BID Matters Newsletter Edition 2 June 2015 by Successful Sutton

BIDMATTERS Quarterly newsletter 2 I June 2015

Ross Feeney, Chief Executive, ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk

Introduction

Welcome to our latest BID newsletter. Exciting changes in the town centre have been underway since the last newsletter particularly a number of high profile projects that will transform Sutton High Street. With that in mind, we have launched our Develop Sutton campaign with a dedicated website to promote our town on a national level. It’s a portal for information on the developments shaping our town’s future and supports the work already undertaken by Opportunity Sutton, it’s a portal for information on the developments shaping our town’s future and supports the work already undertaken by Opportunity Sutton, and will also act as a catalyst for continued economic growth. That’s all the more important given that our data shows that year on year footfall is up by 3.2%. To encourage shoppers to continue to visit the high street we have teamed up with Swipii to launch a new customer loyalty card, targeted towards our independent traders but not exclusively. We are also arranging a number of fantastic events over the summer, including the return of the popular Sunset Cinema, Sutton’s Country Music Festival and the installation of a 9-hole crazy golf course. It follows the success of our St George’s Day food fair which brought thousands of people to the high street. The event also marked the culmination of Sutton’s Best Breakfast competition. More than 2,000 votes were cast by the public, with the family-run Peckish Cafe the worthy winners. Finally, our weekly historic tours pay tribute to the town’s rich heritage and were recently honoured with a Sutton Cultural Award. We are here to deliver improvements to the town centre that benefit you and your business. If you have any suggestions on ways to enhance our services or improvements you would like to see made to the high street please contact us.

Turn to page 7 to read our Develop Sutton feature

Defining Customer Loyalty Working in partnership with Swipii, we are launching an innovative rewards card for the town’s independent traders. The rewards system is designed to drive footfall and enable retailers to build high-quality customer email databases, allowing highly personalised deal campaigns. Customers simply collect points from high street businesses using one card, fob or app. With every visit they can earn bespoke loyalty rewards, anything from a free coffee to a free haircut or meal, which can either be accrued or redeemed for an exclusive offer. An initial 28 retailers have signed up for the Sutton scheme, including TaZza coffee shop, The Projekt men’s store, Warrenders jewellers and retailers in the Street Food hall at the St Nicholas Centre. We have 20,000 cards ready to distribute with more coming as the scheme rolls out over the summer. The scheme is fully funded by Successful Sutton for the first 12 months and is exclusively for levy payers. Ross Feeney, chief executive, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing Swipii to Sutton. The loyalty card is a fantastic way for people to support our independent traders and for businesses to reward people for their custom. “We hope to expand the scheme over the summer and see customers and businesses alike reap the rewards. “This is probably the first loyalty scheme that I have come across which allows us to track customers activity and also look

at the data and decide what we want to do with it, like see which customers have fallen away and maybe see how we can get them back in with a deal, and also reward very, very loyal customers.”

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This is probably the first loyalty scheme that I have come across which allows us to track customer activity. For example, we can see which customers visit less frequently, in turn, we can decide how to get these customers to start visiting again through promotions. More importantly, we can identify and reward our extra loyal customers.

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Quarterly newsletter 2 I June 2015

www.successfulsutton.co.uk

What is a Bid? A BID (Business Improvement District) is a business-led and funded partnership created to deliver additional services to businesses within a defined commercial area. In our case, the BID operates in Sutton High Street. Once a BID has been established by a majority vote, companies are legally bound to pay a surcharge on their business rates each year.

Levy Payer Benefits

The levy is used to develop projects that will directly benefit businesses from street cleaning, providing security, making capital improvements, events and marketing.

