46 BREWING & BEVERAGE INDUSTRIES BUSINESS There’s no doubt that running a business can be costly and running a brewery is no exception. All breweries are unique and have their own distinctive running costs. Aside from the obvious operational costs, there’s the essential key running costs such as staff, general upkeep, utilities, telecommunica- tions, insurance, etc. And of course, more recently in the news, water and rates. April of this year saw the deregulation of the UK water market. Available to businesses with qualifying premises, water is sold in a similar way to gas and electricity, with wholesalers selling water services to licensed retailers. Although the water supply stays the same (there may be the option to choose one supplier for your water and another for your waste water), meter readings, bills and customer services are handled by the new vendors. Increased competition means better rates and gives businesses the freedom to commission the retailer that best suits their needs. Offering competitive pricing, businesses are benefiting from: • Reduced bills and charges • Simpler bills and payments (one bill – great for businesses with multi sites) • Better value for money • Improved customer service Occupying a building (or part of one) that you use for non-domestic purposes, will mean that you’ll more than likely be required to pay business rates. This year also saw a rate rise for many businesses across the UK. Does this apply to you? What if you disagree with the amount that has been set? The good news is you can appeal. However, in line with the rate increases a new appeal process has also been introduced, making challenging rateable values more time consuming, not to mention costly. Business Savings Experts understands the importance of budgeting and is happy to help, not just in this specialist area, but in reducing business costs of essential expenditure generally. BSE works with a number of brewers across the UK and has saved them an average of 23% on their energy bills alone. As part of the service, BSE carries out the tendering and negotiation as well as completing all the necessary paperwork. There are no hidden extras and what’s more, there’s no charge for these services – all clients retain 100% of the savings. If you’d like to know more, call 0333 313 0090 or email: admin@businesssavingsexperts.co.uk The hidden costs of running a brewery Showcase BUSINESS SERVICES Clarke Dove Insurance Brokers provides exclusive access to a bespoke insurance product aimed specifically at brewers, underwritten by a leading insurer. This policy automatically incorporates a number of innovative and specific industry extensions not available from ‘off the shelf’ insurance products. This includes a very wide Business Description to incorporate cover for the many different events attended by brewers and can easily be extended to include onsite Brewery Taps. As every brewery is unique, the policy can be tailored to meet your individual requirements, to ensure you are only paying for the cover you need. Clarke Dove is a commercial insurance broker based in Nottingham, providing expert insurance advice on an impartial basis for over 30 years on a nationwide basis. As one of a relatively few number of independent brokers who have a dedicated claims department, the company has developed strong relation- ships with insurer claims teams and loss adjustors alike. By creating such relationships it puts itself in the very best possible position to aid negotiation of speedy, equitable claim settlements for its clients. Clarke Dove’s Brewery policy combines the knowledge and experience of business professionals, brewers of all sizes and insurance partners, to create insurance coverage which has strength in depth that evolves with your business to meet your needs over time. In addition to offering the usual range of covers that you would expect such as property, business interruption, money, goods in transit and liabilities, the policy also responds specifically to risks facing the brewing industry. As you will be aware, an ever-changing business environment brings with it new and emerging risks, including ‘Cyber Liability’ and sophisticated online crime. With this in mind the company is embarking on a programme of communicating topical and relevant matters to its valued clients. This includes the company’s new quarterly newsletter, Covernotes, the Summer 2017 edition of which is now available. If you have any questions about insurance solution for brewers, or would like to subscribe to Covernotes, call Andy Clarke or Matt Bryan of Clarke Dove (Insurance Brokers) Ltd. on 0115 962 0855, or visit the website and click on Contact. www.brewery-insurance.co.uk For more information visit: www.businesssavingsexperts.co.uk For more information visit: Tailored brewery insurance coverage and emerging risks 46_Layout 1 15/08/2017 11:36 Page 1