www.trafford.gov.uk/business

BUSINESS FIRSTTR aFFoRd’S BUSINESS BUllETIN - NoVEMBER 2014

T r a f f o r d – f i r s T f o r B U s i N E s s

It gives me great pleasure to send you the sixth edition of Trafford’s ‘Business First’ bulletin brought to you by Trafford Council.

In this edition you will find articles on the latest business news, support and funding opportunities which I hope you find useful including, the roll-out of high-speed fibre broadband across Trafford, the launch of initiatives to help people with health conditions into employment and a reminder to eligible retail businesses to take up the £1,000 business rate relief scheme.

Consultation on Trafford Council’s budget proposals for 2015/16 has commenced and we are keen to receive feedback from as many businesses as possible. Full information about the proposed budget and feedback is now available on our consultation pages at www.trafford.gov.uk/the-budget-2015-16/the-budget-2015-16.aspx. To support this consultation process, Trafford Council is pleased to invite you to a breakfast briefing at 8.30 am on 28th November at Trafford Town Hall, to provide local businesses with an update

on Trafford Council’s budget proposals for 2015/16. There will also be a presentation by John Ashcroft (Chief Economic Advisor, GM Chamber of Commerce and CEO pro.manchester) on the future of interest rates and the state of Greater Manchester’s economy. If you are interested in attending the consultation event, please email business@trafford.gov.uk

The Council’s Economic Growth team is here to act as a single point of contact for business in the borough. Whether it’s through identifying potential funding opportunities, searching for sites or premises, guiding through available business support provision or supporting new and expanding companies, the Team is ready to help and advise you.

For more information about the support available to businesses, you can follow our Twitter account @TraffordBiz, or look at the business section of the Trafford Council website www.trafford.gov.uk/business. You can contact the team by telephoning 0161 912 4176 or email business@trafford.gov.uk

CoNTENTS P1 Welcome

P2 Business News • Trafford Logs On To High-Speed

Broadband • Calling all Responsible employers! • New University Technical College for

Trafford Employers

P3 Business Support • 10,000 Small Businesses • Business Growth Hub • Creative Industry Business Support

P4 Funding and Finance • The North West Fund for Micro

Loans - £25K to £50k • Pera Technology’s multi-million-

pound innovation funding • Business rate relief – 500 retail

businesses still to take up the scheme!

• Funding from Manchester Metropolitan University to recruit a graduate intern.

P5 Business Spotlight • Altrincham Company Named Small

Business of the Year • Winners at this year’s Altrincham &

Sale Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Awards.

P5 Events Calendar

WElCoME...

Cllr Michael Hyman.

Executive Member

for Economic Growth

And Planning.

BUSINESS NEWS

CallINg all RESpoNSIBlE EMployERS!Trafford Council, together with Big Life Enterprises, Trafford Housing Trust and the Department for Work and Pensions, recently hosted a partnership event for Trafford businesses. The event was attended by over 30 local businesses and support organisations and focused on supporting people with health barriers into employment, the support available to employers and the launch of the Trafford Pro Bono Bank, providing businesses with an opportunity to offer skills and expertise back into the local community

The event also included details about a new employment programme called

Working Well which is being run by Big Life in Trafford. The programme works with people with a health condition to help them get back into, and maintain work by providing a range of health and wellbeing support services. The programme offers employers:-

• bespoke recruitment to businesses• access to job ready clients who are

motivated and have the commitment to work

• in-work support to employers and employees for up to a year

• free consultation and training for employers around staff wellbeing

• excellent PR for the business and a contribution to Corporate Social Responsibility

For more information on Working Well, please call Rebecca Frost, Employer and Engagement Manager on 07815006237 or email Rebecca.frost@thebiglifegroup.com

Further Responsible Employer events are being arranged, if you’d like to find out more or be added to the mailing list, please email business@trafford.gov.uk or phone the Economic Growth team on 0161 912 4176.

www.trafford.gov.uk/business T r a f f o r d – f i r s T f o r B U s i N E s s

More than 2,000 Trafford businesses and homes can now benefit from high-speed fibre broadband rolled out by the £15 million Get Digital Faster programme across Greater Manchester. Over 20 green street cabinets have already gone live across Trafford, including areas within Trafford Park, Broadheath, Altrincham and Sale.

The Get Digital Faster programme, launched in August, will bring high-speed fibre broadband to 45,000 homes and businesses across Greater Manchester (including 7,000 in Trafford) by March 2016. This builds on existing commercial fibre broadband networks already installed by the private sector. BT’s own commercial rollout of fibre broadband has made the high-speed technology available to more than 970,000 North West homes and businesses.

