Single Industrial EstatesBusiness Improvement DistrictsChase SpaceChase3 – Public Private Partnership

Choice of partners – Governance arrangements – Collective activities – Dealing with Government – Business improvements - Networks

FORUM – SSCCI the UK experience

What We Do

Cannock Chase Business Improvement District (B.I.D) 2007 – 2012

275 businesses over 5 out of town business parks

Additional contribution through business rates

£150,000 per annum for five years - £750,000

Provides sustainable funding and long term investment

Unique approach to tackling problems faced by businesses

Improve, manage and sustain trading environments

Forum

In depth consultation for 18 months to inform and consult

Surveys - common goals identified

Crime and Security Image Enhancement – signage / grounds maintenance Traffic Congestion

Agreed baselines

Vote – 52% voted YES 48% voted no or did note vote

Measurable outcomes / K.P.I’s from Municipality

Forum

Dedicated Business Park Co-ordinator – all issues

Image Business Partnerships was formed

Business led self help group

Multi Agency involvement

Project planning and implementation

Long term sustainable approach – five year project

Re-ballot in 2012

Forum

B.I.D Services and Business

Provide services and facilities that are additional to existing municipality services

Create a more attractive, vibrant, cleaner and safer environment

Improve the trading performance

Raise property values

Attract inward investment

Strong links with all parts of the community

Prevents free loaders

Forum

Our Route To Businesses

Existing relationship – trust and confidence there

275 companies in the BID plus ‘Chase Space’

Long term sustainability through Chase3 – we have a long term vision for project and will involve all our projects – traders associations – will roll out the program

Discussion•What are the other partners route to businesses?

•Do you have an existing relationship with BIZ areas?

•How have you chosen your areas?

•What is their authority?

Forum

Data ManagementBaseline Surveys and ProfileStrategy and ObjectivesCommunication and Public Relations

Integration of MoMa.BIZ into networks – Gaps to be filled – Employee behaviour – Community awareness – Interpretation of need

METHOD – SSCCI the UK experience

An Approach

Engage with ALL businesses

Collate accurate database

Highlight issues and barriers to growth

(crime / identity / Environment)

Identify investment opportunities

Develop interest in business led improvement

Build up trust and confidence

Press Release – they are part of something prestigious and new to the area

Method

The Way Forward

Conduct a baseline survey

Supply a detailed report of findings

Identify ‘champions’ from the business community – advocate from each BIZ

Highlight site improvements

Set up a business forum

Produce a master plan

Develop a sustainable plan for the future

Method

Engagement

Participation is about engagement – need to create an Engagement Strategy

Identify BIZ areas

Ask municipality for names and addresses – their assistance is key

Create awareness – introduce project through newsletters / letters / initial survey to sense response rate

Follow up with telephone calls

Follow up with face to face visits for those that do not respond – explain in more detail

Method

Start

Need to get businesses commitment and support

Need to gain the stakeholders trust and confidence

Inspire them – their involvement is worth the risk

Now we have names and information – inform them of a start date –

Public Launch Date – invite press and record event

Create a ‘group’ that they can be part of – much higher chance of long term success rate – name the group

Quick wins – shows our interest and assertiveness / action Clean up the BIZ areas Maintenance – prune hedges, road sweeps

Method

Baseline Survey for each BIZ

Remember it is challenging to engage people in caring about the environment and climate change

Choose another route to communicate the MoMa.BIZ Project – the message

Transport problems affect all – Highlight how the project assists with transport problems – parking on double yellow lines, staff cannot park

Conduct a baseline survey

What are their issues – pick up the MoMa.BIZ Project through their concerns – they will not think that Mobility Management affects them

If bus stops were installed at the entrance to all BIZ would they be used – participation levels – what would it take?

Method

Make Event Appealing to a Wider Audience

At the Activating Event invite ‘Guest Speakers’ to inspire businesses and speak on issues within Mobility Management

Also invite other ‘Guest Speakers’ to attract a larger audience:

Local municipality Highways Agency Bus Companies Local Chamber of Commerce Banks and Businessmen Job Centres Police Multi-Agency approach

Question and answer sessions – unrelated to mobility management but would ensure that they were there to then engage

Method

Marketing and PR

Use interesting and different forms of marketing the project and the ‘Activating Event’

Post cards, eye catching literature – be creative

it makes a powerful statement of who we are

Inform local municipality – their website / residents magazine

Local newspapers press release and create photo opportunity at event

List of Companies that attend will be in local newspaper

Prepare a booklet for stakeholders to be given on MoMa.BIZ

Method

Information Share

After conducting initial surveys and employee surveys and work package we will know:

