the confidence to say to her that she needed to do this and that i trusted her to do a good job”.

Catherine believes that over the last few years the public have increasingly supported Women’s rugby. “they realised that we are ordinary people doing extraordinary things, with a human side to us, and that is the message i want to convey through inspiring Women”.

Because of what Catherine Spencer learned during her captaincy, it seems this time the transition for her will be a smooth one.

www.inspiringwomen.co.uk @heditionMag #Leadership

Sue Strockdale DPS pp26-27.indd All Pages 25/06/2014 10:24


Who or what inspired you to launch Blow LTD?

Blow LTD FAST BEAUTY was set up to create a 360 degree beauty experience blending service, retail, and media. We offer fast transformation or a shot of confidence at one of our beauty bars – 30 min blow dry, 15 min make-up, 15 min nails. Accessible to all – open 7am to 9pm to fit around your day. You book a slot not a person, mostly online or via mobile. We have trained all our staff and collect real-time data on every cover so we can continually optimse the consumer experience and pin point training. Alongside we have built a premium fast beauty retail and ecommerce www.blowltd.com – beauty-to-go 24/7, next day delivery with over 45+ premium brands, many of which we use in our looks. For example Laura Mercier, Emma Hardie, Anastasia Beverkey Hills, Jouer, Colour Wow, Vinylux, Glamglow, Verso. We are building the range online and in store to a pre-eminent premium beauty offering, focusing on the must have individual products which we screen vs. our fast beauty criteria.

What has been your greatest challenge or best learning experience so far?

Building a consumer focused company at speed. Fiona and I set up the company in April 2014, raised money to build a company at scale, tested and refined the concept, built a team of 40, built a training bootcamp, secured property and launched our flagship store in Covent Garden, acquired 25 launch brands and built a next day delivery ecommerce business – all in 6 months from a piece of paper. Everything is challenging (and remains so).We constantly try things, make mistakes and work out how to do it better.

Blow LTD has grown from strength to strength. What’s the vision for the future?

One view of the world of what we are doing is to build a retail business of the future in a world of structural digital change – where physical units are about service and data collection, and products will be sold online. We are trying to build the one stop fast beauty destination – so you will see more beauty bars rolling out this year, more premium beauty brands, more new services, and more media and events working with partners. The next step of the jigsaw is to scale internationally,

explore vertical integration and extend the business into a beauty service and product marketplace.

Share your secret weapons- what business apps, tools or mottos help you run your business/ life efficient?

Our values are fast, fun and accessible. As a team we try to always find ways of doing things better, assume the green light, move fast and break things – but learn from them. Speed and quality is in our DNA in terms of what we offer consumers and how we try and operate.

How do you ensure your business stays relevant and competitive?

By being constantly paranoid, talking and learning from our customers first, and secondly learning from disruptive startups who challenge the status quo. We are constantly challenging the historic rules of our market.

Which business leaders/companies do you admire and why?

As a company, I guess it would be Google or Alibaba who have both changed the face of internet, media, retail and numerous industries.

Elon Musk as a leader – one of the founders of PayPal, behind Tesla cars and Space X – an ability to multi-task and change multiple industry’s plus a polymath to boot.

What has been your biggest accomplishment to date?

Launching fast and building an amazing team. We only started on the journey, 6 months ago, so let’s see where we can get to.

How has social media impacted your business and which platforms do you use?

Social media is at the heart of many of the things we do, we are on most platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Yelp, Google + etc. We run the company on campaign management with 360 degree execution in store, online, social, marketing channels, and partners to holistic themes. For example our current campaign is centred around “Get summer ready” shot with Ruth Crilly and our new summer brand range and summer looks.

How do you define success?

The number of delighted customers who are evangelists.

What key piece of advice would you give to a young entrepreneur?

There are no rules – filter carefully the advice you hear. Spend your time listening to your consumer and centre your metrics, product development, and internal conversations around what delights customers.


@dharmash on Twitter or buy something from blowltd.com and call customer service and ask for me to then tell me about your experience.

Finally we would love to know, if you could only pick one beauty treatment, what would it be?

Anything that is FAST BEAUTY and delivered by the amazing Blow LTD team.

