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Dear Haringey Business Owner,
Welcome to Haringey Council's Business Bulletin.
This edition will focus on:
This bulletin is compiled by the council's Economic Development Team. Please do let us know if we can help you directly, or if we can lobby the government on your behalf to provide further support relevant to your businesses situation.
We hope that you find the bulletin useful and welcome your feedback - we have a dedicated business support team available at business@haringey.gov.uk
For enquiries regarding the latest COVID regulations, please email us at covid19concerns@haringey.gov.uk
For specific enquiries, please contact the relevant team:
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Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) Omicron support - applications open
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The council has received a further £545,824 of Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding from the government to support businesses in the borough impacted by COVID-19.
Grant funding has been used to create the ‘ARG Omicron support’ – specifically available to businesses that have been severely impacted by the Omicron variant, including those outside of the business rates system.
A new application is required to access this grant payment.
Applications are open and will now close on Monday 7 March.
Who can apply?
Businesses located in Haringey, both rate and non-rate payers, that have been impacted by Omicron and fall within the following 3 groups:
Group 1
Hospitality and events venues providing seated facilities for the consumption of food and drink where the business is not the registered ratepayer.
Hospitality and events venues (that do have premises valued for business rates) are eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant.
Businesses whose main service (generating over 50% of their income) is a takeaway will NOT be eligible for this grant.
Examples of businesses included in this category are:
- restaurants (including pub restaurants)
- wine bars
- cafes
- wedding and event venues
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Group 2
The supply chain for the hospitality and event sector, travel agents and personal care. These will be businesses who are either ratepayer or non-ratepayers who were not eligible to apply for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant.
Eligible businesses included in this category are:
- breweries
- barbers
- beauty salons/clinics
- hairdressers
- recording studios and taxi drivers
Group 3
Eligible businesses included in this category are:
- Home based businesses undertaking activities described in groups 1 and 2.
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Grant amounts
The value of the support has been determined by the rateable value (RV) of eligible properties or the annual rent of the property where the business is not liable for business rates.
The following value bands will be used to determine the value of support:
Group 1
- RV or annual rent over £51,000:
£4,000
- RV or annual rent from £15,000 to £51,000:
£2,000
- RV or annual rent less than £15,000:
£1,500
Group 2
- RV or annual rent over £51,000:
£2,000
- RV or annual rent from £15,000 to £51,000:
£1,000
- RV or annual rent less than £15,000:
£750
Group 3
- Home based businesses:
£500
You can find full details on eligibility, and how you can apply for the available grants, on our COVID business grants webpage.
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Omicron Hospitality and Leisure grants - applications now open
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On 21 December 2021, the government announced a new grant scheme for hospitality and leisure businesses affected by the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
A new application is required to access this grant payment.
Applications are open and will now close on Friday 18 March.
Eligibility criteria for the grants:
- businesses must have been trading as of 30 December 2021
- businesses must be rated for business rates
- businesses must not be in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a striking-off notice or under notice
- business premises must be occupied as of 30 December 2021, empty premises are not eligible for the grants
- the primary principle of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors
- businesses must not have hit the maximum grants subsidy allowance
Grant amounts
Grant awards are based on property rateable value (RV) as shown below:
- Property RV of £15,000 or less: grant of £2,667
- Property RV of £15,001 to £50,999: grant of £4,000
- Property RV of £51,000 or more: grant of £6,000
You can find full details on eligibility, and how you can apply for the available grants, on our COVID business grants webpage.
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Haringey Cost Savings Programme
The Haringey Cost Savings Programme (HCSP) is a new service that offers free cost savings advice and support for small businesses based across Haringey.
The programme follows a successful pilot scheme delivered in Tottenham last year, which identified a total of £85,401 in savings for businesses within 3 months, of which £38,812 has been assisted upon and realised. The average saving per quote generated £1,267.50 for each business.
Business savings and support experts Place Support Partnership (PSP) have been appointed by the council to deliver the programme, which will help small business owners to survive and recover from the adverse impact of the pandemic.
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The programme is funded as part of the council's Good Economy Recovery Plan and High Street Recovery Action Plan (PDF, 1MB). It will support businesses to identify and realise savings when considering new contracts and choosing suppliers.
