|
|
|
|
Welcome to the first edition of Brent Business News, the newsletter for Employer Partnership members and the wider business community in Brent and the West London sub-region.
Brent Business News will be a quarterly publication produced by the Employer Partnership to inform businesses on opportunities, developments, accomplishments, and initiatives in and around Brent, to help increase and sustain business growth in our borough.
Each edition will cover a range of issues that we hope will help businesses inform policies and practice through sections which analyse local business market intelligence and data, identify new and emerging government legislation, highlight Brent Council initiatives and policies pertaining to business, as well as provide the opportunity for businesses to advertise and promote their services.
Brent is undertaking some of the most ambitious regeneration projects in London. The New Wembley Stadium is now a national and international destination bringing world class events back to Wembley. Building work has already started to transform the land surrounding the stadium to create 4,000 new homes, a luxury hotel, retail and leisure facilities and community space. Our Town Centres in Wembley, Harlesden and Willesden are undergoing regeneration to create centres that are accessible, welcoming, attractive and safe. These projects however cannot be achieved alone. We recognise and encourage all our businesses in Brent to be involved in our ambitions for the borough and it is our intention through this newsletter, the Employer Partnership website and the Employer Partnership itself, that all in Brent can take best advantage of the many opportunities on offer.
If you would like to involved in the Employer Partnership, please contact Alka Nepali, Economic Development Officer at the Council who will send you more information about events/meetings being held or deal with any enquiries you have.
We hope you find this newsletter helpful and informative and an additional resource to your planning processes. If you have any feedback or ideas for future editions, please let Alka know.
Click the link below to go to the Employer Partnership website...
Read More...
|
Welcome from the Employer Partnership chair Vijay Amin
A warm welcome to you all to our first edition of the Employer Partnership (EP) newsletter. My name is Vijay Amin and I am the chair of the EP and Director of ABi Associates based in Brent. I've been running my business in Brent for over five years now and am involved in ensuring the private sector in Brent is a represented voice in the borough.
This is a very exciting time for Brent businesses and a great opportunity for our local economy to thrive and benefit from the developments taking shape. Through the EP, businesses now have an avenue to communicate with the Council and engage regular information sharing.
Over the next 12 months the EP will be offering a range of services to businesses with this aim in mind. This the new EP newsletter will be a quarterly feature containing market intelligence, advice, and referrals on projects and activities organised in the borough to support business growth and development. Please read on for this edition's content. As well as the newsletter the EP Forum Breakfast seminars will run quarterly, arranging speakers from different organisations and from the Council itself to present on business issues relevant to our employers. And there is the EP website available on www.employerpartnership.org.uk for businesses looking to locate more in-depth business support from a range of providers in the borough.
Your support and involvement in the Employer Partnership is vital. It is important that we as business owners take this opportunity to give our business perspective on local matters and work with Brent Council to establish a partnership that allows for business development and through this the development of the Brent economy.
May I thank all of you for your support in the past and look forward to working with you in the future and meeting you at our Breakfast seminars.
|
|
The Business Agenda - held on Tuesday 4th March 2008
 Brent Council recently held a business forum event 'The Business Agenda' together with the Employer Partnership, to inform local businesses about the ambitious regeneration projects taking place in Brent and how local businesses can engage to benefit from these and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The event held at the Advait Centre on Tuesday 4th March, was opened by the Leader of the Council Cllr Paul Lorber, who provided an overview of the regeneration of Wembley, which will result in the area becoming a new national and international destination and a key contributor to the London economy.
The event was attended by over 40 people representing a range of business sectors in the borough. Our next event is being held on Tuesday 3 June 2008, if you would like to receive further information please contact, Alka Nepali on 020 8937 1074 or alka.nepali@brent.gov.uk
To read the whole article click the link below...
Read More...
|
|
Recent market intelligence findings about businesses in Brent: 33% - the proportion of businesses in Real Estate, Renting, Business Services, the largest proportion in any sector. 22,400 - the number of people employed by the public sector, a significant proportion of employment in Brent. 5,700 - the number of businesses Brent needs to create to match business density in London generally. Business density is low. 14% - the proportion of men aged 16 and over who are self employed. Levels of entrepreneurship amongst men is high - this is a significant strength, so long as businesses are being started in Brent. 4% - the proportion of women aged 16 and over who are self employed. Levels of entrepreneurship amongst women is low, this is a weakness and Brent could create an environment in which to encourage and support women in business. To read more about recent research findings about businesses in Brent click below...
Read More...
|
|
Recent market intelligence findings about people in Brent: £25,400 - the mean gross annual pay of a resident in Brent. The pay of residents is high (marginally higher than workers in the UK), that of workers, low. 22,400 - the number of people employed by the public sector, a significant proportion of employment in Brent. 11,900 - the number of professionals working in Brent. Relatively few of Brent's workers are professionals. On balance, professionals commute out and customer service workers commute in. This is a weakness. 78% - the proportion of working age men employed in Brent. The impact of Brent's industrial structure works rather better for men than women (the female employment rate is comparatively low) but employment rates are lower than London or Great Britain. 28% - the proportion of Brent's working age residents educated to degree level or above. The qualifications of residents is low, similar to levels in Great Britain generally. To read more about recent research findings about people in Brent click below...
