NEWSLETTER SUMMER
Welcome Welcome to the first Successful Sutton newsletter Since the Successful Sutton Business Improvement District was formed in July 2012, through a successful ballot vote, a great deal of work has been put in behind the scenes to establish a BID company, negotiate agreements with the London Borough of Sutton and start work on delivering value for Sutton and its business community. The Successful Sutton board, comprised of local business owners and managers, has worked hard to establish the BID and set the agenda for the company’s priorities in its first year. We collectively hope over the coming months you will start to see a benefit to the high street and to your business. Our first event took place over Easter when 350 children (and their parents) took part in an Easter Egg Hunt in Sutton High Street, and enjoyed face painting, magicians, balloon artists and a bungee trampoline. We are currently planning a large event for the summer period in addition to activities around Halloween and Christmas. This month we are launching our new mixed recycling service for levy payers, offering free and subsidised services to benefit your business and add value to your bottom line. I encourage you all to sign up. During May and June we will also be starting a deep clean of the high street, removing the accumulated dirt and chewing gum. Our contractors will ensure they keep any disruption to a minimum whilst this work is undertaken. Future activities and initiatives are being designed to increase footfall and secure additional investment for Sutton. There is a lot to do, and through our quarterly newsletter I will keep you updated on our activities and progress. Since joining Successful Sutton in February I have met many businesses already, and look forward to engaging with all those businesses I have yet to meet. If you would like to contact me directly, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Ross Feeney, Chief Executive ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk
2013
Mixed recycling service for Levy payers launched Successful Sutton has teamed up with award-winning recycling company First Mile Ltd to save levy payers money by offering a free mixed recycling and cardboard collection service. Yvonne Purdy-Mackey, chair of Successful Sutton, said “During the ballot for a Business Improvement District in Sutton we were continually asked by businesses to set up a waste and recycling service to help companies save money. I am delighted we have been able to do that and encourage all levy payers to take advantage of the service”. First Mile will provide you with Successful Sutton sacks and cardboard stickers. They will make collections Monday to Friday from the kerbside or from wheeled bins. The service will benefit all levy payers regardless of business size or sector. It means that you can now recycle 90% of your waste in one sack while saving money. Successful Sutton has also negotiated reduced prices for our members on additional services from First Mile which include: •Zero to Landfill waste •Food recycling •Confidential paper destruction Whether you want a regular collection or a seasonal ‘top-up’ to an existing contract the First Mile team can help. Simply call First Mile on 0800 612 9894 for further information on how to sign up.
I encourage all levy payers to take advantage of the service. Yvonne Purdy-Mackey, Chairman, Successful Sutton
St Nicholas Centre-based charity, The Vine Project, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Charity Bowling Tournament at Sutton Super Bowl on 30th May between 7pm -11pm. Tickets are £12, with all proceeds going to charity. To book call Timea on 020 8685 6640. Quadrant House-based RBI Visual, a creative video, webcasting and graphics team, within Reed Business Information, is offering its services, at a discounted rate, to BID levy payers. Services include design, branding and webcasting, as well as the creation of animation (2D and 3D). RBI Visual also has a fully equipped HD broadcast standard video studio with autocue and green screen, a professional audio booth and photographic studio. For further information, or to pop in for a coffee and a chat to see the facilities, please contact visual@rbi.co.uk. Job Centre Plus is organising a Meet the Employer event for Sutton and Croydon companies on 4th June at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon. If you have vacancies within your business and would like to take part in the event, interviewing candidates, please contact Eleanor on 020 8726 7968. More information can be found via www.meettheemployer.co.uk. Businesses within the BID area that are below the levy threshold can still benefit from all the services provided by Successful Sutton, including our mixed recycling service, by paying an annual voluntary levy of £100. Our first voluntary levy payer is local taxi firm Meville Cars – 020 8642 3030. If you would like to sign up as a voluntary levy payer please contact us via info@successfulsutton.co.uk. Send us your news for inclusion in future newsletters. Send to: info@successfulsutton.co.uk
High Street Makeover Work has started on a deep clean of Sutton High Street. Working with local firm, Paving Doctor, Successful Sutton has arranged for approximately 10,800 sq m of the high street to be deep cleaned – jet-washed and treated to remove accumulated dirt, grime and chewing gum. Successful Sutton chief executive Ross Feeney said: “I am delighted we are able to start work on cleaning the high street. At over a mile in length it is not possible to clean the whole high street in one hit, but by starting with the ‘grot-spots’ we can start to improve the appearance of the high street which will help attract new shoppers and businesses to Sutton. “Over time we aim to have the whole high street cleaned, and will thereafter be working with the council’s street cleaning team on a continual rota of maintenance and upkeep”. The Paving Doctor team will be in the high street at various times of the day, and will attempt to keep disruption to a minimum. Ross Feeney added “Areas immediately outside shops and offices will be cleaned early in the morning, before opening hours, to avoid disruption, whilst other areas will be cordoned off and cleaned during the day”.
