Hutton Henry

Edinburgh-based Computer Application Services Ltd (CAS) has secured an additional £500,000 equity investment to boost growth.   The company is increasingly referred to by its product name, Workpro, a software system for managing customer complaints and HR casework. Organic growth is providing a 20% uplift this year but, with the market quickly opening up to the benefits of using this software, it’s time to pick up the pace.  Managing workload is just part of the solution - Workpro ensures compliance with procedures which, if not observed, too easily lead to pain and penalties.  Insightful reports let users see where they are “attracting trouble” so that prevention of future issues becomes part of the package.   Maintaining a digital presence – being easily found when people come searching is an obvious must for the marketing team, a never ending task in a busy online world. The new investment will fuel more proactive activities to reach out to target audiences, some of whom don’t yet realise how readily the task of juggling cases and causes can be streamlined and supported by UK developed software. Workpro has all the right data security credentials to pass muster with government and corporate governance.       CAS employees own around half of the company through a combination of direct shareholdings, the Employee Benefit Trust and a monthly share-save scheme. External investors hold the other half – Capital for Colleagues who specifically support employee-ownership, and, more recently, two additional private investors.    CAS CEO Ken Naismith comments, “While CAS and Workpro are obviously good horses for investors to back, we do not take for granted what terrific support has been made available to us when so many businesses are worried about the future. Consumer complaints and employee relations issues are only going to rise as organisations meet 2025’s challenges. Workpro makes light work of heavy caseload and provides essential insights into issues arising from customers and colleagues.”

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Just completed an Ascender course on business case creation - this quote below from the course content is so profound and relevant: https://lnkd.in/eQ3FDas6

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🚨 Interesting fact alert! “The average age of a Non-Executive Director is 65”🚨 Overheard on a conversation today and I almost fell off my seat. On doing a bit more research, there’s a fair bit of variation between male and female, which I took as a positive. Female NEDs are slightly younger on average (59.3 years) than their male counterparts (65). Now, if you do a little more research, figures do range a bit, I guess based on the sample size and those in the study, but only comes down a couple of years. As a 49 year old who’s been doing NED roles for a while, I’m happy that I’m contributing to driving the average lower. Why? Because I personally think you can add value, in business and indeed life, at any age, you don’t have to wait until you cross a number line. What do you think? Interested to hear your views. Oh, while you’re thinking the question through, the photo is apparently what I’d look like when I turn 65 and ready to impart knowledge as an average NED. You’re welcome 😀 #ned #average #age #cto #experience

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Some reflections from our Christmas break back in the UK (with no mention of AI, quantum computing or bitcoin…!) 1. The High St melt is accelerating. Many shops in Bath (our local city which we love dearly) have gone out of business in FY24, including Jolly’s after 200 years serving the local community. I personally enjoy the innately human and relational aspect of shopping. Striking up a conversation, learning something new or simply chewing the fat is a highly rewarding experience. Survival of sub-scale retailers requires specialization and excellent customer service (friendly, family-run specialist businesses such as butchers, cheesemongers and bookshops seem to do well). Larger chains including ‘house of brands’ plays require scale and very good customer experience, which is why M&S thrives and House of Fraser (incl. Jolly’s) did not. Local communities need to get serious about shopping local (and limiting Amazon purchases) if they want to preserve the High St experience. Will it be enough? Not sure, but worth fighting for. 2. On the topic of M&S I continue to get blown away at how good this retailer is. Their products (and their price to quality index) and general shopping experience is excellent IMO. Love this place. Target in the US doesn’t come remotely close. It’s no wonder their stock has tripled in 3 years). 3. The difference in mood between the US and the UK is very evident. You can feel a sense of anguish and pessimism in the UK whereas the general economic sentiment in the US is bullish. It’s hard not to see a continuing decoupling in economic fortunes between the two (at least for the next 4 years). 4. Finally, the holidays provided an opportunity to remind ourselves how rewarding time in nature is. Early morning walks in Somerset and a few days in the Lake District (I have a new found love for moss-covered drystone walls!) defintely warmed the heart. I wonder if we’re starting to experience a solitude deficit from our ever increasing tech overload. I think I am.

