Good News - Winter is just around the corner!

The end of Autumn, according to the meteorological calendar, is the 30^th November, which also happens to be St.Andrew’s Day, the patron saint of Scotland. Though, we do not quite have such an energetically celebrated festival, as that afforded to St.Patrick, here in Ireland and around the world. In fact we do very little to celebrate this day and in terms of turning the world blue we do not hold a patch on you guys, when you, year after year manage to turn the whole world green on 17^th March. Maybe one day!

With Autumn over, wonderful Winter quickly follows suit and I must say, that this is one of my favourite times of the year. Getting out on a very crisp cold morning, for a brisk, effervescent walk, or short sharp ride in my lurid Lycra, does me the world of good. It clears my head, refreshing my mind about all the good things we have here on our doorstep, in wonderful Waterford.

So, whichever way you package it, there really is so much to look forward to this Winter.

Over the last week, we have seen a mini retail tsunami, with new retailers opening in Ireland’s oldest City Centre. There have been queues and queues of young ladies, waiting patiently in line to buy lippy, liner, lashes, and much, much more, from a new “all things makeup” brand, that has opened in City Square Shopping Centre. This hysteria follows hotfoot (excuse the pun), on the back of a new shoe brand, which has rightly chosen Waterford City as its south east flagship store. These two brands will certainly add to our retail offering and are excellent news, just in time for Christmas.

The retail expansion over the last few weeks has continued to improve, through the work of some stakeholders and in particular, the committee members of the Waterford Business Group. They have been working tirelessly away in the background, making personal contacts, speaking to and encouraging the relocation of brands to our City Centre. We cannot underestimate the volume of voluntary work undertaken on our behalf, to make Waterford a better place.

Hopefully, T & H will be opening soon and the planning issues being encountered by several other brands, will be resolved in a positive light. Thus, adding significantly to our and our visitors’ retail experience of the City Centre. The more attractive and unique our City Centre becomes, the better the shopping fulfilment will be for everyone.

Of course Winter in Waterford, now comes with Winterval attached too. Incidentally, a name Mr McCarthy, at WLR, has difficulty liking! I heard him mention this on Friday’s programme and he might be right, as Mrs Garland too has difficulty with the name. Anyway, Winterval will be back on our streets on 25^th November, a week later than last year and this will also be the date for the switching on, of our Christmas lights. This sparked much debate last week and I for one, believe that the third Friday in November is the correct switching on, of the lights and the start of our Christmas retail period. This change of date, at the behest of whom and with no consultation with our retailers, has put us a week behind our competitors. Bah Humbug!

I have no doubt that there are plans afoot, to do something special on Friday 18^th November. This should be the lights on date. To this extent keep an eye on the local press for further details. Now that’s the spirit of Christmas, giving something back to the people of Waterford!

So, there is much to look forward to in Waterford. We inevitably start the countdown, to that big red, beardy one, coming down the chimney. Delivering all manner of weird, wonderful and unwanted presents. Top of MY present wish list, are lower Council car parking rates for ALL!

Remember that the bountiful few weeks in the run up to Christmas, may well account for up to 30% of our local businesses annual turnover.

Shop smart, shop local, shop Waterford!

The worst "since records began!"

In meteorological terms the 1^st of June always marks that start of summer.

Irish weather forecasting!

This date is the reference point that is used by meteorologists to allow year on year comparison with weather related statistics and probably allows comparisons “since records began”. Not that many of us actually understand what this phrase really means. We apparently had absolutely no records of any weather patterns until one day some bright spark started writing down what the weather was like on any given day they woke up, and so “since records began” started. That first date must have been an amazing date when it was simply the hottest, wettest, driest, windiest and coldest day on record!

Not that the weather this week has felt anything like summer and as we all hope that, that one day of wonderful weather we had back in May was not summer, we all keep our fingers crossed that this summer will be the best “since records began”.

The compiling of statistical information is hugely important for businesses when they need to refer back to weekly, monthly and yearly key performance indicators. This inevitably leads to direct comparison and more importantly details a statistical evaluation of how the business is performing. This can then allow for real time adjustments to strategy to get a business back on track in terms of the annual budgetary goals that would have been set at the start of the financial year.

Using the correct statistical information is also a fundamental if we are to assess accurately how we are performing.

