Good Morning
There is almost too much information to share following the Chancellor’s announcement this week. On top of cuts to VAT, the headline is the:
Eat Out to Help Out Scheme
It will incentivise customers to eat in your restaurant or other eating establishment by giving them a discount which you can then claim back from the government. The scheme is UK wide and customers will be able to see who is taking part on GOV.UK. The scheme will drum up custom on quieter days of the week and means you can build your business back up. HMRC have made registration as simple as possible. Find out how to register on GOV.UK.
Closer to home, ie next to East Street:
Bedminster Green Developments and Multi Storey Car Park
There are five key developments in and around East Street that we believe will bring many more local customers to East Street. One of them is next to Little Paradise Car Park and going through the planning process currently. The council’s process reviews local support for and against these developments. The BID has made clear its support for this latest development - if you wish to register support for it also then please click here - it only takes a minute.
As well as more than 300 new homes, the total reworking of Stafford Street and Little Paradise to create a safe and attractive pedestrian and cycle route through to East Street, and helping deliver the MetroBus route and stop, those residents will generate much-needed spending in our shops.
Similarly, for the proposed multi storey car park to replace the current surface level only car park on Little Paradise - this is a most helpful in terms of more car borne acccess immediately adjacent to East Street. Again please click on this link and leave a message to support.
Other useful news (provided by the council):
1. Applications for the second round of the Small Business Discretionary Grant for local businesses with 49 or fewer employees close at midnight on Sunday 12 July. Businesses are strongly encouraged to review the application form as soon as possible to ensure they can submit evidence of how a grant would support them within the deadline.
2. As we move towards recovering from the coronavirus pandemic, local authorities are required to have a COVID-19 management plan for controlling and preventing the spread of the virus. Our Outbreak Management Plan outlines measures to identify and contain local outbreaks, and protect the public’s health; read more here.
3. A city-wide marketing campaign, Bristol Together, has recently launched to support local businesses as they safely reopen. This is a partnership initiative from Bristol City Centre BID, Visit Bristol and Broadmead BID, working with Business West and the One City Economy Board; more here.
5. Black South West Network (BSWN) is partnering with NatWest's Back Her Business initiative to provide critical support and guidance for Black & Asian women entrepreneurs who have been impacted by COVID-19. To launch the programme, a webinar event will take place on Monday 20 July (5pm-7pm); more here.
6. Small businesses in the West of England will get free help to manage their finances in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to a new programme from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA); more here.
7. And Business West has launched a Finance Hub to connect borrowers, lenders and investors; more here.
8. Read more about the UK Government’s recently announced �1.57bn support package for cultural and heritage organisations here.
PLEASE GET INVOLVED IN THE BID
If you are interested in becoming more closely involved with the BID, we are an informal, friendly group, whose basic duties are to direct spending for the BID and Town Team. The BID Board meets 6pm on the first Tuesday of each month online. Please do get in touch if you'd like to get involved.
Alternatively a marketing (and arts, culture) group meets on the last Monday of every month also at 6pm and a Built Environment Group on the first Tuesday monthly at 4pm - also online. Alternatively if you prefer drop us a line or telephone us for a chat to discuss any ideas you have that you think the BID should be pursuing.
About the Business Improvement District
Bedminster BID funding is generated via a small levy on all eligible businesses in the area and paid into a central 'kitty' in November each year, to be spent on projects that benefit Bedminster businesses.
Our stated priorities are to:
Create vibrant streets that excite and delight
Market and promote Bedminster
Reduce crime and improve the shopping environment
Advocate and lobby for Bedminster business interests
Drive down costs
Further Information
Business to business news: www.bedminster.org.uk/business
Customer facing website and social media (these streams are owned by the BID and open for your use to announce items of interest to the local customer base - please get in touch if you have anything you wish to share):
Contacts
George Grace - business@bedminster.org.uk
Simon Dicken (Wilko) - man242@wilko.co.uk
Stef Brammar (AGB) - stef.brammar@way-out-west.org
We are grateful to local accountants Tyrrell Procter and communications experts Plaster for their generous pro bono contributions to our activities.