Open For Business March 2014

March 2014

OPEN FOR BUSINESSSouth Cambridgeshire

In this edition

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Opportunities to raise the profile of your business

Road closures announced

ahead of Le Tour visit

Issue 2

Have you registered to benefit from faster broadband?

£1billion boost for local economyBusinesses are welcoming Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s announcement to back a City Deal which could unlock £1billion of investment for the Greater Cambridge area. The Deal aims to secure hundreds of millions of pounds of additional funding for investment in transport infrastructure needed to support high quality economic and housing growth over the coming decades. It follows more than a year of negotiations with central Government by Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, The University of Cambridge and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership. In addition to funding for transport, the Deal would see the three councils pooling some of their own funding and powers, and working more closely to create a single strategic vision for the future of the area covered by Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire. Members from all three Councils will consider the details of the proposed Deal over the coming weeks. Cllr Martin Curtis, the County Council leader, said: “It could be a real game-changer, moving the economy of ‘greater Cambridge’ and the wider county towards becoming a real economic powerhouse. The improvements will see a step-change in transport infrastructure that will create jobs and boost the local economy. The success of this will also be felt outside the Cambridge area so all our communities benefit.” Cllr Ray Manning, leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “This funding could prove to be a vital piece of the jigsaw in delivering the roads and transport links needed to support thousands of new jobs being created, as well as much-needed high quality housing for the area.”The deal will be discussed by the local authorities at meetings over the coming weeks.

Still time to book on to latest series of business workshops

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South Cambridgeshire - OPEN FOR BUSINESS

We hope you enjoyed our launch edition of Open For Business in January and found the articles informative and helpful.

We have received positive feedback already as well as suggestions to help shape future editions. Please keep your comments coming, together with any specific local issues or business needs you would like to see discussed. Email [email protected] In this edition, we welcome the news delivered by the Chancellor in his budget announcement, confirming the Government’s decision to award £500m to greater Cambridge to fund critical investment in infrastructure, housing and transport. This will undoubtedly support the economic growth of the area. We highlight great local sponsorship and stallholder opportunities at our annual Parklife event for those of you looking to raise your public profile. If you haven’t already done so, check out the latest series of workshops on offer from our Business Support Service. Places are still available to book and, in response to your feedback, we have added two new workshops that focus specifically on sustainability for rural-based businesses. We observe a national rise in female business owners and look at local entrepreneur Julie Deane of the Cambridge Satchel Company whose business, started from her kitchen table, has become the seventh fastest growing private company in the UK. Finally, we share the planned road closures ahead of Le Tour 2014 to help you prepare for minimum disruption.

Cllr Nick WrightCabinet member for planning and economic development

Welcome

Looking to raise your local profile, reach thousands of potential customers and demonstrate your commitment to the local community? South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge Sports Lakes Trust are inviting local businesses to sponsor their annual Parklife event in return for an attractive promotional package. Parklife is an annual free family fun day held at Milton Country Park. Last year it drew crowds of over 5,000 local people and, as the district’s main Tour de France celebration, expects to be bigger and better this year, giving you exposure to a massive slice of your target market through one event. There are a range of sponsorship packages and stallholder opportunities to suit all budgets that will help you promote your business, and connect with your target market both in the lead up to and during the event. Parklife gives visitors the opportunity to try a range of sports with a view to inspiring them to be more active and improve their health and wellbeing. Exclusive to this year’s event, to mark the arrival of the Tour de France on 7 July, is the special addition of a cycling village as well as a dedicated Commonwealth Games area and a World Cup arena. The all-inclusive family event also features an entertainment stage showcasing local talent, a host of stalls selling local produce, and exhibitions and displays from local groups. For more information on sponsorship and stallholder opportunities,

visit www.scambs.gov.uk/parklife or contact Kirsty Human on [email protected] or

01954 713297

Sponsorship and stallholder opportunities

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Sawston Company benefits from Destination DigitalMichael Moody is an entrepreneur, who set up SOLCAMB Ltd in September 2013 to provide businesses with bespoke software development solutions for desktop and mobile applications, and web services. Michael is keen to use the free business support, the connectivity voucher and the 40% discount for digital products available through the new Destination Digital scheme to accelerate the growth of his home-based company in Sawston. Among the first to register his interest in the scheme, Michael has already met with one of the Destination Digital advisers to discuss how he can improve his business plan and help other small businesses to make the most of digital technologies. Michael said: “I am very excited about Destination Digital beacause it can help me to target my business and develop a marketing plan. To design bespoke solutions for my customers I need a device for every platform, which is an expensive outlay, so getting a grant will help my money go further. For some of my clients the grant can make the difference between starting a project or not, and enables any project’s scope to be expanded using the fund.” The 40% matched-funding will help to subsidise our own investment into the hardware and software we need to expand our offerings. This includes purchasing servers to run our cloud-based solutions and obtaining mobile devices to develop, test and demonstrate our cross-platform mobile offerings. The connectivity voucher will help us to deliver business class cloud services on premises, which will reduce our overheads and enable new areas for us to compete in such as data synchronisation, CRMs and hosting.

