Help for Businesses

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Financial Assistance

Your local Business Link can advise on what additional financial help is available.

Call 0845 600 9 006 or visit their website.

On 31 March 2009, the Government announced that it would regulate to allow businesses to defer part of their payment of the 2009/10 Business Rates. This means that businesses were able to spread the payment of the increase in their 2009/10 business rates bills over a three year period.  The deadline for applications was 31 March 2010.

If you need loan finance to start or grow your business, and have not been successful in getting all you need from your bank, GLE oneLondon may be able to help you.

Call the national Business Payment Support Service, on 0845 302 1435.

Training and Staff Support

Train to Gain is expanding to help you keep on training for success. It’s easy to access the wide range of support available through Train to Gain: contact a skills broker on 0800 015 55 45 or contact your local college or training provider:

Apprenticeships can make your organisation more effective, productive and competitive by addressing your skills gaps directly. For more information call  08000 150 600 or visit the website below.

A wealth of training support and advice both for local employers and job seekers.

Recruitment

Campaign to help employers increase employment and training opportunities for 16 - 24 year olds.

Other Help

Do you want to win a share of London contracts? Supply London provides support for businesses wishing to apply for contracts via CompeteFor.

Kingston Council spends around £150 million on a wide range of goods, works and services every year. You can find out more about doing business with Kingston and download a guide by visiting the web page.

You can advertise your services or apply for contracts on this brokering website run by the London Business Network – the organisation chosen by London 2012 to promote Games-related contracts to the capital’s business community.

Here are some examples of Olympic-related contracts already advertised on CompeteFor: cleaning, communications consultancy, engineering, IT hardware provision, media training, printing and publishing, removals, security, taxi services.

Information on various sources of help for businesses during the recession.

The Marketing Donut and the Start Up Donut launched a few months ago with Google and Royal Mail.  These are online information websites covering all aspects of marketing and starting up a business and they are aimed at small businesses. A free to view resource which might be useful when seeking information on marketing or starting your own business.

GoGreen is a business support service to help local SMEs reduce their impact on the environment and climate change, reduce costs, and gain business through better environmental performance. A visit from a Greening Business Officer will help to assess your energy use, waste and other environmental impacts and costs. Then an action plan will be drawn up with changes that can improve your efficiency and save you money.  To find out more and arrange a visit from a Greening Business Officer Contact gogreen@southlondon.biz or call 020 8947 0055 or visit the site below.

The Carbon Trust are offering interest free loans to businesses to help pay for measures which will help cut carbon emissions and energy usage, and ultimately to help save the business money in the long term.

To get a free review of your business with a professional business adviser, call the Business Link helpline on 0845 6009 006.

The Partnership and Regeneration Unit at Kingston Council is available to provide advice and support to businesses. Call 020 8547 4695 / 5345 or email business@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Kingston Council has implemented a number of initiatives to help businesses during the current financial crisis. These include:

• Active promotion of Small Business Rate Relief - for more information please call 020 8547 4750
• Payment of invoices - Kingston Council will aim to pay all local suppliers within 10 working days.
• Town centre promotion - Kingston Council is an active partner in the Kingston Business Improvement District, and is working to secure a successful outcome in the BID2 ballot which will take place in June 2009.  Kingston Council is also working to promote initiatives in the Borough's district centres.
• Events - various events to engage the local business community including the Credit Crunch Seminar on 5 March 2009 and the Kingston Business Expo2 on 7 April 2009 at the Kingston University Business School.  Other local events are being planned, and will be publicised here.
• New projects - Kingston Council is helping jobless people back into work through providing new employment and work experience opportunities through signing a Local Employment Partnership in partnership with Jobcentre Plus.  Other initiatives are also being planned in conjunction with Kingston Chamber of Commerce and Kingston University.  Details to be released shortly.

Businesses in Kingston are set to benefit from a joint online initiative by Kingston Council and the Kingston Chamber of Commerce.

Shoppinglocal.info is a new website that features local businesses, and highlights their range of products and services. The site also allows businesses to offer discount vouchers which residents can print out and redeem in-store. Funded by the Surbiton and Malden and Coombes Neighbourhood Committees, the site will initially feature approximately 400 businesses from both neighbourhoods. If funding can be secured, the website will expand to include businesses in all of the borough’s local centres.

The Chamber of Commerce played a vital role in gaining the support of the local businesses while a local design company The Creative People designed the website. Kingston College’s School of Computing offered technical support.

Andy Ross, owner of Suttles of Malden, a stationary supply shop in New Malden welcomed the initiative: ‘’I am delighted that the Council is being proactive in working with local retailers at a time when the High Street is being hardest hit. This type of initiative will help independent retailers raise their profile and extend the longevity of shopping locally’’.

By supporting the local economy, residents can help protect local jobs - especially those in the smaller, independently or family-run businesses. Shopping locally also cuts down on travel costs and reduces our carbon footprint.

The website features local businesses from the following areas:

• New Malden High Street
• Surbiton Town Centre
• Alexandra Drive
• Berrylands Road
• Chiltern Drive
• Ewell Road
• Red Lion Road
• Surbiton Road
• Villiers Avenue

On 3 September 2009, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Shiraz Mirza inaugurated a new business information signboard located outside Surbiton station.  The board contains a map of the area with comprehensive listings of Surbiton businesses and space on the reverse side for local businesses to promote themselves.  As a ‘first of its kind’ initiative, the board was part funded by Kingston Council and sponsorship raised from local businesses. This project is part of our ongoing business support programme and it is hoped that the board will help to increase trade to businesses in Surbiton.

Pictured are the Deputy Mayor and Surbiton Councillors along with Surbiton businesses.