Hello and welcome to another edition of Thank Frank Its Friday. This week Colin Sinclair praises the diversity & ambition of Manchester, Copeland Security take the mantle of ‘Business of the Week’, and with The World Cup starting today we recommend a website that could be rather useful to your social life for the next 4 weeks. All this plus everything else you expect from your weekly dose of TFI. Read on, enjoy, have a great weekend and don't do anything Frank wouldn't do...

Speaking at the Downtown Manchester in Business Chairman’s Breakfast this morning, Colin Sinclair, Bruntwood’s new Special Projects Director, said that Manchester’s collective ambition and breadth of its business base has made the city more resilient to economic pressures and best placed to maximise opportunities coming out of the recession.

Previously Chief Executive of MIDAS, and only five days into his new job, Sinclair discussed the importance of Manchester’s business community looking to the world’s leading economies for inspiration and to realise the significance of the city’s strong talent pool.

The event, held at Tom’s Champagne Bar in Kendals, was attended by 50 of Manchester’s top professionals.

Financial recruitment specialist, Sellick Partnership has strengthened its offering in the North West with the appointment of Aaron Drewitt to develop their permanent division within the Commerce & Industry sector.

Aaron brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from the permanent finance recruitment sector, having worked at global finance recruiter, Robert Half for five years both in London and Manchester. He joins Sellick Partnership as manager of the Permanent Finance Recruitment Division, based in the Manchester head office.

According to new research from accountancy firm RSM Tenon, one in nine business owners in the private sector believe that the single biggest threat to their business over the next 12 months will be from cuts to public sector spending.
 
The research, taken from a survey of over 300 entrepreneurs, reinforces concerns that a reduction in spending within the public sector will have a domino effect across the private sector.

Accountancy group Begbies Traynor has bought Tomlinsons, a Manchester-based firm of insolvency specialists.

The firm's two partners, Alan Tomlinson and Catherine Matthews, will now join Begbies, which is also based in Manchester, as Partners.

In a stock market statement Begbies did not disclose the value of the deal.

Tomlinsons has offices in Manchester, Liverpool, London and Blackburn. Begbies said the business will be merged into its existing insolvency operation.

Show Business Interiors, the leading interior design practice based in Sandbach, has grown its workforce by 15 per cent following four new appointments.

The new employees started with the business during Q1 of this year and have been recruited on the back of a 25 per cent rise in sales revenue for the same period.

Sarah Tompson and Hannah Kirkham, previously of Connections and Inside Right respectively, have joined the interior design team while Kate Lawton has been appointed as a Presentation Artist and Laura Davies as a Furniture Specifier.

Want to spread the word about what your company has been up to?

Email your stories to DMIB and we will email it to over 10,000 people in our Weekly TFI newsletters.

Send your stories to alan.townley@downtowninbusiness.com. Please note stories should be no longer than 150 words.

Copeland Security Solutions is a highly professional, privately owned Security & Facility Management company based in the North West of England. With offices in Liverpool, Manchester and Wirral Copeland provide property support solutions throughout the UK, to a variety of blue-chip clients.

Our initial roots stem from providing security solutions to clients throughout Merseyside since early 2000 and since then the company’s growth has continued. In mid 2009 following the inclusion of more diverse services including concierge, cleaning, CCTV design and installation, close protection and of course bespoke security solutions, Copeland Group was developed and vouched to provide all our new & existing clients with quality, driven, cost effective support services.

Our management team approach recognises each client as a unique opportunity to develop partnerships, which through a commitment to total quality management, ensures that each bespoke solution not only meets, but exceeds clients expectations.

Being ISO 9001:2008 certificated and working to a company ethos of co-operation, communication and transparency in all our commercial endeavours, Copeland Group are committed to providing a service that is "second to none".

To find out what Copeland Group can do for you call FREE on 0800 955 44 14(24Hr).

DMIB sponsor Bruntwood, has this week welcomed highly regarded marketeer Colin Sinclair to its North West business.
 
Previously Chief Executive of inward investment agency MIDAS, Sinclair is joining the privately owned property group as Special Projects Director and will be heading up new schemes including the redevelopment of Manchester Business School.
 
