Disqus - Latest Comments for denysshortt

Re: Shared space high on traffic summit agenda

Denys Shortt — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 14:00:57 -0000

The sooner we can get going to improve the traffic the better. The traffic jams get worse and worse. Surely the Mop could be located on the recreation ground rather than closing the whole town ? Recently it took me 45 minutes to get from Waitrose to Timothy's Bridge Road - under a mile ! What a waste of time and money - all those employees unable to get to work and business vehicles stuck in traffic - not to forget the huge unnecessary carbon emissions. We need a western and eastern bypass around Stratford-upon-Avon asap and duel carriageway for the entire A46 from the M5 to the M40. Plus a direct train link to Birmingham Airport connecting the line at Warwick Parkway to London.

Re: District council rejects combined authority invite

Denys Shortt — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 13:55:07 -0000

All government money is routed via the Coventry and Warks Local Enterprise Partnership www.cwlep.com and in future there will be more money through the West Midlands Combined Authority. By not joining we will lose out on vital infrastructure and funding. It is not good for the District and will also be damaging to businesses. I think SDC has made a big mistake. We have nothing to do with Cherwell and South Northants - this is a nonsensical move to link with them.

Re: Why Haven’t We Fallen For The Land Rover Discovery Sport?

Denys Shortt — Tue, 19 May 2015 14:24:56 -0000

Can understand all the comments made but LR has to keep moving forward. Just tried it at Eastnor amongst all the LR vehicles in serious mud and it was very capable - the higher ground clearance meant it performed better than Evoque. The dashboard is very luxurious and the full panoramic sunroof awesome. Starting price £32,395. It's a great car and can see it being very appealing to many. Ingenium engine makes it a winner. LR are pushing ahead with new designs backed up with volume sales - things are changing for the better. What worries me is the D4 replacement as this is so capable and the square back so brilliant ....& unique.

Re: Smarter Business Intelligence Through Sensors

Denys Shortt — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:43:47 -0000

Worth looking at hubofallthings.com - a project at WMG Warwick University run by Prof Irene Ng - they have sensored an entire bathroom and products used.

Re: Stratford District Council agrees to pay £3.6 million settlement to Orbit

Denys Shortt — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:42:30 -0000

Most businesses would be bankrupt after such a fine....assume taxpayers bail out again?

Re: NHS submit plans for Stratford’s new £22m hospital

Denys Shortt — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:37:28 -0000

Yes - Warwick Cancer Unit is fully booked and cases are increasing each year due to the regions population growth. South Warwickshire needs a local cancer and eye unit. People currently travelling too far to Birmingham, Warwick and Coventry

Re: Let’s overcome the defeatist narrative and win the battle for the commercial spirit of Britain

Denys Shortt — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 08:27:22 -0000

It is possible but it takes grit and determination to start and grow a business in Britain. It cannot be done on optimism alone.
The UK Government needs to listen to business owners who have done it and are doing it now to hear what needs to be changed.

Re: Real Business - Dear George: this is what's really concerning SMEs

Denys Shortt — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:44:17 -0000

I run stratfordvision.com with business colleagues. Problems we encounter - number one by far is difficulty in finding employees due to lack of affordable housing. Revival of the high street may be down to something as simple as 1 hour free parking. Growth will not happen unless local councils plan for it. Our Council has no plan for business nor any land allocated for employment growth. Clearly business growth does not win votes.

Re: Real Business - Dear George: this is what's really concerning SMEs

Denys Shortt — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:40:39 -0000

First a response to Jim below at Parfumis - I feel for you - we run DCS Manufacturing a shampoo factory. The new EU REACH legislation is horrendous and will cost us over £100k. To launch anything new has moved from 6 weeks to 9 months !

Re: Michael Fallon: 'We salute those who risk their own money to create jobs’

Denys Shortt — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 12:27:48 -0000

I am an entrepreneur and I have risked everything (and still do) to create jobs. I have created 300 jobs.

I have spent 17 years in business and I have not seen our Govt ever celebrate business growth or jobs growth.

Now the Govt wants the private sector to create millions of jobs to plug the gap from years of Govt overspending ! Irony....

Jobs and Growth needs to be a mantra at local level. Talk to many local councils and all they are targeted on are things like bin collection or recycling. They are not targeted on jobs and growth !

Many councils do not have a business development officer, many do not have a jobs and growth plan.

Local people often do not want growth or jobs - they do not see it as a priority. Someone who has a job - are they really interested in those that have not ? That needs to change.

We need a wholesale change of thinking in the UK to support small business, to promote startups and to reduce the ocean of petty laws that stifle business and .....to sort planning once and for all.

Billions could have been spent on building projects that many (including myself) have given up on.

My planning office even said "Developers are evil" .....oh dear.

Foreign business will not come to the UK when they see our planning laws and the time it takes to get things done - often years !

Planners need to be targeted on how quickly they can get things done. How many jobs did they help create ? How friendly they are to developers.....(!)

Jobs and Growth needs to be a laser-like focus ......and by everyone.

Re: Vince Cable: I would work with Labour to increase tax on wealthy

Denys Shortt — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 11:53:33 -0000

Wealth creators are the people that create jobs - they own and invest in business. Tax them more and they will move abroad.