Cycling into Sutton Whether you are driving a car or riding a bike, getting a flat tyre is real frustration. Thanks to Successful Sutton, cyclists coming into Sutton who find they are a running flat will soon be able to use two new bicycle pumps. The heavy duty public bike pumps, which are a modern piece of street furniture, provide cyclists with a convenient facility to pump up deflated tyres. Successful Sutton board member Paul Curtis said “We hope these new pumps will be a well-used and effective addition to the high street and, perhaps, encourage a few more people to cycle into Sutton more regularly”. Housed inside a robust stainless steel body with a solid steel pump handle and an armoured air hose, the pumps are designed to withstand constant public use and vandalism. The pumps are due to be installed by the end of June.
Photo courtesy of www.cyclehoop.com
News
Business Advice Surgeries & Workshops Successful Sutton can now help you start up or grow your business in Sutton through our business support programme. During June, our business advisor, Mike Ellis, will be offering free one-hour consultations to businesses that would like advice on any aspect of their business performance. Dates available are:
For start-ups, there are pre start business clinics, offering advice on turning that great idea into a profitable business. For existing businesses we provide a business review, coaching and consultancy by specialist advisors in key business performance areas to support growth potential.
3rd June 10am – 4pm 10th June 10am – 4pm 24th June 10am – 4pm
We will also be providing a range of business workshops on topics such as: visual merchandising; sales; marketing and social media; business planning; time management; personal branding; and finance. Subsidised one day courses in health and safety and first aid will also be available.
From September we will be offering a comprehensive package that will provide both existing businesses and budding entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, information and advice required to be successful.
Workshops and advice surgeries are provided free of charge to levy paying businesses. For more information email mike.ellis@successfulsutton.co.uk
Opportunity Sutton Business Briefing Successful Sutton is pleased to support the forthcoming Opportunity Sutton business briefing on 23rd May. Levy payers are invited to attend the free event, network with other town centre businesses, and the council’s regeneration and renewal team. Speeches will commence at 6.15pm when Cllr Jayne McCoy, chair of the housing, economy and business committee will share the council’s vision for economic growth in the borough. Successful Sutton’s chief executive Ross Feeney will also outline his plans for 2013/2014. There will also be an opportunity to hear more about the campaign to extend the tram network into Sutton. Date: 23rd May 2013 Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm Venue: Uno Tapas, 19-21 High Street, Sutton, SM1 1DJ Please RSVP to: james@whitelabelconsultants.org.uk
Easter Family Fun Day Our first event took place on Easter Saturday when we organised a family fun day in Sutton High Street. Over 350 children took part in an Easter Egg Hunt, and enjoyed face painting, magicians, balloon artists and a bungee trampoline. Children that took part in the Easter Egg Hunt received a small bag of mini Easter eggs and a certificate. A local produce market kept the adults entertained with an array or produce and specialist foods. Sutton was the only town centre in South London to organise such an event and it brought an estimated additional 1,000 people into the high street, despite the unseasonably cold weather.
Contact us via: 0203 282 7198. For further information please visit www.successfulsutton.co.uk
About Successful Sutton Successful Sutton is a business-led initiative to bring the various business interests in Sutton town centre together to represent a unified voice for the retail, office, leisure and night-time economy sectors through the creation of a Business Improvement District (BID) The Successful Sutton Business Improvement District (BID) went live on 1st October 2012, following a successful ballot in July last year. It is tasked with the delivery of driving forward a powerful and focused agenda for change in Sutton town centre, ensuring a thriving future for Sutton and its businesses. By pooling resources, businesses have the ability to make a significant and lasting change to the area, making it a pleasant, welcoming and attractive place for people to shop and work. This in turn leads to higher footfall, happier employees and ultimately greater profits for all businesses involved. For Successful Sutton a significant priority is to: • work to make Sutton town centre more attractive and welcoming to residents and visitors alike • raise the town centre’s profile though marketing and events • ensure the town centre remains safe and secure Businesses within the BID area with a rateable value above £10,000 contribute to Successful Sutton through a 1% levy on their business rates. Businesses below that threshold can pay a voluntary annual levy of £100.
Meet the Team: Ross Feeney Martin Furtauer-Hayes Mike Ellis
Chief Executive Town Centre Manager Business Advisor
ross.feeney@successfulsutton.co.uk martin.fh@successfulsutton.co.uk mike.ellis@successfulsutton.co.uk
Meet the Board: Yvonne Purdy-Mackey Chairman
Times Square Shopping Centre
Nick Mallett Company Secretary
Tazza Coffee
Steve Hall Nuala Lynch Ann Saunders
SM1 Print Riva Bingo Crown Agents
Paul Curtis Mark Allis Monica Tyler Mandy Cherrington David Guy Richard Warrender Mike O’Connor Superintendent Phil Willis
Sutton Superbowl Sutton Music Centre The Vine Project London Borough of Sutton WH Matthews & Co S Warrender & Co Melville Cars Metropolitan Police
Get involved...
The Successful Sutton Board is always keen to hear from businesses that want to help shape the future of the town. Whether you would like to join the board, attend a theme group meeting, or just provide feedback on our activities, we would like to hear from you. Theme groups are sub-groups of the main board that determine how our annual budget is allocated and spent. Theme group areas include: Enhancing Sutton; Delivering Value; Protecting Sutton and Brighter Sutton. Meetings are chaired by a board member and open to any levy-paying business to attend.
Meetings take place every 6 – 8 weeks. For more information please contact Ross Feeney.