Their concerns for area Footfall Car parking figures Bus Figures Vacancy rates Chosen method of transport Distances Number of people commuting to BIZ – employees and visitors

This information is the key to negotiations with bus companies, Landlords etc

Method

Example Summary of Findings

850 employees

700 travel to work by car

75 extra car parking spaces needed for visitors and customers

600 official car parking spaces

45 spaces not used by current tenants

50 spaces at empty units

This information will also be of interest to businesses and involve them

Method

How to Engage with the BIZ

Sometimes it feels hugely challenging to engage and excite people to take action against climate change

Some people immediately understand the importance of this and start taking personal action. The first step of any campaign is to reach them and get them involved

Talking beyond this small group to the large majority of people – who are often confused or doubtful about the issues, suspicious of the messengers and pre-occupied with their day to day lives- can be frustrating and sometimes daunting

There will always be the handful of enthusiastic people who are keen to reduce their carbon footprint - it's encouraging all the others to do something that's the hard thing!

Pippa Reeve, Northants Climate Friendly Communities

Method

What is Communication

Communication is much wider than you would think At a personal level, a great deal of communication is non-verbal: how we

dress, hold ourselves and our body language are all powerful communicators – be enthusiastic from the start

Appear tolerant, welcoming, active and having fun you will attract people by offering them positive reasons for being involved

Traditional forms of written communication are important Even in the internet age, a good leaflet, poster, or display is still an

important way of explaining our project

The style and appearance of them make a powerful statement of who we are. Include photos of members (for example a group photo) and quotes from actual members - builds trust

Method

Different Ways of Communicating Because of its very low cost, and its potential for spreading information by

peer-to-peer contact, e-mail is the ideal

Invite members to pass on e-mail communications to new people in their own networks. It is important to have some internet presence- even if it is just a page with your leaflet text and contact details.

Talking, face to face contact and word of mouth are still king

Because climate change is often technical and data driven, people want

personal interaction – such as verbal presentations or face-to-face conversations – to help them to process and understand the information

Method

Presentations

Encourage people to display their membership and take ownership of your messages – they are part of something BIG and NEW

Be creative

As with any form of commercial marketing, always try to think of new and eye-catching ways of reaching people

Community groups have tried beer mats, comics, banners, games, competitions

Make sure you understand your community before deciding how best to communicate with them – ours are SME’s on out of town business parks

Method

Community Led Plan

Local consultation and relationship building begins before the steering group is established

Establish the steering group

Developing a project plan

Community consultation

Prioritising action and drafting the plan

Finalising and implementing the plan

Monitoring and reviewing progress

Method

Partnership Working

A community-led plan is most likely to wok if it is supported by all the key agencies in a local community. This is especially true of support from local municipalities

Local authorities can provide advice and information to groups undertaking community-led planning and may even fund some of the process

MoMa.BIZ is independent community-led plans ought to inform the development of statutory policies and plans as municipalities are required to consult with the community

Method

What Methods Will Partners Use?

Building face to face relationsTraining additional local advocatesDeveloping cooperative opportunityLinking to direct business benefitsSeizing positive local initiatives and publicising

Building on existing foundations – Extending network activities – Constant feedback and encouragement – Sustainable and self

generating program activity – Community dissemination –

Adopting box solutions

DELIVERY – sscci the UK experience

Get Business Owners Interested

Networking opportunity for businesses

Speak with travel companies and private shuttle bus companies to see if we can create a free or subsidised rate for all members of the MoMa.BIZ –

Free bus passes for employees

Make an announcement at event

Free rental period on units if expanding – 3 months free rent

Speak with Landlords / owners of empty units prior to meeting to gain their cooperation for a ‘Use Our Car Park Week’

Make an announcement at event

Grants and Funding

Make an announcement at event

Food and drink laid on

Delivery

Potential of Project

Create other opportunities through the project

More eateries / facilities in BIZ areas – what do businesses want – would this encourage them to stay on site at lunchtime?

This is all part of Mobility Management

Small business enterprise per BIZ

Could create a business opportunity – could Council subsidise business rates or Landlord give a rent-free period

press story – good for local economy

Use a redundant building in BIZ – develop visitor economy

Opportunities for sponsorship – local bicycle shop, car dealership

Press Release / PR / Newspapers and TV

Delivery

Know Their Concerns

To make real progress in reducing emissions everyone will need to be involved and collective action will need to be seen as both desirable and normal

People are more likely to believe and respond to others who seem like themselves and who share their concerns and interests

Businesses are aware of the cost of running a car

Businesses are motivated by money – we can save them money, save their staff money and improve the appearance of the BIZ

