Check out the latest North Warwickshire Borough Council's Towns Newsletter!

Let’s moveforward, together.On the 19th July we came out of lockdown,with the removal of all Public Health lawson social distancing, wearing of face masksand hand sanitation. HM Government has urged people to take personal responsibility to reduce infections and protect the NHS. As business owners, you should also be aware of changes to economic- support being offered in
the run up to their removal. Business rates relief for eligible businesses that were required to close on 5th January 2021 runs until 31st March 2022.

The COVID Job Retention Scheme (Furlough) sees HMG contribution decline to 60% from 70% on 1st August.

The rate of VAT for hospitality, accommodation and visitor attractions will go up from 5% to
12.5% from 1st October, as well as the make VAT digital rules. For the full guidance on the changes please visit (COVID-19) Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do -Coronavirus: how to stay safe and help prevent the spread - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Your responsibilities to yourself, your staff and customers

You can now trade to the standards before the rules put in place during the pandemic lockdown. The rate of infection is rising rapidly across England. Below is guidance from the Environmental Health
Team at North Warwickshire Borough Council to keep you, your staff and customers as safe as possible.

If you have symptoms, ensure you get tested.

If you do have COVID 19 please self- isolate.

Make sure people asked to selfisolate do.

If you or an employee are contacted via the NHS Test and Trace App to self-isolate. This may change in the near future for double vaccinated people however, at this time it is still mandatory.

The wearing of face coverings is not mandated, but some customers or staff may feel more relaxed wearing them. Businesses are also encouraged to continue displaying QR codes for
customers wishing to check in using the NHS COVID-19 app, or to continue collecting customer contact details to support NHS Test and Trace, however this will no longer be a legal requirement.
You could encourage regular Lateral Flow testing for yourself and staff, these kits are available from

Order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Improve ventilation.

The summer offers us an opportunity to utilise outdoor space and reduce the risk of infection, access to fresh air or improved ventilation provides. If you are a hospitality venue who would welcome discussions on this please contact environmentalhealth@northwarks.gov.uk

Help your staff return in a responsible manner.

Consider the benefits of employees returning to the workplace to the productivity of time employees can spend working from home.
Keep communicating with your staff and customers. If you need some supporting materials to help staff and customers return, please contact towns@northwarks.gov.uk

Have your say
These have been unprecedented months since we first locked down for a global pandemic and Some businesses have remained closed since March 2020, and others presented with new and unexpected challenges. North Warwickshire Borough Council now wish to gather feedback in a short survey to understand, amongs other things, what effects the pandemic has had on businesses and what wouldhelp them recover. Leader of the Council, Cllr David Wright said, “Resilience of businesses to trade is of paramount importance to keep the North Warwickshire economy buoyant and get it back to pre-Covid-19 levels.
This survey will enable the Council and its partners to understand what they can do to support businesses through this difficult time as well as refer you on to partners who can assist as there is a huge range of business support still available.”

The survey is available at:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NWBusinessSurvey

If you would like to discuss your particular situation and possible hardship issues please contact
informationofficer@northwarks.gov.uk

Business Support and Advice
As the county reopens many businesses will be facing challenges and we recommend you contact the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub. Offering support for all your business needs, offering a range of free services including mentoring, financial advice, growth planning and networking opportunities. The team of friendly advisors are on hand to help your business grow and keep growing in the future. They can offer advice and support on:

  • Capital and operational grants and loans
  • Legal and HR advice for employees and
  • the self-employed
  • Advice on business rates and VAT rates

and much more!

Give the team a call on :0300 060 3747, visit their website https://www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk or email them on support@cwgrowthhub.co.uk or louise.wright@cwgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Federation of Small Businesses is a non-profit making and non-party political organisation that’s led by its members, for its members. The FSB members receive a wider range of vital
business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice heard in Government. Their mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions.
Further information is available on the FSB website https://www.fsb.org.uk/ or by contacting Coventry and Warwickshire Development Manager Lee Osborne at lee.osborne@fsb.org.uk STOP PRESS! The FSB are running a social media campaign #MyHiddenGems from July 19th through the Summer holidays to highlight great small businesses across the region. The idea is to highlight local distinctiveness and the brilliant small businesses that people can discover – it is aimed at both holiday. visitors and local communities and it is really easy to take part – just use the hashtag #MyHiddenGems.

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce 
Bricks and Mortar Retail, hospitality, Leisure and Tourism Businesses in North Warwickhire can access Digital Marketing training and 1:1 support delivered by Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, in
partnership with Stories Marketing, funded through Warwickshire County Council. Please see below for more information:

https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/business-support/digital-retailerworkshops/
If you’d prefer to speak to one of their advisers about becoming a Chamber Member, simply give us a call on 02476 654321 or alternatively contact us on email: info@cw-chamber.co.uk to find out more.

North Warwickshire Borough Council
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