Altrincham has its own independent Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce which has close ties with the Altrincham Town Centre Partnership. You can visit their website at www.altrinchamchamber.co.uk or contact them on 0161 941 3250.

In addition, the website, www.chamber-link.co.uk also offers advice, information and resources to help businesses and the organisation (now known as Business Support Solutions) works closely with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. You can contact them on 0845 608 3388.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Business Link - Open for Business

You may have read in the media recently speculation over the future of Business Link. The Coalition Government is committed to replacing Regional Development Agencies with local enterprise partnerships, and reviewing the delivery of business support in the future. We are working closely with the North West Development Agency during this transition.

In the meantime Business Link remains the government's support service for business and we will continue to offer the same quality and level of support to local businesses in the North West.

We are still very much open for business
Business Link Northwest is a free-to-use, independent business support, advice and information service, available to businesses across the North West.

Whether you are already in business and want to grow, or if you are thinking about starting a business...we can help!

We provide relevant up-to-date information and advice on business issues such as, sales and marketing, starting or expanding a business, access to finance, managing people, innovation, technology and exporting.

This free service can be accessed via telephone, online, or face-to-face for more in-depth support.

Online
Our website is bursting with information and a range of interactive tools on everything you need to start and grow a business. Sales, marketing, social media, financial management and employing people are just some of the topics covered. Simply visit: www.businesslink.gov.uk/northwest and start your journey now.

On the phone
Speak to an experienced and impartial business adviser in confidence today. Call 0845 00 66 888 to discuss your business issues, receive relevant and specific business information and get the support you need.

Face to face
If required one of our qualified and experienced advisers can visit you at your convenience.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Association of Town Centre Manager (ATCM)

Enterprising Town Centre Project

Altrincham Town Centre Partnership successfully applied to be part of a free programme of support for town centre businesses in the North West sponsored by the ATCM and the North West Retail Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVE).

A number of Altrincham businesses were asked to complete a survey provided by a national research company. Altrincham was commended, particularly considering all the problems with the recession following on the heels of a major town centre redevelopment. 60 Altrincham businesses took part in a ‘mystery shopper’ programme with a view to helping their customer experiences and business prospects.

To celebrate the culmination of the project, a business networking and feedback evening event with a buffet supper was held at the Cresta Court Hotel. Geraldine Hurd, from Betty and Belle lingerie shop and one of the winners of an outstanding customer service award, says, “As a small independent retailer I feel the Altrincham Town Centre Partnership is vital to our survival and to the regeneration of Altrincham. It was great to meet up with other local retailers and discuss improvements that have already been made and ideas for the future. Altrincham has some great, vibrant businesses that have won many awards and we need to work together as a team to have our voices heard – the Partnership, I’m sure, can help make this happen. We are also absolutely delighted in winning an award for ‘outstanding customer service’ following a visit from a mystery shopper.”

Andrew and Jamie from Smiths, who sell high quality mens and womens fashion, and also present at the event said, "It was great to get together with other traders in the town and is a bonus to have won this outstanding customer service award. This project was definitely a help for local businesses and it is vitally important to get together and pool ideas and resources to promote the town as a whole in order to attract people in to see what is on offer."

Most of the participating businesses have now received one to one feedback of their results in a private interview. The next part of the project involves additional free advice and training help for participants. Please click on the link below to see a full list of participating businesses and services

• Enterprising Town Centre Business Participants

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Building Business Success

29/10/2009

The Altrincham Town Centre Partnership hosted a business networking and feedback event to celebrate the culmination of a project to support local businesses.

Geraldine Hurd, from Betty and Belle lingerie shop and one of the winners of an outstanding customer service award, says, "As a small independent retailer I feel the Altrincham Town Centre Partnership is vital to our survival and to the regeneration of Altrincham. It was great to meet up with other local retailers and discuss improvements that have already been made and ideas for the future. Altrincham has some great, vibrant businesses that have won many awards and we need to work together as a team to have our voices heard – the Partnership I’m sure can help make this happen. We are also absolutely delighted in winning an award for ‘outstanding customer service’ following a visit from a mystery shopper."

