1813 Club and Premier Members
1813 Club and Premier Members
Greater Birmingham’s leading companies
SMEs wait too long to get help
New research from insurance firm Direct Line for Business reveals Midlands firms may be waiting too long before calling in experts to sort out problems. Nearly a quarter (23 per
cent) of businesses in the Midlands – around 187,700 SMEs – left it until they hit a crisis before hiring a professional adviser, according to Direct Line’s survey. The majority of businesses
in the region are more proactive about hiring advisers, with 36 per cent stating that they did so because they did not have the necessary knowledge or skills. However, 17 per cent hired
an adviser because they were experiencing issues, while 11 per cent did so because they were in the midst of a crisis. Over a quarter (26 per cent)
of Midlands businesses – the equivalent of more than 208,000 enterprises – have not hired any professional adviser to help their business. The main reason for not hiring advisers is cost, cited by two-fifths (41 per cent) of businesses. Karneet Chowdhury,
business manager office and professionals, Direct Line for Business, said: “SMEs are often expected to be a ‘jack of all trades’ but it’s very difficult for a small or micro business to have enough knowledge and experience of law, accountancy, IT and/or HR to be able to manage these aspects of their business themselves. “While cost control is vital
for SMEs, sometimes the DIY approach may be a false economy and in fact cause more problems. Business owners should work out what they need expert help with and budget accordingly. Fines for non-compliance with regulation or law could be substantially higher than the cost of an adviser.”
Green airport: It could be a botanical garden, but actually it’s the design for the expanding Hamad International Airport in Qatar
Most airports feature some of the most functional, but dullest, buildings on earth – but in Qatar they are aiming for something a little different. At the new Hamad International Airport (HIA) in
Qatar there will be an extensive indoor tropical garden and water feature at the heart of the design. The tropical garden will cover 10,000 sq m in a
central concourse, and the water feature will extend to 268 sq m water feature, and both will be the focal point of the expansion project.
‘Opportunities for local and international contractors’
The flora for the indoor tropical garden will be
brought in from sustainable forests from around the world. The concourse design features a column-free roof with high-performance glass to control and filter the light required for the trees to acclimatise to the conditions of the terminal and grow throughout the life of the airport. The central concourse will be in phase A of the
airport expansion project, and construction of this, which will begin in 2020, will bring HIA’s capacity up to 53m passengers annually. Phase B of the project will increase this further, to
60m passengers. The expansion plan will also include 11,720 sq m of landscaped retail and food and beverage space. There will also be the world-class Al Mourjan lounge
above the retail space with dramatic views of the tropical garden. Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker,
said: “The expansion of Hamad International Airport is a vital part of the future success of the Qatar Airways Group, and of course of the country’s preparations to host the 2022 World Cup and beyond. “It is also a strong sign that Qatar’s economy is robust
and acts as a further economic stimulus, providing excellent opportunities for local and international contractors. “Plans for the phase two focus on capacity and
passenger experience – we want to provide even better airport journeys to more people around the world.”
New technology to manage cash flow
A revolutionary spend management tool designed specifically for growing businesses has been launched in UK by Birmingham-based KDS. The tool – Neo1 – is aimed at
growing businesses and is designed to help them use technology without spending a fortune. Neo 1 manages cashflow, which
KDS says is the top priority for most businesses, but for many of them,
42 CHAMBERLINK December 2019/January 2020
the resources to manage it can cost more than the expenditure itself. The product allows businesses to specifically manage what it calls ‘tail-end spend’, which are items which often only make up 20 per cent of their expenditure, but represent a large chunk of what they pay out to its suppliers. So, for example, businesses can
manage employee spend across all categories in one place – from
booking a flight for a business trip to ordering office stationery. Neil Parkes, director of partner enablement at KDS, said: “A vast majority of businesses want to use technology to help them better manage their spend, but the cost involved to implement these tools is often a barrier. Neo1 is a breakthrough platform which removes these barriers, making the technology available to everyone.”
Premier Membership
Contact: Gary Birch T: 0845 6036650
Airport is ready to take off with expansion plan
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