Help for businesses

If you run a business in Warrington and are finding it hard to cope in the current financial situation, the council can help. The council has set up a credit crunch action group made up of elected members, council officers and representatives from the housing and voluntary sector. The group meets regularly to look at the implications of the economic situation for Warrington and work with partners to provide help and support for local businesses and residents.

Businesses are facing difficult conditions at the moment as consumers and many businesses spend less on goods and services during an economic downturn. The retail and financial services sectors have been hit particularly hard with ICT telecommunications, media and construction also having a tough time locally.

Here you can find help available for businesses, including where to go for support and advice, cash incentives available for businesses recruiting local unemployed people, networking opportunities and a free business seminar coming soon to Warrington to help your business survive and thrive.

Speedier invoice payments
The council has recently introduced a number of initiatives to help speed up the payment of their supplier invoices. Where goods are ordered from a supplier who is set up to accept procurement cards, then payment is now automatically made by the council's bank within ten days. This accounted for 617 transactions worth £76,000 in April 2009.

The council have also successfully piloted new technology including electronic invoice routing and authorisation in the building maintenance, ICT & business improvement, passenger transport and environmental health and public protection sections.  This innovative technology resulted in 1798 invoices amounting to £5.165 million being paid within the 10 day timescale in April 2009, in addition to the procurement card invoice payments.

The technology will be rolled out council-wide shortly. Future investment in technology includes the proposed implementation in 2010 of a modern ERP system to generate purchase orders and deliver automated invoice matching which will further speed up payment of the council's supplier invoices.

Business rates
Are you a small business? Save up to 50% on your business rates if:

• You occupy only one business property in England with a rateable value of less than £15,000
• You occupy one main property and additional properties with a rateable value of less than £2,200 and the total rateable value of all the properties is less than £15,000.

50% business rates relief is granted for properties with a rateable value of less than £5,000.

Small business rate relief is granted on a sliding scale for properties with a rateable value between £5,000 and £9,999 at 1% for every £100 of rateable value between the two.

No relief is granted for properties with a rateable value between £10,000 and £14,999 but the rates payable are calculated using the small business multiplier – which is less than the standard multiplier.

Is your property only partly occupied and will remain so for a short period of time?
If so, you may be able to claim section 44A rate relief if:

• You no longer occupy areas of your business premises that you once occupied
• You are occupying business premises gradually and some areas are not yet occupied.

If this applies to your business, you can request the rateable value of your premises is reviewed by calling the Valuation Office Agency on 0151 802 1000, writing to 72 Church St, Liverpool, L1 3AY or visiting the website. Rate relief will then be granted on the unoccupied part.

Problems paying your business rates?
The council is currently offering a scheme where businesses struggling to pay their business rates can pay by direct debit over a 12 month period rather than a 10 month period. This is a short term measure to help businesses during the recession for the duration of the 2009-2010 financial year. For more information contact us on 443210.

Golden Hellos
Warrington businesses can qualify for cash incentives of up to £2,500 for recruiting local unemployed people. Payments are made to employers at the time the person starts in the job and then if they are still there after 13 weeks and 20 weeks. A maximum of two grants per employer are available and eligibility conditions apply.

This initiative is offered through a partnership of Warrington Borough Council, Jobcentre Plus and Warrington Chamber of Commerce and is funded by the North West Development Agency. This initiative is time-limited but employers should still be able to qualify for the government's Golden Hellos scheme into the longer term.

If you have a job vacancy and would like to find out more, email:
warringtonmaxopps@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk.  View the advert.

Business support and advice

The business engagement team



The council's business engagement team deliver activities to improve the council's interaction and communication with the private and public sector. The team support and provide advice and opportunities for local businesses in a number of ways:
 
• Signposting business support and advisory services



 
Support and advice services for Warrington-based businesses are delivered through a number of organisations, including Business Link NW, the Warrington Chamber of Commerce and Cheshire & Warrington Business Venture. The business engagement team act as a referral point, signposting businesses to the most appropriate delivery organisation for their individual needs.
 
