Waverley: Better for Business Where Businesses Grow and Flourish www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] UK EUROSTAR HEATHROW TERMINAL AIRPORT ST.PANCRAS WATERLOO TRAIN LONDON STATION Welcome GATWICK AIRPORT SURREY Located in South West Surrey, Waverley is a highly desirable and popular FARNHAM place to work and live, attracting thousands of business leaders who make GODALMING the borough their first choice of location. WAVERLEY CRANLEIGH HASLEMERE Waverley’s picturesque location, transport share of businesses, followed by Godalming, network, healthy economy and quality housing Haslemere and Cranleigh. are just some of the reasons why over 8,200 Wherever you choose to locate your business, businesses are based here and achieve a collective you will always be well connected with road turnover of nearly £5-billion. and rail routes to London and the coast and, Creative and digital industries are flourishing in major towns, the M3, Gatwick, Heathrow and Waverley, and rural businesses are on the increase. Farnborough within easy reach. Waverley has Other key sectors where demand is expected to good opportunities to drive future prosperity grow include education, further education, the care and dynamism. sector, green technology and the visitor economy. This brochure will guide you through the support With a highly skilled workforce on the doorstep services we offer and signpost you to useful and fantastic educational establishments information for establishing or expanding a including the renowned University for the Creative business, of any size, within the borough. Arts in Farnham, the borough provides employees We’re here to help you so please do get in touch for all types of sectors. if you have any questions about doing business The majority of Waverley’s businesses are located in Waverley. in the main population centres, with Farnham being Economic Development Team the largest and home to 39% of the borough’s Waverley Borough Council 2 www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] Introducing Waverley’s business support service From identifying funding opportunities to sector specific advice, locating premises and training staff, our Economic Development Team is on hand to help. We place a great deal of emphasis on playing to our strengths and building strong and positive partnerships with the business community and key stakeholders. With our knowledge and contacts across the council and partner organisations, we will help you to navigate your way through the wealth of information that is available to businesses. To guide what we do and to ensure we contribute towards the Council’s vision for a thriving local economy, supporting local businesses and employment, a Covid-19 action plan has been developed, with stakeholders, to best support businesses and employment in 2020-21. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on Waverley businesses and residents and a Covid-19 action plan has been developed, with stakeholders, to best support businesses and employment in 2020-21. To reflect new and changing priorities, having declared a climate emergency in 2019, one of our new key priorities is to support businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. For tips, practical advice and case studies can be found at www.businesswaverley.co.uk. We also check we are providing the service you want and need by carrying out an annual business survey. If you would like to take part, please email [email protected]. *The interim Action Plan for 2020/21 is specifically targeted at Covid recovery actions www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] 3 How we can help you – a guide to our services Funding opportunities Premises If you need funding for your business, If the time has come to scale up your business, we can save you from a lot of we can introduce you to resources and the leg work that often goes with finding premises. opportunities for taking your business to With 47 business parks to choose from, four main high streets and many the next level. units located in our rural areas, Waverley is home to a good range of For free and impartial advice on start-up affordable office space. loans through to small business finance, If you are not quite ready for permanent premises but would occasionally like we will put you in touch with advisers at to work alongside other business people, Waverley offers a range of options Enterprise South. for renting a desk in a flexible managed workspace. For example: If you have an innovative idea that you The Space, Farnham want to develop, you may be eligible for grant funding, loans or procurements from The Haslemere Business Centre, Haslemere Innovate UK. Opus Club, Cranleigh When it comes to funding, we always Astra House, Cranleigh have our ear to the ground and will Club 66, Godalming provide you with the latest information. For more details about these workspaces and for contact details of local commercial agents, visit our website at www.businesswaverley.co.uk. 4 www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] Training and events Marketing & customer service Business awards Investing in training and development is vital Business networking is a great way to make new The Waverley BIG Awards celebrate for maintaining a competitive edge but when contacts, generate new business, find new local suppliers, the best of the best. We organise them you are a small business, the cost can be raise your profile and grow your support network. in partnership with the Chambers of prohibitive. Commerce and town councils. From pay as you go to membership networks, there are To support Waverley’s business community, many networking groups in Waverley. To find the one The awards offer fantastic PR for local we regularly run free training and networking that is right for you, look for details on the events page at businesses and are a great way for events on a range of topics such as www.waverley.gov.uk, contact your local Chamber of your business to raise its profile in the apprenticeships, marketing, cyber security Commerce, see surrey-chambers.co.uk, search online local area. and social medial as well as sector specific for other local networking groups or visit To further understand business needs events like tourism, retail or the film industry. www.networkinginsurrey.co.uk. and challenges, we have set up a Every February/March, we hold a business Our Compete on the Street customer service programme business task group, with quarterly breakfast so we can inform you about council aims to support retailers by offering them additional meetings. budgets and business rates and any other skills to survive the challenges presented by changes in useful topics for businesses. This provides people’s shopping habits. the perfect opportunity to meet the Chief Good customer service is critical to a healthy high street and Executive, Leader of the Council and Portfolio can give physical retailers the edge over online competitors. Holders. Every Customer Counts, is a free customer service training You can keep up to date with news, training module which is available to Waverley retailers. and events in Waverley by signing up to receive our regular business newsletter. Email [email protected]. www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] 5 Local business information Enterprise South If you are thinking of starting a business or you have a business and need some help, you can get free, independent and confidential advice from Enterprise South, which is funded by Waverley Borough Council. Appointments can be booked with an experienced Chambers of Commerce business adviser by visiting www. businesssouth.org or calling Wherever you decide to locate in the borough, we 0800 652 6254. have four active Chambers of Commerce which are a great place for businesses of all sizes to meet, network and exchange information. The council regularly meets with the chambers of commerce to pursue joint projects and have actively been considering four Business Improvement Districts. Contact your local chamber to find out more. • Farnham: farnhamchamber.org.uk • Godalming: godalmingchamber.org.uk Start your Business • Haslemere: haslemerechamber.co.uk in Waverley book • Cranleigh: destinationcranleigh.net Our free book, Start your own business in Waverley is available to download on our website or can be ordered in hard copy at www.businesswaverley.co.uk. 6 www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] Why businesses choose Waverley There is a reason, or even several, why so many businesses choose to have their headquarters in Waverley. We have the highest business density in Surrey. Here’s what’s special about Waverley and why it appeals to entrepreneurs from a range of sectors. www.businesswaverley.co.uk [email protected] 7 Cranleigh There are nearly 800 businesses in Cranleigh. Construction of buildings, retail trade and real estate activities account for nearly 18% of all businesses. The village has a bustling, vibrant centre and offers a range of traditional family businesses and new and dynamic businesses. Although it does not have a train station, Cranleigh has prospered as a satellite of Guildford and as a service and light engineering centre for the surrounding smaller villages. The population is around 11,500. Manufacturing - Cranleigh Cambertronics is a Cranleigh based electronics design and manufacturing company. Established in 1991, the company has grown and moved twice locally and has been involved in a variety of projects for some of the largest blue chip companies - some as far away as New Zealand! The company feels that Waverley offers an ideal demographic hub for staff and businesses from Surrey, Hampshire and West/East Sussex. The safe and attractive locality and reliable local logistical infrastructure is a definite plus. Great local schools/colleges/ universities provide students for work experience and apprenticeships, some of whom have completed their university courses and now come back as customers.