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If I've kept you waiting for a reply or a meeting these past few months, apologies: this is the project that was taking up most of my time! * Over the past years we have been working on expanding GO plc's footprint beyond traditional telco, always with the aim of driving a digital Malta where no one is left behind. We believe that Klikk Limited will help us bridge the gap between telco and consumer technology, empowering our customers with seamless connectivity and the latest electronics solutions. With Klikk Limited, we’re not just expanding—we’re looking to reshape how our customers connect, work, and play in the digital world. #DigitalTransformation #TechRetail #Innovation #Connectivity * I have to admit that the process was made much easier thanks to the professionalism of Kevin Rapinett, Chris Tonna and Gordon Zammit as well as to the support of MAMO TCV Advocates and PwC Malta in particular Ryan Sciberras Eric Mackay, CFA CPA, Katya Pirotta, Luke Grima Sean Lewis Melanie Rizzo Naudi and Luke Zammit

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What are going to be the top trends for the Tech Market in 2025... There are countless articles out there if you put that search into Google and most of them seem to be in agreement. JLA Resourcing Ltd have summarised some of the key areas listed in the reports from Capgemini, KPMG, Forbes and Gartner. In the main, they're talking about the focus being on: - Generative AI – Autonomous Intelligent Systems that will lean and adapt to new situations - AI & Gen AI in Cyber – we’ll not only see huge progress in how AI is used for threat detection but also the negative side with AI being used for generating the threats themselves so here’s hoping defence keeps pace with attack - AI Driven Robotics – AI driven robotics to enhance productivity and safety - New Generation Supply Chain – companies looking to improve the efficiency and reliability of their supply chains - Post-Quantum Cryptography – protecting businesses from the security risks that will come from the advent of quantum computing - Energy efficient computing as companies focus on sustainability and reducing carbon emissions - A real focus on Hardware – with AI being integrated in to end user chips, IoT devices and Robotics - Solving the Climate Tech Challenge – the focus on this dropped in 2023 due to the global economic environment but Forbes (amongst others) believe that this will be scaled in to our everyday life What else would you add to the list?

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Last week, we lifted the lid on our guide to creating great propositions. Now, it isn’t lost on me that in doing so I had a pop at the consulting industry’s BS but there are probably a few people scratching their heads saying “well, that’s all very nice Tom but I have no idea what you mean by proposition and smells a little BS’y to me.” Hands up, I accept that challenge. It is terminology we have played around with…a lot! And it’s definitely one of those things that has many different meanings to many different people. But in wrangling with it (and fundamentally believing in its importance for businesses to get right if they want to win and grow), we’ve boiled it down to 4 simple things: 1. WHAT you do 2. HOW you do it 3. In a way that resonates and motivates customers buying decisions (WHO & WHY) 4.  And explains how you're DISTINCTIVE (maybe even unique) in the market. We believe by keeping it that simple and nailing those 4 things, you’ll be on a pretty good path to having a proposition that works. Want to know how to do it, follow the link to our guide in the comments. Remember - share it, steal it, use it!

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New podcast!! - Why companies don't get funding and then the problems they can run into when they do. Really excited about the launch of this podcast. Brendan McGurgan is such a fantastic person to spend time with and felt like we covered some big topics. He even let me harp on about how I got into VC in the first place... I go on a bit. Thanks very much to Simple Scaling for having me on! https://lnkd.in/eSD8_3vf #simplescaling, #entrepreneurship, #venturecapital

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We must invest in AI. AI holds the potential to transform the way that we work, and we already see businesses working faster and smarter when they adopt even the simplest of gen AI tools

