Cumbria

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Our telephone lines are being moved to our new offices this morning (Fdiday 20th) and, as a consequence, or main line 015394 40020, and those associated with it, are presently not available.

BT advise that we should be up and running again by 13.00.

For some of the time we can be contacted via our fax number 015394 46140 or you can contact Bill Smith direct on his mobile 07766 208 082

Also apologies for the intermittent Twitter feed to our website – normal service will hopefully be resumed as quickly as possible

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With effect from the beginning of January 2012 our new office address will be:

Let’s Talk Shop Ltd
“Overbeck”
Woodland Road
Windermere
Cumbria
LA23 2AN

All other contact details will remain unchanged.

PLEASE ADJUST YOUR RECORDS ACCORDINGLY

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Adopting some simple resolutions for the New Year could help attract new customers to your shop.

Why not try some of these:

  • Regularly look at your business from the customers point of view, remedy any failings immediately.
  • Keep your shop front well swept and free of weeds and rubbish.
  • Refresh the message on your ‘A’ sign, keep it informative, clean and sensibly located.
  • Display your business contact details clearly on the shop fascia or window.
  • Request the window cleaner to clean the shop fascia on a regular basis. What about cleaning the insides more regularly?
  • Ensure window displays are regularly changed and that the window is working for you even when the shop is closed.
  • Illuminate your window effectively and keep window lighting on after the shop is closed.
  • Repair light fittings immediately something goes wrong and keep bulbs to the same specification.
  • Remove unnecessary notices from your shop window and door – particularly if they are promoting another business.
  • Remember the age old retail adage – “EYE LEVEL IS BUY LEVEL” and use it to maximise the appeal of your window and interior displays.

Look out for more simple resolutions from ‘The Shop Doctor’ to help make your shop work harder for you in 2012.

Sometimes addressing the simplest of things can make the greatest impact.

Wishing you a Happy New Year, and let’s hope for a more prosperous one.

 

 

 

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Public toilets are not always available where or when you need them, there is often a queue at the ladies, and facilities for disabled people, children and for changing babies are not always adequate.

However, public toilet provision is at the discretion of local authorities, and there is currently no legal requirement for Councils to provide any toilets at all. In fact 40% of public toilets have closed in the last ten years. The campaign group ‘We need the Loo’, a joint venture between the Women’s Design Service, the British Toilet Association and the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has therefore launched an online petition to ask the Government to make adequate public toilet provision a legal requirement.

They are asking for adequate toilet facilities for everybody, including men, women, children, babies and disabled people.

If you would like to play your part in ensuring we have public toilets as part of more sustainable, comfortable and inclusive communities, please publicise this petition. It has its own Facebook page, and the petition can be found by searching for public toilets on the government’s e-petition web site, or by using this link –  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/15258

Well maintained, well equipped, clean and easily accessible toilets can make a real contribution to how customers use our towns – a way has to be found to improve, not remove, public toilet provision.

epetition flyer – we need the loo

epetition press release

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Shops in the Currock, Harraby and Upperby areas of Carlisle are being offered the chance to attend a free Shop Doctor retail workshop funded by Carlisle City Council.

The workshop will be hosted by ‘Shop Doctor’ Bill Smith on Tuesday, 4 October at Currock Community Centre, on Lediard Avenue, between 7pm and 9pm. It will be based around the importance of the visual impact of a business and how selling opportunities can be increased through effective layout and merchandising techniques.

It will be open to all business owners and their staff. It lasts a couple of hours and also allows local business people to swap ideas with fellow retailers.

Shop Doctor retail workshop flyer available here

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Recent Shop Doctor visits to retailers in urban areas of Carlisle have identified some interesting challenges facing the diverse range of businesses enrolled in the present support initiative funded by Carlisle City Council.

The area maintains an abundance of small local shops, some newer than others, and the loyalty of many of the local community has been very much in evidence during the shop visits.

Ensuring that the shops continue to meet the needs of the local community whilst maximising their business vitality is however an ongoing challenge for the operators and the Shop Doctor Surgeries will help identify opportunities to help build upon the existing success of those taking part.

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In a survey of shops in Ambleside, Windermere and Bowness undertaken in the last two weeks the number of empty shop units identified was very similar to the results of a  survey undertaken in April.

In Ambleside 11 out of 162 shops (6.8%) stood empty against 12 in April.

In Windermere 6 out of 113 (5.3%) against 5 in April although 3 shops are actively being worked upon in preparation for being re-opened.

In Bowness 5 out of 147 (3.4%) against 8 in April with 2 of the units being brand new and never occupied since completion, probably due to their  location.

In July 2010 empty shops in each of the towns stood at 6, 4 and 6 respectively with Ambleside seeing the greatest increase against last year due to the loss of shops such as Homes of Football, Shinglers, Lucys Delicatessen and one large unit previously occupied by Gaynors ( who still remain very active in their other shops).

Ambleside has seen some new shops units developed within the year, all of them quickly being occupied, but business in general is felt to have suffered from the loss of student activity following closure of the University Campus, a decision that may now be about to be reversed.

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To date 14 businesses across Harraby, Upperby and Currock have confirmed their interest in participating in the Let’s Talk Shop “Shop Doctor” Support Programme. The initiative is totally funded by Carlisle City Council who recognise the importance of shops serving local communities and who are actively demonstrating this by supporting  and promoting the programme.

Those confirming participation include a Sandwich Bar, a Butchers; Florist; Post Office; Newsagents; Greengrocers;  Bakers and a Greeting Cards Shop and present an interesting cross section of the business serving the local community in the areas concerned.