Staff punctuality improved

Ease the pressure on parking

Delivery

Our PlanClimate change is one of many priorities

The content of every community led plan reflects the needs, interests and priorities of the individuals and groups who contribute to it. The focus is always on local issues. Typical topics that arise within community consultation about local needs include:

Crime and security Grounds Maintenance Signage Public transport Road safety Business support On site eating facilities Training Waste and recycling

Delivery

The Approach

Most people do not think of climate change on this scale but rather as a global, long-term challenge

However, there is enormous scope for action on climate change to be included within community-led plans. The benefits of doing this are considerable

Climate change action becomes a shared concern of a whole community New opportunities open up to inform and educate local people about climate

change Our aim is for the MoMa.BIZ Project to be a springboard for more intensive

local action on climate change

The links between climate change and local needs

Delivery

Building Support for Climate Change

Look for common ground and use this to build a foundation for shared action

Public attitudes to climate change are complex and it will always be difficult to find common ground if basic knowledge and awareness of the issues is lacking

Many green groups have also found that their messages are more powerful if climate change actions are presented as ‘win-wins’ for local people. Insulation programmes, for example, are easy to present as money-saving as well as ‘planet-saving’ actions. This ‘win-win’ approach is an effective way of identifying and exploiting common ground. It not only incentivises climate change actions, it also promotes a more positive attitude and increases the public acceptability of pursuing climate change action in general

Delivery

Language

It is important to use appropriate and relevant language when discussing ‘environmental issues’

People are likely to support concerns over heating and insulation for elderly people and young families, or air quality at the local school, but labelling these things as ‘environmental issues’ may alienate some people

For climate change action to be fully integrated into community-led planning, the ‘win-win’ approach needs to be tackled from the other direction

Our Route to Involvement Rather than starting with a list of climate change actions and trying to work out the best way to ‘sell’ these, you need to start with an honest appreciation of the needs and priorities of local people and work out how these can be ‘reframed’ to a climate change agenda

Delivery

Benefits for Business

When launching a Mobility Management project it is important to show direct

financial benefits for the companies involved

Savings related to car parking and improved health of employees

Personal health is usually the main motivating factor for employees

Clear support from management is vital to ensure continuity of the work

The national authorities can support companies by developing the policy

instruments, financing practical pilot projects and informing of best practices

Delivery

Participation Those who have plans to change location and need more information on the

impact of relocating for employees including travel costs

Service sector where employees can be reached by e-mail and information

widely disseminated via intranet

Companies that have huge costs and lack of parking places can solve or relieve these problems by Mobility Management

Mobility Management in commuting can be approached from two directions:

1. Behavioural change can be reached by affecting employers that, in turn, provide and market sustainable transport services to their employees

2. Employers should then be aware of the other social factors other than commuting which affect single person travel habits

Delivery

Contact employees directly - the psychology behind individual travel behaviour can be understood more easily

‘Bike Busters’ is an example of an employee oriented approach. It is not a pure example of Mobility Management because it does not directly activate the employer, the generator of the traffic

Successful Mobility Management projects use both

Visible improvements during the project are crucial

Delivery

Stages

The first phase of the project is a travel questionnaire

Have very visible improvements right from the start

The management should be involved well before launching the project to employees – they will be our local leaders

Encouraging companies to work with Mobility Management can be accomplished primarily in three ways:

1. A sustainable mobility plan is required by law or municipal regulation

2. A sustainable mobility plan is required in quality and environment systems

3. Mobility planning and projects are activated and subsidised by the public sector

Delivery

Action

Activating and supporting companies in Mobility Management initiatives can in principle be done in two ways:

by giving information by granting finances in order to allow the purchase of mobility expertise as

an outsourcing service

Information is important but it is even more important is to have some kind of local focal point which can provide specifics

i.e. improvements for BIZ as a whole

We will provide training for all business owners and address other issues

Phone call last week asking if we could source training

Delivery

Companies need very practical tools and also marketing material:

What kind of benefits employers can gain from Mobility Management How to map current travel habits, problems and expectations What kind of actions could be carried out – which are the most effective and

what are the costs and benefits How should the selected actions be activated in practice Where to get material for information campaigns How to inform and market about the actions What kind of local rules and national legislation should be taken into

account when providing different services

Delivery

UK SSCCI Conclusion

Every company is different and there are no universal solutions.

Key success factors seem to be:

Anchoring the project at business owners Sufficient time for the project to develop and bring about results Adequate resources for practical work with companies Well-defined and segmented target groups Personal skills and motivation of the people in charge Carefully planned before/after-surveys with sufficient time in between Well-defined and well-known goals and targets Sufficient marketing, resources and patience Actual results – what the project can do for individuals is what it comes

down to

Any questions

Discussion of problems that

Partners anticipate