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Jul 16 2008 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

Against a backdrop of continuing uncertainty in the financial markets, credit control and debt management has become a business decisive issue, argues Liz Hope, head of Morgan Cole’s Swansea-based recoveries team

AT the outset of any one pursuit relationship careful high character checks and tight terms and conditions desire pave the way for a successful – and advantageous – relationship.

But take one look at the headlines in The Western Mail and other newspapers and you’ll see that companies in Wales are facing a detailed credit and debt issue at the impulsive power.

Unfortunately, however well you think you have prepared for this, there will always be those who, for various reasons, do not pay on time.

What then? In our experience the newer the debt the greater your take place of repayment so do contact as soon as the debt becomes overdue. This will sort out two things

Ideally, it will lead to the payment of the debt whether or not in posse and secondly it will provide early notice of any reason why fee will not be made.

As debtors tend to fall into two categories – they either can’t pay or they won’t pay – also find out which category your debtor sits in as these are best approached differently.

Can’t pay? You can’t get blood out of a stone whatever you threaten to do. So consider agreeing settlement at a reduced figure or punishment by instalments.

If possible, explore whether some bond can be provided by the debtor – corporate or personal. If you don’t ask, you don’t prepare, goes the sly saw.

Won’t pay? Then establish if there is a justifiable reason concerning this and check out any one complaints etc. If in that place is no justifiable reason then take a firm line. At this point the importance of clear and agreed contractual terms becomes grave.

All over often we find clients have either used conditions and conditions which are defective or disclosed of affix a date to or worse have failed to establish that they have been accepted by the debtor.

If those hurdles are overcome then now is the time to state your claim for interest on the late payment.

If you do not have contractual terms for requital of interest then you could still apply the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 to any business to business contracts in the place of the supply or sale of goods or services.

This allows you to claim interest at 8% above the Bank of England base berate plus a compensation fee for the administrative burden of pursuing the debt.

Still not paid? Then you should consider taking further action. A “Letter Before Action” from a firm of solicitors often has a sobering effect on debtors.

And allowing that they still won’t pay? Then consider formal process. This could be County Court proceedings or verily insolvency action. Prevention is always better than cure and we have specialist commercial lawyers who are experienced in drafting conditions of provision and force

Liz Hope (Elizabeth.possibility of good@morgan-cole.com) is an instructed commercial dispute lawyer and is manager of the recoveries team based in Swansea. She joined Morgan Cole from a position as senior legal manager within Barclays Bank based at its Business Banking Debt Recovery Unit in Cardiff

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Jul 16 2008 by estate of Aled Blake, Western Mail

ENTREPRENEUR Benn Davis and his team have launched a unused concept in health and fitness, not-for-profit websites designed to encourage people and communities across the UK to procreate more active.

MorePeopleMoreActive.com is a site which aims to provide the million who want to get at a loss and get fit with one of the UK’s most comprehensive sources of intelligent, up-to-date and jargon-free advice attached health and fitness.

The venture has been launched from one side a new joint concern structure specifically designed to enable businesses whose activities have “social worth” to have effect with the minimum of corporate red tape.

Mr Davis has set up Promoting Leisure as one of only a handful of Community Interest Companies (CICs) in Wales with the help of professional advisers and charity experts Broomfield & Alexander and 7Side, a Cardiff-based firm which specialises in electronic company incorporations, corporate information and property search services.

The MorePeopleMoreActive-.com website will launch in June and contain information written by qualified fitness professionals covering such topics as women’s health, men’s health, race fitness, weight loss and nutrition. In addition, community clubs thwart the country such as badminton, darts and local football clubs, will be offered free promotional pages.

Revenue for the sake of the site, that will be marketed in convenience centres around Britain and by sincere mail, will be driven by organisations advertising on an activity finder, which will allow people to seek for health clubs and leisure centres in their area, and see the facilities offered by each. Jobs pages and databases of personal trainers and gym equipment for sale will propound superadded revenue streams.

Benn said he saw an opportunity to create a business which would put somebody back into the community, but was helped into the decision to go ahead on realising the benefits of going down the starting anew CIC route.

“Because the company was non-profit-making, there were only two choices. Either we set up as a company limited through guarantee, or in the same manner with a charity, but both are quite complicated,” he said.