Rapid Response clean-up service

In Sutton, the levy is currently 1.05% on all businesses within the BID area that have a rateable value above £10,000. Businesses below that threshold can pay a voluntary annual levy of £100. Successful Sutton was established in October 2012 and runs until October 2017. As a BID we invest money in activities and services to promote and improve Sutton, and we strive to secure best value for you, our levy payers. Our responsibilities are divided into four themes or sub-groups: Enhancing Sutton, Delivering Value, Protecting Sutton and Brighter Sutton.

discover experience enjoy

What is Enjoy Sutton? Enjoy Sutton is our promotions brand for the town centre. We actively promote Sutton by running regular marketing and social media campaigns, competitions, high street events and community initiatives. As a destination brand, we are committed to raising Sutton’s profile as a great place to shop, dine, work and live. All Enjoy Sutton events and activities are exclusive to the town centre and are funded by Successful Sutton. www.enjoysutton.co.uk

BID members can directly benefit from our business support services, which are provided free of charge or subsidised by Successful Sutton. Have any ideas of how we can further improve our services to you? We’d love to hear your feedback. Email ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk

We have introduced a ‘Rapid Response’ clean-up service to deal with urgent cleaning requests on the high street. Our Street Operations team is ready to tackle reported problems in the town centre such as spillages, overflowing bins and can be on-site within an hour.

Mixed recycling scheme

All BID levy payers have access to this free service, which is available from Tuesday to Friday between 9am and 12 noon. To contact the Rapid Response team, please call during service operating hours, tel 020 8770 3173.

We are encouraging all retailers in Sutton to join Shop Watch, our new ‘retail information network’ organised in conjunction with Sutton Metropolitan Police.

Have you signed up to our free mixed recycling and cardboard collection service? The kerbside scheme is available to all our BID levy payers in partnership with recycling company First Mile and can help save your business money. To sign up, drop us an email at info@successfulsutton.co.uk with the subject line ‘mixed recycling’.

Bulk waste We can also remove any bulky waste, including furniture and white goods free of charge, thanks to a partnership with the Vine Project. To arrange a free collection, call the office on 020 8770 3170.

Shop Watch: the crime prevention scheme

Footfall data All BID levy payers have access to weekly visitor traffic data from our three high street footfall cameras, provided by Springboard. To receive our free weekly footfall reports, we just need your email address. Please send the details to info@successfulsutton. co.uk with ‘footfall’ in the email subject heading.

Under the new scheme retailers in the BID area and the police meet monthly to share information, intelligence and best practice in areas such as retail crime and anti-social behaviour. They are also an opportunity for you to raise any crime and safety concerns. Shop Watch ties in with the existing Radio Scheme, which provides BID area retailers and the local police with a direct radio link. Meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month at the Successful Sutton offices. Retailers joining this free scheme are being given window stickers bearing the Shop Watch logo to use in retail unit windows as a crime deterrent. To receive a Shop Watch welcome pack, or register your interest in attending a meeting, email shopwatch@successfulsutton.co.uk

Pub Watch: creating a safe drinking environment

Radio Scheme: a crime deterrent

A voluntary scheme, Pub Watch aims to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder and create a safe drinking environment in all licensed premises in the town centre.

A large percentage of pubs and shops in the town centre have signed up to the scheme, which in conjunction with Shop Watch and Pub Watch, is proving to be a successful crime deterrent.

Members are linked to each other and the police by radio, allowing them to share information quickly and effectively. Pub Watch runs in tandem with Sutton Business Crime Reduction Partnership and the Behave or Be Banned Scheme. Individuals known to have committed an offence in a licensed premises could be banned from other venues. Regular meetings are held to inform members of the latest developments and discuss areas of concern. If you are interested in joining the scheme, email pubwatch@successfulsutton.co.uk

The Radio Scheme provides a direct link between businesses and the police on Sutton High Street day and night.

The radios can be used to convey information to other businesses and the police instantly. Successful Sutton subsidises the hire of the radios to ensure the scheme is affordable for all levy payers. To find out more about the scheme, email diane.hookway@successfulsutton.co.uk

Turn to page 14 to find out about our business training programme

Quarterly newsletter 2 I May 2015

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Summer in Sutton Get set for a summer of fun. We have lined up an action - packed programme of family entertainment to cater for all ages. From live music and film screenings to crazy golf and BMX stunts we have got it covered. It all kicks off on July 5 with our Country Music Festival.

Greg Stuart pictured 3rd from right.

Meet Greg Stuart, Holiday Inn Sutton’s new general manager Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Greg has a long-standing career in the hospitality industry, starting in his home city where he completed his management training, before emigrating to the UK 18 years ago. He has worked for a number of hotel chains.