Councillor Michael Hyman, Executive Member for Economic Growth and Planning said:

“It is fantastic news that businesses and households across Trafford will be able to access high speed broadband, thanks to this project. The fact that Trafford Park is one of the first areas to have this available is particularly pleasing as, not only will it support the growth of our existing businesses in the area, but will also assist in improving the attraction of Trafford Park as one of Greater Manchester’s prime business locations.”

From L-R: Cllr Sean Anstee (Leader, Trafford Council); Garry Rooney (Senior Project Manager, BT Group); Angela Hornby (Demand Stimulation Manager, BT Group); Cllr Michael Hyman (Elected Member for Economic Growth & Planning, Trafford Council) Front: Anthony Gaffey (Project Co-ordinator, BT Openreach)

NEW UNIVERSITy TEChNICal CollEgE FoR TRaFFoRd EMployERS The UTC@MediaCityUK is a new school (due to open in September 2015) for 14-18 year olds who have a passion for shaping digital and creative content. GCSE and A level students will develop professional digital and media skills, get hands-on experience in TV & Film, Graphics & Design, Radio & Audio, and Interactive Media & Gaming, and work closely with industry-leading companies.

Employers are fundamental to UTCs. They play a central role in UTCs right from the very beginning to identify business needs and the skills shortages in the local region. Getting involved in UTCs offers employers the opportunity to ensure the next generation has the expertise, employability skills and knowledge needed to meet the future needs of business.

Businesses also benefit from being able to access the high-tech kit and expertise within the UTC, along with a highly skilled future workforce.

For more information please contact Alan Brooks at UTC@MediaCityUK on 0161 312 1515 or email information@utcmediacityuk.org.uk

TRaFFoRd logS oN To hIgh-SpEEd BRoadBaNd

BUSINESS SUppoRT

10,000 SMall BUSINESSES10,000 Small Businesses is a unique training programme, fully funded by Goldman Sachs, to provide leaders of SME businesses with greater access to education, capital and business support services. The programme provides 100 hours of high quality, practical business and management curriculum, delivered over 12 sessions between February 2015 and July 2015 in conjunction

with Manchester Metropolitan’s Centre for Enterprise. Training will be supplemented by one-to-one expert business advice, specialist workshops and a variety of peer learning opportunities, resulting in each delegate developing a personalised business growth plan.

The final deadline for applications is 14th November 2014, with interviews

being held in Manchester on 6th January 2015.

Further information about 10,000 Small Businesses and the application process is available at www.10ksbnw.co.uk

BUSINESS gRoWTh hUB The Business Growth Hub provides a free service for companies who have growth potential. The Business Growth service includes one to one advice from business advisors with sector specialisms and a wealth of experience to help you to implement strategies that will allow your business to grow over the short, medium or long-term. They can integrate a wealth of additional support for growth finance, manufacturing advice and international trade along with skills and management development.

The Business Growth Hub also has a co-investment fund to support one off projects that can demonstrate growth in terms of jobs creation, turnover and profit.

To contact the Business Growth Team please ring 0161 359 3050 or email info@businessgrowthhub.com

www.trafford.gov.uk/business T r a f f o r d – f i r s T f o r B U s i N E s s

CREaTIVE INdUSTRy BUSINESS SUppoRT Creative Industry Finance, a programme that offers business support and finance to boost the development of cultural and creative industries, was launched across England on 23 September 2014. It will offer up to 12 hours of free sector-specific business support for creative enterprises, as well as the opportunity to access loans, starting from £2,500.

Applications will be available online to creative and cultural organisations that have been trading for at least 18 months and are looking for loan finance to support their growth and development.

For further information you can visit www.creativeindustryfinance.org.uk,email info@creativeindustryfinance.org.uk or telephone 020 7759 1114.

FUNdINg aNd FINaNCE

BUSINESS RaTE RElIEF – 500 RETaIl BUSINESSES STIll To TakE Up ThE SChEME!

Over 60 per cent of eligible Trafford high street businesses are already benefiting from the £1,000 business rate relief scheme introduced in April.

With around £1.5m due to be given to businesses during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 financial years, the Council is urging the remaining 500 or so businesses to complete the relevant forms online, so they don’t miss the chance to secure this funding whilst it is still available. You can apply on line at www.trafford.gov.uk/retailrelief.

Eligible premises are those with a rateable value of £50,000 or less, which

are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes and pubs.

