Smart Energy

DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH ON YOUR PLATE RUNNING A BUSINESS?

A smart meter could help

Running your very own restaurant, coffee shop or bar might be a dream, but you are up against huge competition, and it can be tough out there.

For survival and success, you may want to consider the following:

• Find your niche:small independents can compete with the big chains – but you need to find your USP.

How are you different?

• Location is key:aim for areas of high footfall with few competing businesses nearby

• Build the right team: you need to find great staff who can deliver outstanding customer service – you can’t do it on your own

• Pick your suppliers carefully: your customers

will only turn into regulars if you’re offering quality food and drink

• And finally, don’t forget your bottom line:

you also need keep an eye on regular outgoings such as your energy bills Energy is a key expense for small catering businesses which makes it a crucial area for these businesses to save money and take control of their finances. Smart meters could give businesses additional visibility over energy use and costs to make it easier to identify where changes and savings can be made.

In addition, sustainability is a key focus for many businesses across Great Britain – the smart meter rollout is predicted to reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 34.4m tonnes – so by getting smart meters installed in your business you’re helping achieve this, making your business that bit more sustainable.

Your smart meter works as hard as you do

Running an independent coffee shop, bar or restaurant is a round-the-clock job and supplying your energy readings is often not a top priority. Smart meters send your gas and electricity readings directly to your energy supplier, saving you time to focus on other jobs.

Firms with 10 employees or less could be eligible and installations can be arranged at a convenient time to ensure minimal interruption to your business and your clients.

To find out more please speak to your Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. You can also contact your energy supplier or broker today and see if you are eligible.

Drake Howard Property is approaching its eight birthday and set for major expansion with new Clients added to its portfolio

Marketing successes are driving growth in addition to a steady upward trend in property management, Landlord & Tenant, and development instructions.

Lockdowns and returning to working in an office environment have not dampened the rate of evolution. Proving for this business, frequently cited press concerns over the strength of the property market, and demand for office space, has been unfounded. The commercial property agency is now looking to take on new surveying and support staff to sling shot recent activity to a new level of market influence.

Motor Trade Disposal

Coventry Mazda – London Road. A car showroom site at 540/542 London Road and new home to Green 4 Motor Company Ltd., for its Coventry Mazda & Suzuki dealerships. Drake Howard Property handled the exit of former leaseholder Listers Honda, acquisition of an adjoining car compound and development of land formerly occupied by two cottages, on behalf of a long-standing property management client. The letting to the new occupier has increased income from the site from £115,000 per annum to £162,500 per annum for a capital input of less than £300,000.

Office Lettings

Oak House. Acquisition of a 10,000 sq. ft. office building for Coventry City Council and letting 7,150 sq. ft. suite to Bellway Homes at a headline rent of £107,000 per annum after a programme of division and refurbishments works. Brandon Court. Buy in of lease on 12,000 sq. ft. office building from occupier Yazaki Europe Limited for a reverse premium equivalent to 2.75 years rent, business rates, dilapidation, and division costs, on behalf of management client. Securing offers to lease subdivided suites of 8,000 and 4,000 sq. ft. within 2 months and project managing conversion works.

Industrial/Warehouse Disposals

Rowley Drive. Marketing and letting of a 14,175 car repair workshops building to Karl Vella Group Limited on a 15 years lease at a headline rent of £77,500 per annum, following project management of a refurbishment and improvement scheme. Increasing income by nearly £10,000. Heathcote, Warwick. Marketing and sale of an industrial unit totalling 19,670 sq. ft. by way of break up into 3 units to a gross disposal price of over £1.5 m. Sibree Road, Coventry. Workshop and warehouse building extending to a footprint of 43,000 sq. ft. on a site of 2 acres. Price £2.4 m. ‘Under Offer’ at the time of going to press. Progress Way, Binley. A unique digital design centre with 5 special project engineering studios of c 3,500 sq. ft. and separate office suites. Aimed primarily at the automotive industry the space is adaptable to aerospace, robotics, pharmaceutical, machine tool and other transport and engineering sectors. 3 of the studios feature CMM plates for precision inspection, calibration, measurement and marking out, with modern scanning technology to create three-dimensional digital modelling. Available on short term licences at all-inclusive rents.

New Management Instructions

Oak House, Coventry. Management of multi-let office building on behalf of Coventry City Council. 52/60 Warwick Street, Leamington Spa. Management of 2 town centre retail units let to Dodo Pizza and Esquires Coffee, with student letting development on upper floors. 13/17 Kenilworth Street, Leamington Spa. Management of town centre retail unit let to Veitas Artis Bathrooms with student letting development on upper floors 1160 Elliott Court, Coventry. Management of office building 2,900 sq. ft. on Coventry Business Park, let by floors