How long have you worked at Holiday Inn Sutton?

Country Music Festival 10am-4.30pm

The Country Music Festival returns for 2015, with live country music and dancing. Hosted by Ralph Petty, the festival includes performances by Bob Keeley, the Ray Peters Band and award-winning line dance duo, Calico.

What do you think of Sutton? “I love Sutton. It has a lot of heart. There is a lot of community work involved in this job and getting to know the local people.”

Sutton Live is back for one day

Do you have any plans for Holiday Inn Sutton?

only in July. This summer we will be showcasing an eclectic mix of local musical talent. Bands, solo artists and choirs will perform live in Trinity Square with something to suit all musical tastes.

IN SUMMER Saturday, July 11 12pm-3pm

So sit back in a deckchair, enjoy a spot of lunch and some great free entertainment.

Sunset Cinema August 22 at 9pm and September 12 at 7.30pm

Sunday, July 5

“I started in February. Before that I was general manager at Holiday Inn Heathrow.

“I am particularly concentrating on the leisure centre. Having a background in fitness, as an ex-aerobics instructor, I have a great interest in leisure centres and gyms. I have increased membership and am looking at introducing more classes. I am also concentrating on food and beverages. We are introducing a new menu, the All Day Dining Menu, which will be freshly cooked, home away from home food, and in anticipation of all the sports events coming up in London, including Wimbledon and the Rugby World Cup, we are going to be turning the bar into a sports bar.”

FREE

Sutton’s popular open-air cinema returns for two dates this year. The pop-up Sunset Cinema will show a popular comedy at 9pm on August 22. Then a very popular kids movie on September 12 at 7.30pm.

August 1-31 10am-4.30pm

Tee-off on our nine-hole crazy golf course, which is guaranteed to keep the kids amused over the summer holidays. The course is designed to suit all ages and abilities. Just turn up and play or, if that seems a bit too energetic, you can watch the kids tackle the course while relaxing in a deckchair.

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SUTTON COLLEGE’S BIG EVENT September 5

11am-3pm Manor Park Now in its fifth year, Sutton College’s Big Event is a highlight of the summer calendar - a fun-packed day of family entertainment with stalls, craft activities and demonstrations. We’re delighted to be supporting the Big Event once again and this time we’re bringing a high-octane show of professional skateboarders and BMX riders to the park.

The date’s been

set for this year’ s Christmas lights switch-on - Satur day, November 14. There may be six months to go un til the festivities but we are alrea dy busy planning our programme of free family en tertainment as well as a new Christmas lights scheme for the town centre. We have already se cured a high-p rofile act to do honours of pushi the ng the plunger and switching the festive lights on , watch this spac e for more detai ls. Last year’s even t drew thousand s of people to the high street so if you want to be involved in thi s year’s celebrat ions now is the time to get in tou ch.

They will be performing jaw dropping displays on a skate ramp with skateboarding and BMX workshops running between the live demonstrations.

Email marketing@ successfulsutto n.co.uk with your ideas or any feedback on the 2014 even t.

Quarterly newsletter 2 I May 2015

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PEN FOR BUSINESS

Cultural Award Winners

With almost £400million investment being pumped into the town centre, Sutton is staking its claim as a place to do business

We are thrilled to have won a prestigious Sutton Cultural Award for our popular guided history tours. The annual awards, run by Sutton Council, honour the individuals and organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the cultural life of the borough. Ross Feeney, Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to win an award for our historical walks. Sutton town centre has a fascinating history. We want these guided walks to help people learn about the town and see all that it has to offer today.” The historic walks cover the origins and development of the town, from the Domesday Book to the present day, as well as stories of bygone times and features of some of Sutton’s historic as well as modern buildings. Successful Sutton was one of eight award winners honoured at a ceremony at Carshalton’s Honeywood Museum last month. Our award-winning series of free guided history walks return this month. The walks, led by tour guide Chas Bailey, will take place on Thursdays at 3pm and 5.30pm until August 27. Meet at the top of the High Street, by the crossroads just outside Barclays Bank and Caffé Nero. New this year is a series of Sunday strolls taking in Sutton’s history, architecture and church walks. They will take place on June 14, July 26 and August 16. No booking is required but places are limited.