The HCSP will support businesses to navigate the current energy crisis and achieve best value on a range of services including electricity, gas, water, telecoms, insurance and merchant services.
The programme will be available in the following areas:
- Wood Green, Turnpike Lane and Green Lanes (from February to March)
- Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Hornsey (April to June)
- Businesses located on industrial estates
If you think you could benefit from the Haringey Cost Savings Programme, register now via email: haringey@placesupportpartnership.com
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Financial Support for Social Enterprises
On Monday 28 February, the National Lottery Community Fund will launch a second round of funding to support social enterprises across England impacted by the pandemic.
The Social Enterprise Support Fund, delivered in partnership with 5 social enterprise support agencies, will award grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 to help organisations rebuild and grow their income from trading, and help them to continue to support people facing increased social and economic challenges as a result of the crisis.
Priority will be given to applications from groups led by people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, disabled people, LGBTQIA+ communities, and leaders with lived experience.
The fund will be open to applications from 1pm on Monday 28 February and will close on Wednesday 24 March.
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Get Online for Business
Are you a local business in North Tottenham and would like to know more about promoting your business online?
Get Online for Business is a FREE programme of 5 workshops from Haringey Council to support local businesses build and take control of their online presence.
These online workshops give local small business owners a practical introduction and tips on the topics of:
- Workshop 1: Setting up and maintaining a website
- Workshop 2: Promoting your business online
- Workshop 3: Keeping your customers updated through digital communication
- Workshop 4: Using e-commerce and contactless payments
- Workshop 5: Get together to share your progress and discuss the next steps
To register for the programme, please complete the application form.
Places are limited and businesses in the North Tottenham area (Northumberland Park Ward) will be prioritised.
Registrations to join from workshop 2 on Tuesday 1 March will be accepted.
For more information about the Get Online for Business programme, please contact Sarah.Carruthers@haringey.gov.uk on 07967 442513.
When: Tuesday 22 February to Tuesday 22 March (5-week programme)
Time: 6pm - 9pm
Where: Online event via MS Teams (link will be provided when you register)
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Business Ready podcasts
The Business Ready Podcast, delivered by the London Business Hub, is back with a brand-new series themed around the concept of business resilience. In each episode, hear from industry experts and business owners with valuable insight on topics relevant to SMEs.
You can subscribe to the Business Ready Podcast through your favourite podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts and Pocketcast or stream now on Spotify or Acast.
From overcoming recruitment challenges to going net zero, find out how to futureproof your business with Business Ready. And in case you missed the Brexit Ready series, all episodes are still available.
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Haringey wins ‘Best All Round Small Business Friendly Borough’ Award
We are delighted to announce that on Wednesday 16 February, Haringey Council was awarded ‘Best All Round Small Business Friendly Borough’ at the Small Business Friendly Borough Awards 2022. The awards are delivered jointly by London Councils and the London region of the Federation of Small Business.
The accolade is in recognition of the outstanding business support work undertaken across the whole of Haringey Council to help local businesses navigate their way through the pandemic and beyond through our Good Economy Recovery Plan.
The support offered to businesses in the borough has been wide ranging, including advice and guidance on restrictions, how to reopen safely, events to encourage residents back to our high streets, payment of government grants and projects to help businesses move from recovery into growth.
Find out more about the award and why Haringey won, including quotes from small businesses, by visiting the Small Business Friendly Borough Awards 2022 section of the London Councils website.
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Low Traffic Neighbourhoods - update
The roll out of 3 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) to create a safer, cleaner and greener borough will begin next month.
In December, Haringey Council Cabinet Members agreed to introduce people-friendly on-street measures in Bounds Green, Bruce Grove, West Green and St. Ann’s to reduce through traffic, improve air quality and support residents to walk, cycle and shop locally.
The decision followed an extensive listening exercise which included 3 rounds of engagement.
The implementation of School Streets, which create a safe walk and cycle zone outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times, starts in March, followed by new zebra crossings and cycle storage hangars.
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This phased approach will see LTN traffic filters introduced from early summer with a policy in place for those eligible for exemptions from the restrictions.
LTN filters stop rat running in local streets but allow pedestrians and cyclists to pass through. All homes and businesses remain accessible by car, van and lorry.
