The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire May Edition | Page 16

SPOTLIGHT ON CALNE NEW WAYS OF WORKING Calne - Our Place Calne Town Council have recently launched an exciting new project entitled ‘Our Place’. The idea focuses on Calne and surrounding villages, to help the council understand the culture and heritage of the area, recognise its strengths and celebrate its unique identity. It has also been launched as a profile raising exercise to attract visitors to the area. ‘Our Place’ is the initiative of a group of local partners. It has the aim of promoting economic regeneration in Calne and the surrounding villages through a tourism strategy based on practical action. The group has recently succeeded in winning some Government funding and is in the process of bidding for more. Businesses and residents are being urged to send in their thoughts by email to: [email protected] First Business Fair The first Calne Business Fair will open its doors on 17 May to promote and celebrate the many diverse small and micro businesses in the SN11 area. Inspired by the successful ‘Wiltshire Expo 2013’ local business people Jessica Pillow (Pillow May Accountants) and Andy Tottman (Chilvester) felt there were many local companies that do not get the attention they deserve and set about creating an event to shine a spotlight on this business sector. The Calne Business Fair is a free event designed to create business owners a platform to engage with a public audience and to network with other similar sized local companies. The event will take place in Calne Town Hall and Marden House on the same & day as the annual Lions Duck Race. Talking about the event Jessica Pillow commented: “By linking the Calne Business Fair to the Lions Duck Race enables us to promote an event with potentially very high footfall”. Andy Tottman added; “The idea has gathered a great deal of momentum in such a short space of time that I really hope the people of Calne take this opportunity to put themselves forward.” To find out more and to book a space contact: [email protected] or visit : www.facebook.com/calnebusinessfair Many office design companies may try to woo you with glossy brochures of fantastic looking offices. The Elm Workspace approach is different. Before you even get a whiff of a design, Elm Workspace carries out a Workplace Assessment with you to address some fundamental questions. Questions around your company ethos and culture; your future plans; your work space utilisation; types of work place tasks; I.T. requirements etc. The analysis and recommendations from this consultation then form part of the design brief to the Elm Workspace in-house design team. Elm’s Workplace Assessment is proven to: • save you money through efficient space utilisation • reduce your capital outlay and ongoing property overheads • increase staff retention rates • reduce staff sickness rates • improve productivity • improve understanding of your company ethos and culture • increase brand awareness and consistency of messaging Nick Clarke, Projects Director at Elm Workspace says: “We find that clients really appreciate our practical and functional approach to design. The end product not only looks good but performs well too”. For a free initial Workplace Assessment consultation, please call Ross Paters ۈۂ