Friska’s unique brand of healthy food, affordable prices and faultless service has struck the right nerve with Bristol’s hungry workers. Now two years old, Friska has ambitious plans for multiple UK outlets.

Ed Brown, one half of the youthful management team, took a well-earned break to share his thoughts on how to survive and grow in a competitive business  environment.

What’s the idea behind your business and when did you get started?

Griff Holland and I were keen to open a place where we could serve healthy, seasonal, tasty fast food. Many people like to buy local products and services where possible, and we felt this should apply to good fast food, too. At Friska we only source the freshest produce from the very best farmers and growers in our region.

Who are your customers?

We have a lot of loyal customers who return day in day out for their lunches. We also see familiar faces popping in for breakfast or just coffee and cakes. There are a lot of professional people — lawyers and accountants — in the offices nearby (Victoria St. near Bristol Bridge). Our customers recognise quality, value and they want to eat healthily.

What about competition?

It depends how you define competition. We have Tesco right next door, and they sell a lot of sandwiches at lunchtime. Yet we don’t see them as competition because our market position is quite different. Here, people know they are getting a distinct menu, prepared  with care. They like the atmosphere, the service. We’re all about affordable, ethically-sourced and tasty food.

When you were starting out, where did you go for help and advice? 

Family, friends, other people who were in business. A lot of  entrepreneurs are generous with advice too.

How important is marketing and customer service to your business?

It’s crucial. It’s so important that our customer enjoys the whole experience at Friska. Regular customers or a first-time diners, all get the same high quality service.

Now you are established do you have a trusted network to discuss ideas and plans with?

Yes. We don’t do aggressive networking, but we are keen to meet people who are good at what they do, and share an attitude about how to do business. When we got involved with DO SMITH we came into contact with a bunch of like-minded businesspeople.

Tell me about your involvement with Do Smith

We joined a group of Bristol businesspeople to spend a short, focussed time working on an issue or challenge faced by a local social enterprise. In our case it was Frank Water.

At the DO SMITH event we were split into two groups; each group discussed options. There was a lively debate, lots of strong ideas and it was good fun.

What tip would you give to someone thinking about launching a social enterprise?

If you are passionate about your service, have researched it properly and are confident there is a market opportunity, then go for it. If you hit challenges or problems, remember why you started in the first place. Stay focused. Build a clear, distinct market position. Don’t waver.

What’s next for your business? 

Well, we recently won the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) Society Award, which we are delighted about. Looking ahead, our business plan is to open 50 Friska outlets. It’s a stretching ambition, but one we believe we can achieve.

• DO SMITH is a not-for-profit company, which harnesses the talents of successful entrepreneurs to help social enterprises achieve commercial success, generating more profit to invest in their social goals. Contact Stephen King 07766 263 991.
• Frank Water and Happy City have benefited from DO SMITH assistance and were the focus of past DO SMITH events.
• Friska operates at two locations: Victoria St, central Bristol; and SPark One, Bristol and Bath Science Park, Emersons Green, Bristol.

Bristol Business News

The economic slowdown is taking its toll on Bristol’s hotels with the number of guests declining despite price cuts.

Room occupancy rates fell by 6.8% to 73% during November even though the average room rate declined by 1.2% to £69.73 against a year earlier. This meant that year-to-year room yields fell 7.9% from £55.26 to £50.90.

But, on average, Bristol hoteliers are still doing better than the rest of the country. Nationally, even though occupancy levels were up 1%  to 70.4%, the average room rate fell 2.7% to £61.77 while room yields dropped 1.9% to £43.48.

The figures were compiled by PKF Hotel Consultancy Services. Partner in charge of the its regional office Neil Dimes said:  “When viewed against a backdrop of plunging business and consumer confidence, lacklustre retail sales and the ongoing concerns about the future of the euro, these results suggest that Bristol hoteliers are having a tough time battling against the economic storms that are effecting all parts of the UK economy.

“Let’s be honest, the sector is facing a challenging operating environment that is unlikely to improve significantly anytime in the near future.  However, hotel managers appear to have learnt the lessons from 2008-09 and are much better equipped to respond effectively this time around.”

Bristol Business News

Music school BIMM Bristol is to further develop its curriculum and extend its range of courses following a long-term finance deal with Barclays Corporate.

The £5.65m facility is a major boost to BIMM, which also has sites in Brighton and Dublin and runs the Tech Music School (TMS) in London. More than 2,000 students are studying music and music business at the colleges.

BIMM Brighton opened in 2001 and BIMM Bristol in 2008. Investment fund Sovereign Capital backed a buyout of this business in March 2010 with £10m. Since then it has acquired TMS in June 2010 and opened in Dublin in September last year.

BIMM group colleges cater for musicians who are serious about a career in the industry and students can study a range of professional qualifications from diploma to post-graduate level.

Each of the colleges is equipped with state-of-the art facilities and staffed by professional musicians and experienced music industry executives.

BIMM director Adam Carswell said: “The UK music industry has the world’s fourth-largest live music sector market, providing thousands of jobs each year.