So what is this Thing, Called Fast Beauty? http://bit.ly/1rypZv0

For more information on Blow LTD and the services they offer please visit: www.blowltd.com

Also Tweet us: @HEditionMag @blowLTD using #BlowLTD

Blow LTD was founded by Dharmash Mistry, Venture Capitalist and former Group MD of Emap Consumer Division, and Fiona McIntosh, launch editor of Grazia and ex Editor of Elle. The inspiration for forming the company was centred around the old saying “Looking great doesn’t have to take forever or cost a fortune”. Blow LTD developed FAST BEAUTY to solve the problem. H Edition interviewed

Dharmash to find out more.


blow ltdFAST BEAUTY


03-Blow DPS pp28-29.indd All Pages 25/06/2014 17:47

Since starting the world’s first social publishing company in the earliest days of social networking, Mark has advised

some of the world’s most well-known A-list celebrities and brands on how to rewire their businesses for the digital age. Mark represents a new generation of tech entrepreneurs in London and is a leading ambassador for east London’s startup scene. The Guardian recently recognised this by awarding him the accolade of “Star of Tech city”, describing him as “one of those people who are changing our world and helping to boost economic growth.”

Mark is one of the founders of a very stealthy new startup called theAudience, which he established alongside Sean Parker, the creator of napster, and founding president of Facebook, Oliver Luckett – the man responsible for making Disney a social media goliath and Ari emmanuel the ceO of WMe: the largest A-list talent agency.

The company manages the social presence of several thousand A-list celebrities and has brand clients ranging from the likes of Dove and H&M, to Usher and Hugh Jackman.

it has over 170 employees with offices in London and LA, and is already the largest publishing network in the world across the new media channels.

Publishing across this network of thousands of entertainment and brand pages provides

theAudience with a vast amount of deep insight which has powered their involvement in many of the most successful digital campaigns of recent years. These range from countless A-list album and film launches to Obama’s Presidential re-election and Dove’s Beauty Sketches, which won 19 cannes Lions and became the most watched online ad of all time.

now that theAudience is coming out of the shadows Mark is fast becoming a regular name on the global conference stage, with over 50 panels and keynote presentations already scheduled for 2014. in these sessions he passionately shares insights, examples and opinions on how to (and not to) use new media to build brand love and land very successful campaigns.

Prior to theAudience Mark set up The Social Media Unit, the first forum in europe exclusively dedicated to establishing a legal dialogue on this new technology. Recently, Mark also partnered with University college London to create The Digital Leadership Council, which brings business and thought leaders from every discipline together to collaborate and share their knowledge of how digital is shaping the future of various industries.

Mark is working on his first book and continues to guest lecture at the University of London, where he also holds a Bachelors degree in Law and a Masters degree in constitutional Law.

theAudience is one of the world’s pre-eminent social media strategy companies, building meaningful connections between leading entertainers, global brands and highly engaged fans by unleashing the power of social networks in innovative, strategic ways.

Founded in 2011 by ceO Oliver Luckett, ceO of WMe Ari emanuel and Sean Parker, theAudience has a staff of 170 artists, videographers, writers and social media professionals based in West Hollywood, california and London.

Through its work, theAudience creates more than 6,000 pieces of content that reach an audience of up to 1 billion people – and delivers up to 10 billion impressions each and every month.

Using a suite of proprietary analytic and delivery tools, theAudience is able to leverage the power of these social networks and monetize opportunities for its growing list of powerhouse clients.

Through its network of high-profile celebrities, athletes, musicians and consumer brands, theAudience takes over topical events in pop culture – these “culture Jams” have seized the public imagination and flooded the social landscape with real-time content in ways that are authentic and highly shareable.

theAudience has the power to drive more reach, engagement and conversation in social media than ever before.

@theaudienceHQ @HEditionMag

theAudienceblog.


theAudienceMARK ADAMS

03-Mark Adams DPS pp30-31.indd All Pages 25/06/2014 17:47


You recently headed the Brand Us Social event in London. Tell us about the preparation involved.

My business partner Viktoria and I saw that there was a real gap in the market. With such a fast-paced social media and digital world, everyone is moving online, but we still felt that there was a big demand for offline events with online elements to them. So we launched the first Brand Us Social conference in May 2014 at London’s Mayfair Hotel.

The conference sold out, with over 35 industry leaders and successful entrepreneurs speaking on the day. Obviously, there are various elements to putting on a conference like that and we were involved in every aspect – organising the content, organising speakers, marketing the conference and bringing like-minded partners and sponsors on board to join us on the journey.

Brand Us Social was clearly a huge success. What’s the vision for the next event?

This particular conference was a social media and digital conference focusing on the fashion and beauty industry, but we’ve seen the same demand in other sectors. So, our first plan is to look into other avenues for Brand Us Social and other industries that want social media and digital conferences.