Andrew and Jamie from Smiths, who sell high quality mens and womens fashion, and also present at the event said, "It was great to get together with other traders in the town and is a bonus to have won this outstanding customer service award. This project was definitely a help for local businesses and it is vitally important to get together and pool ideas and resources to promote the town as a whole in order to attract people in to see what is on offer."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Businesses invited to apply for help with rates

09/09/2009

Businesses across Trafford will soon be invited to apply for assistance in reducing their business rates by deferring payment.

In order to help businesses in the current economic climate the Government have introduced a scheme to allow most ratepayers to defer 3 per cent of their total rate bill for 2009/10. The deferred amount will have to be paid back over the next two financial years in equal portions; half during 2010/11 and half over 2011/12.

Trafford's Revenues Service will shortly be writing to all local traders and other organisations inviting them to apply under the Business Rates Deferral Scheme. However, it is important to emphasise at the present time that ratepayers should carry on paying their existing rate bills.

Executive Councillor John Tolhurst said: "Rates are levied on nearly 9,000 commercial properties within the borough and Trafford Council is committed to helping businesses through these challenging times. In addition to the Deferral Scheme there are various other reliefs available to reduce rate bills such as Small Business Rate Relief."

Details of ways to reduce rate bills can be found on the Council's web site www.trafford.gov.uk/businessrates.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extra Support for Altrincham Businesses

07/08/2009

The Altrincham Town Centre Partnership, has been chosen as one of 6 town centres in the North West to benefit from a new pilot project aimed at helping existing businesses survive and succeed. This is a great opportunity for the many independent businesses in the Town, to have free access to services which due to financial constraints are usually only utilised by the larger retailers.

An Exciting Opportunity for Your Business

The ‘Enterprising Town Centres Project’ aim is to help small to medium businesses realise their full potential by offering advice, support and training opportunities from experts in the field. The project is organised by the Association of Town Centre Managers together with the North West Retail Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) and is a one-off opportunity specifically adapted for each business and their circumstances.

There are three phases, the initial one being a short survey sent out to businesses about trading in the town which is currently being undertaken by an independent research company. This is to find out a bit more about customer profiles, catchment area, where the gaps are in the town centre offer, the sorts of support that businesses would like and what the main town centre issues are.

The second phase is a 'mystery shopper type' visit for businesses wishing to take part with individual feedback, valuable advice and support to help your business prospects and the offer of tailor-made free training opportunities. This could range from a couple of hours teaching on web based marketing to full certification in NVQs.

This is an amazing opportunity for Altrincham businesses (which larger companies pay significant fees for) and the number of places is limited. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Janet or Helen at the Partnership office on 0161 929 6881 before Thursday, 13th August 2009.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Small Businesses Council Tax Initiative a Success

Trafford Council collects nearly £150million in business rates each year from more than 8,000 local businesses. In this challenging economic period, it is particularly important that ratepayers receive all the help they can get in reducing their rate bills.

In order to provide support to the business community, local traders have recently been targeted in a campaign to encourage them to apply for small business rate relief. This initiative has been a great success, with nearly 300 extra businesses being awarded relief over the past few months.

In total, there are now around 1,600 local businesses within Trafford that receive help under the small business rate relief scheme and more than £1.3 million has been awarded in relief for the current financial year.

Executive Councillor John Tolhurst said: "It is vitally important in the current economic climate that we ensure that businesses are not paying more rates than they need to. The recent take-up initiative by Trafford to encourage small businesses to apply for rate relief has clearly been a great success. This is a pragmatic example that demonstrates the council's commitment to support our local traders."

There are still some businesses that have not applied for relief that could receive help to reduce their rate bill. Details about the scheme, including how to apply, can be obtained on the council's website at www.trafford.gov.uk or by telephoning the business rates section on 0161 912 2346.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contacts:

E-mail: penny.bell@trafford.gov.uk
Town Centres Officer: 0161 912 4384
Altrincham Town Centre Partnership: 0161 929 6881
Altrincham & Sale Chamber of Commerce: 0161 941 3250