Open for Business: Welcome back to the high street

Businesses across the district are reopening their doors this week as the national coronavirus restrictions are changed.
Dawn Eames from Village Flowers in SelseyDawn Eames from Village Flowers in Selsey
Dawn Eames from Village Flowers in Selsey

Our high streets in Chichester, Selsey, Petworth, Midhurst and East Wittering have made their premises Covid-secure and are looking forward to welcoming shoppers in the run-up to Christmas for a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.

This week, as part of our Open for Business pull-out supported by Rolls Royce Motor Cars in the Observer, we featured dozens of businesses who have opened their doors this week as the Chichester district moved into Tier 2. Find out how to get involved in the fourth and final week at the end of this article.

Our Open for Business listings in this week's ObserverOur Open for Business listings in this week's Observer
Our Open for Business listings in this week's Observer
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As shops opened their doors this week, we spoke to retailers in Selsey about why it’s important to shop local.

Dawn Eames from Village Flowers said: “So proud of our not so little shop! Just pop in once — that’s all it takes. So many people say to me, ‘I didn’t know you sold that!’ Shop Selsey and support our wonderful community.”

Robbie and Charlotte Doyle, from Paws with Friends, said: “Shopping local this Christmas has never been more important. It means that more money is kept within our community. Shop Selsey then pop into Paws for good company and a warming cuppa.”

Louisa Ashley, from Totally Flooring, said: “Shopping local helps support the local economy meaning that small, independent traders can support other local businesses. Shop Selsey this Christmas.”

Louisa Ashley from Totally FlooringLouisa Ashley from Totally Flooring
Louisa Ashley from Totally Flooring
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And chef Tom Harker, from Umble Pie, said: “Umble pies work hard, stay humble, support local.”

As businesses reopen this week, Chichester District Council has brought in several measures to help keep people safe and encourage people to shop on the high street.

From December until February, the council is appointing Covid ambassadors to help control queues and encourage social distancing. Funded through Government schemes, the ambassadors will be in our towns and in the city to greet people as they visit shops and businesses.

Cllr Tony Dignum, cabinet member for growth, place and regeneration at Chichester District Council, said: “It’s so important that we support our local businesses, and this has never been more important as we rebuild from the coronavirus pandemic.

Chef Tom Harker from Umble PieChef Tom Harker from Umble Pie
Chef Tom Harker from Umble Pie
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“Now that the national restrictions have been lifted, we are encouraging people to safely return to our High Streets where they can find everything they need to make Christmas special. To help with this, our new Covid ambassadors will be on hand to welcome shoppers and assist with social distancing in the high streets.

“We are very lucky to have such a fantastic range of businesses in our district, many of which offer unique products that you can’t buy anywhere else. To encourage people to shop locally and to further help with social distancing, we are offering free parking every weekend in December in Avenue De Chartres car park, Chichester, and people can also use the MiPermit app to select two hours and get the third free in most of our car parks across the district during December.

“All of this work is part of the council’s Countdown to Christmas campaign to encourage people to support our local businesses. You can show your love of the district with our special Christmas gift tags, which you can download for free from our website, and apply special Facebook and Twitter frames to your profile pictures. Help us make this Christmas a local Christmas by supporting local wherever you can.”

Business support

Robbie and Charlotte Doyle from Paws with FriendsRobbie and Charlotte Doyle from Paws with Friends
Robbie and Charlotte Doyle from Paws with Friends

To support local businesses during this challenging period, Chichester District Council has employed two Covid information recovery officers. They have been working closely with businesses across the district to help them develop and implement Covid-19 risk assessments by offering reassurance and advice.

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Cllr Dignum said: “We know that many of our local businesses have felt isolated and unsure of what they need to do to make their premises Covid-secure.

“Our Covid information recovery officers are there to offer advice and support, answering questions from businesses about current Government guidance, as well as helping them to understand and interpret regulations around social distancing and other measures to minimise the risk of transmission of the disease.

“They’ve been working with businesses during the latest national restrictions to help them get ready to safely reopen their doors, including offering advice on managing queues within their stores in the run up to Christmas. They’ve helped a number of businesses and we know this has made a huge difference.”

The Covid Information Recovery Officers can also help signpost businesses to further business support that the council can offer, including financial help and links to free downloadable signage, and can advise businesses on who best to speak to if they are dealing with possible coronavirus cases.

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The council’s revenues and benefits and economic development teams have also been making sure that businesses that have had to close between November 5 and December 2 due to the national restrictions, can apply for a Government Local Restriction Support Grant.

A separate grant –the Additional Restrictions Grant – is also available for businesses that were open and trading the day before national restrictions were imposed but are not entitled to the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme as they are not responsible for business rates.

This grant is also for businesses that were not legally forced to close but that were severely impacted by the restrictions.

If you run a business in the Chichester district, you can find out more or get in touch with one of the officers by emailing: [email protected] or calling: 01243 534602.

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To find out more about the grants available and to apply, visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/businessratesnovember2020

Free business workshops

In the new year, West Sussex County Council is supporting a new initiative across the county to help small businesses which are finding the current climate commercially tough.

The West Sussex Recover & Rise in 2021 programme is a series of nine free online workshops designed to give small businesses a robust toolkit to not only survive through another year of unpredictable times, but to thrive.

These sessions have been put together by local experts – Rume2, Shake It Up Creative & Creative Bloom – to help business owners define, communicate and market in the right way to attract and retain customers throughout 2021. From product/service definition to networking, from setting goals and KPIs to tracking success through analytics, from action planning to digital marketing, this programme will give small and micro companies the structure and sales many of them desperately need as we head into a new year.

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The sessions will be run online at 12pm every Tuesday and Friday from Tuesday, January 12. The business must be located within West Sussex to be eligible for these workshops. To sign up, click here.

Open for Business

Initiatives like this, and our Open for Business campaign, are vital to keep our businesses surviving and thriving into 2021 and beyond. That’s why we are urging you to shop local and support retailers in our area.

This campaign would not have been possible without the support of Chichester’s very own Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the world’s most prestigious car manufacturing company. This means local firms can promote their online and in-store offers and opening times free of charge.

With the final Open for Business pull-out in your Observer next week, we urge you to think about how you can support the small businesses in your area, in ways that keep you and your families safe. And we’ll continue to bang the drum for those companies which are open for business.

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To be included in the next Open For Business pull-out, businesses should email no more than 60 words about their company and the service or products they offer to Bex Bastable at [email protected] by midday on Tuesday, December 8.