The wealthy are already paying most of the UK Govt tax income - through their businesses and the millions of jobs that they create.

Those taxes help pay for the unemployed and benefits system our nation has. Lose the wealthy who will move abroad and tax revenues will crash even further - less tax revenue / less investment / less business.

(Look at the recent tax revenue figures - very scary)

The Govt needs to do the opposite - attract inward investment, reduce taxes on the wealthy, tax breaks for starting a business, tax breaks for employing someone who was unemployed ...the list goes on.

Sadly Cable has run out of ideas (or did he ever have any) for business growth - he has reverted to the easy cop-out option - "Let's raise taxes" -

The master of disaster.

Re: Business Secretary Vince Cable is praying for growth

Denys Shortt — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 11:24:26 -0000

We are not a nation focussed on growth and jobs. That needs to change. Everthing in the UK starts at a local level - Councils are not currently targeted on jobs or growth. Many of them do not have a Business Development Officer and most do not have a jobs and growth strategy. I would target them on it and sack the leader if he/she does not perform. Inward investment is another weakness - we do not sell ourselves to foreign investors nor do we incentivise them to come. If you heard planning permission could take 2 years in Britain would you bother to come here ? We are a nation paralysed by paperwork and ridiculous petty legistlation

Re: The Official Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Tumblr | Three Rolls-Royce motor cars took centre stage at...

Denys Shortt — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 06:40:05 -0000

This was a highlight of the Closing Ceremony - the cars and artists exploded the audience into song ! An awesome moment. A superb advert for GREAT British manufacturing.

Re: Technology is causing the recession

Denys Shortt — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:05:40 -0000

Matthew - you are spot on and there's more . We supply every retailer and wholesaler in Britain with leading health, beauty and household brands - so we see the market from a helicopter view. Yes the internet is eating up jobs and small high street stores. What is more interesting is many internet start-ups in our industry struggle to survive. Most do not have a D&B credit rating which the commercial world now relies on. For internet businesses profits are low and shipping costs eat into margin. Maintaining a large website is costly as is a warehouse. So it seems that the big providers who can afford to lose money on start-up often end up as the winners. The Amazons, the Tescos have all had to get to a large critical mass before they make any profit at all. This means it is harder to become a "Wiggle" if you are up against some big guys. That has never stopped entrepreneurs - my advice is to find a niche and products that have some decent cash margin. At DCS we have done something new - we built a new "Innovation Centre" to germinate ideas for how we can sell more. Its working - we are headed towards £200m !

Re: My gift to UKTI

Denys Shortt — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:26:47 -0000

I have provided loads of websites free of charge to organisations that need help. I created www.soverysimplesite.com to do this. This LEP website was free www.cwlep.com
As Chairman of a LEP I am seeing how much the public sector can spend on things and it is scary ! What is even more scary is that there are loads of great small companies who would offer to help for free! This £50,000 cost is a waste of taxpayers money but sadly they won't listen to you....until their money stops being free flowing.
As far as UKTI goes : I am waiting (15 years on) to see what they can do for my export business www.brandsfrombritain.com
As fas as I can see they charge alot of money for Market Information Surveys most of which you can get off google !
Trade Missions are fine if you can afford the time ....and its a gamble if you actually meet the right customers on the mission.
My £20m export business has been built by myself using that free service - common sense!
It's all very well helping hundreds of small companies but it's the big exporters that will deliver the big export growth.

Re: Coffee Nation founder hunts for next deal

Denys Shortt — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:47:17 -0000

Martyn ....Happy to talk health & beauty products ! Denys at www.dcseurope.com denys@dcseurope.com

Re: Miliband "just doesn't get it," say SMEs

Denys Shortt — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:23:28 -0000

I am waiting for Ed Milliband to say something that's original. His comments on Tony Blair or the silence he created was uncalled for and insulting. Pathetic jab.

He said "I'm wierd" and he actually is.

He is the greatest gift the Labour Party could give to the Conservatives.

Entrepreneurs realise that we are in a tough spot right now and we need to pay down our debt. Entrepreneurs will adapt to the climate and find new avenues to win business.

When the going gets tough many entrepreneurs do better !

We are not in it for a fast buck .....but we are in it for profit .....which we can reinvest.

Re: British manufacturing is dead

Denys Shortt — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:17:21 -0000

It depends on what you are making but I must strongly disagree.

I have just invested over £3 million in a factory in Stratford-upon-Avon making shampoo and toiletries. I could do this overseas but we have the capability here and our Carbon footprint is far less.

Shampoo is 80% water and we have plenty here .....no need to ship that from China!

We also need to provide jobs in Britain - we have nearly 300 people employed at DCS and probably a further 600+ who rely on the income we provide for that workforce. We are very proud of Made in Britain - we even promote that heavily abroad www.brandsfrombritain.com

Our customers buy our products because they are great quality and they are Made in Britain - our export customers would not buy them if they were Made elsewhere.

Re: Backing UK Retail - Retail Week

Denys Shortt — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 08:32:00 -0000

I am fed up with the media jumping on the doom and gloom bandwagon.

We have just had our best year ever and continue to break new ground in all our business areas. We support Britain's retailers - they are some of the best in the world !

Mr Denys C. Shortt
Chairman & CEO - DCS Europe plc