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August 2011 About Us - Up Date
If you have taken the time to read through our first article on how everything started back in October 2002 we thought it would be a good idea to bring you up to date on our progress and highlight some of our achievement’s since beginning our first BID term in April 2006.
In the autumn of 2006 we were approached by the local authority to apply for some grant funding available through the London Development Agency. The BID board decided at a meeting that it would be good idea to apply as if successful it would make a major difference here and would greatly assist our plans for the regeneration programme much needed here.
We were required to write a BID document to present to the LDA ensuring our BID was looked upon as a sound investment of public monies, we were advised by the local authority to employ a professional company to carry out this task.
We spent 3 months putting all the information together and finally submitted our document in December 2006, we heard that there had been over 800 applications for the funding available.
In February we received a letter informing us that we had been granted the full amount of money that we had applied for £346 k, we were one of 67 applications who had been successful .
So now the work really began, the funding was to be allocated over a 3 year period and would include some new projects, we had set targets to meet every month and were monitored by the LDA on a regular basis, to ensure we were acting correctly. The HBP were able to help Match Fund the projects by a total of £105k, making the total project £451k.
Over the 3 year period we had no major issues with the LDA re our work here; we completed all the necessary Outputs and spent every penny of the money. During that period we were able to improve so many aspects of the Business Park, including security, signage, landscaping, inter- company trading, staff training and student work placement for a two week period on the Park.
During 2008 we were visited 3 times by Dutch business leaders, MPs and council members as the Government in Holland were very keen to introduce BIDs into Holland. These visits were very successful and highlighted our success story to another European country.
Our sponsors continued to gain confidence with the ever increasing numbers of business owners attending our Networking Events, which have allowed businesses to inter trade at a much higher level than ever before, someone attending always gets a job or a contact for the future which nearly always leads to a business transaction, something this estate never had in the past.
In March this year we had a group of lady entrepreneurs visiting London from East Africa, they were representing 40,000 SME from their various countries, including Tanzania, Uganda, they were keen to see how a BID company works and we were very pleased when they took up our invitation through the LBR to attend our Networking Event, they arrived with a camera man and filmed the whole event, which on their return home was shown to their members.
Another first for the HBP being promoted in East Africa !!
In December 2009 at a board meeting we made a decision to go for another 5 year BID term, it would take at least 12months to reach the voting process in February 2011.
We sent our various surveys and questionnaire’s to ascertain how the businesses felt about going forward into another 5 year term, and would they be prepared to pay an increase in their Levy payments to continue with the regeneration work and become more self-sustainable.
The response from the members was indeed very much in favour of going forward as they did not want to go back to the ways things were here several years ago. So with the financial support from the local authority we moved forward into our BID Campaign.
As the overall investment by the business owners, landlords, local authority and government agencies during the last 5 years would have been wasted, with no more CCTV coverage, no point of contact, and no more improvements.
When it came to the votes cast we returned the highest percentage in favour 95%, with 97.7% rateable value in favour for votes cast, this return says a lot for the work ourselves and financial support the local authority have put into the area during the last few years.
Sponsorship of the Business Park has continued to be successful throughout the first BID term and indications are that more sponsors are looking to join us in the months ahead. The board are always looking for sponsors that can offer the businesses here a professional service at a realistic price with good after sales service.
There are always opportunities through our sponsors to save money, through insurance, banking and security and now even Solar Panels.
We are continuing to offer various aspects of staff training when possible to members, this has again been very popular to members as it is FREE, and the places go very quickly.
Three years ago we started Free recycling services on a weekly basis to members for paper and cardboard this service again is saving companies money.
Our HBP web site is increasingly becoming more popular with members for advertising , general information and to offers from businesses.
We have recently started a “Green Business” award scheme which the London Borough of Redbridge has introduced to businesses here who wish to receive this accreditation for their company in an ever increasing global environmental market.
We also have been able to promote BIDs to other Business Parks, and are always being contacted by those who are keen to hear our story and want our advice.
We will hope to continue our work until March 2016, the current economic climate makes it very difficult to find funding to assist our work here but we will endeavour to find financial support wherever we can on behalf of the members.
Our story goes on and on we have good days and bad ones, but even this week when all riots where happening around the country through our connections with the businesses here we could email advice and information relating to protecting their property, all gratefully received.
Our CCTV system again was involved with property protection as the control centre picked up youths on the Park and acted swiftly by alerting the Police who responded with a visit here to disperse the possible trouble makers.
Who knows what might have happened if the VOTE had been NO earlier this year!!!
I thought it would be only correct to mention the directors of the BID Company who give their time and advice to ensure we are progressing and working to benefit the members in the best way possible.
We have always worked as a team, and that is probably the reason we have been successful in obtaining two 5 year BID terms, it takes a lot of hard work by all concerned to gain the confidence of business owners. We have always liaised with the Met Police and the local authority and their various departments, and used their advice and views on many matters, and will continue to do so in the future.
In reading this maybe you are thinking about trying to become a BID or forming a partnership for your estate or shopping area.
If BIDS were promoted better through government and more areas became a Business Improvement District as in New York, (previously Policed by Bill Bratton who has recently been appointed the new security advisor to PM David Cameron) where it all began many years ago, it is possible the actions of those this week across the country could have been reduced or even stopped in some areas.
That is a question we can only guess the answer to, but a better community spirit makes for a better working environment and society and that spirit can spread if promoted correctly.
United we stand, divided YOU fall - Members of the BID Company
To read more about the Start of Hainault Business Park BID click here