The second stage is moving into other geographical locations to grow the Brand Us Social name further. After the success of the first conference, we are identifying other locations in Europe, the Middle

East, Asia and North America. There is a demand for education, inspiration, networking and creating offline experiences about the online world. We aim to launch our global expansion plans with our first international location this year.

Share your secret weapons – what business apps, tools or mottos help you run your business and life efficiently?

From a motto perspective, everything we do is about adding something and creating value for our consumer – in this case, our attendees. As an entrepreneur, I think it is really important to deliver something that really makes a difference to other people.

From a business tools perspective, human contact, face-to-face, or phone conversations are the best tools to use. One of the things people forget in a fast-paced dynamic social world is the importance of human contact. Ours may be a cutting edge,

developing business, but we keep the offline engagement and conversation flowing.

In terms of apps and tools, I pretty much rely on my iPhone for everything: Evernote for taking notes in meetings; Expensify for managing and tracking expenses; Flipboard to stay on top of business news; Hootsuite for managing social media accounts. My Apple devices fulfil all my needs.

What were some of the main challenges you faced with the Brand Us Social event?

Launching any business in today’s world is challenging. There will always be unforeseen events that don’t happen the way you plan but the most important thing is the way you deal with those challenges. With the build-up to the conference we changed course several times, but one of the beautiful things about being in a new entrepreneurial business is that we were able to adapt quickly to the new challenges. It’s a learning process; you build the business around the challenges and the challenges make you grow stronger as a business in the long run.

What has been your biggest learning experience?

Pulling off a 300-seat conference. For us, the ability to find, connect and bring such high calibre companies, business speakers and industry leaders to the table was phenomenal. The content of the conference was key and we wanted to make sure the conference was relevant to our specific audience and everyone added value to the conversation on the day.

What key piece of advice would you share with other young entrepreneurs who are trying to establish themselves in today’s market?

Start every day as if it were the first day of your business. Every day you’ll have a bunch of highs and lows but it is important to start the day with a fresh mind and to be as hungry and as passionate as you were on your first day.

Do you approach things differently now, compared to when you first started the business?

I came from an investment banking background and was working for someone else. So, one of the key things entrepreneurship taught me was to use everything that happens along the way as a learning experience. The more experiences you have (good or bad) – the more you take away, and the more it helps your business.

People are also so important: the people you hire and the people you collaborate with. Finding good, smart people to surround yourself with (and not being afraid if the person you are hiring is smarter than you) is important.

How do you prepare yourself prior to public speaking?

Firstly, I find out as much as I can about the audience and what they want to hear about. Secondly, when I am telling a story, I try to give as much practical advice as possible. I also think it’s important to engage your audience and make the session as interactive as possible.

What’s your favourite business book?

I have too many to pick just one!

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm by Verne Harnish

Winning In Your Own Way: The Nine and a Half Golden Rules of Branding by Robert Bean

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

These books taught me that if you believe anything is possible, everything is actually possible. I talked about being an entrepreneur for years, but it took me years to actually make the decision to move away from my job and set up my own business. There’s a huge element of fear involved but when you wipe the fear away anything is possible.

The second thing I learnt is execution is everything. Today, everybody I meet has a business idea because entrepreneurship is fashionable. But it’s not even about the business idea, it’s about how you execute that business idea.

Speaking of success, what is your definition of success?

Success is a very personal thing. Traditionally – especially when you are in a corporate job – success can look like the promotion you get, or what salary you are on – those sorts of materials things. For me, success is about the journey, not the end point. Success is making the most of things, learning from everything and the personal growth that comes with that journey.

On a personal level, what do you hope to achieve for yourself?

As an entrepreneur I get to meet and work with amazing people everyday. I get inspired and learn new things every day. On a personal level, I hope to continue on this journey. Sometimes, if you stay in a job for too long, there can be a saturation point for your business learning and personal learning, whereas with this, I feel as if it is a never-ending learning curve.


I’m on all social media platforms. Twitter is probably the best platform of contact. @BrandUsSocial or @RupaGanatra

You are also the co-founder of YesSir.com and BOE Magazine. What makes your businesses unique in the market place?

For BOE Magazine, rather than being a magazine written by journalists, it’s a magazine written by entrepreneurs who are experts in their respective fields. The idea of the magazine is to inspire, engage, and give a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase themselves through content.