“Our aim is to offer an innovative and outstanding environment to meet the increasing demand for higher and further educational music courses. Our relationship with Barclays Corporate is a vital one, and will help us greatly in achieving our aim of successfully competing in the music higher education arena.”

Barclays Corporate relationship director Mark Mattock added: “We are proud to continue to work with and support BIMM in their growth plans. We have sustained an ongoing dialogue with the colleges over the past 10 years and have always been impressed by the quality of leadership and strategic planning they have put in place. This facility clearly demonstrates our ability to work closely with our clients to deliver tailored financial solutions that appropriately align with their commercial aims.”

Bristol Business News

Bristol events company SXS has won the contract to produce a high-profile sailing event that will run in parallel with the Olympics.

Weymouth Bayside Festival, between July 27 and August 12, is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors. It takes place at the same time as the Olympic sailing events off Weymouth.

The festival’s waterfront site will have two stages and up to 100 retailers. It will combine all-day live music and entertainment with extreme skate park and reverse bungee rides, as well as local arts and crafts displays and a Jurassic coast exhibition.

SXS will provide the stages, rigging, sound production, lighting and full technical support at the festival.

SXS production manager Justin Litten said: “The site is a particularly challenging one as we are going to experience some high Atlantic winds, as well as salt spray. This has presented some exciting challenges that the SXS technical team have done a great job approaching.”

Vince Cable

Bristol Business News

A manufacturing summit, hosted by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Business Minister Mark Prisk, is to be held at Bristol and Bath Science Park on February 23.

It will bring together Government and key industry leaders to discuss and debate progress, upcoming challenges and the next steps required to put manufacturing at the heart of the government’s growth programme.

The summit will include a series of interactive break out sessions chaired by Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) ministers that will share and explore steps the Government is taking to identify short and long term growth opportunities for manufacturing. Sessions include:

• Promoting manufacturing
• Commercialisation of technology
• Apprenticeships
• University Technology Colleges: opportunities for manufacturers
• Access to Finance
• Exports

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “Manufacturing has a pivotal role to play in rebalancing the economy, as a confident and healthy manufacturing sector is at the heart of the future growth for UK PLC. Building on this country’s strengths, we are working with businesses to support and grow the UK’s manufacturing capabilities, encourage innovation, develop supply chains, promote exports, business investment and improve skills.

“Our manufacturing summit creates the perfect platform for us to further strengthen our relationship with industry, and, more importantly, hear what its leaders have to say.”

The summit will build on the success of last year’s event held at the BIS Conference Centre in London and follows recent news that the sector expanded at its fastest pace since March 2011.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said: “Worth approximately £130bn a year and employing 2.5m people, the manufacturing sector makes a significant contribution to the UK’s economy. This is why we are hosting the manufacturing summit for a second year running to not only celebrate the importance of the sector, but also share and discuss the action Government is taking now to support businesses – from the £2.4bn Regional Growth Fund and new Manufacturing Advisory Service to tackling outdated perceptions of the sector with our Make it in Great Britain campaign.”

Bonnie Dean, chief executive of the Bristol & Bath Science Park, said: “We are delighted that BIS has chosen to hold its second Manufacturing Summit at the Science Park. On the Park and in the immediate vicinity are some of the most advanced and research-led manufacturing companies in the world. The conference is an excellent opportunity to exchange information and to explore new ideas.”

To find out more about the steps the Government is taking to support manufacturing, visit www.bis.gov.uk

Bristol Business News

Bristol-based student accommodation specialists Unite insists the decline in university applications won’t prevent it achieving healthy rental growth this year.

The UK’s leading developer and manager of student accommodation said the 7.4% decline announced by clearing system UCAS for the 2012/13 academic year – the first in which higher tuition fees take effect - will not translate into a reduction in student numbers.

The reduction in applications means that 2012/13 will be broadly in line with those of two years ago, with demand for places still outstripping supply by nearly a third. Unite also said that more than 156,000 students applying to study this year will fail to secure a place.

In a statement to the London Stock Exchange Unite said: “Consequently we do not expect the decline in applications to translate into a reduction in actual student numbers. Based on our current reservations for 2012/13, which are in line with the same point in 2011, we remain confident of achieving rental growth of 3-4% for the year.”

Applications from non-EU students to UK universities, a key market for Unite, increased by 13.7%. Unite heavily over-indexes international students, particularly in its London portfolio, and this continuing trend supports the group’s business model and customer acquisition strategy.

It also said Government initiatives, such as ring-fencing students with AAB grades or above at A-Level and incentives for universities charging fees of less than £7,500 a year, will benefit universities with stronger reputations. Unite has long-standing relationships with many of these universities.

Unite’s own research in December shows the majority of school leavers still view university as an attractive proposition for the best chance of a secure future with 79% willing to pay higher prices for good academic reputation. Unite said this suggests students are still keen to select their university on its ‘brand’ or reputation, rather than price.

Bristol-based serviced apartment company SACO is opening its first overseas office in the US, as part of its global expansion.

SACO’s new office, based just outside New York in Westport, Connecticut, will support clients travelling to the US, as well as open up more of the US market travelling to the UK.