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Have you used or seen the NEDWorkin' "On Demand" AI feature on Virtualnonexecs.com yet? 😳 Last week, I was blown away by it - and it’s our tool! 😳 Originally known as BoardAi (RIP BoardAI ❤️💀), the AI behind NEDWorkin' "On Demand" asks just a few simple questions - like where you're looking to connect, what you're hoping to achieve (finding a consultant, advisor, investor, or just networking), and in which country. Choose your sectors, add some keywords, and BOOM - you get up to 8 matches in less than 2 seconds. That's fast!! Here's the kicker: the potential matches stay anonymous until they review your request. You get to see their first name and first letter of their surname. If they're interested, they reveal their profile, and the platform takes it from there. I used it to find PE-experienced board advisors in the UK with SaaS knowledge. Within 2 minutes, one member accepted my enquiry, and we’re meeting up this week! Another is scheduling a call, and the third is yet to respond. 🥹 If you’ve given it a try, I’d love to hear your experience. If you haven't and you're a board advisor, non-exec or chair, join today at https://lnkd.in/eXBj687 Let me know! Steve Benson Sarah Mann Mike Critchley Michele Jackson Garrick Bruce Michael Selander JMW Solicitors LLP Codurance Rob Gray Andrew Fahey Helen Grey Gavin Ruben Vista Insurance Brokers Limited Daniel Blake Mark Thomas Ross Hayden #NEDWORKIN #AI #BoardAi #nonexecutivedirector

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Molly Macgregor and I are going to be out and about quite a bit more over the coming months (including London for several days next week) showing people Juralio and its newest, financial functionality. A few notes on what it's all about: - Juralio is software which has for a while now helped people to capture legal work as structured phases and tasks in ways that can be as layered, rigid or flexible as required. It's highly visual - work is presented as easy-to-understand maps. - You can also capture your maps as templates, to the level of detail required in your context. You can link this up at whatever level is useful to documents and other knowledge resources. This helps people to come across them naturally when engaging with the relevant work. It also makes their lives easier by making the latest process immediately available to them without having to read docs, flowcharts etc and figure it out for themselves. - Our design approach emphasises simplicity - 'minimum valuable structure' as it were. Just enough to enable people to see the forest as well as the trees but without becoming micro-managey (ick) and generally tedious. - And maps can be quickly built up by anyone, without the need for specialist training. Importantly, Juralio's maps aren't rule-based in the usual sense (which has a certain overhead and rigidity making it unsuitable outside 'volume' work and highly repeatable tasks) - Our financial functionality allows you to plan what work is going to take to deliver and apply different pricing models. Unlike a spreadsheet or purely financial tool, it's linked up effectively to how the work actually develops. - With this in place, you also have the basis for creating much better information for analysing what happened in matters so that you can reinforce success and deal with problems. The fact it's simple, structured and joined-up allows you to see that directly as well as giving you better data for analysis elsewhere. - A final thing to mention is that Juralio isn't about maximising positions for just one side (law firm or client) in the familiar rather adversarial way. It's about breaking away from that world, increasing meaningful collaboration and conversations about what needs to be done by whom and the financial implications of this, capturing it all conveniently and then keeping on top of it when things change materially. That can be a real win-win, reducing friction and improving financial and other outcomes for firms, clients and the individuals working for each, all the while helping with the sharing and improvement of knowledge of what's going on, and how to do things. We're mainly focused on UK medium and large law firms and legal departments at the moment. We've also recently announced a partnership with GUIRBADEN (Eric Eck) to promote Juralio's adoption by similar organisations in continental Europe. Please DM Molly, Eric or me if interested in discussing. Juralio website - https://www.juralio.com/

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With the UK election results in, it's clear that the reds have come out on top (as if that was a surprise!) But now, the real work begins—delivering on promises and achieving outcomes. The same is true for your business plan. (Yeah I get thats tenuous, but what else are you meant to link to today!) Writing a business plan is just the first step. It’s easy to get bogged down in the weeds of daily operations, walking around the bottom of the mountain without ever climbing up. Business plans aren’t a one-off exercise; they need to be revisited daily to drive the company forward. That’s why we built Hashiru—to help you keep climbing upwards. Hashiru ensures you don't just write your business plan and forget it. It provides the structure and tools to revisit, refine, and execute your strategy continuously. Don’t let your business wander aimlessly. Use Hashiru to transform your strategic vision into actionable steps, ensuring you’re always making progress towards your goals. Are you climbing the mountain or stuck at the base? #hashiru #beasynner