With YesSir we wanted to create a platform where both men and women could shop for products dedicated to just men. We also wanted to create a discovery platform through social media and our YouTube channel, so that men could discover brands and products that they didn’t know about before. The grooming market for men is quite behind compared to women’s beauty, so there is a huge potential for new brands to come into the market. Yes Sir creates a platform for those new emerging brands and for our customer base to discover those brands.

How was the Brand Us Social event unique in the marketplace?

We’re not the first to do a conference for the fashion and beauty industry but, where we differ, is that we combined the fashion and beauty industry with both social media and digital. It really goes back to a multichannel approach. It’s about creating that offline, educational, and inspirational event, whilst still having online elements such as engaging tweet screens, Google glasses, and live social media sketching experiences.

www.brandussocial.com @HEditionMag @Brandussocial #Entrepreneurs

DESTINATION DIGITALBrand Us Social makes a difference in the online world. H Edition interviews Rupa

Ganatra, co-founder of the social media and digital conference.

By Rebecca Cowing and Beatrice Fabris


“If you believe

anything is possible, everything is actually possible”

02-BrandUSSocial DPS pp32-33.indd All Pages 18/06/2014 17:07


Hi Glenn, tell us a bit about yourself and your amazing digital company. What in your opinion is the key to GRAB’s success?

The key to our success is definitely in strong relationships with both our clients and our creative, technical and project management teams.

People are what make us; and in order to be successful in this business you have to be spot-on in finding the right people who are passionate and proficient in what they do, and subsequently motivate them to perform.

We also take account management very seriously and strive to provide very high levels of client service – something that has helped attract the blue-chip clients we now work with, who can be very demanding!

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

I think knowing how important properly prioritising different tasks is to enable overall business growth, and also personal time management – something I didn’t really master until later years…

What were the main challenges you faced early on in your ventures? How did you overcome them?

A lot of our challenges have also been in finding the right people, something we overcame by learning from experience in looking for the right qualities. I’m pleased to say this is something we have nailed on the head nowadays.

How have you acquired and retained your clients?

A lot of our clients come through referrals, and in the early days we spent quite a bit on online advertising (Google), which worked quite well. It can become expensive though. Client retention really boils down to the quality of product you deliver and in the relationships you form.

What are the most crucial things you have done to grow your business?

I think being able to realise opportunities when they present themselves – this has led to great account wins. Our work for Domino’s Pizza, for example, started off through working with one of their franchisees, and this led to a nationwide preferred supplier-ship with the brand as a whole. I always felt this was a potential outcome when we started working with the franchisee, so we went all out with the work we did for them – and it paid off!

How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?

We have a long list of clients and brands we would like to work with and contacting them directly has worked well. Also, as previously mentioned, in the past we have spent significant amounts on online advertising. This year we’re giving our marketing effort a big push, which will include a lot more outbound marketing.

What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?

We’re aiming to become a UK top 100 digital agency in 3-5 years.

Who in business inspires you?

Gary Vaynerchuk is a US based wine-seller turned social media guru who grew his parents’ wine company from a small business to a multi-million pound business, using video blogging. He’s definitely an inspiration in most areas of business and his no-nonsense take on social media and how it can impact a business is really interesting.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

It might be a cliché, however I do admire the Virgin Group and the culture Richard Branson creates in each of his businesses. I like to think their approach to customer service and their customer-centric approach is similar to how we like to operate at GRAB.

Ok, final question from me: What are your plans for the future?

As aforementioned, I am going to work hard to see GRAB grow into a leading digital agency. Also, now that we’re with the Hamble Group, I’m also striving to do more international work, and a NYC based office is definitely on my agenda!

Glenn is part of the digital industry mentoring programme SixP. If you’re looking to get into digital/media/tech, visit his SixP profile to interact with him at: http://sixp.me/mentors/glenn-norman/

@HEditionMag #Entrepreneurs

GLENN NORMANGlenn Norman founded his digital agency GRAB in 2008, aged just 22 and from a university bedroom. He had no industry contacts or clients, and began with a small online advertising budget and a simple website. GRAB is now a rapidly growing agency that works with some of the world’s leading brands, including Domino’s Pizza, Audi UK, Standard Bank, and Bentley Motors. GRAB specialises in digital strategy, design and build, social media applications and mobile apps, and marketing.


Rebecca Cowing interviews

MD of GRAB

Glenn interview pp34.indd 34 25/06/2014 17:26


Hi Glenn, tell us a bit about yourself and your amazing digital company. What in your opinion is the key to GRAB’s success?