Both LTN and School Street will be implemented under experimental traffic orders so that residents have an opportunity to feedback on how the measures work in practice before any decision is made on whether to make them permanent.
The council is writing to all businesses in the LTN areas with details of the schemes and timing of the on-street measures.
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Love Wood Green - 50/50 voucher campaign
The Wood Green Business Improvement District (BID) is always looking for ways to support local businesses in Wood Green. Following on from the success of the recent Small Business Saturday campaign, the BID are now delivering the Love Wood Green campaign.
As well as getting as many local businesses to take part by creating a shout out on social media platforms, the BID are also encouraging businesses to join the 50/50 voucher campaign.
The minimum voucher is set at £50, and the maximum set at £500. The structure of the 50/50 campaign means that the BID will fund 50% of a voucher - so will fund from £25 and up to £250 per business. Each day vouchers will be given away to the general public who like or share the daily posts.
From Monday 14 to Saturday 26 February, the BID will be giving away vouchers via Instagram, Facebook and Twitter social media platforms. Each winner will be picked randomly. Vouchers will be sent to the winner who will have until the end of March to redeem.
For further information and how your business can join the campaign, visit the Wood Green BID website.
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Wood Green Town Centre Vision
 Over the last few years, the Wood Green Business Improvement District (BID) has implemented several initiatives in the town centre such as the street rangers, a radio scheme, new Christmas lights, and a joint procurement service.
The BID has pledged to work with the council and businesses to create a longer-term vision for the success of the town centre. In partnership with the council, the BID are now asking you to get involved by providing your views, through a new online survey, on how the town centre should evolve.
The survey will take around 5 minutes to complete and will form the first part of local engagement which will eventually lead to the creation of a new town centre action plan.
The closing date for submissions is Friday 4 March.
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Tottenham Hotspur Foundation - Jobs Fair
 On Friday 25 February, Tottenham Hotspur will host its first ever Jobs Fair to drive employment opportunities following the pandemic.
The Jobs Fair, held in partnership between the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and the Department for Work and Pensions, will see over 50 employers from both the private and public sector showcase live vacancies to jobseekers.
Employers include Google, HSBC, JD Sports, IKEA, the Police and all of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium event day contractors, with roles ranging from entry level through to graduate and management positions, traineeships and apprenticeships.
The event is open to anyone over the age of 18. Pre-registration is not required.
When: Friday 25 February
Time: 10am - 2.30pm
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 782 High Road, N17 0BX
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Introduction to Search Engine Optimization
 If you are interested in driving targeted traffic to your website, understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is more important than ever.
In this free, 2-hour online event from General Assembly, you will learn basic strategies for creating an effective SEO campaign that improves your online visibility and brings potential customers to your business website.
This event will explore how you can boost your website’s rank on search engines like Google and will cover:
- the importance of SEO.
- how search engines work.
- how to create an effective SEO campaign.
- creating well-optimised content.
- how to boost your online visibility and attract potential customers to your website.
When: Tuesday 1 March
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Where: Online
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Pricing Strategy for Small and Medium Enterprises
Setting prices for products or services is a huge challenge for many business owners at start-up as well as during scale-up. Mistakes made in pricing decisions result in lost revenue, disrupt cash flow and reduce profits in your business.
This free online event from the Small Business Research + Enterprise Centre will provide an introduction to pricing strategy for small and medium-sized businesses.
It will cover:
- the importance of pricing.
- pricing for brand awareness and value.
- business costs.
- key considerations when setting prices.
- common pricing mistakes.
- developing clear pricing strategies.
When: Thursday 3 March
Time: 10am - 11am
Where: Online
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Making Tax Digital
 Making Tax Digital for VAT is part of the overall digitalisation of UK Tax. All VAT-registered businesses, regardless of turnover, should sign up now to ensure they are ready in time for the April 2022 deadline.
This webinar will provide some of the basics of Making Tax Digital for VAT. This will include what’s changing, using software and keeping digital records, plus an introduction to penalty reform.
When: Thursday 3 March
Time: 3.45pm - 4.45pm
Where: Online
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And finally...
Please get in touch if you have any further questions, if you are experiencing difficulties and need to reach out, or if you would like to know about wider business support that is on offer.
You can email our Business Support Team at business@haringey.gov.uk
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