Businesses can find out more and register fo rthe scheme at www.destinationdigital.info or by calling 01223 706123.

Michael Moody, Managing Director of SOLCAMB Ltd

Reduce your National Insurance contributions by up to £2,000 a yearThe Employment Allowance was announced at Budget 2013 and comes into effect from 6 April 2014.

The Employment Allowance allows businesses and charities to reduce their Class 1 Employer National Insurance Contributions bill by up to £2000 each year. The Government estimates that up to 1.25 million businesses and charities nationally will benefit from Employment Allowance. Around 450,000 businesses and charities won’t have to pay any employer National Insurance contributions at all. You won’t have to pay any employer National Insurance contributions if you usually pay less than £2,000 a year. There is a useful Employment Allowance calculator now available online to help you see how the allowance could affect your contributions. Please visit: www.employmentallowance.com/allowance-calculator

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New local business rate relief schemes and national business rate administration changesIn South Cambridgeshire, there are a number of new and important changes to your business rates:

1. From 1 April 2014, if the rateable value on occupied retail premises (shops, restaurants, cafes and drinking establishments) is less that £50,000 then you may qualify for financial support of £1,000 per year.

2. If a retail property has been vacant for more than 12 months, the new occupier can claim a discount of 50% of the rates payable for the first 18 months.

3. For those who are currently in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) and taking on a second property, the SBRR can be retained for 12 months which would have previously been lost.

For further information on business rate relief schemes in South Cambridgeshire and how to apply, please visit www.scambs.gov.uk/business-rates Nationally, a review of the administration of business rates has been announced by the Treasury and the Department for Communities and Local Government. The overall aim of the review is to make business rates more accurately reflect current property values and to improve the simplicity and transparency The review will look at: How your bills are issued and how the funds are collected Existing reliefs and exemptions Communication between local councils and ratepayers Existing rules regarding the backdating of liability Valuation methods (Business Rates are based on property values) The frequency of re-evaluationsIt will not review the link between business rates and rental property values. Any changes made as a result will take effect post - 2017.

In response to customer feedback, the introduction of Real Time Information penalties for late filing and late payment is to be postponed, HMRC has announced. The penalties, which were due to be in place from April 2014, will now be introduced in October 2014 and April 2015 respectively. In addition, a new face-to-face support service for customers who need help with their taxes, tax credits and child benefit entitlements will be rolled out across the UK by HMRC in May 2014. The new ‘one-stop-shop’ will provide expert advisers to resolve a range of issues on the phone, in depth, in one go. It will also provide mobile adviser support at a range of convenient locations for those who need a face-to-face appointment. The phone advisers will be able to bring HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) experts together in a single call to resolve multiple issues, without transferring customers around different parts of HMRC to different advisers who each deal with a separate issue. For those who need a personal appointment, HMRC’s mobile advisers will meet them at a range of venues – from government and community buildings to a person’s own home or business – at a time that suits them. Following the launch of the new service, the current HMRC Enquiry Centre Network will close.

HMRC: Changes to Real Time Information Rules and New Tax Support Service

Continuing the success of the South Cambridgeshire Business Support Service, we launched another programme of business workshops this month. Delivered by Exemplas on behalf of South Cambridgeshire District Council, the half-day workshops have been specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses in the local area and cover a range of topics including improving profit, finding and winning new contracts and maximising market awareness. The subsidised workshops will cost £10 (+VAT) to attend and are available to anyone running or thinking of starting a business in a South Cambridgeshire postcode area. After each workshop attendees will be able to access business support provided by experienced Business Advisers by telephone, email or online via Skype at no additional cost.

On 19 March, the first workshop - how to find and keep customers - took place. This is what some of the delegates had to say:

“The trainer was very knowledgeable and delivered a well structured, informative workshop. It was great to see such diverse businesses attending, in terms of size, sector and subject level, and especially the number of female business owners.”Nathalie Cameron, Cambridge Publishing Management, Caldecote

“I found the workshop extremely informative. The trainer was like a walking talking library of marketing data. I have already started to use some of the recommendations that she talked about.”Maureen Cintract, Aromatise, Linton

“The workshop gave me insights and fresh ideas into how I can market my business. The trainer was dynamic and tailored examples to our personal situations. I left feeling more confident in my abilities and much more aware of marketing possibilities.”Sophie Whiffen, Little Rainbow Books, Haslingfield

“I thought the course was outstanding. The trainer had a very clear style and ability to simplify a complex range of subjects and was also refreshingly practical.”Martin Wooler, Rainmaker, Melbourn

How to find and keep customers

Explore how to find new customers and keep them coming back

Wed 7 May Over Community Centre

How to manage money and make a profit

Take control of your business by increasing your financial awareness

Mon 7 April Cambourne Council Offices

How to recruit and employ people - the basics

An overview of the basics of finding and employing staff for the first time

Fri 28 March Cambourne Council Offices

How to improve your profit

Take a refreshed look at your business and make positive changes to your profits

Tues 3 June All Saints Community Hall, Melbourn

How to find and win new contracts

Identify new opportunities and improve your chances of winning contracts

Wed 14 May Fulbourn Centre

How to plan for success - business planning

Preparing and reviewing a business plan to help your business succeed

Wed 30 April Fulbourn Centre

Thu 12 June Cambourne Council Offices

How to maximise market awareness – via websites and social media

Understand what type of web presence is right for your business and how to use it for maximum impact

