local businesses workshop

An entrepreneurial spirit

Thanet currently experiences 2 million day visitors per year. How do we get them to stay longer and spend more? Businesses could contribute positively to the development of Margate by helping to establish to a multi faceted offer to local people and visitors.

“Our businesses are our passion and we want to share that with the local community. We relay on local trade.”
Business workshop participant.

• Margate should not become and ‘elitist ghetto’ –that’s not what local people want.
• Businesses should work together and the chamber of commerce must back these initiatives

Big business vs. small businesses

• Big business will provide a service to the community through employment and offers choice. However as a big business grows they tend to leave developing areas in search for lower overheads.
• Small businesses need to be nurtured. Small businesses grow and can be a strong and active part of the community as they have strong family ties.~
  
  “I want my business to be a part of anything that makes Margate a worthwhile town to live in.” Business workshop participant.

Views of Margate from local business

Local businesses are currently not very integrated in the community. We asked cultural and creative businesses what attractive qualities currently exists in Margate and what they think Margate lacks?

Margate’s attractive qualities?

• Clean beaches


• Infrastructure- life guards, road cleaners


• Sense of community


• Police station


• Post Office


• Railway station


• Road links


• Supportive local govt


• Bank


• Old town centre


• Musical history


• Cheap accommodation

Things Margate lacks?

• Super fast broadband


• Assigned space and support for small businesses


• Faster rail link


• International appeal


• Sustainable investment


• Vibrant economy


• Better facilities- accommodation, buses, childcare


• Unified marketing approach


• More visitor attractions


• Injections of cash to develop the public spaces


• Better wages and jobs


• Better educational links


• Business tax relief/ tax free periods.

Meeting in the middle: What of the listed items can be achieved in Margate?

• Mixed use venues that allow for projects and ideas to be incubated and nurtured and allows people to come together in a way the currently does not exist.


• An ‘Umbrella’ marketing approach that take the multi faceted aspects of Margate into account and one that attracts national and international tourists.


• Better links with institutions.


• Good quality active communication channels.


• Digital meeting points and Notice boards- there needs to be points of interaction with a strong level of quality control through a trusted intermediary e.g. Hidden Arts.


• Enthusiasm and positive messages that can improve the perception of Margate.


• Investing in the role of culture and tourism as persuasive means to attract new people, new businesses and bring that energy and excitement back to Margate.


• Encourage existing businesses to engage with and contribute to what is going on.


• Hard to employ people from the area as they are hard to find or seem to lack the necessary skills.

Stepping forward- integration into the community

• Ÿ A Cultural Vision needs to link to and build on things that are already existing in Margate.
• There should be multiple entry points which allow people to engage in a way that suits them.
  
  “Businesses with expertise in specific fields can play powerful roles in establishing ‘pride of place’ by bringing something different to the table .”
  Business workshop participant.
  
• Engaging the disengaged- could be achieve through a less prescriptive offer of events and activities:
  Ÿ - The role of music - very common entry point. There is already a lot of excitement when Margate hosts live bands. It attracts outside interest and gives positive messages within an beyond a town.
  Ÿ - The role of sport - engagement here already exists and has a naturally strong place in Thanet’s culture and should be worked into an approach that includes, youth, families, communities and international links.
  
• Build on existing leisure and tourism programmes such as ‘The Greeters Programme‘ - where visitors to Margate are shown around through a personal tour by a local resident or the ‘Thanet Pride Awards’ - recognising people working as ambassadors for the town.
• New initiatives should be introduced such as taxi driver training- where Taxi drivers are coached on how to showcase Margate to new visitors.
• Pride of place- There needs to be a head on approach tackling how Margate is perceived by local residents. There needs to be a sense of pride in the people of Margate in order for any changes to be sustainable.