Read More...
|
Brent - a place to live and work
Recent market intelligence findings about Brent: Competition amongst broadband providers is good and Brent will be faster than London or the UK to be connected to the 21st century network. This is good for business connectivity. £79 the rental value of a square metre of commercial premises in Brent. Commercial premises are relatively cheap by comparison with neighbouring Local Authorities. 9 the number of years it takes a resident in Brent to buy a flat (based on the price of a flat in Brent/ mean resident wage). Housing is less affordable in Brent than in London generally. 3,700 the number by which criminal offences should be reduced to have the same crime rates as England. Brent is a less safe place in which to live and work than England, but a safer place than London generally. 81 the number of square metres of green space each resident has access to. Brent is not as green as London generally - there is less green space and domestic gardens are smaller. To read more about recent research findings about Brent click below...
Read More...
|
|
![]()
Are you an employer looking for new staff? Are you looking for free customised training for potential employees?
 Brent in2 Work is a Brent Council initiative that works one to one with businesses to offer free recruitment and training services that respond to an employer's unique needs. Our experienced Recruitment and Training team provide a high quality and professional job matching and job screening service to provide highly skilled and quality candidates. Where an employer's needs are more sophisticated, we will work with them to deliver bespoke training to develop a candidate's skills and competencies in line with the requirements set by the employer for their vacancies. We specialise in working with employers across a broad range of sectors including Health and Social Care, Customer Service/Call Centre, Retail, Security, Hospitality and Catering, Cleaning, Fitness and Leisure, Office Administration to name a few. All our services are free to the employer and the job-seeker. Visit us at www.brentin2work.co.uk or call us on 020 8937 6520. Our address is Brent in2 Work, 2nd Floor, Cottrell House, 53-63 Wembley Hill Road, HA9 8BE
|
|
![]()
All over the UK, businesses have been boosting sales, profits and market share thanks to a new programme by the Design Council called Designing Demand. Now it's available in London to help firms get the most out of the capital's design expertise. Grant Thornton and Design London are delighted to be delivering the regional programme for the capital funded by the London Development Agency. Selected companies will be working with leading designers to help them stand out from the competition, improve processes and energise their business. To find out more contact: Amy.pointon@gtuk.com www.designingdemand.org.uk
|
|
![]()
Knowledge Connect is a new, pan-London, £3.7M, LDA business support programme to assist small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to undertake grant funded collaborative projects with the wider Knowledge base. The programme will provide a combination of 1-2-1 mentoring, specialist identification and search and grant support to enable SMEs to address business growth opportunities. The assistance is available to businesses anywhere in the Greater London area and is focussed primarily on trading businesses of between 4 and 50 employees who have not previously worked with Universities, FE colleges, RTOs or private sector specialists. Businesses can apply for support via the Knowledge Connect website which also offers a family of self-assessment tools to help with opportunity and project identification. For further information contact: Denis Salamon - 07803 932 527; d.salamon@angleplc.com Mark Modena - 07855 316 474; marka@winningmoves.com
|
|
![]()
Information and practical advice for Brent businesses
 Are you a small or medium sized business based in Brent looking for free advice and support? Business Link in London is the first place to go for high quality information and advice to help you meet your business challenges and make the most of business opportunities.
Our dedicated enquiry line helps provide advice and the website offers established business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs a wealth of practical information and interactive tools. Business Link in London also runs and supports a number of free business events throughout the Capital. For more information on our free events visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/london/events In addition to providing information, Business Link provides a business review service that can help you get to grips with the challenges facing your business. Just call the dedicated number below and arrange a face to face meeting with one of our expert client service managers. For more information on how Business Link in London can help your business call 0845 6000 787 or visit www.businesslink.gov/london
|
|
![]()
Business Support for Brent's Small and Independent Retailers
ABi Associates, a leading business support Company based in Neasden, is working with Brent Council to deliver a menu of services for retailers in Wembley and Willesden (and across Brent). This service includes: One to one professional business advice on site. Undertake a Business review to identify the areas where you need further assistance to improve your business. Develop marketing plan for the business to help you to attract and retain more customers. Provide training (convenient evening and daytime sessions), on a wide range of business subjects such as improving customer service, Marketing, Basic IT, health & safety and food hygiene.Organises networking Events.Visual Merchandising advice - to help you create an attractive window display to attract more customers. To-date over 350 small retailers have benefited from these services. For further information, please contact Sarah Jensen: 020 8438 4550; sarah@abi.co.uk Or visit our website at www.abi.co.uk
|
|
![]()
Contact Alka Nepali on 020 8937 1074 Email: alka.nepali@brent.gov.uk
|
|
