Working together makes good business sense for the town

8:06am Thursday 13th March 2008

Comments (5)   Have your say »

MIDDLEWICH businesses are joining forces to save the ailing town centre.

The owners of the Accord Clinic, Ambassador Recruitment, Rigby and Co, Gems Wedding Supplies and Cheshire Restaurant are hoping to set up a Middlewich business forum to offer support to traders in a bid to attract more new businesses and increase the longevity of the existing shops.

Frances Cowper, who has ran the Accord Clinic in Hightown for 25 years, said: "When it comes down to opening a new business you need people who have been there and done it because there are certain things that you just don't know about when you are starting out.

"When you think of all the people who have businesses in Middlewich there is an awful lot of experience out there that you can learn from."

Frances often takes the new shop owners under her wing and advises them about anything from book keeping to leases, but would like to expand the service throughout the town.

"We do look after each other, but we would like to look after the others as well," she said.

"There's a whole wealth of knowledge out there that is just not accessible and we want to make it accessible."

Hayley Latham, from Ambassador Recruitment, set up her recruitment company in Wheelock Street 18 months ago and admits she felt there was little help out there and few people she could turn to for business advice.

She feels that if people knew they had a support network it would attract more people to set up businesses in the town.

"If anyone wanting to come into the town knew that they had a support network it would really help them," she said.

"And we don't just want this to be based in the town centre we want all the industrial estates that surround Middlewich to join as well."

The business owners are hoping that eventually traders will be able to come to one another when they have any business related problems or concerns.

If you would like to join the forum call Frances on 01606 836 214, Meg on 01606 832 900 or Hayley on 01606 831 300.