In another step towards improving things for businesses, the Council is now encouraging businesses to sign up to Trafford’s Open Access System. Once registered you will be able to view your business rates account on line, view up to date details of your account immediately, check to see if you have been awarded the retail rate relief, see payments you have made and check your balance 24/7. To register for the Open Access System, go towww.trafford.gov.uk/traffordonline.

www.trafford.gov.uk/business T r a f f o r d – f i r s T f o r B U s i N E s s

pERa TEChNology’S MUlTI-MIllIoN poUNd INNoVaTIoN FUNdINg

Pera Technology is searching for small and medium sized engineering and manufacturing firms that are seeking finance to develop new product and process ideas. The competition, that ends on 21st November 2014, provides grants of between £400,000 and £2m to turn new product ideas into commercial prototypes.

Businesses simply need to provide details of their new product idea on Pera Technology’s Horizon 2020 competition website

www.peratechnology.com/h2020comp. Entrants will also be provided with a Non-Disclosure Agreement in order to protect their intellectual property.

The chosen businesses will receive a fully-funded application to the European Union’s Horizon 2020 science and innovation fund. For those businesses that aren’t successful Pera Technology will provide detailed feedback on how best to take their new innovation to the next stage.

ThE NoRTh WEST FUNd FoR MICRo loaNS - £25k To £50k

The North West Fund for Micro Loans is a source of debt/quasi debt investment to assist entrepreneurs wishing to start their own business and existing SMEs looking to grow. It is targeted at businesses in the North West that require finance to achieve their growth plans.

The Fund can lend between £25,000 and £50,000 in a single round. Businesses must demonstrate a strong case for investment and explain how the funding will assist in creating and / or safeguarding jobs. They should also provide a business plan, which must show the business’ vision for growth and its ability to service a loan.

For further information email thenorthwestfund@business-finance-solutions.org.uk or telephone David Martin on 0161 245 4952.

FUNdINg FRoM MaNChESTER METRopolITaN UNIVERSITy To RECRUIT a gRadUaTE INTERNManchester Metropolitan University recently launched GradMatch MMU, a partially funded graduate internship scheme providing up to 100 organisations with £1,000 to put towards a recent graduate’s salary for an 8 week internship. MMU will advertise and promote the internship and identify suitable graduates. The business then employs the graduate direct through their payroll and will need to provide the additional £1,000 to ensure the

graduate is paid the National Minimum Wage. Internships can be in any area as long as the work is graduate level. Interns will start their internships between 24th November 2014 and 12th January 2015. More information about the scheme, including links to the forms to complete to take part, can be found atwww.mmu.ac.uk/careers/gradmatch.

BUSINESS SpoTlIghT

EVENTS CalENdaR

BDB, an international, specialist b2b marketing communications agency based in Altrincham, beat off stiff competition from other Greater Manchester businesses to scoop the Greater Manchester Skills for Business Small Business of the Year award sponsored by Salford Business School. The company’s training manager, Jenny Mason and colleagues picked up the award at an awards ceremony at The Hilton Hotel Manchester Deansgate.

The full-service agency employs 30 people who include sector specialists with an in-depth understanding of science and technology and linguists skilled in communicating across

international markets, including a dedicated team in Asia. Clients remain loyal and have become ambassadors, with 80 per cent of new business gained in the last two years coming from referrals.

Commenting on the award win, Louise Reid, client services director said: “The nomination criteria enabled us to showcase how our learning and development programmes add real financial value to our business. After receiving Investors in Peoples bronze award in 2013, this is further encouragement for us in continuing to focus on our people.”

For a full list of locally held seminars, networking opportunities and master classes, please visit the What’s On section at www.trafford.gov.uk/business

www.trafford.gov.uk/business T r a f f o r d – f i r s T f o r B U s i N E s s

alTRINChaM CoMpaNy NaMEd SMall BUSINESS oF ThE yEaR

CoNTACTEconomic Growth TeamTrafford CouncilTel: 0161 912 4176Email: business@trafford.gov.ukwww.trafford.gov.uk/business

WINNERS aT ThIS yEaR’S alTRINChaM & SalE ChaMBER oF CoMMERCE aNNUal BUSINESS aWaRdS.

Small Business of the Year - Martin Hambleton Photography, Bowdon

Start Up Business of the Year - Trafford Business Connect Magazine

Retailer of the Year - The Zip Yard, Altrincham

Provider of Professional Services - Slater Heelis, Sale

Leisure and Tourism - The Cresta Court Hotel, Altrincham

Business of the Year - The Window Company, Sale