SACO USA will be run by John Murray, whose background includes owning and operating travel agencies and niche tour operations, and senior management within international hotel groups.

Explaining the move, Lesley Freed, founder and CEO, said, “After 14 years, it makes sense for us to expand overseas.

“The USA is a natural starting point for both business and leisure travel, with more than four million night stays and nearly 700,000 visitors for business travel alone in 2010. With an office in the US we’ll be able to directly market our extensive and high quality apartments for our US clients coming to London or visiting anywhere in the UK.”

Established in 1997, SACO, based on Whiteladies Road, now operates and manages its own apartments in 30 locations across the UK and provides serviced accommodation in more than 100 destinations around the world.

Mr Murray added: “The team and I are really excited to be part of the SACO group. Serviced apartments are a popular option for Americans travelling to the UK on business and for vacations, and it’s great to be able to offer such a high quality product to our clients.”

Feeling good: Noel Edmonds urges Bristol businesses to back Samaritans' Feel Good Friday campaign

TV star Noel Edmonds has urged businesses in Bristol to back a new Samaritans campaign aimed at promoting positivity in the workplace.

The Deal or No Deal host is the latest in a string of celebrities to support ‘Feel Good Friday’, the charity’s latest annual initiative.

Organisers hope to raise £3million by encouraging employers to stage “feel good challenges” and Comic Relief-style fundraisers – such as impromptu musical performances – in the o­ffice.

Thousands of businesses across the UK are expected to take part in the annual event, which takes place tomorrow.

But speaking from his home near Bristol, Noel appealed for more companies in the region to donate.

“The Samaritans is a fantastic charity that helps so many people, and I’m very pleased to be involved,” he said.

“Feel Good Friday is all about fun and positivity in the workplace, and I would urge all local businesses to do whatever they can to get involved and donate.

“Have a sing-along at work, wear slippers to the o­ffice, or just do the rounds with a collection tin – whatever you do, remember that every penny counts.”

Noel is among a growing number of people to back the campaign, which replaces the charity’s previous initiative, ‘Stress Down Day’.

The charity said it hopes to maximise awareness of the event by sending out buskers onto the streets of Bristol on the day.

They will perform ‘feel good’ songs to passers-by while displaying a sign that says: “We don’t want your money – we just want you to feel good!”

The charity, which provides around-the-clock emotional support, said the money raised from Feel Good Friday will go “a long way” towards its annual operating costs.

Head of fundraising Chris Jarrett said: “We’re delighted to have Noel and the other celebrities on board, and we’re very grateful for their support.

“We’re now hoping that as many employers and employees as possible get involved in what we are sure will be a wonderful day.”

To take part and download a fundraising pack, go to: www.feelgoodfriday.org

Mike Merelie from Whisk!

A new café at the Knowle West Health Park has proved so successful the owners are looking to open more outlets across the city.

Director Mike Merelie from Whisk! said the café was a really positive example of a public/private partnership and how a business can work successfully within its community.

“By getting the business model right here we believe we have a successful model for operating other cafes and food outlets across Bristol,” he said.

“We’re already planning our next cafe and look set to be even busier than last year with weddings and corporate events. We’ve already employed a local person and are sifting through some applications for an apprenticeship so that we can build a team of people that will help us grow in the future.

“I think it’s a really positive example of a public/private partnership and how a business can work successfully within its community.”

The café and the kitchens were mothballed two years ago following unsuccessful incarnations as a community café and training academy.

Bristol-based Whisk stepped in and, run by chefs Evan Roberts and Mike Merelie, the kitchens provide a hub for the firm’s range of business, conference, private function and wedding catering.

Bristol Business News

Bristol firework company Skyburst, which stages major displays across the UK, has won its most prestigious contract yet – creating a spectacular display for a city in China to celebrate the end of the Chinese New Year holiday.

The Mayor of Liuyang, the largest manufacturing base for fireworks in the world, has invited Skyburst to take part in a massive display in the city.

Staff from the firm, which has a shop in Bedminster and a base in Upper Langford, North Somerset, regularly visit Liuyang to buy stock for its UK displays. The city is known in the industry for producing the world’s best fireworks.

Skyburst managing director Alan Christie said it was a huge honour to be asked by the mayor to take part in the Chinese New Year celebrations.

“It was on one of our trips there that we were asked and we’ve been working on creating a spectacular display for them ever since,” he said.

“While China has the best quality and variety of firework products, we are experts at putting those fireworks in a display. Our technology and pyro-digital software means we can create magnificent, complex effects and time our shows to music. Our techniques are cutting edge so we’re very excited to be representing the UK over there.”

Chinese New Year festivities typically last for 15 days, starting with the first full moon of the year, and are popularly known as Spring Festival.

Liuyang, a city of 1.35m people, is in Hunan province – China’s main firework manufacturing centre.

Skyburst has supplied and staged professional firework displays for more than 30 years, including the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, Brixham Festival, Bridgwater Carnival and the Tall Ship Race.

Mr Christie added: “While we are in Liuyang we plan to source new material suitable for Diamond Jubilee displays later in the year. Firewriting products, red, white and blue fireworks and sparkling diamond effects are all on the shopping list.”