Thu 3 April Cambourne Council Offices

Thu 22 May Over Community Centre

Workshops for local firms

To ensure that all delegates receive the maximum benefit from our workshops, spaces are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. For more information on the workshop programme visit www.exemplas.com/southcambsTo book your place, please call 0844 346 0755 or email:[email protected]

South Cambridgeshire - OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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Sustainability for rural- based business

Tools and techniques to enable your rural-based business to grow and thrive in difficult times

Wed 28 May Tillage Hall Waterbeach

Thurs 19 June St Mary’s Community Hall Sawston

Workshop programmeThe following workshops are now available to book:

Tour de France Road closure update

On Monday 7 July we’ll experience a day like no other when the spectacle of Le Tour de France takes to our streets.

Businesses, residents and tourists alike will inevitably feel the impact of such a large sporting event. To help as many people as possible to prepare for and enjoy this unique day in Cambridge’s history, and to keep disruption to a minimum, advanced warning of road closures is being made available.

The first road closures in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire to be announced are:

Parkers Piece, Gonville Place and Parkside Closed from 5.30pm on Sunday 6 July to prepare for the race start

Regent Street, St Andrew’s Street, Sidney Street, Bridge Street, King’s Parade and Trumpington Street Closed from 4am on Monday 7 July to clear the route

Park Terrace, Parker Street, Emmanuel Road, Victoria Avenue, Jesus Lane, Drummer Street, Emmanuel Street and Lensfield Road. Closed from 4am on Monday 7 July to clear direct links to the route

Trumpington Road and the A1301 From 7am on Monday 7 July to clear the route as it leaves Cambridge

These closures will remain in place until 3pm on Monday 7 July when a phased reopening will begin, with the last roads in the heart of Cambridge expected to open by 6pm.

Closed roads will need to be clear of all public vehicles prior to closure. Pedestrian access will still be available through stewarded crossing points.

Once roads are closed, teams will begin preparing the route - putting in place the necessary infrastructure to ensure a clear path for the Tour’s

cyclists and support vehicles, and the safe movement of spectators. Cambridgeshire County Council and Cambridge City

Council are continuing to work with Tour organisers, as well as the team behind the traffic and crowd management for London

2012, to develop plans for the roads that access the route. An announcement on this work is expected later in spring.

Detailed information regarding the impact of the event will continue to be released through leaflets, roadshows and

events as well as online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/letourstage3 and www.cambridge.gov.uk/le-tour-cambridge

Information will also be made available via Facebook at www.facebook.com/LeTourCambridge

and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LeTourCambridge

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The Grand Départ will start in Leeds on 5 July and finish with a sprint in to Harrogate. A stage of iconic climbs, starting in York and finishing in Sheffield, will follow on 6 July. Stage three will start at Parker’s Piece, Cambridge on 7 July, passing through Essex before finishing in London on The Mall. Exact details of the route can be found online at www.letour.yorkshire.com

Editorial informationThis newsletter is produced for local businesses by South Cambridgeshire District Council.Editorial enquiries should be emailed to [email protected] The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of South Cambridgeshire District Council. All data is accepted in good faith at the time of going to press.

Counting the costs of recent flooding As businesses continue to recover after the recent floods, a Federation of Small Business (FSB) survey has recently revealed that small firms in affected areas lost more than three quarters of a billion pounds. The average cost was £1,531 per business amounting to a total of £831 million. If your business has been adversely affected by the recent bad weather then the HMRC has just launched a new telephone helpline to support you. The helpline will enable anyone affected to get fast, practical help and advice on a wide range of tax problems they may be facing. These will include: Payment by installment arrangements where taxpayers are unable to pay as a result of the floods

A practical approach when individuals and businesses have lost vital records to the floods

Suspending debt collection proceedings for those affected by the floods

Cancelling penalties when the taxpayer has missed statutory deadlines

The helpline is 0800 904 7900. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm; Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 4pm, excluding bank holidays

Open For Businessseeks project support officer

The Open for Business team will shortly be advertising for a project support officer. We are looking for someone with the drive, determination and experience to coordinate our business support projects. The successful candidate will manage and develop our business register, ensuring we remain very much open for business. There will be the opportunity to work with commercial enterprises, external agencies and the wider community at an exciting time of growth. If this sounds like an opportunity you have been waiting for, look out for the advert, which will appear on our website soon - www.scambs.gov.uk/job-vacancies

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Local Flood Support - In South Cambridgeshire, extra support is now available for businesses in the district that have been severely affected by the adverse weather conditions. Business Rates Flooding Relief of 100% for three months could be available to eligible organisations. In addition, if we can demonstrate a need locally, South Cambridgeshire District Council may be able to obtain money from the Government to provide grants to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that have sustained hardship and significant loss of trade as a result of the floods, to implement business recovery plans. Please visit www.scambs.gov.uk/flood-support-schemes for further information on eligibility for both local schemes and to make applications.