Business Support

The Economic Development team have been working with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), a leading lobbying organisation, to develop a bespoke Local Leadership document for Watford which sets out how the Council are providing leadership to support small businesses locally.

Go to the Knowledge Hub to find resources and examples on how to meet the below criteria!

 

There is a minimum wordcount required for each Commitment, this has been highlighted below

 

Commitment 1) To be an employer of choice and adopt good employment practices throughout the business

 

Being highly valued by staff and known for good working practices is great for recruitment and as a way of fostering staff loyalty. There are many ways in which companies implement good employment practices, over and above what is required through legislation, which are discretionary and reflect on the culture and priorities of the business. Companies that choose to go the extra mile in terms of their employee offer usually benefit from higher productivity because of their ability to attract, retain and motivate the best people with their industry.

 

The Knowledge Hub holds a range of resources which will help businesses meet these criteria!

 

a) Fair wages and contracts (minimum 100 words)

 

This criterion includes paying the Real Living Wage to all employees aged over 18, only using zero hours contracts where completely necessary, and apply them responsibly where they are use, and engaging positively with trade unions or staff representatives.

 

b) Make wellbeing in the workplace a priority (minimum 100 words)

 

Supporting staff to thrive within the workplace helps retain good people within the workforce and helps get the most out of them. It encourages far greater staff loyalty. These factors can help reduce costs associated with staff turnover and help increase organisational productivity.

 

Recognised that mental health is on par with physical health for staff wellbeing, by implementing an action plan to support staff which regularly reviewed.

 

c) Support Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) (minimum 100 words)

 

Under the Equality Act 2010, a person is protected from discrimination throughout the employee lifecycle including recruitment, training and promotion. This Act sets out the main types of discrimination, including the personal attributes or characteristics which the law protects. Good EDI practices make sure that the working environment is fair and accessible to everyone.

 

There are many ways EDI policies can be introduced, there are examples and links to useful resources with the Knowledge Hub!

 

d) Offer staff benefits (minimum 100 words)

 

Offering employees an employee benefits package is a great way to engage and motivate staff and provide them with something meaningful aside from their salary for the hard work they undertake for the business. Even for small businesses, offering an employee a benefits package is usually worth the cost. There are many advantages to providing employees with a benefits package including keeping good talent, keeping staff healthy and happy, boosting morale and productivity, and there can be cost savings to the employee and employer through tax advantages of some benefits. There are many benefits staff can be offered, ranging from gym memberships to paid time off for volunteering.

 

Commitment 2) To support local employment through recruitment and training activities

 

Exploring local avenues to find staff can increase the range of candidates companies can choose from, and can bring more diverse applicant pool than just using more obvious established routes. Whilst some specialist roles may require a wider search there is a rich range of skills and experience that can be accessed through local routes.

 

Supporting local skills development activities can also help recruitment and retention, as well as helping shape the future workforce so that it can meet the needs of businesses in the future. This spans activities from training and development within the workplace, to doing talks in schools or offering apprenticeships or work placements to young people.

 

By meeting the criteria below businesses are demonstrating their commitment consider a diverse range of local candidates for roles, staff development, and supporting development of the future workforce, which should all help bring a richer talent base to support their business.

 

a) Consider a diverse range of local candidates for roles (minimum 100 words)

 

Set out in recruitment policies how your business will help local people access local jobs by exploring a range of local recruitment channels. There are good local recruitment agencies, but other channels can also present a wide and diverse range of candidates.

 

Recruitment policies should support EDI, as this will help businesses get the best range of candidates irrespective of who they are, or their socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

b) Staff training and development (minimum 100 words)

 

Training has a direct impact on businesses productivity and performance. It gives employees a better understanding of their responsibilities and the knowledge and skills they need to do that job. This will improve their confidence which can positively impact performance. Continuous professional development can help managers and employees to retain and enhance the knowledge and skills needed to deliver and complete tasks on time, helping businesses increase customer satisfaction and profitability. It can reduce staff turnover and increase staff loyalty. It also helps those individuals with their personal career development. There are more options than ever for staff training, including higher level apprenticeships.

 

Businesses should ensure there is a plan in place to support staff training and development.

 

Businesses with more than 50 employees are also expected to develop a robust 'people plan', created with staff and directly linked to the business's objectives, which allows for development opportunities and progression.

 

c) Support future workforce development (minimum 100 words)

 

There are a wide range of ways through which businesses can help shape the future workforce so that the skills and experience young people have will meet the future needs of industry. These range from working with schools to offer talks or careers mentoring, to providing work experience placements, to working with colleges or universities to help curriculum development.

 

 

Commitment 3) To support local community, focusing social value activities locally

 

Businesses of all sizes can play a vital role in supporting the broader community and addressing the challenges it faces. These commitments and associates criteria aim to bring benefits to businesses as well as positive community impact. Engaging with the community and third sector offers various business advantages, including boosting staff morale and development, advancing ESG/CSR/Social Value Goals, and supporting local causes and residents.

 

Proactive work with local community organisations can also help businesses with brand reputation, improved customer perception and attracting good staff.

 

Clearly there are many fantastic national charities to work with, however, finding a good fit with a local organisation for partnership working can bring great benefit to both parties. Watford has over 400 local registered charities, alongside a range of dynamic local community organisations. Local relationships can help businesses access:

 

• Mentoring opportunities for individuals or departments

• Staff development placements

• Exchange of ideas to develop new projects or initiatives for both organisations

• Enrichment of equality, diversity and inclusion policies and approaches

• Team building opportunities

• Offer sponsorship, donations or volunteering days

 

More examples and links to organisations who can help with guidance and introductions are within the Knowledge Hub!

