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| BETTER BUSINESS IN THE OLD TOWN |
| EDINBURGH OLD TOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION |
| BETTER BUSINESS IN THE OLD TOWN |
| THE EDINBURGH OLD TOWN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER |
| Issue 8 April 2002 |
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1 | UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT! |
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| We were sorry to learn last autumn that Josef Boni was starting a new career and would have to step down from the Chair of the Association. Josef has been a keen supporter for many years, and has served as Vice Chairman and Chairman for the past five. He leaves with our very best wishes for the future. The good news is that Vice Chairman John Richardson was already waiting in the wings to take on the role and Syd McAlpine agreed to become Vice Chairman. Both bring enthusiasm and commitment backed up by fresh ideas to make the Old Town Business Association even more effective. |
| The Edinburgh Old Town Business Association promotes the interests of all businesses in the Old Town and is particularly concerned to offer support to small businesses. It aims to encourage the development of the area as an attractive place to shop, eat, drink and be entertained, and to represent members' interests on issues such as property rentals, traffic management and the conservation of the Old Town. |
2 | FROM YOUR NEW CHAIRMAN |
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| I am the proprietor of Ripping Records in South Bridge and I have been actively involved in the Association since a letter I wrote explaining why I did not wish to get involved provoked a visit from John Ellis explaining convincingly why I should! I soon found myself on the Committee, leading to the Vice Chairmanship and, slightly sooner than expected, to the "top job". |
| Frankly it can be mixed blessing! I wouldn't be doing the job if I did not believe very strongly that it is important for Old Town businesses to work together to make sure that their interests are represented effectively to the Council, City Centre Management, the World Heritage Trust and all the other organisations which effect our business environment. It is also vital that we sure local people and tourists are all aware of the wide ranging opportunities that we offer for shopping, refreshment and entertainment. Regrettably the most difficult task is often convincing Old Town businesses that it is worth contributing a modest amount - less that the price of a cup of coffee a week! - to make sure that we can continue. |
| At the end of last year we had a fresh look at the Association and concluded that its role was as important as ever but we could not sustain it in the long term unless we could attract more members. You will see on this page that we decided to relaunch it in the spring. Come along to the relaunch to give us your views on what is needed, and help us help you progress towards a more prosperous future. |
3 | HELP US MAKE A NEW BUSINESS ASSOCIATION |
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| Come along to the Crowne Plaza on Monday 29th April at 6.15pm for our RELAUNCH Meeting |
| Come and hear about the Association, what it is trying to do for you now and what it might do in the future. |
| The meeting will be focussed strictly on the future role of the Association. We have to establish what members and potential members want from it and how it should be organised to meet your needs. |
| The format for the meeting will include short presentations on the Association and on the Website, followed by an opportunity to meet Committee members informally over a glass of wine and light refreshments generously provided by Committee Members David Welch of the Crowne Plaza. |
45 | LIMITED CHRISTMAS CHEER |
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| In May 2001 our then Chairman, Josef Boni, and John Ellis met with Donald Anderson, Leader of the Council, and a number of Officials to talk about the need to improve Christmas decorations in the Old Town. We were given an encouraging response at the time but as the Festive season approached it became obvious that little if anything was going to be done, and officials became impossible to contact. |
| We do not think that this is good enough, and we will be putting pressure on the Council to do more this year. However, we believe that our position would be strengthened if we could show that Old Town businesses were willing to contribute to the cost of providing, say, lights.Come and give us your views on 29th April. |
6 | TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT |
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| Council proposals for traffic in the Royal Mile will be reviewed at their March meeting. We are trying to present a balanced view, since some members feel that traffic restrictions damage business while others like them. If you have strong views, let us know but tell your local Councillor as well. |
7 | WEBSITE UPDATE |
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| We have completed the first two phases of the redevelopment of the Website, and are pleased to report 20,000 "hits" per month. Less satisfactorily, the cost of this work means that our cash reserves are smaller than we would like, and we have yet to find a source of additional grant funding to take the project forward. We are, however, convinced that our investment will pay off |
8 | PROMOTING THE OLD TOWN |
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| Have you seen the Magazine produced by City Centre Management, with its feature on Victoria Street? Getting free coverage like this is just one of the benefits which the Association brings to members. |
| The Website is another effective promotional medium, and one which under our control, but it will cost quite a lot before it is fully developed top our requirements. |
| We would like to look at a brochure for the Old Town and do more to advertise in newspapers but both these require funds which we will only begin to have with a much larger membership. |
| We need to know if members and potential members would contribute by buying advertising space - another issue to discuss on 29th April! |
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairman - John Richardson
Vice Chairman - Syd McAlpine
Jos Bastiaensen,Rosemary Wake,
Derek Welch
Secretary and Treasurer - John Ellis
Phone 0131 477 2910 or 01875 852395
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