Kent Business Newsletter - Issue 13

Hello Kent Business Community

Welcome to this week’s Kent Business Newsletter

This week’s Kent Business Newsletter is packed with stories of growth, innovation and change across the county. From Sterling & Law Tunbridge Wells celebrating double award recognition to new leadership at the historic Rochester Bridge Trust, there’s plenty of positive momentum. We also look at Kent’s £120m hydrogen project in Manston, local firms embracing digital manufacturing, and MHA’s latest trainee intake.

On top of all that, we explore how new EU border rules could shake up haulage, and Big Motoring World’s fresh approach to car finance. Finally, don’t miss expert advice from Azets with six smart ways SMEs can cut costs and strengthen their future.

Got a business launch, win or story to share? Send it to [email protected] and we’ll help spread the word - for free!

If you missed previous editions you can catch-up here.

Kent Business News Updates…

Sterling & Law Tunbridge Wells has been named a finalist in two categories at the Tunbridge Wells Business Awards: Start Up Business and Customer Service. The announcement marks a major milestone for the independent financial planning firm, which only launched in 2023 and has already built a strong reputation within the local community.

Led by Independent Financial Adviser Louise Fitzgerald, the business has grown rapidly thanks to personal referrals, active community networking, and a strong commitment to client care. Known for her approachable style and values-led advice, Louise has built a loyal client base across Kent and Sussex who value clear, straightforward financial guidance. The winners will be revealed on 2 October, but the recognition alone highlights the impact the firm has already made in such a short time. Read in full here. 

A medieval charity that has been serving the public for more than 600 years has announced two new leaders. Chartered Surveyor Russell Cooper has been elected Senior Warden of the Rochester Bridge Trust, a role he has held before. He is joined by Chartered Engineer John Farmer, who takes on the position of Junior Warden.

The two men will guide the board of trustees responsible for maintaining free crossings over the River Medway, a duty the Trust has carried out since the 14th century. Both bring specialist expertise and long careers in their fields. The Trust says their leadership will play an important role in shaping its future work, which ranges from education and scholarships to ambitious sustainability goals. Read in full here. 

Kent could soon be home to the UK’s first waste-to-hydrogen plant, as ambitious plans for a £120m facility in Manston gather pace. Backed by local businesses, community groups and Kent County Council, the project aims to convert household and commercial waste into clean hydrogen, while creating at least 100 full-time jobs.

But the vision stretches far beyond green energy. Alongside the plant, Hydrogen TE (UK) Ltd has announced a dedicated training hub, a visitor centre, and partnerships with schools and universities to inspire the next generation. The project promises to put Kent at the forefront of hydrogen innovation, while giving young people in Thanet more opportunities in science and engineering.

Could this bold plan truly make Kent a national leader in the hydrogen sector? Find out more here.

Two Kent companies are among the first in the South East to begin reshaping how they work with the Government-backed Made Smarter programme. Art4site, a fine art printing studio in Wye, and Cocoba Chocolate, a Strood-based chocolatier, have both completed workshops that set out tailored plans for adopting new technology.

The scheme, worth £1.55m, is already guiding 75 manufacturers across the region, with support ranging from expert advice and leadership training to grants for advanced systems like robotics, AI and automation. Both Kent businesses say the workshops gave them a clear roadmap to modernise, cut waste and build resilience for future growth.

But what changes are these manufacturers planning first, and how could their journey inspire others to follow? Find out more here. 

MHA has added six new trainees to its Kent office as part of a nationwide recruitment drive. The new joiners are part of the firm’s ‘Class of 2025’, a group of 130 trainees taken on across the UK and Ireland. They were officially introduced at MHA’s annual trainee induction event in Birmingham.

The firm says this year’s intake will help shape the future of the business. With MHA recently floating on the London Stock Exchange and expanding into Europe, leadership sees fresh talent as key to its growth plans. What role will these six Kent trainees play in that journey, and how might their careers develop within one of the fastest-growing firms in the sector? Find out more here. 

Stricter EU entry checks are set to hit the UK haulage industry hard, warns Kent-based Zelir Logistics. From October, drivers will face biometric controls instead of passport stamps, meaning tighter monitoring of how long they spend in Europe. Under the new rules, UK workers can only stay 90 days in any 180-day period, even for business.

Haulage firms fear this could make UK drivers less attractive to employers, push up costs, and force companies to turn to European drivers instead. The Road Haulage Association is urgently calling for a professional driver exemption, warning that many firms could cut jobs or shut down altogether. With delays and disruption at ports also expected, some ask whether UK businesses are prepared for what lies ahead. Will this rule change reshape the future of cross-border trade? Find out more here. 