• Create networking opportunities



 
Business lunches



Monthly business lunches are held at the town hall and hosted by the leader and chief executive of the council. These events provide an opportunity for people to meet, discuss topics of common interest and build relationships. Each lunch has a specific theme and a presentation is given by a keynote speaker. Previous themes have included:

• Warrington's Waterfront and how we take forward our plans
• The economic downturn and how we can support businesses
• Planned improvements at Walton Hall Estate
• The improvements at Bank Quay and Central train stations.

The lunches are invitation only, free to attend and have no more than 18 attendees (including members and officers). To register interest to attend relevant future lunches, businesses should contact the business engagement team.
 
Gemini Business Networking Forum and Burtonwood Business Watch
There are many issues that concern Warrington businesses including: crime, the environment, legislation, business support and transport. The Gemini Business Networking Forum and Burtonwood Business Watch Scheme, was set up by the council in conjunction with Cheshire Police, to provide an opportunity for the businesses in these locations to network with a variety of public and private sector organisations and find out what changes are happening in and around Gemini, Burtonwood, Warrington and the general business environment.
 
Specific areas of interest are indentified and suggested by attendees and guest speakers are invited to attend meetings.
 
All businesses at Gemini and Burtonwood industrial estate are welcome to join their respective networking group. For further information, contact the business engagement team.
 
• Advice on the availability of sites and premises



 
The business engagement team manage and maintain a database of available commercial sites and premises in Warrington. A free and tailored search can be conducted on behalf of businesses, as well as the provision of other support services to potential investors e.g. the co-ordination of site visits.
 
Aligned to this activity, the council, in partnership with Warrington & Co and BE Group, produce the Warrington Annual Property Review, which looks back at activity in the commercial property market over the previous 12 months.
 
For further impartial advice on the availability of sites and premises and or to receive a copy of the Warrington Annual Property Review, please contact the business engagement team.
 
• Help with recruitment and training



 
The business engagement team have a local employment co-ordinator whose role is to engage with businesses across Warrington:

• helping and encouraging them to recruit from the local population
• working with them to indentify skills gaps in their workforce
• looking at other training requirements e.g. to meet the latest legislative requirement and signposting them to the most appropriate service provider.

For further information and support please contact the business engagement team on 442371 or email ahankey@warrington.gov.uk. 

Business Link

Business Link is a free business advice and support service, available online and through local advisers.  

We help your business save time and money by giving you instant access to clear, simple and trustworthy information. 

The information we supply is developed in partnership with subject experts within government and relevant business support organisations to help you comply with regulations and improve your performance. 

Whether you are starting up, already running a business, or looking to grow and develop, we can help you:

• Manage your finances
• Employ people
• Find and keep customers
• Pay the correct tax
• Comply with environmental legislation
• Trade internationally
• Understand regulations in your sector
• Find events and support near you 

For Business Link credit crunch advice, visit the website or call 0845 600 9006.

Warrington Chamber of Commerce
The Warrington Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a local, independent, non-profit making and non party-political organisation, funded by membership subscriptions. Members come from every sector and range in size from small business start-ups to multinationals.

Whatever the size and nature of your business, membership of the Chamber of Commerce gives you access to a range of services, all of which are geared to help your business succeed and grow. Services available to support your business include access to practical business workshops, business information and economic surveys, import and export opportunities, and representation at a local and national level.
Call 01925 715150 or email info@warrington-chamber.co.uk to find out more.

Cheshire & Warrington Business Venture
This well established not for profit enterprise agency can help your business with everything from expert start up advice, useful training courses including sales and marketing, grants information, advice on how to diversify into new markets in India and even provide a serviced office if you need one.

Call 01925 715175 or visit the website for details of all the services and support available.

The Cheshire & Warrington redundancy action support team

The Cheshire & Warrington redundancy action support team, known as RAST, has representatives from the three local authorities (Warrington, Cheshire West & Chester, Cheshire East), Business Link NW, Job Centreplus, NWDA, Visit Chester and Cheshire, South East Cheshire Enterprises and ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service).  

The aim of RAST is to give a coordinated, effective response to businesses by offering expertise and support on all the issues they may be facing during the recession. RAST meets monthly to share information, to plan local responses and to identify how it can proactively help businesses in the area through the recession.

Last updated 13/05/2010 17:24:26

Bookmark with:

Delicious |   Digg |   Facebook |   reddit |   StumbleUpon