We are in unprecedented times right now and we know how worrying this must be for you and your business. This is a new challenge for us all to face, and things are changing daily so it’s important now more than ever we work together, communicate and support each other.
The BID are here to help facilitate this. We will support you, your business and our high street. We are closely monitoring the situation, including Government announcements and on this page you will find useful links and references to help you get the right support you need. We will update this daily as new information comes out so please do check back.
RECOVERY STRATEGY
On Sunday 10 May Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation to set out recovery plan for us all. See below for the full speech and the 60 page guide issued on 11 May with further information.
PM address to the nation on coronavirus: 10 May 2020
The Government’s roadmap for how and when the UK will adjust its response to the COVID-19 crisis.
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ANNOUNCED
The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19.
This includes a package of measures to support businesses including:
- a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- deferring VAT and Income Tax payments
- a Statutory Sick Pay relief package for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs)
- a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in England
- small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
- grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
- the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank
- a new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity among larger firms, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans
- the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme
(wording taken from the Government Support for Business page on their website)
NEW – Business rates revaluation postponed
GOVERNMENT ADVICE
Government Support for Business
Guidance on further businesses to close – 24 March
NEW Government website – details of all support for businesses in one place
Poster for employers from Public Health England
Claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – new 7 April
Check if your employer can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – new 7 April (useful for employees)
Furlough Cut off date extended
HMRC VIDEOS
Coronavirus (COVID-19): helping employers to support employees
Running your business through Coronavirus (COVID-19)
USEFUL RESOURCES
CIPD information regarding coronavirus and businesses
Federation of small businesses
British Retail Consortium Advice
Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Statement (19 March)
Hertfordshire Growth Hub – COVID-19 Business Resource Page
EmployAssist Advice for employers
Retail Trust – a charity that supports everyone working in retail and their families.
Night Time Economy Solutions – advice for licensed premises – updated 23 March
Herts Police Commissioner Statement – 24 March
Hertforshire County Council Coronavirus update
East Herts Council Coronavirus update
Association of Convenience Stores – home delivery advice
Price Bailey Summary of Support
British Business Bank – Loan scheme
BID Security Patrol in town centre
Bishop’s Stortford Independent Advice for Businesses
EmployAssist – Latest news and blog posts all about Coronavirus support
Top 10 Security Tips for Closed Business Premises
Letter from East Herts to the BID re Grant payments, 17 April
CORONAVIRUS TESTING
Updated arrangements are now available for accessing drive-through coronavirus (COVID-19) testing in Hertfordshire on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
There will be pop-up testing sites as follows:
Saturdays between 10am and 4pm in Hertford at County Hall, Pegs Lane, SG138DQ
Sundays between 10am and 4pm in Watford at the Central Watford leisure centre, WD17 3HA
Mondays between 10am and 4pm in Stevenage on Caxton Way, SG1 2DF (car park entrance near the household waste recycling centre).
Full information about who coronavirus tests are available for, along with details of how to book a test online, are available online at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
Please take up this testing opportunity if you are eligible.
If you have a test for coronavirus (COVID-19), please be sure to inform your line manager of the result and date of the test.
FREE TRAINING
If you are at home now whilst your shop / business is closed, make the most of the time by learning new skills to help you when you reopen. Google Digital Garage have over 120 FREE online courses on subjects such as social media marketing, getting your business online, database management and lots more. Each one is made up of modules and you can study at your own pace from home at a time to suit you. Some are just an hour, others a few hours.
CROWDFUNDING FROM VISIT HERTS & HERTS LEP
Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Visit Herts are working in partnership to offer small and micro businesses within the tourism, leisure, hospitality, retail, arts and cultural sectors the chance to unlock between £2000 and £5000 in match funding to help overcome the challenges of Covid-19.
The £200,000 Hertfordshire LEP fund will be administered by Visit Herts and delivered through the Crowdfunder Pay it Forward platform. Participating businesses will raise money for their project through pledges from their community and loyal customers. Once a business secures their target through the Crowdfunder campaign, successful applicants will be able to unlock between £2,000 – £5,000 in match-funding from the Crowdfund Hertfordshire: Small Business Innovation Fund.
To qualify, your business will need to be located in Hertfordshire and be a micro or small business primarily operating in tourism, leisure, hospitality, retail, arts or culture sectors. You will need to demonstrate that your business has been affected by Covid-19 and how you would use the funding to adapt your current business to either operate during lockdown, or to adjust to post lockdown measures. You will also need to clearly demonstrate that the adjustments you intend to make will help protect jobs directly within your business.
If you think your business is eligible and are interested in finding out more information, please visit the Visit Herts website for full business guidance and details of how to get involved.
EMAILS SENT
Emails sent to levy payers regarding Coronavirus:
31 March – BID levy invoice delay
2 April – Government Grant Information
3 April – Police Advice re shop windows
17 April – Grant Payment Update
KEEP IN TOUCH
We will also be sharing with you on our social media channels and by email any relevant news and means of help and support. If you are a BID business and not already on our email database please sign up here.
If you have any ideas you think will help please do get in touch and we will be happy to help put into action anything that is possible or link you up with other businesses.
You can contact us on: gina@bishopsstortfordbid.co.uk or by phone on 07399 245280.