“The town centre is beginning to see the results of investment in new developments. Such investment would not be taking place if there wasn’t confidence in Sutton’s future.”

Sutton is open for business. That’s the message to investors and developers as the town embarks on an ambitious transformation.

Best Breakfast Winner -

Peckish Cafe You need to head off the beaten track to find Sutton’s best breakfast venue.

The family-run Peckish Cafe is tucked away from the high street but it has built a loyal customer base over the past 21 years thanks to its friendly service and home cooked food. Gail Bailey, who runs the cafe in Manor Place with daughters Tracy-Jane and Charlotte, said: “My daughters were the original Saturday girls when they were at school. They gave up their jobs to come and help me run the business.” Having been presented with the Best Breakfast Award by celebrity chef Ed Baines, Mrs Bailey said: “I’m absolutely amazed. I think this is good as it is nice to promote the smaller businesses, the independents like us that sometimes fall into the background.”

The full English fry up is the most popular breakfast choice at Peckish, while traditional dishes like liver and bacon and cottage pie, all cooked from scratch, are lunchtime favourites.

The Finalists Highly commended: Holiday Inn General manager Greg Stuart said: “This is great, it’s a beautiful award.” Commended: Tim’s Palace Mannie Dhillan, who runs the cafe with her mum Rani, said: “We are very pleased. My mum and I work very hard.” Finalist: Riva Bingo Laura Lynch and Donna Martin said: “We are really happy that we are finalists. We would like to thank our customers and amazing staff.” Finalist: Poppins Restaurant Yavuz Karapinar said: “It’s nice to know that people appreciate what we do.”

A series of key projects, due to be completed in the next five years, will create thousands of new homes and jobs as well as deliver major improvements to transport infrastructure and public spaces.

Other high-profile projects include CNM Estates’ development of Sutton Point, in Sutton Court Road, into a 22-storey building, with two new buildings connected to it that will provide a mix of housing, shops, restaurants and a 130-bed hotel.

Opportunity Sutton, the council’s investment arm, has secured £328 million of private and public funding in the past two years, paving the way for Sutton’s regeneration.

And supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is the anchor store at the redevelopment of the former gas holders site to the north of the High Street. Developer LXB Retail Properties plans to build 186 apartments, restaurants, leisure and retail outlets as well as a public plaza.

The scale of investment has bolstered business confidence with big name chains names including Sainsbury’s, Premier Inn and TK Maxx choosing to move to the town centre. While Subsea 7, a leading global contractor in seabed-to-surface engineering and one of the borough’s largest employers, is also expanding its operations in the town. Construction work has started on its new offices in Brighton Road, which will be home to up to 780 staff, jobs that have been retained in the borough as a result of a proactive approach to planning and a further sign that businesses are recognising Sutton’s potential. Recently voted as one of the top five places to live in London, Sutton has direct train links to central London, high performing schools and a wealth of green spaces.

It also has low unemployment and a thriving commercial sector with 1,118 new businesses opening in 2014. With high prices in central London leading many businesses to look at outer boroughs, Sutton has never been better placed to attract investment. Ross Feeney, chief executive of Successful Sutton, said: “The case for Sutton is compelling. As a business destination it offers affordable office space, good transport links, a skilled workforce and a number of designated development sites.

On a recent visit, London Mayor Boris Johnson said Sutton’s regeneration would enable it to compete with neighbouring business districts. He said: “London is going to be a multi-polar world with centres of economic focus and interest and Sutton is definitely going to be one of them.” He added that the proposed Tramlink extension between Wimbledon and Sutton, which has the support of the council and the majority of businesses, would improve accessibility and could spur wider economic growth.

www.developsutton.london

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Sutton Point

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Subsea 7

Construction has started on engineering contractor Subsea 7’s new offices in Brighton Road. The £39million scheme will create 120,000 sq ft of office space which will house up to 780 employees. Once completed Subsea 7 will be an environmentally sustainable building, generating its own power from a large photovoltaic solar farm on the roof and further electricity via an efficient gas fuelled combined heat and power unit.

