Our recommendations –
Cheltenham BID has researched, attended, and ran a variety of business to business webinars recently. These free online lectures, presentations, seminars, or workshops are perfect for BID businesses to learn and develop brand authority and marketing strategies. The webinars introduce new technology and ideas to businesses in an interactive and engaging way.
Our recommendations are below and any business can sign up for free.
1. MaybeTech –
Maybe* provides over 400 articles, free webinars, and training, all delivered remotely to help businesses like yours do business socially.
Is your social media doing the trick? Do you need help amplifying your messaging across your channels? At Maybe*, every Wednesday is #WebinarWednesday at 10am. MaybeTech roll up their sleeves and show independent retailers, BIDs and Councils how they can harness social media insights to reach more customers and boost business.
2. British Library B2B webinars
The Business & Intellectual Property Centre will continue to run webinars and you can watch previous events on their YouTube channel. Their reference team are also running online one-to-ones on intellectual property and business information.
These are all available on their website alongside articles, blogs and Industry Guides.
3. BT Skills for Tomorrow business webinars
BT Skills for Tomorrow offer weekly webinars for all areas of life. Empowering you with the skills you need today, for a better tomorrow.
4. GFirst LEP/The Growth Hub network B2B webinars
FREE 1-2-1 and group webinars are available.
ONE-TO-ONE: How to Grow your Business through Photo and Video, WORKSHOP: How to Build an Eco Business, WORKSHOP: How to Market your Business on Social Media, WORKSHOP: How to Broadcast your Business through Podcasts, WORKSHOP: How to Market your Tourism Business on Social Media, WORKSHOP: How to Beat your Competitors Online and many more.
5. Digital Spotlight – Inside the Mind of the B2B Buyer
In this webinar, presented by B2B Marketing magazine, Richard Robinson of Google shares insight on how B2B customers gather information online and make purchasing decisions. Discover how B2B buyers are looking for product- and service-specific information online. Learn to target the sales funnel more effectively and better define key influencers.
Mister’s Café, Cheltenham’s newest Independent café based in Grosvenor Terrace opened its doors for the first time post-lockdown.
Located just off the high street away from the hustle & bustle, customers can enjoy home cooked breakfasts, brunches & lunches, afternoon teas and daily specials.
The small business has gone from strength to strength since opening during the most severe global economic downturn since the Great Depression.
Cheltenham BID’ s Digital and Communications Exec Maria Allebone interviewed Rex Gibson, on the café’s owners.
MA: Why Cheltenham?
RG: We chose Cheltenham as there is a thriving and ever-growing foodie culture here. There’s a great mix of independent cafes, bars and restaurants all working hard to grow the culture and make Cheltenham a top foodie destination! And of course, there’s all of the wonderful festivals and events that the town hosts, which we are excited to become a part of!
MA: What inspired their décor?
RG: The thing that originally inspired the decor was our logo, we wanted the black and gold theme to be running throughout but without being too in your face. We made a lot of the things in the cafe ourselves, from the menu stands to the black and gold mirror, so that we made sure that as much as possible had a personal touch. Add into that both of our eclectic tastes and being magpies for anything that’s a little bit quirky and original, and you have the recipe for our decor!
MA: What is your best-selling food item?
RG: That’s a difficult one! It changes week to week really, our new Brunch Menu is going down a storm at the moment, but overall, we would have to say it’s the Mister’s Burger. Our customers love the fact that we make the burgers ourselves, and it has always been a favourite of friends and family that encouraged us to open a cafe!
MA: How do you work with the neighbouring businesses – if they do?
RG: We have great neighbours! Dave and Zena from Regency Dry Cleaners and Greg and Kate from Strand Jewellers have been incredible and so supportive of our new business. So much so, they’re actually our most regular customers! We’re currently talking to them about how we can boost business for all of us, watch this space!
MA: What local suppliers do you use?
RG: All of our fruit and veg comes from a great supplier in Bristol, and our meat all comes from a wonderful family butcher in Worcestershire. We opened in lock down, so we reached out to suppliers we knew would be able to supply us under the circumstances. Part of our business plan is to source everything we can as locally as possible, so we’re always on the lookout for new suppliers close to home.
MA: Have you any plans to bring some festive flavours to their menu?
RG: Oh yes, we can’t wait to bring our festive flair to the cafe! Christmas dinner in our house is always about 25 people, and we love it! Mike is already planning on what he’s going to put on the menu! As with the decor, we try to make as much of the decorations as we can, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming all of our lovely customers over the festive period.
We know you have met them, but do you know them?
The three-strong team that welcome visitors and work closely with businesses in the BID zone are the BID Ambassadors.
The uniformed Ambassadors are on duty at key times of the working week and at weekends and help ensure that businesses and their customers get the very best out of the town.
Cheltenham BID (CBID) interviewed Ambassador Phil Cook.
CBID- Tell us a little bit about yourself?
PC: I have lived in Cheltenham for 32yrs and my background is in leisure management, including 14 years as senior support manager at Cheltenham’s late, lamented Odeon Cinema. I have juggled part-time jobs for five years now and this suits me down to the ground, as I love the variety and diversity.
I am passionate about theatre and National Hunt racing so I am in the right town for that and I spend a lot of my spare time writing – I wrote a 70,000 word autobiographical book entitled ‘Life In the Time of Covid-19’ during my initial three month lockdown which I am hoping to self-publish.
CBID – What is your favourite thing about Cheltenham?
PC – I have always liked the fact that Cheltenham is a ‘walking town’ and everything is so accessible. As a non-driver, this has always been important to me. There are beautiful walks in and out of the centre and whilst walking in town, people should take time to look up above their eyeline and see the beauty and majesty of some of Cheltenham’s architecture.
