A look back at Sussex business news in 2019

With another year almost behind us, we thought we would take a look back at some of the businesses we have featured in 2019. What better way than to look at our covers and who featured on them?

Through it all we offered free advice in our Ask the Experts pages, a Recipe of the Month, news from Sussex Chamber, a Made in Sussex feature, and a spot of history from James Dempster.

During the year, we expanded SBT’s offer with a new Travel section and launched our very own Wine Club. Here’s to 2020!

Issue 428
The founders of Whitespace, the creative agency based in Brighton, were celebrating their first anniversary. We told the story of the agency’s success – from inception to that all-important first milestone. We met Steve Elford, Milly Stone and James Morrison, who talked about their passion for their work and gave us an insight into their interesting back stories. In the same issue, we launched the SBT Travel section and heard from Ross Edmonds, of Oasis Empire.

Issue 429
Preston Insurance Brokers were marking their sixth anniversary. Ahead of a celebratory bash, we caught up with the company’s founder Noel Preston. He talked about the insurance industry, past and present, and gave us some useful insights on the future of business insurance. In the same issue, we met Eco Gym and got some great team building ideas from Red 7 Leisure. Other features focussed on the Edward Street Quarter, car leasing for the self-employed and global trade.

Issue 430
We met Lisa Seymour, the 2018 Digital Woman of the Year, who had just pulled off a massive fundraising coup in Brighton. The founder of agency Spoken, she was the driving force behind The Execs Factors. Lisa explained her motivation for fundraising and revealed the show attracted 239 guests and raised a massive £10,000. Other features included a Q&A with Albion in the Community, a feature on the Russell Martin Foundation and the Rockinghorse 20/20 Corporate Challenge.

Issue 431
Jason Young, of managed services brand Overline, talked about unified communications and digital solutions. He introduced us to some of his team members and explained why a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to customer relationships is important. Overline had just launched successful new branding and was helping businesses meet challenges in the telecoms and tech spheres. Other features looked at insurance needs for escape rooms, stamp duty land tax and FirmBalls’ annual football tournament at the Amex stadium. We also featured the company culture at D&G, top destinations for groups and much more.

Issue 432
We went to Brighton Racecourse and discovered this iconic venue is so much more than just a racetrack. Our feature focussed on summer events and the facilities available for corporate clients. They are flexible and suitable for a wide range of events, we discovered – from conferences and trade shows to business meetings and celebratory dinners. We also got a glimpse of the catering facilities available at the racecourse. Other features introduced us to the latest news from SO Legal, Hotel du Vin and Search Seven’s #share7 campaign.

Issue 433
Brighton-born Maria Valentine introduced us to her international event company Yellow Fish. We discovered how the business started and blossomed into something that, 16 years after inception, is going from strength to strength. As well as sharing her story, Maria imparted some useful insights on what it takes to succeed and explained the importance of creating experiences. Other features looked at business succession plans, Airbnb, Rocketmill, and Pier Recruitment.

Issue 435
Sarah Chapman, managing director of Red 7 Leisure, talked us through group travel and explained what customers are looking for. She focussed on how the company is meeting expectations in a fiercely competitive marketplace. The passion of Red 7’s people was also highlighted, along with the company’s ambitious expansion plans. Other features looked at buying the assets of a business, YBrighton, mindful networking and a string of successful events staged in support of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.

Why not feature your business in SBT in 2020? Email sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk to find out more.