Sutherland House

Developer Criterion Capital is converting the 11-storey building, in Brighton Road, into 128 one and two-bedroom homes specifically for the private rental sector. The ground floor of the former office block will be retained for retail use.

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Sutton Station

A 1.3million scheme of improvements is in progress to transform Sutton Station into a ‘gateway’ to the town. The project, carried out by Sutton Council in partnership with Transport for London, Network Rail and Southern Railway, includes upgrading station facilities with additional bike racks, an electronic bus countdown and a new side entrance linking directly to Quadrant House offices, which opened in October. Outside a number of public realm improvements are being introduced to make the station more accessible and safer. A civic clock, new signage and a revamp of existing retail units is also planned.

Gas works

Sitting at the north end of the High Street the old gas holders site is to be transformed into a landmark development.

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Lodge Place

Based in Lodge Place, just off Throwley Way, Windsor House is a mixed use development comprising 27 flats on the upper floors of the part six-storey building, with office accommodation on the first floor and a ground floor retail unit.

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Included in the scheme is a dedicated tram stop and transport hub for the proposed tram link extension which Sutton Council is lobbying for.

New owners Lumina Real Estate Capital are upgrading the 126,000 sq ft mall, creating a new entrance, bigger shop units and two new shops fronting the High Street, one of which has been taken by TK Maxx and is due to open later this year. The revamped centre is looking to attract top retailers currently missing from the town centre.

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Sutton’s largest shopping centre is in the midst of a makeover.

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The new tower will be flanked by two smaller buildings - one incorporating a link to the main tower. It will combine a mix of one, two and three-bedroom residential units as well as shops, restaurants, leisure, office space and a hotel.

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A striking 22-storey tower sits at the heart of CNM Estates’ landmark redevelopment of Sutton’s South Point offices.

L&Q Group

L&Q Group’s development in Sutton Court Road will create 96 one and two-bedroom apartments for the shared ownership and private rental markets. The 14-storey building, due for completion in March 2017, will include a commercial unit kiosk, with disabled parking and cycle storage at ground level. The upper levels of the tower block will be constructed in a reinforced concrete frame with rain screen cladding and curtain walling.

SuttonSuperbowl/ Premier Inn

The £50million scheme features a new Sainsbury’s supermarket with 364 parking spaces together with 186 apartments fronting on to High Street and Vale Road. LXB Properties are also creating a new public square surrounded by shops and restaurants.

The former bowling alley in St Nicholas Way is set to become a 127-bed hotel. Premier Inn has acquired the site and has planning consent for a five-storey building with the ground floor converted to a restaurant. The £13million scheme will create up to 70 jobs and address a shortage of hotel accommodation in the town centre.

Burger King site

Planning consent has been granted for a mixed use scheme on the site of the former Burger King drivethrough restaurant at the northern end of the High Street. The 0.52 acre site has planning permission for a building of up to six storeys with ground floor commercial units and 40 one, two and threebedroom flats as well as 26 parking spaces.

www.developsutton.london

Develop Sutton is a promotional initiative funded by Successful Sutton. Information correct at time of publication. May 2015.

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Quarterly newsletter 2 I June 2015

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NEW LIFE FOR GAS WORKS

Major improvements to the junction of Crown Road and High Street are also planned to cope with increased traffic and access to Sainsbury’s 364 space car park.

The transformation of the six-acre gas works site at the north end of Sutton High Street is due to start within weeks.

Planning permission was granted in January 2014 for the development, which will form a new northern gateway to the town centre.

Demolition of the empty buildings and removal of the two gas holders is nearing completion as part of a £50million development by LXB Retail Properties.

Giles Haywood, development surveyor at LXB, said the decision to invest in Sutton was twofold based on the site’s potential and the town’s attributes: its proximity to central London, good transport links and current regeneration.

