THE Late Breakfast business networking group is starting 2013 with an Open Networking Event in the Eden Suite at The Spread Eagle Hotel in Cornmarket, Thame, on Thursday, January 17, at the regular time of 9 – 10.30am. There will be the usual opportunities for you to promote your business and charity events.
Please book through the website by 12.00 on Wednesday, January 16, to appear on the guest list or simply turn up on the day. The entry fee of
ALONG with a great team of sponsors, South Oxfordshire District Council is once again running the Southern Oxfordshire New Business Competition. It’s open to any new business (less than 2 years old) operating in the south of Oxfordshire.
Top of the prize podium is a FREE furnished office for a year in a Jennings Business Centre, worth around
SOUTH Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are currently conducting a short survey for owners of home-based businesses to see whether there is appetite for further networking hubs.
There is already a group established in Chalgrove – but would any other venues suit businesses better? The venues provide an opportunity for networking and a chance to get together with like-minded business owners to solve problems – or just to have a chat!
The results of the survey will be published on SODC’s website when the survey closes at the end of February.
A link to the survey is:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WTBJ6JP
IMAGE; Courtesy of http://www.mumpreneursonline.com
NEW businesses across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse have the chance to win a free furnished office for an entire year.
Companies which are less than two years old are being encouraged to enter The Southern Oxfordshire New Business Competition which could provide them with opportunity to take that step up to the next level.
The top prize is a free furnished office for 12 months in a Jennings business centre, worth up to
COULD the economy of Thame benefit from a Business Improvement District (BID)? This was the question posed at a lunch time meeting today of over 40 businesses from the Thame area, who were the guests of the Thame4Business group.
A Business Improvement District is basically a partnership between a local authority and the local business community aimed at developing projects and services that will benefit the trading environment within the boundary of a clearly defined commercial area.”
Money to be ring-fenced for defined projects in the BID is raised through a small levy on the Business Rates of the businesses within the BID.
Guest Speaker, Matthew McMillan, who has wide experience guiding other towns towards gaining BID status, explained the benefits and the nuts and bolts of the process and answered questions from the floor.
Thame4Business is the Economic Working Group of 21st Century Thame, the town partnership and is aiming to have a video of Matthew?s talk up on YouTube shortly.
The next stage will be to carry out a feasibility study to demonstrate an identified need for a BID in Thame, and then to measure levels of interest and commitment among a wide range of local businesses.
THE staff of a Thame butcher’s shop received a chocolate surprise this week as a token of appreciation for promoting and selling the most Thame Loyalty Cards to their customers.
Since the Thame loyalty Card scheme was launched in June, 2011, Newitt’s, in Thame High Street, have consistently enrolled on average the most new Loyalty Card holders, so the out-going Loyalty Scheme Administrator, Sonja Francis, agreed with 21st Century Thame, who initiated the scheme, to reward the staff for their efforts.
A box of hand-made chocolates, from Rumseys, in Upper Street, who also participate in the Thame Loyalty Scheme, was presented to Newitt’s staff. Angie Newitt told Thamenews.net: “We are very happy to be taking part in the Thame Loyalty Card scheme, as it gives our customers an incentive to visit us more often, and attracts other Thame shoppers to take advantage of what we have to offer.”
To find out more about The Thame Loyalty Scheme, and to join, either as a local business or loyalt Thame shopper, visit: http://www.thame4me.co.uk/community/business-groups/thame-loyalty/#!what-is-thame-loyalty
A THAME supermarket is bringing some floral cheer into Meadowcroft care home, by donating any spare flowers to the elderly residents, instead of disposing of the blooms.
The Sainsburys store in the High Street, has been donating flowers to help the local community and also reduce the amount of wastage produced by the company as a whole.
Scott Porteous, the store manager, and Liz Clarke, presented the flowers to Marta Arriku the Manager of Meadowcroft, yesterday (Monday). The home, run by The St John Care Trust, will be using them to run flower arranging sessions with the residents.
Don’t miss Meadowcroft’s annual Christmas bazaar on Saturday, (24/11) at 2pm, to raise money to make the care home better for the residents.
