Tag Archives: Enterprise

Advice for all traders – butchers, bakers and even candlestick makers

Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service works with the Warwickshire business community to help them trade safely and fairly and give confidence to consumers.

Businesses require information on topics as diverse as the labeling of honey and the sale of traditional Chinese herbal remedies, to the advertising of cars and the importation of toys. They look to Warwickshire Trading Standards for advice and guidance.

Trading Standards helps new and existing businesses of all shapes and sizes including large companies with a national and international presence, to traders who run their businesses from home.

Trading Standards Officers assist businesses to meet their legal responsibilities and obligations, helping them to get it right first time and saving businesses time and money in the process.

Businesses requiring help and advice can contact Warwickshire Trading Standards on 01926 414040 or email: tradingstandards@warwickshire.gov.uk.

The service has a wide range of self help business guidance leaflets, visit: http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards

You can also follow Warwickshire Trading Standards on its new business advice and information twitter, visit: www.twitter.com/warkstss

A ‘growing’ fund

A major new fund to boost development and help grow the local economy has been launched in Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been awarded an allocation of £12.8 million from the Government’s Growing Places Fund – designed to kick-start developments and other infrastructure projects allowing them to deliver quicker economic benefits.

The LEP was awarded an allocation of £8.6 million in February which was increased following the Chancellor’s announcement in last week’s Budget of additional funding for Growing Places.

The Fund has been established to be as flexible and as streamlined as possible with the aim of offering loans at highly attractive rates. The minimum sized investment is £1 million.

Financial returns will then be used for further projects with the aim of developing a long-term “ever-green” fund.

The application process has been opened this week with all bids to be made by April 30.

Denys Shortt, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP, said the scheme had been designed to bring growth and jobs to the region.

“This is very much a kick-start programme to allow projects which could be stuck for a variety of reasons, to really move ahead with the aim of delivering a boost to jobs and economic growth as quickly as possible,” he said.

“There will be a variety of reasons why some infrastructure and development schemes are not progressing as quickly as they might in easier economic times, and that is how the Growing Places Fund can help.

“We have been able to offer funding on very attractive terms and I hope developers and other applicants come forward.

“The LEP was designed with the sole aim of growing the economy of Coventry and Warwickshire – and this fund fits entirely with that ambition.”

Eligible projects should be as ‘ready-to-go’ as possible, and to have or show a reasonable expectation of gaining planning consent by September this year with work ideally starting on-site by the end of 2012, or as soon as possible after that date. Projects should be predominantly employment focused, and will benefit the local economy.

The fund’s preference is to provide loans at attractive market rates (from 2.34%), although equity finance will also be considered.

Warwickshire County Council is acting as the fund holder for the scheme and handling the application process on behalf of the CW LEP.

Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Communities and CW LEP board member, said: “This is recognition by the Government that there are schemes underway that with a reasonable level of additional finance could move forward at a quicker pace and therefore bring earlier benefits.

“But the aim is very much for this to become self perpetuating. The £8.6 million – while very welcome – is just the start. The idea is to develop a long-term fund by reinvesting returns, so that we can keep schemes moving forward and allowing them to realise their full economic benefits.”

Details, along with applications details, can be found on the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP website at http://www.cwlep.com

‘A borough of opportunity’

A bold new campaign has been launched to bring business investment into Nuneaton and Bedworth.

The public and private sector partnership group set up to attract new investment into the area has launched a campaign with the slogan ‘think… Nuneaton and Bedworth’.

The ‘borough of opportunity’ drive is designed to put the area firmly on the map for businesses looking for an up and coming location.

It is the brainchild of the Nuneaton and Bedworth Investment and Marketing Group, which is made up of representatives from Warwickshire County Council, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and local businesses.

Cllr Alan Farnell, Leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “Nuneaton and Bedworth is an exciting place to be – a programme of town centre regeneration is currently underway with a range of new commercial development sites in the pipeline.

“The aim of the campaign is to attract investment by encouraging business to think of Nuneaton and Bedworth as a borough of opportunity.

“The investment and marketing group has been set up to provide a coordinated and consistent approach between the public and private sector for marketing the borough, attracting new investors and ensuring a positive economic future for the area.

“By pulling together and presenting a united front, we are working to make the area an attractive proposition for investors.”

The group is looking at ways in which the public and private sector can work better together on business investment. This includes getting private sector input into major projects happening in the borough and providing a co-ordinated approach to planning.

Work is already underway to produce marketing tools and improve the materials available. A series of fact sheets have been produced to attract potential investors.

Badged up with the ‘think… Nuneaton and Bedworth’ slogan, the marketing materials focus on the many benefits of doing business in the borough.

Among its unique selling points are the location, transport links, productive workforce and strong business community.