On June 1, Linden Homes is scheduled to start work on the residential side of the scheme, building 186 one and two-bedroom apartments in four blocks. Construction is expected to last 18 months before final fitting out of the homes commences. The contemporary buildings will incorporate design features of the site’s old gas cylinder frames. A new 12,221sq m Sainsbury’s supermarket will be the centrepiece of the scheme. Work is due to start on the retail store on September 1 when contractor Galliford Try, which is also building Subsea 7’s new offices in Brighton Road, moves on to the site. The new supermarket is expected to start trading in late 2016. The development also includes a large public square in the south-eastern corner of the site which will be fitted with seating areas, public art and water features along with raised planters and tree planting. Shops and restaurants will line the square.

“A site is only as good as what you can derive from it. From the council’s perspective they were looking at a scheme that could potentially unlock that site.” With Sainsbury’s on board and the council’s support for the redevelopment of the gas holders element of the site Mr Haywood said there was potential to deliver a scheme that would incorporate residential and leisure and commercial units as well as public realm improvements. He said: “As an area Sutton is still quite good value, I think that is why house builders and developers are now looking at it.” And he believes the current level of interest and investment in Sutton can be sustained.

“You can see it by the schemes coming out of the ground now. You get a snowball effect of private money being put into the area.”

NEWS IN BRIEF ...

Chilli Festival

Cycle to Work Scheme

Sutton’s first awesome Chilli Fiesta spiced up the High Street on Saturday 6th June. The event played host to a variety of the best chilli producers from around the country, selling the very best chilli products around. Many traders served up fiery treats for the local community to try including a chilli BBQ, chilli ice cream and to wash it all down – chilli beer and tequila! Sutton College provided children’s activities including biscuit decorating and maraca making.

NEW HOTEL BOOST TO ECONOMY Hotel chain Premier Inn is coming to Sutton on the back of the town’s regeneration.

If your business is not offering a Cycle to Work scheme to employees, there’s no better time to start. Pearson Cycles is encouraging local businesses to sign up for one of the schemes. The shop supplies company bikes for a number of Cycle to Work providers including cyclescheme. co.uk and Halfords Cycle2Work. To find out more, visit www.pearsoncycles.co.uk/cycle-to-work/

Easter high street farm

Planning permission has been granted for a 127-bed hotel and restaurant on the site of the now closed Sutton Superbowl in St Nicholas Way. The £13million development is seen as a step towards addressing a shortage of hotel accommodation in the town centre and it is hoped it will also boost the night-time economy.

A pop-up petting farm with chickens, goats and piglets, face painting and an Easter egg hunt descended on Sutton town centre on Saturday, April 4. The Enjoy Sutton event proved hugely popular with families and helped to generate extra footfall during the busy Easter weekend.

Under the plans the current three-storey building will be increased to five-stories, with the ground floor converted for restaurant use.

Sutton Young Professionals Group

Sutton is one of a host of new sites acquired by the hotel chain. Acquisitions manager John Rumsey said: “We are proud to be a part of the town centre’s regeneration and keen to play a role in supporting the local economy. We look forward to starting work on site and opening our doors to customers as soon as possible.”

Steven Bannell, WH Matthews & Co, will shortly be launching Sutton Young Professionals Group. The group is intended to give young professionals who work in and around Sutton the opportunity to make connections with their peers in an informal way. The group will be open to all but will primarily focus on those aged 23 – 35 who are just starting their careers and want to develop their contacts in the local area.

Work is expected to start later this year and once open the hotel is expected to generate 70 new jobs.

Meetings will be very relaxed and will be held in one of the many fine pubs/bars in Sutton on an evening after work, once every couple of months. Membership to the group will be free and all members will be invited to help shape the direction of the group.

In total the development will create up to 500 new jobs.

www.developsutton.london

EVENTS ROUNDUP ...

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Quarterly newsletter 2 I June 2015

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NEWS IN BRIEF ...

EVENTS ROUNDUP ...

Brightening up the Borough

St George’s Day Food Fair

The annual search is on for Sutton’s top gardeners and green-fingered enthusiasts who help brighten up the borough. We are proud to be sponsoring the ‘Best Business Frontage’ category in this year’s Sutton in Bloom competition. We would like to encourage the owners of pubs, hotels, leisure facilities and business premises that take pride in their buildings to enter and be recognised for bringing a splash of colour to the neighbourhood with hanging baskets and eye-catching planting schemes. Entry forms can be collected from your local library or downloaded from the Sutton Council website.

