Working hard to make town great place for business

STOCKPORT’S Business Improvement District (BID) is now live and, for at least the next five years, the team at Totally Stockport will be working hard to make Stockport town centre a great place for everyone.

Although Totally Stockport only officially launched on April 1, a number of projects were being prepared to help deliver the promises made in BID’s business plan, published prior to the ballot that took place in October last year.

The business plan outlined the objectives in creating a BID. First priorities are to make the town centre a safer and better place for customers and employees; to improve choice; to improve the marketing of all areas of the town and to make it easier to do business in Stockport.

The Stockport BID will generate almost £2.5m of additional funding over the next five years, specifically ring-fenced for projects that will benefit and add value for the BID levy payers and enhance the town centre’s offering.

Funding for a BID comes from the businesses themselves who pay an additional 1.25 per cent levy on their business rates, generating funds that will deliver improvements across the town centre. But it is important that the BID works to deliver projects that can also save businesses money.

In May Totally Stockport set up a partnership with Meercat Associates to create its very own Joint Procurement Scheme which uses the collective buying power of Stockport BID to help reduce costs. This is a totally free service to all BID members and, because no commission is earned, all financial savings are passed on.

Just three months into the joint procurement scheme, eight businesses in the BID area have already saved nearly £7,000 – not only recovering their BID levy payment but increasing their profits too!

Savings can be made on gas and electricity, telecoms, safety, pest control, car parking, insurance, printing and stationery, training and security, merchant fees and car parking.

Email savings@ meercatassociates.com or call 0161 241 7401.

Don’t forget – it’s easier to find out what’s happening in Stockport town centre through the website totallystockport.co.uk.

But like all great websites, Totally Stockport will evolve as the BID team gets down to the business of improving the town centre offering.

Please send your news, events, job ads and comments to info@ totallystockport.co.uk