1. It pays to be Green!

It is becoming impossible to escape the impact of climate change. Whether you accept the science or not, increasing government legislation in the area means that you will have to take action to tackle your carbon footprint sooner or later. But as Orchard Principal Andrew Hine explains there are a number of good business reasons why you should be acting now and get ahead of your competitors.

Climate change, rising energy prices, Government emissions targets and carbon reduction are all issues that are attracting daily attention in the news, but what do they actually mean for your business? In order to form an opinion, you need to know your carbon footprint, but how many businesses really do? Not many I would hazard a guess, but the legislation that is now in place to force formal reporting by the UK's largest energy users, will almost certainly have an impact on the SME market.

The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme requires large energy users to report their carbon footprints on an annual basis to the Environment Agency. The first reports are due by 31 July 2011. It is anticipated that the CRC will be extended to the SME sector as the scheme develops.

In addition to Government regulation, increased pressure from industry watchdogs, environment groups, clients, customers and investors to place environmental management at the top of the agenda is now forcing business change. However, what is often missed it that it pays to be green!

Click here to read more. To see how Orchard can measure and manage your carbon footprint click here or contact Andrew on 0845 3700 303 or andrewh@orchardgrowth.com.

2. Our style of government may be bad for our wealth.

Britain is usually considered to be business friendly compared to our continental cousins across the Channel. But is this really the case? In this provocative essay, Yorkshire based business mentor Keith Williams argues that it may be time to look at how France supports its business community in a new light.

This essay was composed in LeTouquet-Paris-Plage, a resort that is closer to London than Manchester is, but in a very foreign country.  This very Anglophile town is the playground of the wealthy of Northern France and South East England.  They like flags in Le Touquet and the Union Flag flies alongside Le Tricolore almost everywhere.  The main town is almost deserted Monday to Friday and between June 15^th and September 15^th.  Long, tree lined boulevards are filled with opulent houses that are empty and shuttered except in the summer season and on weekends and holidays.

Spending time here has made me realise how correct is the theory of evolution.  The North West of France is little more than 20 miles from Kent, its countryside is the classic Southern Downs of England, but it is almost as different as one could imagine.

Click here to read more. Keith is currently working with British business people to help them hear the word 'yes' more often from customers, suppliers, colleagues and superiors.  To find out more about The Yes Project click here or call Keith on 08455 648726. 

3. Welcome to Britain. 

Yes that is a Swiss flag that you can see and no it is not a mistake. As part of its inward investor support programme, Orchard Growth Partners is extending a warm welcome to Swiss businesses looking to set up operations in the United Kingdom.  

Establishing a business overseas is exciting but also challenging. The costs and risks are often poorly controlled. Expatriate managers can find it difficult to adapt to a new country. Professional advisors can become a very expensive resource. Local employees can be difficult to manage.

Orchard Prinipal Antony Doggwiler has had a lot of experience in setting up and managing overseas branches and subsidiaries. He says "Finding good people has always been the key to successfully building a business overseas. However it can be a difficult and time consuming process which inward investors find difficult to get right."

Once the organisation is established, financial and operational controls then need to be put in place to monitor performance and provide management with the necessary reports to drive the business forward. Having worked with remote overseas offices and for foreign parent companies, Antony feels that "Good communication with the overseas parent company is vitally important. Regular reports that clearly explain how the business is performing, and that highlight key business issues, can provide reassurance, and enable everybody to work together to grow the business."

Antony's recent visits to Zürich and Geneva have shown him that there a number of Swiss companies looking to do business with the UK, and he is looking forward to working with them to achieve their goals. He concludes "Whatever your view of the global economy at this time, businesses with strong products and services and real competitive advantage are succeeding in overseas markets. Experienced help in the new country can make all the difference."

Orchard Growth Partners is able to assist inward investors from any country establish their business in the United Kingdom. For further details as to how we can help businesses from Switzerland or anywhere else click here or contact Antony Doggwiler on ajd@orchardgrowth.com.

4. The thoughts of Chairman Paul.

The current phone hacking scandal and the subsequent rapid unfolding of events means it is difficult to know where to start or indeed finish.

Should we be admiring or condemning the immediate and ruthless closure of the paper.  The News of the World was clearly a tarnished brand but if it is to be followed phoenix like by a new title from the current stable then what does that tell us? And what should we make of an organisation that seemingly believes that the buck stops with 200 odd employees rather than a chief executive or two?

Ethics in business can be a hackneyed cliché but I think most of us realise that there is a right way to do things, and that the ends do not always justify the means. However it can take some people longer than others to reach that conclusion, by which time they are on a path from which there is no way back. Ever.

What do you think?

Agree or disagree with Paul? Let him know on 07770 475485 or paulc@orchardgrowth.com.