Enjoy Sutton Day We are delighted to be working with Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP) to support an initiative aimed at helping some of the most isolated residents to leave their homes. As part of National Falls Awareness Week (June 16-23), SHP is helping people to come to Sutton and enjoy all that it has to offer. In partnership with Transport for London, Sutton Community Transport, Sutton Shop Mobility, NHS Falls Prevention and TaZza coffee shop we will be hosting an advice session on how to use the high street Courtesy Shuttle to enable the residents to get the most out of their trip to the town centre. We will also transport the group to TaZza coffee shop, via the shuttle, for coffee and cake on June 18. Throughout the day there will be advice and mentoring on how to safely use public transport, Sutton Shop Mobility’s wheelchair and motorised scooters, which are available to hire, and how to avoid slips, trips and falls.

Look who stopped by our St George’s Day food fair. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, sampled some of the produce on sale from local suppliers when he visited Sutton High Street in the run-up to the general election. To celebrate St George’s Day, we organised a day of the ‘Best of British’ food and had 20 suppliers pitching their stalls in the town centre. The added attraction of celebrity chef Ed Baines also boosted the popularity of the event. The TV chef’s visit was timed to coincide with the announcement of Sutton’s Best Breakfast competition winner.

The search for Sutton’s best breakfast saw cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants pitted against each other to compete for the title. The competition was widely promoted throughout January, February and March on social media and on the high street, where mascots joined the Successful Sutton team to encourage participation in the competition. Seventeen breakfast providers went head to head in a public vote, with the five finalists mystery shopped by a panel of judges before the winner was chosen.

Does your business success story deserve recognition? The Sutton Business Excellence Awards is an exciting programme developed and organised by Successful Sutton and Sutton Chamber of Commerce to reward and celebrate the borough’s many dynamic and innovative businesses. Launched in March 2015 and culminating with a high profile awards dinner and ceremony in late 2015, the Sutton Business Excellence Award’s has quickly become a major annual event in the Sutton business calendar, providing a fantastic opportunity for companies to network and raise their profile. At a time when Sutton is benefiting from considerable investment and business growth, what better time to showcase your business’s achievements. Register now for your chance to be recognised as one of Sutton’s best businesses.

With a range of categories, there is an award to suit every business…

• Business of the Year • Best Business for Marketing & Social Media • Best SME Business • Best Business for Customer Service • Entrepreneur of the Year • Best Charity or Social Enterprise

• Best New Business • Best Business for Training & Staff Development • Best Leisure & Entertainment Business • Best Independent Retailer • Food & Drink Award • Best Local Business

To register your business, visit: www.suttonbusinessawards.com

Quarterly newsletter 2 I June 2015

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Business Training Programme Throughout the year we run a range of subsidised training programmes and workshops to support businesses in Sutton. Topics include advice on how to turn your business idea into reality, developing a robust business plan, training in social media and marketing. Investing in you and your business is part of our remit to create a vibrant business centre. Courses are free or offered at a discounted rate to levy payers.

Mums Back to Work Programme June 10, 17, 24, July 1, 8, 15 10am-2pm This free six-week back-to-work course is run by Successful Mums in partnership with Successful Sutton. Key topics include updating your CV, interview tips, skills employers are looking for as well as enterprise, social media and marketing. Delegates will be able to offer valuable business skills and transferable skills from parenting. Local employers are invited to meet graduates at the end of the programme to discuss employment opportunities.

Next Steps Programme

Personal Branding for Business

June 12, 19, 26, July 3, 10 and 17 10am-2pm

June 30, September 10 10am-3pm

Have you started a business in the past 12 months? This free six-week programme is aimed at people who may be looking for ideas and structure to develop their business. A range of innovative marketing strategies, enterprising topics and structured action planning will be applied to support you in taking your business to the next level. Other topics will include marketing, business branding, digital and social media, joint ventures, managing cash flow and on and offline networking and starting or revisiting your business plan.