Tourism businesses invited to submit their 20.12 offers

2012 has officially been declared the year of the ‘Great Staycation’ with the launch of a new domestic tourism campaign.

As part of the ‘Holidays at home are GREAT’ campaign, Coventry and Warwickshire tourism businesses are invited to submit special offers showing visitors that 2012 is going to be a truly exciting year to be in the UK.

The campaign will be the biggest ever domestic marketing campaign launched in the UK. Visit England, in partnership with Visit Wales, Visit Scotland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, have successfully secured £4 million of additional marketing funds to mount a national campaign to encourage more people to holiday at home during 2012 – a very special year for the UK.

All 2012 special offers from local businesses will be displayed together on a dedicated campaign website, to create a ‘one-stop shop’ where visitors can browse and select the offers they like best. On choosing an offer, they will be taken to the offer supplier’s site, where they will be able to sign up.

Offers can include deals on accommodation stays, meals, and other experiences including three nights for the price of two, or two-for-one entry at attractions. Local tourism businesses can also use the campaign to promote added-value offers, where the customer pays the usual price but receives something extra for example a free lunch or a special meal for £20.12, a guided walk, or a free pampering spa add-on.

Cllr Colin Hayfield, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder responsible for Tourism, said: “Warwickshire County Council welcomes the additional allocation of Government funding to support this high profile ‘Holidays at home are GREAT’ tourism promotion campaign.

“We encourage all partners in the tourism and hospitality industry, big and small, to get involved by offering a discount or other value added incentive to further entice people to stay in the UK during 2012.”

The campaign will be backed by a powerful and prominent national TV advertising campaign which will air in March and April.

There is no charge for local tourism businesses to either register or up-load their offers.  For further information, tourism businesses are encouraged to visit the campaign website to www.visitengland.org/2012offers.  Visit England will also be happy to answer any further queries from tourism businesses and can be contacted via: offers@visitengland.org

Superfast broadband funding approved

Major funding for improved broadband connectivity in the rural areas was rubber stamped by Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet on Thursday.

A total of £3m will be put towards the funding required to match the £4.07m that is being made available to the sub-region by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), the Government body charged with overseeing the roll-out of superfast broadband across the country.

An additional £500,000 county council funding was approved for the costs associated with running the project. The balance of the match and project funding will be provided by Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the five districts and boroughs within Warwickshire.

The draft sub-regional Local Broadband Plan was submitted to BDUK last week – ahead of the revised government timetable - outlining the current broadband provision and the sub-regional approach to improving broadband speeds.

Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Communities, said: “Superfast broadband is an absolutely essential technology for our rural communities and they desperately need a service that is fit for the future.

“Our draft Local Broadband Plan has been submitted and, subject to approval by BDUK, the project team expect to be ready to start the procurement phase of the project by July this year, with roll-out of the enabling infrastructure commencing in 2013.”

The broadband team is reminding residents and businesses to complete the online surveys that can be found at www.cswbroadband.org.uk. This will provide evidence to help decide where there is the highest level of demand and where the service should be rolled out to.

The county council is recruiting local champions to promote the project within their own villages and to encourage others to sign up. Anyone interested in becoming a champion or requiring further information about the project, can email broadband@warwickshire.gov.uk or call 01926 412984.

Expansion plans create new opportunities for small businesses

The expansion plans of two enterprising firms from Bidford’s Smallbrook Business Centre have created opportunities for new companies to get on to the ladder.

Signage and graphics experts Sticky Media have recently relocated around the corner from the Smallbrook Business Centre on Waterloo Industrial Estate, and they will shortly be joined in relocating by commercial embroidery specialists Slant Riggs.

Alan Taylor of Slant Riggs attributes much of their recent success of the firm to the power of the internet and stresses the importance of a company website as a marketing tool. The company’s new web address helped them to secure lucrative contracts with companies such as Sainsbury’s and BAE.  Slant Riggs also count Microsoft, John Smith’s and Dell among their more prestigious clients.

Mr Taylor said: “Being a tenant at Smallbrook Business Centre for some years has given us the opportunity to steadily grow our business and with Warwickshire County Council as our landlord, it has given us peace of mind regarding our premises. One of the key benefits is the six year lease, which has a three month break clause without financial penalties, together with the security of tenancy offered by local authority property management.”

Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder responsible for economic development, said: “We are keen to offer a helping hand to small business. For businesses to grow in these very difficult economic times is testament to both the continuing entrepreneur spirit and the support and range of business premises offered by the county council.”

Smallbrook Business Centre has 14 industrial units ranging in size from 44sq metres to 92sq metres.

Businesses interested in viewing the available units or requesting further information should contact Margaret Burnham on 01788 551500.