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This sounds all too familiar. Watch Barney Hussey-Yeo discuss how the UK is falling behind in the AI race. One of the key challenges he highlights is the limited availability of electric power generation. Canada could have an edge here, with its sustainable hydroelectric and nuclear energy, combined with a colder climate ideal for powering and cooling large-scale training and/or inference compute clusters.

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📖 Weekend Reading 📖 1️⃣ Essential reading from Ben Southwood, Samuel Hughes, and Sam Bowman on the UK’s stagnation – especially if you are from (or based in) the UK. “No system can be fixed by people who do not know why it is broken.“ The authors paint a vivid picture of the UK’s condition, with many supporting examples. The comparison of Paris to London or the side-by-side views of transportation infrastructure between the UK and other peer countries over the last few decades is remarkable. And yet the UK has strong foundations on a number of dimensions: “strikingly incorruptible” institutions, a commitment to free trade, an efficient financial sector, and a robust legal regime with respect to starting businesses (e.g. the UK has one of the cheapest and easiest processes to form a company). What it lacks, the authors argue, is an ability to invest in its economic foundations: housing, energy, agglomeration. https://ukfoundations.co/ 2️⃣ Dan Davies has a cynic’s take on Fintech business models—what works, and mostly what doesn’t work. This feels like required reading for any fintech founder. Interestingly, the two models that live up to scrutiny are “giving customers a worse service for a lower price” and more or less targeting industry sectors where complacency has settled in among the large incumbents. https://lnkd.in/dhcauecm 3️⃣ Dwarkesh Patel interviews Daniel Yergin, the author of The Prize. Fascinating conversation. I did not know that originally John D. Rockefeller was a lighting merchant, ie. oil was used to light kerosene lamps–and when Edison invented the light bulb, people thought Standard Oil would go bankrupt. I can’t wait to pick up Yergin’s latest book The New Map. https://lnkd.in/dkfFeN_h 4️⃣ Finally, Tyler Cowen interviews Tobias Lütke. There are many interesting cultural anecdotes here from Tobi as a German living and building a company in Canada. One that particularly resonated with me as a Belgian growing up in the US: “Canada’s problem, often culturally, is a go-for-bronze mentality”. What worked for me, and seems to have worked at Shopify, is basically being given permission to go for gold: “Actually, I found it’s very easy to work around. I think a lot of our success has been due to just me and my co-founder basically allowing everyone to go for world class”. https://lnkd.in/dPGxY93a #uk #brexit #nuclear #energy #fintech #baas #payments #oil #shale #shopify #startups #ecommerce

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As always with the Budget, it's not just what the Chancellor says when they are on their hind legs that's important, but what is in the documentation released the moment they sit down. Trawling through this year's 170 pages of detail, on page 123 was the detailed revenue forecast from freezing ISA, Junior ISA and CTF subscription limits until 2030, which show a positive contribution of nearly £1Billion over the period, with £605 million of that in 29/30. Whilst I don't think - or at least hope - it's likely that this represents any hidden agenda, it starkly highlights the affect that the changes to CGT will have on client's financial planning and the importance that utilising their ISA allowances as fully as practicable represents. The figures in the Budget actually provide a powerful message to relay to clients, reinforcing the advice firms will already be giving. Now is the time to start reviewing clients ISA strategy, and perhaps consider planning for a Bed-and-ISA/end of tax year campaign, Most CRM/Back office systems can support these areas of analysis and planning, but if there are limitations, these can often be overcome by the use of external tools such as Power BI. For those interested, the relevant document can be found at https://lnkd.in/eNVzQP5g

