Issue 5 - Sept/Oct2007 - South London Business
Issue 5 - Sept/Oct2007 - South London Business
Issue 5 - Sept/Oct2007 - South London Business
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<strong>Sept</strong>ember/October 2007 Foreword and contents 3<br />
<strong>South</strong> <strong>London</strong> <strong>Business</strong><br />
...it’s all about business<br />
Welcome to the fifth edition of <strong>South</strong><br />
<strong>London</strong> <strong>Business</strong>, the magazine for<br />
<strong>South</strong> <strong>London</strong>’s business community.<br />
In my foreword to the last issue of this<br />
magazine I commented on how quickly<br />
time had passed since I sat down and<br />
drafted my previous message, and the<br />
same is very much the case now. Since<br />
I last put pen to paper we have had<br />
a change of Prime Minister, narrowly<br />
escaped disaster with the failed<br />
terrorist plots in central <strong>London</strong> and<br />
experienced a terrible summer of rain and flooding that has<br />
affected homes and businesses across the country.<br />
Whilst our region was not as badly affected as other parts of<br />
the country, our business community will have felt the impact of<br />
the bad weather, and it is important that we all support our local<br />
businesses, particularly those in the hospitality, leisure, travel and<br />
tourism sectors. There are a number of internationally renowned<br />
tourist destinations in <strong>South</strong> <strong>London</strong> – including Hampton Court<br />
Palace and Kew Gardens – but there is also a wealth of hidden<br />
gems that can be visited for a few hours or a whole day. Remember,<br />
<strong>London</strong>’s landmarks and leisure destinations are not just for<br />
overseas tourists – for more information and great days out check<br />
out www.visitlondon.com.<br />
In this issue (page 10) we have published the results of our<br />
second business survey. The survey was sent to 13,000 businesses<br />
across <strong>South</strong> <strong>London</strong> and the overwhelming majority of those<br />
who responded were positive about the area and their business<br />
prospects. This is, of course, excellent news, but as is often the<br />
case with surveys of this nature the results are almost a historical<br />
record by the time they have been published. However, that is not<br />
to say they are not extremely valuable and we rely on your views<br />
and opinions when we represent your needs and concerns to local,<br />
News<br />
Low carbon Ken…<br />
Livingstone in Kew<br />
for reduced emissions Page 4<br />
Supplying the future…<br />
Small business<br />
wins big prize Page 5<br />
Online catwalk…<br />
Launch of web-based<br />
fashion service announced Page 8<br />
Poll position…<br />
Analysis of business<br />
survey leads to optimism Page 10<br />
The right staff…<br />
Putting ability<br />
at work first Page 12<br />
Work smarter…<br />
Invest wisely<br />
with new scheme Page 18<br />
Chambers<br />
Croydon, Kingston,<br />
Merton and Sutton…<br />
Latest business news from<br />
your borough Pages 28-33<br />
regional and central government. Our next issue of this magazine<br />
will see the publication of our third survey – which will be included<br />
in the polythene bag your copy is posted in – so please look out for<br />
it, complete it and send it back to us postage paid. In our next issue<br />
we will also be including your comments on our current survey, so<br />
please do let us know what you think.<br />
Despite the summer traditionally being a quieter period, we<br />
remain extremely busy. <strong>Sept</strong>ember sees the launch of Work<br />
Smarter – a new range of training workshops for companies<br />
looking to invest in their business by providing training<br />
opportunities for their employees. We all know how important it<br />
is to invest in new products and services or marketing and PR, but<br />
what about training your staff to cope with the changing dynamics<br />
of your business? Full day courses start from just £179 per person;<br />
find out more about Work Smarter on page 18. The second in our<br />
series of innovation events takes place on October 9 at Wimbledon<br />
Park Golf Club. Green & Fresh is being organised in partnership<br />
with Merton Chamber of Commerce and provides businesses with<br />
ideas on how to stimulate innovation within their company. For<br />
further information visit www.mertonchamber.co.uk.<br />
I hope you enjoy this issue of our magazine. If you would like to<br />
comment on any of the articles, or would like to contribute news on<br />
your own business, please do not hesitate to email us<br />
via magazine@southlondonbusiness.co.uk<br />
Peter Pledger – chief executive<br />
Features<br />
Going overground…<br />
From November, <strong>London</strong><br />
Underground maps will<br />
include details of the<br />
new Overground train<br />
network – bid to further<br />
reduce congestion Page 14-15<br />
Stubbed out…<br />
The smoking ban has<br />
been in force for over<br />
a month, forcing smokers<br />
onto the streets. But<br />
what affect has it had<br />
on business? Pages 22<br />
History restored…<br />
Two of <strong>South</strong> <strong>London</strong>’s<br />
most famous landmarks<br />
– the Royal Festival Hall<br />
and The O2 (formerly<br />
known as the Millennium<br />
Dome) – are soon to<br />
reopen as refurbished,<br />
modern entertainment<br />
venues Page 26-27<br />
www.southlondonbusiness.co.uk
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