The President's View - January

Released On 11th Mar 2016

As well as networking events, Yeovil Chamber delivers business support; indeed our very ethos is to continually and visibly improve the local business environment via engagement with business, local authority, and other stakeholders.

In our drive to deliver this ethos, I recently completed a leaflet drop to town centre traders, as part of a concerted effort to engage town centre businesses.  To date, there have been no enquiries, despite Chamber taking advice from our town centre members, and creating an additional service, focused on the requirements of our town centre traders.

If the lack of response is nothing more than the town centre simply not wanting to engage with a body such as Chamber per se, then someone needs to tell me, and I can have a conversation to alter perceptions.  Meantime, and within the roaring silence, I’ll continue to spread the word that in these days of internet-based shopping, and social media (which are here to stay), the High Street needs to pull together, create a different proposition, and work with the authorities and stakeholders, who are busy delivering footfall to their doorstep, influencing the crime & safety team, and fighting for much-needed change in business rates.  If you don’t believe me, then ask me for a copy of the flyer which went out to the town centre businesses.

You may recall in last month’s e.news, I asked the question “Will somebody please tell me why town centre traders seem reluctant to engage with Chamber?”  I’m pleased to say that there was a response to my frustration.  I met with Lucinda Ackland the non-member (and only) respondent.  Lucinda runs the multi-faceted networking group Phoenix Somerset.  Regular Tweeters will be familiar with Phoenix (2,600 followers), which says on it’s website: “We are event organisers and promoters of all that is local and positive. . .networking amongst our community and introducing like-minded folk creates more business and strengthens the environment we live in.  Positive behaviour breeds positive outcome. . .creating a destination for all neighbouring counties and cities to visit or deal direct with our business and creative community…” I am grateful to Lucinda for responding, and I’ll be putting Lucinda in touch with a selection of our town centre traders to see if Phoenix can make a difference.

If you read this, thank you, and please forward it on to a colleague.

If you have any issues you would like Chamber to know about, or take up on your behalf, please email or call me.