South East Business

With the arrival of autumn comes a new edition of South East Business. If you've subscribed to receive our printed magazine, it should be on your desk by now. Alternatively, you can explore the e-edition! Here's a sneak peek of what's inside: 👑 Our cover story profiles Martyn Pilcher, director of Rap Interiors, a Kent-based workplace design firm. Since their management buyout in 2022, Martyn and his business partner Parry Anderson have thrived, with the Rap team delivering innovative refurbishment projects for clients like Albion Fine Foods Ltd, Ward Security, and James Allen's Girls' School. 👨⚖️ In our ‘Functional Business’ segment, we focus on legal support for SMEs, with insights from experts at Clarkson Wright & Jakes, Mayo Wynne Baxter, Doswell Law Solicitors Ltd. and Thomson Snell & Passmore. 📖 For ‘View from the Top’, James Cole, MD of Talis Independent Financial Advisers, shares insights following the company’s recent successful rebrand, and our ‘Project Showcase’ highlights Shepherd Neame Ltd’s collaboration with Balfour Winery to introduce the brewer’s inaugural English wine collection. 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ef829psX #business #SouthEastBusiness #SMEs #entrepreneurship #publishing #Kent #Sussex #Surrey

The Frank Brake Community Fund, which was established through Kent Community Foundation (KCF) - UK in 2019, has awarded more than half a million pounds in funding to small charitable organisations across the district of Ashford. https://lnkd.in/ePCtziDy #business #SouthEastBusiness #community #charity #fund #Kent

Over half (52%) of UK businesses are prioritising international trade as a key growth driver, according to the Santander Trade Barometer. https://lnkd.in/eSS6QTRC #business #SouthEastBusiness #internationaltrade

Brachers LLP, a law firm based in Maidstone and Canterbury, Kent, has been ranked by Best Companies in its ‘Top 10 Best Law Firms to Work For’ in the UK. https://lnkd.in/eJpcuRnz #business #SouthEastBusiness #law #legal #Kent 

The restoration of Folkestone Leas Lift has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a principal contractor for the construction work. Following a thorough tender process, Bexley-based Apex Contractors Limited has been awarded the contract, which is worth more than £5m. https://lnkd.in/ejYxizZZ #business #SouthEastBusiness #construction #Folkestone

Create Music Village’s month of live music in Ashford has drawn to a close for 2024 after attracting record numbers of local people to its events and workshops. https://lnkd.in/e8vumn7Z #business #SouthEastBusiness #Ashford #livemusic #events #Kent

Brighton-based bespoke lighting business SPARK & BELL has grown from a kitchen table side hustle to a thriving B Corp accredited company with 10 employees and customers in over 20 countries across the world, thanks to support from the Help to Grow: Management Course. https://lnkd.in/eUfPTRTm #business #SouthEastBusiness #BCorp #sustainability

Talis Independent Financial Advisers (Talis IFA) is redefining financial advice with its people-first approach. We caught up with managing director James Cole for our latest 'View from the Top' feature. For James, financial advice isn’t just about managing money – it’s about building long-term relationships based on trust and transparency. This ethos, ingrained in every aspect of the company, has helped Talis grow organically since its founding five years ago. Reflecting on the company’s core mission, James explains: “We fundamentally believe that if we act in the best interests of our clients, they will get the right outcomes, and they’ll tell their friends and family about us.” Read the full feature online 🔗: https://lnkd.in/eysRhDUB #business #SouthEastBusiness #finance #financialadvice

Flude Property Consultants, a Brighton and Hove-based independent chartered surveyor, has announced two new local lettings. https://lnkd.in/eMuGQpdu #business #SouthEastBusiness #property #commercialproperty #Brighton #lettings

The headline South East Growth Tracker Business Activity Index – NatWest’s seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – fell from 51.2 in September to 49.8 in October, thereby marking the first below-neutral 50.0 reading for four months. https://lnkd.in/exjTr4RQ #business #SouthEastBusiness #manufacturing #services #businessgrowth