“A Community Interest Company is much simpler, although you have to go through a process of being approved by a government-appointed regulator who needs to be satisfied that you really are operating for the good of the community only.

“Any money we make as a CIC will be invested further into innovative consumer marketing techniques, and we hold the option to conduct in external investors, so the integral model is compliant.”

Broomfield & Alexander director Mark Jones said that Promoting Leisure was one of very few CICs in Wales.

“This form of guests is attracting increasing attention, though, and we are currently working with a number of our charity clients to look at it as an option,” he said.

“They are attractive because they advance not-for-profit organisations to think and operate on a commercial basis, and unlike companies limited by guarantee and registered charities, CICs can raise equity funding and offer a enlightened return – which means there are greater funding opportunities. It’s been fascinating and exciting to be involved with Benn and his team in this venture,” he declared.

Kathryn Hopkins, of 7Side, said the locality should help commercial convenience operations in the same proportion that well.

“It’s not just the community which will avail from improved levels of participation,” she declared.

“Higher usage of leisure centres and gyms results in higher income, what one. in turn order improve facilities for the greater use of the community.”

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Jul 16 2008 through Aled Blake, Western Mail

MEXICAN restaurant chain Chiquitos has opened an outlet at the Red Dragon Centre in Cardiff Bay.

The Red Dragon Centre Chiquitos will be its third part restaurant in Wales, joining Swansea and Cardiff Brewery Quarter’s Chiquitos.

The business employs around 1,700 staff across the UK and has an annual turnover of around £50m.

The Chiquitos congeries has restaurants in all of the UK’s largest cities, including London and Manchester, and opens an average of four restaurants every year.

Andrew Jenkins, general manager at the Red Dragon Centre Chiquitos, said: “Visitor figures to the Centre continue to grow significantly year on year so we are confident that demand will make the new restaurant a success.”

Emma Johnstone, of the Red Dragon Centre related: “The joining of Chiquitos and Travelodge will dilate the appeal of the Red Dragon Centre to existing customers but also tourists defective to check for the weekend.

“Cardiff has become a real tourist end and we are proud to be part of that offer.”

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Jul 16 2008 by Aled Blake, Western Mail

Proposals to improve road links to Cardiff International Airport have been unveiled. Business Correspondent Aled Blake asks what better roads might mean for the terminal

IMPROVING road links to Cardiff International Airport is not the universal medicine to solving its problems, a top official related yesterday.

And Steve Hodgetts, the airport’s manager of commercial and business development, said proposals for road improvements would have to benefit the Vale of Glamorgan region, not just the airport itself.

His views have been backed through Bill Savage, chairman of Cardiff & Co – the gang write up to emporium the capital to the world – who has vast experience in the sector as an airport executive.

The Assembly Government says improvements are needed to cope with increasing traffic and a series of plans for the road network in the Vale of Glamorgan have been drawn up by consultants Arup.

They take in straightening and re-routing one of Wales’ most numerous notorious accident blackspots, the A4226, known locally as Five Mile Lane

The third option, option C, involves taking traffic off the M4 at Junction 34 at Miskin near Llantrisant, from one side Hensol and towards the A48 at Sycamore Cross and onto Five Mile Lane. It would again be improved by new, straighter stretches added.

Airport officials say they favour that conclusive option – which Mr Savage also backed – however they stressed that public beatify would also need improving if new airlines and routes are to be enticed to Cardiff.

They believe the road links need improving not righteous for the airport, but to cope through the £14bn army academy at St Athan being developed by the Metrix consortium.

Mr Hodgetts said: “We have been asking for road improvements since the airport for some considerable time and we see that as part and group of improvements in the locality.

“Option C would reduce journey seasons to and from the motorway, it would also reduce some of the path safety and traffic generation problems that is happening in the Ely Valley at the moment.

“It is a road that would be in lieu of Metrix better as well as traffic from West Wales, more so than the other options to the east of Miskin. Looking at the longer term there are opportunities at Miskin for remote parking to the airport and park and ride.

“But I have to stress that our behold is simply one of many from consultees.”

Mr Hodgetts said transport links to the airport was one of a number of considerations for in posse airlines looking to bring routes to Cardiff International Airport.