Business Surgeries June 12, July 10, August 5, September 2, September 25, October 3, November 20, December 11 Are you thinking of starting a business? Or are you already in business and looking to expand your operation? If the answer to either of those questions is ‘yes’ then come and talk to us. Our resident business advisor Mike Ellis can offer practical, impartial advice on starting and running a business and the obstacles you may need to overcome. The free one-hour individual appointments will run between 9am and 3pm. mike.ellis@successfulsutton.co.uk

Your ‘Personal Brand’ is an idea or expectation that comes to mind when people think of your business. This one-day workshop will look at how you can create the right brand to attract customers and business opportunities. £10 BID levy payers, £40 non-levy payers.

Business Start-up July 2, September 15 10am-3pm Are you thinking of becoming selfemployed but not sure where to start? This workshop will look at business trends, planning, marketing and how to connect with customers to create a sustainable business model. One-day workshop £10 levy payers, £40 non-levy payers.

Effective speaking & presentation skills July 9, September 17 10am-3pm A one-day workshop designed to equip you with the skills and techniques to enable you to feel confident communicating with large and small groups in order to deliver a clear, concise message. £10 levy payers, £40 non-levy payers.

To book a place on one of our courses please call 020 3282 7198 or email sangi.cunningham@successfulsutton.co.uk

Make time for Marketing & new business June 23, September 22 10am-3pm Who is your customer and how do you get their attention? This workshop, run by Jane Knight, will help you identify your ideal client, why they need your product or service and how to engage them in order to build the ‘know, like and trust’ factor to build your business.

Social Media for Business July 16, September 7 10am-3pm A one-day workshop that will show you how to engage with new customers and build a digital profile. You will be provided with an overview of the key social media platforms, including how to post relevant and interesting content to gain new clients, collaborate with like-minded organisations and develop your business. £10 for levy payers, £40 non-levy payers.

English as a Second Language Intermediate Course September 14, 21, 28 October 5, 12, 19 10.00am-12.00pm Successful Sutton, in partnership with Excel in English, is launching a six-week course aimed at those with English as a second language. The course is geared towards developing English language skills used in a work or business environment. It will cover key language skills, including reading, writing, speaking, listening, pronunciation, and grammar and provide an opportunity to practice speaking English. The course is free to levy payers, £65 for non-levy payers. 020 8722 0280.

Midtown Hub ‘Open House’ Join us on 29th June for refreshments, canapés, and a full guided tour of our co-working space, Mid-town Hub in Times Square. This open house event is a great opportunity to check out our fantastic facilities, meet current guests and find out about our flexible pay-as-you-go prices to hire meeting room space, desks or a business mailbox. We’ll even let you try out our fancy coffee machine. Our open house will run from 8.30am to 5.30pm. For more information on the benefits of co-working in Sutton, visit www.midtownhub.co.uk

Did you know… At the hub we offer an 18 seat capacity meeting room that is available for use by all Hub clients on a pay per use basis. BID levy payers receive preferential rates including refreshments. For more information or to book the meeting room please call 020 8643 9304.

How to get involved W

e are always keen to hear from levy payers who want to become more involved, whether you would like to join the Board, attend a theme group meeting or provide feedback on our activities. As levy payers, you are encouraged to attend our quarterly networking breakfasts, which provide an opportunity to meet other BID members and the Successful Sutton team and Board. Stay up-to-date with our latest news by subscribing to our e-newsletter and following us on Twitter and Facebook. For more information, please visit our websites:

www.successfulsutton.co.uk www.enjoysutton.co.uk

Send us your news for inclusion in future newsletters to:

info@successfulsutton.co.uk

BID Caleurndiadryar:

Sangi Cunningham, business support sccunningham@hotmail.co.uk

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11th June

Delivering & Protecting

16th June

Brighter & Enhancing 25th June

Shop Watch 30th July

Shop Watch 27th Aug

Shop Watch 8th Sept

Brighter & Enhancing 9th Sept

Delivering & Protecting 24th Sept

Successful Sutton Business Improvement District 1, Times Square, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1LF I Tel: 020 3282 7198 I www.successfulsutton.co.uk

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