Scott Porteous said: ?This is a great scheme. Not only does it bring some sunshine in to people?s lives by providing them with a bright bunch of flowers, but it also reduces wastage. I am really glad we are able to support Meadowcroft and hope that we can continue to work with them in the future.?
Pictured: Andy Smith (in blue), Donna Hathaway (in red), Mat Oakley (in black t shirt), Marta Arriku (in black dress), Scott Porteous (black jumper), Eleanor Locking, 84 (in wheelchair), Barbara Summerfield, 78.
THURSDAY, November 22, is the date for this month’s Late Breakfast event in the Eden Suite at The Spread Eagle Hotel, Thame, from 9am – 10.30am.
The guest speaker is Owen Hughes from marketing consultants, Eyes Wide Open. He explained: “Having been privileged to help coach rugby in Rwanda and coach kids teams in the UK, I became acutely aware that in sport, as in business, good communications are essential in any winning team. But how do you communicate when you are with a group of children who have never seen a white man let alone a rugby ball?
“Find out how the lessons learnt on a patch of waste land in East Africa help me and our clients develop their brands and their business.”
Book by 12pm on Wednesday, November 21, to appear on the guest list or simply turn up on the day. The entry fee of
ALL retailers and businesses of any sort in the Thame area are being invited to pre-Christmas lunch meeting to share ideas about how to make the town even better to do business in.
Thame4Business, the Economic Working Group of the Thame Partnership, 21st Century Thame, has a brand new management team which hopes that as many local business leaders and their colleagues as possible will go along to the Stables, behind the James Figg in Cornmarket, on Thursday, November 29th, at 1pm.
High Street guru, Matthew McMillan, who is Chief Executive of Ealing Broadway Business Improvement District, will give a short talk about a possible route to getting extra funding to bring improvements to the economy of specific areas or districts.
More information about the event and how to register can be found on the website of Lightfoots Solicitors, of Thame, who are sponsoring the cost of drinks for the lunch. LINK HERE
A cycle shop in Thame is celebrating its third anniversary in business with the owners sayings it?s exceeded their expectations.
Tim Parsons and David Green opened the cycle repair, sales, servicing, accessories and clothing shop ?2Wheels? – at 99b High Street in 2009, with London Mayor Boris Johnson doing the honours. After two years ticking along as they established a customer base and stock to suit, business is really picking up: ?Thinking how the economy was when we started, we were happy to be ahead of the bills after two years, but now we?re seeing it suddenly go, which is really encouraging,” said David.
SOURCE: Contributed by Iain Nicholson of OTCN (Oxfordshire Towns Chambers Network)
PHOTO: L to R: David Green, Tim Parsons, John Howell MP, Boris Johnson
“The interest generated by Bradley Wiggins winning the Tour de France, and the cycling wins at The Olympics, the impact of higher petrol prices and the success of Thame as a town overall have combined to give us a boost so that we?re now in a stronger position than we?d imagined.?
Boris Johnson, who attended 2Wheels? official opening with local MP John Howell, still comes back as a customer – part of a growing customer base. David added: ?We?ve learned as we?ve gone along what the customers want rather than what we think. With petrol prices as they are we?ve had people in asking about converting their mountain bikes into road bikes so they can use them to get to work. We?ve also employed a mechanic now to deal with the increasing demand for repairs and that?s gone well too.?
Tim owns the car parts and accessories shop, Autoparts, next door to 2Wheels, and David and he worked there together for six years in the 1990s. They used to do cycle accessories at Autoparts and when the premises that is now home to 2Wheels came on the market they decided to start the cycle sales, repair, accessories and clothing shop.
2Wheels opened in one of four retail premises in Thame owned by Jennings, who run business parks at Chalgrove and Garsington, office centres in Abingdon, Didcot and St Clements, and have units at Berinsfield. Jennings MD, Paul Mabbutt, says: ?This is a great story of two guys who had an idea for a business out of one they were already involved in and took an opportunity when it came up. They?ve worked hard through what have been challenging economic times to build a customer base and a reputation, and it?s great to see them doing well and able to celebrate a third anniversary in business.?