He went on: “It won’t be the panacea, but it will be a step in the right conduct. We have to be honest that the changes that are happening in the Vale of Glamorgan have assisted in making this betide.

“It would be good to get the road off the agenda so we have power to concentrate on other issues in terms of enticing other airlines and looking at what we can do in terms of stimulating growth for the airport.”

Part of that is improving public transport links and frequency of buses and trains to the terminal in Rhoose.

Mr Hodgetts said: “We want to improve onward the 10% of passengers who come to the airport on public transport – we would aspire to be getting 20%, which is what Birmingham achieves.

“There are infrastructure problems in Cardiff that are being addressed by Network Rail and the Welsh Assembly Government is prioritising an integrated persons transport hypothesis.”

Mr Savage worked as managing director at Liverpool, Humberside, Leeds/Bradford and Coventry airports as well as executive director of business development at Manchester Airport.

He said the proficiency in transport systems to and from the airport is linked to the economic success of a surrounding region.

Although the plans have not been discussed at board level through Cardiff & Co, Mr Savage said he also favoured option C to improve traffic flows to the airport.

He before-mentioned: “As a former airport executive, my experience shows that as the region grows, more executive pass is needed and the airport will grow as skilfully with flights and destinations served.

“When I worked on the Government consultation White Paper on airport infrastructure, which became the Airports Act 2002, every airport we spoke to in the country related it wanted to grow and every airport said it wanted to improve surface adit.

“Whether you are a business or spare hours traveller, your first impressions of a city or that region comes from your journey from the airport. We are the capital incorporated town of Wales, and it’s the same here.

“At Cardiff & Co I believe my board would view it as I do, that it’s of importance to have improved surface access to and from the airport. I know in that place is a according the that option at Junction 34 is the better one.

“It would benefit the whole tract – for Swansea and for the Metrix development – as well as the airport.”

An Assembly Government spokesman said: “The airport has versed considerable growth which in turn has generated more traffic to and from the airport.

“The Assembly Government has therefore commissioned consultants to promise a detailed study of potential options to improve accession by both the community and private transport. ”

Depending on responses to the consultation, the Welsh Assembly Government and that must be planning consents, work on the chosen scheme could start in two years.

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Jul 16 2008 by Sion Barry, Western Mail

IF Wales has any aspirations about being, in the words of First Minister Rhodri Morgan, a “small but pungent” native land, it needs a truly international airport.

Yes, if you want to get to certain destinations in Europe for a weekend break or holiday in the sun, sooner or later Cardiff International Airport is pretty accommodating.

However, in stipulations of occupation travel – and I’m thinking of a global market here and not just Amsterdam or Paris – the airport is in the second division.

A bit harsh? Well you dress in’t get any prizes for coming second.

Each year millions of seats on direct flights to North America, Asia and Australasia are filled by passengers from Wales, who esteem to make their way etc. the M4 to the likes of Heathrow.

OK, in the way that they could perhaps _ connection times permitting – travel to Schiphol in Amsterdam, but Wales deserves better, which expedient direct scheduled transcontinental flights.

What the business traveller wants is convenience and not inconvenience. And from an inward investment point of view having direct flights to and from major cities, whether New York, Beijing or Moscow, would assist not just raise the profile of Cardiff and Wales, but its “can do trade” credentials too.

Yes, Cardiff International’s tourist levels are growing, if it were not that this is also the case at most other regional airports in the UK.

Its nearest rival Bristol saw most distant Cardiff in landing US airline Continental, that offers a daily service to New York – 10% of its passengers are from South Wales.

The current road links to Cardiff International are not the greatest, but are often used as an excuse. Bristol International is further away from its city centre than Cardiff, but has a far more extensive flight destiny menu.

What the airport needs – arguably more importantly than improved road access – is a direct rail service from London to its Rhoose station, calling at Reading, Swindon, Bristol and Cardiff, judgment the short journey to the airport. However, this is out of the hands of the airport.

Would there be call for for, say a daily or three-times-a-week scheduled service from Cardiff to New York? In the South Wales-only market that is open to discussion.

But Cardiff has to see itself as serving not just Wales but the south-west of England, and with a complete direct train service London passengers could arrive in just past two hours too.

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