 

a) Embed support for the local community within your business activities (minimum 100 words)

 

Create a culture within the business which values and promotes supporting local community organisations. This could include having a named member of staff responsible for leading on community engagement, having a nominated local charity to work with in partnership, working with them to plan the future support you can offer, and allowing staff paid time off to volunteer and help that organisation. The activity businesses undertake in partnership with the charity can be promoted through staff communication channels.

 

4) To buy local, exploring local supply options before going elsewhere

 

The global supply chain issues of the last two years have pushed businesses to turn to local suppliers as an alternative, but there are also a significant range of benefits to doing this.

 

It can bring more flexibility, greater control, reduce cost and carbon impact of transit. For some businesses it also helps them launch products faster.

 

All businesses large or small can consider seeking local quotes before searching more widely for supply, and potentially benefit from stronger more responsive supplier relationships as well as reduced carbon impact from the transit of goods. The Watford LinkUp platform is being developed to help businesses find and connect with potential new suppliers so that they can benefit from diversifying their supply base. Whilst some specialise requirements can only be delivered from elsewhere, there is an immense range of goods and services available within Watford and our immediate surrounding areas.

 

The Knowledge Hub holds a range of resources which will help businesses meet these criteria!

 

a) Include the requirement to use local suppliers in procurement or sourcing policies and state how you embed 'buying local' into the business values and operations (minimum 100 words)

 

Include 'buying local' in relevant procurement policies or strategies, or for smaller businesses without formal policies this could be using case studies/examples to demonstrate the approach to staff. A good example is to share with staff material about local events and activities happening in the town or using the Watford Gift Card as a staff incentive.

 

This criterion also includes consideration of how the local supply chain is treated, so we would also like to see policies requiring prompt payment of invoices. Larger businesses should also allocate a target percentage of spend or contracts to be allocated to local suppliers and monitor this in practice.

 

b) Demonstrate local supply relationships in action (minimum 100 words)

 

Businesses should share examples of a local supply relationship and what benefits they bring. This could be related to anything from products, services, including using event space or meeting rooms, training for employees or a collaborative project with another local business.

 

Business should also share what practical activities are being undertaken to expand the local supplier base, for example using the Watford LinkUp to find and connect with new potential local suppliers, or attending local business events.

 

Businesses should also share how they are encouraging their own suppliers to consider diversifying their supply base and 'buy local' more often.

 

Commitment 5) To adopt a green approach and embed environmentally sustainable practices

 

Many businesses are adapting their operations to become more environmentally sustainable to help mitigate the pace and impact of climate change. As so many organisations have already found this can bring wide ranging benefits, from improving brand reputations, to winning more business, diversifying and improving supplier relationships, helping attract and retain good employees, and reducing operational costs.

 

Watford Borough Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 both for its own and the boroughs emissions, with targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Find out more about Watford's Environmental Strategy

 

By meeting the criteria set out below, businesses will be taking steps to strengthen their own businesses as well as contribute to enhancing the long-term prosperity of Watford and help work towards a brighter future for all.

 

The Knowledge Hub holds a range of resources which will help your businesses meet these criteria!

 

a) Create and regularly review a climate/sustainability action plan (minimum 250 words)

 

Net Zero Emissions: Commit to Net Zero by 2050. Monitor progress made against your climate action plan, reviewing and updating it biannually, and reporting this to stakeholders. This could involve re-calculating the businesses carbon footprint annually to demonstrate reductions.

 

What can help with this:

• Take advantage of the funded Watford Net Zero initiative or join the free Environmental Manager's Network to gain insights from fellow Watford businesses and share best practices. To join the Network please email sustainability@Watford.gov.uk

 

Travel Planning: Produce travel policies/plans, which include targets for reducing carbon emissions, and review how they are applied in practice. Promote and encourage staff to explore environmentally friendly alternatives for commuting to work, that reduce travel emissions. Consider the carbon impact of transport from your supply chain and how this could be reduced.

 

Natural Environments and Ecosystems: Implement strategies to reduce food wastage, minimise air pollution and converse water resources, while promoting the integration of green spaces as natural environments, where feasible.

 

Responsible Resource Use: Adopt waste reduction and resource conservation measures to promote sustainability and responsible management. Prioritise sustainable sourcing practices by selecting suppliers and partners who adhere to ethical and environmental standards. Source material and products that are certified as sustainably sourced or produced.

 

Adapting to change: Demonstrate adaptability to embrace sustainability changes, ensuring a resilient and environmentally responsible approach to operations.

 

There are many ways businesses can take action in the areas detailed above. There are a range of examples, case studies and resources included in the Knowledge Hub!

 

b) Governance and organisational commitment and how you promote and share what you are doing (minimum 100 words)

 

Implement policies and measures to ensure accountability, transparency and commitment to environmentally sustainable practices, integrating them into the company mission, vision and values.

 

Example of how to do this:

• Identify a representative from the business to lead on sustainability. This could be a unique job role or an additional responsibility for someone, with clear responsibilities are set out and understood by the individual.

• Relevant information and knowledge shared with employees in a clear and accessible way, with workplace initiatives to encourage staff support. To have been awarded an accreditation or form of recognition in relation to environmental sustainability.

 

Tell your clients and customers about your sustainability commitments and ask your suppliers and contractors about their sustainability commitment.

 

Example of how to do this:

• Include information clearly on your website about what your are doing, how and why

• Discuss with suppliers at contract review meetings

• Investigate collaborative working with other companies to be more sustainable

• Embed sustainability requirements in your procurement policies and supplier contracts and monitor how they are delivered