Boost Your Business is back!
Running a business is tough. Running a business during a recession is even tougher, which is why Bromley Council is once again teaming up with Business Link in London, and a number of other business support agencies, to help you make the most of new opportunities in 2010.

Further to the success of the Boost Your Business events last year, the borough wide Boost Your Business event is taking place on Thursday 18th March at the Churchill Theatre, with the aim of being bigger and better than last year's. Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity to find out what help is available for your business. To book your place go to the online booking form alternatively visit the Business Pages of the Council website to find out more. 

FSB calls for major conference to better prepare the country for snow
Following weeks of bad weather which is estimated to have cost the UK economy at least £600m a day, the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) wants to see discussion between local authorities, transport and salt mining companies, schools and the business community, among others, to find solutions to deal with adverse weather. Read the FSB call to action. 

For an alternative viewpoint a recent BBC online article has suggested that snow has its advantages for some sectors of the economy - sales of warm clothing, sledges, soup, duvets and snow tyres are all up and people are stocking up on extra food to see them through the cold spell. Potentially the snows good and bad economic effects may well cancel each other out. Read the full article here.

New Business Births and Deaths in 2008
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published 'Business demography 2008: enterprise births, deaths and survival', a statistical bulletin which shows that in 2008 there were 270,000 new businesses created in the UK, a 'birth rate' of 11.6%, a decrease on 2007. There were over 2.3m active businesses in the UK, an increase of 46,000 from 2007, and London had the highest business birth and death rates at 15.0% (59,000) and 10.3% (40,000), respectively.  Bromley had 12,400 active enterprises at the end of 2007.  In 2008 1,555 new businesses were started in the borough (a birth rate of 12.2%) and 1,220 enterprises ceased to trade in the same year (a death rate of 9.5%). Follow the link to view the full statistical bulletin online.

More recent unofficial figures (from Experian data) suggest that the number of business start-ups in Bromley is on the up. Figures show that there were 101 start ups from July -September last year compared with just 58 during the same quarter in 2008.

New Public Safety CCTV Camera Installation
Following recent consultations, approval was given to install two new CCTV cameras within Bromley Town Centre. These cameras will provide an additional capacity for the Council to tackle crime and disorder. The cameras will be sited at the northern end of Bromley High Street - between the two junctions of Harmony Way; and West Street/East Street - on the traffic island at the junction.

In addition to tackling crime and disorder, the Council is keen to ensure that traffic can flow freely, that road safety is not compromised and loading bays are kept clear for deliveries, etc. Therefore, in support of this aim, the cameras will also be used for bus lane and parking enforcement purposes.

Please advise your customers to check the signs and lines very carefully before parking, as contraventions may be recorded by CCTV or a Civil Enforcement Officer and as a result, a Penalty Charge Notice may be issued.

If you need advice about parking, please contact Bromley's Parking Team on 020 8461 7702, or e-mail them at parking@bromley.gov.uk. Alternatively, if you have queries about community safety, please contact the Community Safety Team on 020 8461 7915, or e-mail communitysafety@bromley.gov.uk.

Consider time for training
From 6 April 2010, approximately 11 million employees in Great Britain will have a new right to request 'time to train'. This will be extended to cover employees in all businesses from 6 April 2011. Employees' requests can be to undertake accredited programmes leading to a qualification, or for unaccredited training to help them develop specific skills relevant to their job, workplace or business. While employee requests may involve agreeing time away from their duties, the primary focus of the new right is about agreeing relevant training with your staff.

As an employer, you are required to consider any requests and respond within a set timeframe. You can turn down requests when you have a good business reason to do so, including where you do not believe the training will help improve business performance. The new right closely follows the model used for agreeing requests under the flexible working arrangements. Visit the Business Link in London website for help and information on how to deal with requests and to understand businesses responsibilities under the new right, and the responsibilities of your employees.

Want to help set standards for Bromley Council?
Bromley Council is committed to demonstrating high standards of conduct, including openness, accountability and integrity. With a Standards Committee (of five councillor's and five independent members, and chaired by an independent member) who are responsible for promoting and maintaining these standards with both officers and councillors and hearing complaints against councillors.

The Council has recently been short listed for a prestigious local government award for its work on standards and ethics, but aiming to build on this next year, they are looking deeper at areas such as partnership and contract ethics.

The Council needs to fill two of the independent member vacancies. Further information and an application pack for the independent member vacancies is available on the Council website. Anyone who feels they fit the person specification and wants to use the skills they have developed in a business setting to play an active role in steering the Council forward on these issues - please apply. The closing date for applications is Friday 12th February 2010; with interviews for short listed candidates on Monday 8th March 2010.