Big Motoring World has launched a new finance package designed to make buying a used car more affordable. Customers with stronger credit scores can now access borrowing rates from 9.9% APR, while over half will still qualify for the standard 11.9% APR. The scheme also offers lower monthly payments, giving buyers more flexibility when choosing their next vehicle.

Importantly, the offer is not limited to those with perfect credit. Even customers who may be turned away by other lenders can still access a tailored finance deal. Early signs show the move is already helping more people drive away with the car they want. What does this mean for the future of car buying in the UK, and who stands to gain the most from these changes? Find out more here. 

Kent Expert Insights…

Azets’ Six Savings Suggestions For Kent’s Smaller Businesses

Small changes could help Kent SMEs (small and medium enterprises) lessen the pressure on their finances, staff and management, a senior accounting professional has said.

Azets has Kent offices in Maidstone, Ashford, Canterbury, Sandwich and Orpington.

Jeremy Gardner, Head of Accounts and Business Advisory Services South at international accountancy and business advisory group Azets, is encouraging directors and owners of SMEs to explore their options around technology, tax planning, rewards, retention and operational planning to see where they can free up time and potentially reduce their outgoings. 

His six suggestions are:

1. Where appropriate, use technology to automate tasks, free up time, and reduce the strain caused by staff shortages and heavy workloads. Automating the manual aspects of tasks like logging invoices, reconciling bank accounts, and spreadsheet-based accounting work can free up a tremendous amount of time across the business – especially for senior staff.  

2. Reconsider how you reward your staff by introducing performance-linked incentives. Offering staff bonuses based on specific income targets sets clear performance goals, motivates employees to deliver by linking their rewards to the business’s success and shows that you as an employer want to reward those who help you grow.

3. Explore your tax planning options and use tax efficient benefits to keep staff motivated if the business can’t afford to raise salaries. Benefits like share options cost very little now, but reward staff for their contribution and their loyalty as the business grows, while salary sacrifices for pensions can reduce employer costs and increase staff’s take-home pay. Other incentives like salary sacrifice electric vehicle schemes also benefit staff by allowing access to new vehicles, reducing their tax payments, significantly reducing the cost of leasing a vehicle, and increasing their take-home pay, and can also help the business save money by reducing its NI costs for employees who take part in the initiative.   

4. Incentivise your team to bring in new hires by rewarding referrals rather than relying solely on agencies. Offering referral payments for new hires allows you to reward staff who help with recruitment and also saves on the commission you would pay an agency. It can also reduce the time spent on the recruitment process as your employees will know why someone from their network is potentially a good fit for a role you're looking to fill. 

5. Focus on staff retention – improving your culture, development programmes and flexibility cost less than losing talent – both financially and in terms of productivity. This can take the form of basic steps like making sure staff understand how they will evolve with the business and know how their specific role supports the delivery of a company’s business plan, to investing time and money in employee training and development. According to PayFit, the average cost of replacing member of staff is £25,000 – investing a small percentage of that in developing your team can help reduce employee turnover and the costs associated with it.

6. Refine your planning and forecasting – align shifts, overtime and roles to match the demand and ensure capacity is highest during your busiest periods. At its most detailed, this can take the form of planning the shape and structure of your team alongside your business plans and milestones 18 months to two years in advance, or at its simplest can take the form of introducing policies around how much time can be taken off by how many people during parts of the year where capacity is tightest and workloads are highest.

Jeremy said: “At the moment, SMEs are being affected by a number of issues that include rising costs, wage pressures, skills shortages and retention challenges, and hidden costs relating to staff turnover – all of which hit productivity, morale and the bottom line.

“There is no silver bullet for any of these, but I’d encourage SME owners to think about areas where they can make small changes to lighten the load on them and their staff, free them up to think about how they can grow their businesses, and ease some of the financial pressures they face.

“It isn’t a road they have to travel alone – the right third-party advisor can help them identify which areas need to be improved in the short and long-term so their business can survive, thrive and prepare for the next stage of its growth.”

Kent Networking Events…

Connecting with fellow entrepreneurs, potential partners, and customers is vital for business growth. Kent offers a variety of networking opportunities (you could literally go to a different one every day if you wanted!) to help you expand your professional circle and enhance your business prospects.

Prepare Questions That Impress
Avoid generic questions like “What’s the company culture like?” Instead, ask: “What’s the biggest challenge your team is trying to solve right now?”

Business Events & Shows In Kent…

Kent Business Radio Show…

Great show again from Paul and Jules - bringing you the perfect mix of banter with the latest business news and events from across Kent!

On the show this week was Steve Hemsley of Hendrix Training, and an interview with Sean Henry of Medway Council Economic Development team.

To listen to this week’s show in full visit Kent Business Radio

Kent Business Community, before you go… 
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