The key to our success is definitely in strong relationships with both our clients and our creative, technical and project management teams.

People are what make us; and in order to be successful in this business you have to be spot-on in finding the right people who are passionate and proficient in what they do, and subsequently motivate them to perform.

We also take account management very seriously and strive to provide very high levels of client service – something that has helped attract the blue-chip clients we now work with, who can be very demanding!

What do you wish you knew before you started your first business?

I think knowing how important properly prioritising different tasks is to enable overall business growth, and also personal time management – something I didn’t really master until later years…

What were the main challenges you faced early on in your ventures? How did you overcome them?

A lot of our challenges have also been in finding the right people, something we overcame by learning from experience in looking for the right qualities. I’m pleased to say this is something we have nailed on the head nowadays.

How have you acquired and retained your clients?

A lot of our clients come through referrals, and in the early days we spent quite a bit on online advertising (Google), which worked quite well. It can become expensive though. Client retention really boils down to the quality of product you deliver and in the relationships you form.

What are the most crucial things you have done to grow your business?

I think being able to realise opportunities when they present themselves – this has led to great account wins. Our work for Domino’s Pizza, for example, started off through working with one of their franchisees, and this led to a nationwide preferred supplier-ship with the brand as a whole. I always felt this was a potential outcome when we started working with the franchisee, so we went all out with the work we did for them – and it paid off!

How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?

We have a long list of clients and brands we would like to work with and contacting them directly has worked well. Also, as previously mentioned, in the past we have spent significant amounts on online advertising. This year we’re giving our marketing effort a big push, which will include a lot more outbound marketing.

What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?

We’re aiming to become a UK top 100 digital agency in 3-5 years.

Who in business inspires you?

Gary Vaynerchuk is a US based wine-seller turned social media guru who grew his parents’ wine company from a small business to a multi-million pound business, using video blogging. He’s definitely an inspiration in most areas of business and his no-nonsense take on social media and how it can impact a business is really interesting.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

It might be a cliché, however I do admire the Virgin Group and the culture Richard Branson creates in each of his businesses. I like to think their approach to customer service and their customer-centric approach is similar to how we like to operate at GRAB.

Ok, final question from me: What are your plans for the future?

As aforementioned, I am going to work hard to see GRAB grow into a leading digital agency. Also, now that we’re with the Hamble Group, I’m also striving to do more international work, and a NYC based office is definitely on my agenda!

Glenn is part of the digital industry mentoring programme SixP. If you’re looking to get into digital/media/tech, visit his SixP profile to interact with him at: http://sixp.me/mentors/glenn-norman/

@HEditionMag #Entrepreneurs

GLENN NORMANGlenn Norman founded his digital agency GRAB in 2008, aged just 22 and from a university bedroom. He had no industry contacts or clients, and began with a small online advertising budget and a simple website. GRAB is now a rapidly growing agency that works with some of the world’s leading brands, including Domino’s Pizza, Audi UK, Standard Bank, and Bentley Motors. GRAB specialises in digital strategy, design and build, social media applications and mobile apps, and marketing.


Rebecca Cowing interviews

MD of GRAB

Glenn interview pp34.indd 34 25/06/2014 17:26


10 GREATQUOTES

“You don’t have to be a genius or a visionary or even a college graduate to be successful. You just need a framework and a dream.”Michael Dell

“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”Mark Zuckerberg

“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

“It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Bill Gates

“One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.”Jeff Bezos

“I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” Bill Cosby

“Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.”Nelson Mandela

“If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow.”Steve Jobs

“Don’t let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn’t go with it.”Colin Powell

These famous quotes, from some of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, can be used as inspiration for your entrepreneurial dreams.

“Disneyland is a work of love. We didn’t go into Disneyland just with the idea of making money.”Walt Disney

02-Entrepreneur quotes pp35.indd 35 25/06/2014 17:26

Traditional A fternoon Tea at the Millennium Hotel London Mayfair

Treat yourself and indulge in our quintessentially English afternoon tea,

in the chic and relaxing atmosphere of Avista Restaurant, overlooking Grosvenor Square.

Prices start from £14.95 per person | Served daily 2.30 – 5.00pm

Please call 020 7596 3329 for more information or to make a booking

MILLENNIUM HOTEL LONDON MAYFAIR | 44 GROSVENOR SQUAR E, LONDON W1K 2HP | TEL: 020 7596 3329

Follow us on: @mayfairtea millenniummayfairafternoontea

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