I heard only last week a lot of commentary that Waterford is now “moving in the right direction” in terms of its economic recovery. Well this is and is not true.

Footfall!

Yes, we are seeing some great economic news on the jobs front, particularly in the pharmaceutical and service sectors. And these positive news stories will no doubt bring greater attention to the City and hopefully more investment.

But our retail sector continues to struggle with falling footfall (stagnant at best), very low disposable income per household, high commercial rates, high cost of planning regulation and years of neglect. As we are selling Waterford Inc to potential investors the very heart of Waterford, its City Centre, MUST develop at an accelerated pace in order to keep up with other industry led expansion.

The lowering of the cost of operating a business in the City Centre will bring in a better retail mix and will, I am sure, give additional impetus to the Michael Street and Apple Market projects. Both of these projects incidentally have been championed by the Waterford Business Group for the last two years and it is refreshing to see this level of commercialism from within the Council. However, the caveat to this is to have the Council drive the project at a commercial pace and deliver for the City in a shortened time frame. There are far too many examples of Local Government and National Government moving at a snail’s pace when a cheetah’s pace is needed. Waterford is a prime example where not only is the clock ticking but we will very shortly need a Doctor Who like time machine to catch up.  

By the end of the first month of the summer we will be halfway through the financial year for many companies in Waterford. There will be much soul searching and pressing of calculator buttons, as businesses right across the City Centre realise that the financial predictions made at the start of the year are falling way short of what is needed to actually keep trading and stay in business.

Apple Market artists impression.

This is the actual position many of the businesses in our City Centre find themselves in today. They are not worried about lasting to the end of the year or lasting to the end of the summer, they are worried about surviving to the end of the week!

Reality bites when as a business owner you have no salary to take home and you are sacrificing your own wellbeing in order to keep your staff employed. Yet there is an assumption that the business owners of Waterford City are somehow making absolute fortunes at the moment as we hear more and more misplaced commentary about the economic recovery across Waterford City. 

Yes, there are astonishingly rapid recoveries happening in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick but these four Cities are not in the third tier of economic recovery. Waterford and the South East are and this is a fact. You only have to look at the Pobal HP Deprivation Index, as used recently by Mr Browne and his boys, to understand just the scale of the economic recovery needed across the South East. Just to catch up with the likes of Galway and Limerick there is a massive amount of work needed and it is not as though the Pobal information is old. The Pobal HP Deprivation Index was generated in 2011/2012 some four summers ago!

So how are the City Centre’s businesses going to survive this week, this month and this summer?

The very minimum that is needed is a further 20% reduction in the commercial rates for City Centre businesses in 2016. A 20% reduction was enabled two years ago when Minister Hogan was lobbied by the Waterford Business Group.

There are now more commercial rates going into the City’s coffers with the many new industrial premises being built and the various expansions taking place. This increase in industrial rates must be offset against a reduction in City Centre commercial rates and every Councillor in the City and County must start working on driving the cost of operating a business in our City Centre DOWN.

 Omnishambles or Dr Who?

Our City Centre can only be at the heart of our City and County if we have a progressive commercial rates structure, which in turn will attract a wider variety of retailers, which in turn will increase footfall, which in turn will increase employment, which in turn will increase commercial rates revenue for the Council and so on. It is very simple and is a WIN, WIN for all.

If we do not want this summer to be the worst “since records began” for our City Centre businesses we must act now or it will simply be too late and even Doctor Who will not be able to help.

Here’s hoping the optimism continues in 2015.

In Scotland we would celebrate Hogmanay or the last day of the year, and thus we would be celebrating the passing of the Old Year rather than the tradition of our Auld Enemy south of the border who celebrate the coming of the New Year.

All across Scotland there would be regional variations to Hogmanay including places like Stonehaven that would have a parade of flaming fireballs down the main street, Dundee would have the traditional first-footer (or first visitor) bringing into the house not the usual gift of coal but a fancy herring, in Falkland there would be a torchlight procession up the Lomond Hills (an extinct volcano), St.Andrews would have a tradition of specially baked cakes but in reality we Scots are of course known for one huge party on the 31^st December that may continue for two or even three days into the month of January.