CompeteFor - Latest Opportunities
Visit the CompeteFor website to view the latest 2012 Olympic opportunities for businesses.

HSBC South London Business Awards 2010
Bromley businesses are being encouraged to register for the 2010 South London Business Awards, in association with HSBC. The awards are open to any company located in one or more of the twelve London Boroughs south of the River Thames.

Over 575 people attended the awards ceremony last year. Fifty Two companies made it to the finals, with each London borough represented. Two Bromley-based companies won awards in 2009, including the Crystal Palace Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Centre, which took home the award for Best Business for Training and Development. Company director Stuart Paterson said 'It is fantastic for the company to get this recognition. Through recognition in awards such as these, it helps us improve the profile of our company, increases staff morale and builds our confidence in the potential of our business to grow in the future'. (Source: South London Business Magazine, Issue 19, Jan/Feb 2010) To find out more visit www.slbawards.co.uk.  

Money available to help pay for business advice
Up to £500 in Council grants is being made available to businesses that require specialist advice to help them survive and thrive in 2010. The money is being offered to help businesses based in the borough of Bromley who may not have the ability to pay the full cost of business consultancy advice.

Businesses hoping to take advantage of the scheme will first need to have a free one-to-one advice session with Business Link in London, and then be referred to the scheme by a Business Link adviser. The scheme is designed to pay up to 50% of the costs of additional specialist advice which Business Link in London recommends as a result of the business review. Businesses applying for the scheme will need to be prepared to pay a minimum of 50% towards the costs of the specialist advice.

Regular Business Link in London advice surgeries are held every two weeks at Bromley College (Rookery Lane, Bromley, BR2 8HE). Alternatively, you can book for an adviser to visit your business. For further information, and to book a free advice session please call 0845 6000 787. Alternatively you can visit the Business Link in London website and request a call back from an adviser.

Thyme Out - Can you offer work or a placement?
The Thyme Out project run by Bromley Field Studies Centre, aims to improve the independence and life chances of participants with learning disabilities by providing horticultural training to gain experience and qualifications, as well as basic work skills, literacy and numeracy. The three year project is funded by £308,320 of Big Lottery funding, with match funding from Bromley Council and other agencies. As well as practical work, Thyme Out participants each work for 18 months, interacting with the public with demonstrations, tours and open days.

The Thyme Out group are also responsible for the care and maintenance of the landscape and grounds around Bromley Civic Centre which include formal lawns, flower beds, shrubberies, footpaths, car parks, woodland and a lake.

Working in partnership with Jobmatch Bromley, the project is looking at progression routes in the form of placements and work opportunities for team members. If your business has a working opportunity for one of our Thyme Out participants please contact the Thyme Out team on: 020 8313 4057 or email the Bromley Field Studies Centre manager: Louisa.Allen@bromley.gov.uk.  

Free help to cut your carbon foot print
Global Action Plan are an award-winning charity who offer a mix of creativity and environmental expertise to help you actively cut your carbon emissions. They work with small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in London to help them achieve greater profits and productivity whilst reducing costs and environmental impacts.

Offering up to five days FREE expert environmental advice for SMEs, businesses will receive specialist support, tailored to the individual organisation's needs. Benefits for your business include:
- Reduced running costs
- Manage your carbon footprint
- Reduce your environmental impacts

They also offer free training sessions, including Staff Engagement and Understanding Environmental Management Systems (EMS). In addition, they can provide low-cost training to enable you to easily implement an EMS to an international standard. For more information please call 020 7420 4439 or email businesssupportlondon@globalactionplan.org.uk.

AOB 1230 The Women's Company networking event - 16/03/10

Boost Your Business: Making the most of new opportunities - 18/03/10

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The Bromley Business E-bulletin is disseminated freely to Bromley businesses and business support agencies. Our aim is to help Bromley businesses get the assistance and information they need to thrive. If you have any information for future e-bulletins such as a business support event you are holding, you can advertise it here free of charge. Please contact us at business@bromley.gov.uk to make the most of this valuable promotional opportunity.

We would also like to hear from you if you have any comments or suggestions about how we can make the E-Bulletin even more useful.

Disclaimer: Please note the editor has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this e-bulletin, but we cannot always verify the authenticity of information that we receive from other organisations or individuals contained in the notices that we circulate within the Bromley Business E-bulletin. Readers should therefore independently satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of any information set out in such notices, as Bromley Council will not accept any liability for inaccuracies contained in the information provided.

For enquiries please contact: Miriam Dennis, Economic Development Assistant, Local Economy and Regeneration, London Borough of Bromley, A67 Ann Springman Building, Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley, BR1 3UH. Tel: 020 8313 4880 Website: www.bromley.gov.uk/business