CBID – What do you find tourists are most interested in?
PC: I think it depends on whether they come individually or in a group. Couples and families who come away for the weekend do far more research and hunt out the likes of Montpellier, Pittville and Tivoli but the coach parties tend to stay more central and head for the local cafes, markets or the big names on the High Street, as they tend to have more time restraints.
CBID – What is your favourite part about being an Ambassador?
PC: Meeting people from all walks of life. Business owners, managers, staff, members of the public, tourists, festival goers and of course, local authority. There is such a variety to my work and although I am here – primarily – to support local businesses, I feel I am supporting the town itself in so many other different ways.
CBID -What is the most rewarding thing about being Ambassador?
PC: If you love people and love your town as I do, this is the best job in the world. It can be cold, wet, dirty and very challenging at times, but you take the rough with the smooth. Helping people is very rewarding and after three years in the job, I now feel great satisfaction when people recognise and stop me or wave to me from their businesses.
Warhammer Cheltenham (formerly Games Workshop) recently celebrated its seventh anniversary. Will Rawlins has been the store manager for three years and feels lucky to be in the position.
Warhammer is a tabletop miniature wargame that simulates battles between terrestrial armies from different factions. Created in 1983, the game continues to grow in popularity and attracts people of all ages.
Cheltenham has an active Warhammer community and the store on Pittville Street frequently holds games nights and hobby sessions, bringing people to Cheltenham from far and wide. Will Rawlins, the store manager, said: “Even when people are on holiday in Gloucestershire, they pop into town to come to the shop.”
The store stocks the full range of characters and everything gamers need to build their battlefields and family and friends can often be found there enjoying time together. They even offer free beginners’ sessions to help new gamers paint their characters and build their skills.
Will was enthusiastic about the Hidden Cheltenham trails and kindly gave the BID Age of Sigmar characters to put into every goodie bag given out. Not only that, but once people had their character, they could go to a free painting workshop to bring their character to life.
Will sees working with other local businesses as a way of introducing like-minded people to new products and experiences. People from both Incom Gaming and Warhammer Cheltenham can often be seen battling on the tables.
As BID Business of the month, Warhammer Cheltenham will have a representative speaker at the next Cheltenham Business Forum event. We will highlight them across our social media channels, and they will feature on the home page of our website.
Cheltenham BID has been supporting REACH (Restore Emergency at Cheltenham Hospital) in its campaign to re-establish a full 24/7 Accident and Emergency department at Cheltenham General Hospital.
We are now inviting BID businesses and their staff to complete a short survey to tell REACH their priorities for the future of care services in Gloucestershire.
REACH’s survey follows the launch of a separate engagement exercise by the NHS. For more information and the survey, please visit https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/REACHforthefuture/
Commercial property agents and landlords play a vital role in shaping town and city centres, as do planning consultants and those who make planning decisions.
The BID will be attending and speaking at the Cheltenham Property Forum on September 19.
The event is being run by Evans Jones, Chartered Surveyors and Planning Consultants. It will be attended by more than 90 people from the commercial property sector. The BID will be sharing the benefits available to businesses coming to trade in Cheltenham and outlining how we can support agents in attracting businesses to our town.
Discussion will take place about the changing shape of the High Street and the necessity to consider a more diverse range of uses for what have traditionally been seen as retail spaces. Planning decisions have a high impact on the shape of the High Street so this is likely to be a topic high on the agenda.
If you haven’t been caught up in the mania that is PEAKY BLINDERS, then where have you have been?
One of the hottest shows on British television is now in its fifth season. Birmingham, the home of the real Peaky Blinders criminal gang, has seen a record number of tourists since the release of the new series.
But its impact can be felt everywhere – even in Cheltenham.
Local businesses are making the most of the drama’s popularity; with art, fashion and of course, gin, on sale.
Whitewall Gallery and Castle Fine Art have some unique Peaky Blinders pieces on sale; Monty Smith supplies authentic Peaky Blinders caps and The Old Courthouse have a spiced dry gin named after the infamous gang.
Are you making the most of the craze? Tag @OurChelt in your social media posts and we’ll spread the word for you.
Thanks to our Ambassador Phil for this article and the images.
The Cheltenham Literature Festival was the first of its kind and, after 70 years, is the longest running literature festival in the world.
The event draws thousands of visitors from across the globe and sees some of the world’s best-known writers descend on Cheltenham. This year will see larger than ever crowds and the BID is encouraging businesses to make the most of this audience.
There are lots of ways your business can benefit, and The Festivals have put together this helpful guide. You could theme your shop window, offer discounts for food and accommodation packages or create a book exchange corner.
The BID is a major sponsor of the …around town programme for all four festivals, including the annual Lit Crawl and this year’s new event, The Elmer Trail.
This is the third year The Lit Crawl comes to Cheltenham’s streets. On Saturday October 5 from 5pm, venues around the town will host comedy, readings, performance and parties with a literary theme. And they are all free to attend.
Some of the 15 venues include The Wilson, Waterstones, Stable Pizza, The Library, The Old Courthouse, Travel Bag, Memsahib Gin and Tea, Smokey Joe’s, Boston Tea Party and one of our voluntary BID members, Badlands Records.
To celebrate 30 years of David McKee’s Elmer, an artwork trail has been created by 10 local primary schools. Children can pick up a quiz sheet from Regent Arcade and follow the trail around town to see the artwork.
Participating businesses are the Regent Arcade, Waterstones, The Children’s Library, John Lewis & Partners, Vinegar Hill, Triple 2, Boston Tea Party, Smokey Joe’s and Mr Mulligan’s. The trail runs throughout the Literature Festival, from 4th to 13th October.