It's been a fantastic 3 Months since we launched BID:SOLUTIONS, we are currently working with and providing commercial benefits to 6 BID's with another 6 planing to come on board. Now things are really moving we'll make sure that we update the news/notice board on a monthly basis to feedback whats happening across the UK BID Community.

Offsetting the BID levy

‘Yeah, but what do you do for us?'

‘That's all very well, but the benefits stop at the door'

‘What exactly do I get for my levy?'

With increasing business rates and reducing profits, businesses are increasingly questioning why they are paying a BID levy. Increasing security, improving aesthetics, running events and bringing an entire community together is a tough job; it can sometimes be somewhat of a thankless task as many businesses are not aware of the great work.

Saving money for a business in one sure way to get their attention!

If through innovative procurement you can save more for your businesses then you are asking in BID levy, the questions change.

‘What else do you do?'

‘What's next?'

‘Where do I sign?'

Rather than your community voting on whether they can afford your services, have them vote on whether they could live without them.

Utility Savings

Every business in a BID needs energy to run.

Buying energy can be easy or time consuming. The easy way is to just let your contract roll on or accept the first or second offer you receive. The hard way is to understand the energy market, design a strategy based upon your businesses usage and market conditions, go out to circa 20 energy providers and analyse the results, coming up with the best deal.

Most small businesses adopt the easy option, so do some medium sized, mainly due to time constrains or knowledge. Big businesses usually have their eye on the ball, but even so they may not go to the extent described.

This is why we are able to make great savings for the businesses we work with.

We set up a branded BID Energy Desk, where all members can come for advice or by providing us with the authority to do so, pass over the work to us. We'll put together the right strategy and get the best deal for every business, once we have finished we'll hand the business a report, the only effort the business needs to make is to read the report and decide if they would rather go back to procuring themselves or leave the work to us and accept the savings we make for them.

It is quite possible to offset the BID levy many times over in Utility savings alone.

Energy Rangers

Usual the reason why businesses are paying too much for their utilities is because they just do not have the time to research, shop around and negotiate with suppliers, quite simply they are too busy running/managing their business.

If we set up an energy desk and support it with marketing to get the message out into the community and then sit back and expect all the businesses to contact either us or the BID we find the response will be slow and limited.

Energy Rangers are our active approach; we support the target marketing with an on street face to face presence.

The Energy Ranger will establish meetings with the big and medium sized businesses as is the professional approach, but with the smaller independent traders off street walk in is accepted and means we can cover many businesses in a single day. The direct and personal approach enables the energy ranger to explain and guide the business owner through the savings process.

This ranger becomes an ambassador for the BID, for those unclear, the function and benefits of the BID are explained along with any key messages or awareness of future activities or events, they are also able to update BID business information. Energy savings are the primary function of the energy ranger, but we have found that having this direct contact has greater benefits.

Waste and recycling

Commercial waste disposal is a cost burden to most businesses and comes in such varied forms dependant on the business function. Paper, cardboard and plastics are common and as we are all aware, these can be diverted from landfill and recycled, the only issue is collection and separating these products from general waste.

Glass bottles also appear where restaurants and public houses are present and again these can be recycled if segregated, but storage, collection and disposal needs to be thought about.

WEEE (Waste electrical and electronic equipment) can become a problem when it becomes outdated and needs disposal.

Batteries normally find their way into general waste, but better ways can be found.

Confidential waste, CD Roms, Old clothing or Uniforms, half used hotel products, redundant white products, whatever a company expels, there is a cost and effort for disposal. Tackling the problem as a community opens up opportunities.

Every BID generates a large amount of waste, therefore in most BIDs several waste disposal firms, generally including the council operate to provide a solution.

Working with a BID community a joint solution can be found with the result being, in the best case a free, or in the worst case a reduced rate service being offered to members. With a focus on reducing waste to landfill the great cost saving story is usually supported by a reduced carbon footprint achievement.

Coming soon:

Testing

We are currently putting in place a deal to cover all legislation testing.

Portable appliance Testing, Fixed Wire, Emergency Lighting, Fire alarm, Fire extinguishers

Soon businesses will be able to save on these yearly costs.

Pest Control

All infestations across all businesses will be covered in this deal. Food or non food premises, one off or yearly contracts. Savings for all businesses.