Speaking at DMIB’s Chairmen’s Breakfast this week, Sinclair said: “Moving to Bruntwood was just too good an opportunity to pass up. It’s going to be a massive challenge for me but I’m really looking forward to it.”

The essential wall guide for the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

Forget your blu-tac wall charts, online is where the future is.

Plan your next 4 weeks without worrying about missing any game.

Downtown held a Chairman’s Breakfast at the fabulous Tom’s Champagne Bar, with over 40 members of the business community making the early start to watch Colin Sinclair of Bruntwood present.

Situated on the 3rd Floor of House of Fraser, this sleek and sophisticated Champagne bar is the place to head to for a relaxed, informal but impeccable respite during or after shopping and always after a hard day at the office! Serving the very best Champagne, Coffee, Chocolate and Cakes.

Opening at the end of 2009, Tom’s Champagne bar named after Thomas Kendal – the stores founder in 1836, serves a range of coffee drinks, over a dozen champagnes as well as an irresiistible selection of cakes, pastries and chocolates.

Tel: 0161 834 7788
http://www.champagnebars.net

Stuart Anderson, Editor of EN magazine will chair a significant panel, including John Gillibrand, Corporate Financial Director for RSM Tenon, John O’Mahoney, Tax Expert for RSM Tenon, Scott Fletcher, Chairman for ANS Group and Downtown in Business Chairman, Frank McKenna.

The panel will analyse the new coalition budget and discuss the impact of the budget on the business community.

Date: Tuesday 29th June
Time: 8.30am - 10.0am
Venue: Restaurant Bar & Grill

The Manchester Masters
The Northern Lawn Tennis Club
23rd -26th June 2010.

Resurrecting The Wimbledon of the North

Featuring Wimbledon Champions Martina Hingis and Richard Krajicek, The Manchester Masters is a 4 day legends round robin event at The Northern Lawn Tennis Club. World class players, including Mansour Bahrami and Jeremy Bates, will come to Manchester. With high quality and entertaining tennis, this is an event not to be missed this summer.

For more information please call: 0151 227 5940 or e-mail: admin@northern-vision.co.uk or visit: www.manchestertennis.co.uk

The perfect antidote to football!

Friday 9th July, with Speaker Karl Kirkpatrick and Comedian Jimmy Bright

The Dewi Morris Curry CLub team will be at EastzEast for their usual fantastic menu - don't forget to claim your free beer on arrival!

Still just £45 + VAT

Email helen@dewimorriscurryclub.co.uk to book

Name: Gary Chaplin

Company: Stark Brooks

Position: Director

Red or Blue: White

Labour, Liberal or Tory: Public support only encourages them

Favourite Bar/Restaurant: Rhubarb or Piccolino closer to home

What’s Your Tipple: Mmmmm…..tough one. Can’t beat a nice ice-cold Peroni, but sometimes a good red (not too heavy, Italian Sangiovese perhaps), or a well-made Mojito…but its got to be a good one.  Tanqueray’10 and Tonic with lime is a winner too, and if you can find it, a 1985 Niepoort Colheita is possibly the nicest drink ever….then again….ok..…as long as it’s wet, I’m a fan

Favourite Band: Whoever is playing with Frank (Sinatra, not McKenna..)

Top Tune: Changes daily. Chicane’s Poppiholla was a big hit in the gym this morning

Favourite Book: “That’s not my Fairy” (read out loud to my 16 month old daughter. Twice)

Favourite Movie: Godfather 2 – the only sequel to improve on the original

Who Would Play You In A Film: I’d say a young Brando/De Niro/Pacino….others would probably say Vern Troyer or Jimmy Krankie.

Favourite TV Programme: I have a real guilty pleasure in watching Cougar Town over my wife’s shoulder – the funniest thing currently on TV

Most Visited Website: Downtown in Business…..of course.

Celebrity Crush: I’ve always been a Kate Beckinsale fan (after Mrs Chaplin, or course…)

Interesting Fact About You: I modelled for Calvin Klein underwear while at University (and worked as a fancy/cross-dressed DJ in a fun-bar where the barmaids wore bikinis.)

Why Downtown: It’s different. It’s fresh. It’s interesting. It’s effective. It’s fun.