Further tranches of businesses have reopened now or will be doing so soon, and, with luck,
from 25 July sports facilities and venues such as indoor gyms, fitness and dance studios, indoor swimming pools and indoor water parks will be permitted to open. Amongst the almost daily changes is the requirement that everyone should wear face coverings in shops and confined spaces as well as on public transport.
Encouraging people to visit all of these businesses is not quite so easy, so t
o help stimulate business the government announced a reduction in VAT rates for hospitality businesses, and also announced the
Eat Out To Help Out Campaign
. Cafes, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants who register for this can offer a discount of 50% up to £10 per head against the cost of food and non alcoholic drinks on Monday to Wednesday between 3 and 31 August. The venue then claims the difference from the Government. A number of Chamber Members are already advertising that they are offering this discount.
Here is a link to the
MVDC website
where they have listed everything you could want or need for restarting in one place. The different headings lead to the relevant sections of the advice contained on the Gov.uk website. This link is also on the Home Page of our website. For those looking for signage, screens etc., Chamber Member Kall Kwik Leatherhead has developed a wide range in a number of colourways. Our videos of the Risk Assessment and Working Safely During Covid-19 and HR Considerations session featured in previous newsletters are still available on our
YouTube channel
and continue to be added to weekly.
MVDC has commissioned The Retail Group to run webinars aimed to support businesses in these times. This will comprise 'drop in' Q&A webinars specifically aimed at individual sectors:
Wed 22 July, 6pm: Retail follow-up to reopening on 15 June 2020;
Thurs 23 July, 8am: Close contact businesses - hairdressers, barbers, nail bars and beauty salons.
NB:
If you missed the Hospitality businesses webinar on 16 July, you can access a recording from MVDC
This is the perfect opportunity to receive informed advice from experts, which could really help your business; whether you have reopened, planning to, or yet to receive to go-ahead. As before, The Retail Group is also offering the opportunity to have a friendly, informal, one-to-one chat with one of their experts on a first come first served basis. To sign up to the webinars, or if you have any queries, please email
businessrecovery@molevalley.gov.uk
.
On Wednesday we held our regular monthly Virtual Breakfast: Expanding Your Network and a Special Opportunity for our Newest Members. Some 40 Members and guests registered, and 14 new Members used the 2/3 minute slots to introduce themselves and their businesses. Everyone else then had their usual 60-second opportunity to do so. This was so successful that we are repeating the same format for our next Virtual breakfast on Wednesday 19
th
August. All new Members are reminded to book both the event
and also their 2-3 minute slot with
Kerry-Anne Kitson
. After the introductions, there will be a chance to ask any questions, followed by the regular one minute speed round of all other Members.
Wednesday 22 July sees our next Virtual Coffee event,
Restart Your Business Session 8: Plan | Implement | Succeed
– to successfully make the changes you want in your business!
Most businesses heading into the ‘new normal’ are likely to want to make changes to what used to pass as their version of Business As Usual; whether this is to allow for Covid-19 business practice or to allow for changes in their marketplace or customer footfall. Irrespective of what one wishes to change, some thought has to be given to what changes are needed and how they will be Implemented to ensure that the outcome results in success.
Please see below for all Event details and booking links.
A reminder from MVDC that every business open should have carried out a Risk Assessment and completed and be displaying the blue Staying Covid-19 Secure in 2020
notice
prominently on a door or window. Please be careful with putting out A-boards!
Remember that one of the challenges for all businesses as they reopen is to get the message out that they have done so, and to reassure customers that they are safe to use and operating in accordance with Government guidelines! How are you getting this message out there? If by using social media, then as a Chamber we will support you in terms of liking, sharing, commenting or retweeting as appropriate, and please do the same for other local business and the Chamber posts!
Be sure to look at the Members Offers & Discounts page on our website. Surrey Hills Community Radio has an excellent offer for advertising at the moment and is open to interviews with our Members too! If you have an offer out there or wish to promote something special please do send details to
Kerry-Anne
. We are also now publicising job opportunities for Chamber Members, so please let us have any sits vacant too!
It is always great to receive feedback from our Members, and thank you to Elizabeth Treliving from Home Cooking by Elizabeth, who thanked the Chamber for the support given to her and other Members in our informal Caterers’ group, which has been helping with information regarding the rules being applied to the businesses involved. We hope to add an interest group for Retailers shortly, and another for Professional Services. Further suggestions for such groups and offers to help with these please to
Jeremy Webb
.
