Business Boost for Totnes Traders

What is the number one issue for traders in Totnes do you think?

Staff costs?  Business rates?  Lack of customers?

No doubt all of the above, but a surprising message came through when a group of business people got together to discuss how best to support each other though tough times – waste collections.

Dean Leybourn and Steve Beety  are setting up Totnes Business Forum with backing from the town council, which undertook a survey of what local employers and traders actually needed.

As is the way of things, initial enthusiasm at meetings faded away until Dean and Steve, as they say, “accidentally volunteered” to set up a forum to get things done. The first issue which seemed everyone wanted tackling was the confusing and costly multiplicity of waste collection services.  It seems only a handful of traders use the district council collections.  It can lead to bins on the pavement on random days and left there when they’re not collected on time.

Steve, who set up Western Sale Rooms on the industrial estate recently, said they first wanted to survey businesses to see which services they used. “It seems to be an ongoing issue to get regular and affordable waste collection.” Dean said  they may then look to see if it is feasible to put the town’s business waste out to tender. “This is an example of what we can do to make a difference,” Dean told the Pulse. “We are trying to make this forum project based, not a bunch of dull business meetings.”

There used to be a Totnes District Chamber of Commerce in town which dwindled away some time ago. The new Business Forum will be different.  It will be a Community Interest Company – and it’s so new it doesn’t yet have a bank account or any members.

The start-up has been given £4000 by the town council to  set up the CIC and then get to work promoting the town, encouraging collaboration and making sure businesses get heard when important decisions like town centre changes are mooted.

Dean said they also wanted to attract more footfall to The Narrows and Bridgetown (where Tempt the chocolate shop he’s involved with is).  “Totnes is more than just the High Street, there’s the industrial estate and other local businesses people might not be aware of.”

Steve said: “We want to provide a vehicle for people to connect.”

Dean and Steve are to be directors of the CIC and they are looking to recruit a steering group of five or six people to join them.

Interested? – email hello@totnesbusinessforum.co.uk