The formula for a traditional BIG party on Hogmanay has now been exported around the globe and Edinburgh led the way many, many years ago and this winning formula has now morphed into a celebration that lasts several days, starting pre-Christmas and finishing in early January. Our celebrations would also guarantee many a sore head and the serious threat of one biblical hangover for hundreds of thousands of teenagers and young adults. But as I have grown older and wiser the ability to balance alcoholic intake in smaller measures has now come to me and the years of celebrating Hogmanay with such gusto are now few and far between. The tradition still carries on in the Garland household that we celebrate the passing of the Old Year and we remember the good and try to forget the bad on 31^st December of each year.

Away from the commercialisation of Hogmanay many families will sit down with friends and neighbours and recall the best and worst of the past year. And the worst of the year will be made all the more palatable with the supping of a good Scottish malt, the singing of Auld Lang Syne (crossing arms only during the last verse) and of course the obligatory countdown, with BBC One Scotland on the television, to signal the passing of the Old Year and the beginning of the New Year.

2014 has been a hugely busy year for the Waterford Business Group (WBG) whom I am immensely proud to say I am a founding member of. The main committee is made up of 5 females and 7 males, which gives the committee a unique dynamic unlike any other group I have been involved in, and believe you me I have been involved in a staggering amount of committees and groups.

Founded in March 2013 and formalised with a full constitution in January 2014 the WBG has achieved an astonishing amount in not even 24 months in existence. The achievements are made all the more remarkable considering that the Group is entire voluntary, is membership based, and receives no funding from any other sources bar membership income and through fundraising.

The committee members are giving their time and energy for FREE for the betterment of the City, County and the people of Waterford and yet we and many other voluntary groups still hear firsthand the negativity and pessimism towards our work, and through the wonders of social media we continually read from keyboard warriors of how it could and should be done better. Perhaps these keyboard warriors’ New Year resolution would be to get involved – only a suggestion!

To get back to celebrating the passing of the Old Year I have highlighted below some of the WBG achievements for 2014. This is by no means an extensive list and has been created in no particular order, as ALL of our achievements no matter how big or small, are important to us. So here are some of the Waterford Business Groups 2014 highlights:

• Lobbying the previous Minister of Environment for commercial rates support to allow the balancing of the City, County and Dungarvan Annual Rate on Valuation in the 2014 and 2015 budgets. 2015 will see no commercial rates increases for businesses.
• Lobbying Government for additional grant funding to allow capital works such as the painting of Michael and John’s Street buildings to be carried out.
• Integral part of the City Centre Management Group and are one of the most active stakeholders on said Group.
• Working with new and potential City Centre investors to ensure that they invest in Waterford City.
• Creation of a new Waterford Business Group website specifically developed for members and businesses to use – www.waterfordbusinessgroup.com
• Creation of Waterford Street Ambassadors who support the Group’s activities, act as a contact point for local businesses and can be the “eyes and ears” for businesses in the City.
• Creation of the Waterford Retail Watch Scheme. A closed texting service that circulates information and descriptions about potential shoplifters, know criminals etc. The scheme has netted some excellent results in 2014.
• City In Bloom initiative that saw the City blooming with flowers throughout the Summer of 2014. This project will be extended in 2015 and beyond.
• Shop Local Saturday supported by the WLR FM outside broadcast unit and supported by a Live Local, Love Local, Shop Local campaign.
• Summer In the City musical festival with Waterford City Council and ArtBeat.
• Purple Flag initiative stakeholder and one of the most active stakeholders working on this project for the City along with City Council, Chamber and Garda.
• Guerrilla Gardening project along The Quays and throughout Ferrybank.
• Founders of the Waterford Shopping Voucher along with the Chamber. This local shopping voucher scheme has the potential to keep literally thousands of Euro circulating in the local economy.
• Support for many local projects including the New Street Gardens, Winterval and many others.
• Liaising with local Garda to keep our Waterford City safe.

The WBG have done so much in the past year and we would hope that come the end of 2015 we will have an even bigger list of achievements to publish.

On a final note I do hope that we can all march through 2015 with renewed optimism and a sense of pride in our City knowing that there are individuals that are willingly giving their own free time to make Waterford the best place in Ireland to live, work and play.

Our collective efforts will bring real rewards and remember that there is strength in unity and strength in numbers. So support local when and where you can as you know deep down it makes sense.

I hope that 2015 brings everyone health and happiness.

ENDS

Michael Garland, founder of bizBoost