BUSINESS NEWS
ENGLAND’ S OLDEST HOTEL RE-OPENS
The Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury has opened its doors following a luxury renovation.
Situated next to the town’ s 12th century Abbey, the Grade 1 listed hotel has been restored to create an elegant space that pairs 21st century requirements with quintessential English charm.
The Old Bell is open to corporates, offering contemporary options in a historic setting for meetings, team days, conferences, parties and exclusive private dining events. The hotel can cater for groups of 6-48 guests in theatre and seated layouts in their library or garden rooms. Room hire starts at £ 75 or a day delegate rate of £ 45(£ 190 including accommodation in one of the‘ Cosy Rooms’). Included in the price is use of the relaxing lounges and bar, complimentary Wi-Fi, audio visual and communications technology, personable hosts and free parking. Private dining in the library is also available for 6-16 guests for business breakfasts, lunches, dinners or cocktails and canapes.
The hotel is open for special celebrations too, including birthdays, anniversaries, cocktail parties or just general get togethers. Head Chef, Frédéric Fetiveau has created a menu
First tenants move into Fig Offices
Swindon town centre’ s newest flexible office provider, Fig Offices in Newbridge Square have welcomed their first tenants.
Lundy Projects the principal contractor for Network Rail has moved into the building, which is ideal for their business being only a short walk from the railway station.
Contact Associates has also made Fig Offices their home, moving in just a few weeks ago. Contact Associates delivers high quality assessments, which enable disabled students to access the specialist equipment and support they need to fulfil their potential at university or college.
Fig offers fully furnished offices for one
of British classics which is paired with an extensive bar menu of gins, fine picked wines, champagnes and expertly mixed cocktails.
On lighter days and summer nights there is a garden and terrace area with a spectacular backdrop of Malmesbury Abbey.
Christophé Dumeige, general manager said:“ We are very proud of The Old Bell Hotel. When guests come here, it is an event not a visit. This is a place for visitors to enjoy a relaxing environment whether they are working or here for a leisurely visit. We don’ t serve our guests, we host them with the most welcoming and attentive style.”
For more info: www. oldbellhotel. co. uk events @ oldbellhotel. com
person up to their largest which houses 16 work stations. Additionally, the ground floor offers a suite of glass fronted meeting rooms that are fully equipped with the latest technology and can also be booked by local businesses and clients alike.
For more info: www. figoffices. co. uk
INSPIRING EVENTS
In each edition Inspire have a TBE column to discuss topical issues, events or news effecting businesses locally. In this issue we talked to Elaine Harvey, head of marketing and Julie Smith, head of partnerships to get their take on networking locally and to explain more about Inspire’ s unique offering.
For more info: www. inspirebiz. co. uk
Give us your take on networking locally
Elaine: Networking in Swindon and Wiltshire is buoyant, with many organisations offering their own style of event. Inspire is much more than just a networking organisation, we offer business advice and support to help companies grow, but part of our offering helps local businesses connect. As well as‘ traditional’ networking events where business cards are exchanged and sales opportunities are explored, we also host alternative options to get people engaging in a more casual way. A good example is our recent business breakfast with guest speaker BBC Antiques Roadshow expert, Marc Allum.
What’ s your top networking tip?
@ Inspire _ Biz
Julie: My advice would be to research the different groups in the area before you commit. Most groups offer at least one‘ try before you buy’ session before you sign up to an annual membership. Once you decide on which group( s) best fit your needs it’ s good to try to and attend regularly in order to build relationships. The well-used phrase‘ people buy people’ is so true. We all prefer to do business with people we like, and connect with. The biggest mistake people make when starting to network is to expect to win business straightaway. This could happen, but more than likely it won’ t. Relationships develop over time and the people you meet might not have a need for your products or services immediately.
Elaine: Network with people you have something in common with. We’ ve launched two growth networks, Elite and Elevate, both offering peer to peer opportunities for business owners based on where they are in their business journey. The networks offer a space to share knowledge and learn from each other’ s experiences in a non-sales environment. Feedback from our current clients reflects the value in this opportunity to‘ pick each other’ s brains’ and have collaborative conversations around“ yes, we had that same issue and this is what we did to overcome it.”
To find out more about Inspire’ s offering email: team @ inspirebiz. co. uk or call 01225 355553
Discover more networking tips from our experts on page 30.
National intranet starts with a local call
Unitii is the cloud-based intranet service that allows your team to collaborate, communicate and get stuff done, quickly.
For more information contact the Unitii team on 01225 614 814 or visit unitiintranet. com
4 THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2018