Category: Business News

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.?

A HADDENHAM-based farm machinery manufacturer has been fined after an employee sustained multiple fractures when a trailer crushed his leg.

Waldemar Makowski, of St Annes Road, Aylesbury, was building a farm vehicle trailer chassis at K Two Sales Limited in Haddenham, Bucks, when the incident occurred on August 15, 2011.

As Mr Makowski attempted to move a chassis from a yard area at the site using a draw bar attached to a fork lift truck, it fell from its support and crushed his left leg, causing multiple fractures.

FULL STORY FROM www.build.co.uk

OCTOBER’S Late Breakfast, networking event will be held in the Eden Suite at The Spread Hotel, Cornmarket, Thame, on Thursday, 18, at 9 – 10.30am

This month’s presentation will be from Simon Breese of Consilium Consultancy on ‘Sales for the Professions ? and others’ Many people find they have to sell as part of their job. Simon, an experienced Sales Director will give a brief introduction to selling: Why people buy, how people buy, how people sell and how to manage a sales conversation.

Book on the website by 12.00 on Wednesday,October 17 to appear on the guest list or simply turn up on the day. The entry fee of

BUSINESS from South Oxfordshire are being invited to a cream tea and to find out about ?Ox Trails?, a new project designed to bring more visitors to see the hidden gems in the district

The Ox Trails project will see new themed guides and itineraries developed to entice visitors into southern Oxfordshire. They will be of interest to people who have never been to the area, as well as those who are familiar with the towns.

Tourism professionals, accommodation providers, and businesses located in and around market towns and villages are being invited to come along to this ‘Cream Tea showcase event’ on Thursday, November 15, at the River and Rowing Museum in Henley which will highlight what the project is about and how businesses can get involved and take advantage of the new trails.

Anyone wishing to attend the showcase event can complete the online registration form at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/G3DQTJX. For more information visit: www.southoxon.gov.uk

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has published its Year three, Economic Development Framework Action Plan which outlines a number of steps it intends to take over the coming year to support the needs of businesses across the district and encourage more organisations to base themselves in the area.

The Year three document is the latest update to the South Oxfordshire economic development framework and action plan 2010 to 2013 which outlines the economic development activity in the district over this period.

Each year, a review of the original action plan is undertaken to ensure it reflects the current priorities for the economy of South Oxfordshire.

The framework and action plan, together with advice to local businesses and market research resources can be found at www.southoxon.gov.uk/supportforbusinesses

NB Thame’s own Economic Development Plan is currently being formulated by SODC in partnership with Thame Town Council and Thame4Business, the Economic Working /group of 21st Century Thame.

THAME?S Loyalty Card scheme, which aims to support independent retailers in the town, received a boost at Thame Food Festival on Saturday, when another Town Councillor signed up as a member.

Cllr Mike Welply, who is also a District Councillor, paid over his

TONIGHT; THAME Neighbourhood plan – topic group meeting “The Economy of Thame” – open to all businesses – Thame town hall – 6.30pm

A major drive to boost the number of small businesses who take on apprentices, will focus on Southern Oxfordshire for a big event next month.

The South Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Event aims to give owners of smaller businesses in the area the opportunity to have their questions around the issue answered, and to hear about the positive impact apprentices can have in the workplace. Specialists in apprenticeships for smaller businesses will also outline funding opportunities, including details of a new Apprenticeship Grant for Employers.

A joint initiative by Oxfordshire County Council, the Oxfordshire Skills Board, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, and The National Apprenticeship Service and partner agencies, the event will be on Thursday, October 11, 9.30-11.30am, and is being hosted by Jennings at Hampden House, Monument Park, Chalgrove. Anyone who?d like to attend can register by email to: paddy.patterson@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by calling 01865 328086.

Paddy Patterson, Skills Partnership Officer at Oxfordshire County Council, says: ?The aim of the event is to help businesses make sense of apprenticeships by giving the facts, busting the myths, and by hearing from employers and apprentices themselves on their experiences. We will also listen to businesses, so that we as agencies and organisations can better understand the barriers facing employers, and involve them in plain-English discussions about the solutions.?

Chris Williams, Commercial Manager at Jennings, says ?It is clear from the feedback we get from among the 130 tenant businesses we have at Monument Park and our other business centres, that many are growing or planning to. We?re delighted to be hosting this event to demonstrate how taking on an apprentice or boosting the skills and qualifications of existing staff members by putting them on an apprenticeships programme, can make a difference.?

The event aims to build on the success of a similar one held at Bloxham Mill in North Oxfordshire. Attendee Sam Greaves, Operations Manager at Cleenol UK, says: ?The session reinvigorated my interest in apprenticeships and made me think very seriously about how they can help with succession planning in my organisation.?

THE work of a business from the Thame area is to feature in Sarah Beeny?s new Channel 4’s property show, ?Double your House for Half the Money?. The episode of the series, to be screened tomorrow, September 18, features the story of how a local family set about creating their perfect family home in the village of Easington, near Long Crendon in Buckinghamshire.

Their late 19th century farm worker’s cottage was in a fantastic location, but was much smaller than required for the Croft-Baker?s growing family. Local company Porter Consulting and Management Services Limited (PCMS) stepped in to project-manage the build which includes a rear extension, side extension and substantial internal alterations.

The number of bedrooms was doubled to four, a family bathroom and large new en-suite was installed and a large and flexible kitchen/dining/living space was created by extending to the side of the house.

The camera crew, production company and, of course, Sarah Beeny herself paid regular visits to the site to keep up with progress, keeping a lasting record of the project at every stage. Being filmed has given an extra impetus to everyone involved to finish on time.

Director of PCMS Alex Bond said: ?It was a very rewarding and fascinating experience to be involved with this project. Everyone, including our own staff, the construction firm, and particularly the family themselves pulled together to meet all the deadlines and the Croft-Bakers now have a beautiful family home finished to a very high standard.?

The focus of the new Channel 4 series is about families maximising the use of all potential space in their existing homes, extending every which way and combining this with internal reconfiguration to deliver larger and more flexible living areas. The challenge is to increase space by up to 100% for much less money than it would have cost to move into a larger home.

?THE web is the 21st century?s shop window and a company’s position in the search rankings on, what is these days the virtual high street, determines your success.? So says Sue Downhill, of STW Search & Marketing Ltd in Thame, one of the town?s thriving and innovative digital agencies.

STW have a new website tool called Blueprint which draws content from a company?s website, so that longer search phrases lead visitors to their site, helping businesses compete online for that coveted Google #1 slot.

Blueprint is the basis for a website that draws on content already available to the business. It enables the business to compete online even in the most competitive industries.

Two businesses in Thame have been suitably impressed and have recently signed up with STW to take advantage of Blueprint. Both Thame Service Station and Anna McDonald Bridal Gallery have recently had Blueprint websites built to show off their wares. They are both already seeing increased traffic as a result.

In Anna’s business it is difficult to get visits from people searching for ?wedding dresses? because so many other companies are competing online for the Google #1 slot for that short phrase. What Blueprint is able to do is to compete strongly for longer search phrases like ?Ivory Organza Wedding Dresses With Chapel Length Train?. This phrase hit the number one slot on page one within two weeks of going live along with many other descriptive phrases.

Sue Downhill, who is STW?s technical director, says: ?We are very pleased to be able to offer Blueprint to help our fellow businesses in the local area. It represents the next step in SEO and will be successful for both large enterprises and suitable SME?s. We really believe it will increase online traffic and as a result increase sales.”

PHTOTO: Anna McDonald (Left) Sue Downhill of STW (centre) and Karl White (Thame Service Station) right