2


businessupdate News…


Legally speaking


Tuesday April 17, 2012


Whywouldwewantto movefromNewport?


ByJoBarnes


of the Acorn Group, would be thinking of turning to pastures new. But he’s doing no such thing. In fact he has


A


By Jacky Jones, managing partner, RDP Lawyers


Life is currently tough for small businesses, with the country’s straitened economy putting astrain on even the most successful of companies. The problem is compounded by


late or non-payment of bills, restricting cash-flow and sometimes preventing staff recruitment or business expansion. More than one in 10 invoices


issued by small firms goes unpaid each year, according to asurvey of 100 owners by business network Tradeshift. On average, 39 per cent of bills


were not paid on time while 13 per cent failed to be settled at all. When asked why invoices


remained outstanding, one third of business owners blamed slow payers, aquarter cited customers going out of business, and one in ten blamed debtors’ cash-flow problems. Research shows that overdue


payments to small UK businesses stand at arecord £33.6 bn –a10per cent increase on this time last year. On average, firms are owed


£39,000 each and have to wait 28 days longer than original payment terms, the survey found. With many firms also under


pressure from their own creditors, the payment of outstanding invoices is often crucial for their survival. At RDP, we have an experienced


team who can provide sound advice in and assistance with debt recovery, removing the fear of alate or unpaid invoice and the inevitable stress which goes with it.


committed to working for another five years at least with Synergie, the company he sold a majority stake of Acorn to about six years ago. Acorn, which is headquartered at Celtic


Springs Business Park on the edge of Newport and which this year reported asecond successive increase in turnover to arecord £94m, started out with one office in Bridge Street in the city centre employing Matt, his business partner Mike Mahoney, Lee Wainfur, a YTS trainee at the time who remained with Acorn for 16 years and Matt's wife Sharon, the unsung hero producing the Temps wages ! Matt, who was born and brought up in


Caerleon, had been working for another recruitment company in Newport when he decided to set up Acorn. “Newport is my home and all my contacts


were here,” he said. “Mike and Iwere loaned the money to start


the business by three Newport businessmen, Dave Edwards, Roger Gambarini and, someone who has been massively important to me, Bill Morris, of Newport law firm Harding Evans. “We were playing to our strengths, which a


new business has to do. Our contacts and clients were local so it made sense to be based in Newport. After some incredible growth, Matt acquired all of the equity from his partners 6 years later. “As the business has grown we have found


all the skills we have needed in Newport. Now we have got people in our head office who travel in from other parts of South Wales.Wedon’t need to abig city location. “We were the first business at Celtic


Springs. It was agreen field when Ibought the site to build our 17,000 sq ft office. There was nothing else around us,” he said.


“ There is no need


to move the business from Newport. Why would we move? From a company's


perspective nowhere can compete with Newport. It would also be too far from my football club!


fter 20 years of running a successful recruitment and training company in Newport, you might be forgiven for thinking that Matt Southall, group managing director


Anew‘product’ to sell


Thirteen years ago Acorn became involved with Newport County, the football team Matt has followed since he was aboy. “My father’s family were from the West


Midlands and came to Newport to work at Lysaghts as steel workers. They were involved in setting up Newport County in 1912 as ateam for the steel workers to play for and support. “Back in 1999 Iwas


approached by the then manager Tim Harris because the shirt sponsor had pulled out at the last minute. He asked if Acorn would step in, which we did. Not long after that I joined the board.” Although Matt is


no longer aboard member, the team is still very close to his heart. “The Club is almost ready


for areturn to the Football League, but needsamore professional structure and some fresh business faces to take it to that next stage.” Winning atrip to Wembley for the FA


Trophy final is something he thought he would never see. “The feeling at Wealdstone when we won


the semi-final makes you realise how important your football club is.Myson asked mewhy Iwas crying at the end of that game. “The city of Newport is having atough


The development on Celtic Springs


Business Park, which now houses anumber of businesses from alaw firms, accountants, EADS and the Prison Service, is just one barometer of how things have changed over the last 20 years. Matt said one of the biggest changes in his


sector, has been the impact of technology with mobile telephones and the internet. “These could be seen as both positive and


negative as you are contactable 24 hours aday, but can giveamuch improved service ! “But the most negative change for us is


employment legislation. It has been anightmare for our industry, not just the added costs for us and our clients, but for the administration involved with alot of it unnecessary. It has also had an effect on our margins.” “When we started the business was purely


about putting the right person into ajob. It was an exciting new sector 20 years ago.Wehad to educate alot of our clients about the advantages of using temporary workers. Today that has changed. It is avery mature sector now.Wemay


The Robert Davies Partnership LLP Commercial Lawyers


time at the moment and Idon’t think the local authority realise just how important the successes of the football club and the Dragons are. Something like County getting to Wembley puts asmile of peoples’ faces and business people get more enthused. “I personally think that the two big clubs in Newport should be embraced more by the main employers and local authority, rather than leaving it to asmall group of enthusiastic businessmen. ”he said.


“The team


getting to Wembley must be one of the most important days in the city’s history but Ithink there has been


an historic apathy from business towards the


club. “This is changing rapidly.


It is now becoming aclub for families, it has enjoyed promotion and


now Wembley all in the last few years and if a proper structure is put in place we now have exciting times ahead. “If we now all work together to get


Newport County and the Dragons playing at the same ground, possibly Rodney Parade, I think we would see the club accelerate forward, areal buzz of excitement and new sponsors coming on board because, for the County, it would be a‘new product’ to sell.”


have started as atemp agency but now we are temporary, permanent and trainingUKwide and recently we opened aglobal arm of the business.Wenow employ about 280 permanent staff but the business payroll has close to 6,000


“


travelling around the world and the 2010 Ryder Cup has made a difference. When I mention where Iam from and the Celtic Manor, people now know where it is.


Ican't see that city status has made a difference to Newport but Idoalot of


www.rdplaw.co.uk


“


“


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8