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Inspired to write some pre-budget thoughts off the back of the below measured and informative article by the excellent Dan Neidle on the various options the chancellor has available. I should say at the outset I speak as an entrepreneur, and a Chief Executive of one of the 700 business quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange. Of the various runners and riders Dan outlined, an Employer’s NI hike is sounding more likely than it was a fortnight ago when his article was written. I agree with Dan and others that this would be a disappointing choice by the chancellor. In practice “a tax on employing people to work” will end up being “a tax on working people” for anyone working for a business operating in a commercial environment. Perhaps the chancellor feels breaking the spirit of a manifesto commitment without breaking the letter of it is politically necessary to raise the sums needed. While I am aware of at least one eight-figure property transaction which I suspect will collapse if they eliminate the Stamp Duty saving on enveloped property, that seems a fair and obvious reform. I disagree strongly with Dan on the removal of Business Relief for AIM shares - but due to character limits I’ll make that a separate post! I am thoroughly in support of his sensible proposals around reform of Capital Gains Tax - as detailed here: https://lnkd.in/ezwGcReq Entrepreneurs complaining about the prospect of a Labour chancellor raising CGT rates should reflect that the proposed levels would still be lower than Nigel Lawson lifted them to during the Thatcher administration. I fully intend to turn AUKETT SWANKE GROUP PLC into a proptech unicorn; should we succeed I will gladly hand the Government the tax on the gain I would make. Entrepreneurs would do well to remember that their success was not created in a vacuum; they relied on a talented and committed workforce. Taxing the beneficiaries of that success through an appropriate CGT rate when they cash in is fairer than raising taxes on the true creators of it along the way. On all these matters, I look forward to hearing what the chancellor decides! #auk #growthcapital #smallcaps #publicequity #budget2024 #cgt #nationalinsurance #wealthcreation #ukeconomy #aim

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Part two then… The one area I disagree with Dan Neidle is Business Relief - in particular his suggestion for the removal of the long-standing inheritance tax exemption on shares you’ve owned for at least two years, where those shares are unlisted or traded on AIM. The shares of AUKETT SWANKE GROUP PLC are such an asset. In the detailed article available in the section on this in the link below, Dan explains that the exemption exists to prevent shares in a privately owned business being taxed when the owner dies, because a business might well have to close down or be sold if on top of coping with the death of the owner their heirs now have to find a huge tax bill too. Dan says “the exemption doesn’t apply to shares in listed/quoted companies, for the very good reason that you can easily fund the tax by selling the shares in the market. But shares in alternative markets like AIM aren’t considered “quoted” for this purpose, even though you can easily fund the tax in precisely the same way.” Unfortunately, this just isn’t true in practice. If you own shares in a huge company on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, you can place an order with your broker and immediately turn a holding of hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds worth of shares into cash. For smaller AIM companies, the process is theoretically the same, but liquidity is not permanently available; sometimes - often - it can be hard to sell even £5,000 worth of shares without adversely affecting the price. If IHT on AIM shares is removed, someone who dies holding £100,000 worth of shares would have a £40,000 tax bill to pass them to their heirs. If the heirs tried selling them, the share price would tank and in many cases the amount they would receive wouldn’t even cover the £40k of tax. It’s grossly unfair to have an effective tax rate in excess of 100%. As a smart buildings group, Aukett Swanke Group plc has an exciting future transforming the built environment, creating and changing buildings so they provide a better experience while being greener and cheaper to run. Delivery of our strategy leans heavily on the connections that come from our heritage as the only architecture group on the UK stock market. Many of our shareholders are retired architects, some now in their 80s and 90s. They own no other share but ours. It seems unfair to force them to choose between stopping supporting their old practice or facing hefty tax bills. AIM shares get Business Relief because previous Governments have recognised that, on a sliding scale between a small family business and a FTSE100 investment portfolio, AIM shares are more the former than the latter. I very much hope the chancellor has listened to representations made by The Quoted Companies Alliance and others on this point. #auk #growthcapital #smallcaps #publicequity #budget2024 #businessrelief #iht #investment #wealthcreation #ukeconomy #aim

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